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Exit Betty
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
142 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1920
113 people are currently reading
376 people want to read
About the author
Grace Livingston Hill
574 books565 followersalso wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
July 13, 2016
I have this on my Kindle so I'm missing out on the gorgeous cover above--that looks like a Cinderella gown, doesn't it! The runaway bride is Betty Stanhope, who is desperate to ALTER her icky situation of being forced to marry a stepbrother(!). But is there new hope for Miss Stanhope beyond the Bexit? It's Grace Livingston Hill, so yes...but how? Return your R.S.V.P. and share this story with as many "Plus One"s as you think will enjoy Betty's trek to a better situation.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for reading.
August 28, 2014
4.5 stars.
What a delightful little story! It's relatively short, squeaky clean, and Christian. The romance aspect is very, very low-key, and it mainly focuses on Betty and her attempt to escape her conniving guardians. It's a difficult story to describe, and still more difficult to do so without giving spoilers, so I will take the easy way out and say simply that I really enjoyed this and will certainly read more by this author.
What a delightful little story! It's relatively short, squeaky clean, and Christian. The romance aspect is very, very low-key, and it mainly focuses on Betty and her attempt to escape her conniving guardians. It's a difficult story to describe, and still more difficult to do so without giving spoilers, so I will take the easy way out and say simply that I really enjoyed this and will certainly read more by this author.
August 16, 2021
3.5 stars
I needed a fun, light, but exciting story and that is what I got. The bad guy was a villain, and the damsel in distress was beautiful. I liked Jane and her family, though I did wish that everyone who lived in a small town wasn’t made to talk like a hick with no education.
There was talk of prayer and going to church, and of “knowing God” but nothing was every very clear. And one person decided to trust another person because he “was a member of the church”. I wish the Christian message had been a bit clearer, but overall, I did enjoy the book.
I needed a fun, light, but exciting story and that is what I got. The bad guy was a villain, and the damsel in distress was beautiful. I liked Jane and her family, though I did wish that everyone who lived in a small town wasn’t made to talk like a hick with no education.
There was talk of prayer and going to church, and of “knowing God” but nothing was every very clear. And one person decided to trust another person because he “was a member of the church”. I wish the Christian message had been a bit clearer, but overall, I did enjoy the book.
August 17, 2012
Another sweet old-fashioned Grace Livingston Hill novel. This one features a shy heroine, a new loyal friend, a gallant rescuer, an evil stepmother and step brothers, and two elderly trustees.
February 8, 2020
Every so often I pick up this book by Grace Livingston Hill - probably more often than any other. Here is the classic runaway bride, in a not quite so classic completely evil situation. The way this poor girl is manipulated and frightened half to death makes my blood boil even on the dozenth reading. But Betty comes through with the help of some really amazing new friends. And of course the bad guys get the comeuppance so richly deserved. This is a true favorite worthy of being read another dozen times.
January 3, 2015
Grace Livingston Hill is one of my favorite Christian authors. Her writing in pure and simple and reflects the beliefs of her time. Whenever I think I have read all of her books, I find another one. "Exit Betty" was found on the free Guetenberg project website. I really enjoyed reading this one! Good for all ages. I give it 4 stars.
September 10, 2024
One of Hill's shorter novels, this was a sweet, nostalgic story. I enjoyed listening to this while getting a lot of housework done.
August 6, 2016
Enjoyable, but I've read better from this author.
September 3, 2012
What a darling sweet classic story! This is my first Grace Livingston Hill book and I really liked it! Her books were written in the early 1900's and are clean, full of values and morals, lovely stories- a rare find these days! This book is about a young bride who runs away from her wedding in the first chapter. The rest of the book unravels the mystery of why... It is a fun and easy read, I will definite
Y be looking into reading more of her books. Free on Kindle, FYI.
Y be looking into reading more of her books. Free on Kindle, FYI.
August 8, 2015
Good book.
July 23, 2016
This is the 2nd "runaway bride" book I've read by GLH - I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first (Marcia Schuyler, the 1st book in a trilogy) but it was a fun read.
January 2, 2018
I love reading Grace Livingston Hill books and this one is one of my top favorites of hers. It is small but packed with great things and such a fun read.
September 25, 2020
I just love this book. It's simplicity, and sweetness make me happy every time I read it. <3
June 11, 2015
A fascinating story of a runaway bride.
I was interested in how Mrs Hill was going to coordinate all the characters to come in contact with each other. It is a small book with a large story line.
I was interested in how Mrs Hill was going to coordinate all the characters to come in contact with each other. It is a small book with a large story line.
August 9, 2011
This one wasn't just a classic GLH! It had a wicked step-mother, several terrible step-brothers, a gallant rescuer, mystery, etc. :)
February 16, 2014
These are my guilty pleasure reading. So sweet and satisfyingly domestic.
August 21, 2015
Loved it. Nice clean read
March 19, 2017
Entertaining light read
I chose this while on vacation to while away a few peaceful hours. It's a sweet story, predictable as most GLH books are, but fun and enjoyable.
I chose this while on vacation to while away a few peaceful hours. It's a sweet story, predictable as most GLH books are, but fun and enjoyable.
January 3, 2018
This was a rather sweet book centered around a runaway bride, a conniving villian, a working class girl and a young lawyer.
February 22, 2021
When my life gets feeling a little drab, and I’ve read too much ordinary literature, I get a hankering for Grace Livingston Hill. Her stories are magic! In Exit Betty,we follow the adventures of a runaway bride and the people who help and protect her. Naturally everything works out well for her in the end, which we figured would happen, but the journey is oh, so fun!
March 6, 2024
Rating: 5 / 5
The best words I can use to describe this story are short and delightful.
In a story centered mostly on action that is guided by faith to non-preachy measures, Ms. Hill once again weaves her magic and has me enchanted. It starts off, appropriately enough, at the wedding of Betty Stanhope to a man whom she doesn't love, and in fact has quite good reason to fear. "Exit Betty" from the wedding, fortunately managing to go incognito for her own safety. From then on, it's a fast-paced, short yet exciting story to a wonderful finale.
As an added note to what makes this story stand out, by and far I'd have to say that it's the villain. Herbert Hutton is, to date, the most despicable cad that I've encountered in one of Ms. Hill's novels so far. Granted, he has a few things in common with other villains from the stories I've read, but there's just an added level of nastiness and belligerence to him in how far he's willing to go to get what he wants. Granted, we don't spend much time with him as a character in this book as compared to villains in other books, but let's just say that some of his actions truly shocked me, both in Betty's recollection of their shared history and at that incredible climax of the story.
Simply marvelous, this will be a book that I intend to read again and again and again!
The best words I can use to describe this story are short and delightful.
In a story centered mostly on action that is guided by faith to non-preachy measures, Ms. Hill once again weaves her magic and has me enchanted. It starts off, appropriately enough, at the wedding of Betty Stanhope to a man whom she doesn't love, and in fact has quite good reason to fear. "Exit Betty" from the wedding, fortunately managing to go incognito for her own safety. From then on, it's a fast-paced, short yet exciting story to a wonderful finale.
As an added note to what makes this story stand out, by and far I'd have to say that it's the villain. Herbert Hutton is, to date, the most despicable cad that I've encountered in one of Ms. Hill's novels so far. Granted, he has a few things in common with other villains from the stories I've read, but there's just an added level of nastiness and belligerence to him in how far he's willing to go to get what he wants. Granted, we don't spend much time with him as a character in this book as compared to villains in other books, but let's just say that some of his actions truly shocked me, both in Betty's recollection of their shared history and at that incredible climax of the story.
Simply marvelous, this will be a book that I intend to read again and again and again!
December 1, 2014
Betty comes from a privileged family. Her father's dying wish was for her to marry one of her stepmother's sons. She doesn't want to marry either of the brothers, but feels obligated to fulfill her father's dying wish. At the altar a switch was made and she finds Herbert at the altar. She collapses before the ceremony takes place. When she is left alone to recover, Betty decided to escape and run for her life.
Jane meets Betty on the street and helps her get away. As she listens to Betty's story, she becomes suspicious of her stepmother's motives and helps Betty get out of the city. Betty leaves the city to stay with Jane's mother until it is safe to return.
This is a good story and as usual with a Grace Livingston Hill includes a spiritual emphasis. I grew up having these books at hand and remember reading them in my teens. Unfortunately they were stored in a damp basement and became kind of moldy smelling and I had to get rid of all of my mother's books.
It is nice to take a step back into my past and reread something from my youth.
Jane meets Betty on the street and helps her get away. As she listens to Betty's story, she becomes suspicious of her stepmother's motives and helps Betty get out of the city. Betty leaves the city to stay with Jane's mother until it is safe to return.
This is a good story and as usual with a Grace Livingston Hill includes a spiritual emphasis. I grew up having these books at hand and remember reading them in my teens. Unfortunately they were stored in a damp basement and became kind of moldy smelling and I had to get rid of all of my mother's books.
It is nice to take a step back into my past and reread something from my youth.
June 29, 2012
In the beginning, I was not expecting to like this book. We are told from the beginning about how child-like, doll-like, and frail is Betty. To me this translates as dull. But after the first couple of pages, the story gets really interesting. I did have to suspend my disbelief several times, but it was worth it. Runaway Betty is fortunate to meet up with Jane, a highly intelligent, street-smart factory girl. She helps Betty escape her wedding as well as her abusive home by sending her out to the country.
This book was a fun little diversion. I actually thought Jane was a more interesting character and I would have given it 4 or 5 stars if it had been about her instead of Betty, who often seemed somewhat stupid for all her riches and education.
This book was a fun little diversion. I actually thought Jane was a more interesting character and I would have given it 4 or 5 stars if it had been about her instead of Betty, who often seemed somewhat stupid for all her riches and education.
December 30, 2014
Again, interestingly darker than I remembered when encountering this book as a teen. Also, now that I've read Hill's biography, I know that the hard-drinking, abusive, dishonest villain who so often torments Hill's heroines has some basis in her own difficult life. That adds both tang and sadness to the books.
A society bride faints at the altar, and sets into motion a series of events involving a swindled inheritance, a factory girl with a golden heart and her farm family, and a firm-jawed, noble hero. Notably, this book lacks an explicit "altar call" in the narrative; the sympathetic characters seem to become Christian nearly by osmosis.
I'll read something more nourishing soon, I suppose.
A society bride faints at the altar, and sets into motion a series of events involving a swindled inheritance, a factory girl with a golden heart and her farm family, and a firm-jawed, noble hero. Notably, this book lacks an explicit "altar call" in the narrative; the sympathetic characters seem to become Christian nearly by osmosis.
I'll read something more nourishing soon, I suppose.
July 23, 2024
This story feels like Grace wrote it 'just for fun'. And it is fun! As you can tell by the cover (so I'm not spoiling anything!), a bride runs away from the altar in a desperate attempt to escape a horrible future. How she accomplishes said escape, who helps her, and how she finds peace and security is a wild, hilarious, and comical ride. Only con: As someone who was born, raised, and has never left Ohio, Ohioans actually don't talk like her Ohioans do. Not at all. :) But that's just another giggle in this bouncing tale.
May 9, 2012
I read this book as a "flash from the past". I read every GLH book I could get my hands on in high school. I'm enjoying rereading them as they become available on the Kindle. I enjoy the sqeaky clean romance and the spiritual emphasis. Good always wins. Righteousness always triumphs. Good escapist reading!
November 7, 2018
An enjoyable way to pass the time
I have read many of Grace Livingston Hill's books. This one is not her best, but it was different and therefore enjoyable. Certainly not one I will ever re-read, like some of her others: the Search, Marcia Schyler, matched pearls, city of fire, and many others. However it was a pleasant take with nice people and a sweet love story.
I have read many of Grace Livingston Hill's books. This one is not her best, but it was different and therefore enjoyable. Certainly not one I will ever re-read, like some of her others: the Search, Marcia Schyler, matched pearls, city of fire, and many others. However it was a pleasant take with nice people and a sweet love story.
January 4, 2010
A beautiful, fragile heiress is tricked into marriage by her wicked stepmother - love the old Grace Livingston Hill Christian romance books. I don't like romance as a genre ordinarily, but have a love for this author's books from the 1920s.
February 21, 2025
Short 1920s novel about a runaway bride.
March 4, 2014
I was disappointed that I pretty well knew what was going to happen in this book before it happened. A fast read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews