Tempest in the White City

It Happened at the Fair #0.5

by Deeanne Gist

When a World’s Fair Guard and the woman doctor assigned to treat him square off in the White City, a storm is brewing…

Hunter Scott is one of the elite. An 1893 Chicago World’s Fair guard specifically chosen for his height, physique, character, and ability to serve and protect. When he is overcome with debilitating abdominal pain, Hunter stumbles to the Fair’s infirmary only to discover the doctor is female—who ever heard of a female doctor? But even worse, she has the nerve to diagnose him, the toughest man west of any place east, with constipation—an unspeakable ailment in mixed company. What will happen when this tough Texan and attractive doctor face off? Either way, a tempest is brewing...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Historical, Christian, Fiction, Christian Romance

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2013

About the author

With over a million copies of her books sold, international bestselling, award-winning author Deeanne Gist has rocketed up bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere with her original, captivating historicals. Her latest release, Tiffany Girl, was touted as a “Must Year of the Year!” by USA Today, was one of the Top 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2015 by Huffington Post, and one of WikiEzvid's 10 Must-Read Novels That Take Place in the Past.

Not familiar with her work? Take a quiz to figure out which Deeanne Gist novel you'd like best.

Published by Simon & Schuster, Gist's awards include a RITA for Best Long Historical of the Year, National Readers’ Choice Award, Best Historical of the Year (RT Reviewers), Librarians’ Choice, Book Buyers’ Best, Golden Quill, Books*A*Million Pick of the Month, Seal of Excellent and Award of Excellence.

Her most recent series takes readers into the heart of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, where USA Today says …

“The historical details are absorbing, never intrusive and always eye-opening ... The characterization is rich and authentic ... The narrative is a treat, the tempo impeccable.”

Gist's credits including People Magazine, Parents, and Parenting. Her entertaining and informative presentations have been featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Deeanne lives in South Carolina with her husband. When not writing, she enjoys boating and keeping up with her readers via www.IWantHerBook.com and her very active online community on her blog, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and on her YouTube channel.

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read. I was a little surprised at how short it was though. I was expecting 10-15 chapters or so, but it was still wonderful and I'm glad I bought it.

After reading this I'm very excited to read It Happened at the Fair! I can't wait to find out more about Hunter and Billy!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny story, I laughed out loud a few times. I wouldn't have minded reading a whole book about about these two characters!

[Tabetha Waite · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short teaser during the Chicago World’s Fair between a female doctor named Billy Jack and her patient, Hunter. He has stomach pain and she diagnoses him with..ahem...constipation where he then has an enema. Not my preferred way to start a romance, but hey, some true life situations have likely started even stranger. Definitely a hell of a way to meet!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute novella set in between It Happened at the Fair and Fair Play. There were mentions of Dr. Billy Jack Tate in the first book, and I'm excited to read her story as a female doctor during this time period. This novella featured a quick interaction between Dr. Tate and Hunter Scott, and the sparks are already flying! I'm excited to continue their story in Fair Play.

[Dorcas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no problem with the writing. I enjoyed it and laughed heartily in a few spots. But this can hardly be called a prelude. It's barely even one chapter's worth of writing. The book info says 46 pages but don't be fooled, it's half that. The rest is an excerpt from "It happened at the fair". Why did the author do this? I agree with a previous reviewer who suggested that this should have been offered for free, and then we would have gladly paid for the full book when it came out. With this being offered at .99 I felt like the public (me) was being "nickel and dimed" just to see if we'd fall for it. And I was; so I'm a little ticked.
For the record, I LOVE short stories, but this was not a short story OR a prelude,it was the musings of a chamber pot sitter. Seriously.

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was extremely short and ended very abruptly for my tastes, and from the excerpt in this book, it looks like the focus shifts for the next book. I did get invested in these characters and really wanted to know more about them. Billy Jack, our heroine, has a story to tell, I think, and I'm really interested in reading it! I'm looking forward to the next book to see if their story continues.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short digital story set at the Chicago's World Fair Woman's Pavilion. It features Hunter Scott a Texas ranger very upset over having to do guard duty at the Woman's Pavilion. It also features Dr.Billy Jack - a woman doctor - who treats Hunter. It was cute. Can't wait to read It Happened at the Fair.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whet my appetite for It Happened At The Fair.

[Rebekah Gyger · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a humorous, easy read, great for when you want something to read but do not have a lot of time. I can't wait for the full novel with these characters.

[Sonia189 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not bad but it's really short. It's more a snippet than a short story. I would have labeled this differently too, not as if it were installment 0.5 of this duo/series.
I'll read the full length story about this couple at some point.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Texas Ranger Hunter Scott was assigned to work the Chicago World's Fair, he anticipated working an exhibit that was suited to his rough-and-tumble tastes. Instead he's assigned to the Women's Building, where every corner was created, designed, filled, and run by women. When his nagging stomach pains blossom into an ailment that leaves him as helpless as a babe, he finds his welfare dependent on the one thing he fears most -- a doctor, and a female one to boot. Dr. Billy Jack Tate thought her greatest challenge was being one of the first female doctors in a male-dominated field -- until a handsome, stubborn Texas Ranger stumbles into her clinic and sparks fly.

Tempest in the White City could perhaps be more accurately titled Tempest in a Teacup, as I remain unsure of the point of its release. Ostensibly a prelude to Gist's latest full-length novel, It Happened at the Fair, Tempest is a slim story featuring characters that don't even feature in the later book (if the search inside feature is to be believed). While this story hints at Gist's ability to bring the 1893 World's Fair to life, replete with historical detail and ephemera, this vibrant backdrop is overshadowed by a meet-cute that consists of, I kid you not, a man in desperate need of an enema. It's an interesting twist on the always-popular battle of the sexes storyline in historical fiction, but with so little time in which to develop decent characterizations, as a reader all I was left with was a story about a man so neurotic about his own body processes that he makes himself seriously ill. I mean, really? Perhaps in a full-length novel you could get some plot mileage from a relationship that builds around late nineteenth-century constipation treatments, but in this format it's just...awkward. Here's hoping Gist's full length follow-up takes full advantage of its setting to craft a more...palatable romance.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title: TEMPEST IN THE WHITE CITY
Author: Deeanna Gist
Publisher: Howard Books
March 2013
ASIN: B00B0XIC74
Genre: Historical


When a World’s Fair Guard and the woman doctor assigned to treat him square off in the White City, a storm is brewing…
Hunter Scott is one of the elite. An 1893 Chicago World’s Fair guard specifically chosen for his height, physique, character, and ability to serve and protect. When he is overcome with debilitating abdominal pain, Hunter stumbles to the Fair’s infirmary only to discover the doctor is female—who ever heard of a female doctor? But even worse, she has the nerve to diagnose him, the toughest man west of any place east, with constipation—an unspeakable ailment in mixed company. What will happen when this tough Texan and attractive doctor face off? Either way, a tempest is brewing...
TEMPEST IN THE WHITE CITY is touted as an e-short, the prelude to It Happened at the Fair. I read It Happened at the Fair first, and it was fine as TEMPEST IN THE WHITE CITY really had nothing to do with the storyline for It Happened at the Fair.
Let me prelude this by saying I love Deeanna Gist’s books. I’ve read everything she’s written. And so when I saw this e-short, I willingly paid for it (note, I bought this). I like short stories. I’ve read other e-shorts. This is a short (less than the 46 pages mentioned on Amazon) story about a man who has constipation—and the treatment she used to make his bowels move—so as another reviewer said, “nothing but a chamber pot tale.”
Unless you want to read one man’s tale of bathroom woes, don’t spend the 99 cents for TEMPEST IN THE WHITE CITY. Waste of money. $.99. 46 pages (and this includes the first chapter of It Happened at the Fair.) 2 stars.

[Natalie Gleb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hilariously uncomfortable conflict at the World's Fair women's building between a female doctor, Billy Jack Tate, and old-fashioned security guard, Hunter Scott.
I was thinking this was a novella, but it is an eShort. Is told from the hero's point of view and ends with the promise of a budding relationship.
It serves its purpose in that it makes me want to read "It Happened at the Fair." Discovering facts about security guards and other historical aspects surrounding the Chicago World's Fair was intriguing and addictive. :) Well-researched.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a lot of promise to introduce the upcoming book It Happened At the Fair. However, these character had very little to do with the main book. He barely shows up, and she is merely talked about. But Hunter's ailment--the main focus of the story--was a bit into the realm of "TMI." I don't want to give it away, but it wasn't an issue I felt the need to focus on. The writing, details, and time period were all good and lived up to the promise in the full novel, which I would recommend much more highly.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

I really enjoyed "It Happened at the Fair", and was fascinated by the historical detail of the fair. By the time I finished the book I felt as though I'd been there. When I looked up Deanne Gist I was delighted to find she'd written two more books on the World's Fair theme. This one is a delightful novella about two people that work at the fair...the doctor and a guard. The guard takes ill and is horrified to find himself in the hands of a female doctor. His illness takes a comical turn and their attraction to one another is immediately apparent. Fun read!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short read that serves to introduce an upcoming book. I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction between the main characters: a macho 1893 Chicago World’s Fair guard & (horrors!)a female doctor. The events of his medical "emergency" & her diagnosis & treatment left me laughing out loud more than once! I have already preordered It Happened at the Fair.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Short but Sweet! Wonderful details and delightful characters. This prelude left me CRAVING for more about these characters in "It Happened at the Fair"...however I was to be disappointed (these characters were not directly mentioned). Hopefully Deeanne will write a full length novel including these characters in a sequal ;)

[Karen Hadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY, This novella really surprised me in a good way. My husband and I were traveling to Texas and I read while he drives. I have never laughed so hard reading a book, this book will keep you in stitches from beginning to end. My husband just gave me this look wondering what was causing my outburst of laughter.

[Elise Blomberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm confused with the name of this book, as the first of the 2 book series had a different name when I read it. Perhaps it was changed. At any rate, the book was excellent and the second book was even better. I really appreciate that the author includes actual pictures of the World's Fair in her books. It really puts the reader in the center of the book.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story prelude to It Happened at the Fair. Tempest in the White City had me anxiously scrolling for the next page, and when I didn't find that, counting down the days until It Happened at the Fair's release.

[Nellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, but it's very short, and the story doesn't continue/finish in the next one. The setting is in the World Fair, but it has other characters, and only has a passing comment about these characters.

[Hal · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a novel, nor is it a short story or novella. It is merely a chapter presented as a teaser to a book she apparently intends to write. Read all the details before you get suckered into buying this as I was. It's about a 10-minute read.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unusual and fun short story. It's too bad we only get a little glimpse of these two in It Happened at the Fair. I'd love to read a whole novel about them.

[Kris Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love love love this. Can't wait for book to come in April.

[Karen R · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the second book in the series called Fair Play, I remembered this prequel. This story actually takes place in the second book. This is a good series!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick short story

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hope that there more of the story in the book, "It happened at the Fair".

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great novella. Love all of Gist's books!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but a good introduction to It Happened at the Fair. :)

[Michele Benchouk · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was really just a rehash of the beginning of It Happened at the Fair. I already read that one and was hoping for more insights and a longer parallel story.