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Men of Cane River #3
Only Through Love
Charlie Soule never cared what anyone thought, especially the stuffy old folks in her home town of Natchitoches, Louisiana. She couldn’t wait to get out of the Creole swampland and see the world. When she leaves for college, her blond hair dyed bright pink and trusty black converse on her feet, Charlie knows she’s finally going to do something big. But three years later, Charlie returns after losing it all to a con artist. She left her little home town believing she could be anything. She comes back as a woman who can’t trust anyone.
Austin Becket looks like the kind of guy who’s never had to struggle to get ahead. Blessed with great parents and good looks, he gives the impression of a perfectly charmed life. With a new degree in hand, he moves to Natchitoches to work at the local juvenile justice center, hoping to do some real good in the world. When he meets Charlie in the local bookstore, he’s smitten with her razor-sharp wit, voracious reading habit, and no-nonsense attitude. Add in the fact she’s as passionate about gaming as he is, and she seems even more perfect. But somehow Charlie’s got the idea that he’s too good to be true, and the more he tries to connect with her, the more suspicious she becomes.
Austin Becket looks like the kind of guy who’s never had to struggle to get ahead. Blessed with great parents and good looks, he gives the impression of a perfectly charmed life. With a new degree in hand, he moves to Natchitoches to work at the local juvenile justice center, hoping to do some real good in the world. When he meets Charlie in the local bookstore, he’s smitten with her razor-sharp wit, voracious reading habit, and no-nonsense attitude. Add in the fact she’s as passionate about gaming as he is, and she seems even more perfect. But somehow Charlie’s got the idea that he’s too good to be true, and the more he tries to connect with her, the more suspicious she becomes.
132 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2015
22 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Mary Jane Hathaway
31 books190 followersAbout the Author: Mary Jane Hathaway is the pen name of an award-nominated writer who spends the majority of her literary energy on subjects un-related to Jane Austen. A homeschooling mother of six young children who rarely wear shoes, she’s madly in love with a man who has never read Pride and Prejudice. She holds degrees in Religious Studies and Theoretical Linguistics, and has a Jane Austen quote on the back of her van. She can be reached on facebook at 'Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits' or her regular author page of Virginia Carmichael (which is another pen name, because she’s just that cool).
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 23, 2016
I loved writing this book! I had a great time learning about programming and gaming. Charlie is one of my favorite characters :)
February 22, 2016
I love Mary Jane Hathaway's books and I was really looking forward to reading more about Charlie. She's such an interesting character. My only problem with the book is there wasn't enough development of the story and the characters. It all felt very rushed. It just didn't seem quite realistic. Charlie was facing some serious troubles and then all of a sudden everything is resolved. The romance part was a little unreal too. From loathing to loving in one easy step. It all happened pretty fast. I wish there had been more time to watch the relationship grow. I enjoy the Cane River series though and I'm already reading the next one!
August 31, 2015
I love the characters in all of these books but I guess I was a bit disappointed that this one was so short and we didn't really get to see Charlie get back to herself after what happened. Then the relationship just didn't feel like it developed on paper it just was them kissing and serious after a few meetings it just seemed rushed, not like Jane's other books. I loved Charlie as a character and I was expecting more sass and spunk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2016
After loving The Pepper in the Gumbo, I couldn't wait to read more about Charlie. She is such a wonderful character! Watching as she makes mistakes, yet learns from them and grows stronger made me root for her. And I really, really wanted to give her a great big hug so many times while reading this!
March 30, 2016
After reading the first book, I couldn't wait to read Charlie's story so I skipped the second book and went straight to her story!
Charlie and Austin both carry anxieties, burdens and secrets! At first Charlie wants nothing to do with Austin (or really anyone else because of the shame she is feeling). She learned the hard way that being proud and silent was hurting her relationships, and that it takes grace to ask for help. I loved the quote "People always think the giver is the saintly one. It's actually the person who had to be humble enough to receive that gift." I could really relate to Charlie because it's hard for me to ask for help, and I spend way too much time trying to solve my own problems!
I love that Charlie and Austin learned what a precious gift trust is; they gave it too freely in the past and paid some heavy consequences. But that didn't keep them from trusting again - it just made them wiser about who to trust.
Content: Very clean
Source: Amazon.com
Charlie and Austin both carry anxieties, burdens and secrets! At first Charlie wants nothing to do with Austin (or really anyone else because of the shame she is feeling). She learned the hard way that being proud and silent was hurting her relationships, and that it takes grace to ask for help. I loved the quote "People always think the giver is the saintly one. It's actually the person who had to be humble enough to receive that gift." I could really relate to Charlie because it's hard for me to ask for help, and I spend way too much time trying to solve my own problems!
I love that Charlie and Austin learned what a precious gift trust is; they gave it too freely in the past and paid some heavy consequences. But that didn't keep them from trusting again - it just made them wiser about who to trust.
Content: Very clean
Source: Amazon.com
August 4, 2015
I've only been reading Mary Jane Hathaway's novels for a few months now, but I've become a diehard fan. Her story telling skills are phenomenal and she has a real knack for drawing the reader in. Her character's aren't perfect and that's what makes them perfect! I have read The Pepper in the Gumbo and These Sheltering Walls before this novella and I'm so glad that Charlie finally has her story told. I also love the way she inundates her previously developed characters like Alice, Paul, Henry, Gideon and even Father Tom into this new story. I'm eager to read more from her :)
October 20, 2017
One of my favorite things about this series is the quotes that accompany the beginning of each chapter. Lots of them I've never read, but they make me want to expand my reading circle.
September 4, 2020
A few years ago, I reviewed the second book in this series. Here, I have gotten around to the third book. It is, to be sure, a fun and sweet book. But like the previous volume, it covers some serious themes that are both timely to current events and are timeless to any period of history.
The story's leads are Charlie Soule, a young woman who is a brilliant computer programmer who gets on the bad side of people who are a mixture of con men, misogynists, and vicious cyber-bullies; and Austin Beckett, a young man starting out as a counselor at a juvenile detention center, who is a genuinely good person, but has his own skeletons.
Of course, they meet and get together. Yes, I'm spoiling. I mean, this is a romance book so obviously they are going to get together. The interesting part about this read is not whether these two young people become a couple, but how they do so, and also how they help each other deal with their past traumas and baggage.
It becomes clear that they both have made mistakes. Austin's are worse, granted, as his are purposeful when he was younger, while Charlie's are ones of trusting the wrong person, doing foolish (partly out of pride and a desire to show off) things that others take advantage of, and allowing others to use her talents (completely unintentionally) for evil ends. But in many ways, the mistakes these two made both came from different ends of the same emotion and desire. Loneliness and the desire to belong.
They each wanted to have someone appreciate them, so they put their heart out there and the wrong folks took advantage. What they both have in common was that the desperation to be appreciated by folks they thought they loved lead them to do things that are incredibly naive (when it comes to both) and are breaches of ethics (when it comes to Austin), and that moreover they would not have done had they thought more about it in the first place.
The two protagonists are well-written, except that Austin has a secret and past that lacks the same "oomph" as Charlie's does. Yes, what he did was wrong and he is right to be ashamed. But the guilt is a little over-blown. Then again, the fact he feels like a hypocrite to be counseling others on how to do right and put their past misdeeds behind them when he did some major wrong himself is what is eating at him, so it is understandable. It just seems to pale in comparison to Charlie's issues - though not morally culpable in her own issues nearly as much - with venomous creeps.
I said that the themes are both timely and timeless, and that is true. Timely because sexism and related issues are ones that our society still grapples with. We have made so many strides on the right path and yet we must do better still. Crap like what happens to Charlie might or might not ever happen to that absolute degree, but it definitely happens separately as the author mentions how someone she knows was the victim of sexist bullying online.
The timeless one comes into both cases and especially Austin's. I say this because Charlie was just careless, while Austin, in desperation for acceptance, committed breaches of ethics to win the attention of someone he cared about. We have all been there or seen someone who has. We don't always do what he did, but aren't most of us tempted, especially if we think it will win us the affections of someone we think we love? True friends or loved ones won't ask us to do evil to help them. Austin learns that eventually.
What I appreciated about this was that, despite having a point she wanted to make about sexism, the authoress, Mary Anne Hathaway, does not act like portraying women in a negative light is some taboo and automatically misogynist. I have seen elsewhere online the view that a work portraying men badly is showing real life issues but a work portraying women badly is somehow inherently misogynistic. No, it's not. It can be misogynistic, to be sure, if presented badly, but it is not automatically. All people are capable of evil. Even though some issues (such as sexism in this case) are prevalent and important right now, showing that anyone can be morally corrupt, cruel, unkind, so on, and that we should not fall for their lies and manipulations, is good writing and reflective of real life.
This quick read was thoughtful and still light, despite the serious topics. Even if one doesn't agree with it, they'd still enjoy it. The only two critique I really had were that the aesop gets a little heavy handed and veers towards lessening the impact of other disadvantages folks have in real life, and that the leads got together and resolved everything too quickly. I was looking forward to the next part after they came clean to folks and got together, and suddenly it's the end. I wish more time had been spent on the aftermath and dating life of the two, so on. But these are minor quibbles. Besides, they should show up in future stories. I really did enjoy this story a lot, and I certainly recommend it.
Rating: 4/5 Stars.
The story's leads are Charlie Soule, a young woman who is a brilliant computer programmer who gets on the bad side of people who are a mixture of con men, misogynists, and vicious cyber-bullies; and Austin Beckett, a young man starting out as a counselor at a juvenile detention center, who is a genuinely good person, but has his own skeletons.
Of course, they meet and get together. Yes, I'm spoiling. I mean, this is a romance book so obviously they are going to get together. The interesting part about this read is not whether these two young people become a couple, but how they do so, and also how they help each other deal with their past traumas and baggage.
It becomes clear that they both have made mistakes. Austin's are worse, granted, as his are purposeful when he was younger, while Charlie's are ones of trusting the wrong person, doing foolish (partly out of pride and a desire to show off) things that others take advantage of, and allowing others to use her talents (completely unintentionally) for evil ends. But in many ways, the mistakes these two made both came from different ends of the same emotion and desire. Loneliness and the desire to belong.
They each wanted to have someone appreciate them, so they put their heart out there and the wrong folks took advantage. What they both have in common was that the desperation to be appreciated by folks they thought they loved lead them to do things that are incredibly naive (when it comes to both) and are breaches of ethics (when it comes to Austin), and that moreover they would not have done had they thought more about it in the first place.
The two protagonists are well-written, except that Austin has a secret and past that lacks the same "oomph" as Charlie's does. Yes, what he did was wrong and he is right to be ashamed. But the guilt is a little over-blown. Then again, the fact he feels like a hypocrite to be counseling others on how to do right and put their past misdeeds behind them when he did some major wrong himself is what is eating at him, so it is understandable. It just seems to pale in comparison to Charlie's issues - though not morally culpable in her own issues nearly as much - with venomous creeps.
I said that the themes are both timely and timeless, and that is true. Timely because sexism and related issues are ones that our society still grapples with. We have made so many strides on the right path and yet we must do better still. Crap like what happens to Charlie might or might not ever happen to that absolute degree, but it definitely happens separately as the author mentions how someone she knows was the victim of sexist bullying online.
The timeless one comes into both cases and especially Austin's. I say this because Charlie was just careless, while Austin, in desperation for acceptance, committed breaches of ethics to win the attention of someone he cared about. We have all been there or seen someone who has. We don't always do what he did, but aren't most of us tempted, especially if we think it will win us the affections of someone we think we love? True friends or loved ones won't ask us to do evil to help them. Austin learns that eventually.
What I appreciated about this was that, despite having a point she wanted to make about sexism, the authoress, Mary Anne Hathaway, does not act like portraying women in a negative light is some taboo and automatically misogynist. I have seen elsewhere online the view that a work portraying men badly is showing real life issues but a work portraying women badly is somehow inherently misogynistic. No, it's not. It can be misogynistic, to be sure, if presented badly, but it is not automatically. All people are capable of evil. Even though some issues (such as sexism in this case) are prevalent and important right now, showing that anyone can be morally corrupt, cruel, unkind, so on, and that we should not fall for their lies and manipulations, is good writing and reflective of real life.
This quick read was thoughtful and still light, despite the serious topics. Even if one doesn't agree with it, they'd still enjoy it. The only two critique I really had were that the aesop gets a little heavy handed and veers towards lessening the impact of other disadvantages folks have in real life, and that the leads got together and resolved everything too quickly. I was looking forward to the next part after they came clean to folks and got together, and suddenly it's the end. I wish more time had been spent on the aftermath and dating life of the two, so on. But these are minor quibbles. Besides, they should show up in future stories. I really did enjoy this story a lot, and I certainly recommend it.
Rating: 4/5 Stars.
June 14, 2017
Loved this book
I have loved every book in this series. I want more. The editing was great and that has been my only negative comment about this series. I loved Charlie. I wish the book would have been longer but the story was great. Highly recommend this clean series.
I have loved every book in this series. I want more. The editing was great and that has been my only negative comment about this series. I loved Charlie. I wish the book would have been longer but the story was great. Highly recommend this clean series.
Read
May 2, 2021A quick and easy read for book three of this series. Enjoyed it, especially all the time we got to hang out in By the Book with Alice and Charlie.
October 20, 2015
If you've read the other books in the Cane River series all I can say is its Charlie! We've watched her growing up in the books and now we get to see her find her only slice of romance, all this while checking in on some of our favorite characters from the previous books. Our favorite little gaming princess is just not herself, at least that's what her friends think. They can't understand why she's given up her dream, meanwhile she has a secret that could destroy their trust in her. Meanwhile in walks 'perfect' Austen who has his own demons to chase. Push these two together and you have one of two things, a perfectly romantic plot, or a disaster waiting to happen. Read it and find out. I know you want to.
December 29, 2015
I LOVE the Cane River books, and now I'm all up to date until the latest one comes out later this month!
Mary Jane Hathaway is Christian fiction, but it's not "preachy." Her characters may find their "happily ever after," but their lives are raw and imperfect. Charlie, especially, was naive before the start of this book- loaning money to someone she'd only met online; not confiding in her friends sooner when she needed help. Austin is a perfect match for her; he knows what it's like to feel betrayed and then feel conscientious about making things right.
I love the bookshop world in Natchitoches that Hathaway has created, and I look forward to rereading and revisiting!
Mary Jane Hathaway is Christian fiction, but it's not "preachy." Her characters may find their "happily ever after," but their lives are raw and imperfect. Charlie, especially, was naive before the start of this book- loaning money to someone she'd only met online; not confiding in her friends sooner when she needed help. Austin is a perfect match for her; he knows what it's like to feel betrayed and then feel conscientious about making things right.
I love the bookshop world in Natchitoches that Hathaway has created, and I look forward to rereading and revisiting!
February 4, 2016
This is the third installation in Mary Jane Hathaway's Cane River series. This book focuses on Alice's employee Charlie and Father Tom's brother Austin. Both Austin and Charlie have dark secrets that they feel they can not share with anyone. Their secrets bring them together and through honesty and courage they find redemption. I love this series. The characters' love of reading, history and their community come alive in a beautiful Louisiana setting. This book is shorter than the previous books but does not feel lacking. The focus is more on resolving the characters' problems than the romance, which I prefer.
October 5, 2016
This book is the third in a series. After reading The Pepper in the Gumbo and These Sheltering Walls, both of which I very much enjoyed, I was disappointed that this book felt so short and rushed. The storyline was good, but so much more could have been done with it. There was little to no development of the relationship of the two main characters, and several plot threads were left dangling. This would have worked as a free companion short story/novella, but I was expecting a full length novel and this was a letdown.
June 4, 2016
I loved this whole series - great deep characters! It is a unique and culturally rich storyline set in Louisiana. I loved the literary references and the witty banter. I hardly slept as I made my way through this series - very hard to put down! This is Charlie's story and it is a story of God's faithfulness and the importance of honesty. I was so sad to see the last book end!! I look forward to more books from this author :).
April 23, 2016
Sweet, too short
I really enjoy this series. There is a really nice balance of interesting characters, mystery and clean romance. There is depth. And interesting descriptions of the area.
I really enjoy this series. There is a really nice balance of interesting characters, mystery and clean romance. There is depth. And interesting descriptions of the area.
February 17, 2016
I really enjoyed the story about Charlie. a little bit of a slow start but good. I do agree with some of the others that it was a bit of a rush at the end, more details would have been nice. :D
October 1, 2015
A good follow up on Cane River character Charlie. I loved hearing more about her life and those in the town.
March 6, 2016
Another great Read
A great story about choosing to be honest because hiding the truth leads to burying who you really are. A refreshing story.
A great story about choosing to be honest because hiding the truth leads to burying who you really are. A refreshing story.
August 4, 2016
Love this author!
Love her writing! You have to keep turning pages. Keeps your interest. Looking forward to her next book. Very smart writings.
Love her writing! You have to keep turning pages. Keeps your interest. Looking forward to her next book. Very smart writings.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews