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Women of the West #3
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck
Unlikely romance is sometimes just an inconvenient marriage away
Charlotte Beck may be entering adulthood, but she can t seem to keep to her stubborn, independent spirit from bucking social protocol. Fed up with her behavior, Charlotte s father Daniel pressures her to settle into a nice marriage despite knowing she is set on going to college. Then Daniel sees Charlotte with the handsome but annoying English astronomer Alex Hambly, and everything changes.
Though Alex and Charlotte can barely stand one another, Daniel offers them a deal they can t refuse: if they agree to marry, he will save Alex s family from financial ruin and grant Charlotte the freedom to go to college. Reluctantly the couple agrees, but in private they plot to annul the marriage as soon as possible.
But when Alex s feelings change and he refuses to dissolve their contract, will Charlotte find a way out of her vows? Or will she discover that maybe this marriage isn t so inconvenient after all?"
Charlotte Beck may be entering adulthood, but she can t seem to keep to her stubborn, independent spirit from bucking social protocol. Fed up with her behavior, Charlotte s father Daniel pressures her to settle into a nice marriage despite knowing she is set on going to college. Then Daniel sees Charlotte with the handsome but annoying English astronomer Alex Hambly, and everything changes.
Though Alex and Charlotte can barely stand one another, Daniel offers them a deal they can t refuse: if they agree to marry, he will save Alex s family from financial ruin and grant Charlotte the freedom to go to college. Reluctantly the couple agrees, but in private they plot to annul the marriage as soon as possible.
But when Alex s feelings change and he refuses to dissolve their contract, will Charlotte find a way out of her vows? Or will she discover that maybe this marriage isn t so inconvenient after all?"
342 pages, Paperback
First published June 21, 2011
About the author
Kathleen Y'Barbo
133 books750 followersPublishers Weekly bestselling author Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee of more than one hundred novels with almost two million copies in print in the US and abroad.
A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award as well a Reader’s Choice Award and is the winner of the Inspirational Romance of the Year by Romantic Times magazine.
To connect with her through social media, check out the links on her website at www.kathleenybarbo.com.
A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award as well a Reader’s Choice Award and is the winner of the Inspirational Romance of the Year by Romantic Times magazine.
To connect with her through social media, check out the links on her website at www.kathleenybarbo.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
August 2, 2012
Charlotte may be coming of age in body, but her heart is still full of mischief and schemes designed to get what she wants—a college degree in business and a seat at her father’s boardroom table. Nothing will get in her way. Not a trick-turned-societal blunder at a Buffalo Bill show, and certainly not a star-loving English viscount.
"The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck" put me in mind of an old TV sitcom—in a good way. By the first few chapters, I knew I was in for a laugh-out-loud treat. The comical situations that pushed the hero and heroine together were entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed their witty banter. I especially loved the hero, Alex. He had me at “astronomer”, but his responses to Charlotte were absolutely endearing.
As much as I loved Alex, he needed more background, and I didn’t appreciate Charlotte’s surprise issue at the end, which was something that needed more setup and shouldn’t have taken me off guard. And while I enjoyed the humor and laughed aloud at a doctor’s office during one scene (yes, very awkward), something about the comedy as a whole caused me to step back a bit. At first I blamed the author’s style, and then melodrama that didn’t pet me in the right way. But truly, I can’t put my finger on why I didn’t really love this book—it kind of baffles me because the characters were completely adorable, and I love comedies.
This is the third book in the “Women of the West” series, but it works well as a standalone. I’d not read the previous books and didn’t get lost once. If you need a good laugh, and love old sitcoms, give this one a try.
"The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck" put me in mind of an old TV sitcom—in a good way. By the first few chapters, I knew I was in for a laugh-out-loud treat. The comical situations that pushed the hero and heroine together were entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed their witty banter. I especially loved the hero, Alex. He had me at “astronomer”, but his responses to Charlotte were absolutely endearing.
As much as I loved Alex, he needed more background, and I didn’t appreciate Charlotte’s surprise issue at the end, which was something that needed more setup and shouldn’t have taken me off guard. And while I enjoyed the humor and laughed aloud at a doctor’s office during one scene (yes, very awkward), something about the comedy as a whole caused me to step back a bit. At first I blamed the author’s style, and then melodrama that didn’t pet me in the right way. But truly, I can’t put my finger on why I didn’t really love this book—it kind of baffles me because the characters were completely adorable, and I love comedies.
This is the third book in the “Women of the West” series, but it works well as a standalone. I’d not read the previous books and didn’t get lost once. If you need a good laugh, and love old sitcoms, give this one a try.
June 14, 2011
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One thing I loved when reading Kathleen Y'Barbo books ('The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper', 'Anna Finch and the Hired Gun', & 'The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck') was seeing how the characters' stories unfolded. It is sad to see the "Women of the West" series (as Kathleen Y'Barbo dubbed these books in her acknowledgments) come to an end.
The first time I "met" Charlotte Beck she was a spoiled, trouble-making child, but in this book she's now a young lady getting ready for adulthood.
On her journey, she still gets into some trouble - including getting a man pummeled in the face, stealing that man's pocket watch, breaking a telescope, and performing in a wild west circus show!
At her 'unofficial' debut into proper society, Charlotte meets a highly irritating man, Mr. Hambly. When she tells her Uncle Edwin Beck something less than truthful, Mr. Hambly ends up with a black eye.
Edwin Beck had been itching to punch a Hambly for years. At least since the day Martin won Edwin's favorite polo pony in a race Edwin claimed was fixed. It wasn't, of course, but the younger Beck brother had never been a good sport or a good loser. That Alex had been the one to offer an excuse for fisticuffs irked him almost as much as the slight to the Hambly name. - Page 21
Alex Hambly has enough trouble without Charlotte Beck. His family is in debt, and he is the one responsible to help fix that. One of his many options is to marry a rich American lady, although the thought doesn't sound pleasant to him.
Charlotte wants to go to college and then join her father's company, but he has a stipulation: agree to marry Alex Hambly and I will allow you to go to college and after you graduate, having a four year engagement, you will marry Alex Hambly.
"Papa!" Charlotte rose. "You're not serious. You wouldn't dare trade me for some silly title. You've got one of your own. Why add another? Especially his."
"I assure you, Charlotte, my interest in seeing you yoked to the viscount has nothing to do with nobility." Mr. Beck laugh held little humor. "It is because I've never seen anyone handle you and your outrageous behavior as well as Alex does." - Page 162
'The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck' was really good. I continued reading it well into the night, until I had to stop. I really liked Alex's and Charlotte's characters and how their relationship blossomed. I found myself laughing when reading this book - some of the situations were just very humorous.
One of the only things I didn't like was how quickly the book covered some topics. I felt that had I not read the other books, I wouldn't have known what Charlotte's father was talking about when he mentioned her birth certificate. Also, I would have liked an epilogue that showed a couple of years later, how things unfolded. I hope there will be a book in the future featuring some of the same characters - I just don't want to say goodbye to them yet.
I liked this book so much that I will probably reread this in the future. I recommend this if you enjoy reading romance novels with a western theme mixed in!
* I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I've expressed are my own.*
One thing I loved when reading Kathleen Y'Barbo books ('The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper', 'Anna Finch and the Hired Gun', & 'The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck') was seeing how the characters' stories unfolded. It is sad to see the "Women of the West" series (as Kathleen Y'Barbo dubbed these books in her acknowledgments) come to an end.
The first time I "met" Charlotte Beck she was a spoiled, trouble-making child, but in this book she's now a young lady getting ready for adulthood.
On her journey, she still gets into some trouble - including getting a man pummeled in the face, stealing that man's pocket watch, breaking a telescope, and performing in a wild west circus show!
At her 'unofficial' debut into proper society, Charlotte meets a highly irritating man, Mr. Hambly. When she tells her Uncle Edwin Beck something less than truthful, Mr. Hambly ends up with a black eye.
Edwin Beck had been itching to punch a Hambly for years. At least since the day Martin won Edwin's favorite polo pony in a race Edwin claimed was fixed. It wasn't, of course, but the younger Beck brother had never been a good sport or a good loser. That Alex had been the one to offer an excuse for fisticuffs irked him almost as much as the slight to the Hambly name. - Page 21
Alex Hambly has enough trouble without Charlotte Beck. His family is in debt, and he is the one responsible to help fix that. One of his many options is to marry a rich American lady, although the thought doesn't sound pleasant to him.
Charlotte wants to go to college and then join her father's company, but he has a stipulation: agree to marry Alex Hambly and I will allow you to go to college and after you graduate, having a four year engagement, you will marry Alex Hambly.
"Papa!" Charlotte rose. "You're not serious. You wouldn't dare trade me for some silly title. You've got one of your own. Why add another? Especially his."
"I assure you, Charlotte, my interest in seeing you yoked to the viscount has nothing to do with nobility." Mr. Beck laugh held little humor. "It is because I've never seen anyone handle you and your outrageous behavior as well as Alex does." - Page 162
'The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck' was really good. I continued reading it well into the night, until I had to stop. I really liked Alex's and Charlotte's characters and how their relationship blossomed. I found myself laughing when reading this book - some of the situations were just very humorous.
One of the only things I didn't like was how quickly the book covered some topics. I felt that had I not read the other books, I wouldn't have known what Charlotte's father was talking about when he mentioned her birth certificate. Also, I would have liked an epilogue that showed a couple of years later, how things unfolded. I hope there will be a book in the future featuring some of the same characters - I just don't want to say goodbye to them yet.
I liked this book so much that I will probably reread this in the future. I recommend this if you enjoy reading romance novels with a western theme mixed in!
* I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I've expressed are my own.*
June 20, 2011
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck
Kathleen Y'Barbo
WaterBrook Press
London 1887, Charlotte Beck is visiting her Grandfather along with her stepmother Gennie. Charlotte is making her debut into social society, armed with the social graces taught her by her tutor Miss Pence. Unfortunately Charlotte is not very graceful and falls from the balcony into the arms of Alex Hambly. The two can not stand the site of one another, yet their paths continue to cross all the way back to Denver.
Charlotte may be a 'menace' but has a head for business and desires to go to college and then work in her father's business. Mr. Beck rather Charlotte get married and have children as women are suppossed to do.
Alex's family is in financial despair and Mr. Beck offers Alex a proposal.. literally to marry his daughter and Mr. Beck will rescue the Hambly family estate. Charlotte will be able to attend school for 4 years then they will have to get married for her to take her place on her Grandfather's board.
Agreeing to the proposal, the 4 years go quickly and the day comes to wed. Still neither want to wed but know they must follow through with the promise. They concoct a plan to get an annulment shortly after the wedding so that neither of them are trapped into this forced marriage.
Alex has a change of heart though as he realizes that he has feelings for Charlotte, and a commitment to God to honor his vows. She of course is furious and trys all of her menacing ways to get him to give her an annulment.
Charlotte is one of those loveable characters that make you laugh out loud. Alex is every woman's dream beau, gentlemanly, adorable, and rich.
This is the first book I read by Ms. Y'Barbo and there are 2 others in this series. It was such a fun, light read that I plan to get the other 2 to read. Very enjoyable book!
I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for a review.
Kathleen Y'Barbo
WaterBrook Press
London 1887, Charlotte Beck is visiting her Grandfather along with her stepmother Gennie. Charlotte is making her debut into social society, armed with the social graces taught her by her tutor Miss Pence. Unfortunately Charlotte is not very graceful and falls from the balcony into the arms of Alex Hambly. The two can not stand the site of one another, yet their paths continue to cross all the way back to Denver.
Charlotte may be a 'menace' but has a head for business and desires to go to college and then work in her father's business. Mr. Beck rather Charlotte get married and have children as women are suppossed to do.
Alex's family is in financial despair and Mr. Beck offers Alex a proposal.. literally to marry his daughter and Mr. Beck will rescue the Hambly family estate. Charlotte will be able to attend school for 4 years then they will have to get married for her to take her place on her Grandfather's board.
Agreeing to the proposal, the 4 years go quickly and the day comes to wed. Still neither want to wed but know they must follow through with the promise. They concoct a plan to get an annulment shortly after the wedding so that neither of them are trapped into this forced marriage.
Alex has a change of heart though as he realizes that he has feelings for Charlotte, and a commitment to God to honor his vows. She of course is furious and trys all of her menacing ways to get him to give her an annulment.
Charlotte is one of those loveable characters that make you laugh out loud. Alex is every woman's dream beau, gentlemanly, adorable, and rich.
This is the first book I read by Ms. Y'Barbo and there are 2 others in this series. It was such a fun, light read that I plan to get the other 2 to read. Very enjoyable book!
I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for a review.
December 25, 2011
More like 4.5 stars.
This was a fun story for a number of reasons. First, I read it in less than two days because I kept wanting to know when they would change their minds. The anticipation kept me reading. Plus, I adored the hero. Charlotte was a bit of a twit at times and quite annoying, but she had her tender side, too...when she allowed someone to see it. Alex was so patient I wanted to give him a medal for that. He was also a good man like her father noted. I thought their scheme made sense at first, but I couldn't help admiring Alex's strength and heroism at times. He simply couldn't help being a gentleman.
My favorite scene was the one where they stumble upon the cabin. I was like...finally, only to have the inevitable deferred again. Of course, when the moment passed there were second thoughts...again. But I suppose it was best for a decision to be made with one's wits about them and being in Alex's arms would make any woman forget those wits. At least, that's how I felt. She never did find out about who he "almost" married. I wonder if that will come out in a future book.
I normally find stories with strong-willed and stubborn women a bit unappealing and unrealistic, but for some reason this story and the way the author wrote the character made me smile because it was handled in such a humorous fashion. I enjoyed her clumsy antics and crazy ideas. I enjoyed the historical tie-in to Buffalo Bill Cody as well. I thought it was funny how Charlotte was always trying to outwit or best her "competition" and that made the story shine. She was spunky and fun, and I could see how Alex would be intrigued by her. When she responded to his kisses, it made me smile. She simply didn't know what to say. They overpowered her so much that she lost some of that snark and wit. I liked that he had such an influence on her mood that he could soften her up with a gentle touch or heated kiss. Overall, this was a fun historical romance and I enjoyed it very much!
This was a fun story for a number of reasons. First, I read it in less than two days because I kept wanting to know when they would change their minds. The anticipation kept me reading. Plus, I adored the hero. Charlotte was a bit of a twit at times and quite annoying, but she had her tender side, too...when she allowed someone to see it. Alex was so patient I wanted to give him a medal for that. He was also a good man like her father noted. I thought their scheme made sense at first, but I couldn't help admiring Alex's strength and heroism at times. He simply couldn't help being a gentleman.
My favorite scene was the one where they stumble upon the cabin. I was like...finally, only to have the inevitable deferred again. Of course, when the moment passed there were second thoughts...again. But I suppose it was best for a decision to be made with one's wits about them and being in Alex's arms would make any woman forget those wits. At least, that's how I felt. She never did find out about who he "almost" married. I wonder if that will come out in a future book.
I normally find stories with strong-willed and stubborn women a bit unappealing and unrealistic, but for some reason this story and the way the author wrote the character made me smile because it was handled in such a humorous fashion. I enjoyed her clumsy antics and crazy ideas. I enjoyed the historical tie-in to Buffalo Bill Cody as well. I thought it was funny how Charlotte was always trying to outwit or best her "competition" and that made the story shine. She was spunky and fun, and I could see how Alex would be intrigued by her. When she responded to his kisses, it made me smile. She simply didn't know what to say. They overpowered her so much that she lost some of that snark and wit. I liked that he had such an influence on her mood that he could soften her up with a gentle touch or heated kiss. Overall, this was a fun historical romance and I enjoyed it very much!
June 28, 2011
Oh, what a wonderful ending to this series! There were beautiful dresses, luxurious homes, travel between London and the States, and if that wasn't enough...a match made in heaven (although it took the longest time for either to see it that way). Buffalo Bill was even thrown in for good measure. :o) It was a truly wonderful ride through history to have a peek into the lives of the Beck family, and I'm sorry that our time has come to an end.
Charlotte has definitely been the spunkiest character of this entire series. She charmed her way into my heart as a pick-pocket in the first book, and grew into a confident young woman eager to prove herself as good as a man in the business world in this book. But a certain young viscount kept getting in her way! Geez, what's to be done about these men?! :o) From the opening chapter where she literally fell into his arms to the verbal sparring matches they had with one another about all those "agreements," I couldn't get enough of their story. Naturally, I expected that their marriage would have taken place sooner in the book, but the sequence of events that led up to it was timed just right. And lest I get too carried away with sharing all of the story, the last section of the book which focused on their married life was the very best, in my opinion. I'll leave it at that. :o)
Kathleen truly has a great gift with words, and it's been a privilege to read her work. Throughout this book (as well as the previously written Anna Finch and the Hired Gun), I couldn't seem to erase the smile from my face. I'm oh-so-anxious to read whatever she cooks up next, and here's to hoping that next book will have at least one sassy character...I can't seem to get enough of them!
Charlotte has definitely been the spunkiest character of this entire series. She charmed her way into my heart as a pick-pocket in the first book, and grew into a confident young woman eager to prove herself as good as a man in the business world in this book. But a certain young viscount kept getting in her way! Geez, what's to be done about these men?! :o) From the opening chapter where she literally fell into his arms to the verbal sparring matches they had with one another about all those "agreements," I couldn't get enough of their story. Naturally, I expected that their marriage would have taken place sooner in the book, but the sequence of events that led up to it was timed just right. And lest I get too carried away with sharing all of the story, the last section of the book which focused on their married life was the very best, in my opinion. I'll leave it at that. :o)
Kathleen truly has a great gift with words, and it's been a privilege to read her work. Throughout this book (as well as the previously written Anna Finch and the Hired Gun), I couldn't seem to erase the smile from my face. I'm oh-so-anxious to read whatever she cooks up next, and here's to hoping that next book will have at least one sassy character...I can't seem to get enough of them!
November 11, 2011
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo
I received a copy of this book through WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group through their Blogging For Books program. I am under no obligation to write a positive review, just an honest one. I received no compensation for writing this review other than receiving a copy of the book to review.
Charlotte Beck is a young woman entering adulthood who has ideas of her own about how she wants to live life. All she wants is to go to college, study mathematics, and then join her father's business.
But she is so stubborn that she causes problems and breeches social protocol, embarrassing herself and her family, at every turn.
Her father pressures her to marry, thinking that if he can find the right match for her, perhaps it will tame her wild spirit. And that's where Alex Hambly comes in. For once, there seems to be a young man who can manage her wild spirit.
The problem is, neither one can stand the other, which isn't the best start for true love...
So, Charlotte's father strikes a deal with the two, he will give Alex Hambly the money to save his family from financial ruin and allow Charlotte to attend college if (and only if) they agree to marry one another.
Alex and Charlotte begrudgingly agree, but secretly plot together to attain an annulment as soon as they possibly can after the sham wedding.
But Alex's feelings change and he refuses to annul leaving Charlotte stuck, married to a man she can't stand. A most inconvenient situation.
Will Alex and Charlotte come to care for one another? Or is ending the marriage the only option?
Read The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck to find out!
I have to say this book was hard to push through. It's hard to pin exactly what I didn't like about it, but I will give it a try.
I think, for starters, Charlotte Beck is incredibly annoying. She is so fickle and unwilling to hear anything else anyone has to say to her. I found her frustrating and therefore couldn't get myself to care for her well-being.
And Alex Hambly wasn't a very deep character. All I gathered about him is that he is a man who likes astronomy and that's what he wants to do with his life. There was little depth or believability to his character.
The rest of the characters were the same, surface level, no depth, and impossible to connect with. And it's so difficult to read a story and get enthralled by it when you don't really feel for the characters.
I also found myself very frustrated by how weak of a character Charlotte was in the sense that she was pushed around. It's a weird juxtaposition because she thinks she is so strong and she is most definitely willful, but she isn't really strong because she collapses so easily in the end. I don't think I'm giving too much away to say that she falls in love (duh, it's a romance novel) but the change is so quick it's like she's broken rather than matured. I realize that in that time period women didn't have choices for their own lives, at least not like we do today, but other authors have written strong female characters in that time period that persevered so much better.
All-in-all I give this book 2.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book through WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group through their Blogging For Books program. I am under no obligation to write a positive review, just an honest one. I received no compensation for writing this review other than receiving a copy of the book to review.
Charlotte Beck is a young woman entering adulthood who has ideas of her own about how she wants to live life. All she wants is to go to college, study mathematics, and then join her father's business.
But she is so stubborn that she causes problems and breeches social protocol, embarrassing herself and her family, at every turn.
Her father pressures her to marry, thinking that if he can find the right match for her, perhaps it will tame her wild spirit. And that's where Alex Hambly comes in. For once, there seems to be a young man who can manage her wild spirit.
The problem is, neither one can stand the other, which isn't the best start for true love...
So, Charlotte's father strikes a deal with the two, he will give Alex Hambly the money to save his family from financial ruin and allow Charlotte to attend college if (and only if) they agree to marry one another.
Alex and Charlotte begrudgingly agree, but secretly plot together to attain an annulment as soon as they possibly can after the sham wedding.
But Alex's feelings change and he refuses to annul leaving Charlotte stuck, married to a man she can't stand. A most inconvenient situation.
Will Alex and Charlotte come to care for one another? Or is ending the marriage the only option?
Read The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck to find out!
I have to say this book was hard to push through. It's hard to pin exactly what I didn't like about it, but I will give it a try.
I think, for starters, Charlotte Beck is incredibly annoying. She is so fickle and unwilling to hear anything else anyone has to say to her. I found her frustrating and therefore couldn't get myself to care for her well-being.
And Alex Hambly wasn't a very deep character. All I gathered about him is that he is a man who likes astronomy and that's what he wants to do with his life. There was little depth or believability to his character.
The rest of the characters were the same, surface level, no depth, and impossible to connect with. And it's so difficult to read a story and get enthralled by it when you don't really feel for the characters.
I also found myself very frustrated by how weak of a character Charlotte was in the sense that she was pushed around. It's a weird juxtaposition because she thinks she is so strong and she is most definitely willful, but she isn't really strong because she collapses so easily in the end. I don't think I'm giving too much away to say that she falls in love (duh, it's a romance novel) but the change is so quick it's like she's broken rather than matured. I realize that in that time period women didn't have choices for their own lives, at least not like we do today, but other authors have written strong female characters in that time period that persevered so much better.
All-in-all I give this book 2.5 stars.
January 30, 2012
It's tough wading through all the long flowery dialog without getting tired after a few chapters. I thought this would be fun read with a lot of light-hearted moments, but the jokes fell flat for me.
The plot seemed simple enough: independent and business-minded Charlotte wants nothing to do with marriage but ends up having no choice but to marry... until the marriage of convenience becomes irresistibly inconvenient.
But once I started reading, I couldn't find what was so inescapable about the marriage. I was confused as to why Charlotte and Alex felt they had no other choice. Plus, they were obviously already attracted to each other, so what gives? The premise just didn't feel very believable.
Charlotte's Papa, the one who proposed the marriage, appeared to me more manipulative than loving, despite his apparent affection for his daughter. I just can't understand why he's so bent on making his daughter marry when she expressed a desire to stay single and focus on her career.
And the way it was all resolved was terribly rushed. Charlotte suddenly realizing, in the space of one paragraph, her true reason for refusing marriage--honestly, that's such a stretch. It pertained to Charlotte's mother, who was barely mentioned throughout the book, only to be resurrected in the end as the central motivation.
Meanwhile, Papa's big revelation just came out of nowhere to tie all the lose ends neatly. And the resolution between Charlotte and Alex was weak--after years of animosity, suddenly you can just switch on the romance? If I was Alex, I'd be suspicious Charlotte had something up her sleeve, yet again.
Even with the hasty happily-ever-after, some issues were left dangling, like the question of Charlotte's faith. Her papa and husband raised the issue of her dwindling faith, and she admitted it was shaky, but after the big happy ending there wasn't a question of it anymore.
What I would've liked to see is Charlotte coming to terms with what it means to be a wife, to realize the beauty of God's design.
For what it's worth, I did read the book to the end. I could easily predict the ending but I wanted to see how it would unfold.
The plot seemed simple enough: independent and business-minded Charlotte wants nothing to do with marriage but ends up having no choice but to marry... until the marriage of convenience becomes irresistibly inconvenient.
But once I started reading, I couldn't find what was so inescapable about the marriage. I was confused as to why Charlotte and Alex felt they had no other choice. Plus, they were obviously already attracted to each other, so what gives? The premise just didn't feel very believable.
Charlotte's Papa, the one who proposed the marriage, appeared to me more manipulative than loving, despite his apparent affection for his daughter. I just can't understand why he's so bent on making his daughter marry when she expressed a desire to stay single and focus on her career.
And the way it was all resolved was terribly rushed. Charlotte suddenly realizing, in the space of one paragraph, her true reason for refusing marriage--honestly, that's such a stretch. It pertained to Charlotte's mother, who was barely mentioned throughout the book, only to be resurrected in the end as the central motivation.
Meanwhile, Papa's big revelation just came out of nowhere to tie all the lose ends neatly. And the resolution between Charlotte and Alex was weak--after years of animosity, suddenly you can just switch on the romance? If I was Alex, I'd be suspicious Charlotte had something up her sleeve, yet again.
Even with the hasty happily-ever-after, some issues were left dangling, like the question of Charlotte's faith. Her papa and husband raised the issue of her dwindling faith, and she admitted it was shaky, but after the big happy ending there wasn't a question of it anymore.
What I would've liked to see is Charlotte coming to terms with what it means to be a wife, to realize the beauty of God's design.
For what it's worth, I did read the book to the end. I could easily predict the ending but I wanted to see how it would unfold.
June 21, 2011
I received an advanced readers copy from blogging for books
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo
I have to say this was a very nice fun summer read that was a load of laughs.
Charlotte Beck is a very different kind of turn of the century woman .she is always doing unconventional things that do cause some grief to her family . Charlotte, most wants to attend college so she can have the smarts to take over for her father and grandfathers business but because of her latest escapade that caused her to look reckless in front of her peers in London her father insists she marry .
His hope is that it will settle her down and help her become the proper 1880s lady she should be .At the same time,Charlotte meets Viscount Alex Humbly and though they do not exactly hit it off ,Charlotte has a plan that will get her to college and also help out the Humbly's terrible financial problems .
This story is filled with fun and laughs as Charlotte proceeds with her plans and hopes for the best . The one thing she did not count on is Alex coming to love her and really want to keep this marriage even though Charlotte so wants to be rid of through annulment . Charlotte most want to be her own free agent and not have to be told what to do by anyone including her father . Charlotte see marriage as just a different way for her to be controlled and she is not having that .
Throughout this story Charlotte learns how to follow her faith and the faith of her inconvenient husband who seems to be taking his marriage vows a bit to seriously for her future plans . Daniel Beck ,Charlotte father keeps a close eye on his daughters progress and hopes with all his heart she will stay in a marriage she is to fearful to accept .
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo
I have to say this was a very nice fun summer read that was a load of laughs.
Charlotte Beck is a very different kind of turn of the century woman .she is always doing unconventional things that do cause some grief to her family . Charlotte, most wants to attend college so she can have the smarts to take over for her father and grandfathers business but because of her latest escapade that caused her to look reckless in front of her peers in London her father insists she marry .
His hope is that it will settle her down and help her become the proper 1880s lady she should be .At the same time,Charlotte meets Viscount Alex Humbly and though they do not exactly hit it off ,Charlotte has a plan that will get her to college and also help out the Humbly's terrible financial problems .
This story is filled with fun and laughs as Charlotte proceeds with her plans and hopes for the best . The one thing she did not count on is Alex coming to love her and really want to keep this marriage even though Charlotte so wants to be rid of through annulment . Charlotte most want to be her own free agent and not have to be told what to do by anyone including her father . Charlotte see marriage as just a different way for her to be controlled and she is not having that .
Throughout this story Charlotte learns how to follow her faith and the faith of her inconvenient husband who seems to be taking his marriage vows a bit to seriously for her future plans . Daniel Beck ,Charlotte father keeps a close eye on his daughters progress and hopes with all his heart she will stay in a marriage she is to fearful to accept .
June 23, 2011
Charlotte Beck, what a character! She is a spoiled rich young woman who often gets what she wants. As such, every time she meets a certain wealthy Englishman named Alex Hambly she finds herself getting into some kind of trouble. She is very stubborn and self-absorbed, and everything she does is to please herself without any care to what anyone else thinks. Her father has had enough of her antics and decides that he will arrange a marriage with this certain Englishman by the name of Alex Hambly. The marriage will benefit both families, so her father approaches Alex with the idea. After much consideration and deliberation, he agrees only because his family is in need of the money that this marriage would provide him also. He is not very happy about it and neither is Charlotte. So, they both have plans to get the marriage annulled as soon as possible. As time goes on, situations arise that make each of them wonder whether they made the right decision. What will come of this marriage?
Another great historical romance. I haven't read anything by this author, but I really did enjoy her characters. Unfortunately, I didn't realize there were two other books in this series, but I believe they could be read separately anyway. Sometimes it is just fun to have a little bit more background on the characters from previous books in a series.
I would definitely recommend this book. I myself will be going backwards and reading the first two books of this series.
Another great historical romance. I haven't read anything by this author, but I really did enjoy her characters. Unfortunately, I didn't realize there were two other books in this series, but I believe they could be read separately anyway. Sometimes it is just fun to have a little bit more background on the characters from previous books in a series.
I would definitely recommend this book. I myself will be going backwards and reading the first two books of this series.
August 6, 2011
If you're looking for a quick-paced, fun book to read, look no further than The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck. I found it an entertaining story about a young socialite who meets her match in an unassuming but determined astronomer.
In a time when young ladies had to have their father's permission to do most things, Charlotte finds herself scheming to get what she wants, or at least she tries. But she has a very clever and loving father. He knows just what she needs to keep her straight and decides it must be a husband. Along comes Daniel, who has no intentions of marrying anyone yet let alone Charlotte Beck. She's a menace as far as he is concerned. Let's just say that there are plenty of antics to keep you chuckling and stimulating banter to keep one turning the pages.
The cast of characters are quite appealing. I enjoyed Charlotte's relationship with her daddy the most. They share a singular affection for one another that was a pleasure to be witness to.
This is one of my favorite historical fiction books so far this year. Yes, it's zany, but that appeals to me. I hope it appeals to you!
This is the third book from Kathleen Y'Barbo in The Women of the West Series. I read it as a stand alone, but will definitely go back and read the first two, The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper
(#1) and Anna Finch and the Hired Gun (#2).
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation has been received
In a time when young ladies had to have their father's permission to do most things, Charlotte finds herself scheming to get what she wants, or at least she tries. But she has a very clever and loving father. He knows just what she needs to keep her straight and decides it must be a husband. Along comes Daniel, who has no intentions of marrying anyone yet let alone Charlotte Beck. She's a menace as far as he is concerned. Let's just say that there are plenty of antics to keep you chuckling and stimulating banter to keep one turning the pages.
The cast of characters are quite appealing. I enjoyed Charlotte's relationship with her daddy the most. They share a singular affection for one another that was a pleasure to be witness to.
This is one of my favorite historical fiction books so far this year. Yes, it's zany, but that appeals to me. I hope it appeals to you!
This is the third book from Kathleen Y'Barbo in The Women of the West Series. I read it as a stand alone, but will definitely go back and read the first two, The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper
(#1) and Anna Finch and the Hired Gun (#2).
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation has been received
December 23, 2011
Spoiled Charlotte Beck is on the verge of entering adulthood, but trouble still manages to follow her. British astronomer, Alex Hambly, needs to marry a wealthy American in order to save his family from ruin. Charlotte's father, Daniel, comes up with a plan that is mutually beneficial to both Alex and Charlotte - marry and not only will the Hambly family be saved from ruin, but Charlotte will get the college education that she longs for. Even though the couple can't stand each other, they agree to her father's terms. But what happens when their feelings change? Will they end the marriage or find a true love?
I really enjoyed this book. Kathleen Y'Barbo is humorous and I loved the situations that Charlotte frequently found herself in. This is the 3rd book in Kathleen's Women of the West series, but the other two books don't have to be read in order to understand this. Charlotte refuses to admit that her biggest fear is related to her late mother. Alex is very gentle with her when he finds that out. And it takes a heart to heart talk with her father to finally come to peace with things. Alex is a strong character that doesn't really like being told what to do. I admire his determination to save his family.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook/Multnomah for the purpose of review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this book. Kathleen Y'Barbo is humorous and I loved the situations that Charlotte frequently found herself in. This is the 3rd book in Kathleen's Women of the West series, but the other two books don't have to be read in order to understand this. Charlotte refuses to admit that her biggest fear is related to her late mother. Alex is very gentle with her when he finds that out. And it takes a heart to heart talk with her father to finally come to peace with things. Alex is a strong character that doesn't really like being told what to do. I admire his determination to save his family.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook/Multnomah for the purpose of review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 26, 2011
This title was the first book I have read by author Kathleen Y’Barbo and I was pleased with what I discovered. The author has a distinct way of putting words on paper that drew me into the story and painted word pictures that clearly defined characters and their surroundings. Some of the descriptions even had me chortling.
I enjoyed the plot and the title pretty much sums up the story, though I thought the marriage was going to come in the beginning and it actually came towards the end. The first few scenes in the book were entertaining and I got the chance to laugh with the characters and it set the tone for the rest of the book to follow suit.
Charlotte is a loveable character, but she thoroughly irritated me. Her manipulation and trying to weasel her way out of situations she wasn’t fond of, was a source of frustration for me. However…the writing was strong enough and once I got to the reason *behind* her actions I was able to move past her character flaws. You just have to give her a chance – I was pleased with her changes.
All in all the story is charming, pleasurable to read and there is a strength and confidence to the writing. An enjoyable story.
This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.
I enjoyed the plot and the title pretty much sums up the story, though I thought the marriage was going to come in the beginning and it actually came towards the end. The first few scenes in the book were entertaining and I got the chance to laugh with the characters and it set the tone for the rest of the book to follow suit.
Charlotte is a loveable character, but she thoroughly irritated me. Her manipulation and trying to weasel her way out of situations she wasn’t fond of, was a source of frustration for me. However…the writing was strong enough and once I got to the reason *behind* her actions I was able to move past her character flaws. You just have to give her a chance – I was pleased with her changes.
All in all the story is charming, pleasurable to read and there is a strength and confidence to the writing. An enjoyable story.
This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.
June 28, 2011
Charlotte Beck is an incorrigible little gal, yet you can’t help but love her. She’s always getting herself into messes and from the moment she steps out into society Alex Hambly has the unfortunate responsibility of getting her out of trouble. While Alex would much rather bury himself in astronomy, he’s too much of a gentleman to say no to Charlotte’s pleas. Of course, she does make very enticing promises – nothing untoward, mind you. If you must know, you’ll have to read the book. ;-)
This is a great story illustrating that love is not maximum emotion, but rather maximum commitment.
The only complaints I have are: 1) Kathleen wasn’t clear enough throughout the book about the internal issues driving Charlotte’s decision making. Nor did she make clear the issues surrounding her mother in the end. That part of the story was confusing.
Regardless, “The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck” is a highly entertaining story written in a unique voice and I enjoyed it.
~This book was a given by Water Brook Multnomah as part of their Blogging for Books program. I would appreciate it if you would rank my review. Just go here:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggi....
This is a great story illustrating that love is not maximum emotion, but rather maximum commitment.
The only complaints I have are: 1) Kathleen wasn’t clear enough throughout the book about the internal issues driving Charlotte’s decision making. Nor did she make clear the issues surrounding her mother in the end. That part of the story was confusing.
Regardless, “The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck” is a highly entertaining story written in a unique voice and I enjoyed it.
~This book was a given by Water Brook Multnomah as part of their Blogging for Books program. I would appreciate it if you would rank my review. Just go here:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggi....
February 7, 2014
Kathleen Y’Barbo delivers a fun and light-hearted romance in The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck. While I believe Mr. Beck overreacted quite a bit—Charlotte’s behavior though a bit impulsive and naïve at times was never bad and certainly didn’t warrant being pushed into an arranged marriage—I did enjoy the conundrum Alex and Charlotte faced. Watching them squirm and fight their ever growing feelings and conflicting emotions was very amusing.
At times, I mentally slapped my forehead and wondered what in the world was Charlotte thinking. She could single-handedly get herself into some pretty ridiculous (and extremely laughable) situations, but then who doesn’t know a person like that in his/her own life. I can think of a few in mine. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to take a break from the “real world” and immerse him/herself into a few hours of fun and uncomplicated reading.
Review copy provided by publisher.
At times, I mentally slapped my forehead and wondered what in the world was Charlotte thinking. She could single-handedly get herself into some pretty ridiculous (and extremely laughable) situations, but then who doesn’t know a person like that in his/her own life. I can think of a few in mine. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to take a break from the “real world” and immerse him/herself into a few hours of fun and uncomplicated reading.
Review copy provided by publisher.
May 31, 2011
Read in 24 hours time. Excellent banter!!!!
May 29, 2013
fun, quick story. funny!
March 5, 2011
GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: WATERBROOK PRESS
PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 21, 2O11
RATING: 7 OUT OF 10
Making her debut into London society, Charlotte Beck receives more than she bargained for when she tumbles out of a window into the arms of Viscount Alexander Hambly. The American heiress and English noble find their lives forever entwined as a result of the night’s events, much to the dismay of both parties. Charlotte is known for her inappropriate antics, and while she’d like to escape from the expectations of her parents – a suitable marriage, home and family – by attending university, her father has other plans for her. Charlotte is to marry Alex, whom her father has a business proposition for. Although her father insists that she is not simply a pawn in a financial deal, and that he believes Alex is the perfect match for her, being the only man who can control her and make her stop talking, Charlotte is still unhappy with these plans. It is only when her father and her betrothed promise her that she may attend university before getting married that she agrees to the arrangement. But four years is not as long as she expected, and when she returns to her parents’ home she discovers that no one has forgotten her impending marriage, and there is no escaping it – unless she can convince her new husband to agree to an annulment. But Alex has not forgotten Charlotte and how amusing her teenage antics used to be. Without either of them realising it, Charlotte has already stolen his heart, and he is determined to show her exactly why she should remain married to him.
Charlotte is the sort of character will have you laughing out loud, no matter how restrained you try to be while reading this book. Her escapes – entirely inappropriate for a young woman of good breeding – were hilarious to read about, as were her interactions with Alex and his family. Alex and Charlotte have brilliant chemistry together, even if neither of them realised it to begin with. I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of this book, where Charlotte and Alex slowly get to know each other through Charlotte’s little accidents and near social suicides. They are certainly unusual characters for a historical novel, with Alex’s interest in astronomy and Charlotte’s painting skills being well thought out and described. In a way, Charlotte and Alex are two misfits in the world of courtship and balls, making them perfect for each other.
I also enjoyed the dual setting of this novel and reading about the characters experiences in both London and Denver. I’ve not read many historical novels written by American authors but set in Britain, so this definitely made a nice change. It was interesting to read about the differences between London and New York society, the debutantes, clothing of the period and expected etiquette for young ladies. The pieces of etiquette wisdom given at the start of each chapter are absolutely hilarious, as are Charlotte’s attempts to succeed in achieving them.
While I did love the characters, settings and events of the first part of this novel, I really felt let down by the latter part. As the second section of the novel begins, Charlotte returns from university to live with her parents pending her marriage to Alex. I’d been really looking forward to reading about Charlotte and Alex managing to adapt to married life, which I imagined would be a lot of fun to read about, giving their shenanigans in the first part of the book. However, in the four years that have passed between Part I and II of the novel, Charlotte’s character had undergone a complete transformation. I imagine that Kathleen simply wanted to show how Charlotte had grown up, but she had none of the spunk or ingenuity of the previous Charlotte. To be honest, most of the time she just came across as grumpy or selfish, and the chemistry between her and Alex was completely gone. Alex, on the other hand, was exactly the same as he had been in the first part of the book, which just succeeded in showing how entirely different Charlotte’s character was.
My other complaint with the second part of the book is that Charlotte suddenly has a fear of getting married, brought on by something mysterious that apparently happened to her biological mother during her marriage to Charlotte’s father, who is now remarried. This mysterious “something” had never before been alluded to in the book (or if it had, not enough for me to pick up on it) and seemed to come completely out of the blue. It was as if the author had felt that Charlotte needed a reason for her distrust of marriage, and threw this fear into the story in order to validate Charlotte’s behaviour. To make everything even more confusing, the whole issue is wrapped up two or three chapters after Charlotte’s fear is first revealed, when she has a discussion with her father and coincidentally just happens to come across a letter from her grandfather that explains everything. Then, of course, her fear is gone and she can stop being so harsh to Alex. Maybe if Charlotte’s misconceptions about marriage and the mystery surrounding her father’s first wife had been incorporated better into the story as a whole I wouldn’t have minded this part of the novel so much, but as it is I really felt that this part of the plot needed to be expanded in order for it to feel credible and not so rushed. On the whole, I think that the second section of the book needed to be at least fifty pages longer as all of the events felt a bit rushed and quite detached from the first part of the book. At times, it actually felt like I was reading an entirely different book.
While The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck began with a promising start, the section of the novel that focused on the actual marriage between Charlotte and Alex was a letdown. The chemistry between the characters petered out due to Charlotte’s change in personality, and events were rushed to their conclusion by the introduction of a mysterious and previously non-existent plot device that was over and done with far too conveniently. I’m afraid that I was a bit disappointed by this book, although more the second section than the book as a whole. Charlotte and Alex were originally wonderful characters, but their personalities seem to have got a bit lost along the way. Although I didn’t love this book, I would consider reading others by Kathleen Y’Barbo in the future as she creates great characters and families. Perhaps the difficulties I had with this book were not due to her writing but the four year gap between the two parts, in which much goes unexplained.
Review title provided courtesy of Waterbrook Press.
PUBLISHER: WATERBROOK PRESS
PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 21, 2O11
RATING: 7 OUT OF 10
Making her debut into London society, Charlotte Beck receives more than she bargained for when she tumbles out of a window into the arms of Viscount Alexander Hambly. The American heiress and English noble find their lives forever entwined as a result of the night’s events, much to the dismay of both parties. Charlotte is known for her inappropriate antics, and while she’d like to escape from the expectations of her parents – a suitable marriage, home and family – by attending university, her father has other plans for her. Charlotte is to marry Alex, whom her father has a business proposition for. Although her father insists that she is not simply a pawn in a financial deal, and that he believes Alex is the perfect match for her, being the only man who can control her and make her stop talking, Charlotte is still unhappy with these plans. It is only when her father and her betrothed promise her that she may attend university before getting married that she agrees to the arrangement. But four years is not as long as she expected, and when she returns to her parents’ home she discovers that no one has forgotten her impending marriage, and there is no escaping it – unless she can convince her new husband to agree to an annulment. But Alex has not forgotten Charlotte and how amusing her teenage antics used to be. Without either of them realising it, Charlotte has already stolen his heart, and he is determined to show her exactly why she should remain married to him.
Charlotte is the sort of character will have you laughing out loud, no matter how restrained you try to be while reading this book. Her escapes – entirely inappropriate for a young woman of good breeding – were hilarious to read about, as were her interactions with Alex and his family. Alex and Charlotte have brilliant chemistry together, even if neither of them realised it to begin with. I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of this book, where Charlotte and Alex slowly get to know each other through Charlotte’s little accidents and near social suicides. They are certainly unusual characters for a historical novel, with Alex’s interest in astronomy and Charlotte’s painting skills being well thought out and described. In a way, Charlotte and Alex are two misfits in the world of courtship and balls, making them perfect for each other.
I also enjoyed the dual setting of this novel and reading about the characters experiences in both London and Denver. I’ve not read many historical novels written by American authors but set in Britain, so this definitely made a nice change. It was interesting to read about the differences between London and New York society, the debutantes, clothing of the period and expected etiquette for young ladies. The pieces of etiquette wisdom given at the start of each chapter are absolutely hilarious, as are Charlotte’s attempts to succeed in achieving them.
While I did love the characters, settings and events of the first part of this novel, I really felt let down by the latter part. As the second section of the novel begins, Charlotte returns from university to live with her parents pending her marriage to Alex. I’d been really looking forward to reading about Charlotte and Alex managing to adapt to married life, which I imagined would be a lot of fun to read about, giving their shenanigans in the first part of the book. However, in the four years that have passed between Part I and II of the novel, Charlotte’s character had undergone a complete transformation. I imagine that Kathleen simply wanted to show how Charlotte had grown up, but she had none of the spunk or ingenuity of the previous Charlotte. To be honest, most of the time she just came across as grumpy or selfish, and the chemistry between her and Alex was completely gone. Alex, on the other hand, was exactly the same as he had been in the first part of the book, which just succeeded in showing how entirely different Charlotte’s character was.
My other complaint with the second part of the book is that Charlotte suddenly has a fear of getting married, brought on by something mysterious that apparently happened to her biological mother during her marriage to Charlotte’s father, who is now remarried. This mysterious “something” had never before been alluded to in the book (or if it had, not enough for me to pick up on it) and seemed to come completely out of the blue. It was as if the author had felt that Charlotte needed a reason for her distrust of marriage, and threw this fear into the story in order to validate Charlotte’s behaviour. To make everything even more confusing, the whole issue is wrapped up two or three chapters after Charlotte’s fear is first revealed, when she has a discussion with her father and coincidentally just happens to come across a letter from her grandfather that explains everything. Then, of course, her fear is gone and she can stop being so harsh to Alex. Maybe if Charlotte’s misconceptions about marriage and the mystery surrounding her father’s first wife had been incorporated better into the story as a whole I wouldn’t have minded this part of the novel so much, but as it is I really felt that this part of the plot needed to be expanded in order for it to feel credible and not so rushed. On the whole, I think that the second section of the book needed to be at least fifty pages longer as all of the events felt a bit rushed and quite detached from the first part of the book. At times, it actually felt like I was reading an entirely different book.
While The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck began with a promising start, the section of the novel that focused on the actual marriage between Charlotte and Alex was a letdown. The chemistry between the characters petered out due to Charlotte’s change in personality, and events were rushed to their conclusion by the introduction of a mysterious and previously non-existent plot device that was over and done with far too conveniently. I’m afraid that I was a bit disappointed by this book, although more the second section than the book as a whole. Charlotte and Alex were originally wonderful characters, but their personalities seem to have got a bit lost along the way. Although I didn’t love this book, I would consider reading others by Kathleen Y’Barbo in the future as she creates great characters and families. Perhaps the difficulties I had with this book were not due to her writing but the four year gap between the two parts, in which much goes unexplained.
Review title provided courtesy of Waterbrook Press.
April 21, 2015
ALL 3 BOOKS IN 1 REVIEW (4star, 5star, 4star)
The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper– Women of the West #1 of 3
•°• A Wild West Adventure •°•
Gennie Cooper is a fine New York, young lady of the late 1800s, destined to marry a respectable banker of admirable acquaintance, but she is looking for adventure like she reads in the popular (although not to be shared or discussed in proper society) dime novellas about Mae Winslow.
Daniel Beck is a businessman who splits his time between Denver Colorado, where he resides with his 10 year old high-strung daughter, Charlotte, and Leadville where his mining company produces silver.
When Gennie’s parents go travelling, she discovers her new maid’s sister is planning to provide temporary Governess services out west, and promptly concocts a plan to take her place.
A great adventure ensues and Gennie and Daniel collide (quite literally) with each other, changing the course of their lives forever.
This book was a nice diversion, with bits of faith sprinkled in. I found it enjoyable; not WOW, wonderful, but I was entertained.
This book also contains a short story at the top of each chapter, which is the dime novel about Mae Winslow, along with a short chapter at the end finishing her story. It was fun at first, but I really could not get into the bonus story, and lightly skimmed the end.
I was loaned this copy. My opinion is my own and without compensation. I give it a 4 star rating.
© 2009 WaterBrook Multomah, div of Random House
344 pages
Read: 4/18-19/2015
Reviewed: 4/20/2015
Anna Finch & the Hired Gun – Women of the West #2 of 3
Kathleen Y’Barbo
•°• Love Pinkertons! •°•
This was my favorite book of the series. In fact, I read it in one day, I was enjoying it so much. It features a handsome, faith-filled Pinkerton detective – Jeb Sanders – hired to watch the spunky Anna Finch, whom her father believes causes so much trouble she can’t catch a man.
Jeb believes he has been assigned the worst case ever – to babysit *some rich girl instead of catching thieves and murderers and following leads on the ruthless Doc Holliday (whom he has a personal vendetta against).
Anna, by all appearances, is *just that. But, secretly she is a published author, and a girl who’s heart desires riding the open plain from time-to-time, not sitting around wasting her days stitching and her nights at social events. She is also the last of 5 daughters and the only one not married. Her father intends to remedy that as soon as possible and has hired the Pinkerton Detective Agency to guard his willful daughter and keep her out of trouble, until such time as she is properly wed. The story starts off with a bang (literally), and Jeb and Anna are thrown together in an unexpected way. His job is made exceedingly difficult when she makes the acquaintance of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, and begins friendships with them. The story involves lots of sneaking around and even a healthy dose of danger, which was most enjoyable. For a faith-filled novel, I liked that the author gave us a little more danger and a little more passion than some authors of this genre without crossing the lines, in my opinion.
This book also contains short quotes at the top of each chapter regarding Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, my favorite being “This is funny.” – Doc Holliday’s reported last words. Ch. 8, pg. 73.
Additionally, there are historical facts about them listed in the back of the book.
I was loaned this copy. My opinion is my own and without compensation. I give it a 5 star rating, and recommend to others who enjoy historical, Christian novels – particularly western.
© 2010 WaterBrook Multomah, div of Random House
325 pages
Read: 4/20/2015
Reviewed: 4/21/2015
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck – Women of the West #3 of 3
Kathleen Y’Barbo
•°• London & Colorado Collide •°•
Fun Quote: What happened unobserved did not have to be admitted. Chapter 8 page 63
This is the 4th Kathleen Y’Barbo book I have read. Admittedly I did enjoy it overall, but with a few issues.
Charlotte Beck is only 17 and throughout much of the first half of the story, she is a bit of a brat. At times she is amusing, but not as sensible as I would like. The 2nd half of the book picks up 4 years later, and she remains as stubborn as ever, even having gone away to college. Where she should have matured, it causes the story to drag. Alex Hambly is a royal viscount with a strong sense of family duty. Overall, a pleasant character to read about. He is thoroughly vexed by Charlotte who literally drops into his life. Not quite as plausible for me; four years is a long time to carry a torch from someone Alex Hambly barely knew. Although he is obligated to her, as we read, and has buried his feelings, they return all to quickly for me. It just didn’t make good sense.
A huge issue for me is a very detailed scene where Charlotte’s grandfather makes a big show of summoning Alex to give him an important letter, which he is then to deliver to his father. However, Alex’s father dies before he can. Shortly thereafter Alex crumples up the paper and we NEVER find out what was written on it. I felt ripped off! At the end of the story (small spoiler alert), Sept. 7, 1891 Charlotte loses something precious in the river. The next day, Sept. 8, when everyone is getting ready for a huge party at Charlotte’s home on the Colorado prairie, Alex has managed to ride out to the river, find the damaged item, get it to a restorer, have it restored, and wrap it up and present it to her that same night. Hmmm. Doubtful. Overall, it’s a good and enjoyable story with lots of potential. It just fell a bit short for me. However, I have enjoyed this author’s more recent works over this one, so I do not count her out (and having read book #2 in this series, have high hopes).
I was loaned this copy. My opinion is my own and without compensation. I give it a 4 star rating.
© 2011 WaterBrook Multomah, div of Random House
337 pages
Read: 4/15/2015 (I accidentally read this book first instead of last in the series)
Reviewed: 4/16/2015
The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper– Women of the West #1 of 3
•°• A Wild West Adventure •°•
Gennie Cooper is a fine New York, young lady of the late 1800s, destined to marry a respectable banker of admirable acquaintance, but she is looking for adventure like she reads in the popular (although not to be shared or discussed in proper society) dime novellas about Mae Winslow.
Daniel Beck is a businessman who splits his time between Denver Colorado, where he resides with his 10 year old high-strung daughter, Charlotte, and Leadville where his mining company produces silver.
When Gennie’s parents go travelling, she discovers her new maid’s sister is planning to provide temporary Governess services out west, and promptly concocts a plan to take her place.
A great adventure ensues and Gennie and Daniel collide (quite literally) with each other, changing the course of their lives forever.
This book was a nice diversion, with bits of faith sprinkled in. I found it enjoyable; not WOW, wonderful, but I was entertained.
This book also contains a short story at the top of each chapter, which is the dime novel about Mae Winslow, along with a short chapter at the end finishing her story. It was fun at first, but I really could not get into the bonus story, and lightly skimmed the end.
I was loaned this copy. My opinion is my own and without compensation. I give it a 4 star rating.
© 2009 WaterBrook Multomah, div of Random House
344 pages
Read: 4/18-19/2015
Reviewed: 4/20/2015
Anna Finch & the Hired Gun – Women of the West #2 of 3
Kathleen Y’Barbo
•°• Love Pinkertons! •°•
This was my favorite book of the series. In fact, I read it in one day, I was enjoying it so much. It features a handsome, faith-filled Pinkerton detective – Jeb Sanders – hired to watch the spunky Anna Finch, whom her father believes causes so much trouble she can’t catch a man.
Jeb believes he has been assigned the worst case ever – to babysit *some rich girl instead of catching thieves and murderers and following leads on the ruthless Doc Holliday (whom he has a personal vendetta against).
Anna, by all appearances, is *just that. But, secretly she is a published author, and a girl who’s heart desires riding the open plain from time-to-time, not sitting around wasting her days stitching and her nights at social events. She is also the last of 5 daughters and the only one not married. Her father intends to remedy that as soon as possible and has hired the Pinkerton Detective Agency to guard his willful daughter and keep her out of trouble, until such time as she is properly wed. The story starts off with a bang (literally), and Jeb and Anna are thrown together in an unexpected way. His job is made exceedingly difficult when she makes the acquaintance of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, and begins friendships with them. The story involves lots of sneaking around and even a healthy dose of danger, which was most enjoyable. For a faith-filled novel, I liked that the author gave us a little more danger and a little more passion than some authors of this genre without crossing the lines, in my opinion.
This book also contains short quotes at the top of each chapter regarding Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, my favorite being “This is funny.” – Doc Holliday’s reported last words. Ch. 8, pg. 73.
Additionally, there are historical facts about them listed in the back of the book.
I was loaned this copy. My opinion is my own and without compensation. I give it a 5 star rating, and recommend to others who enjoy historical, Christian novels – particularly western.
© 2010 WaterBrook Multomah, div of Random House
325 pages
Read: 4/20/2015
Reviewed: 4/21/2015
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck – Women of the West #3 of 3
Kathleen Y’Barbo
•°• London & Colorado Collide •°•
Fun Quote: What happened unobserved did not have to be admitted. Chapter 8 page 63
This is the 4th Kathleen Y’Barbo book I have read. Admittedly I did enjoy it overall, but with a few issues.
Charlotte Beck is only 17 and throughout much of the first half of the story, she is a bit of a brat. At times she is amusing, but not as sensible as I would like. The 2nd half of the book picks up 4 years later, and she remains as stubborn as ever, even having gone away to college. Where she should have matured, it causes the story to drag. Alex Hambly is a royal viscount with a strong sense of family duty. Overall, a pleasant character to read about. He is thoroughly vexed by Charlotte who literally drops into his life. Not quite as plausible for me; four years is a long time to carry a torch from someone Alex Hambly barely knew. Although he is obligated to her, as we read, and has buried his feelings, they return all to quickly for me. It just didn’t make good sense.
A huge issue for me is a very detailed scene where Charlotte’s grandfather makes a big show of summoning Alex to give him an important letter, which he is then to deliver to his father. However, Alex’s father dies before he can. Shortly thereafter Alex crumples up the paper and we NEVER find out what was written on it. I felt ripped off! At the end of the story (small spoiler alert), Sept. 7, 1891 Charlotte loses something precious in the river. The next day, Sept. 8, when everyone is getting ready for a huge party at Charlotte’s home on the Colorado prairie, Alex has managed to ride out to the river, find the damaged item, get it to a restorer, have it restored, and wrap it up and present it to her that same night. Hmmm. Doubtful. Overall, it’s a good and enjoyable story with lots of potential. It just fell a bit short for me. However, I have enjoyed this author’s more recent works over this one, so I do not count her out (and having read book #2 in this series, have high hopes).
I was loaned this copy. My opinion is my own and without compensation. I give it a 4 star rating.
© 2011 WaterBrook Multomah, div of Random House
337 pages
Read: 4/15/2015 (I accidentally read this book first instead of last in the series)
Reviewed: 4/16/2015
April 1, 2021
REVIEW: Anyone who has read this author’s works will know what a fun ride a reader is in for. The story takes place in the area surrounding Denver Colorado in the late 1800’s, and is brimming with hilarity and romance. Charlotte Beck is a little opinionated spit-fire; anyone who read Kathleen's novels before will remember Charlotte as the sassy child from The Confidential Life of Eugina Cooper. Now, Charlotte is all grown-up living in a world where finery isn’t the only thing at her command. At the beginning of the book, she assumes ,at eighteen, that she's an “adult”; little does she know she still has some growing up to do! The novel spans four years divided into a part one and two before closing a number of months later. Read the review in its entirety on Finding Wonderland.
July 4, 2024
A friend lent me this book last year, and I only just got around to reading it. I think it could have kept longer still. My school produced a play in the theme of a "Spaghetti Western," and this gives the same energy. While Y'Barbo can definitely scrounge up some humorous situations, the comedy suffered in the latter half. I can't articulate exactly what about Charlotte's character fell flat, but I felt myself growing more and more annoyed with her as a whole. She was supposed to be a strong, independent person, but I couldn't get past how she never acted like one apart from her family. We never really saw the side of her that her trope was based on, and that bothered me immensely. Alex was not as developed as I would hope for an MMC. Kinda mid for Western energy.
October 14, 2026
It was a four star book until Alex decided he didn’t want to annul the marriage and i didn’t like the lack of a relationship between them. It felt a bit creepy him changing his mind and trapping her in a marriage. It also felt like the plot line of her mother’s story was rushed, disconnected and in the end, didn’t really add much to the story. For her being an independent woman she was surely coerced into a lot of things and i didn’t like that her dad was so manipulative and yet claimed to have a strong relationship with God. Her father kept repeatedly saying he did it all out of love but i didn’t get that sense at all. I was actually rooting for and hoping that they would get an annulment.
March 30, 2020
This is just too fun---classic Y'Barbo. That woman can come up with the cutest plots!
Charlotte wants to go to college and become a partner in her father's business in a time when such things were unheard of in women. Alex wants to study the stars, but must save his crumbling estate with finances he does not have. Neither of them want to marry the other. Charlotte, especially, will go to extremes to avoid getting married.
But when her father makes an offer neither can refuse, that's exactly what happens.
Charlotte wants to go to college and become a partner in her father's business in a time when such things were unheard of in women. Alex wants to study the stars, but must save his crumbling estate with finances he does not have. Neither of them want to marry the other. Charlotte, especially, will go to extremes to avoid getting married.
But when her father makes an offer neither can refuse, that's exactly what happens.
May 24, 2017
What a great way to end this series! Charlotte Beck starts off as a real obnoxious child in the first book. This last book she is all grown up and wanting to go to college instead of getting married. Her father Daniel Beck strikes a deal with an English business man and his daughter. They are to be married as soon as Charlotte finishes school. Charlotte tries everything she can think of to back out of the deal. This book was fast paced and full of many laugh's. I really enjoyed this book!
May 24, 2020
It was my first book by Kathleen Y'Barbo. And after reading the blurb, I wanted to enjoy it. I love humorous reads, and marriages of convience are a personal favorite. I was disappointed that the said marriage of convenience only happened at about two thirds of the way through the book.
It took me incredibly long to finish this book. Perhaps it's because I struggled to like the heroine. At first I thought her headstrong, but Charlotte quickly grew irritating.
It took me incredibly long to finish this book. Perhaps it's because I struggled to like the heroine. At first I thought her headstrong, but Charlotte quickly grew irritating.
June 3, 2020
After reading the back cover you pretty much know 2/3 of the story. With that said it was still a cute story. As frustrating as the heroin is it made me enjoy the hero that much more. He knew how to put her in her place without being degrading. I enjoyed their banter and it's nice to read a romantic book that's not based off of lust but genuine respect and eventual love.
April 1, 2019
Fun and spunky
Such fun characters! So full of spunk and determination...the hijinx between these two are hilarious and dramatic. The attraction keeps them interested as they call in love, but really it's their faith that determines the first so outcome.
Such fun characters! So full of spunk and determination...the hijinx between these two are hilarious and dramatic. The attraction keeps them interested as they call in love, but really it's their faith that determines the first so outcome.
February 14, 2019
Funny good read
March 22, 2019
Quirky
I loved this book. It was full of humor (I smiled through most of it), suspense, drama, and all with a happy ending. Who could ask for more?
I loved this book. It was full of humor (I smiled through most of it), suspense, drama, and all with a happy ending. Who could ask for more?
March 27, 2019
Just a fun story. Lots of chuckles for me.
June 24, 2019
What a fun book. A little madcap and fun to read. Any book that adds in Wild Bill Cody's wild west show has got to be a good one.
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