56552

56552

This was a great sequel to "Courting Trouble". I highly encourage you to read that book first, although reading this book can be done as a stand alone. To truly get to know Essie Spreckelmeyer, you should read both in the order written. Essie was a lady I had a hard time getting to know and appreciate, but as time went on, I liked her more and more.

Essie is an independent, outspoken, bicycle rider who owns her own bicycle business and is content with her being single. Along comes Tony Morgan, newly hired at Spreckelmeyer's oil company (and who has just been disinherited at the death of his oil baron father). Tony wants to regain his name and fortune, starting from the ground up. He is not interested in the headstrong, blond and bossy Essie.

These two are perfect for each other. They just don't know it yet. There will be a lot of twists and turns along the way for these two, but in the end, they will discover and cherish the love they will find in each other. It was quite a ride, but well worth the time. You will learn a lot about the oil business, the bicycles and bloomers era for women, and enjoy every minute. ( )

I'm so glad we got to revisit Essie and her family/town/life. An end to her story that completely satisfied and made me smile. (P.S. - my favorite line goes to Mrs. Lockhart when she meets Russ for the first time and looks him up and down. You'll have to discover it for yourself, but it literally made me laugh out loud.) :) ( )

2.5

I like Essie SO much more in this book, and the change seemed natural. I do like that Essie was going to be given a family even though she had embraced not receiving one. But the subplot of the lynchings was too much. And though I liked some of the ways that Tony was different and flawed, I felt like he changed unnaturally. I don't know, I didn't completely buy into the relationship. And the way that all the loose ends tied up, with his sister's marriage and the deputy being shot and implicated, and the killer having left and obvious trail, not to mention his older brother's demise to begin with, it was all just too easy. Too simply, too neatly wrapped up. ( )