Customer Reviews

Fit to Be Tied (Sisters of Bethlehem Springs, The)

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In Fit to Be Tied, Robin Lee Hatcher continues her "The Sister's of Bethlehem Springs" series. You do not have to read the first to enjoy the second. Tomboy Cleo Arlington is content to wear pants instead of dresses and to tame horses instead of do embroidery. Forced to do anything else and her temper flares. Across the world, war veteran Sherwood Statham runs from his memories and experiences, indulging in wine, women, and gambling. His embarrassed father, a Duke, sends his son to America hoping he'll reform, but at the least, relieved to have his son out of sight. When Cleo and Sherwood meet, there are fireworks. Will they be willing to change to at least keep the peace on the ranch?

Anyone who has read a Christian romance novel knows how the book turns out without even turning a page. Usually, I do not enjoy reading them for that reason. This book is different. I found the characters to be interesting enough to hold my attention. The rhythm of the book does flow nicely although there are a few times I needed to reread to figure out the exact time table of events. Overall, this was an entertaining way to pass a few hours and would make a good book for under the Christmas tree.

Fit to Be Tied, published by Zondervan

Fit to be Tied by Robin Lee Hatcher is the second book in the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series. Cleo Arlington is a one of a kind, especially in 1916. More comfortable breaking horses than wearing dresses, she's accustomed to running the family ranch, until Sherwood Statham, son of an English duke, shows up, exiled by his family to work a real job and work on not bring shame to the family name. Hard-headed and feisty, she makes for a perfect heroine! Hatcher is one of my favorite authors, and this historical romance is thoroughly enjoyable. It breaks out of the cliches western romances often fall into, and I have to admit, toward the end, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough trying to figure out how the two would end up together. Hatcher keeps the story moving without using stereotypes or cardboard plot devices. I look forward to the sequel, A Word to the Wise, coming out in spring 2010.

Opposites can attract, and Cleo may have just found that opposite. "Fit to be Tied" tells of the romance of Cleo Arlington, a tomboy in the early twentieth century. Believing no one will go for her ranch hand ways, when posh Sherwood Statham appears in her life, the very definition of high class Britain, she finds that she may have been looking in the wrong places all this time. "Fit to be Tied" is a fun novel that will delight many a romance reader.

Just as romantic, even funnier than A Vote of Confidence (Sisters of Bethlehem Springs, The), Fit to Be Tied was a fun book and great read. I'm looking forward to the next in the series, A Matter of Character (Sisters of Bethlehem Springs, The) to be released in June 2010.

Fit To Be Tied is the second book in the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series. After reading the first book, A Vote of Confidence, I was eager to read the second book. I was delighted to be reunited with the wonderful residents of Bethlehem Springs and to see Cleo find true love. There could not be two people who are more different than Cleo and Woody, but their chemistry and attraction are obvious. As they get to know one another, Cleo and Woody find they do have some things in common. They are both feeling the pain of rejection and of not quite fitting in.

Robin Lee Hatcher is very good at creating romantic tension without it being uncomfortable or over the top. She is also very good at creating that Wild West feel. Once again, I felt like I was part of this town and I was happy to be there.

Fit To Be Tied is historical romance at its best. I have really becoming quite a fan of Robin Lee Hatcher's writing because she tells such wonderful stories and writes such delightful characters that will make the reader smile. This book is no exception. I really have a good time reading this book and I have already started to miss the good folks of Bethlehem Springs.

Fit to be Tied was an enjoyable historical romance. The writing was stellar and the story itself shone like a well-polished gem. You can tell the author is experienced in the development of romantic relationships on the page. The characters were very well done and the way they viewed things was believeable to me. I loved how mismatched they were at first and the natural fears that went along with having to give up part of yourself for someone else.

The romantic tension was delightful, and the incredibly heroic response and growth of the hero who started out like a privileged jerk was something to see. The softening of a tough and very independent woman like Cleo was beautiful as well.

I really adored this love story and how the author resolved things with an ending that rang true. For romance lovers who enjoy a story with a western theme and a bit of arisocratic flavor from the early 1900s, this book is sure to please. It's not your run-of-the-mill prairie romance...that's for sure. It's unique in many ways, including the absense of the prairie theme. I loved that.

Cleo Arlington knows how to handle stubborn horses. She's been breaking them on her father's ranch ever since she was a little girl, and doesn't plan on going too far away from home. Life is good, only a little romance from a local country boy could make it better.

Sherwood Statham, wounded WWI solider and British aristocrat, is sent to live in the states as punishment for his life of ill-repute. It's either a year in America or a loss of his inheritance, so he enters Cleo's life penniless, broken, and determined to prove himself.

Tossing the two of these characters together ends in an explosion of misunderstandings, humor, and...you guessed it, romance. Sherwood, who is used to 'proper' ladies, is shocked to find himself warming to this blue-eyed, freckled-faced tomboy. Though scarred on the outside, his greatest scars are within, and as Sherwood (or Woody) learns from Cleo's family about God's love, his deepset wounds begin to heal. He finds hope.

Cleo never thought she'd need to be rescued, and never expected the fancy-pants Brit to do it, but when he swoops in twice to protect her, she realizes she's misjudged Woody. Is she willing to risk her heart for a man who will only take her away from the life she loves?


Just when it seems they're 'fit to be tied' will love break the string?

What do I think?

Go! Buy the book. Now.

Robin Lee Hatcher's second book in the Sister's of Bethlehem Springs is even better than its' predecessor, A Vote of Confidence. I literally read it in two hours and laughed...often.

Fit To Be Tied is about a young lady who is confident in herself, even though she doesn't fit into the typical 'lady' mold, and about a man who must learn to believe in himself again.

I have never felt drawn to a hero so quickly in a story. I think it was his obvious vulnerability. By page two, my heart went out to Sherwood Statham and I couldn't wait to see how Hatcher would rescue him from his situation. She's an excellent rescuer, by sending Woody exactly what he needs: acceptance, humor, confidence, and...Cleo.

It takes some time for us to find Cleo's 'weakness', because she appears so confident and composed, but Sherwood has his time to shine and begins to break through Cleo's preconceived notions to win her heart.

Robin, I don't see how you can make Daphne's story any better than Cleo's, but I can't wait to find out.

In Fit to Be Tied, Robin Lee Hatcher takes us back to Bethlehem Springs for another heartwarming, turn-of-the-century romance. Cleo Arlington grew up on a cattle ranch and can rope and ride as well as any man, but she hopes to also find love one day. Sherwood Stratham, an English aristocrat, is sent to US by his father to work for a year and hopefully improve his character. When he arrives at the Arlington ranch and meets Cleo, he's not sure what to think of her and her spirited ways. Can two opposites who fall love find a way to build a future together? Readers who enjoyed A Vote of Confidence will be pleased to see several of those characters return in Fit to Be Tied. This is a sweet romance and captivating story.

I could really relate to the feelings of Cleo in this book.

The characters appear like real life people.

Robin Lee Hatcher pulls you into the emotion and I found myself experiencing what they were.

I was also touched by God through the words of this book. To my surprise, a single word in particular was like an opening to spring water that refreshed and comforted me. The line went something like: "she prayed that God would be his healer". "Healer" was the word. God touched me through it, and His Spirit mended my heart a little more.

One more thing: this book is in the middle of a series, but I found it very easy to follow. It didn't feel like there were pieces missing. (Even now I have not read the other books: 1. A Vote of Confidence and 3. A Matter of Character.)

I enjoy a good romance story, but they can be hard to find. This Christian romance story is sweet, clean, and fun to read. It is nice to find a good romance story without all the trashy stuff in regular romances. This is a book I would pass on to my sister or daughter or friends. I especially enjoyed the historic descriptions of Boise, having grown up in Idaho. This is a nice, easy afternoon read.

I am looking forward to reading more of Robin Lee Hatcher's novels! Hopefully they are all nice and clean.

I received a copy of this book free in exchange for my honest review.