Customer Reviews

Hometown Courtship (Love Inspired)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Diann Hunt is a favorite author of mine. Her writing has warmth and humor--and keeps me coming back for more. I usually read her books twice: the first time for entertainment and the second time to see how she's crafted the story and developed the characters.

What I like best about her works--and HOMETOWN COURTSHIP--is that her characters are people I can relate to: they are approachable, flawed, and quirky. The communication problems that Brad and Callie struggle through are believable (though one wonders if they'll be able to make a go of it if they don't learn some better communication skills!). Brad is a local contractor, building houses for needy families in the community. He has an interest in going overseas and doing Christian work. Callie is a hairstylist who is assigned to work for Brad as community service to pay for her many parking tickets. She loves her hometown and has no intention of leaving it.

Both are gun-shy of relationships: She's wary, afraid that commitments will be broken. He's afraid of designing women and matchmaking set-ups by his brother, the judge who's sentenced Callie to the community service. As they work together and start to drop some of their prejudices and snap judgments about each other, both Callie and Brad begin to see their own foibles and areas for improvement. Some good lessons here about giving grace and acceptance to others.

This is a good read for escaping the pressures of life. I recommend it.

This delightful and entertaining book by Diann Hunt has emotional depth that will keep readers turning pages all the way to the end. With her usual delicate balance between quirky characters and dealing with issues of the heart, Diann has once again written a story that will keep her fans happy and eagerly awaiting her next book. If you like stories about prayerfully surrendering to God's will, you'll love Hometown Courtship.

Hometown Courtship is romantic comedy at its best! Callie is a gal with issues--some I could definitely identify with like losing things in the deep caverns of her handbag. But in Callie's case it was parking tickets and caused life-changing events. I loved her!

Brad Sharp has his own issues that are sad but are balanced with humor. The fun begins when his brother, the judge, sets him up. I loved the story behind this romance. It was fun and not the usual cookie-cutter romance. Hunt always delivers something out of the norm. But then, she views life that way. And that's what I love about a Diann Hunt novel: the balancing act of real life and laughter.

Diann Hunt is a Christian author who writes with a light touch of humor. This is a small book with a big feel. Frankly, I don't want it to end. I haven't quite finished it yet.

I want to stay "living" in this little town awhile longer!

I love the little dog named Chaos, the Peaches and Cream Bakery, and the families of Brad and Callie. They and their families are not perfect, but they all love each other and are rooting for each other. That's refreshing.

I tend to find favorite phrases in books and this is mine from this one:
"She'd always heard there was a fine line between love and you'd-better-run."

I even love the cover, which looks like you could walk right on down the street in the town of Burrow.

Please tell me there's a sequel to this sweet story. I' m not ready to give up reading about Callie and Brad just yet.

Not one to like Christian books that quote a lot of scripture, I was pleased when I picked up Hometown Courtship. While I like Christian romance I like it better when an author takes the time to get creative to get the message across. That is just what Diann Hunt does in Hometown Courtship. Inside the pages of her novel she creates extraordinary characters wrestling with profound, yet all too common life issues.

Brad Sharp and his family have had a great loss. Brad's father and sister have both recently passed away. Brad's mother is experiencing severe depression. Brad, himself, is experiencing the guilt of not being there for his sister before she passed away like he promised his father he would be. Through it all his older brother has decided to matchmaker and send a woman Brad's way. It doesn't matter though because Brad is convinced he is leaving the country for his next missionary assignment as soon as it comes along.

Callie's life is a little disorganized. Now to make matters worse she has just been handed a sentence of community service from the local judge and all because she forgot to pay a parking ticket, or seven. Callie decides she can do just about anything, but go to work on a construction site. The very thought of the smell of sawdust reminded her of her father and the heartbreak of how he walked out on her years ago immediately following the death of her mother.

At times the courtship between Callie and Brad reminded me of an old fifty's movie with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. It was enjoyable going through the entire process with them.

I really enjoyed this book. I admit I have gotten tired of Christian romances and how some of them are sickeningly sweet. This was a really fun book. I loved how Callie and Brad interacted with each other and how their families were involved. It was relatable and had me laughing. I felt it was real and I related to some with Callie and Brad. I felt the conflict was dealt in a realistic way.

I had never read a Diann Hunt book and this was a great introduction to her work. I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. I finished it in two days (never mind the dirty dishes in the sink!). In short, if you like Christian fiction/romance buy this book. You won't be disappointed.