Free (nook/Kindle/iTunes/ePub) Courting Trouble [Xtian Oil Town Historical w/Romance]

[ATDrake]

Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist is a standalone historical literary drama/women's fiction novel with strong romantic elements and apparently some tackling of troubled issues, set in a Texas oil town during the 1890s, free courtesy of Christian publisher Baker's Bethany House imprint.

NB: several of the customer reviews complain that this book wasn't nearly as romance-y and uplifting as they were expecting from this particular author/the blurb and should not have been labeled as a dedicated romance and been categorized as a life-lessons-learned historical fiction instead. Others seem to be okay with the level of romance, but disappointed in some of the more risqué (by "clean" romance standards*, mind you) and downer character actions and think it's rather "edgy" and depressing for a Christian genre book. YMMV.

This is apparently the 1st in an untitled duology where the 2nd, Deep in the Heart of Trouble continues the life story of the heroine, according to the author's note in the back which also gives a bit of historical context.

Currently free, probably just for the next day @ B&N, Amazon UK (slated to drop in the main store after midnight Pacific Time), iTunes & Google Play (both available to Canadians), and Christian Book (ADE-DRM ePub available worldwide), and can be added to your library @ BookShout (online reading & app download).

Description
Tired of Waiting for a Match-Made-in-Heaven, She'll Settle for One Made in Texas

Whether it's riding bikes, catching snakes, or sliding down banisters, Essie Spreckelmeyer just can't quite make herself into the ideal woman her hometown--and her mother--expect her to be. It's going to take an extraordinary man to appreciate her joy and spontaneity--or so says her doting oil-man father.

Unfortunately such a man doesn't appear to reside in Corsicana, Texas.

It's 1894, the year of Essie's thirtieth birthday, and she decides the Lord has more important things to do than provide her a husband. If she wants one, she needs to catch him herself. So, she writes down the names of all the eligible bachelors in her small Texas town, makes a list of their attributes and drawbacks, closes her eyes, twirls her finger, and ... picks one.

But convincing the lucky "husband-to-be" is going to a bit more of a problem.

Join Deeanne Gist for another unforgettable tale and find out whether Essie's plan to catch a husband succeeds or if she's just Courting Trouble.

* I'm almost tempted to give this a try out of sheer morbid curiosity to see how un-"clean" it really is.

But I've been disappointed before by people claiming that things are "not your mother's inspirational romance! " where I ended up wondering exactly how she became your mother if the romances she read were even less "inspiring" than the one I ended up trying.