Read this Book!

I just love being a librarian! I love books, I love reading, I love finding out stuff and looking up stuff and learning stuff. In fact, when I don't have the internet, I get frustrated because it has put a wealth of information right at my fingertips. I've become used to being able to find out the facts almost instantly!

And I love free books! I signed up somewhere, I can't remember where, to get an Advance Reader's Copy of the newest book by Robin Lee Hatcher, A Vote of Confidence. I received it in the mail Thursday, right before our big snowstorm, so you know what I did on Friday! Curled up with a good book! (Well, along with blogging and viewing tv designers stealing my ideas and...., let's just say I'm a multi-tasker!) And I loved this Christian novel! It won't be out till May 3, but you can pre-order your copy here on Amazon or here on Christian Book Distributors if you are so inclined.

Guinevere Arlington, the heroine of the tale, is a beautiful young woman living in the small town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho in 1915. She teaches piano, writes for the local newspaper and visits her father and sister frequently at the family cattle ranch. She loves visiting the ranch, but her love for her community and its people keep her living in town.

The mayoral election is coming up and the only candidate for the position is the town drunk. When she voices her dismay to her sister and father, they encourage her to file for public office! After much thought and prayer, she throws herself into the political arena, only to find herself up against another surprise worthy adversary, wealthy newcomer Morgan McKinley. McKinley, too was disturbed by the only potential drunken candidate and felt that he needed to rescue the town from that particular fate!

As Gwen and Morgan become acquainted through their respective campaigns, the upcoming election draws them together instead of making them adversaries. But even as they grow closer , circumstances try to come between them, including a lawyer with an agenda of his own and a spy working to sabotage Morgan's business interests.

Besides the romance/mystery aspect of the book, I loved the references to the news and history of the time. The Lusitania is sunk, Gwen and her family play a card game called "Going to Market," and one of the characters is on his way to California to become a star in the movies! And of course there is the history lesson on women's suffrage--Idaho was the first state to actually have a woman mayor. So many of the rights we take for granted now were monumental struggles for women in the early part of the 2oth century. Gwen is a lady who is not only beautiful and feminine but also smart, well-educated and confident. She helps the cause of women along with her desire to serve her town and make it a wonderful place to live.

Order this book! When you receive it in May, you won't be sorry! This is the first in the "Sisters of Bethlehem Springs" series. I can hardly wait for the next one!