Cathy Marie Hake

Abandoned in chapter 15 of 22. I just couldn't take it anymore. I kept reading, hoping the characters would improve, but I didn't stop hating them.

Maggie (Irish trader/healer from Arkansas who grew up as virtually the only female in the community and was treasured and taught independence and generosity by all the men) is too kind and when she happens to think poorly of someone who treats her with incredible hatred and disrespect, she immediately invokes the helps of Jesus. Not a bad show more characteristic, but seriously frustrating. She has an eccentric need to collect things and brings most of what she owns with her to Texas from Arkansas when she marries, without informing her husband -- how that's possible when they travelled together, I'm still trying to figure out.

Todd, her German farmer husband, has a very narrow view of "a woman's place" and constantly yo-yos back and forth between wanting to bed her and thinking she is overstepping her bounds into his manly territory. He, of course, doesn't bother to tell her what his cultural expectations for a woman are. How she's supposed to know what he wants is a mystery. He sweet talks her in one paragraph and then ridicules her in the next.

Adding to all of these difficulties is Helga, Todd's bed-ridden, stroke-victim beast of an ungrateful, cold-hearted, condescending mother. She hates Maggie because she doesn't come from money and she's Irish and so should be a maid or nurse, not a daughter-in-law. Maggie cares for this woman, cleans up after her, rehabilitates her, feeds her--all before marrying the evil woman's son--and then ends up sharing a one-room cabin with the wicked witch afterwards. Helga is hateful and cruel and undermines Maggie every chance she gets despite the fact that Maggie is kind to her without fail. And these two horrible characters are consistently quoting from the Bible to justify their behavior.

I understand that this is historical fiction, but I still doubt that a character as free-spirited as Maggie would "love" a man as cold and backward as Todd in as short a time as they were together before their marriage and that Todd would knowingly marry a woman as independent as Maggie and then expect her to just fall in line when they arrived at his farm.

I hated this so much that I will not be reading any more from this author. show less

This review is of an ARC version of the book "Bittersweet" of the California Historical Series, book #2 by Cathy Marie Hake. After finishing book #1, "Letter Perfect", I could not help but be intrigued and eager to read the second installation of the lives I had come to care for and love in Folsom and the Broken P. Receiving this book put me in a bit of a mood, because I ordered it from a swapping website and an ARC copy arrived. A few conversations and corrections later, the sender was show more extremely nice and apologetic and seemed thoroughly confused about it being an Advanced Reader Copy. Although I am even further confused how you cannot know that by the mostly white cover and the print "Advanced Reader Copy Not for sale" typed at the top and bottom of each page, but oh well, I got over it. Kinda. *wink* Then, reading the synopsis on the back cover I was even a little more hesitant about reading this book. I just knew that I would not like it. The plot just lined up in a manner that I knew would make me angry. Well. It took me a while to get through the first book. I read this one in two days. I could not put it down. I was right, I was angry. I was near to spitting nails and completely infuriated with the stupidity and arrogance and self centered... *rant rant rant* I was very upset with the way things turned out and were continuing to turn out. But then, that is the point is it not? Things will happen in our lives that we do not always agree with. We want to dictate to God what we want and how we want it to be. Even when he has something better in mind for the big picture, the stages of getting there are painful and not at all what we want to deal with. Having finished this book, and in an attempt not to give anything away... I like the ending. It satisfied me. However, on one individual I still think they should have "fixed" a situation that was in their control once they had the power, but they did not and it had to be brought to a solution another way. It is true that it could definitely occur this way. And for these characters lives it did. That does not mean I have to like it. :) I do recommend this read. I highly recommend that you read book #1 first, because then you will really understand the characters on a deeper level. But I encourage you to read it and share it. Now.. I need more from Cathy Marie Hake. show less

What a great story in this "Only in Gooding Series"!! There was just something about both Maggie Rose and Todd Valmer that I fell in love with. They both had struggles to work through in their marriage, but they kept working at it and never giving up on it and each other. The beginning of their marriage was built on a need they each had, but love grew and it was very enjoyable watching it blossom. The road was very rocky at times, but Maggie Rose was loyal to her husband, and didn't let show more anyone try to come between them. She was plain spoken but had a heart that was full and ready to love. She also had more patience than anyone I know when it came to her caring for her mother-in-law who suffered from a stroke. I was sorry to see the book come to an end.

Maggie Rose lives in Carver's Holler with a ragtag bunch of old men. She makes a living making soaps, lotions and perfumes from her special rose recipe and is content with where she is at. When a handsome young man shows up at their door with his mother who has fallen ill in the midst of a snow storm, Maggie Rose takes them in. Todd Valmer finds himself in a desperate situation. His mother, who he went East to bring back to his farm, is now in need of a caretaker and he needs to get back to his farm in Texas. Taking Maggie back with him seems like the best solution. She can cook, care for Ma and tend his house while he works in the fields.

Serendipity means "something unexpected that brought gladness or thanksgiving" (according to the author in this story). And this will be what Todd will find in his new wife Maggie Rose. I liked how honest and open Todd was with Maggie's uncle before he proposed to her, "There is a word: serendipity. It is when something unexpectedly good happens in the midst of the trials of life. For me to meet my wife now - it is because God has worked in a bad situation. Let Margaret become my bride. I will heed God's commands, and I will come to love her as you loved your wife and as Christ cherishes the church. Until that love blooms, your niece and I have serendipity - this providence from God - that brought us together. It is a fine start." And thus begins a journey that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was hard for me to put the book down and sad to see it end. show less

Hope walks up to Jakob's house in bare feet and a battered straw hat. She butchers expressions, bottles fireflies, and generally endears herself to everyone she meets...except for Annie's abusive husband, who she frightens off with her talk of measles.
I laughed so hard reading this book! I wish I could've watched the writing process--how did Ms. Hake come up with so much cleverness?