A Matter of Character

A Matter of Character is the third and final installment in the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series, and out of the three books, this one was the one I liked the most. Even though Gwen from book one and Cleo from book two were portrayed as strong, confident women and fun to read about, Daphne's character in this book was the most interesting for me. I liked that she was independent, and that she managed to earn a living for herself as a novelist, even though she really didn't need to worry with any sort of a job since she was already wealthy.

Another enjoyable part of the book was the journal written by Joshua's grandfather. At first, I wondered how in the world this would connect to the rest of the story, and whether or not Joshua would show more ever know the things written there. Fortunately, this part of the storyline is tied up neatly by the end, and was done very well.

I do have one criticism, though. Actually, a couple of criticisms....sorry. :o(

Obviously, this book is a historical romance, so it's not like I didn't expect something to happen between Daphne and Joshua. But when Daphne first acknowledges her feelings for Joshua, it's nothing short of infatuation, in my opinion. Maybe that was the author's intent, but it wasn't at all similar of her other novels when her characters begin to recognize their affections.

The other thing I noticed was the lack of Daphne's writings. If I remember correctly, there were only two small passages that were inserted into the storyline...nothing more. Considering that Daphne's occupation is a major part of the story, both with her novels and her newspaper column, I expected to see more of that included in the story in the form of her articles and snippets from her novels. It would've just added a whole other dimension to the story.

I would recommend this series for those who like a light story with a sweet storyline, and a nice dose of romance. Robin Lee Hatcher was one of the first authors I ever read when I started to read Christian fiction, and her earlier novels to this day are still some of my favorites. Personally, while A Matter of Character was a good conclusion to this series, I sincerely hope that the author's future novels have a little more depth than this series did. show less

Fun, clean story and light read. I loved the romance and the characters. Robin is a gifted storyteller and I always finish every book she writes, which is more than I can say for many authors. :)

NCLA Review -This is the third book in the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs Series by Robin Lee Hatcher. Living in Idaho in 1918, the main character, Daphne McKinley, is a single, wealthy author. Daphne’s deep faith in God helps her rewrite a book to show the whole person rather than only his faults. The historical details in the story are amazing—whoever would remember that in 1918 a Buick needed to be driven up a steep hill backwards in order to avoid flooding the engine? It is an intriguing love story with Christian people working through tempting situations. While the story can stand alone, realizing it is part of a series makes one want to read the first two books to learn more about the families in this well drawn story. Rating: 4 show more —BE show less

A MATTER OF CHARACTER by Robin Lee Hatcher is an Inspirational Historical set in St. Louis, Missouri and Bethlehem Springs, Missouri. It is a refreshing, historical with romance, understanding, faith, coming to terms with the truth of a loved one’s life as a young man into adulthood. It is well written with depth and detail. It is the third and last in The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series, but can be read as a stand alone. The hero has a temper, and is out to find the truth about his grandfather, who has been written into a dime novel, not in the best of light. He is a villain. He learns the truth is not always want you want it to be and what you believe to be true. He also falls in love along the way, with the writter no less. The show more heroine is a determined, strong willed young women who writes dime novels under a man’s name. She will also find that all is not as it seems and of course falls in love. This is a tender story of faith, romance, and family. If would highly recommend this story. If you have not read the other two in this series, I would also recommend reading them ( Book #1 A Vote of Confidence, and Book #2 Fit To Be Tied). This is a fast paced, page turning must read. A keeper. This book was received for review and details can be found at My Book Addiction and More and Zondervan. show less

I love a good historical with a strong woman. :)

I enjoyed the whole series!

*Thanks to Zondervan through CFBA for providing a copy for review.*