Reviewer: Connie Payne
Title: Fancy Pants
Author: Cathy Marie Hake
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 0764203177
Release Date: September 2007
Genre/Sub-genre: Historical (Western) Inspirational Romance
Year/Setting: 1889 TX
Overall Rating: 4.25
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: None/Negligible
Violent Content Rating: Negligible/Minimal
Cathy's Website:
www.cathymariehake.com
Sydney Hathwell has recently arrived in America. After meeting the potential husband her deceased father corresponded with, she finds the thought of marrying Mr. Hume distasteful. As he won’t listen to her objections, the only option she sees is to run from the impending disaster of a marriage straight to her never-before-met uncle in Texas.
There’s just one glitch. Her uncle has no use for females. Solution? Pass herself off as male. Not as easy as she anticipates, but Sydney definitely finds the charade…interesting. At first. The back-breaking work is almost too much to handle, but she endures. Sydney sees the man’s world in a whole new light. She gains a healthy respect for the opposite gender as well as a friend in Tim.
Tim Creighton feels it’s his duty to whip his friend’s nephew into shape before he returns from Austin, TX. And boy, does he have a lot of work to do. "Fancy Pants" Hathwell obviously hasn’t done a day of work in his life. Not only are his hands soft and un-calloused, but he has no muscles and walks with his hips instead of his legs/thighs. Well, things are about to change. With the help of God (and he’s surly going to need His help with this chore) and a lot of hard work, Fuller will come home to find a nephew he can be proud of.
But their growing friendship is destroyed when he learns of her deception. Now it’s time to start over again, and the going will be rocky. That will include earning Tim’s trust again (it would devastate her if she couldn’t have him in her life, if only as a friend) as well as learning about God’s love.
Tim says God not only loves but forgives as well, but will Tim ever be able to forgive her? Will he ever love her as she does him?
What an enjoyable story! Sydney and Tim are surrounded by an oftentimes gruff yet amiable group of characters. Their all too human flaws, compassion, camaraderie and sense of honor and fairness give them a sense of realness.
With the exception of one scene the message of God’s love and forgiveness, via example and Tim’s beliefs, is subtle but thought provoking and doesn’t come on too strong.
Fancy Pants thoroughly captivates and entertains with its fun plot, likable characters, and food for thought. Cathy Marie Hake knows how to deliver a touching, yet amusing story with threads of inspiration woven throughout.
Connie
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