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21st out of 537 books
—
570 voters
Letter Perfect (California Historical Series #1)
IF HER OWN TWO FEET DON'T END UP TRIPPING HER ...
Ruth Caldwell's mouth is likely to get her into equal trouble. But Ruth has the best of intentions. Truly. It's just that her attempts to live up to her mother's expectations of how a lady should act have often yielded ... well, less than impressive results.
Josh McCain is speechless when he sees Ruth step off the stage in F...more
Ruth Caldwell's mouth is likely to get her into equal trouble. But Ruth has the best of intentions. Truly. It's just that her attempts to live up to her mother's expectations of how a lady should act have often yielded ... well, less than impressive results.
Josh McCain is speechless when he sees Ruth step off the stage in F...more
Paperback, 379 pages
Published
August 1st 2006
by Bethany House Publishers
(first published January 1st 2006)
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First off, I confess I did not know this was a Christian book until after I purchased it at the big warehouse store. And I'm glad I bought it there instead of full price, this was a total waste of a day to get through this.
It's disappointing, as the story line could have had great possibilities and I loved the way Ruth was originally portrayed as a bit of a klutz. However, the characters were flat and uninteresting, either black or white with no gray areas between. There are pages and pages of...more
It's disappointing, as the story line could have had great possibilities and I loved the way Ruth was originally portrayed as a bit of a klutz. However, the characters were flat and uninteresting, either black or white with no gray areas between. There are pages and pages of...more
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This book had great potential, but many flaws.
First, and most importantly, the first half and the last half were like totally different books and poorly connected. The antagonist is around for the entire first half of the book as a minor character who is nice and friendly. Then halfway through he abruptly turns into this sinister arch-villain whose every move is lecherous and creepy. It transitioned poorly and was a wee bit ridiculous.
I didn't like that I could hear into everyone's thoughts. Th...more
First, and most importantly, the first half and the last half were like totally different books and poorly connected. The antagonist is around for the entire first half of the book as a minor character who is nice and friendly. Then halfway through he abruptly turns into this sinister arch-villain whose every move is lecherous and creepy. It transitioned poorly and was a wee bit ridiculous.
I didn't like that I could hear into everyone's thoughts. Th...more
4 likes · like · see review
It figures that I would read Bittersweet before Letter Perfect even though I rented them from the library at the same time. Reading the two books in reverse chronological order was not detrimental to the story though.
I like the characterization of Ruth and Josh. Their gradual learning to trust, admire, and love each other could have been a little better though. Ruth's penchant for finding dirt and trouble was both a part of her character and part of the plot. Many of the more minor characters w...more
I like the characterization of Ruth and Josh. Their gradual learning to trust, admire, and love each other could have been a little better though. Ruth's penchant for finding dirt and trouble was both a part of her character and part of the plot. Many of the more minor characters w...more
Ruth Caldwell is a 'misfit'. She just can't seem to do anything right at those finishing schools her mother has sent her to. No matter how hard she tries, she always does something wrong and get sent back home again.
When Mrs. Caldwell dies, Ruth is sent out west to California to meet the father she never knew- and to start a new life. Surprises meet her when she arrives and Ruth must learn what choices she wants to make.
Life on the Broken P Ranch is going smoothly for Joshua McCain- that is,...more
When Mrs. Caldwell dies, Ruth is sent out west to California to meet the father she never knew- and to start a new life. Surprises meet her when she arrives and Ruth must learn what choices she wants to make.
Life on the Broken P Ranch is going smoothly for Joshua McCain- that is,...more
Ruth promises her dying mother that she'll go across the country to be with the father she never knew. Once she gets there she finds that he has passed away and she might possibly be part owner of a ranch that she didn't know existed.
Josh is outraged to find that Ruth could possibly own half of the ranch that he's put his blood sweat and tears into for years. She is an accident waiting to happen, and somehow he's supposed to let her become a partner of his ranch.
Ruth has spent her life getting...more
Josh is outraged to find that Ruth could possibly own half of the ranch that he's put his blood sweat and tears into for years. She is an accident waiting to happen, and somehow he's supposed to let her become a partner of his ranch.
Ruth has spent her life getting...more
Jul 24, 2011
Kiersten
added it
This was interesting enough for me to finish, but overall I didn't find it that special. The plot was very predictable; unoriginal even down to many of the small details, such as the cigarette case and her mother's fan. Though I think the revelation of the villain was meant to be a shocker, it didn't really surprise me when it came. I thought the romance (which we could also see coming from the first page, so the way the author kept directing her attention elsewhere was rather pointless) was som...more
Cathy Marie Hake very quickly became a favourite Christian author of mine & this story doesn't disappoint.
Ruth Caldwell tries her best to be a lady actually complete a finishing school, but with one mishap after another, she is sent home (for fun try counting with Josh & Laney just how many schools she's been sent home from by the mention of the headmistresses that enter the conversation!)
Joshua McCain Jnr isn't at all happy to see Ruth when she arrives at the Broken P Ranch to claim her...more
Ruth Caldwell tries her best to be a lady actually complete a finishing school, but with one mishap after another, she is sent home (for fun try counting with Josh & Laney just how many schools she's been sent home from by the mention of the headmistresses that enter the conversation!)
Joshua McCain Jnr isn't at all happy to see Ruth when she arrives at the Broken P Ranch to claim her...more
Beautiful Story..............charming...
It was well-written with witty dialog, a sustainable intrigue and positively brilliant characterizations of the leading players and secondary ones as well.
Ruth's missteps, miscues, and mistakes make this book a hoot to read. If that's not enough, there's also adventure, romance, and mystery.
Ruth has always tried to live up to her mother’s expectations of what a lady should be…often with less than impressive results. But when she’s forced to journey west to...more
It was well-written with witty dialog, a sustainable intrigue and positively brilliant characterizations of the leading players and secondary ones as well.
Ruth's missteps, miscues, and mistakes make this book a hoot to read. If that's not enough, there's also adventure, romance, and mystery.
Ruth has always tried to live up to her mother’s expectations of what a lady should be…often with less than impressive results. But when she’s forced to journey west to...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This was another of the last books on tape at my library (they are just about out of them now, in favor of CDs, and I am still in the car that only has a cassette player!!), so I probably would not have picked it up on my own, and I was pleasantly surprsed at first. I liked the characters of Ruth and Josh and enjoyed the first half to 2/3rds of the story, and then the whole thing fell apart. The last part of the book was contrived, unbelievable, and over-the-top. I just read a few reviews here o...more
Aug 05, 2012
Selah Bell
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes a historical romance.
This book was good, but there were parts that just didn't seem to flow right, the bits with McCaine. Otherwise, it was a very good story with a satisfying ending.
Ruth is a beautiful woman who tries her best to be a graceful lady, but fails miserably. She somehow manages to get dirty everyday, and always manages to get into trouble. Josh is a man who lives his life trying to manage the ranch and keep his father and sister happy. When Ruth comes into their lives, she disrupts it in ways no one cou...more
Ruth is a beautiful woman who tries her best to be a graceful lady, but fails miserably. She somehow manages to get dirty everyday, and always manages to get into trouble. Josh is a man who lives his life trying to manage the ranch and keep his father and sister happy. When Ruth comes into their lives, she disrupts it in ways no one cou...more
Really really liked this one, almost a love, and I wouldn't mind owning it! Ruth is a hilarious heroine, I laughed out loud many times at the scrapes she gets into. Love her independence and determination to do good. It is a Christian romance novel, so be prepared for some 'soul searching' comments, insights, and plenty of bible scriptures. But I love that Ruth comes to realize she doesn't have to be like everybody else, she doesn't have to be Letter Perfect, in order to be a beloved daughter of...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This was an enjoyable book all and all. For those of you who may know the other authors I read and adore, I would say this was similar to reading Mary Connealy. This was my first experience with Cathy Marie Hake and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
I am not sure if it is the pregnancy hormones or things that need to be done, but I did not zip through this book. It took me a while to read it. When I was not with it, it did not call to me like some books where I think I w...more
I am not sure if it is the pregnancy hormones or things that need to be done, but I did not zip through this book. It took me a while to read it. When I was not with it, it did not call to me like some books where I think I w...more
I thought the gist of this book was very good and fun. I loved the main character. I started out loving the book, but after the first 2/3 of the book it didn't hold my interest as well. Also the ending really bugged me. The part where they were trying to get the father to profess his belief in God in the very last possible moment before he died. I just don't believe that a person who hasn't lived a good life, and then just before they die they say that now they believe (obviously lacking sinceri...more
Letter Perfect is a charming novel. Ruth's clumsy ways and stubborn will definitely will touch the reader's heart. Hake expounded upon the Pony Express in many scenes of the novel. I found it very interesting, but at times a little too much information. These parts tended to drag on at times. However, Ruth's heart, pain, and selflessness was woven throughout the plot. Somehow, she managed to stumble into Josh's heart. Hake did a very thorough job of making the antagonist seem evil. He is one of...more
I picked up this Christian novel inadvertently and decided to give it a shot. I really wanted to love it because I really liked the characters and the plot wasn't half-bad but boy did the writing make it a struggle. I don't mind the Christian values of the book but just as I'd get into the story I'd be in the midst of a sermon that would take me out of the story. I just noticed that this is part one of a series, wish I liked the writing more because I would actually be curious to see where the a...more
This is the first book I've read by this author and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The character development was great and the story line had enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. I only had moderate expectations of the book since I found it on the bargain rack (I figured it might not have been good and so it was clearanced)but I was surprised by the level of writing. I would highly recommend this book and I am currently reading a second title by the author.
This novel was hilarious! I loved the characters and all there struggles. I laughed so much. This novel is about Ruth Caldwell who travels to live with her father whom she has never met after her mother dies. When she arrives she is greeted by Josh McCain, the son of her father’s business partner who tells her that her father had passed away years ago. Ruth’s character is easily to fall in love with, she is clumsy and always gets into trouble despite the best of intentions.
A 19th century story about a young woman who traveled to California to live with her father after her mother died of consumption - and then discovered that her father had died two years earlier, and that nobody out West knew she existed. Ruth is very klutzy & eager to please, but also something of a suffragette, and Josh is a gentlemanly rancher who initially believes that women should depend on men and do what they're told. He, of course, soon sees the light. A sweet but rather bland story.
Ruth Caldwell has been kicked out of the latest in a series of finishing schools and returns home only to find out that her mother is dying. Her mother's dying wish is for her to go to California and find her father, so Ruth complies, only to find that her father has passed away as well, having never known of her existence. The fact that she does exist invalidates his will, which leaves his ranch to the McCain family, who have been helping him run it. The McCains invite her to stay with them whi...more
A Kindle book I bought a while back, because it looked good and I think I had bought this book in paperback for my mother-in-law and she enjoyed it. This is the first in the historical Christian fiction series about California and is set just before the Civil War. I enjoyed reading and learning about the Pony Express, and look forward to reading more in this series. This book had a bit of romance, a bit of intrigue, and was just good historical Christian fiction.
This book was very interesting.It is a crime/romance-fic book.It takes place in the early 1900's .It has crime because it centers around the death of a young woman's father and then she starts getting attacked and they cant explain all the accidents.This is a romance because she and a young man fall in love on the journey.This book has allot of betrayal ,heart break and many more features to it so if your interested into this type of thing i suggest you read it.
Fluffy, cheesy historical fiction set in the wild west just prior to the Civil War. While I probably wouldn't read more of these, it was ok for a doctors office wait. The overtly Christian message wasn't bad, but completely drowned out the story in some spots. Also, I think that I may still have whiplash after the strange character conversion of the central villain about halfway through the book- zero to evil in just a few pages!
I was so excited to find a Christian book about California history. I have to say, however, that thie book did not impress me. It took about 150 pages to get at all interesting. The characters seemed to lack life, although there was so much potential for more in each character. At times, the story would ramble on with no point in sight, and at other times, it would jump ahead so fast that I was left wondering what had just happened. Many times, the spirituality seemed so contrived that it was al...more
This book is hilarious! I loved it. Poor Ruth is always trying to be the lady everyone wants her to be and she just can't do it. She is so clumsy all the time and she is very accident prone. I have to say the part that I love the most (and my mother too) is the couple parts with her and the fan. She is always hitting herself and then the part about her gun up her sleeve. It is great! :)
This is the first book I've read by this author and found it quite interesting. Although I was unsure of her style of writing, it eventually grew on me, as did the story the more I read. I would've given it three and a half stars if I could, more if there were more romance as that part was rather lacking. I enjoyed the characters and admired their strong christian values.
I got hooked into this book almost from the start. I like how some characters are not perfect. This is all about a girl that has many flaws and is clumsy and trying to be a lady but keeps getting kicked out of the Finishing schools. It was really fun to read. There were some really silly happenings. Sweet, entertaining, happy. What more can you want?
This book became a favorite immediately and Cathy Marie Hake's books became my addiction.
Letter Perfect had it all!
It had the romance, the mystery, the suspense, humour, and Christian aspects that all merged into to a fabulous book.
Plus it is one of those books I keep re-reading just because it is so wonderful!
I highly reccomend this novel!
Letter Perfect had it all!
It had the romance, the mystery, the suspense, humour, and Christian aspects that all merged into to a fabulous book.
Plus it is one of those books I keep re-reading just because it is so wonderful!
I highly reccomend this novel!
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As a child, Cathy Marie Hake had an imaginary playmate. Now "grown up," she indulges in a host of imaginary friends as she writes. She teasingly says she decided if those voices in her head were talking, she might as well write down what they said and make a living by doing it. She met her sweetheart in the High School department at church and married him after finishing nursing school. They live...more
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