What do you think?
Texas Christmas Brides
Mayhem ensues when Peony Potter and Lacey Mather arrive in Cut Corners and find themselves the hapless (but not helpless) victims of matchmaking schemes. No matter what foul plots are afoot, these ladies have minds of their own. How far will the meddlers of Cut Corners go to get these gals hitched by Christmas?
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
About the author
Cathy Marie Hake
78 books630 followersAs 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 in Southern California and have two children and two dogs (one of them even moos - one of the dogs that is, not the kids). Faith in God, a loving family, and a wacky sense of the ridiculous keep her going.
Known for surfing across the kitchen on a dropped dill pickle slice, waterskiing on sea anemone spit, and using Right Guard® as hair spray; she considers herself living proof that God does, indeed, possess a healthy sense of humor.
Cathy loves classical music, romantic getways with her husband, and Diet Pepsi Free®. "I need chocolate to survive, love my friends, and enjoy a deep personal relationship with the Lord. Although an extrovert, I'm very conservative on a personal level."
In her writing, Cathy attempts to capture a unique glimpse of life and how a man and woman can overcome obstacles when motivated by love. In her inspirational pieces she enjoys the freedom of showing how Christ can enrich a loving couple's relationship.
Known for surfing across the kitchen on a dropped dill pickle slice, waterskiing on sea anemone spit, and using Right Guard® as hair spray; she considers herself living proof that God does, indeed, possess a healthy sense of humor.
Cathy loves classical music, romantic getways with her husband, and Diet Pepsi Free®. "I need chocolate to survive, love my friends, and enjoy a deep personal relationship with the Lord. Although an extrovert, I'm very conservative on a personal level."
In her writing, Cathy attempts to capture a unique glimpse of life and how a man and woman can overcome obstacles when motivated by love. In her inspirational pieces she enjoys the freedom of showing how Christ can enrich a loving couple's relationship.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 24, 2022
Absolutely adorable stories. So much fun and filled with faith, family and love!
May 14, 2024
I don’t normally read books that are just romance but this was so cute! Loved that it was set in the 1800’s
November 21, 2019
Cute short stories
November 29, 2020
Just a fun read.
October 24, 2025
Great stories!
January 1, 2026
Cute and also cheesy, as I expected.
September 30, 2013
{Merry CHRISTmas everyone! Every Monday, Wednesday & Friday in honor of our Savior’s birth there’ll be a new Christmas book review! With a couple giveaways sprinkled in, it’s going to be so much fun! Let’s start!}
About this book:
“Can two brides be lassoed in time for Christmas?
When four retired Texas Rangers try their hands at matchmaking, their efforts cause more fires than they can put out.
Peony Potter, a pretty girl with a mysterious past, has swept into town with a heap of trouble following close on her heals. When she comes head-to-head with local sheriff and his suspicions, their relationship seems forever splintered before it’s even begun.
Lacey Mather has come to Cut Corners to help out at Millie’s Diner until her great-aunt’s broken arm mends. While she’s in town, Lacey’s delicious cooking is warming many hearts and stomachs—especially those of a iron-willed blacksmith.
As Christmas draws near, clandestine meetings are held and plans are afoot to foil plots to leave town. Will the town of Cut Corners learn that no matter what plans they hold, God is the grandest planner of them all?”
Series: This book is made up of two novellas, “The Marrying Kind” and “Here Cooks the Bride”. “The Marrying Kind” is available is this collection, as an e-book by itself and a collection with three other novella. (“Here Cooks the Bride” is also in that novella; the title is “Lone Star Christmas”)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“The Marrying Kind” by Kathleen Y’Barbo
About this book:
“Peony Potter, a pretty girl with a mysterious past, has swept into town with a heap of trouble following close on her heals. When she comes head-to-head with local sheriff and his suspicions, their relationship seems forever splintered before it’s even begun.”
Spiritual Content- Luke 2:49 at the beginning; Church going; Celebrating the Savior’s birth; Prayers.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’.
Sexual Content- a barely-above-not-detailed kiss & four not-detailed kisses; Wanting to & Almost kissing; Peony’s mother owns a brothel-type place, but Peony was never “worked” there (nothing really is said expect: “Someday soon, she’d be sleeping in a real bed in a room with a door she didn’t have to bar with a kitchen chair to keep Mama’s clientele from “accidentally” trying to climb beneath her covers.”); Love, falling in love, and the emotions.
-Peony Potter
-Rafe Wilson
P.O.V. switches between them & Eb
Set in 1878 {But the Prologue is set in 1851}
123 pages with a recipe!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Here Cooks the Bride” by Cathy Marie Hake
About this book:
“Lacey Mather has come to Cut Corners to help out at Millie’s Diner until her great-aunt’s broken arm mends. While she’s in town, Lacey’s delicious cooking is warming many hearts and stomachs—especially those of a iron-willed blacksmith.”
Spiritual Content- Two Scriptures are quoted; Church going & a sermon is written out; Prayers.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, a ‘hush’ and a ‘stupid’.
Sexual Content- Two not-detailed kisses; A barely-above-not-detailed touch; Love, falling in love, and the emotions.
-Lacey Mather
-Jeff Wilson
P.O.V. switches between them & Eb
Set in 1879
98 pages with a recipe!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Overall Ratings:
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
Let’s start with “The Marrying Kind”,
I giggled at many parts of this novella, but, I had to lower ratings because of Peony’s past.
And with “Here Cooks the Bride”:
Just like the first novella, I giggled & thought it should have been a bit longer with it not even being a hundred pages.
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
About this book:
“Can two brides be lassoed in time for Christmas?
When four retired Texas Rangers try their hands at matchmaking, their efforts cause more fires than they can put out.
Peony Potter, a pretty girl with a mysterious past, has swept into town with a heap of trouble following close on her heals. When she comes head-to-head with local sheriff and his suspicions, their relationship seems forever splintered before it’s even begun.
Lacey Mather has come to Cut Corners to help out at Millie’s Diner until her great-aunt’s broken arm mends. While she’s in town, Lacey’s delicious cooking is warming many hearts and stomachs—especially those of a iron-willed blacksmith.
As Christmas draws near, clandestine meetings are held and plans are afoot to foil plots to leave town. Will the town of Cut Corners learn that no matter what plans they hold, God is the grandest planner of them all?”
Series: This book is made up of two novellas, “The Marrying Kind” and “Here Cooks the Bride”. “The Marrying Kind” is available is this collection, as an e-book by itself and a collection with three other novella. (“Here Cooks the Bride” is also in that novella; the title is “Lone Star Christmas”)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“The Marrying Kind” by Kathleen Y’Barbo
About this book:
“Peony Potter, a pretty girl with a mysterious past, has swept into town with a heap of trouble following close on her heals. When she comes head-to-head with local sheriff and his suspicions, their relationship seems forever splintered before it’s even begun.”
Spiritual Content- Luke 2:49 at the beginning; Church going; Celebrating the Savior’s birth; Prayers.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’.
Sexual Content- a barely-above-not-detailed kiss & four not-detailed kisses; Wanting to & Almost kissing; Peony’s mother owns a brothel-type place, but Peony was never “worked” there (nothing really is said expect: “Someday soon, she’d be sleeping in a real bed in a room with a door she didn’t have to bar with a kitchen chair to keep Mama’s clientele from “accidentally” trying to climb beneath her covers.”); Love, falling in love, and the emotions.
-Peony Potter
-Rafe Wilson
P.O.V. switches between them & Eb
Set in 1878 {But the Prologue is set in 1851}
123 pages with a recipe!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Here Cooks the Bride” by Cathy Marie Hake
About this book:
“Lacey Mather has come to Cut Corners to help out at Millie’s Diner until her great-aunt’s broken arm mends. While she’s in town, Lacey’s delicious cooking is warming many hearts and stomachs—especially those of a iron-willed blacksmith.”
Spiritual Content- Two Scriptures are quoted; Church going & a sermon is written out; Prayers.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, a ‘hush’ and a ‘stupid’.
Sexual Content- Two not-detailed kisses; A barely-above-not-detailed touch; Love, falling in love, and the emotions.
-Lacey Mather
-Jeff Wilson
P.O.V. switches between them & Eb
Set in 1879
98 pages with a recipe!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Overall Ratings:
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
Let’s start with “The Marrying Kind”,
I giggled at many parts of this novella, but, I had to lower ratings because of Peony’s past.
And with “Here Cooks the Bride”:
Just like the first novella, I giggled & thought it should have been a bit longer with it not even being a hundred pages.
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
May 18, 2007
Mayhem ensues when Peony Potter and Lacey Mather arrive in Cut Corners and find themselves the hapless (but not helpless) victims of matchmaking schemes. No matter what foul plots are afoot, these ladies have minds of their own. How far will the meddlers of Cut Corners go to get these gals hitched by Christmas?
December 12, 2008
This was a quick read and more of a young adult/juvenile read. Glad I had read previous Cathy Marie Hake books before this or would have been turned off. It was a cute story for what it was but not a lot of depth.
April 13, 2014
Funny, charming, and romantic! First book of two I'm reading about four retired Texas Rangers who built a small town, Cut Corners, and attempt at machmaking along the way. I'm currently reading the second books, Texas Christmas Grooms and adore it too!
hardcopy-review-to-read
February 19, 2020
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews