Courted by Trouble by Bree Cariad

Courted by Trouble by Bree Cariad

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Despite growing up in Hyacinth, Stephanie was not raised in a household that practiced Domestic Discipline. What she was raised in was a household with a father who turned to alcohol after his wife was killed in a car accident and who became physically abusive toward Stephanie any time she ‘messed up.’ When he decides he’s done taking care of her and kicks her out by dumping her on the side of the road after a particularly bad beating, Stephanie is fortunate that her friend Cami’s father finds her, takes her to the hospital, and proceeds to help her get her life headed in the right direction – even if that path takes her away from Hyacinth for a while. Once she returns to Hyacinth, Mr. Covington’s continued help enables her to start over but the emotional abuse she received from her father has taken a huge toll on her, leaving her feeling unworthy of love and happiness and with no interest in courting… until she meets Chris.

Perhaps it’s because neither Stephanie nor Chris were raised in DD households, but there is less emphasis on DD in this installment of the In Hyacinth series than in the previous books. This is not to say that it is absent from the book, but rather that it plays a much smaller role in Stephanie’s story. As such, there seems to be even more of an emphasis on Stephanie coming to terms with the smack downs that life has dealt her – some of which she never saw coming. I really liked that during the course of Stephanie’s journey of self-discovery she learned a very important lesson – that the family you choose can support you in ways you never expected and that they are just as important, and sometimes more so, than family bound by blood. As much as I came to like Chris and how much he supported Stephanie emotionally, I REALLY liked that the town council turned down his initial courting request. Stephanie may not have been raised in a DD household, but she was raised in Hyacinth and to allow someone who was not committed to the courting system she was raised within could have be very detrimental to her progress – it also served to show her how much the town cared for her well-being. Courted by Trouble is an excellent addition to the In Hyacinth series and I’m looking forward to the next book – which I really hope for it to be Dora’s story.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Courted by Trouble by Bree Cariad blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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