'Courting Miss Hattie' by Pamela Morsi tells the story of Hattie Colfax, a plain woman of 29 years who has been tending her farm with the help of Reed Tyler, her childhood friend and now sharecropper. Reed has been working on the Colfax farm since he was a child, and now at 24, he dreams of buying the land from Hattie to make a life with his beautiful fiancée. However, when Hattie is courted for the first time, Reed realizes that it is not his fiancée, but Hattie that he truly desires. explores themes of friendship turning into love, self-acceptance, and the challenges of finding happiness in unexpected places.
Pamela Morsi's writing style in 'Courting Miss Hattie' is characterized by romantic tension, well-developed characters, and a touch of realism. beautifully portrays the evolution of feelings between Reed and Hattie, capturing the nuances of their relationship as it transitions from friendship to love. Morsi's storytelling weaves together themes of love, friendship, and personal growth, creating a heartwarming tale of finding love in familiar faces and unexpected places.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Courting Miss Hattie features some instances of verbal abuse and societal judgment regarding appearance, which could be triggering for some readers.
Has Romance?
There is a significant presence of romance in Courting Miss Hattie, focusing on the developing relationship between Hattie and Reed.
From The Publisher:
The news spread like brush fire through the whole county when widower Ancil Drayton announced his intention to start courting Miss Hattie Colfax. She was certainly spirited and delightfully sweet natured, and she'd managed to run her family farm almost single-handedly. But wasn't a twenty-nine-year-old lady farmer too old to catch a husband?
An Irresistable Suitor.
All his life handsome, black-haired Reed Tyler had worked Miss Hattie's farm-and dreamed of one day settling down on his own piece of land with the pretty young woman he'd sworn to marry. Hattie was someone he could tell his hopes and troubles to-someone he looked on as a sister. So he thought, until the idea of Ancil Drayton calling on her made him seethe. Until the night a brotherly peck became a scorching kiss… and Reed knew nothing would bank the blaze-and that his best friend was the only woman he would ever love.
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1 comment(s)
Hattie “Horseface” Colfax is considered an old maid at the ripe old age of 29 and is independently farming he family farm with the help of a nearby neighbor, Reed Tyler. Reed is a young man of 24 and is engaged to Bessie Jane Turpin whose father is a prominent businessman in their town. Reed has been working on Hattie’s farm for years and is saving up to eventually buy her farm then marry Bessie Jane.
Ancil Drayton is a recently widowed man with seven children who is in need of a new mother for his kids as well as a companion for himself and see Hattie as the perfect solution. Ancil makes his intentions known to the local pastor who in turn visits Hattie to see if she’s receptive to Ancil courting her. Although Hattie is initially against Ancil courting her, the pastor tells her how he knows that she’d turn Ancil down so she say yes to his courting her to spite the pastor.
Initially, Hattie is unsure of how one behaves when being courted. Since she views her and Reed’s relationship as a brother/sister one, eventually she confesses to him that she doesn’t know how to kiss.Reed teaches Hattie how to kiss but is confused by the warm feelings that it stirs up inside him. After her kissing lesson with Reed, Hattie is also left confused and anxious about the true nature of her and Reed’s relationship.
Ancil continues to court Hattie and everything is going well when at a community celebration, Ancil shares with his friends the real reason he’s behind Hattie. Reed is disgusted that Ancil is planning to marry Hattie without caring about her but decides she’s better finding this out on her own instead of him telling her.
Unbeknownst to Reed, Bessie Jane is wrestling with feelings between her and her childhood sweetheart Harmon Legee. Bessie Jane’s father has forbidden her from becoming romantically involved with Harmon since he is a junkman and would not be able to adequately provide for Bessie Jane. Bessie Jane begins to pressure Reed to marry immediately so she doesn’t have to admit her true feelings for Harmon.
Throughout this novel, it is interesting to see Reed and Hattie’s relationship shift from brotherly and sisterly to a romantic relationship and eventually develops into a loving marriage.
This book has a special place in my heart since this was the first romance novel I ever read (snuck from my mom’s romance novel collection.) Hattie and Reed are well written characters and the action in the novel flows easily. The author also does a good job or writing realistic dialogue and provides a story that is funny as well as engaging.
What can you read after
Courting Miss Hattie?
About the Author:
Pamela Morsi is a native of Oklahoma. Winner of numerous awards, including two RITA Awards, she is the author of Heaven Sent, Courting Miss Hattie, Garters, Wild Oats, Runabout, Marrying Stone, Something Shady, Simple Jess, The Love Charm, No Ordinary Princess,…
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