The Rules of Courtship

 

In The Rules of Courtship, by Kasey Stockton, Ruth Wycliffe is climbing high up in a tree attempting to hide from a would-be suitor.  Her friend Oliver Rose shows at just the right moment to distract this suitor and her father.  Ruth had not seen much of Oliver since his grandmother had died recently.  But oh had she missed this dear friend!

Little does Ruth know that Oliver wants to marry her; however, he knows she has vowed to not marry anyone from her hometown.  He must wait until just the right moment to ask the big question.  If Oliver makes a move too quickly, it would possibly drive Ruth away!

You are not sure what will happen when Ruth and Oliver end up at the same house party.  Ruth jumps in when Oliver asks her to help him find a potential wife.  Actually, she says they should help each other find spouses!

After a lot of craziness takes place at this party, Oliver's life suddenly gets much more serious.  His“father”/uncle is found dying.  Now this tale gets rather complicated.  Definitely a book worth a read!

Marrying the Matchmaker

 

Marrying the Matchmaker, by Jody Hedlund, is the next tale in her A Shanahan Match series.  Zaira Shanahan has finally published a story in the local newspaper.  The year  is 1849, so she is writing under a pseudonym.  Zaira suddenly runs into Bellamy McKenna  on the streets of St. Louis.  Bellamy hopes to be the next matchmaker in his family.  These two both have secrets they are protecting.  Zaira wants to be a writer and Bellamy has been painting landscapes in private!

Zaira hopes that after she finally experiences love herself, it will make her a better writer on the topic.  When Bellamy catches her pretending to pucker up and plant a kiss, Zaira discovers he is not there to spy on her but rather to ask her to help him with his latest matchmaking attempt.  Zaira agrees to help Bellamy with his matchmaking, but only if he shows her what a romantic hug is all about!

This romantic hug between Bellamy and Zaira somehow becomes a deep kiss in the midst of a St. Louis pub.  When Bellamy finally agrees to a temporary engagement, he does not how he will do it.  Just until any gossip about the kiss fades away.  Secretly in love with Zaira, Bellamy is not sure he can last that long!

This is a fun tale to follow.  You will discover what happens when both Zaira and Bellamy’s secrets come to light and more importantly their love for each other is revealed!