It's 1916, and Idaho rancher Cleo Arlington knows everything about horses but nothing about men. So when charged with transforming English aristocrat Sherwood Statham from playboy into cowboy, she's totally disconcerted. So is Statham, who's never encountered a woman succeeding in a "man's world." Their bumpy trot into romance is frustrating, exhilarating, and ultimately heartwarming.
It’s 1916, and Idaho rancher Cleo Arlington knows everything about horses but nothing about men. So when charged with transforming English aristocrat Sherwood Statham from playboy into cowboy, she’s totally disconcerted. So is Statham, who’s never encountered a woman succeeding in a “man’s world.” Their bumpy trot into romance is frustrating, exhilarating, and ultimately heartwarming.
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars(4.5 out of 5 stars)
7 of 7 Reviews Showing:
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Carla Wood (Boise, Idaho), December 29, 2009
Just as romantic as, even funnier than A Vote of Confidence, Fit to Be Tied was a fun book and great read. I'm looking forward to the next in the series, A Matter of Character to be released in June 2010.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Christine Howard (Ridgecrest, CA), November 16, 2009
This book was a much better story than the first in this series. I really liked the twists and turns and way Robin brought the moving of God on so many levels into each character's life.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Claudette Kleckner (Meridian, Idaho), November 15, 2009
I so enjoyed these characters, that I wasn't ready for it to end. They were so different in character. This story takes you from life in England, to the early 1900's in Idaho. I loved reading about the early times. It shows the different life styles and how they learn from each other. The different family ptotocol of England verses the cattle ranch family of Idaho. It shows how the Lord takes a man and makes and molds him to his satisfaction. Making him a happier man for himself and others.
Great read!
Claudette Kleckner
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Christy Lockstein (Oconto Falls, WIsconsin), November 11, 2009
Fit to be Tied by Robin Lee Hatcher is the second book in the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series. Cleo Arlington is a one of a kind, especially in 1916. More comfortable breaking horses than wearing dresses, she's accustomed to running the family ranch, until Sherwood Statham, son of an English duke, shows up, exiled by his family to work a real job and work on not bring shame to the family name. Hard-headed and feisty, she makes for a perfect heroine! Hatcher is one of my favorite authors, and this historical romance is thoroughly enjoyable. It breaks out of the cliches western romances often fall into, and I have to admit, toward the end, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough trying to figure out how the two would end up together. Hatcher keeps the story moving without using stereotypes or cardboard plot devices. I look forward to the sequel, A Word to the Wise, coming out in spring 2010.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Michelle Sutton (AZ), November 07, 2009
Fit to be Tied was an enjoyable historical romance. The writing was stellar and the story itself shone like a well-polished gem. You can tell the author is experienced in the development of romantic relationships on the page. The characters were very well done and the way they viewed things was believeable to me. I loved how mismatched they were at first and the natural fears that went along with having to give up part of yourself for someone else.
The romantic tension was delightful, and the incredibly heroic response and growth of the hero who started out like a privileged jerk was something to see. The softening of a tough and very independent woman like Cleo was beautiful as well.
I really adored this love story and how the author resolved things with an ending that rang true. For romance lovers who enjoy a story with a western theme and a bit of arisocratic flavor from the early 1900s, this book is sure to please. It's not your run-of-the-mill prairie romance...that's for sure. It's unique in many ways, including the absense of the prairie theme. I loved that.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Pepper (Elizabethton, TN), October 31, 2009
What do I think?
Go! Buy the book. Now.
Robin Lee Hatcher's second book in the Sister's of Bethlehem Springs is even better than its' predecessor, A Vote of Confidence. I literally read it in two hours and laughed...often.
Fit To Be Tied is about a young lady who is confident in herself, even though she doesn't fit into the typical 'lady' mold, and about a man who must learn to believe in himself again.
I have never felt drawn to a hero so quickly in a story. I think it was his obvious vulnerability. By page two, my heart went out to Sherwood Statham and I couldn't wait to see how Hatcher would rescue him from his situation. She's an excellent rescuer, by sending Woody exactly what he needs: acceptance, humor, confidence, and...Cleo.
It takes some time for us to find Cleo's 'weakness', because she appears so confident and composed, but Sherwood has his time to shine and begins to break through Cleo's preconceived notions to win her heart.
Robin, I don't see how you can make Daphne's story any better than Cleo's, but I can't wait to find out.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Carrie Turansky (Lawrenceville, NJ), October 25, 2009
Robin Lee Hatcher takes us back to Bethlehem Springs for another heartwarming story. This time the hero, Sherwood Statham, is an English aristocrat whose father sends him to the US to work on the Arlington Ranch for a year and hopefully learn to become a respectable son. The heroine, Cleo Arlington, is fearless and fun and can ride and rope as well as any man. Cleo's father asks her to help Sherwood learn the ropes. Can she inspire this straight-laced English playboy to become a down-home cowboy with good character? This is a sweet and fun story that I throughly enjoyed. Those who read A Vote of Confidence will be delighted to read the next story in the series which includes some of the same characters.
Write a review of Fit to Be Tied, Sisters of Bethlehem Springs Series #2
Author: Robin Lee Hatcher
Located in: Boise, Idaho
Submitted: September 11, 2009
Tell us a little about yourself. I enjoy being with my family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make me cry, and watching romantic movies. I'm passionate about the theater, and several nights every summer, I can be found at the outdoor amphitheater of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, enjoying Shakespeare under the stars. I make my home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with Poppet my high-maintenance Papillon.
What was your motivation behind this project? The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series was birthed from the question, "Who says a woman can't do a man's job?" Each heroine in the series has an unusual occupation for women in the early part of the 20th century (1916 is the setting for this book). Cleo, the heroine of Fit To Be Tied, is a horse wrangler on her dad's cattle ranch.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? I hope my book will entertain and bring a smile to the reader's lips.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: I've created a book trailer and readers can view it by visiting my web site at robinleehatcher.com
Robin Lee Hatcher
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