Courting Cate

"An ultimatum has been issued by Bob Miller, father to Cate and Betsy, "That beginning tonight, that Betsy doesn't go to the singings if Cate doesn't go, Betsy doesn't court unless Cate courts, and Betsy doesn't marry unless Cate marries first. Understood?"

Betsy burst into tears - something she'd perfected through the years. When she was little she had been known to put her finger in her eye to make herself cry.

I fell back against my chair.

Dat boomed, "That's the final word, I'll not budge an inch."

Dat sat back in his chair and opened his Bible, holding it like a shield between him and me. "I finished Revelation this morning."

It seemed as if it had been a lifetime ago.

"So tonight, Genesis one," he proclaimed.

Betsy whimpered. I stared straight ahead. Dat ignored us both. "In the beginning," he read, "God created..."

The only other words I heard were "Be fruitful and multiply." (pg18-19).


In the novel, Courting Cate, the first book in the Courtships of Lancaster County by Leslie Gould, we find a challenge has been issued by Cate's father to find her a suitable husband so she can experience the love and happiness he had once shared with his now deceased wife. But it seems as if no Amish boy ever has wanted to genuinely court Cate and instead has only been interested in Betsy, her younger sister. Cate has been fine with the arrangement of keeping the books for her father's growing business and resisting the efforts of the single men in her community who insist on giving her a hard time.

Now fearing resentment from Betsy, now 17 and with more suitors than she can count, Cate feels pressured to find a husband otherwise Betsy will never marry. But the only love Cate truly has is being an avid book reader since she was caught by her Dat reading under the covers by candlelight, now Bob Miller fears it is the love of books that have captured Cate's interest and kept all prospects of finding a suitable husband away at the old age of 23. It seems that Cate could spend some time brushing up on her culinary skills as well as she burns most anything she attempts to cook, while her sister Betsy is the dream of what an Amish young woman should be. They're as different as night and day, but unless Cate marries, she will doom all of their lives and pass up any hope of finding true happiness.

Betsy wants to settle down and raise a family that she didn't even participate in Rumschpringe, a running around time and immediately joined the church. It seemed as every Amish boy who had met her dreamed of courting her, and now she can't move forward in search of her own future unless she helps her sister, Cate find a husband. But who will she be able to find to court Cate, that she hasn't already rejected? I mean there has to be an eligible bachelor somewhere considering her Dat's money. But Cate isn't willing to accept just 'someone.' She had already experience that 'someone' who was only interested in her Dat's money before and she won't do that again. But when Betsy puts the word out to find a suitable husband for Cate, it seems that fate will bring Pete Treger to town just in time, but is his interest in Cate or is there a scheme at play? 

I received Courting Cate by Leslie Gould, compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and could easily see the dilemma facing Cate. Her father truly only wants what he believes is best for Cate and Betsy, but when faced with the fact that Cate might never make the move on her own, he does what he thinks might motivate them both and issues a plan to find a husband for Cate. For those of you looking for something a bit different in your Amish Romance books, you might have found a true treasure in Courting Cate, the first book in The Courtships of Lancaster County and I can't wait for the next one. This one hands down rates a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Courting Cate, Leslie Gould or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Courting Cate by Leslie Gould

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• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (November 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764210319
• ISBN-13: 978-0764210310
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches