Letter Perfect

Title: Letter Perfect

Series: California Historical #1

Author: Cathy Marie Hake

Publisher: Bethany House

Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance

Source: own

My Review:

Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake is delightful! I have had this book on my bookshelf for years, and I regret not getting to it sooner.

A few notes on content: Ruth's mother dies pretty early in the book, and several other people's parents have died, are dying, or will die during the course of the book. While it sounds like a lot of death, it's not overly done, nor does it make the book a downer. However, if someone is in this stage, caring for a dying parent, it might be a harder read for you.

Now, what makes this book so delightful? Simply put, Ruth. Her heart is bigger than she is, and while she is klutzy, it adds a lot of humor to the book. When Ruth goes to Folsom, California, per her dying mother's wish, she has no idea what is in store for her. Thankfully, Joshua is there to take her to the ranch, and his family immediately accepts her. Ruth's friendship with Laney is beautiful, and they become like sisters.

Ruth's relationship with Joshua is much more complicated. He feels threatened by her presence, so they start more as enemies, slowly becoming friends and confidantes as the story progresses.

The O'Sullivan's and Hilda round out the story nicely, and I appreciate the friendship between all these characters. While everything seems nice and safe, danger lurks on the ranch, and it is impossible to figure out who is causing all the trouble. Once hints started being dropped, I thought, 'I think I saw that coming,' but did I really? LOL.  

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I am looking forward to diving right into Bittersweet, the second book in the series, which I also happen to own 😁.

★★★★/5

Synopsis (Goodreads):   

IF HER OWN TWO FEET DON'T END UP TRIPPING HER, Ruth Caldwell's mouth is likely to get her into equal trouble. But Ruth has the best of intentions. Truly. It's just that her attempts to live up to her mother's expectations of how a lady should act have often yielded...well, less than impressive results.

Josh McCain is speechless when he sees Ruth step off the stage in Folsom, California. Sure, it looks like she's been sleeping in her gown for the past week, but with a crown of riotous curls and those deep green eyes, she's certainly the most beautiful woman he's ever met.

But attraction is not all that causes sparks between Ruth and Josh. With Ruth's legitimate claims to an inheritance, the Broken P Ranch's future is suddenly precarious. And when Ruth's "accidents"--going beyond even her normal bumbling ways--seem to take a sinister turn, Josh must decide where his loyalties lie.