Deep in the Heart of Trouble Book

"Are you packing a pistol right now?"

That quote, right there, is one reason I really enjoyed Deep in the Heart of Trouble by the wonderful Deeanne Gist. Was this a girl asking a guy? Nope, this question was asked of our lead Essie. I won't give you her answer, but it made me laugh. I get asked if I'm packing heat all the time!

Another reason I liked this book? I needed - not wanted - a sequel to Courting Trouble where we first met the Spreckelmeyer clan. In Courting Trouble we encounter 30 year old Essie who is determined she will find herself a husband. The story is full of character's mistakes, reality of what can happen when we let our guard down, how easy it is to compromise, dealing with the consequences and how beautiful grace can be. Even with that, when it ended, I thought "boo! That didn't end how I wanted." But then the wonderful word known as sequel appeared. In!

In Deep in the Heart of Trouble we find ourselves four years after the end of the first book.

Texas bloomer girl Essie Spreckelmeyer (Courting Trouble) is still just trying to maintain her balance. The president of the local velocipede club has had her fair share of pratfalls, but her present situation is unusually perilous. Running her father's oil company in this male-dominated boomtown was difficult enough before arrival of handsome, headstrong Tony Morgan.

I'm such a fan of Gist's book and this one was no different. She's so funny! I enjoyed the maturity of each of the characters and how they grew as people and to each other. Toss in a little mystery & intrigue and you got yourself a winning combination. Plus the changes the main characters go through aren't over dramatic, cheesy or unbelievable. So yes, I shall continue to read through all of her books, because they are fantastic!

I'll end with one more funny quote:
"There were only three reasons a woman's name should ever appear in the Corsicana newspaper: being born, getting married, and keeling over dead. To provoke a full article not just in Corsicana Weekly but in newspapers scattered across the country was nothing short of appalling."

Do you enjoy Gist's novels or this time period? Have you read this one? What's your favorite historical read and author?

P.S. I don't really get asked if I'm carrying a weapon, just in case you weren't sure if I was joking.