When Kathy Bretherton
moved to Hyacinth at the age of eighteen, she looked forward to living
amongst people who believed in traditional values like her family did.
She did not expect to become part of the Hyacinth Courting pool and the
object of interest of every man looking for a wife.
Alexander Covington was the most eligible bachelor in town and he wanted her. For Kathy, who grew up in a traditional household where the man was the head of the home and her and her mother a committed homemaker, falling in love with him was relatively easy. Following his lead and accepting his discipline was the life-changing part.
Alexander Covington was the most eligible bachelor in town and he wanted her. For Kathy, who grew up in a traditional household where the man was the head of the home and her and her mother a committed homemaker, falling in love with him was relatively easy. Following his lead and accepting his discipline was the life-changing part.
Courted
by Discipline
was recommended to me by a fellow reviewer who knew that I am a fan of the
Corbin’s Bend series. While both series are based on Domestic Discipline (DD)
relationships, Corbin’s Bend is about adults who are involved in sexual
relationships whereas In Hyacinth is more focused on the courting culture of
the town of Hyacinth. Much like my reaction to my first Corbin’s Bend book, I’m
a little off-balance after finishing Courted
by Discipline.
In Hyacinth, once a girl reaches her
eighteenth birthday she can enter the courting pool. Potential suitors request
a “date” and join the girl and her parents for dinner, if her father approves
his request. If a suitor is interested in getting to know the girl better, he
asks for additional dinner dates and may then ask her father for permission to
court her. If he gives his approval, the town’s council must approve the
courting request. At this point the girl is then presented with a courting contract
and has the final say as to whether or not the young man may court her. If she
agrees, there are 12 stages to the courting which ultimately lead to marriage.
While the concept of courting in Hyacinth sounds nearly medieval to me, I can
understand how a young girl raised in such an environment would look forward to
reaching courting age. Although Kathy was raised in a DD family, she was not
raised in Hyacinth and was unaware of the courting custom when her family moved
there. This is why I was just as appalled as she was when her father sprung it
on her. I do not discredit the lifestyle as I am a firm believer of “to each
his own.” Rather my issue was the way in which her father waited until the
eleventh hour to inform her of it. Even though her father wasn’t from Hyacinth,
his brother lived there and he was familiar with the practice before they moved
there. His decision to withhold information that was pivotal to her life and
future until he had no choice but to tell her bugged me to no end.
Aside from that, the actual courtship
between Kathy and Alexander was quite sweet and I found the innocence of it
refreshing and surprising considering that he is ten years her elder. While my
personal knee-jerk reaction to the courting system is “no way, no how would I
EVER go along with something like that,” I completely understand where a young
woman raised in a DD household would not find it a fraction as disconcerting as
I did. Ms. Cariad has a smooth writing style that made this an easy read, even
when the subject matter irked me personally. That said, I will be reading book
two in the series as I suspect that In Hyacinth will go the same way as
Corbin’s Bend did for me – at first I wasn’t sure but as I read on I was
anxious for the next book.
I was impressed by this book. I was expecting it to be very trite and
awkward but instead I found it riveting.
This book describes an entire community that practices very patriarchal
principles. The males rule the household
and community through the use of domestic discipline and very strict codes of
behavior. The domestic discipline and courting practices in Hyacinth were
explained very well and it was the perfect beginning to a new series.
Alexander and Kathy are both very
interesting characters and I hope that in the subsequent books they appear so
we can watch their relationship continue to grow and develop. While both Alexander and Kathy grew up with
these type of principles both of them were looking for a happy medium and were
able to find it in each other.
Overall this was an interesting book and I
am looking forward to reading about some of the other characters.
Bree enjoys good books with great characters. While she may
be an adult, her favorite memories are from her teenage years reading
inspirational romance with girls just like her and strong heroes. That's one of
the reasons she's written In Hyacinth, a series of Courting Romances.
Courting Romance - where contemporary romance meets traditional values.
Hyacinth, Washington is all about
old-fashioned values. In Hyacinth words like trust, honor, and kindness aren't
just buzzwords. Hyacinth is a community built on tradition and trust, where men
are the head of the home and women are encouraged to follow their lead.
Each story in the series is of a young
woman (18-20) and her struggle to figure out who she is in this little town
while at the same time going through Hyacinth's old-fashioned courting system.
On their way to meet, get to know, and finally marry their princes, these
heroines grow in ways they and their town never expected.
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