After reading Courting Miss Hattie, A.M. Hartnett recommended I try Pamela Morsi’s Simple Jess
Apparently not remarrying is a crime in Marrying Stone. The whole town is determined to see Althea Winsloe wed by Christmas but she won’t have it. Althea is determined to remain as a widow so that her child will never feel as she did when her father remarried and moved on with his new wife leaving her behind. Baby-Paisley will never be unwanted or considered a burden.
To make matters worse the men who wanted to marry her wanted not her, but her farm land or her late husband’s dogs. She could do nothing about the first but she would do something about the second. She hires Jesse Best to help her get ready for winter in exchange for the whole set of hunting dogs.
Jesse Best is known as Simple Jess because his mind is slow. It takes him a very long time to learn something but when he does it stays with him forever because he memorized it. One of the hardest things for him to do is articulate his thoughts. When a lot of people start talking he can’t follow their conversation and can’t remember what he meant to say. The same goes when people put him on the spot or pressure him to get to the point. But Jesse Best’s heart is true and his wants very simple. He wants those dogs, he wants to own a gun, and he wants Ms. Althea for himself.
I had a hard time with the grammar. I know Pamela Morsi wrote it as the people probably spoke it back then, but country or backwater hick is not something I particularly take to. Most of the time what I wanted to do involved red ink and editing. I also didn’t particularly like the thoughts about Jesse’s simplemindedness and its genetic implications. There was too much of that.
Also I wanted more kissing – peaches or something! It’s very cute when Althea takes charge and initiates Jesse in the ways of man and woman but I was hoping for lessons! The peaches spoiled me.
Rating: 3 Stars
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