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Very fresh short read, I enjoyed it and the other two in this series, Always enjoy storys about the early day's of our country with some personal touch added in. ( )

A wonderful inspirational read. I love romance and history and what great two things come together with twin sister's Gwen and Cleo. When the girls were little their mother was longing for the city life again not farm land. So she took Gwen with her back to the east coast, while leaving Cleo with their father. The sisters reunite after several years of being apart. For twins they are totally different. Cleo likes working on the family ranch in trousers. Gwen likes wearing dresses and working in her flower garden along with giving piano lessons. One day while the sisters were visiting each other Cleo and Gwen decided it was time for Gwen to run for Mayor for their town. At the time no one else was running but a man named Tattersall that was not up to par so to speak. He ran the local saloon. Then comes a long a gentleman ( Morgan McKinley ) who is building a health spa and wants to run for Mayor as well. He hopes by winning he can get the commissioners to back off and let him keep building. The each want what is best for the town Only one can win the election and two can win the heart of the other.

I liked the sisters coming together and working together even though they are as far apart as sisters ever can be. I enjoyed reading about Cleo and her ways. I have to say she is my favorite character. Gwen is great all on her own. She loves the town and loves helping people and not a snob.

The setting was remarkable. Easy to picture the places described in the book.

I want to read the next book in this series : Fit to Be Tied that is about Cleo and then the 3rd book, A Matter of Character about Daphne McKinley, Morgan's sister who writes dime novels. ( )

The story is set in a small-ish Idaho town (big enough to have a handful of restaurants and churches of several denominations, but small enough that everyone knows everyone else) in 1915. There isn't a whole lot of detail about the places- I found it slightly annoying that there wasn't enough information to create a picture of Bethlehem Springs and the associated locales. It wasn't enough to distract from the story, just mildly annoying for me.

Although the main characters are both from moneyed families back east, they both share a love for the town. Gwen Arlington moved to town several years previously, in an attempt to get to know her father and sister, both of whom are long-term residents. Morgan McKinley is a developer, and thinks that God has brought him here to build a health spa that doesn't just cater to the rich, and provides spiritual healing as well as physical. When they both decide they are going to run for mayor, the sparks start to fly.

Both have been hurt before by others. Gwen wants to be independent and won't stand for a husband who won't let her think. She's decided there's not a man who is worth it. Morgan doesn't want to fall for another beautiful face, and sees them as gold diggers.

Many of the characters seem very very flat and fairly stereotyped- those that are good are all but infallible, and those that are bad have no redeeming qualities. I also got the feeling that this wasn't so much historical as modern problems playing dress up. There was nothing that really held it in the past.

It was quick and easy to read, but I would have preferred a little more depth to characters and plot. ( )

The protagonist, Guinevere Arlington, better known as Gwen, is so beautiful that she stops men in their tracks, but if they want to make points with her, they'd better not mention her looks. She's much more than that, and she resents the common thinking that women should not be involved with things other than housekeeping and child-rearing.

Then, the unthinkable happens. Gwen decides to run for mayor--in 1915--in the small town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho, and she sets the town to talking!

This first book of the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series asks the question, "Who says a woman can't be mayor?" The second in the series, Fit to Be Tied, the story of Gwen's sister, Cleo, is due out the end of this year. The question in that novel is "Who says a woman can't be a wrangler?" If you like historical romance novels, this is a good one to grab. ( )