Book Review: Betting on Hope by Debra Clopton

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I recently had the pleasure of reading Betting on Hope by Debra Clopton. I saw this one in the available from Book Look Bloggers back in February, and I really wanted to read it, but I had a few other books to finish first. So when I’d done that, I jumped on getting my copy of Betting on Hope.

Maggie Hope is a advice columnist for a newspaper. Tru Monahan is a cowboy, through and through. When Maggie is assigned to interview Tru for the newspaper (not her normal gig, since she’s not a reporter), things go from bad to worse very quickly. Before either of them realize what’s happening, they’ve made a silly bet (Tru suggests he can teach city-girl Maggie to ride a horse; she’s not so sure) and both of their employers insist they follow through. So Maggie moves into the guest house on Tru’s property, he trains her to ride horses, and sparks fly.

Of course, it’s not quite that simple, but what I’ve given you is a fair representation of the book. There are a lot of side characters and interesting back stories which make this book better than my synopsis.

My thoughts?

I liked it. It took me a long time to get through, but that’s not the book’s fault. It’s simply because reading hasn’t been a huge priority in my days lately. The ending was pretty rushed, but I can forgive that. I really enjoyed the side characters; I thought they added a lot to the story. The back stories of the main characters were interesting, and I could understand why they would keep their histories from each other. But I think the story would have been better served if Ms. Clopton had shared a bit more of the circumstances behind those back stories with the reader, especially Tru’s.

Overall rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Blessings,

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.