MISS BETH BETTENCOURT BY EVA MARIE EVERSON 

Will an unlikely romance tear down Beth’s walls of indifference? 

It's 1962 in Bynum, Georgia, and Beth Bettencourt's world is turned upside down when she wakes to a man snoring in the guest bedroom. 

She's home alone; her parents are traveling abroad, grieving her twin sister's unexpected death. Instead of accompanying them, Beth stayed in Bynum to tend to her kindergarten and closely guard her own heart. 

A beautiful and beloved member of the community, Beth is an unusual specimen for her time as she nears thirty and remains unmarried. She holds deep-seated unforgiveness toward her twin, Elise, who ran off with Beth's beau. To make matters worse, Elise took their grandmother's ring, which had been promised to Beth. 

But now a stranger enters her home and her world. David Patrick Martin seems ready to break down her walls of indifference and find the core of Miss Beth Bettencourt. But can he be trusted with Beth's past, her present, and more importantly, her future?

MY REVIEW 

 

Have you ever wanted to go back in time to a particular place and experience exactly what a character in a book is feeling? I have had the pleasure of doing just that in this emotional journey written by an exceptional author. The time period comes alive with details that place readers in the center of the story.  I love how the author brings memories of this time period to life with mentions of green stamps. My mom was a fanatic about making sure she received the right amount from cashiers. She would go home each time and spend hours looking through the catalog. I often wondered  what she would decide to use her stamps on. The trip to the library was the most precious memory for me. I got my love for reading from my mom. She would take me to the library every week to get new books. I would check out the limit feeling like I had won a contest. I couldn’t get to my room fast enough to start reading. A few days later I was begging my mom to take me back for more books. 

Betrayal is a hard pill to swallow as Beth knows so well. Her twin sister destroyed what little trust Beth had with a knee jerk decision that screams of the ultimate back stabbing from a sister. I longed to talk to Beth and tell her that her bitterness will never go away until she allows God to help her. The flow of the story is seamless and I was able to join Miss Beth on her path to heal a broken heart and find herself again. 

As we get to know Beth we see a gentle, kind and graceful person. Her love for children shows as she teaches kindergarten. It was easy to picture Beth sharing stories, teaching each child lessons and illustrating how much joy she feels being a part of their  lives. What some people don’t know is the deep pain she feels after a devastating relationship puts walls around her heart. 

Marty is a breath of fresh air to the story as he happens to run into Beth in an unusual way. It’s not everyday that you find a strange man sleeping in your house, but Beth handles it with grace and charm. What was suppose to be a reunion with a friend that  Marty knew while serving his country turns into more than he bargained for. I could just imagine his shock learning he is in the wrong house. However I say wrong house maybe but God brought him to Beth first a reason. I loved  getting to know Marty better and see that he is a gentleman who will protect those he cares for. His past has nit been easy  but it has made him realize the right way to treat a woman. 

There were moments in the story I could feel tears in my eyes as Beth gets closer to allowing herself to be set free from a root of bitterness. She has always felt not good enough, second choice and always in competition  with her twin sister. The betrayal of her sister was so hard she didn’t want to live at times. She felt humiliated and wanted to hide from the world. Beth was a prisoner of her feelings and deep hurt that was rooted in unforgivenness. 

I love how the author made me see how even in the midst of a storm, God will direct your path. We go through trials wondering why. God is always there to wipe our tears, surround us with unconditional love and bring us to a place where freedom is. Marty and Beth’s story will forever stay with me. It gives hope to those who think they aren’t enough. It brings grace to those who have sinned. Most of all it shows us that our past is forgiven. 

The road is crooked at times, but the Good Book says that God will straighten those paths out for us. If we let Him.” 

I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.