Fancy Pants ~ A Peek at My Bookshelf

While I enjoy the western setting for books, rarely do these stories become my all time favorites. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule and today I'm talking about one of those.

I picked up Fancy Pants first because of the cover. If ever there was an example of cover art making a sale, this is it. As you can see, the image of a girl in a tub looking extremely guilty is not common cover art for an inspirational novel. It's not even common art for a secular novel to be honest.

But it is intriguing. Even moreso when you realize it's actually a scene out of the book.

Have I grabbed your attention yet?

Fancy Pants starts out as a classic story of hidden/mistaken identity. To flee her circumstances, Sydney dresses up like a man because, well, it's 1890 and men can still do a whole lot more than women. Plus she's hiding with her woman-hating uncle.

Beyond that, the story doesn't fall into any traditional or typical lines. Watching Sydney come into her own and learn her own strengths is entertaining and encouraging at the same time.

There's just enough underdog in her to make you cheer for her, enough sass to make you laugh, and enough hardship to make you yell at the other characters. I always consider it a good book if I feel like yelling at the characters.

Fancy Pants is written by Cathy Marie Hake and is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Christian Book Distributors as well as many local bookstores.

Official blurb for Fancy Pants:

When Big Tim Creighton spies the mincing fop headed toward Forsaken Ranch, he is appalled. Thankful his boss isn't around to witness the arrival of his kin, Tim decides he'll turn "Fancy Pants" Hathwell into a man worthy of respect.

Lady Sydney Hathwell never intended to don men's attire, but when her uncle mistakenly assumed she was a male, the answer to her problems seemed clear. Her disguise as "Syd" was meant to be temporary...but the arranged marriage she's fleeing, her uncle's attitude toward the fairer sex - and her own pride - compel her to continue the guise far longer than she had planned.

When her deception is exposed, will she be forced to abandon her hopes for family... and true love?