In all senses of the word, this is a love story. Not a romance. The novel features a young widow who is forced by the community she lives in to pick a new husband. She's being courted by two handsome, elligible bachelors, neither of whom she's interested in. Her attention is instead drawn to her hired hand, Jesse Best, who is known locally as "Simple Jess" because of a brain injury as a result of his birth. In a community where he isn't treated as an equal, Jesse finds himself being viewed as a partner, by a beautiful woman who has seen past his shortcomings, and into his heart.

I've read a lot of romances and over time have come to really appreciate a well-written, non-standard story. I feel that Simple Jess is just that. One of the scenes I vividly recall is when Simple Jess is skinning a deer and patiently explaining every action to Baby Paisley just as his father did for him. You get a real sense of what is important in life. In my mind's eye, I could just see the love and patience being carried on through the generations and even though Jess wasn't "normal", he was still able to be the kind of person that they needed him to be.

On a lighter note, I love how Pamela Morsi makes her characters individuals that you wouldn't find anywhere else. For instance, whenever I picture Simple Jess, I see him drifting from one group of women to another, smelling them. I love it! It makes perfect sense with his personality.

Though this book can stand alone, I think The Marrying Stone should be read first to just to provide a greater understanding of the community and personalities.

There's nothing more annoying than mothers-in-law who don't know when to butt out... but sometimes they can push a woman into territory no one expects. Jess is remarkable in his integrity and honor, even though everyone knows he's Simple. Thank goodness Althea finally saw the light.

All the "secondary characters" were important to the story because it simply could not move without the community. "Marrying Stone" was the precursor to this book and the characters are prevelent in this one.

This is truly the story of not judging a book by it's cover.

Wild Oats is the story of divorcee Cora Briggs, and her love for Jedwin Sparrow (urk, what a horrible name, what was the author thinking?!) Don't be put off by the hero's name however! This story was excellent, and unusual. Cora , an orphan, married Luther Briggs, her first husband, little realizing he did not love her. After the marriage, Luther abandons her to live with his Cherokee wife. Rather than pine for him, Cora files for divorce, earning a bad reputation in the process.

Enter Jedwin. Jedwin, who is an undertaker, is as unlikely a hero as can be. For one thing, he is kind, gentle and shy, for another thing, his mother has always hated Cora and made her life miserable.

Jedwin enters her life, hoping a liaison with her will improve his 'straight arrow' reputation. Believing she is a 'fallen woman' he proposes to become her lover in exchange for doing chores and a monthly stipend. Cora is insulted and starts to show him the door, when she decides to allow him to court her... At first to spite his mother, but eventually, because she comes to care for him.

This was a really unusual book. Jedwin is an unlikely, but loveable hero. Cora is a smart and practical heroine. I even came to like the secondary romance between Jedwin's mother and the undertaker. If I had to say I didn't like anything about this novel it would be, that the hero allowed his mother to dominate him a little too much for my comfort level. My second complaint about this novel is it is way too short! Otherwise an excellent Americana, well worth the investment.

I'm amazed noone else has written a review of this book yet! I just got thru reading all of PM's books and this is my favorite of them all! (the rest are just as good but I must admit Cora and Jedwin are my 2 favorite characters. They are good, caring people, in heart and deed. They inspire each other and encourage each others dreams.(hint: this is a good thing) Nor do they play silly little mind games by teasing each other, hurting each other intentionally & other mean & nasty things.

The beauty of PM's books are that they don't focus on anything bad, negative or evil. If you like positive stories, about good every day kind of people, then this is for you. If you need horror, murder, time travel, sci-fi added to your romance, this isn't the book. Nor is this about a Duke, a princess, an Earl, an heiress or a Lord. (gosh, aren't there enough of those kinds of books out there already?)

But what it is, it is the best at. Romance. Sweet, warm, romance. (with enough spice to "kick it up a notch") The characters in this book aren't rich yet they are rich with feelings, caring and thoughtfulness. But what I love most of all is that he pursues her and declares his love for her first. Any reader who's read more than one romance novel knows what a rare situation that is. Even when she gives up on them, he doesn't. Sigh....isn't that romantic? Furthermore, you know what they are feeling. Why they feel the way they do. This part is what make a good writer a great writer. The ability to make me "feel" the mood of the book. Heck, I'm no angel but after I got thru reading the book, I wanted to be more virtuous, I wanted to think that the few uncaring, cold people in my life maybe had reasons for being that way, that maybe they aren't that bad after all. Yes, this is a feel good book.

Last but certainly not least, you get a little more spice than you would from any Lavyrle Spencer novel.(Lavyrle is another favorite of mine and she has her strengths but I don't read her novels for spice) I mention her because both authors can write about the most simplest, poorest people living in the smallest, most desolate towns but at the end of the book, you're left feeling warm all over because you're left feeling richer in the heart than any Duke, prince, or heiress could in their pocketbooks. (Not to mention my libido)Heck, who am I kidding, I was feeling warm all over, PERIOD!

This book is great. Warm, real characters and humorous situations. Henry Lee is a great, sexy hero, and Hannah is a strong heroine, a wonderful blend of innocence and sensuality. Strong supporting characters as well. If you like sweet, uplifting romance, this is one of the best.

I originally submitted this review in 1997 (before Amazon created the About You Page) and am resubmitting it under my public account as directed by Amazon's Customer Service. The original review will be deleted via Amazon.

THE LOVE CHARM is another irresistible read about hard working, down to earth characters from the always wonderful pen of Pamela Morsi. Set in the Louisiana bayou Ms. Morsi brilliantly brings all of the scents, smells and customs of the small tight-knit community of Acadia to life.

As a child Aida Gaudet concocts a love charm she insists will make the man of her dreams fall deeply and forever in love with her. Aida, being a bit featherbrained, hands the charm over to her best friend Armand Sonnier then forgets about it when her father calls her for dinner.

Years later Aida, now the town beauty, has all of the local men and her childhood friend Armand vying for her affection. Armand has kept his feelings to himself knowing he can never win her hand because he is "plain" and also the shortest man in Acadia and has resigned himself to a life without her. Awww. . . how can you not instantly love this guy? Also standing in the way is the small fact that Aida is engaged to his best friend Laron. She has agreed to marry Laron, the most handsome man in Acadia, because it is what is expected of her. Aida has given up dreaming about true love knowing men only care about her looks and will never love her as a person.

When Armand, in a moment of jealousy, thoughtlessly spills the beans about Laron's secret mistress he inadvertently upsets several lives but especially his own. With a little push from a meddling soothsayer Armand sets out on a path to set things right and finds himself spending most of his waking hours with Aida in an attempt to thwart fate.

It is wonderful watching these seemingly opposite characters overcome their enormous insecurities before they are able to truly open their hearts to each other.

THE LOVE CHARM delivers everything I look forward to in a Morsi book and then some. With a little helpful magic, a bit of humor, lots of tugs at the heartstrings and major sexual tension Ms. Morsi masterfully ties up not one but three intriguing love stories and manages to make us care deeply about all six characters. Very Highly Recommended.

This is a wonderful story of an unlikely romance in the Ozark Mountains, a place that time has passed by and forgotten traditions are still commonplace. You will find yourself or someone that you know in the simple goodness of early rural America.

This is sweet although it's spicy enough for those that want a little 'oomph'. One of my favorite romances, this is charming, cute and you really know the characters.
The author deals with a time period (1915) with candor, and she did her research.

I highly recommed it!

If you love romance inits simplest, warmest, most satisfying form, this novel will be candy to you. Morsi is an expert at giving readers exactly what they want. It offers few surprises, but it delivers exactly what it promises: sweet sexy romance. A pleasant way to spend a rainy Saturday. Oh, and it finally offers a heroine who is able, even encouraged to manage her own life, not become subservient to a man.

Two love stories rolled into one and both are equally satisfying. A sweet romance filled with sensuality and true love. Rich in characters. A must read! Four+ stars.

"There comes a time in every woman's life when she must get herself a man or give up on the idea entirely. Augusta Mudd had reached that moment."

Augusta Mudd, spinster businesswoman of Cottonwood, Texas, had waited long enough. For three years she's waited for Amos Dewey to propose to her, but the reluctant beau just couldn't take a hint. It was time for a shove. So Augusta decides to enlist the help of a friend, the ruggedly handsome Rome Akers.

Rome wasn't a man ready to settle down, but he was a man ready to take charge of his destiny. In return for helping Augusta with her unusual plan to get Amos to the altar, Rome has his chance to become her business partner. Pretending a personal interest in Augusta was a small price to pay. But the more time he spends with Augusta, the stronger his feelings for the smart, sweet woman grow.

There will be a bride by the fourth of July. But who will be the groom?

Ms. Morsi weaves a wonderful tale with characters that are easy to champion. The secondary characters and their interwoven plot line is a story in itself, yet it enriches the main thread without over shadowing. Americana in its splendor, HERE COMES THE BRIDE is a story you won't want to put down!

I read alot of romantic fiction and this has to be one of my all time favorite books ever. The characters are so real, so richly written, its hard to believe they do not exist, except in the gifted mind of Pamela Morsi. This book touched my heart so profoundly, that I find myself re-reading it over and over. The heroine is no beauty, except on the inside, she doesn't have much experience with men, and has few expectations. Her best friend, the handsome Reed Tyler, her neighbor, the younger man who is engaged, loves her like a sister. That is, until, another man comes a courting Miss Hattie. It is then that Reed is forced to confront his real feelings for her. The love scenes are funny, sensual and tender. I wept with joy. A real keeper, a jewel, a gem of a book. One of the best romantic books ever. Simply put, it is a classic that must be read by anyone who enjoys this genre.

Miss Hattie Colfax and Mr. Reed Tyler are a wonderful match. Their friendship which blossoms into love is enjoyable from beginning to end. Their story is filled with passion, laughter and love. Every time I read it (and I've read it MANY times), I find myself caught in their story again, sharing their tears of pain and happiness.

If you prefer romance novels whose main characters are realistic and captivating, you need look no further than "Courting Miss Hattie." I have read most of Ms. Morsi's work and although I have enjoyed the rest, this one by far is my favorite. Believe me, you won't be disappointed.

This is my 1st book by Ms. Morsi, and beleive you me, it wont be the last.
This is the story of Hattie Colfax and Reed Tyler. They are both real good friends despite that Hattie is older than Reed for 5 years. She's by NO means your typical beauty or pretty at all, but she has a golden heart and an independence enviable by any women in her time. She owns a farm and Reed works the farm until he gathers enough money to buy it for himself and his fiancee.
Hattie is now 29 and an "old spinster" until Ancil Drayton's wife dies leaving him with 7 children and a farm to tend. So he decides to court Hattie in order to gain a wife, a mother for his children and maybe a little something extra (hey I cannot give the whole story away).
Tyler learns this and is appaled by Hattie going out with old Drayton. He doesnt know what to do now and his feelings as confusing as they could have gotten. And to makes matters worse he teaches Hattie how to do somethign called "peach" which, needless to say, they both like more than they should have!
With some great secondary characters spicing up this terrific novel, the Hattie and Reed's story is fantastic and a treat to read.
They must overcome the obstacles that come their way, but most of all, they must overcome their own ideas of what they want for the rest of their lives and see if what they feel for each other is love or they simply care a little too much for each other.
The story has nothing that is unrealistic. The events that occur throughout the book were things that could have happened back in their day, but I think that only enriches the book. The villans are not that bad and i think one could relate to any of the characters one way or the other.
In short I loved this book till the very end of it and my only complain was that it ended to soon!
I loved the relationship Reed and Hattie have and how, eventually they realize their true feelings and how their past actions had always been affected by those feelings that were hidden but always there!
Highly reccomend!!!!!!!!!

Cleav and Esme could not come from more different backgrounds even wanting to.
Cleav is the town's general store owner and is a gentleman through and through.
Esme is young and smart, but she is not educated because she is very very poor. Her father does not work... he doesnt do anyhting for that matter, except being the laziest man on earth. And her 2 older twin sisters do not help her at all and the only thing that fills their brains besides attractive men is air!
Esme is in charge of her whole family, from feeding and clothing to keeping that little cave (yes indees cave) that they live in as clean as humanly possible.
She's tired of the life she's leading and decides that the best way to get out of a dead end life she and her family have is by marrying someone with money... and who would be a better candidate than Cleav? He's still young, hardworking, handsome and owns a house that is could fit an small army but is only lived by him and his mother.
So she ventures down the mountain to gain the affection of Cleav. Little did she know that the minute she would be eye to eye with those beautiful pale blue eyes (that she now sees in a whole new light) she would actually notice that he is a beautiful man.
Soon she stciks to him like glue and follows him everywhere, just so he doesnt get a chance to forget she exists, but what started as something practical, has now turned into something more powerful for both of them, but particularly for Esme. Now she really wants to be his wife and would do anything in her power to get him for herself.
Cleav and Esme make a great couple. He's at first so reluctant to marry her, but he cant stop thinking about those legs of hers wrapped around his waist (talk about steamy!) and Esme wants nothing but to be the perfect wife for him.
Their romance is so beautiful and so real. Before she realizes that her feelings for him are love she is really selfish and protective of him, but once those feelings beging to evolve and she finally realizes that she feels a tremendous amount of love for him she leaves her selfishness and even humbles herself in order to make the perfect wife for him, to make him love her, to not humiliate him.
The story is really really sweet and the characters are a blast. However her father and sisters truly drove me insane and I still have no idea how she put up with them the way she did!
Overall, great read, go for it, you wont regret it!

Esme Crabb is dirt poor and lives in the mountains with her lazy father and two beautiful (but dumb) twin sisters. They are poor as dirt and Esme, the practical one, decides she needs to "marry up" with Cleavis Rhy in order to secure her family a real home and regular meals. Esme is not *really* manipulative, just desperate. She is warm, fun, earthy, and just what Cleav needs!

Cleavis is the storekeeper and the richest man in town. On the surface, he is the perfect gentleman: polite, smartly dressed, upright, and uptight. Esme's first words to him, "You wanna marry me?", startle him. She distracts him with her forwardness and tempts him by constantly flipping up her skirts to adjust her sagging stockings. You see, Esme can't afford garters.

This is a fun, warm, charming, emotional book. I enjoyed it tremendously and recommend it highly. I also recommend Courting Miss Hattie and Wild Oats.

Pamela Morsi's characters are so down to earth and loveable that she could place them in any setting or time and it would be an enjoyable read. I've read most of her books and the only reason I can't say that this is the best is because I think they are all equally wonderful!

When the message finally reaches him that his father is near death, Gidry Chavis heads home to Chavistown filled with hope and dread. Eight years ago he had left town with his father's judgment ringing in his ears and he had abandoned the girl he had promised to marry. Now, he doesn't know what to expect when he reenters the town. Gidry loves his father, never more so than now when the old man hangs on by a thread. He vows to take up where his father left off and all of the people in Chavistown turn to him for reassurance and for progress, well almost all. Prudence Belmont belongs to the faith that a leopard cannot change its spots. This, she believes, also applies to Gidry Chavis, the childhood sweetheart who abandoned her, broke her heart, and left her to face the humiliation of gossip and speculation. Though it seems he has come home to Chavistown and wants to resume their childhood friendship, Prudence is mortified by the fact that he never loved her. As adults, she believes they can never share the purity of friendship that they had as children. When Gidry claims to love her, Prudence is unable to believe it or to accept it because it could never compare to the "perfect love" she thought they had shared years ago.

Pamela Morsi has written a dynamic Americana romance. She succeeds in capturing the life and animation of a small town and enriches it with the history of the Chavises who were behind the making of it. Through Gidry, Morsi illustrates the benefits and the disadvantages of inheriting such a legacy. Gidry's internal battle when it comes to his father is heart wrenching. On the one hand, he has always admired and loved his father deeply and he has always been loved and cared for in turn. On the other hand, Peer Chavis is a great man and full of high expectations for his only son. Clearly it was difficult for Gidry to live up to those expectations much less his father's own sterling reputation. Whereas Gidry learned to be a man, Prudence learned to be a proper woman. After consistently wearing her heart on her sleeve for all to see, Pru tucks in her emotions and keeps them to herself. Though she once claimed that pride could never compare to love, she now holds on to her pride and dignity with all her might. With Gidry's return to town, Pru finds herself confronting him on more than an emotional level as he seeks to keep his town safe from criminals with the advent of electrical street lighting and she seeks to preserve their old and unchanging ways. What enhances and emphasizes the love story between Gidry and Prudence is the one between her aunt and his father, which is powerful in its poignancy and nearly threatens the reader's focus on the reunion of the two main characters.

Who would have thought the introduction of electric lighting would have wrought such controversy and, in this case, assisted true love. An enjoyable and fun reading experience.

I thought this book was funny and romantic. I enjoyed it so much that the next day I went out in search of another of her books. I found WILD OATS and enjoyed it as much.