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    Courting Cate
    Courting Cate
    Courting Cate
    Audiobook10 hours

    Courting Cate

    Written by Leslie Gould

    Narrated by Stina Nielsen

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Leslie Gould has received critical and popular acclaim for her #1 CBA best-selling faith-based fiction. An Amish-themed retelling of The Taming of the Shrew, Courting Cate is the first book in Gould's Courtships of Lancaster County series. Betsy Miller has plenty of suitors vying for her hand. But her father says she cannot marry until her older sister Cate does. Betsy's prayers are answered when Peter Treger arrives in town, allowing her to concoct a scheme to get Cate to the altar.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 8, 2013
    ISBN9781470337254
    Courting Cate
    Author

    Leslie Gould

    Leslie Gould (LeslieGould.com) is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of over forty-five novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds a bachelor's degree in history and an MFA in creative writing. She enjoys church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and have four adult children and two grandchildren.

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    Reviews for Courting Cate

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      For a new twist on Shakespeare's classic "The Taming of the Shrew," this story is set in the heard of Amish country. Cate isn't your stereotypical Amish woman - she beautiful, smart, feisty, and not handy in the kitchen. When Pete decides to court her, she wonders if it's her father's wealth that he is courting or she could really find her true love.
    • 3/5
      Leslie Gould makes a valiant attempt at retelling the story of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Unfortunately, she tries too hard. The references are too obvious. The idea is good, but a story that references another doesn't have to follow things so exactly.
    • 4/5
      This delightful Amish romance takes liberties with Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and places it in Paradise, Pennsylvania. Those familiar with Broadway's appropriation of the same tale will appreciate the "kiss me, Cate" ending albeit a minor spelling difference is used with our heroine here.Cate Miller is a lovely girl but her looks are surpassed by the beauty that is her sister, Betsy. Betsy is younger and yes, flightier but the girls' father has decreed that Betsy cannot marry until Cate is well and settled. Both girls are appalled as Cate had pretty much decided that she would be quite happy without a husband despite it being the Amish way to marry and have children. She is not a cook or a housekeeper - she prefers working for her father and losing herself in books. Betsy is all that is Amish wifely perfection. Cate says let her marry and leave me alone. Her father disagrees and so the edict is passed.I, for the most part, enjoyed this light and breezy take on Shakespeare's Shrew. Cate was a bit of an unpleasant young lady but when it was explained why she was as she was it didn't really add up. I think the character development needed a little work. Sure she had ONE bad experience with a boy but does this a shrew make? And Betsy turned a bit shrewish herself with minimal reason - a character turn around that seemed to come out of nowhere. The ancillary men where comic relief for the most part and our hero was a bit short on conversation but a certain bard said - all's well that end's well - and I did find the tale to be a satisfying one in the telling.
    • 5/5
      Cate Miller is your average Amish girl and due to teasing during her younger years and being hurt by a boy as well as loosing her mother at a very young age and having to raise her baby sister she has put herself off to the side and decide that she will be a maidel. Surprisingly Cate is very very well read for an Amish girl and her father Bob Miller who is still single and does very well with his business is determined to get both of his girls married. Cates Younger sister Betsy is a sweet and loving girl, not quite as bristly as her her sister Cate and is already very much in love with Levi. However Bob, decides that Cate has to court and be married before Betsy can marry. Well, that puts Betsy into quite the tailspin and with all the twists and turns in this book it is quite endearing, heartfelt and full of love in the air and also not so much love or so we think. I truly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. If you are into reading about the Amish lifestyle and how they live this is a great read.
    • 4/5
      An Amish retelling of "The Taming of the Shrew," a story I strongly dislike and have strongly disliked all the movie versions as well- "Kiss Me Kate", "Ten things I Hate About You", etc. This version I actually didn't dislike. Lots of the characters made me mad and frustrated but it was very well written and I liked the message that you can find peace even when the people around you are jerks.
    • 4/5
      A wonderful story to begin this series. It took me in a direction I wasn't expecting when I started reading this book and I appreciated that. I had a hard time really liking Cate Miller through most of this story, but by the end, I understood her and appreciated the way she saw herself and how she changed.Cate Miller is known for her sharp tongue and fiery temper in Paradise, Pennsylvania. She is also known for her love of books and her lack of cooking and housekeeping skills. Her father has made an edict: Cate, as the oldest, must get married before Betsy can do so. Unfortunately Cate has driven away every suitor, that is, until Pete Treger comes to town and starts working for her Dad. For many reasons Cate doesn't trust him, but what happens next took me by surprise, so I won't spoil it. Needless to say Peter has his work cut out for him when it comes to getting Cate to love him.
    • 4/5
      In the beginning, I thought Cate was a very stubborn sort of woman, but as I continued reading, I began to see that the things she experienced in life affected her severely and shaped her outlook on life. I believe she unfairly judged herself by the circumstances beyond her control and unintentionally made things harder on herself. But the book is well worth the read and I found the ending quite satisfactory.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this book, quick read kept my interest.
    • 3/5
      I am between liking it and very much liking it.

      There were parts I really liked, and then there were time I needed to put it down and walk away.

      I loved Cate's spirit and how her relationship with Pete grew from the beginning. I was unimpressed with the selfishness of her sister and how she always seemed to get her way.



    • 4/5
      This book was a good read from beginning to end! I enjoyed this book so much. I haven't read an Amish fiction book quite like this one. I think that is why I liked it so much.Cate Miller is one feisty gal. She has resigned herself to the fact that she will never marry. All the guys hang around her younger sister Betsy without giving Cate a second glance or so it seems. Perhaps her grumpy and grouchy attitude doesn't help. Maybe Pete Treger, from New York can soften Cate up, then again maybe not. Will Cate ever find someone to love and will she find happiness?When we distance ourselves from God, things can turn out far different then what we hoped it would. Will Cate find her way back to God and happiness? Can she let go of bitterness and learn to forgive?I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
    • 3/5
      Courting Cate is a charming story that I read in one sitting because I was keen to reach the inevitable happy ending. The writer attempts to marry Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew with an Amish romance. While it is a clever idea, it doesn’t quite work. I liked this Cate all along, and I never saw her as an unlovable shrew. She erroneously saw herself this way, but she was actually quite selfless and caring. So instead of being “tamed,” I saw her as being treated harshly and unfairly. Still, I enjoyed the read as lighter fair and appreciated the glimpse into Amish ways. I recommend it for a quick read for fans of Amish and/or Christian romance.
    • 4/5
      This is a very enjoyable read, much different than the other Amish novels I have read. Cate's character is is much different than the normal characterization of Amish women. She was not the homemaker type. After raising her sister to an age of functioning in the home, Cate took on responsibility in her father's business. She had one bad experience with men and always carried a chip on her shoulder. She met Pete but couldn't have been any more wrong about him. He let time be on his side to win Cate's trust. Cate's father would not let her younger sister marry until Cate was married. Cate entered into a marriage of convenience with Pete so her younger sister could marry. But you will have to read for yourself the various trials and tribulations Cate went through to realize Pete truly did love her and how her marriage of convenience changed. I enjoyed Leslie Gould's writing and look forward to reading more of her works in the future.
    • 4/5
      I received this book as an early reviewer. It is a charming book about an Amish family and a young woman who didn't fit into the typical sewing and quilting mold. I will search out more of the author's books because this was well written and very enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      I received this book from the Early Reviewer's Program. Since Amish fiction/romance is one of my favorite genres, I was really happy to find that I had been picked to review this one. Leslie Gould is a new author to me, and I love the way she based her story on Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew". I really was surprised that the main character was not the "typical" portrayal of an Amish women, in that Cate is a very strong women, who has a temper and isn't afraid to show it. Most books tend to depict the women as being meek and obedient - but this character is far from that! I really enjoyed this book and I think that anyone who reads the genre will find it to be a refreshing change. I will be looking for more from this author as well.
    • 5/5
      I loved his book! I immediately fell into the characters of the book and couldn't put it down. Cate is someone I could easily identify with and I also loved the change God worked in her throughout the book. I will be reading more by Leslie Gould!
    • 5/5
      I loved this book - it was an Amish version of Taming of the Shrew which is my favorite Shakespeare play. Cate is an unmarried Amish woman who would rather work in her father's business than marry. Her younger sister Betsy is just the opposite. She is an excellent homemaker and really wants to marry her beau. Their father is worried that Cate, who is sharp-tongued and has a temper, will never find a mate, so he decrees that she must marry before Betsy can do so. When Cate meets the new man in the neighborhood sparks start to fly. Pete seems pretty determined to court her and she is suspicious of his motives. I liked the way that they got along when she forgot to be so prickly. They had a lot in common. He also was pretty laid back when she got her temper up. Her suspicions and some other events caused some major misunderstandings. We learn more about why Cate is the way she is and how Pete came to his current situation. There are some unexpected twists in the story that had Cate questioning her future. Her journey from Contrary Cate to Sweet Cate was wonderful and very emotional. I loved the ending. The characters in this story felt very real to me and ones I could relate to easily. I wanted to smack Betsy many times. I'm not sure that she learned her lesson by the end, but time will tell. Pete's mother was a piece of work, but definitely had her place in helping Cate to grow into her role. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
    • 5/5
      Cate is quite different. She love to read and is reading something. Her father make a edit that the oldest must do everything before the youngest can even court. Both girls do not like this rule at all. Cate want nothing to do with this rule though their no way out of it.Betsy has suitors though out and quite attractive. Pete Treager comes to Lancaster County for a job. While he there, Marvin and Martin in all trying to get Pete to court Cate. Cate though has her suspicious and it get in her way a bit. She jump to collusion and when she finds out about her little sister Betsy problem. I am not going to tell you for I do not want to spoil the ending the surprises that come though out.
    • 5/5
      This was a book worth waiting for. I really enjoyed Cate and her work in bringing up her sister. I enjoyed watching her become more mature as she works with her husband. The interplay with the classmates was very believeable and I enjoyed their discussions about the books they were reading. A great read and kept me very busy trying to to get Cate through everything!!!
    • 5/5
      Cate Miller is your average Amish girl and due to teasing during her younger years and being hurt by a boy as well as loosing her mother at a very young age and having to raise her baby sister she has put herself off to the side and decide that she will be a maidel. Surprisingly Cate is very very well read for an Amish girl and her father Bob Miller who is still single and does very well with his business is determined to get both of his girls married. Cates Younger sister Betsy is a sweet and loving girl, not quite as bristly as her her sister Cate and is already very much in love with Levi. However Bob, decides that Cate has to court and be married before Betsy can marry. Well, that puts Betsy into quite the tailspin and with all the twists and turns in this book it is quite endearing, heartfelt and full of love in the air and also not so much love or so we think. I truly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. If you are into reading about the Amish lifestyle and how they live this is a great read.
    • 4/5
      I've read a lot of Amish fiction, and I enjoyed this one more than most of the ones I've read lately. It's a clever idea to combine the plot of a Shakespearean play with Amish characters, but somehow, it works. I didn't particularly like Cate through a good portion of the book, but then, I don't think I was supposed to. I like the more human qualities these characters possessed. So many Amish characters are just too good to be true, but that is not the case here. The characters are complicated, just as we all are - a little good, a little bad, with struggles to see which part comes out on top. This was a book I had a hard time putting down. **I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.**
    • 5/5
      Courting Cate was a joy to read. From the first chapter the author had me laughing quite a bit. Cate is a feisty girl who is convinced that everyone is out to make her the brunt end of their jokes. She's convinced that no one really likes her and that all the boys just want to date her beautiful sister, Betsy. Cate has had a hard life. After her mother died when she was young, she had to practically raise her infant sister. Since Cate has sworn off getting married and is always buried in books, her father makes an edict that Betsy can't get married until Cate does. As you can imagine, this makes for quite a bit of tension between the sisters. When a young, handsome guy named Pete Treger shows up, Betsy thinks there might be hope that she'll get to marry after all.Leslie Gould does such a great job. The situations she has Cate in at the beginning of the book are rather humorous. I usually don't read Amish books, but this one is a keeper. Cate has to learn a lot of hard life lessons to rid her of her harsh, stubborn ways. I love the part in the story when she finally sees what she would be like if she continued down the path she was choosing. The path would end in a very sad life. Seeing the error of her ways, she makes a pivotal choice to turn and embrace what God would have for her. After this choice, there is quite a change in Cate. A change that everyone can see. If you have a chance, pick this book up. You won't be disappointed. **I recieved this book free from Library Thing in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      I am a big fan of Amish novels and of Shakespeare, so having something that combined the two was an exciting prospect for me. I am happy to say it did not disappoint. The story kept me hooked all the way to the end. I was fairly certain I knew how it would end, as it seemed a safe assumption that it would follow through on the parallel to "The Taming of the Shrew", but for awhile I could not for the life of me see how it would reach that end. It got there in due time and I enjoyed it all the way. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.
    • 4/5
      This is not your typical Amish story with meek characters that you know will work out their problems by the end of the book. Cate's shrewdness could very well leave her an alt maidel. Everyone can see Cate needs to work on her personality....except Cate. When Pete decides to court Cate, she immediatly expects the worst. Surely he cannot love her so what is he after? Perhaps her father's money? It took a chapter before I was hooked but after that first chapter, I couldn't put the book down. I was impressed with how the character's personalities grew as the book progressed, even though Cate seemed stagnate throughout much of the book. There were a few times I wanted to reach into the pages and shake some sense ino Cate's head....and any book that can bring emotions out in me is a good book! A book doesn't necessarily need to make me think, but it does need to make me feel...and this book certainly does that! I can't wait for book 2!
    • 5/5
      I enjoy reading books with about the Amish and this one was no exception. Cate has helped to raise her sister after her mother' s death. Now her sister wants to get married, but her father wants Cate to get married first. This book tells about how this gets resolved.
    • 4/5
      Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a different take on an Amish book. Cate has to help raise her younger sister, Betsy after their mother dies in childbirth. The character of Cate is based on Taming of the Shrew. There similarities to Shakespeare's work but many differences too. Cate is an interesting character. She's had to grow up fast but that's taught her how to be a strong woman. I thought this was a very good book. Easy to read. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
    • 3/5
      This was a quick read and a bit entertaining, though I felt Pet's treatment of Cate to be a bit harsh even for a remake of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Cate was an book loving Amish woman who had helped to raise her younger sister, Betsy, after their mother died in childbirth. She helped in her father's business, working as the secretary, while Betsy took care of the home. Betsy wanted to marry, but her father wouldn't let her do so until Cate, who had a reputation of being difficult, was married. Newcomer Pete took the challenge, but not without a few problems alone the way. I received this book as an Early Reviewer book, but that did not affect my review.
    • 5/5
      The character of Cate is based very loosely on Shakespeare's [The Taming of the Shrew]. Cate has many of the characteristics of Katherine from the Taming of the Shrew. Like Katherine she is stubborn, independent and very headstrong. She would rather work for her father in the office of his woodworking business than do the typical women's duties like cooking and sewing. Some of the reasons she is like this is because she has had to be a mother to her younger sister. Her mother died in childbirth so Cate had to grow up fast even though she was still a child herself. Another reason is that she has experienced ridicule by men in the community and was hurt by one potential suitor. As a result she does not trust men at all that is until she meets Pete Tregor and some of her rough exterior starts to get smoothed out. She and Pete share a love of books. I like this book. There is humor in the book. Can't go into too much detail here without giving away the plot. A couple of characters I did not really like. One of Pete's mother but by the end of the book I understood her and liked her a little better. The other character I did not care for was Betsy, Cate's little sister. She was a spoiled little brat who thought the world revolved around her. She did not change much by the end of the book. At the end of the book she was still a self-centered little brat. This book is the first in a series called The courtships of Lancaster County. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
    • 4/5
      Most books relating Amish stories are pretty much the same, set in some idyllic farm country, the characters living simple lives, facing difficulties that are resolved using traditional methods within the Amish or Mennonite way of life. Amish traditions seem to be timeless & never changing, so the Amish stories that I've read previously aren't tied to a specific era or decade; they could fit into any era.This book, "Courting Cate" by Leslie Gould, surprised me with its modernism; though the characters are Amish, their lives intersect with modern Englisch technologies like using the Internet; the story makes it clear that this is not an exceptional thing for some Amish. When the main character, Cate, visits New York City, she sees electronic billboards. That is a very new technology and certainly dates the book to happening now. The story grabbed me right from the start. There were some rough patches, places I doubted the characters or their reactions, but for the most part the story carried through. I am not familiar with Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew so though I caught references to it throughout the book, they were meaningless to me. It was not necessary for me to know Shakespeare to enjoy the story. The book is a quick read; I finished it in two days. The book is the first of a series, "The Courtships of Lancaster County". I look forward to reading the rest of the series and to reading more books by Ms. Gould.I received an advance reading copy of the book through LibraryThing, which requests honest reviews.
    • 5/5
      Such a different Amish read. Once I started I didn't put it down until I finished! Loved it.Cate has spent her life being a Mother to her sister Betsy. Their Mom died when Betsy was one day old. Could just picture the 7 year old bathing the new born. She knew what and how to do it, her Mom had kept her home from school for the last year of her life.She loves Betsy and will do anything for her?? Well, when their Dad imposes a edict that Cate will need to marry before Betsy can, and she cannot go out to singings etc. unless Cate goes to. Life changes drastically for all of them.When Pete Trager comes to town and starts working for their Dad...he is a wealthy Amishman. Cate sees he is interested in Betsy, but he shares her interest in reading. We experience some fun goings on with Cate and Pete.There is a lot of trickery going on here, and some things are not as they appear.I should state that Cate through the years has developed what others consider a "prickly personality". She has been scared by some of life happenings and she tends to take it out on others.Watch her bloom into a "Sweet Cate", but she sure struggles getting there. Do yourself a favor and pick this wonderful read up! You won't be disappointed.I received this book through Litfuse Publicity Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.
    • 4/5
      This delightful Amish romance takes liberties with Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and places it in Paradise, Pennsylvania. Those familiar with Broadway's appropriation of the same tale will appreciate the "kiss me, Cate" ending albeit a minor spelling difference is used with our heroine here.Cate Miller is a lovely girl but her looks are surpassed by the beauty that is her sister, Betsy. Betsy is younger and yes, flightier but the girls' father has decreed that Betsy cannot marry until Cate is well and settled. Both girls are appalled as Cate had pretty much decided that she would be quite happy without a husband despite it being the Amish way to marry and have children. She is not a cook or a housekeeper - she prefers working for her father and losing herself in books. Betsy is all that is Amish wifely perfection. Cate says let her marry and leave me alone. Her father disagrees and so the edict is passed.I, for the most part, enjoyed this light and breezy take on Shakespeare's Shrew. Cate was a bit of an unpleasant young lady but when it was explained why she was as she was it didn't really add up. I think the character development needed a little work. Sure she had ONE bad experience with a boy but does this a shrew make? And Betsy turned a bit shrewish herself with minimal reason - a character turn around that seemed to come out of nowhere. The ancillary men where comic relief for the most part and our hero was a bit short on conversation but a certain bard said - all's well that end's well - and I did find the tale to be a satisfying one in the telling.