Review: Lighthearted Read
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 11, 2013
Love in Three Quarter Time is an adventurous read that will transport you back in time to Virginia, 1817.  Constance "Gingersnap" Cavendish, always full of fire and spark, is the eldest daughter of the richest plantation owner in Virginia.  But, circumstances soon change.  The slaves at the family plantation revolt and run away, causing her father to collapse and die.  Her father passing on, leaves their estate in utter disarray and deeply in debt.  He has cheated and swindled much of the county to cover his gambling debts, leaving his family nothing more than a poor reputation.  Constance, along with her two sisters and mother are left to fend for themselves with little money to sustain them and the society of Richmond shunning them with vicious gossip.No one left Constance's heart racing like Robert Montgomery.  He was the man of her dreams, but he had cast Constance aside when she needed him most, five years earlier.  Constance had gone after Robert, begging him to marry her and save her family from ruin, but Robert had crushed her heart.  Constance becomes more mature, trying to leave her "Gingersnap" ways behind her by making more reasonable decisions and acting upon them with determination.Mrs. Beaumont, of Charlottesville and Robert's mother, is in desperate search of a dance instructor for her twin daughters and willing to pay an exorbitant sum of money.  Constance is an accomplished dancer and travels to White Willow in Charlottesville and secures the job of instructing the Beaumont twins how to dance.  Every person of quality must be an expert of dance.  Mrs. Beaumont gives Constance a short time to prepare Molly and Dolly for their coming out ball.  Their skill on the dance floor would pave their way into society.After arriving in Charlottesville Constance is faced with Robert along with Lorimer, a circuit riding preacher, who is dedicated to God's calling.  Lorimer is soon attracted to Constance and the story unfolds with a myriad of complications.This book is a lighthearted read with humor, romance and emotion and has strong religious overtones throughout.  Robert and Constance both have abolitionist leanings, which plays a major role in this story and helps to give the story more depth.  The book captivated me early on with its sparkling characters and interesting storyline, but unfortunately there were parts of the dialogue that just didn't hold my interest - I found myself skimming through many pages.  If you like christian historical fiction with romance you'll really enjoy this book.  I would rate it 3 1/2 stars.