Betty: The Rebel (The Pine Lake Girls Book Two)

Pre-World War I, Pine Lake, Wisconsin, was home to three inseparable girls, Betty, Alice, and Lizzie, thinking of their future lives as wives and mothers. Their high school sweethearts return from battle, wounded but alive, and Betty set her sights on Harry during the celebrations after the war to end all wars. Her choice severed her relationship with her best friends. Betty forced Harry to marry her, even though he loved Alice. During their travel to Harry’s new job in Minnesota, Betty realizes her deception puts their marriage on a foundation of eggshells. In short order, it becomes clear her husband controls their household. Will the women of Minneapolis support or shun her small-town beginnings? Will Harry’s injuries haunt him more than his nightmares? Can Betty get her happy ending after beginning this stage of her life with deception?

Details of the historical times of post-World War I, the rise of women’s suffrage, and prohibition become the perfect backdrop to the rich character development. Readers will appreciate Betty’s commitment to making Harry love and appreciate her as a wife, social support, and mother to his children. Women will join Betty’s journey as she recognizes her shortsighted choices and personal growth, especially with her exposure to people from various backgrounds and experiences. The pacing of this story is exciting as each element of reality in women’s rights is peeled back and bared for closer inspection. This story demands the reader uncovers the unsettling options Betty shaped.

Simone Dober