A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer-KINDLE #1

Hannah is a seamstress that has dreamed of having her own shop. When an elderly woman customer makes that dream a reality Hannah is thrilled. She moves to the town of Covington to open her shop in the building she was bequethed. She knows it will take time to establish a clientele but she is prepared to prove her worth as a dressmaker.

J.T. owns the livery across the street  from Hannah's shop. He is resentful that he was unable to buy the building that Hannah's shop is in. He had tried to buy it in order to help out the laundress-a proud woman who is raising 3 children on her own. When he learns that Hannah is opening a dress shop he is further resentful and prepared to dislike the new seamstress before he even meets her.  After all his mother left him, his father and sister because she preferred the outward beauty rather than inward beauty.

When Hannah and J.T. meet sparks fly. Unable to understand J.T.'s angry behavior, Hannah is determined ot make him smile. J.T.'s sister Cordelia befriends Hannah and becomes her first customer. Determined to gain the attention of the local telegraph operator Cordelia enlists Hannah's help is changing her appearance. When J.T. learns of this endeavor he has to ask himself some serious questions. Can a woman really be both beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside?

Hannah seems to be proving all of J.T.'s pre-conceived notions wrong. She has be-friended a man who recently lost his wife. It seems the man hasn't bathed since his wife's passing-the town hasn't reached out to him, but by first being kind to him each day, Hannah has managed to bring him back into society. She has also found small ways to help the laundress provide for her family. Surely someone with such a caring heart as Hannah can have beauty within and without.

I enjoyed this story very much. I did get a bit frustrated with J.T.'s struggle to not let go of his rigid ideas but ended up very happy with the outcome.