"A Worthy Rebel" by Jody Hedlund

I have mixed feelings about this book.

On the one hand, I like the message it conveys:  that you don't need to try to be like other people in order to be important.  But on the other hand, it's a lot more focused on romantic feelings than I generally enjoy.  It's not quite my flavor of tea, if that makes sense.

Beautiful, delicate Lady Isabelle runs away from the cruel man her stepmother wants her to marry.  Cole Warwick, a handsome woodcutter, rescues her. 

Actually, that's what I especially didn't care for in this book:  how much emphasis the author and the characters put on physical appearances.  I don't mean the sexual attraction, which can happen between non-beautiful people too, but the fact that both Isabelle and Cole were very, very pretty to look at, and they knew it.  Long hair, delicate features, and a pleasing figure for one, and a strong jaw, tousled hair, and bulging muscles for the other.  Like, I get that this is written for teens, but... it felt too shallow, like it was pandering to looks-obsessed teen girls.  And reinforcing the idea that to be a hero or heroine, you ought to look like a cover model.

Anyway, the story itself was a nice look at class conflict, duty versus desire, and learning to trust God to bless you in all circumstances.  There was too much emphasis on good works for my taste -- the idea that if you try really hard, God will bless you for your efforts, which is not what I believe, personally.  But the writing was fast-paced, and I enjoyed it about as much as I enjoy any romance-centered book.

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It:  PG-13 for violence, including violence against children and non-graphic torture, as well as a lot of swoony scenes where people felt heat pooling inside them or felt sparks shooting through them because of how someone looked at them, etc.  And quite a bit of kissing.  It's teetering on the edge of "clean reads."