| Series: | A Johns Mill Amish Romance #3 |
| Genre: | Amish |
| Pub. Date: | 25 Apr 2023 |
| Publisher: | Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley |
| Pages: | Unknown |
| Cover: | Very good but the horse should be bigger. |
| Rating: | 5 stars |
Imagine a man who grew up Amish but now Englisch, and could be called the horse whisperer. He understands abuse and trauma in animals. Now view a lovely Amish woman who is traumatized by witnessing her parents killed in their store by an Englischer. Her anxiety being around any Englisch or leaving the safe place, the farm.
Miriam’s family has an injured & traumatized gelding. Breeze trusts NO human except in a very small way he doesn’t fear Miriam — perhaps because she understands his fear.
Enter Reuben Brenneman, former Amish, well-known for his ability to save a horse and create a well-behaved animal. What he doesn’t realize is he can do the same in a small way for a young woman who only recently was able to leave her house. It only took a year.
My review …
Reuben does not like working that closely with the Amish since his gmay leaders did not help keep his father from beating him and his mother again and again due to his drinking. But he owes Sam, the gelding’s owner, and has taken on Breeze. Immediately, he realizes that Breeze has a connection with Miriam. Reuben is a tough guy — he has had to be — but when he finds that his Englisch outfit creates terror for Miriam, our tough guy did something he swore he would never do — wear Amish clothes.
Miriam feels a lot for Breeze and is willing to help Reuben — in Amish clothing and in doing so, takes steps forward in overcoming her trauma.
What I loved …
Everything. I’d give this six stars if it was possible. Such a wonderful, powerful story. Well-researched by the author, Laurel Blount. I felt I learned a great deal about traumatized animals through Breeze’s story. Every character was rich in just the right amount of detail. The scenes are so well described that the reader easily “sees” them. The pacing of the story was, at least for this reviewer, perfect.
This story is RICH! Abundant with wonderful characters, plots, and subplots. And wonderful, knowledgeable phrases. If you have ever wondered how fear can truly impact a person, reading “Courage in the Storm” will help you to understand. To paraphrase the author, “Fear — [even unreasonable fear] — has its reasons.”
One fun spot was Miriam and her chickens. The chicken coop was the first place she visited when she left the house for the first time. Miriam names her chickens — and the rooster had been named for a bishop! Most people don’t name their chickens, at least we never did. Milking cows, yes. Chickens, no.
So, I urge you to add this book to your to-be-read stack. Pre-order it. Tell your library to order it. “Courage in the Storm” is THAT good.
I received a complimentary DRC (digital review copy) of “Courage in the Storm” via NetGalley from the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Rating: 5 stars
#CourageintheStorm #NetGalley #LaurelBlount
