My blurb …
| Series | Secrets of Bliss Valley, #3 |
| Genre | Amish |
| Pub. Date | 23 Aug 2022 |
| Pages | 361 |
| Publisher | HARLEQUIN – Romance (U.S. & Canada), Love Inspired Trade |
| Cover | Really perfect for this book. |
| Rating | 4.5 stars |
Grace Coffman’s life is not happy. Her fiancé died; her boss at the quilting shop is unethical. Grace is the sole supporter of her parents, both elderly and ill.
Joel Beachy is just out of prison and has returned to Bliss County; he didn’t know where else to go. In trouble as a child AND bigger trouble after leaving the Amish in his teens, he is now determined to avoid that deep water.
How will these two find each other? Does Joel’s parole officer really want him to mess up? And when two little boys need love and understanding, can they provide it?
My review …
Abundant and memorable characters along with a good plot and sub-plots make A Search for Redemption a book to put on your “to read” list.
Joel is introduced first and you’ll find him a sympathetic character. I loved how Grace first met Joel. Each key character is given the “time” to be known to the reader. Some may be familiar to those who have read the previous two books. However, A Search for Redemption can stand alone.
The plot(s) …
The plot with Joel and Grace evolves and deals with Joel’s innocence, his Daed continued hatred toward him, his inability to find a job, Grace’s mean and corrupt boss, the death of a sibling, and … I don’t want to say more. The plots and subplots unfold so nicely.
The pacing …
Sometimes in a book with a lot of characters, the pacing is a bit slow so that each character gets introduced. So yes, the pacing in book three is a bit slow. But was it too slow? No, because the book has a multi-dimensional main plot as well as rich sub-plots. Pacing always feels slow when characters are flat which isn’t the case in this book.
The special moments …
Two little boys have had to deal with death up close and personal. But the littlest tells us what entering heaven is like. Such a beautiful, sweet element. I think this will be what I remember from this book long after the plot has slipped my memory.
The weaknesses …
Grace is Amish and a firm believer in God. She works for a woman described as unscrupulous for years and never takes her to task for cheating, no — call it was it is — stealing from her craft quilters. Granted Grace’s self-esteem is not the best. The excuse is she needs the job to support her parents. She does but I found it too weak. She lets people walk all over her in so many ways. In others, she is strong. I just can’t buy her saying anything for so many years.
I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of A Search for Redemption via NetGalley from the publisher, HARLEQUIN – Romance (U.S. & Canada), Love Inspired Trade. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Rating: 4.5 stars rounded to five on sites using whole numbers.
#ASearchforRedemption #NetGalley #JoAnnBrown
