My blurb …
| Series | Surprised by Love #4 |
| Genre | Amish |
| Pub. Date | 23 Aug 2022 |
| Pages | 400 |
| Publisher | Kensington Books, Zebra |
| Cover | That fried chicken looks SO good! |
| Rating | 3.5 stars |
Nettie, a widow with four children, has deeply guarded secrets far different from other Amish women. Fear has gripped her over what her brother might do. Her children WILL NOT go through what she did!
Stephen, a widower with five children, moves to Lancaster County to buy his family’s farm stand. He can be paralyzed with fear in certain circumstances.
Both see themselves as damaged goods. Can a little old lady with a huge plan to improve the lives of teens in the town also make things better for Nettie and Stephen — and their children? She’s known as a matchmaker …
My review …
Fear can be a monster. Fear of failure is the reason people don’t succeed. And fear grips our two main characters, especially Nettie.
Nettie knows little joy in her life because of fear. If her brother smiles at that woman one more time!!! If people *really* knew what she had done after she returned to the community? When she smiles, her face completely changes but only her children and customers at her brother’s food stand will see it. Fear keeps her trust in other people at bay, even other Amish. Nettie loves her children fiercely.
Stephen, on the other hand, is a gentle, kind man. Yes, he has fears that can incapacitate him. He avoids situations that might cause that to happen. His brother also has a pork stand in the same market as Nettie’s brother’s business. Stephen’s children are adapting to their new home with his brother — well, all except Joline his oldest daughter. She has no friends, gets into trouble at school, and misses almost every recess. Then Joline suddenly takes an instant, intense dislike to “Sourpuss”, a nickname she privately had used for Nettie since she didn’t know her name.
Characters …
The fourth book of the Surprised by Love series has a set of rich characters. Some you would never expect in an Amish romance book but fits the plot. Besides Nettie and Stephen, other key characters are:
- The Bully. Have you ever been bullied? I have and yes, one really scared me which he enjoyed. This one bullies for amusement by doing it where others can see.
- The Thief.
- The little old lady with a sharp mind and money, an Englischer, and a huge heart for giving. She owns the market. Her name is Mrs. Vandenberg. And yes, she was my fav.
- The children. Stephen’s five, Nettie’s four but the chief character is Joline.
- The brothers. Gideon is Nettie’s brother who smiles a lot at Fern. Nettie works with them at Gideon’s food stand in the market. Amos is Stephen’s brother. The two have plans but not many people are aware of them.
- The kid with the nose ring, tattoos, “hair” and a heart of gold.. He works at the market.
There are almost too many characters, especially in a book you can’t read in one [long] sitting. Used Kindle’s search to remind me who was who when needed.
Plot …
One word — fear. Even Joline’s ill behaviors (yes, she had more than one) were caused by fear. But for an Amish child, she got away with too much, MHOOC (my humble opinion, of course).
Pacing …
A bit slow at times. There is a LOT going on in An Amish Marriage of Convenience and that makes it quite interesting. For me, it dragged with Nettie’s fear about what her brother might do. Rarely was it about her *real* fear which was what could happen to her children if he did. Had her “real” fear been used more often, I would have had a lot more sympathy.
Missing …
An Amish bishop. Deacon. Minister. The police are involved at times in this book. Yet no leaders of the church appear. For *any* reason. There would be questions too about Mrs. Vandenberg’s “project” and Stephen’s and Nettie’s involvement. AND their children also participating.
This missing aspect of an Amish community resulted in the loss of one star–the pacing of another half star. The book is still a good read, especially if you have read the previous three books. This one can standalone. But no involvement by Amish leaders was for this reviewer a big hole.
I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of An Amish Marriage of Convenience via NetGalley from the publisher, Kensington Books, Zebra. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Rating: 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars on sites using only whole numbers.
#AnAmishMarriageofConvenience #NetGalley #RachelJGood
