My description …
Some girls don’t have to even try. Boys just are attracted to them. I bet you knew someone in high school like that. I did. And, of course, I was one of the ones that didn’t. Turns out that the same thing happens in the Amish world. Rachel is such a girl. Her best friend growing up was Josh. But in the eighth grade (that’s the final grade in an Amish school), he distanced himself from her. She never knew why. But Josh knows why and he does love Rachel even though he is courting another girl. Boys still flock around Rachel like bees even though she gives them no encouragement. And the girls call her a flirt every chance they get. And they ignore her. Rachel lives a lonely life.
When the opportunity to do repairs on Rachel’s home, Josh jumps at the chance. Even if he is courting another girl. His heart wants – needs to help Rachel.
My review …
When I read the title, I thought “Amish Flirt??!!” Really. Lots of Amish young men would love to date|court Rachel but none do. And Josh can’t date her; he is already courting another girl so I think the title should be “Loving an Amish Flirt”. Novelists often do not get to title their books. They submit it with a title but the publisher can change it so I will make no deductions regarding the title.
But that “Amish Flirt” in the title intrigued me, so I requested to review it on NetGalley. And I wasn’t disappointed. The author, Rachel J. Good, is not new to me, but I haven’t read a book by her since 2022. I enjoyed this book. I can see why the girls called her a flirt. They were jealous and being a “flirt” in the Amish world is *not* a label you wish. The sad part for Rachel is she didn’t deserve it.
Rachel makes quillows to sell and I now feel a bit ignorant. I’d had never her of quillows before reading this book.
Ever been in a place where there are people — even a bunch of people, and feel alone? If you haven’t, it is not the same as being alone and lonely. In a group of people, you cannot show on your face what you are feeling. Imagine Rachel at a singing with the boys clustered around her. Yet not one friend in the group. And the girls not only ignore her but gossip about her. That’s Rachel’s “social” life.
Enter Mrs. Vanderberg (who has been in past novels set in the same community). Oh! To have a Mrs. Vanderberg in your life. The woman is amazing. She is amazing. She is amazingly wise. Mrs. Vanderberg and God have an understanding. She calls them God’s nudges. She also seems to know exactly what to say *before* an action that guides a person to do what is right. Mrs. Vanderberg, I live in a senior community. Could you move here?
Rachel’s life changes the day she is notified that her cousin Cindy, the single mother of two children, is very ill.
And before you think Josh’s life has been a bed of roses, it hasn’t.
I liked this book. Did I love it? No. But I did like it. I’m very partial to the character, Mrs. Vanderberg. And having experienced being lonely in a crowd more than once in my life. That you feel like everyone there wishes you weren’t. Yeah, I identified at times with Rachel.
Why doesn’t this book feel like a five-star? There are a lot of characters but unlike another book by the author that I gave a three-star review, I did not get lost in the characters. Was it the pacing? Maybe. It was a bit slow at times but not overly so. Was it the plot? No, the plot was interesting. Possibly, for me, it brought up memories that I’d just as soon forget. My rating is 4.5 stars, but only 4 stars on sites that cannot display fractions.
I received a complimentary DRC (digital review copy) of Dating an Amish Flirt 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: 4.5 stars but 4 stars on sites that can only display round numbers.
Series: Surprised by Love, #6
Cover: It’s Amish but not that appealing.
Pages: Unknown at the time of this review but will be over 200 pages.
Publish Date: 23 Apr 2024
#DatinganAmishFlirt #NetGalley #RachelJGood
