Tuesday, 22 December 2015

The Amish Bride by Emma Miller, Amish fiction, Romance, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 August 2015, Love Inspired, 256 pages, Ebook, Review copy from NetGalley
Content: mild romance, drama, laughs and tears

Summary from Harlequin
Ellen Beachey's dreams of being a devoted Amish wife and mother are finally within her reach. But she didn't expect she'd have to choose between two brothers. Golden-haired Micah has a heart filled with adventure and a ready smile. Serious but gentle elder brother Neziah is a devoted and caring father of two. But Ellen and Neziah share a heartbreaking past that might prevent any hope of a future. Ellen never imagined an arranged union as a way to find true love. She wants to be loyal to her family, but she needs to follow her heart…if only she can figure out what it wants.

Nayu's thoughts
Yay- another Amish read! They always make me smile as I learn more about the Amish customs through Ellen's life. I like how she is being given a choice on who to marry, rather than being dictated to. There are positives and negatives for both brothers, making it a hard choice for her, a choice which had to happen though. She cares a lot for her family who aren't in the best of health – this compassionate quality made me like her more. I also liked that she was working in a craft shop – that is so cool! My love for shop fiction (especially craft) made me smile whenever she did work there. I felt sorry for Ellen when she was cornered into doing certain activities, although she is independent and forged her own path where she could. She knew the pressure which both her family and society placed on her with the need to marry, but she didn't break.

I could relate to a lot of the expectations and hopes people had about Ellen, as well as her caring for the homeless outsider Gail, who Ellen helped out and prayed a lot for as best she could. Ellen spent time worrying about the issues in her life, but she does hand her worries over to God. I love Amish reads because I agree with most of their values, their plain living is refreshing and puts more of a focus on community rather than the individual, although the individual is important too as Ellen's story shows. Looking forward to reading the rest in this series!  

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