This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Amish Groom
Harvest House Publishers (April 1, 2014)
by
Mindy Starns Clark
and
Susan Meissner
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Mindy Starns Clark Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of the inspirational Million Dollar Mysteries, the Smart Chick Mysteries, and three standalone mysteries, as well as the nonfiction books The House That Cleans Itself and A Pocket Guide to Amish Life. Her novels include A Penny for Your Thoughts, Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels, A Dime a Dozen, A Quarter for a Kiss, The Buck Stops Here, The Trouble with Tulip, Blind Dates Can Be Murder, Elementary, My Dear Watkins, Whispers of the Bayou, Shadows of Lancaster County, and Under the Cajun Moon, plus other books!
Mindy is also the author of numerous plays and musicals which have been performed all over the United States. She has written textbooks, articles, short stories, and more than 75 computer software manuals. A former singer and stand-up comedian, Mindy lives with her husband and two teenage daughters near Valley Forge, PA. She enjoys speaking to churches, civic groups, and libraries across the country. Her unique blend of humor and insight make her an audience favorite.
Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker, and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include The Shape of Mercy, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the 100 Best Novels of 2008 and a Carol Award winner. She is a pastor’s wife and the mother of four young adults. When she's not writing, Susan writes small group curriculum for her San Diego church. Visit Susan at her website: www.susanmeissner.com, on Twitter at @SusanMeissner, or at www.facebook.com/susan.meissner.
ABOUT THE BOOK
New from bestselling authors Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner, The Amish Groom (Book 1 in The Men of Lancaster County series) explores the men of an Amish community in Lancaster County, how their Amish beliefs play out in their unique roles, and the women who change their lives.
Born to an ex-Amish mother and an Englisch father, 23-year-old Tyler Anderson was raised as a military kid until the age of 6, when his mom passed away. His dad, shipping off to yet another overseas post, placed Tyler in the care of his Amish grandparents, an arrangement that was supposed to be temporary. It lasted a lifetime.
Rachel Hoeck is the young woman waiting for Tyler’s proposal. She senses that though he loves her and wishes to make a commitment to her and his Amish beliefs, part of him still wonders whether an Amish lifestyle is truly for him.
When an opportunity to connect with his father unexpectedly arises, a visit to California causes Tyler to question everything, including a future with Rachel. Will the new girl in his life, Lark, cause him to remain in the Englisch world? Or will he choose to be an Amish groom after all?
A poignant novel of hoping for romance and searching for identity, set in a beloved Amish community.
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Amish Groom, go HERE.
MY THOUGHTS-Many of you know that I am not that big a fan of Amish novels. Too many just seem to have the same plot and I can't read them or I get bored. Not so with this one! Mindy Starns Clark is an author well known to me and Susan Meissner is not far behind. This book is a bit different than most Amish plots as a young man, Tyler, goes on a search to find out why his mother left the Amish faith. Tyler is fitting in well but feels himself restless. He enjoys the same spots his mother did before she left and one of them happens to be a secluded pond. In that pond he sees an image of himself and yet different. So who is he really? Could he be destined for a life outside the Amish? And if so, what will happen between him and Rachel, the young woman who loves him and is looking to marry him in the near future?
We take a trip alongside Tyler as he leaves to find himself. We see as he starts to fall for another woman, an Englischer, and the relationship he has with his brother. That part kinda broke me a little when you see how Brady felt about him. And some of the parts between Tyler and his step-mother were just soul searching. As in, wow! One of my favorites is when Liz doesn't want Tyler taking care of her. She has broken her leg and needs some assistance. He proceeds to tell her the following, "The way I see it, the needier you are right now, the more blessed I am to be able to care for you. It's really that simple. And in the caring, the bonds we share are strengthened and renewed. That's how the community works." The ending was super sweet and I loved how things came together. Perfect!
**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given, and all thoughts are 100% mine. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**
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