Book two in the Hearts of the Lancaster
Grand Hotel series.
Carolyn Lapp dreams of marrying for
love. But will the errors of her past destroy this dream forever?
Carolyn Lapp longs to have a
traditional Amish family. But she lives on her brother's farm with her parents
and her 15-year old son, Benjamin. Carolyn has never revealed the identity of
Benjamin's father and lives daily with the guilt and shame of her youthful
indiscretion. Her brother simply will not forgive her.
His answer is to arrange a practical
marriage for Carolyn to Saul, a widower with a little girl. But Carolyn isn't
convinced that Saul really loves her and believes he is simply looking for
someone to help raise his daughter.
When Benjamin causes trouble at a local
horse auction, horse breeder Joshua Glick decides that he must be taught a
lesson. Carolyn and Joshua are unmistakably drawn to each other, but Joshua
mistakenly assumes that Benjamin is Carolyn's brother. Carolyn fears that if he
discovers the truth, her past will destroy their budding romance.
After years of shame and
loneliness, Carolyn suddenly has two men vying for her attention. But which of
them will give her the family-and the unconditional love-she's longed
for?
Amy Clipston holds a degree in
communication from Virginia Wesleyan College and works full-time for the City of
Charlotte, NC. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, and two sons and
four spoiled rotten cats.
MY REVIEW:
This is a very nice Amish book that was a delight to read and I loved the life lessons it taught.
Carolyn is a 31 year old Amish woman who has never been married but gave birth to a son, out of wedlock, when she was 16. The father of her son ran off before she could even tell him she was pregnant. She had the baby before she was baptized so when she was baptized into the Amish faith, all was forgiven. All was not forgotten, unfortunately. She still hears the whispers about herself and her son. Her own brother brings it up constantly and feels ashamed of her.
Joshua is an Amish horse breeder and he is still nursing a broken heart over the loss of his brother and then his brother's wife leaving the community with her children. He works all the time as this fills his days and he loves his horses. When Benjamin, Carolyn's son, is accused of throwing a rock at one of his horses that will require stitches, he makes a deal for Benjamin to come and work at his farm to repay the vet bill.
When Carolyn and Joshua meet, there are definite sparks but Carolyn holds herself back because her brother has set her up to start getting to know Saul with the idea of marriage. Her brother has told Saul about her having a son out of wedlock and he's willing to accept it because his own wife has died and he would like a mother for his daughter. This starts a dilemma for Carolyn. She also can't seem to find the right time to tell Joshua about her son.
There are a lot of really great characters in this book and I especially liked Carolyn's mother and her sister-in-law. They see things as they really are and love Carolyn unconditionally. There are also the characters that I really didn't care for (but are necessary for a good story) like Barbie, Joshua's mother and Carolyn's brother.
It all comes together as a really delightful story and, if you enjoy Amish fiction, this is a definite must have for your reading list. I got so into the story, I finished the last half of the book in one evening because I couldn't put it down. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
*This book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group
Blessings - Julie
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