I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Bloggers and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Published by Baker Books on February 1, 2013
Source: Bethany House Bloggers
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, General, Romance, Suspense
Pages: 334
Mennonite Romantic Suspense Sure to Thrill Readers
Gentle and unassuming Hope Kauffman has never been one to question or try to make changes. She quietly helps her father run Kingdom Quilts and has agreed to the betrothal her father arranged for her with the devout but shy Ebbie Miller.
Despite Hope's and other Kingdom residents' attempts to maintain the status quo, changes have already begun to stir in the small Mennonite town. The handsome and charismatic Jonathon Wiese is the leader of the move to reform, and when one of Kingdom's own is threatened by a mysterious outsider, Jonathon is one of the first to push for the town to arm itself. Hope's fiance, Ebbie, is at the forefront of those demanding the town stay true to its traditions of nonviolence.
When strange incidents around town result in outright attacks on several townspeople, Hope can't help but question what she's always been taught. As the town that's always stood so strong together is torn apart at the seams, Hope is caught between opposing sides, both represented by those she has come to care for. With tensions high and lives endangered by an unknown threat, Hope fears Kingdom can never survive in one piece.
I think I liked this book better than the first. I did think some of it was entirely too similar though so I couldn’t quite give it a 5 star rating. Don’t mistake my honesty as expressing a dislike as I really did enjoy the story despite a few shortcomings I thought that book had. For one, I thought that the love triangle angle was a smidgen annoying since I felt it pretty much happened in the first story. In Inescapable, I could understand Lizzie’s plight—Hope just came off a little flighty. Overall though, I did enjoy the story and I look forward to book three if there is to be one.
About the Story
Hope is torn between two men—betrothed to Ebbie but seriously interested in Jonathan. As hate crimes start to mount against the Mennonite, Ebbie and Jonathan are at odds with how to handle the situation. The Mennonites are gentle people who do not believe in any sort of violence but change is in the air and the church is at odds on where things stand.
Really, the above paragraph sums everything up—there’s not much else I can say to expand on. I felt that this story was a better read than the first but after having read book one I do feel as if the two books were too similar in parts. I would have liked to have seen a little deviation from the typical love triangle.
Since there was in fact a love triangle—at least it wrapped up nicely and I had no idea who she would choose. I was nearly tempted to skip forward a page just to find out once it became apparent that she had made up her mind so at least it was written to be intriguing. Overall a solid four star read and I’ll be picking up more from this author.
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About Nancy Mehl
Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband, Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. First published in 2001, she has now authored nine books, including an omnibus mystery collection, Cozy in Kansas, which contains three of her previously published Ivy Towers mysteries. Book three in the series, For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls, won the American Christian Fiction Writers Mystery Book of the Year award. Nancy’s main writing interests lie in mystery although her new Harmony Series leans more toward the romantic suspense genre. Nancy runs a HUD program for the city of Wichita and is president of a volunteer organization, Wichita Homebound Outreach. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Kansas Authors Club.
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