I received a complimentary copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity Group and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Series: The Amish of Hart County #1
Published by HarperCollins on March 14th 2017
Source: Litfuse Publicity Group
Genres: Fiction, Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Romance, Clean & Wholesome
Pages: 272
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray begins a new series—The Amish of Hart County—with this suspenseful tale of a young Amish woman who is forced to move to a new town to escape a threatening stalker.
After a stalker went too far, Hannah Hilty and her family had no choice but to leave the bustling Amish community where she grew up. Now she’s getting a fresh start in Hart County, Kentucky…if only she wasn’t too scared to take it. Hannah has become afraid to trust anyone—even Isaac, the friendly Amish man who lives next door. She wonders if she'll ever return to the trusting, easy-going woman she once was.
For Isaac Troyer, the beautiful girl he teasingly called “The Recluse” confuses him like no other. When he learns of her past, he knows he's misjudged her. However, he also understands the importance of being grateful for God’s gifts, and wonders if they will ever have anything in common. But as Hannah and Isaac slowly grow closer, they realize that there’s always more to someone than meets the eye.
Just as Hannah is finally settling into her new life, and perhaps finding a new love, more secrets are revealed and tragedy strikes. Now Hannah must decide if she should run again or dare to fight for the future she has found in Hart County.
Her Secret is the first book in The Amish of Hart County series by Shelley Shepard Gray. This suspenseful novel, while a very good read, left me wanting more. With larger print and at 247 pages, I felt that this read more as a novella than as a full length novel.
What I did love about this story was that it breaks the mold of idealistic Amish books that so plague the genre. Mystery and suspense is a new and refreshing take for the genre and I’m glad to see authors branching out from the typical girl meets boy, marries and has a bunch of babies plot.
I simply felt that the conclusion to this novel felt rushed. One moment you had Hannah in the hands of a twisted stalker and later that day she is rescued. I know that within this genre authors feel the need to be careful of not including too much violence or twisted plots so maybe that is why the story was quickly wrapped up. However, I felt that an opportunity to make my heart pound with suspense was missed.
It’s not like I want to see a character be abused or unhappy but when I pick up a suspense novel, I’d really like a few moments where I gnaw my nails and worry about the protagonist.
Overall I give this a solid 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the writing and felt that it was refreshing and new. I just wish I hadn’t felt so rushed through an anticlimactic finish for what promised to be a great suspense.
About Shelley Shepard Gray
Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.
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