I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers, Netgalley and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Series: Amish Secrets #3
Published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing on September 26th 2017
Source: BookLook Bloggers, Netgalley
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Clean & Wholesome, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 320
Charlotte has made a home for herself in Amish Country with Daniel. But unforeseen events rock their fragile world and may move them even further away from the life they long for.
Charlotte, an Englisher, is living in Amish Country, and she has formed strong and lasting bonds with the people in her new community. She has even fallen in love with an Amish man. But just when she is considering a permanent conversion to the Amish way of life, her world crashes around her. An unexpected death and a mysterious visitor unsettle Charlotte, and she begins to question her faith and her choices.
Daniel loves Charlotte and wants to share his life with her, even it if means leaving the only world he’s ever known. But as he walks alongside of her through her struggles, his own world is turned upside down when a loved one receives a grim medical diagnosis and a prodigal relative returns home. Will Charlotte and Daniel’s relationship succumb to the many pressures around them, or will their faith and the strong community around them allow them to weather the storms of their own lives in order to build a life together?
Home All Along is the last book in the Amish Secrets series by Beth Wiseman. The story tied up nicely but I wouldn’t mind seeing more of these characters should the author decide to continue.
I loved this series a lot. It’s gritty for Amish fiction and deals with topics of suicide, drug abuse, child abuse and neglect and adultery.
As a whole, I rated this series as follows:
Her Brother’s Keeper: 5
Love Bears all Things: 5
Home All Along: 4
Overall series rating average: 4.66
I wanted to explain for a minute on why this book received a four and the rest received a five. It’s important for me to do this because I love this series so much. I don’t want the lower rating on the last book to confuse anyone or scare them off.
There are two minor issues that I took with this book. First, there was a character mixup. In book number two, Charlotte’s sister was named Dianda. In Home All Along, she is reintroduced as Andrea. Dianda is included in this book as Charlotte’s coworker. It’s a small mistake that a person may not pick up on if the series is not read back to back.
Second, I needed more out of Lena. She had been such an important person in Charlotte’s life and I felt cheated out of witnessing the last moments of her life. She had been such a key element to this story and to die “off camera” for lack of better words just shook me. And perhaps that’s a good thing. Books are supposed to make us feel something. But, I still longed to be with her in her final hours.
Most of all, I love that this book shows how bad things happen to even the best of families. Some days we have to consciously put one foot in front of the other just to make it. Life can be ugly and messy and beautiful—sometimes all at the same time. We don’t have to have it all together and live perfect lives. We just need to keep trying and loving and letting God heal our wounds.
About Beth Wiseman
Award-winning, bestselling author Beth Wiseman is best known for her Amish novels, but she has also written several successful contemporary novels, set primarily in her beloved Texas, including Need You Now and The House that Love Built. Both have received glowing reviews. Beth’s The Promise is inspired by a true story.
I hope to start this one soon!! Can’t wait to read it!!