I received a complimentary copy of this book from 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: Peace in the Valley #1
Published by Harvest House Publishers on August 1st 2017
Source: Netgalley
Genres: Christian, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 352
A Beautiful Rose, Like True Love, Never Fades
Esther Stoltzfus considers herself to be down-to-earth, the way most Amish women do. Her marriage to her deceased husband was one borne out of practicality, and Esther sees no reason why God won't replace what He was taken away.
When Esther moves to a new community with her daughter, Diana, she meets the handsome minister Isaiah Mast, who has experienced his own loss and appears to be a logical fit to complete their family. But everything changes when Esther is introduced to Joseph Zook, her widowed neighbor down the road.
While tending to his treasured roses, Joseph tells stories of his passionate love for his late wife, Silvia—stories that stir a place in Esther's heart she never knew existed. What if she and Isaiah could have the kind of love Joseph and Silvia shared?
In the meantime, Joseph gets his own second chance at love with the eccentric Arlene King, even as he knows he will never find another frau like his beloved Silvia.
Silvia's Rose is a beautiful story filled with redemption, romance, and risking it all for the reward of true love.
Silvia’s Rose is the first book in the Peace in the Valley series by Jerry S. Eicher. I was looking forward to this book so much but I have to admit, I struggled with it.
First off, Esther is a widowed lady who moves to a new community with hopes of kindling a romance with a man from her past. He too has lost a spouse and Esther feels that they’ll hit it off. Maybe I’m being practical here but who up and moves with a young child to be near a man who they’re not even courting?
Secondly, Esther is so determined to force this relationship into working—and it does. Predictably and annoyingly so. There was no spark there between these two characters.
Then we meet Joseph. His love for his deceased wife is endearing and I really liked his personality. But, it seems as if he too decided to force a relationship with a woman out of nothing. Even though she wasn’t likable and was rude to him about his disability. Honestly, I cannot imagine loving someone who made fun of me for having a disability. This part of the story bothered me greatly. A person doesn’t change overnight and I’m imagining her mocking him throughout their marriage. I just don’t get this match up at all. Seriously people, don’t marry someone who makes fun of you. You will be miserable.
The redeeming qualities of this story is Joseph’s love for Sylvia. I would have liked to have seen Joseph as the focus of this story and a much more suitable love interest for him.
Hopefully, the rest of the series picks up for me. Despite characters that are traditional to a fault, I usually enjoy Jerry’s writings. This one just wasn’t a hit for me.
About Jerry S. Eicher
Jerry Eicher’s bestselling Amish fiction (more than 210,000 in combined sales) includes The Adams County Trilogy, the Hannah’s Heart books, and the Little Valley Series. After a traditional Amish childhood, Jerry taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. Since then he’s been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies. Jerry lives with his wife, Tina Eicher, and their four children in Virginia.
We love hearing from you! Share your comments below