I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Series: Hawaiian #2
Published by Barbour Publishing, Incorporated on June 5, 2018
Source: The Publisher
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 256
An Amish Woman Finds Love in Hawaii
Ellen Lambright mourned when her best friend, Mandy, moved from Indiana to Hawaii. But now Ellen has received the Amish church's permission to go to Hawaii and help Mandy through challenging times. Rob Smith works on the Williams family's organic farm, far from his past mistakes and burning regrets. When Ellen befriends Rob, the attraction is mutual, but her commitment to the Amish faith stands between them. Could a heartfelt discovery lead to forgiveness, reunion, and love? Or is Ellen's destiny waiting for her in Indiana?
Find out in this sequel to The Hawaiian Quilt from New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter, writing with her daughter-in-law Jean Brunstetter.
Note: Kristin reads and reviews both Christian and secular fiction on A Simply Enchanted Life. Out of respect for my readers, I am including a content review. This content review will help you decide whether this book is suitable for you.
Christian or Secular: Christian
ASEL Rating: no profanity, violence, bedroom scenes, or other content that could otherwise be considered disturbing.
Themes: Romance, Religion, Self-discovery, forgiveness, depression
Suggested Age: 15+
I have to admit that I didn’t like Ellen at the end of The Hawaiian Quilt. I found her to be self-righteous and cranky. I also didn’t approve of her meddling in Mandy’s love life—especially considering that Mandy was not a baptized church member. It’s not like she would have been shunned if she chose to stay in Hawaii. I’m sure that this is real-to-life but it still made me not like her.
However, Ellen did a lot of growing up in the year (or so) that takes place off-script. I actually really liked her in this book. I saw a gradual change in her character and I think a lot of her growth was due to her friendship with Mandy.
This book dealt with some fairly unique topics for this genre. I have to say that shark attack (spoiler alert…sorry!) in an Amish book is not something I’ve ever read before. Then again, I’ve never read an Amish book set in Hawaii either so…there’s that.
I felt that Rob’s story was somewhat easy to figure out. I had part of his story figured from the moment I met him. But, when his backstory was revealed, I totally fell for his character. I love characters who have to overcome obstacles.
This series is just great. I feel like the characters complex and I’m reminded of why I truly fell in love with Wanda Brunstetter’s books so many years ago.
I would definitely suggest this book to others who love the genre and I would reread this series again myself.
About Wanda & Jean Brunstetter
Wanda E. Brunstetter:
New York Times bestselling author, Wanda E. Brunstetter became
fascinated with the Amish way of life when she first visited her husband’s
Mennonite relatives living in Pennsylvania. Wanda and her husband, Richard,
live in Washington State but take every opportunity to visit Amish settlements
throughout the States, where they have many Amish friends.
Meet Jean Brunstetter
Jean Brunstetter became fascinated with the Amish when she first went to Pennsylvania to visit her father-in-law’s family. Since that time, Jean has become friends with several Amish families and enjoys writing about their way of life. She also likes to put some of the simple practices followed by the Amish into her daily routine. Jean lives in Washington State with her husband, Richard Jr. and their three children, but takes every opportunity to visit Amish communities in several states. In addition to writing, Jean enjoys boating, gardening, and spending time on the beach.
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