Series:
Amish Bookstore (Book 2)
They come from different backgrounds . . . But are they
destined to write a new chapter together?
With little left to tie her to her home state of Texas
and yearning for a slower life, Yvonne Wilson jumps at the chance to shake
things up with a move to Montgomery, Indiana. A dream job awaits her—managing
an Amish bookstore for her good friends Jake and Eva. Besides the slow-paced
setting and the comfort of beloved books, Yvonne hopes the change will help
distract her from the emptiness she feels after the death of her fiancé.
No longer a part of the Amish community but still a
resident of Montgomery, Abraham Byler finds himself in over his head with his
job as a police officer combined with a new but fast-moving relationship with
the wealthy and aggressive New York native Brianna Stone. When Abraham realizes
that his old crush Yvonne is back in town, he’s not just in over his head—he
suddenly finds himself head over heels for Yvonne—and in hot water with
Brianna.
When the violence of police work comes up against his
pacifist upbringing, Abraham is forced to question his original decision to
leave the Amish faith for his career. Meanwhile, Yvonne is asking her own
questions about why she feels such a deep peace in Montgomery—and how much that
feeling has to do with Abraham and how much has to do with the workings of her
own heart.
Excellent book with complicated characters and
situations. I have yet to read the first book in this series, but enough of the
backstory was provided that I did not feel lost. It does make me want to go
back and read the first one. Three main characters - Yvonne, Abraham, and
Brianna - are involved in a love triangle. In the previous book, Yvonne met
Abraham when she visited the town and attended her friends, Jake and Eva's
wedding. Yvonne and Abraham connected there, with Abraham developing feelings
for her. He wrote to her after she returned to Texas, but still grieving the
death of her fiancé, Yvonne never answered his letters.
Months later, Yvonne moves to Montgomery for a new start.
Jake and Eva hired her to manage the bookstore while Eva is on bedrest and Jake
works the family farm. She looks forward to a quieter and simpler life and the
possibility of seeing Abraham again.
Abraham is a former Amish man who left the community to
become a police officer. He likes his work but occasionally wonders if he made
the right choice. In other decisions, after not hearing from Yvonne for three
months, Abraham starts dating newcomer Brianna. Brianna is a modern city woman,
making me wonder why she latched onto a former Amish and still very
conservative Abraham. Brianna is very intense, possessive, and controlling.
When she hears about Yvonne's arrival in town, she quickly stakes her claim on
Abraham.
I loved seeing the relationship develop between Abraham
and Yvonne. She is conscious of his relationship with Brianna and unwilling to
break them up, puts him firmly in the "friend zone." Abraham is happy
to renew his friendship with Yvonne but quickly realizes that he is much more
attracted to Yvonne than Brianna. He finds frequent reasons to help Yvonne,
from helping her with her house to providing her with a Christmas tree. It was
easy to see that Abraham and Yvonne have much in common and are very suited to
each other.
Brianna is intense and tries to push Abraham faster in
their relationship than he is willing to go. The Amish values he was raised
with are still integral to who Abraham is, and he has made his position very
clear to Brianna. When he is injured in the line of duty, Brianna moves in to
help him, putting her own spin on the situation. Her methods of getting her way
are dishonest and manipulative. It doesn't take long for Abraham to realize
that it is time for them to part ways, but his soft heart worries about hurting
her. There were some scary moments with Brianna, but I ended up feeling sorry
for her.
With his relationship with Brianna sorted out, Abraham
was free to spend time with Yvonne. I loved watching their connection grow and
strengthen as they shared their beliefs and dreams. The incident that ended
with Abraham's injury has caused him to question his future as a police officer
and his decision to leave his Amish faith. But returning to the Amish would
mean leaving Yvonne behind. Both need to look deep within their hearts to find
the right answers. I loved their honest communication about the pros and cons. The
ending was terrific, with a sweet twist.
There were a couple of mysteries running through the
book. One was creepy and scary. Not long after Yvonne moved into her house, she
began having problems with an apparent stalker. Someone tried to break into her
home, and there were nights when Yvonne's dog would bark an alert that someone
was lurking. The resolution of this issue was intense and heartbreaking. The
second mystery was simply intriguing. Jake told Yvonne of an old story
involving the bookstore and a rumored cache of valuable coins. With the number
of renovations the building has gone through over the years, with no one
finding them, Jake and Yvonne suspect that it's all talk and no substance. Then
an unexpected discovery lends credence to the rumors. I hope that there will be
more about this in the next book.
I can't end this review without talking about the dog. One
night when she came home, Yvonne found a dog curled up on her porch. She is
terrified of dogs after an incident when she was a child. The dog is a pitiful
specimen - very thin and dirty but not aggressive. Over the next few days,
Yvonne's kind heart overcomes her fears, and the dog wriggles his way into her
life. I loved watching the tentative bond grow between them. Yvonne won my
heart when she brought the dog inside on a snowy night. Her decision to keep
him was not unexpected, and I loved the comfort and companionship he gave her. He
was also protective, which gave Abraham a few worrisome moments but was a good
thing in the end.
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