About
Running from his frustrating life, Chad loses his way on Christmas Eve and soon
stumbles on the remote town of Piney Meadows. Before long, he falls in love with the
people of the Old Order Mennonite community, accepts a job, and settles into the
area. He is touched by the good people and their strong faith, even though he still
has a lingering dispute with God. Most of all, he is fond of Anna. The more he gets
to know her, the more he falls in love with her. But Anna is not happy in Piney
Meadows. The Mennonite community is changing, but it’s not changing fast enough for
her. She longs to move to Minneapolis to get a job, make her way in the world, and
find herself. Chad doesn’t want her to go, but Anna can only see the freedom she
imagines she will get in the big city. When she’s ready to leave he contemplates
leaving with her, but a personal crisis shakes Chad to his core. Feeling let down by
everyone—including God—Chad wonders if Anna will now desert him too.
Review
Having read the first book in this series (The Narrow Path) and enjoyed it, I knew I had to get my hands on this one. Chad and Anna are introduced in the first book and I greatly enjoyed getting to know them. Chad, in my opinion, was a great hero because he was authentic and real. You could see him slowly beginning to rely on and trust God and to slowly fall in love with Anna. He had a past, but he did everything he could to rectify it. Anna, on the other hand, was a bit like a female Ted. In most Amish books, they portray the women as no nonsense women who have to learn how to have fun. Anna is no different. But she is a fully likeable character that you will root for throughout the novel. The romance in this book was my kind of romance. There was kind of a slow, easy burn that kindles toward the end. I so appreciated the fact that Chad and Anna became such good friends before they fell in love with one another. If I had a problem with this book, it would have to do with the Amish ways, and not the characters themselves. Spiritually, the novel dealt with issues of judging those who have already asked forgiven and learning how to accept that you are forgiven. It was a really good topic that worked well. This book was funny, sweet, at moments very real, and quite romantic. I think if you read this book, you will vastly enjoy yourself. Recommended!
**I received this book from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in any way.**
Romantic Scale: 9.5
remaininhislove 