Author: Amy Lillard
Series: Amish of Pontotoc #4
Publisher: Zebra Books
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of pages: 352
Date of Publication: September 29, 2020
Date of Publication: September 29, 2020
Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
For the Amish of Pontotoc, Mississippi, all roads lead to faith, family, and tradition, even when the path is unconventional--especially at Christmas . . .
Tillie Gingerich is so in love with Melvin Yoder that she agrees to leave her conservative Amish home to live with him in the English world. But when the struggle to make ends meet leads to conflict, and reveals troubling weaknesses in their relationship, Tillie returns to Pontotoc--pregnant and unmarried. Her loving family accepts her, but to convince the rest of the community, they must turn to the bishop. Distraught, Tillie runs away on Christmas Eve--only to get as far as an isolated house on the edge of town.
Levi Yoder, Melvin's upright distant cousin, is grieving the loss of his wife and wants to be alone. He is hardly pleased to open his door and find a pregnant woman--a painful reminder of all he's lost. But with an ice storm approaching, he can't turn Tillie away. Yet as morning nears, the miracle of Christmas brings unexpected challenges, opportunities--and promises for
the future . . .
Praise for Amy Lillard and her Wells Landing novels
"An inspirational story of romance, faith, and trust . . . will appeal to fans of Wanda Brunstetter and Beverly Lewis."
--Library Journal on Caroline's Secret
"Fans of inspirational romance will appreciate Lillard's vivid characters and positive message."
--Publishers Weekly
MY THOUGHTS:
When I read this book back in 2020, I gave it 3 Stars but neglected to provide a review. As I am working on some older galleys in my queue, this is a book that I chose to reread so that my thoughts on it could be fresh.
Maybe I have Amish on the brain as in the past few days I have read over a dozen Amish fiction books, including rereading this one. This time around I am granting this book 5 Stars. This book really got to me this time because the heart, loss, grief and love all played important roles between what happened for Tillie and Levi.
Tillie had not yet been baptized in the Amish faith and left with her boyfriend at the time Melvin. She has returned home for a time as she is heavily pregnant and is rethinking her life with Melvin, all while missing being Amish. However, the rules are strict, and Tillie has some hard decisions she has to make, especially as unwed mothers are not accepted in the Amish faith.
As Tillie was never baptized, she is not officially shunned, but that doesn't mean she can remain, especially once her unborn child is born. One night after being stressed out she flees. She ends up in Levi's barn during a heavy snowstorm. The snow is falling hard and the roads might soon be impassible, so Levi offers Tillie a room, at least for the night.
This is especially difficult for Levi as he lost his pregnant wife and their unborn child. He is plagued with both grief and anger at the loss and now he is dealing with a pregnant woman in his house - a woman who ends up giving birth there.
While Levi is dealing with the pain of his losses, Tillie is trying to sort her future. I love the story between Tillie and Levi, especially as Tillie cannot help but hope for reunification with Melvin. Trying to imagine love after loss and new beginnings was difficult but the story was so touching that it truly rang home to me, especially after a second read.
Many thanks to Zebra Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I’m a wife, mother, and bona fide Southern belle. Published author, expert corn bread maker, Fibro Warrior, and
I live in Tulsa, though I was born in Mississippi. I moved to the Sooner State when I was seventeen and met my soul mate and best friend not long after. I’ve retained a little of my Mississippi accent though most people think I’m from Texas. (?) Rob and I have been married for over twenty-five years and have a son–a mom proclaimed prodigy, of course!
I love homemade tacos, nail polish, and romance novels–not necessarily in that order. I’m a big fan of country music, a staunch proponent of saving the Oxford comma, and I’m shamefully obsessed with all things Harry Potter.
I dislike people trying to convince me to read the Twlight series (I’ll get to it or I won’t, either way I’m good with it), gratuitous violence, and strawberry ice cream. (I know I’m alone on this last one, and again, I’m good with it.)
Favorite movies–(besides HP) French Kiss, Maid of Honor, A Lot Like Love, Just Married, and Sweet Home Alabama. Oh, and Miss Congeniality, Sabrina (both versions) and a 1940’s movie called Dear Ruth. If you haven’t seen it, you should! A-dorable. Anything with Doris Day and most all of Marilyn’s and Audrey’s.
I live in Tulsa, though I was born in Mississippi. I moved to the Sooner State when I was seventeen and met my soul mate and best friend not long after. I’ve retained a little of my Mississippi accent though most people think I’m from Texas. (?) Rob and I have been married for over twenty-five years and have a son–a mom proclaimed prodigy, of course!
I love homemade tacos, nail polish, and romance novels–not necessarily in that order. I’m a big fan of country music, a staunch proponent of saving the Oxford comma, and I’m shamefully obsessed with all things Harry Potter.
I dislike people trying to convince me to read the Twlight series (I’ll get to it or I won’t, either way I’m good with it), gratuitous violence, and strawberry ice cream. (I know I’m alone on this last one, and again, I’m good with it.)
Favorite movies–(besides HP) French Kiss, Maid of Honor, A Lot Like Love, Just Married, and Sweet Home Alabama. Oh, and Miss Congeniality, Sabrina (both versions) and a 1940’s movie called Dear Ruth. If you haven’t seen it, you should! A-dorable. Anything with Doris Day and most all of Marilyn’s and Audrey’s.
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