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| 1335509410
| 9781335509413
| 1335509410
| 4.34
| 127
| unknown
| Mar 20, 2018
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liked it
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Woman wakes up to amnesia, has a fiancé but can't remember falling in love with him or getting engaged. They have to get to know each other again. The
Woman wakes up to amnesia, has a fiancé but can't remember falling in love with him or getting engaged. They have to get to know each other again. There's also a mystery element. Cute. Whatever. I'm so sick of Amish romances. HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? A few chaste kisses. MENTIONS OF GOD 80 NAMES IN THIS BOOK: (view spoiler)[ Anna Melinda Aaron Fletcher Josiah Roy Raymond Isaiah Naomi Eli Evan Elmer Conrad Joyce Frederick Esther Leah Rebekah Joseph Grace Serenity Doris John Timothy Albert Hannah Oliver Tessa Katie Turner Faith Amelia Thistle – Goat Chandler Gabriel Ruth Jesse Emma (hide spoiler)] ROMANCE CATEGORIES Amnesia Romance Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Second Chance Romance - Kind of? Virgin Hero Romance Amish Romance He's a Carpenter/Construction Worker; She doesn't work for pay but used to work retail before her brain injury ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 27, 2018
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Nov 27, 2018
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Nov 27, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 1335509402
| 9781335509406
| 1335509402
| 4.38
| 243
| unknown
| Mar 20, 2018
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did not like it
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Why did her friends always ask her to define Jeremiah? Had she noticed? Yes. His swagger was one of the things about him that both scared her and intr
Why did her friends always ask her to define Jeremiah? Had she noticed? Yes. His swagger was one of the things about him that both scared her and intrigued her. He moved in a way that showed too much confidence and made him too masculine. He might be world-weary and tired, but Jeremiah was still a handsome man. 124 Very unlikely story of a man who left the Amish at age 17, became a Navy SEAL, and then returned to his Amish community to be baptized 12 years later. He left behind his childhood sweetheart, Ava Jane. She married his best friend and had two children. Then her husband drowned. Now Jeremiah is back. What can I really say about this book? One, it would be much hotter with some sex. Worth acknowledges sexiness, which is more than I can say for a lot of Amish-romance authors. She makes sure to let us know that Jeremiah is sexually attractive. But since I know Jeremiah and Ava Jane won't have a slow makeout session, much less fucking, it's kind of sterile and pathetic. Look at these scenes and realize how much better this book could be if our main characters were allowed to have sex: "Are you afraid of me, Ava Jane?" "Should I be?" she countered, thinking by the way her heart was pumping, she ought to be afraid. Truth be told, he scared her in more ways than one. "No," he replied. "You don't ever have to be afraid of me. Whatever I became out there," he said, waving his hand in the air, "I left behind out there." 74 What about this? "But you've been here all day. Shouldn't you go?" Jeremiah stood up straight and looked into her eyes again in a way she both remembered and now found different - stronger, hard-edged and way too determined, his expression cut in stone. "Do you want me to go?"75 Damn. We could have had a really hot book on our hands if only Jeremiah was allowed to take Ava Jane to bed. I would have really enjoyed that. Another major problem with the book is that Ava Jane is really a jerk to Jeremiah. I can understand her being angry with him, especially at the beginning. She loved him, wanted to marry him, and he left her. Not only did he leave her and the community, but he did it to join up with a violent group and he killed people as a SEAL. However, Worth makes this worse and more confusing than she has to. Ava Jane is angry and cold toward Jeremiah. Then she warms up to him. Then she gets cold and angry again. Then she's a real jerk to him for no reason. Then she gets this idea about 'he shouldn't be around her children' and that he's 'poisoning her children's minds' or some shit. It just didn't make any sense. I know a romance novel has to have tension, but I was getting angry with Ava Jane and her fickle lukewarm-and-cold treatment of Jeremiah, which seemed to vary based on which way the breeze was blowing that day. "You will never forgive me. You'll pretend to care and you'll even try to convince yourself that you've let the past go. But if you can't trust me, especially with your children, then what is there left for us to talk about, Ava Jane?" 182 I totally agree with you, Jeremiah. Find another woman. TL;DR Unlikely that a man would leave Amishville to become a Navy SEAL for 12 years and then come back to resume an Amish lifestyle. Worth writes Jeremiah as if he might actually be sexually attractive, but all for naught as these two are not allowed to anything more than share a chaste kiss. Also, Ava Jane was annoying me with her treatment of Jeremiah. If Worth had simply had her start out cold and angry and then slowly warmed her up throughout the novel, it would have made more sense. As it is, she fluctuates wildly on how she treats Jeremiah. And her conviction that he's trying to corrupt her children somehow made no sense. MENTIONS OF GOD: 153. These people just won't shut up about God. It's very annoying. HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex, this is a Christian romance. NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Ava Jane Jeremiah left 12 years ago Isaac Edward Deborah Rebecca Leah Hannah Martha Moselle Judy Bettye Beth Eli 10 Jacob – died two years ago Sarah Rose almost 7 Matilda – horse Samuel Callie – Cat Raesha Matthew Ike Derek Josiah Ruth Joseph (hide spoiler)] ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Military Romance Second Chance Romance Virgin Hero Romance Non-Virgin Heroine Widow Heroine Amish Romance He's a Farmer-Handyman-Volunteer Firefighter, She's a... Amish women don't work for pay ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 26, 2018
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Nov 27, 2018
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Nov 26, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 1335509348
| 9781335509345
| 1335509348
| 4.30
| 248
| unknown
| Feb 20, 2018
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liked it
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I don't really have an opening quote for this. This is a sort of comedy Amish romance novel. Like Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie in Amish form. Helen I don't really have an opening quote for this. This is a sort of comedy Amish romance novel. Like Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie in Amish form. Helen's fiancé throws her over on her wedding day for her sister. Humiliated and hurt, Helen 'runs away' to go live with her batty Aunt Charlotte. Aunt Charlotte has a beloved bloodhound, Clyde, and a pet raccoon: Juliet. She also might be slipping into the early stages of dementia. All of this is played for laughs. OUR HERO Mark isn't a man I'm crazy about. He's rude, judgmental, stern. I guess we are supposed to think the chemistry between hot-tempered Helen and pompous, judgmental Mark is funny... but I wouldn't want to date him. He does a lot of mansplaining and doesn't have much of a sense of humor. OUR HEROINE Helen. She has a short temper and doesn't think things through. She insinuates that she was a selfish and shallow person in her old life. Neither of these people sound appealing, but like I said, I'm sure this is Davids's version of a comedy. You can pull off a male character like this is you have more skill. An example is Cletus from Beard Science by Penny Reid. That's a funny, nuanced, sexy interpretation of a man who at first glimpse might seem a bit hard to turn into a romance hero. But Davids doesn't have the skill to pull off this kind of character. What else can I say about this book? ANNOYING CHRISTIANITY The annoying parts of born-again Christians bleeding over into Amish life in what I'm SURE is an inaccurate way. For instance, Mark's correspondence with his fiancée for two years. How does he address the letters? Dear Angela? Dearest Angela? No. "To Angela, my sister in Christ." *Carmen gnashes her teeth* I can't BELIEVE this shit. What about this part where Mark is despairing about Helen not loving him: "She doesn't love me. Am I so hard to love? What's wrong with me?" ..."Many people love you. Gott loves you. Never doubt that." 197 Okay, what THE FUCK does God loving you have do with this?!?!?!?!! Is that supposed to make him feel better?!?!!? Mark: "I'm sad. Helen doesn't love me." Fellow Christian: "But GOD loves you!!!! Isn't that great!!!? :D :D :D :D" No. Just no. Stop this. How can people EVEN BE LIKE THIS? Do you even listen to yourself?!?!!?!? Another sad, sad testament to the damaging patriarchy here is this little excerpt: Why had he given her a peck on the cheek instead? Had she mistaken his intentions? Had the bold way she offered her lips to him disgusted him? 179 Wow, such damaged sexuality. It's amazing to me how women in these books aimed at born-again Christians (Christy Miller, I'm looking at YOU) can be made to feel like a 'slut' when they have never even KISSED a man. It's so, so sad. Extremely depressing how young women are so fucked-up in the head about men and sex before they've even so much as had one kiss on the mouth. Makes me severely depressed. They always think men are going to label them as 'sluts' for just thinking about kissing, or something. And probably men do, because the sexual repression and sexual shame in these communities is no joke. Seriously fucked-up and very unhealthy. HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex. Two kisses on the cheek, two chaste ones on the mouth. MENTIONS OF GOD 51. Blissfully light on the God-talk. TL;DR: If you are looking for a more lighthearted romp through the Amish countryside, this is the book for you. Dotty Aunt Charlotte's conversations and shenanigans are amusing, the match-making bloodhound is charming, and Helen and Mark's comedy of errors in getting together is played for laughs with varying degrees of success. Mark may grate on you. Helen may grate on you. Individually, I'm not sure I'd want to be friends with either of them. But if you take it as sort of romantic comedy, I think you can enjoy it. NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Isaac Mark John James Vern Theresa Connie Angela Paul Helen Olivia Joseph Charlotte Abner Samuel Jessica Adam Anna Otis Clyde – dog Juliet – pet raccoon Noah Samuel Timothy Luke Fannie Grace Silas Emma Verna Ina Hannah Mary Lillian Anthony (hide spoiler)] ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Contemporary Romance Enemies to Lovers - Kind of. Inspirational Romance Virgin Hero Romance Amish Romance He's a Carpenter, She's a Baker ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 26, 2018
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Nov 26, 2018
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Nov 26, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 1335509356
| 9781335509352
| 1335509356
| 4.28
| 105
| unknown
| Feb 20, 2018
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it was ok
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"He's going to die. Shun me if you want." 189 A unique Amish romance. Kathleen leaves her Amish community before being baptized to become a doctor. How "He's going to die. Shun me if you want." 189 A unique Amish romance. Kathleen leaves her Amish community before being baptized to become a doctor. How does she pay for this? Book is extremely fuzzy on the details. I'm not buying it for one second. Anyway. Kathleen watched her sister die of anaphylactic shock after being stung by a bee. After that, she vowed to become a doctor and serve the Amish community to save others. However, her community isn't so happy. They see her as disobedient for getting an education. They literally, at certain times in this book, would rather sit back and watch people die instead of allowing her to treat them. It's barbaric. It's unfathomable. It makes readers see the Amish community as monstrous, which I'm not sure was Davis's intention. Noah is Kathleen's ally. His wife, Rachel, died in childbirth three years ago. So perhaps he sees the value of an Amish doctor more than other people in the community do. He helps her set up a small clinic on his property and he fights for her right to run it on a trial basis with the council of elders. Kathleen and Noah start to fall in love. But as in the Amish community a husband is a master, Kathleen knows she can never wed. As a wife, she is a slave and must obey her master's commands. And she knows any man would forbid his wife from working. Even if he allowed his wife to work, he would forbid it after she got pregnant. So she exchanges her hopes and dreams of being a wife and a mother for being a doctor. It's very, very sad and hateful the damage the patriarchy does here. I guess Davis is saying that Noah would be a kind master to Kathleen and allow her to use her medical degree to save and treat people in the community, but it's kind of hard to read this book without getting sick. Especially when the Amish community acts like Kathleen giving chest compressions to someone suffering from a heart attack is some sort of sexual sin. o.O It's hateful and sick. I was in shock watching these people LITERALLY willing to watch the people they love die rather than have a female Amish doctor treat them and save their life. And the elders saying that her saving people's lives was sinful and that she should be shunned for that. It's HORRIFIC. I can't understand why people glamorize and idealize this culture. Even born-again Christians. Surely this doesn't sound like a good and idyllic society to anyone?!!?!?!? Noah was fine. Kathleen was fine. I didn't have a problem with any of them, it was the overall culture and community here I had a huge problem with. Davis tries to tell us that this book has a happy ending, and I guess it sort of does. It made me depressed, though. TL;DR: If you want to be very horrified by Amish culture, read this. MENTIONS OF GOD 121 HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex, three light kisses. NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Kathleen Noah Luke Mark Andrew Nancy Simon Isaac Pamela David Fred – horse Samuel Jessica Hannah Martha Grace Titus Abraham Heddy Ethan Jonathan Nicky Eli Ada Mae Sarah Justin Paul Elizabeth Benjamin Joshua Ruby Gloria Kaleidoscope – dog Rachel (hide spoiler)] ROMANCE CATEGORIES Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance STEM Heroine Romance Widower Hero Doctor Romance Amish Romance He's a Carpenter, She's a Doctor ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 26, 2018
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Nov 26, 2018
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Nov 26, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 1335509283
| 9781335509284
| 1335509283
| 4.08
| 145
| unknown
| Jan 16, 2018
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did not like it
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She hated to admit it, but having Luke around DID make her life easier. It was such a blessing to have another adult to lend a hand, and her boys trai
She hated to admit it, but having Luke around DID make her life easier. It was such a blessing to have another adult to lend a hand, and her boys trailed him around and pestered him instead of her. Plus, Luke had taken over milking and feeding the animals morning and night, leaving her free to do what needed doing in the house. Having an extra set of strong hands really helped on a farm. 98 This is kind of a strange one. Honor is a widow with four kids. Her dead husband was no prize. He kept a tight fist on the money and told Honor they were poor. In reality, they were pretty well off, but she didn't discover that until after he had died. He was cold and distant with the children. He thought raising them fell solely on the mother. He tried to beat one of the children once, apparently, and she was able to stop him. 9 years ago Honor and our hero, Luke, were going to get married. He stood her up at the alter. This hurt and humiliated her badly. She married the next man who asked her to, with terrible results. Now Luke has shown up hoping to win her back. Why? I have no clue. Abandon someone at the alter nine years ago and now show up thinking she's going to give you a second chance. Highly unlikely. The main thrust of the book is that Honor is living in an absolutely horrible, run-down house that is a real nightmare. She also does not discipline her four children - who are wild and out of control. Luke comes along and takes both the house and the children in hand. Which could be problematic, I don't know. The house is one thing - it needs repair. It is a fucking nightmare. Luke is a carpenter and construction worker and he starts fixing it up. She's paying him of course. Okay, fine. The children are another issue. Even though Miller is very careful not to criticize Honor as a mother, it's desperately obvious that the children need discipline. They almost kill each other and adults frequently. They have no idea that their actions have consequences. To Luke's credit, he bites his tongue about this for a long fucking time. It's not his place to discipline her children. It's not his place to tell her to discipline her children. He understands that. However, the children are a menace and possibly could kill themselves and others. This isn't an exaggeration on my part. They do some really dangerous stuff. Miller won't say it, but I'll say it: Honor is failing her children by letting them do whatever they want with no consequences. Of course Honor and Luke get more and more serious, and Luke eventually reaches his breaking point and has to tell Honor that she has to get her act together in being a better parent. She thinks scolding or punishing a child in any way is 'mean' and 'harmful.' Obviously she is wrong. I've never struck a child in my life, in anger or otherwise. But definitely I believe in discipline and setting boundaries with children. I am a fun and kind person, but children definitely know that when I say "no" that means "no." Honor is unable to set up any limits for her children or place consequences on them in any way. As an end result, the 'consequences' they will receive from their behavior is realizing they have accidentally killed someone. Or their own death will happen. Obviously Honor does not want her children dead, nor does she want them to be responsible for the death of other people, but even in these cases - and there are some extreme cases in the book - she cannot punish, scold, or control her children. Honestly, this kind of woman is a real turn-off to me. If I were Luke I would be very turned-off by this weakness. I don't know how Luke can be sexually and romantically interested in this woman. AND, if you think that's bad, Honor exhibits some extremely childish, weak and selfish behavior at the end of the novel. (view spoiler)[ She stands Luke up at the alter. Why? Revenge? No. Just simple weakness of character. In the days and weeks leading up to the wedding, she is having a lot of doubts and problems with getting a new husband/master. I can understand that - her dead husband was a horrible person. But she should talk about these concerns and fears with Luke. Instead, she tells him nothing, and it boils over right before the wedding. She stands him up, and literally barricades herself in the house. He literally takes the door off the hinges to get in. Why? I mean, I don't know. He must be crazy about this woman. He talks her into walking down the aisle. (hide spoiler)] Why. Honestly, I can understand coming back to your old flame. Plenty of people do, it is a very human urge, especially for men IME. However, once Luke got there and saw what Honor was like now, I'm surprised he didn't lose interest in her. I often criticize, critique and analyze men. What makes a man attractive? What makes him sexy? What makes him a man and not a piece of shit? Why is he good or bad in bed? How's his temper? Does he act right with the heroine? I often have less problems with the woman. I don't know if this is because of how romance novels are typically written - with the heroes more prone to be assholes? Or if it's because as a woman, I empathize with women more and can understand them more and forgive them more? But in this novel, the woman was in the doghouse with me. I didn't think she was cruel or stupid or manipulative. But she was weak, and the evidence of her weakness was glaring. A woman with four kids might be enough to make most men run for the hills. I disagree. I think a man who is seriously interested in a woman would love, care for, adopt, and protect her children. It's not the fact that she has four children that I think would turn Luke off, it's the fact that they are little hellions. And the fact that they are little hellions because she absolutely will not discipline them in any way for any reason. This disgusts me. I see what Miller was trying to do - say Honor was really soft on the kids because her dead husband was so hard on them. But it rang false. Only a terrible parent would let their kids get into these super dangerous scenarios again and again and again and not punish them. If only to prevent death and injury. Even if punishing them is difficult for her, you'd think she'd want to preserve life. I'm usually pretty lenient and understanding of women, but not in this case. Luke - the calm, capable, respectful man was getting props from me and the weak, selfish, childish woman was annoying me and making me wish the hero wouldn't marry her. Her four-year-old behavior at the end was just the icing on the cake for me. I would not have fought so hard for her if I were him. Why bother. I mean, everything works out fine and they allegedly end up happily-ever-after, but I have my doubts. Another thing that's setting off alarms for me is her extreme reluctance to leave her children for even a week to go on a honeymoon with him. I mean, JFC. It would be one thing if the book explained all this with some kind of horrific abusive past, but that's not how Miller is playing this. Instead, Honor seems like a person who happened to have kids, has no fucking idea how to be a parent, is a shitty and defensive parent who is literally endangering her children's lives. Even though she realizes this on some level, she is unable to change. I'm unsure how the author is saying Luke will get her to change with marriage, but I guess that is what she is saying. She's even fucked up about putting the kids into school. I mean, extreme not-letting-go syndrome. It's very unattractive. TL;DR Not to my tastes. The heroine was too unlikable for me - not due to her being a bad person, but due to her being a weak one. I was so turned off. MENTIONS OF GOD: 76 HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex. He wants to kiss her after they (view spoiler)[get engaged, (hide spoiler)] but she refuses. Even him saying he wants to look at her makes her blush and tell him to stop. Her face, he wants to look at her face. Not some other part of her where blushing might be warranted. She just exasperated me. NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Luke Sara Samuel Hiram Honor Silas Freeman Katie Caleb Jonas Elijah Justice Greta Tanner Anke Robert Reuben Jane May Zipporah Grace Leah Addy Gideon Violet Dorcas Susanna Miriam Amelia JJ Koda – Dakota Naomi Berta Eli Roman Jerry Jan Raymond Mary Beth Moses Abel Harvey Charley James Wilma Ivy Jehu Mary Joan Ruth Simon Ellie Rebecca Lovina Anna Martha Hannah Albert (hide spoiler)] ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Animal Lovers Romance - not sure if this qualifies. Honor loves animals and keeps an orphaned lamb in her kitchen etc. Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Second Chance Romance Virgin Hero Non-Virgin Heroine Widow Heroine Amish Romance He's a Carpenter/Construction Worker; She's a Mother of Four, Amish women aren't allowed to work for pay ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 25, 2018
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Nov 25, 2018
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Nov 25, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 1335509224
| 9781335509222
| 1335509224
| 4.26
| 136
| unknown
| Dec 19, 2017
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really liked it
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"Will girls like my scar like Mercy does yours?" Shocked to feel heat rising up his face, Jeremiah kept his head bent so the kind didn't see his reacti "Will girls like my scar like Mercy does yours?" Shocked to feel heat rising up his face, Jeremiah kept his head bent so the kind didn't see his reaction. "I don't think Mercy cares about my scars one way or the other." "Sure she does." Parker climbed onto the chunk of wood, but didn't reach for the knife. "I've seen her touching them. A lot. I think she likes them. A lot." The boy was right, Jeremiah knew. 145 Mercy and her daughter Sunni come to her grandfather's farm. Her grandfather is dead and Mercy plans on turning his farm into a retreat for foster kids (or city kids? Or disadvantaged kids? All three?). Little does she know her grandfather sold Jeremiah the farm. Now who owns the property? They both call their realtors and lawyers, but while waiting, Jeremiah moves into the tenant house and both start fixing up the (badly, badly neglected/damaged) property in their own way. THE GOOD - Multi-racial cast with a pro-adoption bent. Mercy is latina, adopted by Mennonites and now a Mennonite herself. Sunni is her adopted daughter (Mercy has never been married or had sex) from Korea. She has congenital disabilities which involve her having to wear braces on both legs and use crutches. (view spoiler)[Mercy later takes in another abandoned Korean boy, Parker/Park Jae-Eun/Paul. (hide spoiler)] The Amish are typically against outside adoption in my understanding, but Mercy is a Mennonite and an adoptive mother and foster-mom. It's hard to break out of all-white casting in Amish Christian romance, I'm pleased with Brown's efforts and her results here. Brown covers the more tenuous things that come with adoption: feeling like you don't fit in, being in a community where everyone is a different race than you, feeling like your 'real' parents didn't want you, being put in foster families with adults who are fickle and unkind. But Brown also covers the joy and family that can come from adopting and loving a child, and how important that is. - Likable Heroine Mercy is kind, hard-working and good with children. I liked her. She's smart. One thing I REALLY liked about Mercy is her eventually demands for mouth-kissing from Jeremiah. He kisses her on the cheek a few times, and she's eventually like, It was so sweet, but when he moved to kiss her other cheek, she caught his face between her palms. His eyes burned like the heart of a fire, sparks glinting through their shadowed depths. "Kiss me," she whispered softly. "I am kissing you." "Kiss my lips." 184 That's right, girl! Get it! Really, really, really rare to read about a heroine in Amish romance who is bold enough to ask the hero to give her mouth-kissing. Good for her! And good for the author for making her not only brave enough to ask for what she wants, but for making Jeremiah smile and give it to her. I would have been SO UPSET if he told her he couldn't mouth-kiss her because it was sinful. I would have blown a gasket. - Likable Hero I also liked the hero. Making a likable hero and heroine is half the battle. You have no idea how many romance novels fail on this count, making unlikable MCs or only making one of the MCs likable. It's tragic. Ruins the whole book. Jeremiah is a mensch. Hard-working. Doesn't complain. Quick to act. When Mercy calls upon him for help, he's right there immediately to help. Helps. Doesn't complain about it. Takes care of shit. Helps her take care of shit. Handles his shit. You know, like a man. People complain about heroes in romances always being rich. Perhaps that's one reason Amish romance appeals to some people? These heroes still work with their hands in what would be considered in the real world as 'blue-collar' jobs. Too bad it comes with a huge helping of patriarchy and tons of sex-negativity. Jeremiah's scarred, calloused hands are a real turn-on for Mercy, as you can see in the opening quote. Her ex got regular manicures, so you can see the appeal of this opposite for her. As anyone who has read my reviews knows, there's just something about rough, calloused, scarred, capable hands. IDK. Since we can't talk about any other body parts in Christian romance (much to my sadness) we must discuss hands and eyes and, IDK, hair. Anyway. Jeremiah is a turn-on in a lot of ways for Mercy and hopefully for Christian-romance readers who want 'clean' romances. He's great. Kind, hardworking, good with children. Never shies away from hard work, doesn't complain about the work he has to do (both huge turn-ons for me, personally), isn't lazy, is good with children - notably in one scene where (view spoiler)[ Parker/Park Jae-Eun/Paul is acting out and Jeremiah reassures Mercy that he won't take him out behind the woodshed and beat him. Instead he has a patient and gentle approach to the difficult (understatement) child. (hide spoiler)] You can't help but admire how he interacts with children and think about what a great father he would make. Which I'm sure is very appealing to our heroine. He's just like a man, who believes in personal responsibility and taking responsibility for your actions and being a hardworking member of society. He's calm, doesn't have a temper, and takes things in stride - all three which are personal turn-ons for me. - Downplay the patriarchy. Unlike other Amish romances I've read which seem to revel in the 'women are inferior to men' ideals of the Amish community, Brown kind of sidesteps that whole deal here. Much to my relief and pleasure. Jeremiah and Mercy are both strong, hard workers who are capable and do both chores and love/look after children. Sure, Mercy works mainly in the house and Jeremiah works mainly out of it, but they both help each other as needed and there's none of the usual 'women can't do this/men would be ashamed to do "women's work"' shit that usually pervades this kind of fiction. Even though their church probably preaches all sorts of awful things, Jeremiah and Mercy seem on equal footing in their relationship, and Brown never makes it seem like Jeremiah views Mercy as his inferior. I always brace myself for the worst in these Amish romances - some are completely disgusting, to be honest - but Brown did great here in making Jeremiah and Mercy be in a pretty loving, equal partnership which I liked. GOOD CHRISTIANITY Instead of using hurtful, patriarchal Christian messages, Brown instead engages in positive Christianity. For example, Jeremiah tells (view spoiler)[Parker/Park Jae-Eun/Paul (hide spoiler)] not to be abusive to his mother and sister because Jesus teaches us to treat others as we would like to be treated. Usually I don't find such positive Christianity and actually useful and helpful Christianity in these novels. Sounds weird, but authors usually focus on the negative like "The Bible says keep women down in their place" and "The Bible says you have to take abuse from your family members" etc. etc. I actually liked the positive and good-message Christianity presented in this book, working as a force for good instead of as a justification for evil. PROBLEMS Seemingly inescapable abuse in Amish romance. Quite frequently these Amish romance novels feature a (almost always) female who is being verbally and sometimes physically abused by a relative. There's absolutely no recourse. The woman has absolutely nothing she can do. The hero she inevitably gets with also does nothing. Mainly this is due to the overarching idea that 'family is everything' and that if you are being abused by a family member, you should just put up with it because you have an obligation and a duty to family and to your elders. It's fucking sick. I understand the Amish don't believe in revenge or in disobeying your elders, but I'm sickened by how many of these books feature Amish people (usually women) being verbally and/or physically abused by their elders. And then the books (or Amish communities?) message of "just put up with it. Sometimes a family member is like that." It's sad. Unlike in traditional romances, where a heroine might experience some form of abuse but the hero enters her life and 'saves' her from her abuser or makes her safe again or stands up to her abuser (problematic as these storylines sometimes are), in Amish romance the hero often admires or applauds the heroine for being so passive and 'meek.' They see this as a sign that she has 'good Amish values.' This is extra-sick. In some cases the woman is literally being beaten and/or verbally abused frequently, and books often bring children into these environments. With no word or nod to maybe it's a terrible fucking idea to bring children into the house with someone everyone knows is an abusive asshole. Alfred began to list everything he thought Mercy was doing wrong. She seemed to shrink within herself, and Jeremiah respected how she didn't fire protests to defend herself. Just as an Amish woman would do, whispered his own thoughts. 112 - Speaking of abuse, (view spoiler)[ Parker/Park Jae-Eun/Paul is abusive to his disabled younger sister, Sunni. Even though the book doesn't ignore this - Jeremiah gently not only corrects Parker but tries to serve as a good role model for him - it doesn't resolve it, either. "But as much as you and I are alike, there's one way we're different. I try never to say anything hurtful to someone else. Jesus asked us to treat everyone else the way we want to be treated." 160 I think it's very damaging for Sunni to be living with a strongly verbally abusive brother in her home. I understand Brown is saying Parker/Park Jae-Eun/Paul is damaged and lashing out, but the way he talks to Sunni and even gets physical with her sometimes is worrisome. I wish the author had resolved this in some way. I was worried about Sunni's future and well-being. (hide spoiler)] - Author keeps comparing brown eyes to mud. I understand this wasn't intentionally disrespectful, but come on. Surely you can do better than this. Jeremiah, of course, the white person, has blue eyes. Not saying this is a race thing, but there are about fifty things you can compare brown eyes to poetically other than mud. HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? Plus: Jeremiah and Mercy want to kiss each other. This is good. Oftentimes Amish romances pretend that there is no such thing as sexual attraction. I spent a lot of the book hoping kissing would happen. Then Jeremiah starts occasionally kissing her on the cheek. I was despairing. However, we know from earlier in the review that Mercy eventually takes matters into her own hands and asks Jeremiah to kiss her on the mouth. What a bold, womanly move! Good job! And he complies, also to my relief and joy. KISSING. Of course it's not very described, and needless to say I think the book would have been 10x better with some hot, slow kissing scenes. KISSING! I mean, I understand premarital sex is off the table due to the MCs religious beliefs, but at least we could enjoy a hot makeout session. BUT NO. Oh, well, I should be grateful. It's better than most Amish romances on the kissing-front. Jeremiah also enjoys Mercy's blushing, Tapping her cheek, he said, "This is charming." 188 Which is cute. No sex and nothing beyond some light kissing. MENTIONS OF GOD: 89 TL;DR: A surprisingly fun and positive Amish Christian romance. If you are a reader who enjoys clean Amish romances, this is one I would actually recommend. It has its flaws, but it's surprisingly free of the usual problems that accompany this subgenre. NAMES IN THIS BOOK(view spoiler)[ Jeremiah Rudy Kitty Mercy Graham Sunni – Kim Sun-Hee Darren Caleb Wayne Emmarita Erika Hero – horse Whitney Parker – Park Jae-Eun – Paul Wanda Frieda Kevin Miriam Alfred Paul Gilberto Amada (hide spoiler)] ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Multicultural/Interracial Romance - Mercy is latina, Jeremiah is white Virgin Hero Amish Romance He's a Carpenter/Farmer; She's a Foster Mom and will run a retreat for disadvantaged kids ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 24, 2018
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Nov 24, 2018
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Nov 24, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 037362316X
| 9780373623167
| 037362316X
| 4.19
| 163
| unknown
| Nov 21, 2017
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liked it
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Was she being pessimistic about the prospect of marriage? Or was she merely accepting God's provision for her life? After all, she'd scarcely had any
Was she being pessimistic about the prospect of marriage? Or was she merely accepting God's provision for her life? After all, she'd scarcely had any suitors when she was a teenager; her grandfather had seen to that. So what was the likelihood she'd find love in their diminishing district now, at this age? Even if she did meet someone she wished to marry, her grandfather was incapable of living alone and too stubborn to move out of his house. She couldn't leave him, nor could she imagine any man being willing to live as her husband under her grandfather's roof and rule. To her, it seemed only realistic to accept that no matter how much she may have yearned for it, her life wasn't meant to include the love of a husband. And she had come to believe God wanted her to be content with teaching other people's children rather than to be bitter about not having children of her own. 8 SUMMARY Hannah (29) is living in poverty with her abusive grandfather. She teaches school, but will be fired soon because the school is shrinking. Sawyer is a widower with triplet children. He moves to Pennsylvania (temporarily) to help his Uncle John with the harvest. ANALYSIS 1.) SAD HANNAH I feel sorry for Hannah for a lot of reasons. One, she lives with her abusive grandfather. He doesn't beat her, but he is verbally and emotionally abusive. He controls her life, insults her all the time, doesn't value her on the vast, vast amounts of work she puts into caring for him. Her younger sister was able to escape through marrying someone, but Hannah is trapped. No matter what her grandfather does, Hannah forgives him and is very understanding. It's sad. She needs to start standing up for herself, but I guess standing up for yourself is 'not Christian' and accepting lifelong abuse at the hands of a relative is. Two, Hannah seems resigned to a life of serving her grandfather and never being happy or experiencing happiness herself. Her only joy is her work as a schoolteacher (she's been teaching 11 years) but even that is being taken away as the school is downsizing. She's never had a man because her grandfather has scared away all suitors from the time she was a teenager. She wants children but knows she'll never have them. She's very lonely, living with her deaf, abusive grandfather. Three, Hannah is living in poverty. She's not starving, but she saves every scrap of food and has to budget every penny. She and her grandfather don't even have a cow, but the local milkman delivers them one bottle of milk and a hunk of cheese out of Christian charity. Hannah worries about food and money a lot. Her situation is extra dire because a.) she's a woman and the Amish don't reward 'women's work' with money, and b.) her grandfather only earns money through making wooden children's toys, not a very lucrative market or profession, c.) her grandfather has a very bad temper and often turns down opportunities to earn money in fits of spite. SAWYER Sawyer suffers from... patriarchal brainwashing. He doesn't seem to grasp that women might have hopes and dreams like men do. He knows that what Hannah's grandfather is doing to her is wrong, but he is unable to do anything about it. When he eventually falls in love with Hannah and wants to marry her and her grandfather cruelly refuses, he is stuck. He can't 'take' Hannah away from her current master and be her new master due to the Amish's ownership of women laws. (It's not stated like that, but that's the crux of it.) Hannah never scrubbed the floors as thoroughly as she did when she was angry, and on Saturday afternoon she was so mad, the wood gleamed. Why did her grandfather have to behave that way? It seemed as if he'd intentionally been trying to snuff out any flicker of happiness she experienced - especially in the company of young men - since she was a teenager, and he showed no signs of stopping now that she was an adult. 125 Women are the unpaid help. If you have no women in your household, you are without servants. We see this time and time again. If a man's wife dies (as Sawyer's did), he and the children LITERALLY STARVE. And are completely dependent on neighboring women providing them with food. Men are unable to cook - it's a biological impossibility - and moreover, men are UNABLE to learn how to cook. ONLY women can cook and clean. This would be ridiculous and funny to me if it weren't so incredibly sad and damaging. As the boys pulled their shirts over their heads, he noticed how prominent their ribs and shoulder blades were becoming. How had this happened in the few weeks Gertrude was away? It emphasized the need for them to return home and establish their normal routine as soon as possible. 40 Even though women aren't valued in the Amish community - they are never paid money and are not allowed to work for pay if they are married (or even if they are unmarried if their master/father doesn't allow it), they are actually extremely valuable because if you don't have a woman/slave in your house you will LITERALLY STARVE. Of course Albert (Grandfather) doesn't want to give up his live-in slave who caters to his every whim to a new master!!!! He won't allow this. He jealously guards her while also constantly berating her, stomping out any happiness she has, and verbally and emotionally abusing her. She knew from a lifetime of experience that this was his peace offering - a kind word in exchange for a rash of harsh ones. She didn't harbor any bitterness toward him because, as he stood before her, his hands behind his back, she saw him for who he was: a man too stubborn to change, but in need of love just as he was. 104 Right now, Sawyer is PAYING Hannah to care for his children after school. But why PAY a woman to care for your children and cook meals when you can MARRY her and she'll do everything (plus have sex with you, bear you more children, and clean the house diligently every single day) FOR FREE?!!? "You need a full-time wife, not a part-time cook," John ribbed him. "Someone who will keep you company, not just keep your house." 16 Sawyer also is terminally clueless when we learn about what he's doing to his younger sister, Gertrude. Since Sawyer's wife has died, Gertrude has stepped up to care for the children, cook, and clean for Sawyer. Wife-slave dies, sister-slave steps in. Sawyer is angry when he learns a young man has romantic interest in Gertrude. Doesn't Gertrude KNOW it is her Christian and womanly duty to dedicate the rest of her life to serving her brother and his children!?!?!?!? How DARE she want to marry and have a family of her own. That's selfish. Hannah points out to Sawyer how unfair he's being to Gertrude. He's very surprised. This kind of conversation does NOT make me think Sawyer will be a good husband. He seems naturally very selfish, although part of that is no doubt do to his patriarchal upbringing. But this lack of compassion and inability to see other people's wants and needs makes me a bit nervous about him being a husband. However, compared to her asshole grandfather, he is a definite step or three up. So. Another bad part is when Hannah teaches the children on the first day. They drop their bag of ham sandwiches in the dirt. She sees how thin and hungry they are and so she gives them her lunch - bread with strawberry preserves. She only has the strawberry preserves because a student had gifted them to her. This makes Sawyer upset. He's upset that Hannah is giving his children 'sweets.' Now, I have to say I found this very baffling. One of a parent's worst fears is seeing their children go hungry. He gets so bent out of shape about her giving the kids bread with strawberry jam. The kids are fucking hungry. She fed them her own lunch. She's poor, this food is very valuable to her. I'm just baffled. He apologizes later, but the fact that he's not catching on to this stuff from the get-go really has me scratching my head. Would you want to marry a guy who is this removed from reality?! I guess you'd want to marry almost anyone if it means escaping life with your grandfather. I guess that's the point of this book. It's not a billionaire romance, which I've never found appealing, but I guess it illustrates the appeal of those books to me. Hannah goes from living in abject poverty with her abusive grandfather to being married to a (relatively) "wealthy" Amish man who is not verbally or emotionally abusive. She doesn't have to worry about food anymore, food will always be available to her. She won't have to stretch every penny. She will be the mother of three wonderful children. She will no longer be her grandfather's slave. Her grandfather will live with her and her husband, but in a separate little place on the property the Amish use to house their elderly while still keeping them part of the family/household. Sure, she'll still be cleaning, cooking, and caring for children every single day, but she will be with a man she romantically "loves," have an opportunity to have children of her own, and get some freedom from her oppressive grandfather. GOOD THINGS I CAN SAY ABOUT THIS BOOK - It's longer than a normal romance by Harlequin. This means a better, more intricate story and better character development. - Lighte is a good author. If you like emotional romances (and I do), this one will tug at your heartstrings. It might even make you teary at parts. If you enjoy Christian romances and also want an emotional read, I'd recommend this one. - The kids are cute and fun and Hannah is good with them. They are not too annoying or cutesy. Nor are they used as devices to force the hero and heroine together. TL;DR - Happy Ending? I guess. I wasn't crazy about Sawyer. He was loads better than her grandfather, though. And the children were cute, and Hannah is very good with them. She doesn't have to live in poverty anymore. Hmmmmmm, you be the judge. ...but standing over the gas stove cooking supper in the tiny kitchen caused her to sweat almost as much as if she'd walked home. "It's dry," her grandfather said disgustedly about the chicken she'd prepared. "Bring me a different piece." Since she had served the only meat they had, Hannah took both of their plates to the stove and covertly switched her piece with his, slicing off the ends so he wouldn't notice. 46 MENTIONS OF GOD: 123 - They think and talk about God ALL THE TIME. It's very annoying. ROMANCE CATEGORIES Contemporary Romance Holiday/Christmas Romance Inspirational Romance Widower Hero Amish Romance He's a Carpenter, She's a Schoolteacher - but only until she gets married! Married women aren't allowed to work for pay. NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Hannah Doris Amos John Eli Caleb Abigail Jacob Miriam Sawyer Sarah Samuel Simon Gertrude Kathryn Eliza Lydia Phillip Eve Jeremiah Jonas Joseph Daniel Albert Amelia James Menno Vernon Leroy Seth Gloria Grace Turner (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 24, 2018
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Oct 24, 2018
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Oct 24, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0373623151
| 9780373623150
| 0373623151
| 4.08
| 98
| unknown
| Nov 21, 2017
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it was ok
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Peter had understood what she needed and taken care of it for her. She felt something soften inside her. 87 OK. I have a few major issues with this boo Peter had understood what she needed and taken care of it for her. She felt something soften inside her. 87 OK. I have a few major issues with this book. We need to discuss it. First, a basic brief plot summary: Peter and Meg had a minor thing. This is Amish Christian romance, so we are just talking about like-liking each other. They didn't even buggy-ride together or whatever the fuck the Amish do instead of dating. But that all ended when Meg heard Peter say a particularly damning thing about her being spoiled and in need of discipline. Now Peter is half-heartedly courting Agnes, and Meg is half-heartedly allowing Reuben to court her. But both of them really want each other. ANALYSIS PROBLEM ONE: MISUNDERSTANDINGS. It is not a good sign when a romance book has to rely heavily on misunderstandings that could easily be cleared up. Unfortunately, this is relatively common. Here, you spend the whole book thinking about what an unimaginable dick Peter must be to talk about a woman being spoiled and in need of discipline. His every interaction with Meg is colored by this. You're thinking, "Surely she can find a man better than THIS." (view spoiler)[Then Kertz punches you in the face by revealing on page 151 that even though she THOUGHT he was talking about her, he was really talking about his dog. (hide spoiler)] *Carmen bashes her head against the table* Listen, this is lazy, sloppy writing. Don't do this shit. It's very aggravating. Are you telling me they have been pining for each other for four years, and she's been nursing an emotional wound, and he's been woundedly confused FOR ALL THIS TIME?!?!!? (view spoiler)[When everything could have been cleared up with a simple conversation?!?!?!? (hide spoiler)] JFC. And don't you think, given the intensity and persistence of their feelings for each other, that one or the other would have approached the other and questioned this?!?!?!? Really bad and stupid thing to put in a book, especially if you are using it as a main pillar of these two's relationship. The misunderstanding hijinks don't stop there. Later in the book, Meg sees Peter talking to a young woman at a party. She gets intensely bent out of shape, since she thinks it is a young woman he promised her he wouldn't invite. (view spoiler)[It's really the twin sister of the woman he'd promised not to invite. (hide spoiler)] Meg runs off to cry in the barn. She's always doing stuff like this. She never talks about anything, just reacts, often overreacts, and often for no reason or the wrong reason. Peter suffers from the same complaint. For example, not simply (view spoiler)[ fucking telling Meg he broke up with Agnes when Meg is in tears about it. (hide spoiler)] Again, it's a simple and easy thing to solve this 'problem,' but instead, Peter runs the other way and does absolutely nothing constructive to deal with the situation. Which brings me to point number two. PROBLEM TWO: BOTH CHARACTERS ARE MILD ASSHOLES. In case you think only Meg is a mild asshole in this, not so. Peter is no prize, either. Both are stubborn, uncommunicative, judgmental, quick to draw conclusions. When Peter or Meg think they've been slighted, they run away and vow never to see the other again. It's ridiculous. And both of them are courting people they are not interested in. Which is another form of assholery. Peter is courting Agnes, a 'perfectly nice girl' whom he uses kind of as an anti-depressant. Whenever Meg makes him angry or sad he runs over to Agnes's place because she's like a 'piece of sunshine' and brightens up his day. She is friendly, kind, talkative, open. He uses her as a salve. Meg is allowing Reuben to court her, even though she is practically shuddering at his touch. He's a kind man, but she has no romantic or sexual interest in him. He annoys her. I can sympathize with her about Reuben. What woman hasn't felt awkward about being the target of a kind man's attentions? Reuben is kind and thoughtful. But she doesn't want him. And he's besotted with her. It's hard, because she knows she 'should' like him. (And she isn't allowed to remain single in the Amish community. She's expected to marry, and soon.) But she doesn't want him touching her and his affection makes her squeamish. I relate to this and have sympathy for her, but the normal and healthy thing is to tell him you're not interested in him. But she puts this off and puts this off. And goes out with him and goes out with him. And the situation gets worse and worse. It's the opposite of mercy, it's a form of cruelty - to both Reuben and herself. Peter has the same problem. He's courting Agnes, but his heart isn't in it. Poor Agnes. I felt bad that this schlub was wasting her time. She wants to get married and have children and she deserves suitors that are more than lukewarmly interested in her. She's a kind, energetic woman and she's sadly being monopolized by a man who doesn't even really have an interest in her. So. PLUSES Good things about the book. - Kertz is a competent writer. I'm angry that she chose to rely on tired tropes, but as far as the actual writing goes (word after word) she isn't bad or boring. - Having Meg, the heroine, be a prickly, stubborn, and quick-tempered. This was (although annoying at times) refreshing. Usually heroines are kind paragons of virtue (especially in Christian romance) and it was interesting having one that was generally deemed by the people around her to be 'difficult and touchy.' HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex. I don't think these two even kiss. They sit next to each other at one point. Kertz acts like them sitting next to each other is like... some huge sexual deal. I guess you really have to reach when you are trying to write Christian romance. They SAT next to each other. She could FEEL his BODY HEAT! I'm like o.O but that's the way it is in these things. On page 212 he kisses her on the forehead. Ick. On page 215 he kisses her on the mouth, but of course it is the last page in the book and (view spoiler)[they are married. (hide spoiler)] So. Big disappointment on the sexual front. MENTIONS OF GOD: 23. Extremely light. And I am thankful to Kertz for it. Thank you, Kertz! TL;DR Should these two end up in a relationship together?! I was really having serious doubts. To me, a match of two stubborn, uncommunicative, drama king/queens is a very, very bad idea. Marriage from hell. Who is going to be the patient one? The communicative one? The thoughtful, contemplative one? No one. I just see endless fights and misunderstandings and vows to never talk to each other again. Jeez. As far as the book went, I would have liked it a whole lot more if Kertz had resisted the urge to rely on tired, far-fetched, lazy writing such as romance tropes of The Big Misunderstanding. And it happens more than once. Very frustrating. ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Contemporary Romance Holiday/Christmas Romance Inspirational Romance Second-Chance Romance - Kind of? They were crushing on each other before and it probably would have led to 'courting' if they didn't have their big fight. I'm going to say 'yes,' second-chance romance fits. Virgin Hero Romance Cheating - OK. I have to include this as a cheating book. Both are 'involved' with other people (I want to stress these are not physical relationships) but seeing each other on the sly and being in love with each other on the down-low. I count that as cheating, even though absolutely nothing physical goes on while they are 'with' other people. Of course, nothing physical goes on even when they AREN'T with other people... LOL Amish Romance He's a Farmer/Something With Horses; She's Not Allowed to Work for Pay NAMES IN THIS BOOK: (view spoiler)[ Meg Ellie Reuben Eli Peter Josiah Barbara Agnes Alice Annie Joshua Arlin Nell James Rick Nancy Charlotte May – nn Charlie Katie Horseshoe Joe Miraim Leah Samuel Martha Elijah Jedidiah Jacob Noah Isaac Daniel Joseph John Rachel Susanna Amos EJ Missy Catherine Nathaniel nn Nate Mary Adam Ethan Katherine Luke Sally Alta Nicholas Lydia Levi Josie William Ellen Abram Jonas – dog Naomi - dog Drew Honey – dog Aaron (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 18, 2018
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Oct 22, 2018
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Oct 18, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0373899637
| 9780373899630
| 0373899637
| 4.18
| 119
| unknown
| Oct 17, 2017
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did not like it
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...Katie Kay did the breakfast dishes and cleaned the house. She was surprised how much she enjoyed taking care of a home when she wasn't being critic
...Katie Kay did the breakfast dishes and cleaned the house. She was surprised how much she enjoyed taking care of a home when she wasn't being criticized for missing a cobweb or leaving dust on a table. For the first time, she began to imagine what it would be like to have a house and family of her own like Gemma did. And a husband, too, to complete the happy picture? A sigh drifted from her as she stopped the vacuum and began to reel up the cord. Who would want to marry her when she carried another man's kind? Micah had offered, and she'd turned him down. He'd told her he wouldn't ask her again. What a mess she'd made of her life! All her hopes of experiencing things she couldn't while among the Leit taunted her. She'd gotten her wish but in ways she'd never reckoned. 216 This opening quote is a prime example of everything I hate about this book and the rampant misogyny in it. Katie Kay leaves her Amish family for four months. During the course of this four months, she works as a waitress and ends up pregnant by a scumbag, who abandons her at the side of the road in the rain as soon as he learns she's carrying his child. The main thrust of this book is that Katie Kay fucked up her life by leaving the patriarchal cult she belonged to. If only she knew how WONDERFUL her life of constant cleaning and caring for children really was! The real world offers nothing but heartache - it's full of men who smoke, do drugs, get you pregnant but then abandon you, and women who gossip behind each other's backs and have premarital sex. THE HORROR. Why did Katie Kay ever think she could have a happy life outside of the reach of her loving masters? Cleaning, having children, and caring for children from as young of an age as possible is a woman's purpose in life. And it naturally makes women very happy and fulfilled. How could she possibly think something like working for pay or having a boyfriend could make her happy?! But don't worry. Katie Kay has been "brought low," as this book likes to put it, punished for daring to stray away from the Amish lifestyle. She's now aware of how horrible, selfish, and proud she was for doing things like a.) flirting, b.) enjoying male attention, c.) not accepting a marriage proposal from kind Micah, and d.) thinking she could have a life outside of the Amish. Luckily, through the grace of God, she has been shown the error of her ways. Of course if she acts like a loose woman she will be tossed out of a car in the rain like an unwanted kitten! Luckily, God sends her Micah to pick her up in his buggy. Thankfully, she can atone for her wicked ways and beg her family and Micah's forgiveness, then humbly take her place working for the Amish for no pay until she dies. She is (and should be!) super-grateful that Micah can still find it in his heart to love her and be attracted to her when she's *gasp* carrying another man's child!!!!!! ... In case you're not picking up on my sarcasm here, the book is fucking disgusting. It's this kind of subtle misogyny that really fucks people up. While I'm sure Brown and her readers consider this book as one that has a happy ending, I was not on board. Sure, Katie Kay finds a husband and a father for her baby. But at what price, Gloria? Any dreams of her own she had are smashed. Her only fate as an Amish woman is as a servant and helpmeet to her husband and children. That's it. Full-stop. She's not allowed to be or do anything else. I know what you're saying. She was homeless, and she's lucky she had family who would take her in. I hear you. It is hard for unwed mothers below the poverty line. However, it just saddened me that her only recourse was groveling and then getting reabsorbed into a strict patriarchy. HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex. Some light kissing. TL;DR Disgusting book. ...she'd grown up. Six months ago, she wouldn't have been willing to take care of someone else's kinder. She wouldn't have felt satisfaction in putting a gut meal on the table or cleaning up after the family. 224 MENTIONS OF GOD 89 ROMANCE CATEGORIES Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Second Chance Romance Virgin Hero Non-Virgin Heroine Pregnant Heroine Amish Romance He's a Construction Worker; She's Not Allowed to Work for Pay NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Katie Kay Reuben Austin Vinnie Juan Priscilla Micah Wanda Sean Gemma Rascal – horse Olivia Jayden Dylan Sarann Ezra Leah Daniel Isaiah Tillie Beth Ann Jeremiah Marnita Ina Sue Ella Hannah Cinda Atlee Fannie Cherokee Lester Clara Joshua Rebekah Lloyd (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 16, 2018
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Oct 17, 2018
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Oct 16, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0373899564
| 9780373899562
| 0373899564
| 4.37
| 274
| unknown
| Sep 19, 2017
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liked it
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He placed a hand beneath her chin and lifted her face to his. Slowly, he bent low and kissed her. Willa had time to move away, but her feet wouldn't li He placed a hand beneath her chin and lifted her face to his. Slowly, he bent low and kissed her. Willa had time to move away, but her feet wouldn't listen to her brain. The tenderness of his lips against hers made her respond in kind. Her mind stopped shouting that it was a mistake and her heart took over. She cupped his face with her hands and lost herself in the sensations his touch brought to life. 177 This was a pretty entertaining Amish romance. Willa is homeless after her husband's death. She is on the run because her in-laws are trying to get custody of her children (two 3-year-old twin girls). She is also pregnant. She used to be Amish before she was 15 and her parents left the Amish community. So she goes back. But her grandfather rejects her and refuses to take her in. Enter our hero, John. He's a grumpy, reclusive widower who is in seemingly never-ending mourning for his wife who died four years ago. But he's also kind. He and his mother, Vera, take Willa and her girls in. ANALYSIS 1.) The Evil Patriarchy It always hurts my heart a little bit to read these Amish books because it's such a woman-hating culture you are plunged into. Men make the decisions. A man makes the decisions for his mother, for example. Women do all the cooking and all the cleaning. Men eat first. Men run the church. It's very disgusting. And it makes me very sad. It's even more sad because the born-again Christians who are writing these book see this as the ideal that should be aspired to. Really gross IMO. 2.) A Kind Hero and Gentle Teasing. Despite his stern and gruff exterior, John turns out to be a kind and gentle man. He even develops a sense of humor. This starts off early when Willa and John meet on the road and she tries to tease him. "You'll be safe with me, frau, if that is what worries you." "That's exactly what a serial killer would say." He scowled at her but noticed the twinkle in her eyes as she tried to hide a smile. "Are you teasing me?" She grinned. "I was trying to, but I fear I have offended you." The Englisch were a strange lot. 12 He initially doesn't get it, but as he spends more and more time with her and the children, he develops his own brand of humor. "I don't see how you have any room left for food after the way you ate last night. I've never seen a woman eat so many biscuits. You had six after eating half a chicken." Her mouth dropped open. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm eating for two!" "Are you sure there aren't more? Like five or six?" "That's an awful thing to say." "What are you two quarreling about at this hour of the morning?" Vera asked as she came into the room. John gestured toward Willa. "She's determined to eat us out of house and home. Lock the cellar and hide the key so she can't get to the canned produce." Willa finished her eggs and pushed back from the table. "Do you have canned peaches? Oh, that sounds so good." Vera chuckled. "I do, and John will fetch them for you." He headed for the cellar door. "Shall I bring up a dozen jars, or do you think you'll need more?" "A dozen will do for a start," she said with a chuckle. 86 Now, first I was upset. I think, basically, that you shouldn't bring up eating or eating habits with a person, I think it's very hurtful. But after close consideration and also finishing the book, I was able to determine that John was a good and loving man and that he was genuinely teasing her in what he thought was a gentle manner. She could have taken offense at this and been completely justified IMO, but she rolls with it, and we can all see by the end that he loves her and doesn't intend for his teasing to have any negative effects on her. I'm glad they start to tease each other, it's not the kind of teasing I'd engage in but they seem to enjoy it, and it's funny when Willa starts calling him Johnjohn as an imitation of what her daughters call him. John is kind and gently persistent, I liked him. 3.) Postpartum Psychosis. This is the rare, rare, rare romance novel that features a heroine who has suffered from postpartum psychosis. One of the reasons Willa's in-laws are trying to get custody of the girls is because after they were born, Willa tried walking them into a river. Now she's pregnant again, being chased by her in-laws, and of course terrified that she is going to possibly hurt her new baby after it is born. You just don't SEE issues like this being dealt with by romance novels, and I enjoyed Davids bringing this up. Willa thinks no one will love her once they learn the 'unspeakable' thing she did after the twins were born, and she suffers hiding it from John, whom she is falling in love with. HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex. Four kisses. TL;DR - Overall an enjoyable novel in the Amish Christian sub-genre. If you like that sort of thing, I think this is one of the better ones. I liked both the hero and heroine, although it's hard for me to tolerate the 'patriarchal cult' atmosphere presented here. Good to read around Christmas, since it is Christmas-y and winter-y. MENTIONS OF GOD: 124 ROMANCE CATEGORIES Contemporary Romance Holiday/Christmas Romance Inspirational Romance Non-Virgin Heroine Widower Hero Widow Heroine Pregnant Heroine He is a Blacksmith, She Works Retail - Until they get married, then she's not allowed to work for pay NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Melvin Jake – horse Pete – horse John Katie May Ezekiel Willa Lucy Megan Glen Ada Miriam Mark Vera Joshua Mary Maybell – cow Rebecca Clover – horse Ana Nick Luke Noah Hank Henry Janice Connie Zoe Belinda Gary Nora Benjamin Fannie Lillian Hannah Isaac Samuel Debra Ellie Anna (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 15, 2018
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Oct 15, 2018
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Oct 15, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0373622961
| 9780373622962
| 0373622961
| 4.25
| 254
| unknown
| Aug 22, 2017
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did not like it
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And then he leaned across the barrier of the wheelchair arm and kissed her. It was a long, slow kiss, gentle at first but deepening as he felt her resp And then he leaned across the barrier of the wheelchair arm and kissed her. It was a long, slow kiss, gentle at first but deepening as he felt her response. He inhaled the sweet, feminine scent of her, heard her breathing quicken and felt her lips warm. Her hand touched his nape tentatively, then more surely as she leaned into his kiss. The world seemed to narrow until it encompassed only the two of them. Jessie comes over to help her cousin's widower, Caleb. He is in a wheelchair with a broken leg. He has two children - Becky, 6 and Timothy, 4. She met Caleb 10 years ago when he came to visit her farm. They really hit it off. They got along very well, and Jessie was romantically interested in him. But as soon as he saw her beautiful blonde cousin, Alice, he was entranced. He pursues Alice and marries her quickly. However, Alice is not good wife material. She is unhappy and possibly suffering from Postpartum Depression (and possibly not, who knows) when she abandons her husband and her two children when Timothy is 10 months old. She lives in the English world. But she comes back (two years ago) to die. She finds out she has cancer and lives out her last months on the farm with the husband and children she abandoned and scarred deeply. So. Caleb is fucked up in the head about women (his mom abandoned him and his brothers, now he and his children were abandoned by Alice). He is also fucking his children up in the head by refusing to mention Alice in his house, never discussing Alice with the children, and acting like Alice was a horrible, garbage woman. I mean, that may have basis in truth - Alice did act wrongly and hurt him and the children - but she was the children's mother, for gosh sake. He's not doing his kids any favors by harboring such festering hatred for his dead wife. So this is the viper's nest Jessie is plunged into when she arrives at the farm. Caleb is very resentful and hostile to her. Let's break this down. 1.) Perry is a good author. Let's get that out of the way first. I had a lot of problems with this book, but the writing wasn't something I was complaining about. Perry is creating a poignant story here. She is great at tugging on your heart. She really gets your emotions going. She pays attention to detail. Her skill as an author of Christian romance is not under attack here. 2.) Caleb is an asshole. That's really my main problem with this book. It's a problem the book can't recover from. Being grumpy is one thing, but Caleb is not grumpy. He's an asshole. I don't like the way he treats Jessie. And in case you think he can redeem himself, he can't. Even until the end of the book, even after they decide to be together, he still keeps treating her like trash. He has a bad temper. He lashes out all the time. Jessie is constantly weighing her words and treading carefully around him because he gets angry easily. That's such a huge turn-off to me. You can't expect me to root for her ending up with this man. Do you want to be married to a guy whom you have to walk on eggshells around for the rest of your life?!!? No, you don't. Caleb really doesn't have any excuse. Jessie is a wonderful and kind person. She is very patient with him and she is very kind to him and the children. The way he treats her is atrocious, and it doesn't change even after he realizes he is romantically and sexually attracted to her. It's not okay. It's not excusable, I don't care what his dead wife did in the past. 3.) Another idea I want to address is the idea that Jessie is ugly. It's really... sick. Caleb is fucked up IMO. At least she's nothing at all like Alice was. She's plain, not pretty and flirty. 28 ... She was flushed and smiling, and with her eyes sparkling, she didn't look as plain as he'd thought. 51 ... Pretty. Not beautiful, the way Alice had been when they'd met, but appealing in her own way. 55 ... She had no plans to be married, so the day she'd joined them had been a silent announcement, if any were needed, that she considered herself a spinster. Not a pretty term, but it was true. She'd given up the idea of marriage a long time ago. 72 A lot of this doesn't make any sense. For one thing: okay, so Jessie isn't as pretty as her cousin Alice. A lot of good that did Caleb. His beautiful wife whom he was so entranced by was a terrible partner and a terrible mother. Why is he still looking for and judging women on their outward appearance? You'd think he would have learned better. Two, it's begrudging. It's as if Caleb is saying, "Oh, fine. I guess I'll reluctantly take this woman as my wife, even though she's not pretty." Don't do Jessie any favors, fucker. She's too good for you. You don't deserve her. You're fucking trash. Even though you lash out at her, have a terrible temper, hurt her feelings... SHE should be grateful YOU are taking an interest in her?!!?!? Get the fuck out of here with that shit. Jessie knows she's Caleb's second choice and that he doesn't think she's pretty. That's very hurtful. Seeing a man you were interested in lose all interest in you as soon as he sees your prettier sister/cousin is very damaging. I can't believe she'd think about taking that man back. He's not even apologetic. He's STILL critical of her appearance and compares her looks unfavorably to his dead wife's. WTF? If I'm reading a romance and I am very sad the woman gets saddled with the 'hero' for life, then you have failed as a romance author. I'm sorry, even though Perry writes a good and poignant story, I can't cheer for these two to end up together. I think it's awful. Poor Jessie. I can't believe this is who she is going to have to deal with for the rest of her life. Three, what is all this shit about her being a spinster?!?! From what I've read in Amish Christian Fiction, you have no choice to remain single in the Amish community. Everyone is forced to get married and have children. She'd have to have A LOT more 'wrong' with her than having 'plain looks' in order to be considered unmarriagable. EVERYONE is marriageable in the Amish community. Especially someone who is an amazing cleaner, a wonderful cook, and who is skilled with children. She would be a catch. I can't imagine a 'plain face' would make her some sort of reject. It's literally not believable. 4.) She teaches a four-year-old boy how to cook and sew. I honestly thought she was going to get a lot worse blowback from this. Gender roles are strictly enforced in this community. I was surprised she didn't get laid into for this. TL;DR I just do not understand how authors expect me to root for a woman to end up with an asshole. And Caleb proves he is going to be this way for life. He does not redeem himself or show that he can change and be better. She's hitched to this jerk FOR LIFE. She's going to have to carefully watch what she says and does FOR LIFE because he has a bad temper and a tendency to lash out. This makes me very sad. Jessie is a kind, hard-working, loving, patient woman and she deserves a lot better than this asshole. I resent the implication that because of her 'plain looks' this is the best she can expect from life. That's total bullshit, especially in this community where marriage is so important, required, and necessary. I'd think she'd have a lot of better options than picking up her dead cousin's bad-tempered husband. MENTIONS OF GOD: 40. Quite light. HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex, Christian romance. Some light kissing. ROMANCE CATEGORIES Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Widower Hero Amish Romance He's a Farmer, She's a... Amish Women Aren't Allowed to Work for Pay ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 06, 2018
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Aug 06, 2018
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Aug 06, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0373622902
| 9780373622900
| 0373622902
| 4.09
| 126
| unknown
| Jul 18, 2017
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really liked it
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He started to speak her name and then realized he didn't want to. Not yet. Because for the first time in his life, he felt as if he had something that
He started to speak her name and then realized he didn't want to. Not yet. Because for the first time in his life, he felt as if he had something that was his and his alone. And he wasn't ready to share it. He wasn't ready to share Ruby with his mother. Okay, I have a lot to say about this book. Joseph is in his twenties and looking for a wife. He lives with his widowed mother. He is shy and quiet. Ruby comes in from another state. She is looking for a husband. She is clumsy, talks a lot, and is considered 'ugly' by a lot of people. Even though Joseph and Ruby suit each other perfectly, Joseph's mean, nosy, and controlling mother throws a wrench in things. Let's break it down. THE GOOD: It's generally a sweet book. Although Ruby and Joseph "meet cute" with her landing on top of him and him getting a bloody head injury - which had me like o.O - the book ended up being pretty sweet. Ruby and Joseph are very complementary to each other. They fit each other like puzzle pieces. Joseph stutters, stammers, has a lot of nervous energy that makes him fidget. He is shy and quiet and has trouble speaking in public and to women. Ruby talks a lot, is very clumsy, and is not good at sewing or cooking (considered huge flaws in the Amish community). The thing I really like about Ruby and Joseph is how they accept and love each other. Their 'flaws' don't matter to the other person. They can talk and laugh together for hours, indeed, they get on like a house on fire. One of the biggest standouts is Ruby's 'ugliness.' Everyone seems to find Ruby ugly, and she's obviously been raised with this idea from a very young age. Ruby's daddi had always told her that the right man would come along and love her despite her clumsiness and plain face. Her mommi said that she was beautiful; it simply took a man with a pure heart to open his eyes and see. 119 She's described as 'plain,' 'stout,' and 'chubby' in the book. Throw the cover model out, this woman is supposed to be extremely 'plain' to the point that obviously people think she'd have a hard time finding a man, and leaning towards the fat side. Although her looks and weight are never detailed in the book, I find it hard to get a fix on exactly what she looks like or what 'chubby' - a very subjective descriptor - is supposed to mean. Anyway. How terrible to think yourself so unattractive, and even have your own parents validating your fears that you are ugly. Ruby's brave about it, though. She faces people's judgments about her looks head on. She certainly doesn't value herself less for being 'ugly.' I know a lot of heroines who are created to be 'plain' and 'heavy' are shown to suffer from low self-esteem and think they are worthless. Not so with Ruby. Although she accepts everyone's assessment that she is unattractive, she still demands respect from people and knows she has worth as a human being and a hard-working Amish woman. I have to applaud Miller for giving Ruby such backbone, bravery, and determination. It's especially difficult when dealing with Joseph's mother. Lifting her chin, she said, "If he said that, I can see how it would be a honest mistake to think Arlene was Joseph's bride-to-be." She cleared her throat and forced a chuckle. "I know what I am, Magdalena. I am as plain as a turnip. But Joseph doesn't seem to mind. And so neither do I." She met his mother's gaze with one she hoped was just as strong and just as determined. 83 She doesn't allow people to trample on her or treat her as lesser, even if she does accept the 'truth' that she is 'ugly.' This is very brave and also admirable. Being told you're ugly all your life really takes a toll on a person, and I think it would be very easy for Ruby to have become cowed, beaten-down, and accepting. But she is a fighter. I like it. Emotion made her throat tickle and brought tears to her eyes. No one but Joseph and her parents had ever called her beautiful. She knew it wasn't true. She was ordinary, not gorgeous like Leah or cute like Ellie. But it was so sweet to have Joseph say she was beautiful, and it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 151 Another good thing I can say about the book is that Joseph thinks Ruby is beautiful from the start. This is actually a master stroke on the part of Miller. He genuinely thinks Ruby is a beautiful woman. Miller could have easily EASILY made Joseph love, be attracted to, and marry Ruby DESPITE her appearance. This is common. Like, "Yeah, I know she's not traditionally attractive, but she's beautiful TO ME and you'd better shut up about her. She's beautiful on the inside." This is a very well-known romance trope. However, Miller plays this completely differently. Joseph actually and honestly finds Ruby (physically) beautiful and he is baffled when others don't see this. I like that. It's a bit silly to assume - as media and society do ALL THE TIME - that there is a mold for beauty, and that if you don't fit into the mold you are ugly and will die unhappy and alone unless someone "sees through your ugliness." This is bullshit. I think it would be common sense to understand that different people are going to find different bodies, faces, and looks attractive. Certainly I find a lot of men to be hot whom my friends think I'm fucking crazy for lusting after. And vice versa. Despite the media and society telling you, "You should be attracted to men/women who look like this: image" people are actually varied creatures who like a variety of things. I enjoyed how this played out. There's no annoying scene where Joseph has to convince Ruby she's beautiful, or forces her to look at herself in a mirror while he praises her or some shit. I liked how Miller decided to handle this, it avoided the usual 'ugly' heroine tropes. Both Joseph and Ruby are super-aware of their 'flaws,' both feel like they have struck gold by finding the other. It's extremely sweet. I was also worried about Joseph's cruel mother. I mean, Miller doesn't half-ass it - his mom is truly terrible. She's very rude to Ruby to her face, and even worse behind her back. She does everything in her power to sabotage Ruby and Joseph's relationship. Sometimes it could get downright shocking. "I've found the most wonderful girl, the sweetest - " "Ugly," she whispered. "What?" He drew back. "What did you say?" He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "She's - she's not even pretty. You'll have thick, unlovely children." He blinked, still in disbelief. "Mother. How can you say that? Ruby's beautiful." 113 One thing that truly surprised me about the book was that Joseph was generally good about standing up to his mother. He puts his foot down right from the beginning. Usually, in romances that employ this trope, the hero is afraid to stand up to his mother or feels too guilty about standing up to his mother and therefore lets her shit all over his woman. Not so in this case. Joseph stands up for Ruby from the very beginning. Of course, things are complicated. Because Magdalena is a widow, and this is the patriarchy, Joseph is in charge of his mother's well-being and responsible for her. She will be living with him for the rest of her life, in a horrifying prospect for poor Ruby. Women are not allowed to support themselves, they are completely dependent on men, so - unless Magdalena gets remarried, she will live with Joseph until she dies. I always tell my friends, "You are not only marrying the man, you are marrying his family" and in some cultures this is even more literal than others. Many cultures have the parents/in-laws living in the house with the married couple and children, so if a MIL or FIL hates the spouse, life can be made a living hell for decades. I was really worried about Ruby's future, honestly. Love is great, Joseph is great, but living with this woman for another forty years would make anyone think about running for the hills. Miller throws in a twist with Ruby hiding a secret for most of the book. I was insanely curious as to what the secret was, and was imagining a whole range of things. But - in true Christian romance fashion - when the secret is revealed it is (IMO) not a big deal and I couldn't understand all the fuss around it. I could think of 80 worse things off the top of my head. (view spoiler)[I'll give you a hint: Thoroughly Modern Millie. (hide spoiler)] Even though I've read about 20 Amish romances, this is the first one that addresses men cooking. In every single other book, people act as if men can't - physically CANNOT - learn how to cook. If a man's wife dies, he and the children are wholly reliant on food being delivered by local women or fast food. It's considered a physical impossibility for someone with a penis to prepare food. However, in this book, when Joseph and his mother go to visit Ruby's parents, they are SHOCKED - shocked, I tell you!!! - to find that some of the food they are being served was cooked by Ruby's father. !!!!!! OMGosh, the world is ending. Miller pushes this even more by the end of the book - as I've told you, Ruby is a horrible cook. After (view spoiler)[ Ruby and Joseph are married for two years (hide spoiler)] they have discovered that he's actually quite a good baker and his bread and biscuits are delicious. This is almost akin to bra-burning or feminist revolutions in this made-up universe. I can't stress to you how surprising this is to a reader in this genre. Kudos to Miller for subverting the patriarchy, even if it is the tiniest bit. TL;DR Both Ruby and Joseph are assertive. I am proud of them. They stand up for themselves, which is hard for both of them since they've been informed of their 'flaws' from a young age. Miller writes a sweet book. I liked how well Ruby and Joseph complement each other. I like how Joseph seemingly is never even aware that others might consider his woman 'ugly.' Cute story. Of course, it isn't perfect, but it was very enjoyable for the Christian Romance sub-genre. I would recommend it to anyone who likes reading sexless romance with a Christian bent. MENTIONS OF GOD: 47. Remarkably light. HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex, this is Christian romance. One kiss. ROMANCE CATEGORIES: BBW Romance Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Virgin Hero Romance Amish Romance He's a Mason, She's a... Amish Women Aren't Allowed to Work for Pay ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 05, 2018
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Aug 05, 2018
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Aug 05, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0373622848
| 9780373622849
| 0373622848
| 4.10
| 108
| unknown
| Jun 20, 2017
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did not like it
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Tragic, fucked-up story about the patriarchy. Don't have an opening quote for this. Nell, an Amish woman, had a secret English love five years ago. No Tragic, fucked-up story about the patriarchy. Don't have an opening quote for this. Nell, an Amish woman, had a secret English love five years ago. No one knew about him, not even her family. She was going to marry him. But he was killed when he was hit by a drunk driver. In her despair, she was baptized into the Amish faith. Even though she would have happily left the Amish community to marry her love, Michael. Now she has met another Englischer she's secretly falling in love with. He is a gentle veterinarian named James. My biggest hope was that Nell would leave her Amish community to marry the veterinarian (James) and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, that's not what happens. James gives up everything to become Amish, in a tragic, horrifying turn of events. There's a lot to complain about here. Nell is 24, so her father wants her to get married and start popping out babies. You are not able to be single in the Amish community. You must marry and have children. There's no choice not to do this. No one in her family knows about her secret love affair with Michael when she was 19. And if they did, they still wouldn't give a fuck. She has to marry. Doesn't matter if she loves the man or not. Her father has gotten impatient with her. He orders her to get married or he will choose a husband for her. He's got an eye on a man in his sixties. I know what you are thinking. What kind of person plots to marry off their daughter (24) to a man in his sixties?!?!!? He must be an asshole, right? Well, Kertz seems to believe that Nell's father is a kind, lenient, caring father. Yeah, it's like she honestly believes that shit. Which brings me to my next point: animals. So, the Amish believe animals are soulless and put on Earth to serve man. They don't love animals or cherish them. I mean, we all know about Amish puppy mills, am I right? Because Nell loves and cares for animals, she is seen as soft in the head. Her father warns her that the man who marries her might not feel the same about animals, and he might demand she give up all pets and she may not be happy with how he treats animals on his property. Of course, she has no say because she will become her husband's property and obedient slave upon marriage. And she HAS to get married. It's probably at least part of the reason she's sexually and romantically attracted to the veterinarian. He cares for animals and doesn't see her as weak for caring about animals. In case you think the patriarchy might be horrible for women, but completely wonderful to men, let me give you this example: Nell is ordered to marry a man whose wife died LAST NIGHT. Literally she is not even buried yet and they are being ordered to wed. He has a two-year-old son who needs a mother - because men cannot cook or clean in this society, so when their wife dies they are helpless and unable to do basic things like prepare food. Even though (hopefully) he loved his wife and is grieving her, he is ordered to marry a stranger the next day. For his own good and the good of his child. FUCK loving someone or having time to get over your wife's death, am I right? Horrible for Nell and horrible for this poor widower. MENTIONS OF GOD: 53, relatively light for this sub-sub-genre. HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex, this is Christian romance fiction. A few kisses. I have to say, though, to Kertz's credit - Nell and James are sexually attracted to each other. Kertz does not pretend that being a Christian stops you from being turned-on. Many Christian authors do pretend this. But you know that James and Nell want each other sexually. Very rare in this sub-sub-genre, even though there is no sex in here. TL;DR Even though most will interpret this as a romantic story with a happy ending, I see it as a tragedy with a horrifying ending. What a perfect reason to leave the Amish community and be happy and work. She would gain a husband, a job, and freedom from at least the Amish form of patriarchy all in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, Kertz goes in the opposite direction and horrifyingly has James join the Amish community. WHY. FOR FUCK'S SAKE. WHY. :( ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Animal Lovers' Romance Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Virgin Hero Romance - I'm guessing, I have no way of truly knowing Amish Romance He's a Veterinarian, She's a... Amish Women Aren't Allowed To Work for Pay ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 05, 2018
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Aug 05, 2018
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Aug 05, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0373719698
| 9780373719693
| 0373719698
| 4.03
| 161
| unknown
| Jul 19, 2016
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did not like it
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Men were supposed to stick together. Well, this book was filled with disgusting patriarchy shit. And by the end I had to admit that both leads were idi Men were supposed to stick together. Well, this book was filled with disgusting patriarchy shit. And by the end I had to admit that both leads were idiots. First, I would like to say Miller isn't a boring author - she is engaging and writes characters who seem lifelike. I want to start out on a positive and I want to assure people that it isn't her writing (as in words-strung-together) that is shit here. It's the content that's shit. As in ideas, concepts, actions. Let's get to it. Katie is sent over to Freeman's house to help him while he recovers from a broken femur. PROBLEM NUMBER ONE: THE PATRIARCHY Sigh. It's really bad in this book. REALLY bad. First off, Freeman has some psychological issues stemming from 'being a man' and 'masculinity' and being 'The Boss.' This adds ugliness to an already very ugly patriarchal system. He's thirty-five, and even though he should be secure in his masculinity: he has a job which he is very good at, he loves animals and rescues them, he takes care of his elder relatives... he has a bug up his butt about people not giving him the respect he deserves. This is partly a personality problem - I mean he's 35 years old! - but it's also a huge consequence of setting up this kind of strict patriarchal society. He's not a 'man' in the eyes of society until he gets married and produces children. So even though he owns property, has a great job that he excels at, takes care of his shit, and cares for animals... he's not a man. Because he doesn't have a wife and children. This is a very damaging and fucked-up system. His elderly uncle, for instance, still calls him 'boy.' He's 35. THIRTY-FIVE. And he just has to take it and bristle because in the eyes of the patriarchy he IS a boy until he takes a wife and produces children. He also has this 'thing' about respect. Like a Rodney Dangerfield thing, except he's not joking. I don't need to tell you that this is a toxic combination. It's not as if Freeman is 'evil.' But his brainwashing by the patriarchy combined with his insecurity about his masculinity makes him weak. It means he's fragile, sensitive, and has a hair-trigger temper about people who don't treat him as Boss enough. Not to mention that the patriarchy teaches you to despise women and see them as less valuable than men. It was Katie's unnatural nature that made her less than what a proper woman should be. She was too quick to question a man's judgment, and too set in her own ways. 65 The main issue of this book is how Katie - his love interest - threatens his fragile masculinity. She tends to voice her own opinion. And if she sees a better way of doing things, she speaks up about it. To me, this sounds normal. To Freeman, it's an affront to everything he believes in. Let me be clear: Katie is a hard worker. She works from sunup to sundown without complaint. She cleans house like a champion. She cooks amazing, delicious meals. And she does all of this without a single complaint. But that's not good enough! She also must be able to do all this AND take direction from Freeman. If he wants her to scrub the floors a certain way (the right way!) or has an opinion on how she should can vegetables, she must obey him. No matter how many times she and other women bring up the fact that this is 'women's work' and he LITERALLY has no idea what the fuck he is talking about, he considers it 'disrespectful' if she doesn't employ his ideas on how she does housework. He's a walking, breathing mansplain. And he feels JUSTIFIED in this because he's been taught since birth that men are in charge, men control everything, women are submissive, it's natural for a woman to be obedient and silent, blah blah blah blah. And, because this is the patriarchy, women just laugh it off. "Oh, you know how men are!" they say. Here's Katie: And she'd found with her father and brothers that small steps worked best with men. You had to make them think ideas were their own. Otherwise, they tended to balk and turn mulish. 47 She can't simply tell Freeman to get dressed and shave. That would be considered 'bossy.' And bossy women are shrews. They will either be beaten or they will die old maids - which in this society means you are basically shit. Being married and being a parent is EVERYTHING. Instead, she has to cajole, coax and manipulate him into doing basic human actions. And she has to make him think it was his idea, because if he thought he was doing something that was her idea he'd flip his lid. o.O This is honestly so terrifying, not gonna lie. This just so disgusting. Here's Freeman's grandmother: "Men do hate having women show them how to do something easier," Ivy said. "I'm afraid it's born in them. In some ways, I don't believe any of them ever grow up. They're like little boys in grownup clothing." She chuckled. "They never get past the age of wanting a woman to take care of them and clean up after them." 61 What. The Fuck. What a disgusting way to view males. So. In case you think patriarchy hurts only females, let's be clear: the book / this society is LITERALLY saying "Men are children who can't do shit. They can't take care of themselves. They can't clean or cook or be taught to clean or cook. They are like little babies. They throw temper tantrums when they don't get their way - so you'd better not anger them! But they are not smart enough to make their own decisions." Yet men are in charge of EVERYTHING. Women aren't allowed to lead, preach, be elders in church, make any decisions in the marriage, 'disobey' their husbands wishes, earn money without their husband's permission... but men are also considered basically bad-tempered infants. This is a completely true interpretation of this kind of belief, and sums up the patriarchy well - the problem is that Miller is holding up and glorifying this kind of toxicity instead of pointing out its flaws. Of course it's complete bullshit. I refuse to believe men and women can't interact like normal human beings. Just because I am a woman and "John" is a man doesn't mean I can't understand John, empathize with him, or share basic interests with him. We are both human beings. This book - and patriarchy in general - acts like men and women are two alien beings from completely different planets who need special manuals to interact with each other. Which is frankly bullshit. Sure, it might be difficult to empathize with menstrual cramps if you are a man or understand what childbirth is like, and a woman might be unfamiliar with the humiliation of unwanted erections, etc. etc. but basically human beings are going to have much more in common than not. And creating artificial gender roles and then ruthlessly enforcing them is not doing anyone any favors. "Men can't cook!! Men can't CLEAN THINGS. Women can't WORK FOR MONEY." It's hard to believe how anyone doesn't see this as damaging. Freeman's grandmother is talking about a man-baby SHE CREATED. She tells Katie "that's just how men are, from birth" but really she TAUGHT her grandson to expect females to cater to his every whim, take care of all his needs, and accept his orders and opinions as law. SHE did that. The society she RAISED him in did that. Men aren't naturally 'child-like' and 'mulish' and unable to take criticism from people who don't wear pants, they are TAUGHT to be this way. Anyway, that's my main beef with this book. My biggest problem. Instead of challenging his ideas and beliefs about women, Miller has Katie actually begin ASKING Freeman for advice on how to leash herself and curb herself and tamp down her 'opinions' and 'bossy nature.' She wants to be appealing to men, so she has to learn how to be a perfect MY SECOND PROBLEM: KATIE Even though I liked Katie a lot more than I liked Freeman, I eventually had to admit that she was also a fucking idiot. She tends to lose her temper and make rash decisions. She blows things out of proportion a lot. Compared to Freeman, she's great, but even I have to admit she's got problems when viewed on her own. She makes some choices in this novel that were very cringe-inducing. I can't see these two having a good marriage. They are NOT complementary towards each other. Actually, they are probably one of the more volatile couples I've seen roped together. And I don't mean volatile in a 'sexual chemistry' way. They are a powder keg and a match. I think the best case scenario is that they will fight and fight and fight and fight. Worst case scenario... I don't even want to go there, but it involves violence. MENTIONS OF GOD: 33 HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex, this is Christian romance. Some light kissing. Katie initiates a kiss, then apologizes for acting 'inappropriately.' >.< This is so, so sad. It reminds me of Christy Miller - a series that deeply depressed me. TL;DR A good illustration on how disgusting the patriarchy and how it damages absolutely everyone involved. A match made in hell. ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Animal Lovers' Romance - Freeman loves animals and rescues all sorts of strays in this book. Dogs, cats, birds... he adores animals and cares for them. Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Virgin Hero Romance Amish Romance He's a Miller, She's a... nothing. As dictated by her society, her only job is to be wife/mother/help. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 31, 2018
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Jul 31, 2018
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Jul 31, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0373622554
| 9780373622559
| 0373622554
| 4.08
| 167
| unknown
| Jan 17, 2017
|
it was ok
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She looked away, her cheeks warm, but she didn't protest when Thomas took her hand and kissed the back of it. "I'll take care of you, you know," he sa
She looked away, her cheeks warm, but she didn't protest when Thomas took her hand and kissed the back of it. "I'll take care of you, you know," he said quietly. He raised her hand to his face and pressed it against his chin. Leah comes back to Delaware from Brazil. She was serving in Brazil as a missionary with her husband. Her husband and baby died of a fever in Brazil. Now that she has mourned for a year, she is looking for a new husband. And she knows EXACTLY what she's looking for. "First, he must be Amish, of strong faith and respected in the community. I would prefer a mature man, a middle-aged widower, someone who may already have children. How old doesn't matter, so long as he isn't too old to father children. ... I've been the wife of a young man. I married for love. I'll never have that again, and I know that. ... "I only ask for a husband who isn't lazy and will be a good example for our children. He must know how much I want more children. ... I could not bear it if I never rocked another baby in my arms or woke to see my precious child's shining face becoming in wonder at the new day ... So you see, it might be best if my husband-to-be already has children. I can adapt to any personality, but he must be someone who will welcome children and not treat them harshly." "Or treat you harshly," Sara suggested. Leah shrugged. "I can accept whatever the Lord sends me. I'll be a good and dutiful wife, so long as he knows that my children must come first. ... What I want is a marriage of convenience, a union entered into for the purpose of forming a solid family. I'm not afraid of hard work, and I'll be the best wife and helpmate I can. But I need a sensible man, a practical man who doesn't expect more than I can give. ... Because part of me died in Brazil, Sara. All I can do is go on with what I have left. ... Offer me no lighthearted, carefree noodleheads. I'm seeking a sober and steady husband, one with gray in his hair, who knows what it is to suffer loss. Can you find me such a man?" Of course, the matchmaker completely disregards Leah's wishes and sets her up with Thomas. The book opens with Thomas proposing marriage to Ellie and getting turned down. He is considered 'fast' in the Amish community. This means he's enjoyed some light, chaste kissing. Ummmmm... he's dated a lot of 'girls.' He's never married. I don't feel like this is because he is rakish or wild at all, just fun-loving and not very serious. There's not any mean-spiritedness in him or badness. Both he and Leah balk at getting paired up, but agree to 'date' for six weeks. Let's break this down. Hmmmm, I'm not sure where to start. ONE: THE EVIL PATRIARCHY It's fucking disgusting. I would go crazy. The main, most egregious offense is that Leah - a grown woman, a widow, a world-traveler, and a mother - is treated by the Amish society as a child. She can't see Thomas without a chaperone. She can't travel anywhere alone with him. She must be monitored at all times. Her riding a horse is 'unseemly.' Thomas even says this about her: As much as he enjoyed being with Leah - and she was always fun - she had a way of making him uneasy. She was so outspoken... so experienced. Not like other Amish girls he knew. He wondered if she'd ever be able to return to the quiet life in Seven Poplars or any other Old Order community after her life in the English world. Pity the man who did marry her. It wasn't natural, a woman knowing more than her husband. Uh, no. Any man would be fucking lucky to get such a smart, knowledgeable wife who had experiences outside of the Amish (and even the American) community. Because of the patriarchy, Leah's experiences don't make her more valued and sought after as a wife - they damage her and make her less worthy. Because the man has to be in charge, has to be smarter, has to be more knowledgeable and experienced than the woman or he has an identity crisis. Pathetic. Truly pathetic. I was really wondering how Leah got through this novel without stabbing anyone. And the Amish community is SO nosy, SO busybody, SO judgmental, and SO interfering in this book it is ridiculous. They could drive a saint to murder. Everywhere Leah goes, people offer her an opinion on what she should do, what she should wear, whom she should marry, when she should marry, why she should marry, what types of men she is specifically allowed and not allowed to marry... JFC. I can't see why she'd want to stay in this community. She keeps waxing poetic about it, talking about how kind and caring the community is, but I would be running out of there at high speed. She's scolded and reprimanded and berated ALL THE TIME and it's 'for her own good' and everyone has an opinion on what her life should be and what she should be doing. It's sick. As a side note, one of the side plots in this book is Jakob pursing Ellie. I have to say it is really gross. Ellie is almost violently opposed to 'dating' Jakob. She avoids him whenever possible, she shrinks away from him, she makes it as clear as possible she wants nothing to do with him. Miller acts like this is funny and that all it will take is 'patient pursuit' on Jakob's part to 'win Ellie over.' Um, no the fuck it won't. If a woman LITERALLY turns around and walks away every time she sees you coming, shrinks away from you if you are in a closed space with her, loudly and vocally refuses your advances... Yeah, I think she's not interested. Please leave her alone. "I'm not giving up on the pretty little schoolteacher," Jakob replied, still watching Ellie retreat. "She had me from the first time I laid eyes on her. She's going to be my wife. She just doesn't know it yet." I know Jakob is Amish and has never seen Beauty and the Beast, but this is almost quoting Gaston verbatim. Not a good look. Not the attitude you're going for. Please stop. Thomas, even though he has a complex about Leah being smarter and more worldly than him, doesn't hesitate to step in a do stuff that needs doing. Some Amish men were uncomfortable with women's work, but not Thomas. She liked that about him; he reminded her of her father, who had not been above grabbing a dishcloth and helping wash dishes after supper. He washes dishes, opens jars for her. I mean, the problem is that you have no idea if any of this is going to continue happening after the wedding day. 2.) Good writing. This isn't a badly written romance novels. Some romance novels just seem churned out - the author doesn't bother putting any personality or real psychology into the characters. That's not the case here. Miller is aware of herself and of reality. Often she will make the characters engage in bullshit and then call them on their own bullshit. Even though I don't enjoy the book - I think it's filled with disgusting patriarchy, and the fact that it is taking place in modern times with this attitude sickens me - I have to say Miller is a competent author and the book is easy to read and get into. If I were someone who jonesed on Amish Christian romance, I would find this very pleasing. I would recommend this to people to enjoy Amish Christian Romance, along with A Groom for Greta. 3.) Heroine. I like that Leah is a smart, competent, experienced woman. Usually heroines in Amish Christian Romance are extremely sheltered 'virgins' who have never left their small village. Not so here. Not only is Leah smarter than Thomas, she's lived abroad - in Brazil, raised a child (she died), been married... It's rare to find a heroine who is smarter, more experienced, and more worldly than the hero. Not just in Amish Christian romance, unfortunately. In any romance. It's automatically assumed that the man will have the upperhand - have more life experience, more sexual experience, be smarter and tougher than the woman. ANY romance. Even modern, contemporary ones. The more you examine it, the sicker it gets. So I was shocked at Miller taking a chance here, especially in this subgenre. It doesn't always play out well - Leah has internalized misogyny and actively wishes for a husband who is distant, cold, possibly abusive, and controlling... and she allows the Amish community to boss her around, cow her, and treat her like a child - but kudos to Miller for at least nodding to the idea that a heroine knows what she's doing and a hero doesn't. 4.) HERO Thomas is a kind, rather goofy guy who isn't very serious and likes 'partying' (his idea of partying: fast food, bowling). He likes dating women. I don't feel like he is a cad at all, Amish 'girls' have fun dating him but don't seem interested in marrying him. He's unmotivated and rather at loose ends. Leah helps him firm up what he wants to do in life and gives him the impetus to move on it. I feel like he is a kind guy if not the brightest or the most ambitious. I actually don't like ambitious men, and I enjoyed his laid-back, easygoing personality and his joie de vivre. His mellowness contrasts nicely with how tightly Leah is wound and how many issues she has involving the death of her husband and daughter. 5.) Inclusion One thing I can say for books is that the Amish characters display tolerance for people who may not receive such tolerance in the outside world. Characters with Down syndrome are thought of as 'God's chosen' and are never seen as a burden or taunted. There are two characters with dwarfism in here, they are regular members of the community and treated just like everyone else. Fat characters are described in glowing terms, not demonized or made to feel shame and inferiority because they are fat. And marriage is a requirement by the community (in these books), and everyone is on the marriage market. Being fat or being a dwarf or being ____ is not a huge issue like it is in other books, and it certainly doesn't mean someone is 'doomed to be single' or is 'sad and alone' due to their physical traits. As for ANTI-inclusion, of course Amish Christian fiction is a bastion of whiteness. There is rarely RARELY a POC character in Amish Christian fiction. However, there is a black woman in this book - she's a side side side character, but she IS there. Thought I'd note it since I think it's the first time I've seen a POC character in an Amish Christian fiction. I mean, of course Leah was living with POC in Brazil, but they were painted as basically 'jungle-living savages' who 'needed Jesus' and definitely weren't seen as equal with the Amish MCs. MENTIONS OF GOD: ~71 HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex, this is Christian fiction. One hand-hold, one hand-kiss, four light kisses, one bundling scene! you don't see that everyday, one foot massage (he massages her feet). That's about it. Actually quite sexual compared to some Amish Christian Romances I've read. TL;DR - Even though this book is not to my taste - the patriarchy in here is so disgusting - I think a fan of Amish Christian Romance would enjoy this. Like A Groom for Greta, this book adds flavor and personality to its characters, and Miller doesn't just cobble something together with no spark. I also think Leah and Thomas are complementary to each other. ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Virgin Hero Romance - Paired with a non-virgin heroine! I feel like this is worth noting, it's so rare Non-Virgin Heroine Widow Heroine Amish Romance He's a Blacksmith (he hates it), Carpenter, Organic Farmer. She's a... Nothing, her whole identity as a woman in the patriarchy is so-and-so's wife, so-and-so's mother. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 20, 2018
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Jul 24, 2018
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Jul 20, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0373819382
| 9780373819386
| 0373819382
| 3.79
| 96
| unknown
| Sep 20, 2016
|
did not like it
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I don't have an opening quote for this, which is worrisome. Ellen is Amish, but she wants to work with children who have genetic defects (many of them I don't have an opening quote for this, which is worrisome. Ellen is Amish, but she wants to work with children who have genetic defects (many of them Amish). She is in love with Isaac, but he threw her over for an "English" girl at age 15. The English girl was bad and they ended up breaking up, but the damage was done. He and Ellen are no longer friends. Isaac has a 'dark secret' which consists of him taking the blame for vandalizing a local store - which he did not do. He works for three years, giving all his money to the storeowner to pay for damages. He is shunned and disliked in his community. All of this for something he did not actually do. As a result, he thinks his 'lie' (taking the blame) is a huge sin that mars him in the eyes of God. This makes him have doubts about entering the church. Let's discuss the problems with this novel. 1.) Ellen is seventeen. I don't enjoy reading books about teenagers. I enjoy reading romance books about adults. This is a personal preference. I like reading about women and men, not girls and boys - when it comes to romance. I like romance between two adult characters. 2.) MENTIONS OF GOD: 34. 3.) And while we are on that topic, let's tackle CHRISTIANITY AND HOW IT IS ADDRESSED here, shall we? There are varying types of Christians. One type believes everyone is a sinner. Since everyone is a sinner, being a sinner is the norm. Asking for forgiveness and acknowledging your sins means you can be forgiven. Other Christians believe no one should sin ever. They believe it is actually possible to lead a sinless life. This seems to be what Isaac is worried about. He seems to think he is 'unworthy of God' and 'impure' and 'tainting others' because he accepted blame for a crime he didn't commit and is paying for it (financially and socially). He thinks God doesn't love him because of this. He thinks he is not fit to be a Christian because of this. Which is ridiculous. Everyone fucks up and this isn't even a bad fuck-up - accepting the blame protected his friend, and he stood up and paid for the whole thing - it took three fucking years - and is suffering some degree of social ostracism because of this. It's actually pretty noble, but in his eyes it's this huge sin that dirties him. Another interesting aspect of the book is when Ellen encourages the actual guilty Amish party to repent and confess. "It's hurting you not to tell. If you confess and tell the elders that you're sorry, then you'll be forgiven. People won't care that you weren't afraid to speak up. As long as you're sorry and say so." Ahhahahahahaahaha! What bullshit. I thought it was a sin to lie, Ellen. You know first-hand that that isn't true. Even though Isaac stood up and took the blame, shouldered the responsibility and worked for three whole years to pay off the damages, he is STILL avoided, young people are warned away from him, people don't look him in the eye, people don't talk to him, etc. etc. So don't try to tell this other poor sap that if they 'just confess' everything will be alright. It certainly will NOT. And you know this. 4.) THE PATRIARCHY Again, with Amish romance novels you are shoved into a harder core patriarchy than you're used to. Of course, the patriarchy is still alive and well, here in the U.S., but Amish subset is worse. At least as it is portrayed in these novels. Ellen working - or volunteering - at the clinic is completely dependent on her "God will take care of these children, not you. You, dochter, should worry about finding a husband and having children." Yes. God will take care of them! Not humans. And her mom? Well, as a female, she is a non-entity. She must submit to her "I don't know if that's a gut idea - " Dat began. "I don't see why you can't go," her mother said at the same time that her father spoke. Mam immediately grew silent. She wouldn't go against her father's wishes. One, this is terrible writing. It should read 'her husband's wishes' IMO. But you see what I am saying about being a female, having no rights, and having to obey your penis-having master. And as for whomever Ellen marries? That male will be her new master. Whether he is kinder or more understanding than her father is up to debate, whether he allows her to work outside the home or not - but either way she will be under a man's thumb. And NOT marrying is not a choice in this society according to the books. She can only earn money if her husband gives her permission to earn money, and even if she wants to take a volunteer job - she can't without him saying it is okay. She can leave the society, but then she will never be able to see her family again. So. 5.) The patriarchy is tied in with OUR HERO. Our hero is unfortunately bossy and controlling. Let's look at some examples. "Ellen - " She blinked up at him. "Ja?" Her expression suddenly turned wary. "You WILL let me drive you home," he said, his voice firm. He wouldn't take no for an answer. - page 32 How unattractive. "Your forehead's turned a light shade of purple. Is it sore?" "I'm fine." "That's not what I asked you." - page 55 Wow, this guy is an asshole. He didn't like the thought of Ellen out and about on her own. - page 67 ...he became angry. She didn't need to go on rumspringa. ... So why would she be so foolish as to place her and her cousin in danger? ... she should have known better and stayed at home, where she belonged. - page 117. This is pretty self-explanatory - know your place. It's at home caring for your husband and children. Not experiencing freedom or enjoying yourself. Being outside of the community without a male presence is just asking to be raped. He was determined to make sure nothing happened to her in the future - whether or not she liked it. - page 118 Fuck her wishes and stuff like respecting her. Being a man means being in control of her life. FOR HER OWN GOOD. "When is your appointment?" he asked quietly. She blushed. "Tomorrow at noon." "Nay." She froze. "Nay? You don't think I should go?" "I think you should go, but you should change your appointment so that I can come with you." - page 166 Bossy and controlling. "I've decided to make everything YOU do my business." - page 174 You might want to work on your technique. This is creepy and you're scaring her. She comes to visit him in his barn. "What are you doing here, Ellen?" He hated that his tone was brisk, disapproving. He wanted her to be here, but he was afraid to hope... to want... to love. His brusqueness must have struck her silent, for she'd backed away without a word. It's for her own good, he thought. - page 204 Snaps at her like an asshole, makes her feel like shit. But it's 'for her own good.' After hiding shit from her basically the whole book, she figures out the truth. They clear the air. They start 'courting.' Then something happens and when she asks him about it, he chooses to hide it from her (again) instead of just telling her what's going on. This guy never learns. And it's a terrible start to a relationship. Really someone you don't want to end up married to IMO. Another key part of the PATRIARCHY/HERO stuff is that whenever Ellen IS on her own outside of the community, she is instantly almost gangraped. This happens twice. Isaac saves her both times. Thus proving that she NEEDS a constant male escort, and that the patriarchy is in place for her own good, restricting her movements is for her own good... you don't want to be raped, do you? Then obey whichever man owns you currently. Because those are just the natural and expected consequences of daring to venture out on your own. HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN? No sex, this is a Christian romance. One brief closed mouth kiss and one forehead kiss. TL;DR - UGH. Hero is an asshole. The way Amish society is portrayed in this book makes me want to retch. Poor heroine. :( I guess I'm supposed to feel happy she ends up with this guy - I'm not. ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Virgin Hero Romance - I'm assuming Young Adult Romance - Heroine is 17 Amish Romance He's a Construction Worker, She's a Part-Time Worker at a Clinic for Children with Genetic Defects ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 18, 2018
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Jul 18, 2018
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Jul 18, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 037381657X
| 9780373816576
| 037381657X
| 4.20
| 335
| Oct 16, 2012
| Oct 23, 2012
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it was ok
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For her, God's forgiveness, faith and the love of family and community had to come first. Becoming Amish was the only way she could see to make up for
For her, God's forgiveness, faith and the love of family and community had to come first. Becoming Amish was the only way she could see to make up for her past. She had to choose a life of service and worship over a life of self. She had to choose God over the world; she believed there was mercy and peace waiting if she could step away from temptation. Grace Yoder and her little boy, Dakota, appear on Hannah's doorstep. Hannah's husband had sex with Grace's mother, and Grace is the result of that union. This book is interesting in the fact that it is dealing with the Amish community as a sanctuary or refuge. Grace has had a relatively hard life, she sees running away to join an Amish community as a way to escape her life and her problems. Interesting. Funny to think of the Amish recruiting and getting new members by offering their hard-working way of life as an escape or a haven from reality. I have to hand it to Miller. I do. I do. Not only is she one of the few, few Amish Christian Romance authors who can convincingly write a romantic/sexual spark between leads... but she is brutal, BRUTAL in depicting the horrid sides to Amish life, like the patriarchy and the sometimes hurtful laws. So Grace wants to become Amish. Everyone laughs at this, saying she's got a snowball's chance in hell of doing so. Good guy John Hartman sees Grace and has a sexual and romantic interest in her. Too bad he's Mennonite and she refuses to have anything to do with him. I liked John. He's a veterinarian. It's funny how Miller depicts him as always showing up at the Yoder house just in time for meals. He always conveniently is coming by at these times, and he's always hungry and he always gets offered food, which he happily accepts. He's a cute guy. As we all know from reading a few of these Amish Christian Romance novels, it is IMPOSSIBLE for a man to cook or learn how to cook. IMPOSSIBLE. So, since John lives with his uncle and his grandfather, all the men live on slop, because ONLY women know how to cook and clean or are physically capable of cooking or cleaning. I mean, I understand the strong patriarchy and the worship of the patriarchy in these novels, but I find it a little bit ridiculous that NO MAN EVER has been able to learn how to cook. o.O The main point of this novel is that Grace has some codswallop in her head about "having to be Amish, being hellbent on becoming Amish" and, for some crazy reason, believing that joining the Amish is the ONLY WAY God will forgive her. I just didn't get it. Miller was trying to make it work, but I didn't understand Grace's logic and all and she came off as a dummkopf sometimes. Here's a perfectly kind, cute man who is crazy over Grace and she refuses to have anything to do with him because he's not Amish. Even though the Amish won't let Grace go to college, won't let any photographs be taken, won't celebrate Christmas except by fasting, won't celebrate Thanksgiving except by fasting, don't have Santa Claus or gift-giving traditions, and force the women to eat only after the men have eaten and then after the boys have eaten... Grace still wants in on this. And what about Grace's HORRIBLE secret? I was honestly thinking she had been a stripper. I knew Miller wouldn't have allowed her heroine to be a prostitute, so 'stripper' was what I thought Grace's huge secret was. But no, it was something a lot more innocuous than that, and - while embarrassing - I was confused as to how much angst Grace had over her secret, something that was honestly not her fault. TL;DR - Interesting premise. Miller isn't a bad author. In fact, she might be the best the Amish Christian Romance world has to offer. However, I can't say I got much out of this book except for to be horrified by the Amish community. ~68 references to God ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Animal Lovers Romance - I'm saying this because John is a veterinarian and Grace is a veterinarian's assistant. Not because animals feature heavily in the story, they don't. Contemporary Romance Holiday/Christmas Romance Inspirational Romance I have no idea if the hero is a virgin or not. Non-Virgin Heroine Amish Romance He's a Veterinarian, She's a Vet's Assistant. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 18, 2018
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Mar 19, 2018
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Mar 18, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0373878125
| 9780373878123
| 0373878125
| 4.21
| 399
| Jan 01, 2013
| Apr 23, 2013
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did not like it
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"I want to be with you, Johanna. Whatever it takes to get you to trust me again, I'll do." I didn't like this book. Johanna is a widow with two childre "I want to be with you, Johanna. Whatever it takes to get you to trust me again, I'll do." I didn't like this book. Johanna is a widow with two children (5 and 3), her drunk wife-beater husband committed suicide. Roland is a widower with one son (4). His wife died from diabetes. Roland wants to marry Johanna. He's always loved her. Johanna is on the fence. One of the reasons this book annoyed me was all the flip-flopping Johanna does. She loves him. She doesn't love him. She loves him. She doesn't love him. She wants to marry him. She doesn't want to marry him. She wants to marry him. She doesn't want to marry him. She wants to marry him. This got SO ANNOYING. I was with her for about 2/3 of the book, then I lost patience with her. MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND. It wasn't fair to him, either, jerking him left and right like this. And let's talk about the horrible patriarchy and Christianity in this book. It's DISGUSTING. Women can't vote and have no say in things. Women are servants to their husbands. Men who are widowed live in filth and eat trash because NO man can be expected to cook or clean. ONLY women can do these things. If a man's wife dies, he just lies down in his own shit and eats bologna until a woman comes along to clean his house or cook him something. If a woman is married to a drunken wifebeater, she's just got to live with it. Marriage is forever, divorce is forbidden. If he beats her and her children... well, just pray for him, I guess. It's God's will. Women have to obey their husband and he makes all the decisions for the family. If he decides to move to another state, Wife must just obey and move. Her thoughts, opinions, wishes, and desires don't matter. Now. Tons of societies exist like this nowadays, but it bothers me that evangelical Christian writers seem to glamorize, praise, admire, and be in awe of these systems. It's really, deeply disturbing to me. It bothers me that they see this life as cheerful, simple, happy, and comforting. It sounds like A FUCKING NIGHTMARE to me, to be honest. Idealizing and longing for this kind of life repulses me. UGH. Now, who knows about the actual Amish, obviously Miller isn't Amish. They also have some deep shame issues in this Christianity. For instance, Johanna thinks about how she makes yummy fried fish. Then she feels shame and scolds herself because that is the sin of pride. Roland wants a wife who loves him and whom he is in love with. Then he scolds himself and feels deep shame because that isn't Christian. Loving your wife is sinful and also unnecessary. Roland also feels guilty because he doesn't beat his son to discipline him, the way the church teaches him, but he can't bring himself to strike a child. This makes him a bad father. It's garbage like this that makes me think Johanna and Roland should run away from this society - far, far away. I'm supposed to believe - like evangelical Christians who write this and devour this believe - that this is a wholesome, God-fearing, Christian, upright, moral, ethical society. But in reality it is so scary and dark. I'm kind of dumbstruck that people don't see this. SO... Johanna was married to a drunken wifebeater. What if he hadn't killed himself? She and her children would live in fear of him for the rest of their lives. He might have killed her son. Accidentally or not. And even if people know about the abuse, she's not allowed to get a divorce. THIS is your wholesome, Christian society that you are idealizing??!!?!?! Roland being raised and taught that loving your wife and marrying for love is SINFUL?! I mean... what the fuck!?!?!!? What kind of nightmarish dystopia is this?!?!!? Well, between my reeling from the complete nightmare that is Amish society as Miller presents it and the heroine driving me UP THE WALL by acting like an indecisive, foolish 15-year-old rather than a widow and a mother of two... I couldn't stand this book. This is nothing against Miller's writing. She actually writes pretty well for a Love Inspired novel. And I have to give her credit that it did seem like Roland and Johanna were romantically and sexually attracted to each other - that's a plus, and sorely lacking in other Christian romance novels. ~62 references to God But overall it was a dud. ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Amish Romance Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Second Chance Romance Non-Virgin Heroine Widower Hero Widow Heroine Abuse Survivor He's a Farrier, She's a... nothing, I guess. Super-hard-working Amish woman, but no actual job title. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 17, 2018
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Mar 18, 2018
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Mar 17, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0373719582
| 9780373719587
| 0373719582
| 3.87
| 148
| unknown
| May 24, 2016
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it was ok
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Isaac knew now was the time to declare his love, but the tender words scrambled in his mind and wouldn't come off his tongue. How did a man tell a wom
Isaac knew now was the time to declare his love, but the tender words scrambled in his mind and wouldn't come off his tongue. How did a man tell a woman that she meant more to him than the very breath he drew and then confess himself to be a murderer? Isaac is moving to a new town to escape his community. He is full of guilt because he was driving the truck his friend was in when the friend died when both of them were hit by a drunk driver. He was driving without a license and blames himself. He's ostracized from his family, but not shunned. Molly lives with her abusive mother. As an Amish woman, she has no recourse. A spinster at age 21, her abusive mother is pushing her to marry rich man Samuel. But she doesn't love Samuel and sees abusive tendencies in him. But she might be forced to marry him by her mom and her church. She works two jobs - waiting tables at a café, and being a midwife. She also is, of course, a full-time live-in servant for her mom, who runs a boarding-house. Both Molly and Isaac have a bad leg and both consider themselves to be crippled. It's rare for me to see a disabled hero or heroine in romance novels, much less TWO disabled MCs. Quite bold on Williford's part. Their disabilities, while present and constant, do not affect their work, their love, their attractiveness to the opposite sex, or their marriage opportunities. It's actually quite nicely handled on Williford's part. She expertly makes the damaged legs noticeable in the story at most times, but draws back from making it the main focus. It's perfect. "You're right. I did fall over my own feet. That's what cripples do." He leaned heavily on a single crutch and pushed his way to his feet, his face contorting with pain. "Ach, you're no cripple," she said, standing. "What would you know about being crippled?" He'd crossed the line. Molly lifted her skirt an inch and showed him the built-up shoe on her right foot. "I think I know a lot about being crippled." Being disabled since she was young, Molly is used to her disability and deals with it a lot better than Isaac, who just became crippled after his car accident. But he grows and changes during the book, and becomes more at peace with it. Isaac is a little bit of an asshole. He's not a total asshole, like so many of the Amish heroes are - authors seem to think Amish women find asshole Amish men "cute" or "endearing" or something - but he does hurt Molly on purpose and fuck with her on occasion. Luckily this only lasts about the first one-third of the novel. "Here you go. Fries and eggs. Hope you enjoy them." "I would have enjoyed them more ten minutes ago." The man's hand rattled his empty coffee mug to express his neglect. "I'm so sorry, sir. We've been a bit busy and I... Isaac? Was tut Sie Hier?" Pulling his plate closer, he folded his newspaper and looked at Molly. "Why do you think I'm here? I'm hungry and want my second cup of coffee. She hadn't seen Isaac since he'd repaired the cart for her the day before. "Why didn't you eat at home? Mamm made pancakes with hot apple-butter early this morning." "I'm a solitary man. I like my own company," he grumbled as he cut his eggs into perfect bite-sized squares. He leaned over the plate to get the full benefit of a fork full of eggs and home fries. "Now, can I have some coffee to wash down my breakfast?" "Ya, of course. I'll get you coffee right away." Taking a fresh carafe of coffee off the heater, Molly hurried back, reminding herself of the café's customer service policy. The customer is always right. She'd agreed with the policy when she'd taken the job a year ago, but some days it took perseverance and a cool head to be friendly and courteous to certain patrons who passed through the café door. She grimaced as the toe of her built-up shoe hit the edge of Isaac's booth, but kept a smile plastered on her face. "Let me pour you a fresh cup of coffee." She went to pour, and before she could stop him, he reached for the tiny container of milk next to his cup. Hot coffee splashed his wrist and shirt cuff. He jerked his hand away and reached for a napkin. "Do you really work here, or are you following me around, making sure I get hurt at least once a day?" UGH. Good thing he knocks this off, because I would have to hate him and turn this into a rant review if he kept practicing asshole-behavior, of which this is only a taste. One thing I like in this book is how Molly stands up for herself. It's very unusual in Amish romance novels. She's not afraid to tell her abusive mother that she won't marry Samuel. Of course, her mother ignores her, but she really stands up for herself. She puts up with a lot of her mother's shit - cleans, cooks, gives up activities to do work for her mom, her mom forgets her birthday and Molly never says anything, etc. etc. - but draws the line at marrying Samuel. "I have sacrificed all my life for you. It is time you sacrificed for me." Molly jerked out of her mother's grasp and stood her ground. "Nee, not anymore. I have done all I am going to do. A loveless marriage is where I draw the line." When her mother persists, Molly up and moves out of her mother's house and into a very, very small motel room. This is SO GUTSY. She knows her mother will go to the church and request Molly be shunned and banned. Molly also shows a lot of guts standing up to Samuel, a man she knows tends towards abusive behavior. She keeps shooting him down, and she is NOT polite about it. She's not stupid, she's just fed up. I admired her bravery in standing up to both Samuel and her mom, even though she could easily lose everything due to her actions. The patriarchy is extra strong and disgusting in this book, and in true patriarchy form it shits on both men and women. - Molly can't choose to be single. She MUST get married and MUST have children. - Molly can be forced into a marriage by the church. They tell her it is "God's will" and she'll "learn to love him." - Isaac cannot choose to be single. He MUST get married and MUST have children. - Isaac can be forced into a marriage by the church. They tell him it is "God's will and he'll "learn to love her." - Not only Amish women, but all women in this novel can't have dreams of anything more than birthing children and being a lifelong servant to their husband. Here's what Willa Mae (an Englischer) tells Molly: "One day you gonna meet some nice Amish man like that Isaac fella and get married. Children become your dream and a clean house your job. You'll see if I'm not right..." When Molly eats a friend's delicious pancakes and tells her she should open a restaurant, her friend says, "You really should open up a restaurant. These pancakes are wonderful." "And when would I have time for this wonderful dream? Between diaper changes and dirty hands?" She is married and pregnant with kids #4 and #5. She cooks and cleans and serves her husband all day. Even though Isaac is male, and therefore is allowed more freedom, he's still trapped by the patriarchy and forced to obey it. "You've been forgiven by Gott, haven't you? He understands you and Isaac meant no real harm. Gott's not punishing you. You're punishing yourself by thinking this arranged marriage is wrong and that Gott is not in it." "But Isaac -" Molly moaned. "Forget about Isaac. He's a man. He doesn't know what he wants. Time will bring him around." Doesn't matter if he doesn't want to marry, he has no choice. He can't choose not to have children, either. "Don't look so scared. Kinner are wonderful blessings from Gott. I can't wait for our next one to get here." The married people with children who surround both Isaac and Molly seem to think their ideas of independence and making their own choices is "cute" but soon they will come to their senses and fall in line. When Isaac says to Molly on page 170 "I'm very serious. I've been doing a lot of thinking. It's time I marry. I need a wife. Someone to do my laundry and cook my meals. I need to be practical." He's not even being an asshole, it's just the facts that women are their husband's live-in slaves: cooking, cleaning, and birthing as many children as possible. Of course it's important for a man to have a live-in slave so that he can be cared for and so he can have a clean house, clothes, and full-time childcare. Isaac isn't saying this out of malice, it's simply the facts of their situation. It's very bleak. I have no idea how it reflects on real-life Amish culture, as this was written by an evangelical Christian and not an Amish woman. GOD. God is mentioned ~50 times in this novel. And God gets the credit for everything. For instance, if Molly clears out an infant's airways and gives it mouth-to-mouth, God is breathing life back into the baby. If Sarah sews a wedding dress for Molly, then pulls it out and shows everyone, everyone marvels at how God is pulling this wedding together by giving Molly a dress, etc. When the church orders X and Y to get married, it is said to be God's will, and that God is bringing the couple together and that God wants them together. Even though X and Y do not want to get married. It's very strange. Don't read this if you don't enjoy inspirational romance. TL;DR - I liked Molly's fierce spirit, her willingness to stand up for herself, and her work ethic. Isaac started off as kind of an asshole, but he calmed down and wasn't bad for the last 2/3 of the novel. Despite the premise of this novel being a 'fake courtship,' that's not really what the book is about or what actually happens. It's a lot more complex than that and not really descriptive of the novel. Abusive mothers/relatives seem to be prevalent in Amish fiction, perhaps because there is no recourse to people who have to love, support and live with family no matter what. This isn't like An Amish Reunion where Hannah is being beaten and bruised by her great-grandmother, here Molly's mom is mostly verbally and emotionally abusive, but it is still bad. ROMANCE CATEGORIES: Amish Romance Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Virgin Hero Romance Disabled Hero Disabled Heroine She's a Midwife/Waitress, He's a Bike Repair Shop Owner ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 16, 2018
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Mar 16, 2018
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Mar 16, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 037362249X
| 9780373622498
| 037362249X
| 4.26
| 150
| unknown
| Dec 20, 2016
|
it was ok
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"Isn't that what walking out together is for? To get to know someone well enough to decide if you want to spend the rest of your life with him or her?
"Isn't that what walking out together is for? To get to know someone well enough to decide if you want to spend the rest of your life with him or her?" "I thought it was a chance to get a girl alone and maybe steal a kiss." "You're a rogue!" An 18-month-old with Down syndrome is left on Hannah's doorstep. She gets help raising her from an ex, Daniel. Right from the start Daniel was really pissing me off with his stupidity. He finds a baby in a basket in the rain on Hannah's front porch and angrily asks her, "Is this child yours?!" FOR FUCK'S SAKE. Don't you think you would have heard if Hannah, a woman in your small Amish community was a.) married or b.) pregnant!!?!!? Two, you have known Hannah from you were children. Do you think she'd leave a baby out in the rain?!!?!? FFS! It's page eight and already I'm livid at this moron. The book isn't bad, but it's hard for me to take the romantic leads 'problems that stop them from being together' seriously. Daniel has this strange idea that he can't be a working man and also care for a wife and children. Not joking, he literally thinks this. As for Hannah, she feels he can't trust Daniel after he broke her heart three years ago when she thought they were 'walking out together' (going steady) and she caught him flirting with another female. The story of them coming together to care for Shelby, the child with Down syndrome, is touching, as is Hannah taking care of her increasingly confused and occasionally violent great-grandmother. Unfortunately, the book does NOT ever deal with Hannah's great-grandmother beating her. Yeah, it's never addressed. I expected at the end of the book the great-grandmother would be placed in a home or, since it's Amish, perhaps somebody else's home, but no, Hannah is stuck caring for this lady until she dies. I mean, great, she loves her great-grandmother and blah de blah, but the woman beats her. Smacks her around. Gives her black eyes. I'm NOT okay with the author's decision to leave the care of this woman in Hannah's hands. AND you have a child in this situation, too. Are you going to wait until she starts hitting the baby to do something?! Unbelievable. If Daniel really cared for Hannah he would insist Ella be placed in another's care since he knows Ella is BEATING HIS WOMAN BLACK AND BLUE. ARGH. How's the sex, Carmen? He whispered her name in the moment before his lips captured hers. When he tugged her to him, she curved her arms around his shoulders. Her hands clenched on his wool coat that couldn't disguise the work-hardened muscles beneath it. One or two light kisses. CATEGORIES: Amish Romance Contemporary Romance Inspirational Romance Virgin Hero Virgin Heroine Tl;dr - The book has some problems. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 28, 2017
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May 28, 2017
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May 28, 2017
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Mass Market Paperback
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my rating |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 4.34
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liked it
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Nov 27, 2018
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Nov 27, 2018
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|||||
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| 4.38
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did not like it
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Nov 27, 2018
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Nov 26, 2018
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| 4.30
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liked it
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Nov 26, 2018
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Nov 26, 2018
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| 4.28
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it was ok
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Nov 26, 2018
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Nov 26, 2018
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| 4.08
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did not like it
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Nov 25, 2018
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Nov 25, 2018
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| 4.26
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really liked it
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Nov 24, 2018
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Nov 24, 2018
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| 4.19
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liked it
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Oct 24, 2018
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Oct 24, 2018
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| 4.08
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it was ok
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Oct 22, 2018
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Oct 18, 2018
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| 4.18
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did not like it
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Oct 17, 2018
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Oct 16, 2018
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| 4.37
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liked it
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Oct 15, 2018
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Oct 15, 2018
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| 4.25
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did not like it
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Aug 06, 2018
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Aug 06, 2018
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| 4.09
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really liked it
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Aug 05, 2018
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Aug 05, 2018
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| 4.10
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did not like it
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Aug 05, 2018
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Aug 05, 2018
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| 4.03
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did not like it
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Jul 31, 2018
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Jul 31, 2018
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| 4.08
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it was ok
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Jul 24, 2018
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Jul 20, 2018
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| 3.79
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did not like it
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Jul 18, 2018
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Jul 18, 2018
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| 4.20
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it was ok
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Mar 19, 2018
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Mar 18, 2018
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| 4.21
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did not like it
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Mar 18, 2018
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Mar 17, 2018
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|||||
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| 3.87
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it was ok
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Mar 16, 2018
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Mar 16, 2018
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| 4.26
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it was ok
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May 28, 2017
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May 28, 2017
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