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Book Review of The Amish Marriage Bargain (Love Inspired, No 1256)

The Amish Marriage Bargain (Love Inspired, No 1256)
PianoLady357 avatar reviewed on + 157 more book reviews


I enjoyed The Amish Marriage Bargain by an author who is new to me, Marie E. Bast. For a Love Inspired book, there's more character depth and layering than I would have expected, adding richness to this marriage-of-convenience story. The narrative flows steadily and the small Iowa Amish community is vividly conveyed.

May and Thad are appealing, hard working, and honorable lead characters, thrust into a difficult situation that, although I knew things would eventually work out, captured my attention as I journeyed with them. And what a situation they find themselves in! May had dated and been in love with Thad in the past, only to be jilted when he married her sister, April, instead. Upon April's death, Thad inherited the family farm where May is living temporarily as she helps care for his precious daughter, Leah.

As the story opens, May is faced with an important decision â accept her aunt's offer to work in her Indiana bakery or marry Thad. âShe wanted to be Leah's mamm, and Thad came along as baggage.â The author did a good job of keeping me engaged as she slowly peeled back layers throughout the story.

Another aspect to the story that I enjoyed was the struggle of small dairy farmers to survive in light of government USDA regulations. It was fun to see May's creative side kick into high gear as she came up with the idea of making cheese as a way to save their family farm. I also enjoyed her interaction with the Amish bishop, who had certainly met his match in May.

On a spiritual level, the story highlights the difference â and difficulty â between the mental process of forgiving because the church's teaching commands it vs. letting go and forgiving from the heart, and that's something readers can all relate to.

I enjoyed The Amish Marriage Bargain and look forward to more stories from Marie E. Bast. Recommended.

I received a copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.