About the Book
Author: Shelley Shepard Gray
Genre: Amish Suspense Fiction
Publisher: Revell
Release Date: May 2024
Ex-con Seth Zimmerman has spent the last three years making amends by helping the vulnerable in his former Amish community. Lately, this mission includes calling on Tabitha Yoder, whose divorce from her abusive husband has isolated her from the community. Even though she never comes out of her house to talk to him, Seth knows she watches him from the window while he chops wood, clears her driveway, and drops off food. An uneasy friendship is just starting to take hold between them when small gifts begin to appear at Tabitha's home--gifts that can only be from her ex-husband. Seth might be Tabitha's only hope at maintaining her hard-won freedom from the man whose violent outbursts had almost cost her life. But coming to her rescue might mean he ends up behind bars once again.
My Thoughts
This was a different type of "Amish" story. I say Amish because that is typically the genre that this author writes but in this one the main characters are no longer Amish but not because they have been shunned but rather by circumstances that have happened in their lives.
We meet Tabitha who has been divorced and the circumstances in which this happens are atrocious. She has been in an extremely abusive marriage but despite all that hurt the Amish community sees divorce almost as a sin so she is basically pulled out of the community. Seth is our other main character and he has served in prison for protecting a friend from assault. Because of this he also is removed from the community. Seth is a protector and has liked Tabitha since he was younger. He makes sure that she is taken care of and watches over her.
I really enjoyed seeing the progress between these two characters. Tabitha really came out of her shell and made sure she stood up for herself. I also liked that the romance between them didn't move very fast as she was dealing with some really heavy stuff so I appreciated the author being realistic about this and moving at a slower pace.
I must admit that the suspense part of the story could have been a bit more extreme for me but it suited the story. Overall I thought it was a good story and if you are looking for a new Amish suspense story then you should try this one. Just beware that it does have some triggers such as mentions of abusive marriage and sexual assaults.
I received a copy of this book for review. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
About the Author
Shelley Shepard Gray has published over seventy novels. She currently writes Amish romances for Harper Collins, Kensington, and Simon & Schuster and contemporary women’s fiction for Blackstone Publishing.
Her novels have been Holt Medallion winners and Inspirational Readers Choice and Carol finalists. Shelley’s novels have appeared on both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.
Her novels have been highlighted in the Philadelphia Enquirer, Washington Post, Time Magazine, and USA Today. She has also been interviewed on NPR as well as numerous regional radio stations.
Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s degree in English literature and elementary education and later obtained her master’s degree in educational administration. She currently lives in Colorado Springs and writes full time. Shelley is married, the mother of two young adults, and always has a dachshund by her side. She is an active member of her church, on Facebook and on Twitter. She also has a website, www.shelleyshepardgray.com.
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