Married to a Stranger

Married to a Stranger is the third book in the Amish of Mackinac County series by Laura V. Hilton. Having read the first two (Firestorm and The Amish Candymaker) I was looking forward to reading more about this community of colorful and riveting characters. This captivating love story is set in an Amish community in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and although it is indeed a love story it is so much more. The marriage of Bethel and Gideon is one of convenience or perhaps inconvenience is a better word as it was forced on both of them. Tension in the relationship is high as they begin to learn about each other and one wonders if they will be able to overcome the difficulties of their pasts and their current circumstances. Readers will cheer for, cry with and quickly be drawn into their lives. The story flows well with some action and lots of emotion and has a few "oh, no!" moments where one wonders how will this turn out? Bishop Miah, one of my favorite characters from the other books appears in Married to a Stranger and continues to give advice, sometimes confusing advice, and yet he is wise and fatherly. And he certainly keeps his eye on Bethel and Gideon as they develop their relationship. The author deals well with somewhat difficult situations as she writes of missing women, death of a spouse, care of babies and ailing parents, and emergency medical situations. All in all, she writes an entertaining and inspirational book. It is a story not only of finding love but of realizing the faithfulness of God, learning how to grieve and choose love instead of loss, and also the importance of forgiveness. I enjoyed this addition to the Amish of Mackinac County and am hoping there is another yet to come—maybe to flesh out the story of Gideon’s somewhat testy sister, Naomi, and her misfortunate romance with Kish. I guess I’ll have to wait to see. If you love a good Amish romance, don’t miss Married to a Stranger. I received a complimentary copy of this book via CelebrateLit. A favorable review was not required and the opinions are my own. This review is part of a CelebrateLit blog tour.