But
the sisters' wealthy father has made one hard-and-fast rule: older Cate
must marry first, before younger Betsy can even start courting.
Unfortunately, untamable Cate has driven away every suitor-until Pete
Treger comes to town, that is.
Prodded
by the men of the area, Pete turns his attention to winning Cate's
hand. But is his interest true or is there a scheme at play?
Book 1 in The Courtships of Lancaster County series.
My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
It was so easy to empathize with both Cate and Pete, despite seeing (and cringing at!) their character flaws.
Not only did this story sound a wake up call to what can happen when we allow past hurts to create a prickly shell around us in a futile attempt to protect ourselves from future loss, but it also was a good reminder for us to try to see past such prickly exteriors in those around us to the reason(s) behind it.
When we allow hurts to turn ourselves inward, shutting out both man and God, our soul shrivels and we end up creating a vicious circle of self-fulfilling prophesy in our lives. As hard as it is, the only way to heal a broken heart is to expose it to the healing power of God's love, mercy and grace and to risk loving again. Easier said than done, but the alternative is oh, so much worse.
OK - now I've made this story sound very intense and brooding, but the author managed to weave these truths (and many more!) into this story while still keeping it light and entertaining. I was enthralled by Pete and Cate's relationship and couldn't wait to see how the story would unfold.
It was very different from any other Amish book I've read and I just really enjoyed it. A great take on the Taming of the Shrew!
Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for organizing this tour and providing me with my complimentary review copy.
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