Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed the book very much.
Christy J. (southernsassygirl) reviewed A Stranger's Wish (Amish Farm, Bk 1) on + 180 more book reviews
Sometimes, it just stinks when I have to be totally honest. Not that I'm not honest with all my reviews, but I really hate it when I come across a book that I just really didn't like.
Well, first of all, it appears that this book was a rewrite from an older book that Ms. Roper wrote called The Key. Now I don't mind rewritten books, and I have read several that were done successfully, but I think the approach with this one went all wrong. When it was originally published as The Key, it was marketed simply as a romance novel for the Palisades line of romances. Romance novel....great idea! But honestly, this book is so lacking with romance. This poor girl doesn't really like the guy she's with, and when she does find a guy that she likes, the scenes that they share are somewhat dull up until the very end.
So, I guess since the romance novel marketing strategy didn't pan out, someone came up with the idea to market it as an Amish novel. Um.....no. How Kristie came to live with these people was a little unrealistic, although I've read about this same practice in a few other Amish novels, but written much better. The way in which Kristie met this Amish family and boarded there was just not explained well enough, and it seemed that as a reader, I was just thrown into her experience at an Amish farm. The good thing, though, is that this book does have a lot of Amish info in it, and especially the differences between what the Amish believe compared to what Christians believe regarding the Bible. On that point, the author truly did a great job.
Honestly, I don't know that I'll even read the rest of this series in the new format. I have book two, which was originally published as The Document, that I think I'd rather read as the original instead of the rewrite. Can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope it will be a little heavier on the romance instead of the Amish culture.
Well, first of all, it appears that this book was a rewrite from an older book that Ms. Roper wrote called The Key. Now I don't mind rewritten books, and I have read several that were done successfully, but I think the approach with this one went all wrong. When it was originally published as The Key, it was marketed simply as a romance novel for the Palisades line of romances. Romance novel....great idea! But honestly, this book is so lacking with romance. This poor girl doesn't really like the guy she's with, and when she does find a guy that she likes, the scenes that they share are somewhat dull up until the very end.
So, I guess since the romance novel marketing strategy didn't pan out, someone came up with the idea to market it as an Amish novel. Um.....no. How Kristie came to live with these people was a little unrealistic, although I've read about this same practice in a few other Amish novels, but written much better. The way in which Kristie met this Amish family and boarded there was just not explained well enough, and it seemed that as a reader, I was just thrown into her experience at an Amish farm. The good thing, though, is that this book does have a lot of Amish info in it, and especially the differences between what the Amish believe compared to what Christians believe regarding the Bible. On that point, the author truly did a great job.
Honestly, I don't know that I'll even read the rest of this series in the new format. I have book two, which was originally published as The Document, that I think I'd rather read as the original instead of the rewrite. Can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope it will be a little heavier on the romance instead of the Amish culture.
Alright, ya'll know from my past reviews that I am a sucker for and an avid reader of Amish books...all Amish books! And Gayle Roper did not disappoint! I had been eyeing this particular book for sometime now and when the opportunity arose to review it for a blog tour I did a happy dance! Well, okay, not really, because I can't dance but I did get super excited and anxious to read it.
This was a light, easy read. It's a story full of God, romance, sadness, friends and family, and most importantly, faith. Without faith, we as a whole, are lost ones. But this story really hits home with finding that faith and believing in it and becoming a better person with it. All the characters blend together beautifully with the plot. Gayle really created characters that are so life-like that you can nearly reach out and hug them! It is truly a book that captured me from first page and held me til the end. That alone, is a keeper!
When I started reading this book, however, I didn't know that this was a reprint from a series Gayle wrote in the 90's. This particular one was, in the 90's, called The Key. But, since I didn't read those books then, I was truly happy to have had the chance to read the reprint, that deserves a 5 star rating and two thumbs up! I am now a forever fan of Gayle Roper's and I anxiously await the release of the second book in the Amish Farm Trilogy, A Secret Identity.
This was a light, easy read. It's a story full of God, romance, sadness, friends and family, and most importantly, faith. Without faith, we as a whole, are lost ones. But this story really hits home with finding that faith and believing in it and becoming a better person with it. All the characters blend together beautifully with the plot. Gayle really created characters that are so life-like that you can nearly reach out and hug them! It is truly a book that captured me from first page and held me til the end. That alone, is a keeper!
When I started reading this book, however, I didn't know that this was a reprint from a series Gayle wrote in the 90's. This particular one was, in the 90's, called The Key. But, since I didn't read those books then, I was truly happy to have had the chance to read the reprint, that deserves a 5 star rating and two thumbs up! I am now a forever fan of Gayle Roper's and I anxiously await the release of the second book in the Amish Farm Trilogy, A Secret Identity.
I enjoyed the book! It was light reading and a quick finish, so I can move onto my next book choice.
