Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 5/3/2022 + 2548 more book reviews

Good book. Aden is something nearly unheard of in the Amish community - an environmentalist and an activist. He cares deeply about the environment and animal welfare, and his actions frequently get him into trouble - including three arrests. Then a life-threatening accident sends him to his grandparents' home, looking for a fresh start. His grandmother Anna is thrilled to have him there and has just the woman in mind to settle him down.

Lily is the youngest of two daughters and a complete daddy's girl. She lives in fear of disappointing him, constantly worries about everything, and is dating the man her father recommends. When Anna asks Lily to work for her during the summer, Lily is hesitant to step outside her comfort zone. She has no idea how far out of that comfort zone she will be.

The first meeting between Aden and Lily did not go as Anna had hoped. Upon her arrival at Anna's home, Lily, afraid of dogs, was knocked down and thoroughly licked by Aden's undisciplined Goldendoodle, Pilot. After she makes her displeasure known, Aden, who is aware of his grandmother's plan, decides that he's not interested in a woman who clearly hates his dog. Undeterred, Anna takes every opportunity to throw Aden and Lily together. On the other hand, once Lily's dad hears of Aden's reputation, he's adamant that Lily avoid being around him.

Anna's tactics work very well, and I enjoyed seeing Lily and Aden get to know one another. It's a slow process because, quite frankly, Lily is a wimp. She's afraid of the water, getting dirty, children, and living outside her father's narrow view of being a "good girl." There are some sweet scenes of them together as Aden starts to break through Lily's fears. It's not long before Aden is thoroughly smitten and doing his best to live the kind of life Lily's dad would approve of.

Complicating matters, Lily's father pushes the bishop's son, Tyler Yoder, at her every chance he gets. Tyler is a nice guy, and Lily likes him. She understands his appeal as a good, steady man who doesn't make waves. Tyler and Aden become friends as well as rivals for Lily's hand.

When Aden hears about a puppy mill from his friend Jamal and is asked to help get the proof needed to take to the police, he is initially reluctant to risk his improving reputation. However, Jamal convinces him it should be safe, so he agrees. Unfortunately, Lily chooses this time to find her courage and insists on going along. Aden tries to dissuade her, but she won't be denied. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and all three end up arrested. Lily is terrified, furious, and stuck facing her father's anger and disappointment when he picks her up. He blames everything on Aden, convinces Lily she was led astray, and pushes her harder toward Tyler.

I ached for Aden. He is swamped with guilt over what happened to Lily and believes he deserves all of the disapproval heaped on him. I loved how he accepted responsibility and embraced the meted-out discipline. He hoped that when his shunning time was over that he would be able to fix things with Lily. My heart broke for him when he found out she had agreed to marry Tyler.

I was furious at Lily. She took no responsibility for her decision to go with Aden. Instead, she accepted her father's pronouncement that it was due to Aden's bad influence on her. Then agreeing to marry Tyler, who she didn't love, was terribly unfair to Tyler, who loves her. I was also angry at her father. He claims her troubles were caused by Aden manipulating her, but he's a fine one to talk. He keeps her under his thumb by bringing up the two traumatic events from her childhood whenever he feels her slipping away.

I cheered when Lily's sister, Estee, called Lily out on her hypocrisy. She pointed out that Lily was just as guilty, and blaming others doesn't change the truth. Lily was horrified when she realized what she had done and was determined to fix things. I loved seeing her grow a backbone and tell her father the truth about that night and her feelings and intentions. Her dad reacted exactly as she feared, and she had some big decisions to make. I loved watching the events of that evening unfold, from her trip to see Tyler to their visit to Aden. I loved their plan for the next day and couldn't wait to see the reactions - which were everything I could have hoped for. The ending was terrific.

This was my first book by this author, but it won't be the last. I look forward to reading more about Anna's matchmaking attempts.

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