A Marriage of the Heart by Kelly Long
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A Marriage of the Heart is three Kelly Long Amish novellas—available for the first time in one collection. Since it is a 3-in-1 collection I will be reviewing each story individually within this review. Something I have never done previously! So, bear with me if it is rough around the edges!
A Perfect Secret:
Rose has accepted her best friend's marriage proposal but she secretly wishes for something more. While she loves him as a friend she desires to feel that spark of romance from him. That moment when he will kiss her and the world stops moving. Instead, it seems to her that he isn't attracted to her and simply proposed because they were friends. Then, she finds out a secret that Luke has been carrying and her entire perception changes. She is intrigued by the "new Luke" and she is desperate to get to know that side of him, even as it threatens to tear them apart. This was a sweet little story about the unknown when it comes to romance and how you can know someone as a very close friend for years and still miss the inner workings of their mind and heart.
Christmas Cradles:
The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh. As a midwife, Anna knows this lesson well. She prays that the Lord will give her patients protection and safe deliveries on a cold winter night, Christmas to be exact! Covering for her aunt who is also a midwife, Anna braves bad weather to attend to three births in the community. With the poor weather, she is relying on Asa Lapp to get her to the homes of her patients safely. It is her first time meeting Asa as she is not from the same Amish community, therefore she doesn't know the true reasons for his brooding personality. What she does know is that she is completely intrigued by this man. As she spends the evening with him going from home to home...she can feel herself falling for him. Likewise, he is falling for this quirky and determined midwife! Our past has a way of creeping up on us though and a dark secret threatens to ruin this budding romance. Can Anna trust in the Lord enough to hear him out? Or will she judge him for past sins that are quickly bubbling to the surface?
I really enjoyed this story and though it was over pretty quickly and seemed a little rush, that is pretty typical for a novella. I think you will not be disappointed at the conclusion! If you're like me, you might even develop a little book crush on the obviously handsome Asa with his husky voice and dreamy personality!
A Marriage of the Heart:
Abby is a beautiful and yet manipulative girl who finds herself married to a wonderfully patient man. Despite the fact that she trapped him into marrying her. Joseph is genuine in his desire to get to know Abby and even to love her but Abby is eager for the ways of the world. Joseph has had his fill of the world though, having been "English" he wants for nothing more than to forget his past. A past that he hopes Abby can never finds out. Abby is reluctant at first but she can't help but to start to fall for her new husband and she is surprised by the desire in her heart to learn to cook, to sew, to do all the things a good Amish wife should do for her husband. With his help and gentle patience, he slowly wins her heart and helps her find her true self and in turn, he relies on Abby to help him confront his dark past.
Joseph's character was so dreamy to read about! I think I developed at least two crushes in this collection of novellas. Kelly Long certainly knows how to paint an appealing Amish-man! I think this was my favorite out of the three stories. I kept hoping that things would work out for Abby and Joseph. I was not disappointed with this story in the least! It met all the criteria I look for in a good Amish romance!
Places to Buy:
Amazon
CBD
Barnes&Noble
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
Kelly Long is the author of Sarah's Garden, the first novel in the Patch of Heaven series. She was born and raised in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania. She’s been married for nearly 25 years and has five children.
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