| Title | : | A Reluctant Bride (Amish of Birch Creek #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0718033159 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780718033156 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 320 |
| Publication | : | First published September 8, 2015 |
Sadie Schrock swore she would never marry. All of her other Amish friends could court and marry—she was content to manage the family business and eventually take it over when her parents are ready to retire. But all of that changes when a reckless driver kills both of her parents and seriously injures her younger sister. With mounting hospital bills adding to the pile of debt her parents left behind, Sadie is left with no choice: she must marry. And not just any man—the man who saw her at her weakest and walked away.
Aden knows what his brother did to Sadie years ago was inexcusable. And every day since that incident, Aden has lived with the guilt for not intervening sooner. When he is faced with the chance to protect Sadie once again, he can’t let her down—even if it means living with the scorn of the woman he loves for the rest of his life.
Working alongside Aden at the store, Sadie realizes he isn’t the same boy who once betrayed her. Just when Sadie starts to let her guard down and perhaps develop feelings for her new husband, dangerous secrets are revealed. Now everything Sadie has worked so hard to protect is threatened, and she must find a way to save her family—and herself.
A Reluctant Bride (Amish of Birch Creek #1) Reviews
-
This is an excellent marriage of convenience story! The circumstances leading to Sadie and Aden's union are tragic, and the author did a wonderful job endearing the characters to us in the beginning so that when the shift occurred, I was completely immersed and connected to the high emotion. The complexities of Sadie and Aden's personalities are understandable after what they have gone through in the past and present, and the way Aden dedicates himself to Sadie's happiness is healing for both of them. I loved the slow progression of their relationship with all its nuances. There is some suspense with the pressure the bishop is putting on Aden and his brother, and the resolution was one I didn't see coming but brought a satisfying conclusion. I'm so glad there are two more books in the series from Sadie's sisters' points of view, and can't wait to read them!
(Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review) -
A RELUCTANT BRIDE wasn't what I expected. Sadie hates Sol and Aden but she is forced to marry one or the other and Aden seemed the lesser of two evils. He's a wimp who allows his father and brother to beat him to a pulp and abandons girls who need a hero.
I didn't think too much of the main characters. Aden was portrayed a weakling and Sadie was angry, hateful and rude, even when Aden went out of his way to be nice. To stand up for her. I never did connect with the characters, but I wanted to. I wanted to like them, I wanted to care.
The story did end much better, with some resolution, and Aden became more of a hero.
Ms. Fuller tackled some tough issues in this book and they were handled well. I give her kudos for tackling the subjects she did. It hurt to read, and was a painful book in many ways. It was well written though, and I understand why the characters responded the way they did. -
{{Sexual Content Warning. Girls under 14 should not read this review.}}
About this book:
“She never wanted to marry. He hopes to make amends for past wrongs. Can love find a way to heal both of their hearts?
Sadie Schrock swore she would never marry. All of her other Amish friends could court and marry she was content to manage the family business and eventually take it over when her parents are ready to retire. But all of that changes when a reckless driver kills both of her parents and seriously injures her younger sister. With mounting hospital bills adding to the pile of debt her parents left behind, Sadie is left with no choice: she must marry. And not just any man the man who saw her at her weakest and walked away.
Aden knows what his brother did to Sadie years ago was inexcusable. And every day since that incident, Aden has lived with the guilt for not intervening sooner. When he is faced with the chance to protect Sadie once again, he can’t let her down even if it means living with the scorn of the woman he loves for the rest of his life.
Working alongside Aden at the store, Sadie realizes he isn’t the same boy who once betrayed her. Just when Sadie starts to let her guard down and perhaps develop feelings for her new husband, dangerous secrets are revealed. Now everything Sadie has worked so hard to protect is threatened, and she must find a way to save her family and herself.”
Series: Book #1 in “Amish of Birch Creek” series.
Spiritual Content- Psalm 30:5 at the dedication; Prayers; Talks about God, His will & forgives; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Scriptures are mentioned, remembered & somewhat twisted; A couple mentions of those in the Bible; Mentions of Church, sermons & off Sundays.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, two ‘idiot’s, three ‘shut up’s, seven ‘stupid’s; Mentions of curses said but not written; A bit of sarcasm; Sol’s drinking & him being drunk is a major part of the plot (semi-detailed); Abuse, hitting & beating are major parts of the story (Emmanuel was beaten by his father and had Sol beat Aden. Lots and lots of Semi-detailed); Lots of fighting, hitting & blood (semi-detailed to detailed); Emmanuel smokes a pipe; A viewing of dead bodies (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of hang overs; A mention of hunting.
Sexual Content- an almost barely-above-not-detailed kiss, three barely-above-not-detailed kisses, a semi-detailed kiss, a detailed kiss, and a very-detailed kiss; Noticing & Smelling (semi-detailed to detailed); Flutters & Blushes (semi-detailed); Touches (semi-detailed); Sol grabs Sadie, touches her & kisses her hard (she kicks him before anything else happens, semi-detailed); *Spoiler* *End of Spoiler*; A couple mentions of a man taking off his shirt (his was just strung by bees); a mention of being married in name only; four mentions of wanting more; seven mentions of sharing or not sharing a bed; eight mentions of a husband’s rights & desires; two mentions of an intimate relationship between a husband & wife (Aden says his father never discussed it, but Aden knows what happens); three mentions of consummating a marriage; After the quick wedding, someone asks if Sadie is pregnant (she’s not); Love, a marriage of convenience, falling in love & the emotions.
-Sadie Schrock, age 22 (Prologue, 16)
-Aden Troyer, age 22 (assumed)
P.O.V. switches between them, Sol (4x), Emmanuel (4x) and Patience (2x)
297 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- One Star
My personal Rating- One Star
*sigh* I really don’t like giving low ratings, despite what some may think. Compared to the Amish marriage of convenience book I read last week, “The Gift”, was much cleaner than this one of the same genre. The opening prologue takes place when Sadie is 16—so the in the target age of this blog—when Sol touches & kisses her. Needless to say, I did not like Sol at all. Emmanuel just made me plain mad! He’s hiding an insane amount of money, is a major control freak, & beats his sons. (He also smokes a pipe, which I’ve never heard of in the Amish community.) I felt like he was twisting Scriptures with all his talks about putting a wife in her place. The ending was pretty good, in my opinion. And while I’m definitely not overlooking all the kisses & sexual hints, I have to thank the author for not putting a scene in her book of the main characters consummating their marriage. Quite honesty, I’d like to give this book a tiny bit of a higher rating because of that fact and the ending, but I can’t due to all the Negative & Sexual Content in the beginning, middle & 40 pages till the end.
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review. -
One thing about Amish romance novels is they're all somewhat the same. However I was quite surprised in this book. I started off heating Aidan and even saw. So it was a pretty nasty piece of work. But this book just definitely shows that you can't judge a person by their cover or their outside actions. Definitely love this book and can't wait to start the next book in this series.
-
I have to say I'm not usually a fan of romance and at first I thought this might be the typical romance: girl doesn't like guy, girl grows to like guy then love and happily ever after. I was so WRONG. Kathleen Fuller has an exceptional story here. The Reluctant Bride encompasses disenchantment, abuse, broken people, hope, love and strong faith.
Sadie Schrock and Aden Troyer were thrown into marriage by a tragedy and the Bishop (Aden's father) of their Amish community. Sadie doesn't trust Aden because of an incident in their past.
The Bishop has his reasons for wanting them to marry. He has ruled his 2 sons' lives with abuse and negativity and plans to rule Aiden and Sadie's marriage the same way. Bishop Troyer has an agenda of his own and he does not tolerate disobedience.
Kathleen Fuller has developed awesome characters and the story draws the reader into their lives. I felt this was an remarkable read and I highly recommend it.
I received this book free from the publisher for review purposes. If you want to learn more about Kathleen Fuller at
http://kathleenfuller.com/home -
Originally posted
HERE.
This was an interesting enough read that I’ll be looking out for the rest of the books in the series. It was maybe a little jumpy and disjointed in places, but the storyline was complex and engrossing, and I loved the relationship at the centre. Hero and heroine are forced to marry with no warning or preparation, and it was nice watching their relationship grow.
I will never really understand the appeal of the Amish lifestyle, but when an author – like this one – makes you believe it’s right for the characters, then it’s easy to get invested in their world.
The things I like about this book are things that authors are unlikely to get away with in more mainstream romance. The shy, awkward, shortish and reddish-haired hero, for example. The poor guy was abused by his father and older brother and then years back, when the heroine needed his help, he didn’t give it.
This makes for an interesting story and an interesting conflict in the relationship, and I’m glad to see more complex characters.
I must say that I kept trying to give the heroine the benefit of the doubt, as she has been to hell and back, has lost her parents and now been forced to marry all in the space of a fortnight, but it was hard. I didn’t necessarily dislike her, but I didn’t find her particularly appealing either. She was a bit of an empty, but angry, shell, and I didn’t really get why the hero had loved her pretty much his whole life.
My biggest issue was her huge grudge she held. Sexual harassment or assault – no matter how minor – is NOT ON, but I couldn’t help but feel her reaction to something six years earlier was a colossal overreaction. If I or most women I know reacted like that to similar things we’ve experienced (usually more than time), we’d be locked up in padded rooms now!
It is always funny when you read Christian romances, to see how many hoops the author can jump through to have her married characters not have sex! At least in this one the forced marriage was a legitimate excuse for them to take their time!
This book used more Amish words than any other Amish book I’ve read (but as I’ve only read Harlequin line books before, maybe that publisher has a policy this one doesn’t). My high school German helped, but there is also a glossary at the start. It’s not overwhelming.
I didn’t find A Reluctant Bride especially preachy, but of course the Amish are very religious people, so there’s some God-talk here.
I was growing a little tired of some of the themes used in historical romances recently, and it might seem a bit odd, but I’m finding Amish books have been filling a gap in my reading. There’s the comfort of the modern world, but also a feel of the past to the stories. It’s not exactly a sexy world(!) but then I don’t need that in my romances.
Not all Amish books I’ve read are of the same standard, but in this one, I think I’ve found a series to invest in.
Review copy provided by NetGalley. -
Kathleen Fuller has really out done herself on "
A Reluctant Bride". The detailed words she used to express characters feelings, moods, and with each other, was deeply riveting. Don't know about any one else that have read "
A Reluctant Bride", but I know I felt like I have there in Birch Creek living with the characters as they went through their fictional experiences.
Sadie Schrock lives in Birch Creek Amish community with two younger sisters and their parents who own, Schrock Grocery and Tools. Her dream was to marry and take over the family store, but six years ago and incident happened with the Troyer brothers that changed all of that.
Now that six years has passed, Sadie still harbor those old wounds and keeps to herself, until she is forced to attend the singing with her two sisters being held at Bishop Troyer's home. She has vowed to keep her two sisters safe.
The next day after the singing Sadie and her sister Abigail get terrible news about their parents and that their other sister had survived the buggy accident, but would need surgery and rehab.
Sadie makes a heartfelt promise and decision to herself that she would keep her family together and keep their family store, but Bishop Troyer has other plans for Sadie. She becomes a reluctant bride.
Can Sadie keep her sisters together and keep their family store?
What is the Bishop Troyer's real plan?
Are secrets really worth keeping?
To find out the answer to these questions and more, you will have to read "
A Reluctant Bride" for yourself and find out those answers. I promise you will not regret reading "
A Reluctant Bride" by
Kathleen Fuller.
I loved "
A Reluctant Bride" and I think it is my new favorite by Kathleen. I look forward to reading the next book in this series by
Kathleen Fuller and her other books in the near future.
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. No money was exchanged. This is my honest review in my own words. -
BACK OF THE BOOK BLURB
Sadie Schrock swore she would never marry. All of her other Amish friends could court and marry---she was content to manage the family business and eventually take it over when her parents are ready to retire. But all of that changes when a reckless driver kills both of her parents and seriously injures her younger sister. With mounting hospital bills adding to the pile of debt her parents left behind, Sadie is left with no choice: she must marry. And not just any man---the man who saw her at her weakest and walked away.
Aden knows what his brother did to Sadie years ago was inexcusable. And every day since the incident, Aden has lived with the guilt for not intervening sooner. When he is faced with the chance to protect Sadie once again, he can't let her down---even if it means living with the scorn of the woman he loves for the rest of his life.
Working alongside Aden at the store, Sadie realizes he isn't the same boy who once betrayed her. Just when Sadie starts to let her guard down and perhaps develop feelings for her new husband, dangerous secrets are revealed. Now everything Sadie has worked so hard to protect is threatened, and she must find a way to save her family---and herself.
MY REVIEW
Oh my, oh my, oh my! ! ! If you don't find your heart bleeding for both Sadie and Aden, you don't have a heart! This story is just one huge tragedy in both of their lives. Kathleen, thank you so much for making me lose some sleep. I had a terrible time trying to put this book down. Let me just say that this is a definite winner in my mind and it comes highly recommended as a MUST read.
I have had this book in my TBR pile for quite some time when I saw that I could request the third book in the series, "An Unbroken Heart" coming out on March 16th, in exchange for an honest review. Boy am I glad I finally read it and I am purchasing the second book, "A Love Made New", which I thought I had but don't, as soon as I get done here.
The site I was looking at had the books in the wrong order and it looks like "An Unbroken Heart" is the second in the series due out in March. The third book is "A Love Made New" and it doesn't come out until September. -
** I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review **
This was my first Amish romance novel and the first book I've read by this author. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised! I wasn't sure what to expect from an Amish romance but this story was filled with everything a great story should have. Based on the blurb, I was prepared for the story line of tragedy and sorrow. What I was surprised about was the story with Aden and Sol. I went from hating Sol to feeling such deep sorrow for him by the end of the book. I hope the author considers writing a second book focusing on Sol's story and how he comes to terms with what he has done and the changed man he is.
Wonderfully written story that pulls at your heart strings.
My only critique is the story lacked the physical intimacy that I was expecting. The author builds up the physical attraction between the couple, focusing on how they look at one another, their reaction to an innocent touch, etc... But when the time comes to take their marriage into the bedroom, the author writes about a brief kiss and then fast forwards. We only know they were intimate because at one point Sadie thinks that her new mood was because her and Aden had consummated their marriage finally. I was left wanting to know more about their first time together, given the build up of physical attraction. Was it awkward? Did they both feel the love the other one has?
Overall though, I really enjoyed this book and the unique story line. -
This review is also posted on
Book by Book.
Kathleen Fuller’s A Reluctant Bride is a novel full of heartbreaking circumstances, well-kept secrets and unwanted proposals. When tragedy strikes her family, Sade Schrock, who never wanted to marry, has no choice but to enter into a loveless marriage agreement with a man she despises, Aden Troyer. These two serious-minded characters, both burdened by their pasts, only being to adjust to their convenient marriage, when they uncover secret after secret hidden within their growing Amish community. While their story is a bit predictable in terms of outcome and romance, it still kept me intrigued with premise and character development, and I really enjoyed following along as Sadie and Aden become better acquainted. Fans of Amish fiction will not be disappointed with A Reluctant Bride - I would recommend it.
Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of A Reluctant Bride and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”) -
Now that I have read A Reluctant Bride, I am so excited that this is only the first book in the Amish of Birch Creek series. I can look ahead and anticipate returning to these great characters in future novels!
This story was so good! The set up was ripe for tension, with Sadie and Aden ending up in a “marriage of necessity”. But, A Reluctant Bride takes it a step further. Sadie deeply resents Aden for a situation that occurred in the past when he failed her. Now, his actions are protecting her, while at the same time forcing her to look deeper at this man and his family history.
A Reluctant Bride has very complex characters, some you will love and others that are downright scary. Power, control, and abuse are driving factors that shape the lives of some key members of the story. There is loss and sadness, but also a great story of forgiveness and the chance at a deep and abiding love.
A Reluctant Bride was so interesting and I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, through BookLook Bloggers, in exchange for an honest review.
You can read this review on my blog at:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c... -
Wow, where do I begin? This book played with my emotions. One of the characters, author Kathleen Fuller wrote about in this story really brought out the worst in me. I found I had feelings of strong dislike for this person. He literally tore my heart apart with his actions. How can he get away with this? Would a true man of God act this way? I judged him harshly.
This book made me cry. Not once, but several times. I hurt for those who hurt. I literally felt their pain. My heart went out to Sadie, Aden, and yes, even to Sol.
This story is about pain, loss, faith, trust, love, and finally, through God, complete forgiveness. This story will touch you very deeply. Perhaps, it will even soften your heart or even convict you of something you need to make right, or someone you need to go to and ask for forgiveness.
Another thing I got out of this book was, the importance of accountability. We should not only be accountable to the community/church that we serve but to God.
I highly recommend this book. I promise you, once you start reading it, you will want to continue reading until the last page is read.
I am looking forward to reading, An Unbroken Heart, book two in this series. -
Things are not always as we perceive and at first look the Amish Community of Birch Creek, looks and acts just like most others. As we delve into the character’s lives here, one family is not like most of the others, and this family is at the forefront of all of the families. This is the Bishops family, and there are a lot of deep dark secrets here.
Beginning with just about the first page we see that one of the Bishops sons is a drunkard. He attacks of one his own, Sadie Schrock, and life then throws funny punches at her by placing him in her life forever.
I was shocked at some of the revelations that happened in this story, and yet they happen in all cultures, and unfortunately they seem to repeat themselves. We can only hope that it stops at this generation and does not move forward.
It is a compelling page-turner, and yes you will shed tears, and hope for the best. Will life turn around for Sadie and her sisters?
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review. -
I received a free copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
For me, this was a first. I already knew books about Amish are popular, but I never came to reading these books.
The story was great, the characters likeable. I also learned to let go of prejudices. To give an example, I always thought Amish did not have showers (only bathtubs and such), running water and such. Initially the showers taken and such bugged me, but thank goodness there is google ;-) So this book pushed me to learn something new as well.
The only thing that was slightly annoying, was that the Amish words were constantly written in italics. I can imagine doing it the first time such a word appears, but when it lasts throughout the book and happens sometimes even multiple times in one sentence, it diverts from the story. That does not mean the Amish words in themselves are a bad thing, but I would've preferred them without the italics. -
Great writer, Great storyline.
I had the joy of meeting the author Kathleen Fuller in Charm, OH, after meeting her and hearing her enthusiasm for Amish writing I had to jump in. So glad I did. This lovely story revolves around Sadie a young lady with a fractured heart and spirit. Sadie is then handed a large list of life tragedies. Through tragedy she is placed in a forced marriage to Aden. Aden is also very fractured by events in his life and his family. Their journey to become a trusting and loving couple is beautifully written with an amazing story line. Take this journey of Trust, Love , Faith, and Family with Sadie, Aden, Sol, and Family you will be glad you took the time to take the journey. Thank you Kathleen for your spirit and talent. -
This book surprised me with its emotional impact. So much passion without the main characters even touching! Amazing. And finding such emotional tension and passion without scenes of lovemaking truly is remarkable in a cultural age that craves physicality in its romance literature to the point of smut becoming mainstream bestsellers (yes, I'm looking at you, Fifty Shades). A Reluctant Bride is tasteful, loving, honest, and simply wonderful. I very much enjoyed it.
*I received a copy for review from the publisher through Booklist. -
What a different family the Troyers were from most of the Amish fiction I've read. How could the bishop be that type of man? How could Aden be the man he was with the childhood he had? He was a true gift.
I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in the series! -
Kathleen Fuller’s The Reluctant Bride is a beautiful story of faith, hope, and second chances. Her characters and descriptions are captivating, bringing the story to life with the turn of every page.
-
Such a very good book! It had me so engrossed in the lives of each of the characters that it was so very hard to put it down! Awesome!
-
Assault, lies, abuse....I wasn't sure I had actually picked up a true Amish romance. But, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. After being forced into marriage can Sadie find redemption and understanding for her new husband? I really loved that this showed the less than idyllic lifestyle of the Amish.
-
Seeing God’s hand turn tragedy and brokenness into joy and healing in the sweetest way.
-
I loved this book!! Great story!! Love this author's books!!
-
this was such an amazing book!! I finished it a couple of hours and I love it
-
*3.5 stars
-
A Reluctant Bride by Kathleen Fuller is the first book in her An Amish of Birch Creek series. Sadie Schrock is sixteen years old (in the very beginning) living in Birch Creek. It was her turn to go get ice for their family store. On her way home she encounters Sol Troyer. He is always pushing himself at Sadie and she keeps rebuffing him. Sol drags Sadie into the cornfield and insists upon a kiss (and then he will let her go). Aden, Sol’s brother, tries to intercede, but he is unsuccessful (and then he leaves Sadie). Sol gets very fresh so Sadie knees him where he is most vulnerable. Sadie runs home (and tells no one).
Six years later Sadie is devoted to working in her parent’s store, Schrock Grocery and Tools. Her mother keeps trying to get her to find a man and get married. Her two sisters, Abigail and Joanna want to go to the singing that evening, but their mother will not let them go unless Sadie goes with them. Sadie eventually agrees to go and then wishes she had not when she finds out it is being held at Bishop Troyer’s (Sol and Aden’s father). Sadie cannot stand being there for very long especially when Sol shows up. Soon, though, the unthinkable happens. Sadie’s parents and Joanna are in a buggy accident (a car hit them). Her parents are both gone and Joanna is severely hurt. Joanna will need weeks of rehabilitation (Abigail will stay with a relative near the rehab center to help Joanna). When Sadie goes over the finances for the store, she finds out that they do not have much money. She will need help from the community fund to pay the hospital bills (which is what it is for). When Sadie goes to ask Bishop Troyer, the bishop refuses to give her the money (sounds suspicious). Bishop Troyer sees this as a golden opportunity (he is up to something). He tells Sadie that she has to marry his son, Sol. Thankfully, Aden intervenes (you will have to read the book to find out how). They are married within days.
Aden and Sadie are going to have to find a way to live together. Sadie will have to forgive Aden for what happened six years previously. Can these two find a way to overcome the past and move forward to their future? Then they find out why the bishop wanted them to marry (I do not want to spoil it for you). Then there is the issue of Sol. Why does Sol drink? There is a lot going on in A Reluctant Bride, but it all ties together. I give A Reluctant Bride 4 out of 5 stars. For me this was a hard book to read because of the bullying (brought up bad memories). There is also child abuse in the novel (physical and verbal). It is a nicely written book and I like the ending. One thing I am noticing lately in many Christian and Amish fiction books is the problem of lack of communication. People keep storming off or stewing about an issue instead of talking about it (or praying about it).
I received a complimentary copy of A Reluctant Bride from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogs... -
A book title could never be at once more true and yet more understated than A Reluctant Bride. To say Sadie is a reluctant bride makes it sound like she has a case of cold feet. Not Sadie. She wants to run for the hills! And she’d run like the wind if only her feet weren’t frozen with fear.
Honestly, I have cold feet – literally – because Kathleen Fuller has knocked my socks off! A Reluctant Bride is the first work of Amish fiction where I’ve feared not only for someone’s physical safety but for his/her life. It also boasts the distinct honor of recording the fastest time, in my memory, in which a book has made me care about both its principal characters, Sadie and Aden. Kathleen Fuller’s writing is active and vital. She grants such close access to her characters’ thoughts that it’s almost as if you can hear their hearts beating.
Amish communities, like any other, are not immune to problems. In Birch Creek, Fuller reveals a community burdened with secrets, shame, abuse, heartache, pain, and grief. Yet despite its heartbreaking circumstances, A Reluctant Bride never loses hope. Instead, the novel uses adversity to teach powerful lessons about our loving God.
Through her Birch Creek cast, Fuller shows that all emotions need to be expressed and validated. If you put up walls to stave off grief or other unwelcome feelings, or conversely, if you hold too tightly to negative emotions, you make it difficult, if not impossible, to feel positive emotions – like love.
Another lesson is delivered through a wonderful analogy. Aden’s a beekeeper, and for a long time, his bees are his only friends. There’s a key scene where Aden tells Sadie about bees: Honey bees, he explains, are complex, yet simple creatures. While it’s true that they can deliver a painful sting, they only strike when threatened. A hive, he points out, has “a complex hierarchy. All the bees have to work together for the colony to survive.” Indeed, the characters in A Reluctant Bride learn that it’s not just okay but necessary to ask for and accept help. We are stronger together than apart.
Aden feels he’ll never meet his father’s expectations or earn his approval. Sadie also feels burdened with responsibility – she needs to work hard to do right by her parents’ memory by caring for her sisters and managing both the home and the family store. Ultimately, both take strength from knowing that God’s love is unconditional, His help ever-present, and His favor the only one they need seek.
Verdict: 5 of 5 Hearts. A Beautiful Testament to God’s Ability to Rebuild, Renew, and Restore.
A Reluctant Bride is not a fairy-tale romance or swoon fest, but it demonstrates clearly how God can take broken pieces of shattered hearts and create something not only beautiful but unbreakable. For that reason, it may just be the perfect love story.
