Hopefully Ever After by Beth Wiseman
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Web ID: 16835561Not your usual Amish romance
This is an interesting story about a young girl, Eden, who is sent to stay with her cousin and her family, since she could not live with either of her parents. Her cousin married an Amish man and is now Amish herself. I really liked Eden and her Amish cousins. Eden is only 16 years old and has had to deal with many hard situations in her young life. She has plans for going to college once she is old enough. Samuel is a young Amish man who lives not far away from where Eden is staying. He is close to entering his rumspringa period when he gets to leave many Amish restrictions behind. Afterwards, he will be able to decide to be baptized or leave the faith. His overly strict parents are not happy with that, or with his friendship with Eden. I enjoyed this book a lot, for the characters, and because it kept surprising me. I also really felt for Eden and Samuel as both experienced hard times and had difficult decisions to make, for such young teenagers. This is the third book in the series, but it works well as a standalone book. I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher Vondervan Fiction via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Good read
Third in the Amish Bookstore series, it can be read as a stand alone. But I enjoyed visiting the bookstore each time and we see some of the same characters woven throughout. Eden has had such a hard childhood and we follow her through her later teen years. While I’m over reading about 16 year olds all the time, author Beth Wiseman does a good job of “growing her up” as she and Samuel learn more about their faith together. Forgiveness and grace is a thread through the story for both main characters. And the ending tied things up nicely. Although this one didn’t hold my interest as well as the first two, if you enjoy Amish fiction give this one a try. I think you’ll be glad you did. I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Amazing read
I really enjoyed this book. I actually had a hard time putting it down. I really liked Eden she went through so much and was so wise beyond her years. She had the biggest heart, you really watch her grow up so much from the beginning to the end of this book. I felt like Samuel was quite immature but he was always willing to listen to those he respected and cared for. I loved Yvonne and Abraham now I did not read there story but they were the cutest couple and they were so patient and loving with Eden while she dealt with some big blows. Overall I would say this book will have you laughing and crying in the same chapter but its well worth it. This is a clean read and well worth it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Heart Filled Romance
An unlikely friendship forms between Samuel Byler and Eden Hale when she comes to stay with her cousin Yvonne for a few months in the summer. A charming romance that brings back familiar faces and new friends as well. My heart went out to Eden, who has had a rough upbringing. She surprises her hosts, but many in the community judge her to be a bad influence. I liked how she encourages Samuel to be thankful for his family. A charming read by one of my favorite Amish fiction authors. I loved the friendship and familiar faces. I especially liked how it continued to follow Yvonne and Abraham. Overall, this was a well written and engaging read with great character development, and filled with heart. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Exceptional Coming of Age
This is book three in An Amish Bookstore series and I was so glad to be back. I love the backdrop story of the bookshop and the mystery of hidden coins there. It is a joy to revisit Abraham, Yvonne, and other characters from the previous books. I’m not a big fan of coming of age stories but I actually found Eden’s and Samuel’s story intriguing and was their biggest cheerleader as I was pulled into their stories. Eden has lived a lifetime of hardships that break my heart and I was so proud of the strength she showed both in her faith and her personal goals. Yvonne was the perfect person to show her love and what a healthy relationship looked like with her example of a marriage where prayer and communication were at the center. This is an Amish book that thinks outside the box and it pulled me in as did the previous books. Ms Wiseman has a knack for capturing your heart and attention with her stories and this one does exactly that. I give this a thumbs up for adding to your TBR pile as soon as possible. I was blessed to receive a complimentary copy from the author/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautiful, Inspirational Title
As someone who has pretty much been a lifelong fan of Amish fiction, I honestly cannot believe that this was my first experience reading one of Beth Wiseman's wonderful full length novels. The only experience I'd had with her writing prior to this was reading some of the novella collections where she'd contributed a story. I was definitely in for a treat with this one, and I appreciated the fact that while this is the third title in her The Amish Bookstore series, it could be read as a stand alone without feeling like I was missing out on too much of the backstory. Hopefully Ever After is a beautiful story that focuses around redemption, God's grace, and family and friendships. Readers are treated to the story of Eden, a young teenaged girl who has grown up in devastating circumstances. When a situation arises that causes her to be temporarily placed with an Amish relative, Eden feels she's finally found the solace and peace in God's presence that she's spent her whole life searching for. When a chance encounter leads her to meeting a young Amish teenager named Samuel, both feel an instant connection. While Eden is intrigued by everything she's come to see from the Amish culture, Samuel feels smothered by it. He isn't sure that this is where he sees himself wanting to be for the rest of his life, when the world seems to have so much more to offer. As the two begin a heartwarming friendship, it will call into question everything they've come to know and understand about their lives so far. What follows is a breath takingly beautiful story about the challenges of growing up while trying to be true to God and His never changing presence in our lives. I think this is a story that will cause every single reader who picks it up to think good and hard about who they're living their lives for, and whether God is at the front and center like he always deserves to be. I adored this one from start to finish, and it's without a doubt one of the best books I've read this year so far. It's unlike anything else I've ever read within the genre, and I can't wait to go back and read the first two books in the series, and to discover many more of the books written by this author. I'm only sorry it took me this long to give one of her books a try, as I definitely feel I've discovered a new favorite. Final Rating: 5/5. Thanks so much to Zondervan for allowing me to advance read and review this one! I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Zondervan) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Loved it
This was an emotional and complex story about two teens from very different backgrounds who meet and discover they have much in common. Sixteen-year-old Eden has come to stay with her Amish cousin, Yvonne, for a month while her guardian, Emma, is away. Eden has had a turbulent life so far. Her mother is a drug addict and is serving a term in prison, she never knew her father, and there isn't much of a connection between herself and Emma. In trying to find her place in the world, Eden made a few mistakes before vowing she would not follow in her mother's footsteps. She hopes this time in Indiana will give her the fresh start she craves. On her first day with Yvonne, she's introduced to Samuel, Yvonne's husband's nephew, who offers to teach her to ride. Samuel is the sixteen-year-old son of very strict Amish parents. Though he is of the age for his rumspringa or running around, Anna and Leroy keep him under tight control. Samuel is curious about life outside the Amish community and feels trapped without the ability to experience any of it. Complicating matters, those same feelings cause him to question his faith and whether to stay in the community. There is an immediate connection between Eden and Samuel. They find it easy to talk to each other as Samuel asks questions about her life as an Englischer, and Eden rhapsodizes about how beautiful and peaceful Montgomery is. But Samuel's parents aren't happy with the amount of time he's spending with Eden, worried that she will influence him in the wrong way. They come down quite hard on him, and Samuel reacts by using deception to do as he wants. Eden is initially unaware of his actions and is angry with him when she finds out. Eden loves her time in Montgomery and getting to know Samuel. It is a relief to know that he likes her for who she is and doesn't judge her for her past mistakes. But Samuel's lies have put her and her cousin in an awkward position. She doesn't understand Samuel's fascination with the outside world when he has such a wonderful family and home life. I could feel the tension build as Eden and Samuel grew closer. I could see the trouble looming on the horizon and knew it wouldn't be pretty when Anna and Leroy discovered the truth. I hurt for everyone when the confrontation came. Leroy and Anna are angry and hurt at Samuel's deceptions and double down on their need to control his actions. Yvonne and Abraham are caught in the middle and want the best for both teens. Eden is hurt by how his parents blame her when she's done her best to show him that the outside world isn't as great as he thinks. And Samuel wants a chance to experience the same things others do. I liked that Abraham was the voice of reason in the storm and devised a solution to prevent Samuel from running away while giving him the freedom he craved. It was an eye-opening experience for Samuel, and I loved seeing him learn from it. I also liked that his parents also learned a few things. Eden has some hard lessons to learn, also. Her mother is in prison, and Eden has difficulty forgiving her for what she has been through. When she gets word that her mother is ill, she hardens her heart against her. Samuel sees Eden's conflict and does his best to encourage Eden to speak to her mother before it is too late. In a heartwrenching scene, Eden finally lets go of her hatred and finds the peace she needs. By the time this is all over, it is time for Eden to return to Texas and her guardian. When Eden receives unexpected news, it opens a realm of possibilities for her future. Will this change her relationship with Samuel? I loved watching Eden figure out what she wanted from her life and go after it. The ending was fantastic, as Eden and Samuel found what they sought. Running through all three books in the series was the mystery of the trove of gold coins supposedly hidden inside the Amish bookstore that Yvonne runs for her friends Jake and Eva. One coin has turned up, but no one has had any luck finding others. After further research, Jake makes a decision about the shop that has unexpected results. There is a saying about counting one's chickens, but everything works out.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Sweet Amish YA romance
Sixteen-year-old Eden Hale is tired of being judged by the actions of her mother. With her mother in prison and her guardian cousin going on a trip, Eden goes to stay with her Amish cousin Yvonne and her husband Abraham. Sixteen-year-old Samuel Byler wants to see and know more about the world outside his Amish community, but his strict parents aren't allowing him his rumspringa. Samuel volunteers to give Eden riding lessons, but his parents are concerned about her outside influence. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love Eden who already has a deep faith and embraces almost everything about her new home. The relationship that blooms between Eden and Samuel is sweet and realistic. This book delves naturally into some deeper subjects such as death, rebellion, and forgiveness. I also love that Yvonne plays a role in all the books in the series so far. This book can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone, but is even better as part of the series. My only quibble is that part of the ending wrap-up is smoother than realistic, but I still love the story and enjoy the happy ending.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com