Gabriel's Bride

A Clover Ridge Novel

by Amy Lillard
Review & GIVEAWAY!

For Convenience Sake!

Description

Rachel Yoder has two choices: marry Gabriel Fisher or move to Ohio. As an orphan, Rachel doesn’t have much to offer; any match she can make will be a good one. She just didn’t plan on Gabriel with his big hands and permanent frown.

As a widower Gabriel needs help caring for the farm and his six children. But he never thought he’d marry a slip of a girl who barely reaches his chin.

Yet as time passes, Gabriel finds himself thinking about a real marriage. They have spoken vows to God and each other, but can he risk his heart with Rachel?

Buy your copy at the following locations:

http://www.deepershopping.com/

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

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Biography

I'm a wife, mother, and bona fide Southern belle. Published author, expert corn bread maker, and Squirrel Princess.

I live in Tulsa, though I was born in Mississippi. I moved to the Sooner State when I was seventeen and met my soul mate and best friend not long after. I've retained a little of my Mississippi accent though most people think I'm from Texas. (?) Rob and I have been married for over twenty years and have a son-a mom proclaimed prodigy, of course!

I love homemade tacos, shoes, and romance novels-not necessarily in that order. I'm a big fan of country music, a staunch proponent of saving the Oxford comma, and I'm shamefully obsessed with all things Harry Potter.

I believe that God is love. I guess that's why I adore romances. 

I have always been intrigued with the Amish culture, their gentle ways and slower-paced lifestyle. (And I love, love, love the fact that they stay married for their lifetime.) But until recently I never thought to blend this interest with my penchant for romance. Okay, okay, I'm a bit old-fashioned and even enjoy the gender roles that are present in this culture. I love to cook and take care of my family. Yes, that's me June Cleaver with a laptop.

I dislike people trying to convince me to read the Twilight series (I'll get to it or I won't, either way I'm good with it), gratuitous violence, and strawberry ice cream. (I know I'm alone on this last one, and again, I'm good with it.)

Favorite movies-(besides HP) French Kiss, Maid of Honor, A Lot Like Love, Just Married, and Sweet Home Alabama. Oh, and Miss Congeniality, Sabrina (both versions) and a 1940′s movie called Dear Ruth. If you haven't seen it, you should! A-dorable. Anything with Doris Day and most all of Marilyn's and Audrey's.

Contact Amy:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Lillard-Author/177732292332322

http://amywritesromance.com/

My Review ~

Gabriel Fisher has been widowed for six years, and has his hands full with five sons and a large farm to manage. His daughter recently left home during her rumspringa in order to continue her education, and his sister is planning for her upcoming wedding. With no alternative, his only option was to hire someone to manage his household and monitor the children. 

Sadly, Rachel Yoder's aunt passed away leaving her homeless and alone, aside from distant cousins in Ohio. In order to remain in her Amish community in Oklahoma she takes the job as housekeeper for Gabriel in lieu of moving to Ohio to live with relative strangers. Gabriel agreed to allow her to bring her goats to his farm, an option that she was not allowed if she were to move to Ohio. Not considering the repercussions involved in the Amish community, Gabriel agreed for Rachel to live in his daughter's vacant room at the farm. The bishop of their district has other ideas when he discovers that Gabriel has an unmarried housekeeper living in his home. 

A quick marriage arrangement takes place out of convenience for both Gabriel and Rachel. Gabriel's children don't take kindly to the idea as they still hold their mother close in their hearts, and the new housekeeper turned wife becomes easily distracted from her chores and has a penchant for burning nearly everything she cooks! Six-year-old Samuel is the exception to the rule. A Down syndrome child with learning disabilities, Samuel loves everything about Rachel, and becomes very attached to her. Rachel loves his sweet and affectionate nature and can't imagine her life without him. So begins a journey of joy and sadness, fun and games, mishaps and adventures, disappointment and desolation. 

Returning to Clover Ridge, Oklahoma in the third installment of this series is pure delight, with moments of hilarity and occasions of emotional upheaval and heartbreak. Amy Lillard has written another wonderful Amish novel of love, tenderness, humor and despair, all rolled into a wonderful and emotional read. Amy is very talented in painting a pictorial representation of the locale, the Amish farms and surrounding area. I was impressed by that quality from "Saving Gideon" as well, the first book in this series. The characters throughout this book are very personalized and colorful, with traits that make you love them, and in some cases, dislike them, but in getting to know them personally this is a very enjoyable part of the story. I highly recommend Gabriel's Bride. This is a far different viewpoint from many Amish fiction stories, one that I particularly enjoyed. The books in this series can also be read as stand alone stories, but I recommend the entire series for your reading pleasure!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from B&H Publishing Groups in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review. 

CONTEST GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

Please leave comment regarding my review, and your email address using [at] and [dot] to protect your email address from spam. Share this review with your friends, and if you win this contest please consider leaving a review at websites such as Deeper Shopping and Amazon once you have read the book. Giveaways are limited to residents of the continental US only, please. I am not responsible for loss or damage through the postal service. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I appreciate all of your comments!

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Thank you to Amy Lillard for providing this copy of Gabriel's Bride!