The Bachelor

I almost thought I had missed out on the opportunity as a book reviewer to review Stephanie Reed's latest novel The Bachelor, the second in the Plain City Peace Series. You don't know how happy I was when I realized that Kregel Publications had extended the invitation to do so even though many others had read it way before I did. There is joy in the small things like this.

I feel in love with the character of Betsie Troyer from the first novel and if you're like me, you often times, have to wait quite a bit to get the next novel in any series. However, I knew right away, I wanted to see right where Stephanie was going to pick her up story since Betsie's parents along with her Aunt Lovina had moved away from the Amish community to settle far away so they could practice their new found faith in the Jesus of the Bible as well as learning more about salvation. In an Amish community if you left, your salvation was doomed for all eternity. This is the reason so many Amish remain and become baptized in their Amish faith to ensure that through their good works and obedience they might get to heaven, but they had no way of knowing for sure.

Betsie was left behind on the family farm trying to do her very best along with his younger sister Sadie to make ends meet until she believed one day her parents would return home. Until that time, the Amish had a firm rule of shunning that prevented them from associating with them until they made a kneeling confession in front of the church. Betsie held on to her belief, her parents would be coming home. That didn't stop Charlie Yoder, from pressing the issue with Betsie that they would be married soon, having children, and take over running the Troyer farm. Betsie was more than surprised with Charlie's way of dismissing her faith that her parents would be home soon and they would be running the farm again. It is clear that Charlie has a firm way of holding on to the old Amish way of running things especially having his mother Mattie supporting them since his father had died.

But is Charlie really the bachelor for her or perhaps is her heart bringing her back to Michael, an English man who saved her life from what could have been a brutal attack. Now that Michael is living on the Farm to avoid having to serve in the Vietnam war, she wonders just what their relationship might have been like if Michael were Amish instead of English. In order to keep her mind busy, Betsie has been asked to take care of Michael's little sister Shelia while his father has left to try and reconcile with his distraught wife who has run off. It is the faith of a small child that will lead Betsie to the truth of salvation in a way she never imagined.

I received The Bachelor by Stephanie Reed compliments of Kregel Publications for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I absolutely LOVED this novel but once again must way until 2016 to get the third novel in the series, The Bride. This is such a moving novel to conveys hope for our eternal salvation in heaven through the simple faith of becoming like a child again. It is that simple faith of simply accepting things at face value rather than trying to figure them out that makes this one a winner in my opinion and well worth 5 out of 5 stars. The only downside is the wait between the novels, but all great things come to those who wait! There are Book Club Discussion Questions included at the conclusion of this novel as well!

For more information about The Bachelor, Stephanie Reed or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Bachelor by Stephanie Reed

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To read more reviews on The Bachelor, please visit Kregel Publications website.