What happens when we allow our pasts to define our futures?
Mary Margaret Miller needs an escape from her small Amish community. She boards a bus, all alone, for a vacation in Pinecraft, Florida. Meeting Betsy and Lilly on the way, she's amazed to find two kindred spirits. They become fast friends and determine to have the best two weeks of their lives. For Mary, it starts when she meets Jayson Raber, a handsome and charming carpenter.
Jayson is taken with Mary from the get-go, but he has responsibilities back home in Kentucky--including a girl he's supposed to marry. And when someone from Mary's past shows up in Pinecraft, it seems like her perfect vacation is ruined. But that's nothing compared to what's coming when she realizes what Jayson has been hiding . . .
I immediately felt for Mary Margaret as this story opened. It is the story of a couple of Amish Girls and a couple of Amish boys who are in Pinecraft Florida on Vacation. I loved the pacing of the story as we got to know Mary, Jayson, Esther, and Michael.
There were multiple relationships to be explored and there was a significant portion that was about healing, forgiveness, and growth. These stories were told organically and realistically without the added drama that is sometimes displayed through relationship disappointments.
Not having a lot of knowledge about the Amish community, I felt the explanations were perfect without detracting from the story. I was unaware about the different rules in the different communities and was grateful for the additional knowledge.
I liked the friendships that developed around Mary with Betsy, Lilly and Jayson. I could feel for the girls with their wallflower group. Nancy, the owner of the Inn was the perfect, knowing and seeing mother figure.
Stories about change can be difficult to pace, but the author did a fantastic job with this. While the timelines seemed quick, the addition of the thought processes was perfect.
I received an early copy through the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 books, including Her Heart's Desire and Her Only Wish. Two-time winner of the HOLT Medallion and a Carol Award finalist, Gray lives in Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail. Learn more at www.shelleyshepardgray.com.