Book Review: Patchwork Dreams by Laura Hilton

Patchwork Dreams by Laura V. Hilton

Publisher: Whitaker House

Publish Date: April 5, 2011

Paperback, 144 pages 
Romance, Amish
Amish of Seymour County #1
ISBN: 978-1603742559

***For more information about this book, see my tour post***

My Review:
Why I read this:I like Amish stories and was fascinated with this one since the main character comes back from her Rumspringa pregnant.  Talk about conflict from the start!

My thoughts: I loved this book, it's short and a quick read, but very enjoyable.  I started it later in the evening on Friday night and finished it in the early hours of Saturday morning (and I usually don't stay up that late).  I just could not put it down.  I had to find out what would happen between Becky and Jacob.

I'll start with the characters.  I like how Becky was introduced and how different she seemed from Jacob who was a little more spirited.  But as the book goes on, more and more is revealed about Becky and how she is treated by her community and her family.  I love that her family still treated her well even though she had a baby out of wedlock which I would guess is a huge no-no in the Amish community.  Her parents were still loving and supportive and  her best friend and her mother were supportive as well.  I liked that - I am kind of turned off by the stories where the children are shunned by the family when they make a mistake.  So that was refreshing.  Jacob was great too.  He has been sent away by his father because his father does not like Jacob's choice of a girl to marry since this girl seems to want to give up the Amish community.  Only Jacob does not know this, he thinks he is being sent to help out for a time.  I really like Jacob.  He seems to make the best of his situation even when things seem really bad.  I like how he changes during the book and how he finds making Becky smile to be a challenge and how sweet he really is to her and her baby.

The plot moves quickly with the reader learning more and more about the characters and with little surprises here and there.  It is plotted well and I loved it from page one until I finished.  It's just a light and enjoyable romance.  Sweet, romantic at times and an interesting look into the Amish community.

So come and meet Becky and Jacob and the families of the Amish of Seymour County.  I can't wait to meet more of the community in books to come and hopefully see some more of Becky and Jacob as well.
 
My Rating: 4.75/5.0


About the Book:

Ever since returning from her rumspringa pregnant and unwed, Becky Troyer has been a pariah in her Amish community in Missouri. Even after the young mother confesses her sin and rejoins the church, her peers continue to shun her, and she despairs the unlikelihood of marrying for love. It seems that her only hope is to eventually marry a widower with a family of his own.

Becky's world changes when Jacob Miller arrives at her family's farm with the understanding that he will help with chores during the summer and then return to Pennsylvania. What Jacob does not know is that his father, who disapproves of Jacob's sweetheart, Susie, sent him away as part of a plan to introduce new blood into the Amish community of Seymour. In addition to his work around the farm, Jacob undertakes the task of cheering up the lovely yet listless Becky, inviting her to various youth gatherings and offering her the only unconditional friendship she's known.

As their relationship grows, the two find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other. Will Becky and Jacob overcome their insecurities and self–doubts so that their love can grow, or will Jacob keep his pledge to Susie and turn his back on Becky, as so many others have done?
About the Author: 

Laura Hilton graduated with a business degree from Ozarka Technical College in Melbourne, Arkansas. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, she is a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with more than a thousand reviews published on the Web. Prior to Patchwork Dreams, she published two novels with Treble Heart Books: Hot Chocolate and Shadows of the Past, as well as several devotionals. Laura and her husband, Steve, have five children, whom Laura homeschools. The family makes their home in Arkansas.

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FTC Information: I received this book FIRST Wild Card Tours for a honest review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.