Book Review: Breath Of Spring

Author: Charlotte Hubbard
Title: Breath Of Spring
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publish Date: May 6, 2014
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: 

Breath Of Spring

As a bright season brings a fresh start to Willow Ridge, Annie Mae Knepp feels she can never make peace with the past. Her disgraced ex-bishop father is furious she has taken her five siblings to live with her. She's never been truly at home in her faith. . .or believing in herself. And Annie Mae fears no man will want to take on the responsibilities she's gladly shouldered. True, her quiet neighbor Adam Wagler has been steadfast and unshakeable helping her through her trials, but he surely couldn't think of someone so lost as more than a friend. Believing she is unworthy because of her doubts, Annie Mae will find in a moment of surprising revelation that God can work impossible miracles--and that love makes all things new.

Review: I absolutely love Amish fiction. I was excited to see a new series that I thought wasn't one that you had to read from the very start a'la Beverly Lewis, and that's kind of the case here in some aspects and in others, you feel like you should have read the other 3 books before diving in. I know I would have liked to have known more of Annie Mae's situation going into this book and what had really transpired between her and her father, the former bishop.

Annie is taking care of her siblings after her father leaves to start his own Amish community in Higher Ground. It doesn't take long to see that her Dat was not a very nice man, and actually rather abusive. Then there's Adam  Wagler that she affectionately calls "Short Stack" because of his height.

I loved Adam. He wasn't really the typical Amish hero. He has his own demons and a lot of insecurities, but it is easy to see his heart belongs to Annie, even though she's not sure she should marry, what with her taking care of her siblings.

There's a lot of drama to this book. Some felt more realistic then others. I found Annie's relationships with both Luke and Yonnie hard to take. She was showing a bit more sexual awakening but there was other drama that clouded it. When her feelings for Adam started showing it was more of a sweet romance.

I felt Annie's feelings were just too all over the place at times, and though she didn't know what she wanted from any of the men in her life or from her religion, it made her actions with these guys a little difficult to deal with. Annie seems like an overall smart girl, but when she was with Yonnie or Luke, both of which were no good, her common sense seems to fly out the window.

I still enjoyed this book and I look forward to trying some of the recipes at the end (The descriptions of the food at the Sweet Season's Cafe will have your mouth watering).

I have another book from this series on my TBR pile, but will buy the first two before I tackle it, so I can really know the characters better.

Rating: 3 flowers