I would like to begin this review by acknowledging that I am not the intended audience for this book. I am not a fan of "bonnet fiction", Christian fiction in general, and indeed am an Atheist.I read this for a class that I am teaching about readers' advisory. So I tried to read this with a kind eye, to think about why these types of books are popular. What works best is probably the frame and tone. The rural community setting and cozy tone set the stage for the overall feel-good feel of this book. The details of home life, cooking, and friendship are very comforting and positive. I enjoyed the supportive female friendships.The storyline of forgiveness and the details concerning different characters who struggle with this seemed timely and relatable. What didn't work for me was the characterization and the actual arc of the storyline. The characters seem hard for me to pin down because so much of their introspection relied so heavily on waiting for God to show them the path. They didn't seem to think very critically about their actions and how they would move forward unless God was there to lead the way. The characters seemed flat and interchangeable as a result. I also couldn't figure out the dairy herd. Sylvia loves the herd and is able to increase milk production, but you learn nothing about how that happens or how she connects with the herd (God's creatures, after all). The plot device of working with the herd seemed awkward as a result. This book is #3 in a series, and this isn't really a stand alone book. While Aaron and Sylvia's story takes up most of the book, the stories from books one and two also feature pretty prominently. I am more used to romance series where you can read out of sequence without problem. I loved this whole series. Each storyline was enjoyable. What I liked most was the fact that each storyline from the past books continued till the end. Usually, you read a series and you might get a name drop in future books. With this, the first book's storyline continued through the end. I wasn't ready to be done with Ephraim and Kara so I was pleased that there was more to their story. I love Amish romances. ahhh =)
What do You think about The Harvest Of Grace (2011)?
Good summer read. I jumped to book 3 in the series by mistake. Now I need to read book 2!
—volleyball23314
Sad I'm all done with these! Loved both of her series!
—Jfree09
I enjoyed the book just as much as the first two.
—lms3534
