Matched and Married

What a great treat to be back in Birch Creek Ohio and with so many characters that I have come to care for. We are updated on their lives and your in for a treat with a new visiting member, and one that is not interested in finding a spouse, and definitely not a mail order bride. While Margaret is trying to obey her mother, she doesn't want to get married, but the author puts Owen Bontrager in her path. A young man that doesn't know how to stop working, and we are along with his family to see how his family deals with the problem they are seeing. Not only does this pair not want to get married, you will soon wonder if they will survive to the end? I love that their is another book coming, I am looking forward to it! I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.

Matched and Married by Kathleen Fuller is the 2nd An Amish Mail Order Bride Novel. It can be read as a standalone in case you have not indulged in A Double Dose of Love. I thought Matched and Married was well-written with steady pacing. It contains realistic characters who have normal fears, concerns, joys, and hopes. I enjoyed meeting and getting to know Margaret Yoder and Owen Bontrager. We get to see their friendship develop over their shared love of foraging and herbal medicine. I did find Margaret a bit negative during the first half of the book. I was baffled why Margaret felt it was wrong to use or investigate the abandoned shed in the woods. It was obvious it had not been used in some time. Owen has some great ideas for the family farm. That type of out of the box thinking is what is needed if the farm is to survive. Margaret and Owen will need to do soul searching and prayer before a resolution is achieved. There was a side story focusing on Rhoda Troyer that was quite interesting. She is lonely with her children married and her husband gone. Emmanuel, Rhodas husband, took off years ago after his crimes were uncovered. She has not seen or heard from him since then. Should Rhoda continue to live in limbo? The ending will leave you smiling. It was great to catch up with the characters from A Double Dose of Love. Love, hope, forgiveness, and the importance of being yourself (comfortable in your own skin) are featured in Matched and Married. I am looking forward to reading Love in Plain Sight. Matched and Married is a sweet Amish tale with a workaholic farmer, a shameful secret, an attentive aunt, a benevolent bishop, a fetching Englisher, adamant mother, and a wondering Amish woman.