The Bridesmaid
By Beverly Lewis
Published by Bethany House
Published on September 11, 2012
Source: ARC from Publisher
Summary taken from Goodreads:
The Latest in Chart-Topping Amish Fiction from Beverly Lewis
Twenty-seven-year-old Joanna Kurtz has made several trips to the altar, but never as a bride. The single young Amishwoman is a closet writer with a longing to be published--something practically unheard of in her Lancaster County community. Yet Joanna's stories aren't her only secret. She also has a beau who is courting her from afar, unbeknownst even to her sister, Cora, who, though younger, seems to have suitors to spare.
Eben Troyer is a responsible young Amishman who hopes to make Joanna Kurtz his bride--if he can ever leave his parents' farm in Shipshewana, Indiana. Yet with his only brother off in the English world, intent on a military career, Eben's hopes for building a life with his dear Joanna are dimming, and patience is wearing thin. Will Joanna ever be more than a bridesmaid?
I know I have mentioned this before, but I am a fan of Amish fiction now- I think it is pure fascination of how an entire community lives near me, and yet I have no idea how they live and get by on a daily basis.
The first book in this series was The Fiddler, and I reviewed it here on the blog a few months ago- Beverly Lewis seems to an expert at cranking books out very quickly- she has a large fan base that buys all of her books, so I suppose that is a good reason to keep putting out many books a year.
I did love the first book in this series, but I struggled a bit with this one. I loved Joanna's character in the Fiddler- and her character didn't change, but I wasn't a fan of Eben. For as much as Joanna and Eben talked on the phone and in letters- they didn't seem to actually communicate with each other. I felt that Eben was lacking a bit in the story hero that I enjoy. This was a very short book compared to Lewis' other novels, and it felt a bit like a novella.
There was an entire second storyline of Joanna and her sister and Joanna's writing- I felt like this was never "tied up" at the end of the book. I have no idea what happened- was she still allowed to write? Did she and her sister get along better? All in all this was an enjoyable read, but this is not a Lewis book that I will revisit.
