Book Description:

When Amish farmer Pete Treger moves to Paradise Township, Pennsylvania, seeking a better life, he meets sisters Cate and Betsy Miller. Both are beautiful, but older sister Cate is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Betsy, on the other hand, is sweet and flirty–and seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!

However, the sisters’ wealthy father has made one hard and fast rule: elder sister must marry first, before the younger can even start courting. Unfortunately for poor Betsy, and for the men who want to court her, her older sister, Cate, doesn’t have any suitors–until Pete comes to town, that is.

Though he finds both sisters attractive, something about Cate’s feisty demeanor appeals to him. Soon the other bachelors in the district convince Pete to court Cate. She hardly seems receptive to his overtures, though. Instead, she’s immediately suspicious of his interest.

My Review:

Early disclaimer: I’m a huge fan of the author, Leslie Gould, as a person. She’s a part of my critique group and local writer’s organization. And she’s pretty much the nicest person you’ll ever meet.

That said, I was sincerely surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. #1 – I’m not one for most contemporary novels. #2 – I am not a fan of most Amish novels. #3 – I haven’t read a ton of Shakespeare, and since this is a retelling of “The Taming of the Shrew” I wasn’t sure how much I’d “get.”

But as always, Gould’s writing sings and her characters are real, flawed and interesting. Though I’d been blessed with early glimpses of the first few chapters and the synopsis, I was still entranced by the story from start to finish.

Cate is a spunky heroine and Pete is a genuine hero you’ll root for. I especially flew through the second half of the book, where true characters shine against real-life difficulties.

If you love a good story, check this one out!

Disclaimer {again} I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review… And that’s what you got!