Monday, May 20, 2013

Katie's Choice

GIVEAWAY

LILLARD, AMY
KATIE'S CHOICE

Katie Rose Fisher loved Samuel Beachy with an intensity that shook their Amish district. No one doubted they would one day marry, until Samuel turned his back on the church and joined the world of the English.

Alone now in Clover Ridge, Katie Rose dedicates her life to God and the school children she teaches each day. Although she secretly longs for more, Katie knows God’s hand is at work, and she is happy.

News correspondent Zane Carson never even knew Oklahoma had an Amish community until he got the chance to live among them and learn about their day-to-day activities. Their simple way of life is intriguing, but not half as much as the young teacher.

Katie Rose is flattered over the attention she receives from Zane, but she has resolved to never marry. Even if she were to entertain the idea, it surely couldn’t be with an outsider like Zane.

Never one prone to the restraints of organized religion, Zane finds a comfort in the rituals and blessings in the day to day righteous living of this small Amish community. He finds himself, God, and love with Katie Rose.

But as Zane draws closer to Katie Rose, Samuel comes back to repent his ways and return to his place at her side. Can Zane convince Katie Rose that he is committed to adapting to her way of life, or will Samuel win her affections back for himself once again?

My Review:

First off, take a gander at that cover. Doesn’t the pink just pop out at you? I think the colour attracted me before anything else. You don’t see many pink covers in a CBA lineup and this one just made it irresistible. There has to be some science in book cover colour marketing – if there isn’t someone should study up on it because the pink sold me on this book before I even noticed it was Amish or read the back blurb.
Lillard is a new Amish author for me. This is the second in a series and I somehow missed the first, Saving Gideon. I found it an easy story to slip into and the solid cast of secondary characters makes me want to backtrack and read the first book but I didn’t find  Katie's Choice lacking in any way because I hadn’t read the first one.

The author has created a next to impossible love story that supplied plenty of yearning in my sensitive reader’s heart while keeping me captivated. I found it interesting that she chose to begin with the hero’s point of view. In fact, we aren’t even introduced to Katie until about 15 pages in.  It definitely gave me a vested interest in Zane and I liked having a solid lead on the heroine where the hero was concerned.

Zane is a complex character with an intriguing past that at first seems completely at odds with plain living. It is when we delve into his childhood that we begin to see how his upbringing wasn’t so very different from Kate’s and that provides a realistic base for the rest of the story.

I confess to being an armchair Amish ‘scholar’; most of my knowledge gleaned from fiction reading and internet searches. Obviously, I’m no expert, but I did feel that a few aspects of Zane and Kate’s story didn’t ring true to what I’ve learned about the Amish. Admittedly, this Amish community is in Oklahoma and I do know that standards and rules vary from one settlement to the next, but there were still a few scenes that I questioned. They definitely worked in the grand love story scheme of things, but I’m not so sure they have a solid Amish backing to them. It would certainly make a great discussion for a book club though!

Giveway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Katie's Choice, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 26 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

18 comments:

  1. I love starting books in the hero's pov. I didn't even know there were Amish communities in OK. So I learned something new!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know -- I'm constantly surprised at the places Amish communities pop up. It has to do with affordable farm land. Apparently there is a thriving community in Maine as well. Who knew?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like to read stories about the Amish people. Have only been to one Amish community for a weekend but would love to go back and visit others.

    Blessings,
    Jo
    azladijo(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'd love to win this book. I'm a big fan of Amish fiction. Thanks for the chance!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the Amish Christian fiction genre! I'd love to try this author.

    Thanks!
    colorvibrant[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love Amish fiction - have visited several Amish communities, surprised to hear there is one in OK.

    Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

    bonnieroof60atyahoodotcom

    ReplyDelete
  7. Amish fiction will always be my favorite! Thanks for the chance to win this book.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love Amish fiction. I didn't that there was an Amish community in Oklahoma until now. Thank you for the chance to win.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love Amish fiction too, rubynreba! Good luck,

    You and me both, Carol. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I will have to check to see where there's Amish in Ok. I have lived in several towns in OK. I do love Amish stories tho so please put my name in the drawing.
    ( This is fiction, so maybe the OK. part is part of the fiction.)
    MAXIE mac262(at)me(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Interesting theory, Maxie -- about the Amish in Okalahoma being fictional. You piqued my curiosity so I googled it and lo and behold there are Amish communities there. The Northeastern part. Chouteau, OK. I think it's close to Tulsa. Anyway I'm on a quest now to read up on it. :-) Good luck on the draw!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I would love to entered in the giveaway! Thanks!
    Bethany
    bethanydaughteroftheking{at}gmail{dot}com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love Amish books, thank you for hosting this giveaway.

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. When I think I know everything (well, almost everything) about the Amish, I find out there is more. My sister lives in Tulsa.
    I very much admire the Amish for their work ethic, and commitment to God and family.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you, Kav, for your always insightful and honest reviews! I missed the first one, too, and have tried winning this one to no avail. Perhaps this time?

    ReplyDelete
  16. oops--I knew I was forgetting something.

    dianalflowers[at]aol[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love Amish books, and Amy Lillard is a new favorite author for me! I have read Katie's Choice and LOVE it!
    And would love to win a copy of this one to add to our church library.
    And thanks ladies for the interesting post.
    Blessings.....Joy
    ibjoy1953[at]yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete