Shelter in the Storm

GIVEAWAY

BLOUNT, LAUREL

SHELTER IN THE STORM

In this moving Amish romance, two broken hearts find hope in each other after a terrible loss.

Unspeakable tragedy strikes the Amish hamlet of Johns Mill when an unstable Englischer opens fire in Hochstedler's General Store. In the aftermath, and under the media's spotlight, Joseph Hochstedler struggles to hold his shattered family together, drawing unexpected support from a faithful childhood friend.

Born with a serious heart defect, optimist Naomi Schrock has always longed for a life of service. So she rolls up her sleeves, determined to help Joseph cope with this terrible crisis. But dare she hope that his friendship will finally deepen into love?

As the media's obsession with the Hochstedler shooting escalates, Joseph and Naomi find themselves caught between tradition and compromise, lingering sorrows and uncertain hopes. And in the end, two people who have already lost far too much must find the courage to trust their hearts one last time.

My Review:

A couple of reader friends told me I needed to read this book so I dug it out of the middle of my bordering on out of control TBR pile and...yep...they were right. Devoured it in a day and still digesting all the wonderful nuances. Like this:

"When our world goes dark, we must hold hard to the rope of our faith, and trust Gott to lead us out." (p 38)

and this:

"We drive ourselves into confusing places when we take the reins of our lives into our own hands. It is Gott's job to guide us in whatever direction He deems best. Ours is to follow willingly, even when the path doesn't lie along a road we ourselves would choose." (p 276)

I mean, there were so many places where I just had to stop and bask in a phrase or a thought. So many times on this particular reading journey that filled my heart and nourished my soul even as I ached for these characters and what they've endured.

So, parts of Shelter in the Storm are hard to read, but the author doesn't leave her characters (or her readers) in despair. That doesn't mean that everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow by the end. In fact, there are some dangling threads that need to be caught up and followed in the next Johns Mill Amish novel (book two, Strength in the Storm is due out Feb 2022.) Still, there is enough closure in this this story to leave me satisfied even with the unanswered questions still whirling around in my mind. It's a clever writer who can leave a reader satiated and hungry for more at the same time.

I love the community Blount has created -- both Amish and Englisch -- in this sleepy little hamlet suddenly hurled into the limelight. I thought the author did a wonderful job of showing the roll media plays in sensationalizing a tragic event and even manipulating the narrative. Of course, it's all the more emotionally charged because of the Amish desire to live apart. Gah -- but parts of this story twisted my innards into knots!

Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, the author has managed to infuse hope and the kind of peace in the midst of turmoil that can only come from placing trust in God. And, there's romance, of course. Sweetly unexpected and not without its own trauma. But there's laughter and tenderness too.

All in all an exceptional beginning to an incredible new series...and I believe this is Laurel Blount's debut Amish novel. I've been reading her contemporary novels for awhile now and I love her storytelling style.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice. 

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Shelter in the Storm, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 4 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!