Review: Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

YA Romance, Published June 2012

Read June 26, 2012, 383 pages

5/5 STARS

Book Blurb:

Your heart misleads you.

That’s what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah.

And he loves me.

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other’s arms. It should be

ROSE & NOAH

forever, easy.

But it won’t be.

Because he’s Amish.

And I’m not.

Thoughts:

When Rose’s father moves her and her brother to live in Amish country, to say Rose is not excited would be a great understatement.  The only bright side is having her horse near her.  Their Amish neighbors, being neighborly and wanting to get on the good side of the new country doctor, come to help the family fix up their old farm house.  Noah immediately notices Rose and finds every excuse to talk to her.  And so it begins..

I was instantly drawn to the forbidden attraction between Noah and Rose.  I just could not put the book down, which is what I look for in a great summer read.  Temptation brings an interesting and new twist on Amish fiction.  Noah is not interested in leaving his faith or family, but is conflicted with his feelings for Rose.  I loved the interactions between Rose and Noah as well as her growing relationship with Noah’s sister, Sarah.  I also loved Hopkin’s witty writing style and the back and forth character POVs.  The reader not only gets to see an outsider’s point of view of the Amish, but an insider’s as well.

The ending definitely leaves you wanting more – which, conveniently will happen since this is the first in a new series.  I was a little disappointed to see how both Rose and Noah worked to manipulate the other, but I think this is because they are both so young and have a very narrow view of life.  Some have pointed out that the sexism bothered them, but I found it very true to the story.  I don’t think this is meant to teach or influence young readers to not stand up for themselves, but it does make them aware of other cultures, faiths, and to learn to make their own decisions.  *SPOILER ALERT* Now that Rose and Noah are together, a whole new set of obstacles will be before them.  How will they make it work?  Will they go through with a marriage?  They are both so young and since Rose is from the outside world, how will she be able to live with the Amish rules and their constrictions of women?

Quotes:

In that instant, I knew she belonged with me.  But what is forbidden is not so easily forgotten.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarlequinTeen for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: The Thorn

The Thorn by Beverly Lewis

The Rose Trilogy #1

Fiction-Amish, Published Sept 7, 2010

ARC Received from Publisher, Bethany House

Challenges: Series IV, Summer Reading Challenge

Read Sept 2010, 346 pp.

Verdict: 4.5/5

Book Blurb:

Lancaster County, with its rolling meadows and secret byways, may seem idyllic, but it is not without its thorns. THE ROSE TRILOGY is the stirring saga of two Amish sisters, and the events and decisions that change their lives.

Spirited Rose Ann Kauffman has long enjoyed a close friendship with the bishop’s rebellious foster son. Rose’s older sister, Hen–who knows more than she should about falling for the wrong man–cautions her against him, but Rose is being courted by another, and so dismisses the warnings.

Hen Kauffman Orringer’s impulsive marriage to an outsider divided her from the People, a decision she regrets now that she has a daughter of her own. As Hen struggles to reclaim aspects of Amish culture, her very modern husband pushes back, and the two soon come to an impasse. Can she find a way to reconcile her longing for the Old Ways with the life she has chosen?

My Thoughts:

This is my first Beverly Lewis book and it seems I am definitely behind the times as she has over 80 books in print.  I truly enjoyed this glimpse into Rose’s Amish life.  Set in the mid-1980s, before the personal electronics age, life seems simpler on the Amish farms in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

As the saying goes, “every rose has its thorn”, and Rose Ann is no exception.  She encounters several thorny situations throughout the book.  First she has to take care of her mother, who is now confined to a wheelchair after a horrific buggy accident.  Rose’s older sister,Hen, refused her Amish roots and married outside the faith (or any faith for that matter), but now that her daughter is showing signs of her mother’s worldly choices, Hen yearns to return to her Amish heritage, much to her husband’s dismay.  Rose will eventually have to make a choice between her best friend, Nick, who has not been officially accepted into the faith and her Amish beau, Silas, who promises her a secure life within the community.

I don’t know much about the Amish community, but I was surprised how much freedom Rose Ann and the other young women seemed to have without supervision.  She is definitely one busy girl.  Not only does she help take care of her family and do all her barn chores with Nick, she works once a week for an outsider cleaning and cooking for him.  She is also allowed to court after church get-togethers, spending a lot of alone time with the boys.

It’s surely a great beginning for the trilogy.  With much love and faith, Rose has yet to see what God has in store for her.  This was a  quick and enjoyable read for me and it won’t be my last Beverly Lewis or Amish-centered novel.  The second in the series, The Judgment, debuts in April 2011.

Click here for an excerpt.

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