Matched and Married

Matched and Married by Kathleen Fuller is the 2nd An Amish Mail Order Bride Novel. It can be read as a standalone in case you have not indulged in A Double Dose of Love. I thought Matched and Married was well-written with steady pacing. It contains realistic characters who have normal fears, concerns, joys, and hopes. I enjoyed meeting and getting to know Margaret Yoder and Owen Bontrager. We get to see their friendship develop over their shared love of foraging and herbal medicine. I did find Margaret a bit negative during the first half of the book. I was baffled why Margaret felt it was wrong to use or investigate the abandoned shed in the woods. It was obvious it had not been used in some time. Owen has some great ideas for the family farm. That type of out of the box thinking is what is needed if the farm is to survive. Margaret and Owen will need to do soul searching and prayer before a resolution is achieved. There was a side story focusing on Rhoda Troyer that was quite interesting. She is lonely with her children married and her husband gone. Emmanuel, Rhoda’s husband, took off years ago after his crimes were uncovered. She has not seen or heard from him since then. Should Rhoda continue to live in limbo? The ending will leave you smiling. It was great to catch up with the characters from A Double Dose of Love. Love, hope, forgiveness, and the importance of being yourself (comfortable in your own skin) are featured in Matched and Married. I am looking forward to reading Love in Plain Sight. Matched and Married is a sweet Amish tale with a workaholic farmer, a shameful secret, an attentive aunt, a benevolent bishop, a fetching Englisher, adamant mother, and a wondering Amish woman.

I have to say, up front, that I am not a big Amish fan and don't really read many Amish books. I had the opportunity to read and review this story so I decided to try it. I really enjoyed the characters and found them to be quite realistic and entertaining. Margaret didn't seem very Amish to be in the first part of the book. I was a little confused! She seemed quite worldly but over the course of the story, she changed quite a bit and I was delighted to watch her transformation as she moved closer to God. She had overcome a lot. Her mother, however, was very disappointing to me. Owen, on the other hand, I connected with immediately! I liked his character and personality. The banter between Margaret and Owen was very enjoyable! It was fun that neither one wanted to get married and they worked hard on their friendship. I would recommend this book!