Love in Plain Sight

Love in Plain Sight by Kathleen Fuller is touching story. I thought Love in Plain Sight was well-written with developed, realistic characters. I am glad that the author gave us a character like Katharine Miller. She is overweight (at least in her mind) and suffers from terrible acne. The situation with her fiancé has made her acne worse. When her best friend learns what is happening, she encourages Katharine to escape. Katharine arrives in Birch Creek where she tries to remain invisible. The inn’s handyman, Ezra Bontrager has taken notice of the shy, quiet newcomer with the beautiful smile. The local matchmakers have decided that Ezra and Katharine are perfect for each other and decide to do a little nudging. I like that the author touched on difficult subjects. I thought she handled them very well. I was delighted that Katharine was a basket maker. It is a wonderful art form (combining beauty and function), and I am glad the author had our main character make these pretty baskets. I am glad that we get to catch up with the characters from the previous two books. The storyline involving the disgraced bishop is concluded. The matchmakers, Cevilla and Delilah provide humor. They are quite a pair. I like how they rationalized their meddling. I hope they never stop their matchmaking (even though Cevilla’s husband wants her to leave it in God’s hands). I like the faith messages in this story. The most important is that God does not promise we won’t have continual trials, only that he will be right beside us as we go through them to give us hope, comfort, and mercy. Love in Plain Sight is an emotional story that deals with trust, forgiveness, faith, matchmaking, family, friends, and romance. I loved the epilogue. One of my favorite phrases from Love in Plain Sight is “I’m pointing out that we all have stuff about ourselves we don’t like. Sometimes we can change those things, sometimes we can’t. It’s what’s on the inside that counts, though.” Love in Plain Sight is the third An Amish Mail Order Bride Novel. While you could read Love in Plain Sight as a standalone, I believe it is best to read this series in order. It will allow you to get to know the characters and their storylines. Certain characters carry through all three books (like Delilah, Rhoda, Cevilla, Loren, Robert, Rhoda’s sons). Love in Plain Sight is a poignant tale with an officious fiancé, meddlesome matchmakers, beautiful baskets, an indomitable investigator, a helpful friend, a surprising visitor, and a lasting love.

Loved It! Love in Plain Sight takes us once again to Birch Creek, an Amish community with the dilemma of too many bachelors and not enough wife candidates. It's also where someone has taken the issue into their own hands by sending out an advertisement in search of young women looking for husbands. The advertisement has been working just fine so far. However, when Katharine Miller arrives in Birch Creek, although others think she's on a husband search, that is actually the furthest thing from her mind. All she wants is peace and quiet and to be left alone which just might be a bit of a challenge if Ezra Bontrager has anything to say about it. Ezra is just like Katharine in his thoughts about marriage. Unfortunately that idea is a bit of a challenge with the single women, one in particular, that are greatly interested in having him take the marriage plunge. However, Ezra also just wants to be left alone. That is all good and well until he realizes that Katharine is one single woman that has absolutely no interest in him. Although that should make him happy, it actually piques his interest to where he finds himself wanting to spend more time with her. I was captivated from the very start of the story and absolutely loved it! Katherine Fuller has done a fantastic job of weaving some very sensitive topics into the story. She did so in a way that made me vividly see things through the characters' eyes and feel what the characters were feeling. My heart went out to Katharine, and I loved how she grew and was able to move forward with God's help and the love of those around her. As for Ezra, it was such a joy to watch him and his determination of trying to get to know Katherine better and figure her out. I loved watching their relationship evolve from strangers, to friends, and how it developed into such a special bond between them. Seeing how some well-meaning matchmakers threw in a helping hand to make it happen had me smiling more than once. Katharine and Ezra's story is a very beautiful one. It is a combination of romance, humor, faith, forgiveness, trust, God's will, and overcoming the past. All of these characteristics made this a truly inspirational story that I highly recommend. ****I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.