Matched and Married by Kathleen Fuller

 Matched and Married

Book Summary

Neither Margaret nor Owen has any interest in getting married. But in the small Amish town of Birch Creek, where marriage is on everyone’s mind, their plans don’t stand a chance.

Margaret Yoder can’t seem to catch a break. Even though she’s dedicated to her Amish faith, her wild rumspringa won’t stay in the past, and her mother keeps pressuring her to get married. To placate her mother and get away from former “friends”, she decides to return to Birch Creek to visit family—and pretend to find a husband.

Like Margaret, Owen Bontrager isn’t looking for a spouse, something that’s hard to avoid in Birch Creek, where an ad for brides in the local paper has brought a swarm of single women to the thriving town. When he meets Margaret in an unexpected way, they discover they have more in common than they ever expected. In some ways, they are a perfect match.

Margaret struggles to keep her goal of avoiding romance in order to focus on being a faithful member of the Amish church, and it doesn’t help that she finds Owen intriguing. Knowing they don’t have a future together; she returns home and gives in to her mother’s insistence that she get married.

Can Margaret betray her feelings for Owen and become a dutiful daughter and wife to the man of her mother’s choosing? Or will Owen find a way to free Margaret of her past by giving her the future they both are surprised to find they desire?

My Thoughts

Margaret Yoder has decided to visit her relatives in Birch Creek for a fresh start.  She made a misstep and Margaret feels that the community is continually judging her including her family.  Owen Bontrager loves the family farm.  He works from sunup until he is ready to drop into bed.  His father can see that the work is taking a toll and insists that Owen take a weeks’ vacation.  Margaret and Owen both end up in the woods where they have similar interests in foraging and natural medicine.  Both of them insist that they are not looking for a relationship.  As time goes by, Owen and Margaret develop feelings for each other.  Margaret does not feel this is the right choice for her, but Owen is positive she is the right frau for him.  What does God have planned for Margaret and Owen?

Matched and Married by Kathleen Fuller is the 2^nd 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.  

Matched and Married is available from Amazon*.  The first An Amish Mail Order Bride Novel is A Double Dose of Love.  The next An Amish Mail Order Bride Novel is Love in Plain Sight which publishes on May 3, 2022.  It is the story of Katherine Miller who is staying at the inn and Ezra Bontrager.  Kathleen Fuller has Wreathed in Joy coming out on October 12.  The author also has the 2nd A Maple Falls Romance which is Much Ado about a Latte publishing January 4, 2022.  You can follow Kathleen Fuller on Amazon so you can receive emails when she has a new book coming out.  The images I used today have an Amish farmer (representing Owen), burdock (Margaret was looking for burdock root when she encountered Owen in the woods), and fiddlehead ferns (which Owen and Margaret went looking for together).  Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my review.  A Christmas in the Alps by Melody Carlson is planned for tomorrow.  I look forward to reading Melody Carlson's Christmas book each year.  May you have a blessed day.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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