After the murder of both her parents, Emma Hochstedler returns to the small community of Johns Mill, hoping to resume her quiet existence. Reclaiming her place proves harder than expected—especially now that a movie is being made about her family’s loss. But then, an old friend offers her a lifeline that gives her new purpose.
Amish builder Samuel Christner is the biggest—and the strongest—man in town. In fact, the gentle giant has only one weakness—Emma. Even though she broke his heart, he won’t let his childhood sweetheart face her troubles alone. He hires Emma as a nurse for his elderly aunt…and finds himself falling for her all over again.
But while romance blooms, storm clouds gather. And when darkness falls, it will take all Sam’s strength—and all their love—to see them through.
Strength in the Storm by Laurel Blount is a heartwarming story that will capture your heart. Strength in the Storm is the second A John Mills Amish Romance. It can be read as a standalone for those who have not read Shelter in the Storm, however, you will be missing out on a special story. In Strength in the Storm, we get Samuel Christner and Emma Hochstedler’s story. Emma and Sam were best friends in school until an incident changed their relationship. That did not stop Sam from doing what he could to protect Emma. The majority of the reporters have left Johns Mill, but now the screenwriter for the movie is bothering Emma. Sam is not about to let that happen. Emma’s younger sister has had a challenging time since witnessing her parent’s murder. It is suggested that Emma may be coddling her sister which is preventing her from recovering. When Sam mentions that his sister, Leah is looking rundown from taking care of their crabby Aunt Ruth, Emma volunteers for the position. Sam stops by every few days to check on Emma (and Aunt Ruth, of course) and looks forward to seeing her smiling face. Sam finds himself falling for the pretty maedel despite his Aunt Ruth’s opposition. What happens, though, when danger reenters Emma’s life? I thought Strength in the Storm was well-written with developed, relatable characters. I just loved Birdie, Ruth’s Englisch neighbor. She is such a contrast to Ruth.
Strength in the Storm picks up
where Shelter in the storm ended. I
found myself drawn into the story and I did not want to stop reading (makes it
hard to get chores done around the house).
The author does not shy away from tough subjects. Strength in the Storm deals with the good and
bad. You never know what life is going
to throw at you next and I like that the author captured that in this
story. The faith element hit the right
note. I liked that the character’s had strong faith and trusted God to guide
them. There are storms in our lives, but we can
trust God to see us through them. I enjoyed
my latest visit to John’s Mill, and I hope that I get to visit again soon. Strength in the Storm is an engaging Amish
tale with a bouncy buggy horse, a petulant aunt, a steadfast Sam, a traumatized
sister, an at large lawbreaker, and a caring Amish community.
Kris
The Avid Reader
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