A Stolen Kiss

About the Book

Book: A Stolen Kiss (The Heart of the Amish Book 7)

Author: Mindy Steele

Genre: Amish/Christian Fiction

Release date: December, 2024

Who Kissed Who First?

Full of faith, hope, and romance, the series takes you into the Heart of Amish Country.

LeEtta Miller has never done anything spontaneous before, but when a girl is the last one at everything, sometimes she has to take the reins into her own hands. What harm could come from kissing a stranger she’ll never see again?

Benuel Ropp isn’t sure he can ever forgive his father for giving away his inheritance. Taking work far from home, Ben hopes to earn enough to build his future, but nowhere in his plans did he predict being kissed by a beautiful stranger – or having to marry her. To save both their reputations he has little choice but to accept the elder’s demands. Well. . .if LeEtta thought he’d flinch, letting her boldness ruin the future he had all mapped out, she was mistaken. He has a dream to work for, and if he has to make sacrifices to reach them, so will she.

Who kissed who first? He couldn’t even remember anymore.

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About the Author

Mindy Steele is the award-winning author and bestselling author of over a dozen novels and novellas in Christian fiction. Raised in Kentucky timber country, Steele has been writing since she could hold a crayon on the wall and lives in northeastern Kentucky—where many of her stories are set.

More from Mindy

The Story Behind the Story with Mindy Steele

A Stolen Kiss

I’m always seeking the not-so-ordinary plot for one of my stories. So, when our youngest son and his intended traded a look one evening, something struck a cord in my always moving imagination. Mind you, Blake told me when he was ten, riding a new bus to a new school, that he met the girl that he was going to marry. So cute, yet, they married in May, eleven years later. A Stolen Kiss is not love at first sight. It’s not even love over-the-years, but that one moment birthed a new character. LeEtta Miller. Not all love stories are as beautiful as our son’s, but all love stories are worth telling.

I’m an author of romance, love inspired stories weaving through rural landscapes where characters unveil themselves into realistic people most of us are glad to know. Romantic fiction gives readers what no other genre seems to offer. It’s an escape, a hope. Hope across illness, loss, despair, and uncertainty. Its community, knowledge, a gathering of friends, unity, while representing comfort.

We all want to add more love to our lives. After all, it is the greatest gift God has given us. Gentle or fast moving, we are sucked in to reach those glorious chapters of a first kiss and a promising tomorrow.

But, what if the kiss came sooner? What if love isn’t fast moving, but something earned and quietly obtained through slow familiarity.

LeEtta Miller is quite the rule follower and people pleaser. I’ve shaken my head at her quite often as I got to know her. LeEtta also feels as if life is passing her by. How many times have we’ve been in those pair of shoes? In one bold moment, she’ll through caution to the wind, and act, impulsively. Thus we get introduced to Benuel Ropp, who’s visiting his grandparents, hoping to earn enough money to buy his own land, back in Ohio. As events escalate, from a chance meeting to an binding union, these two young characters are thrown into new roles neither of them intended. I’ve never laughed more writing LeEtta and Ben’s story, and hope it brings joy, hope, and a wiliness to accept that the mistakes we make in life, are only rocky paths leading us to where we belong.

May you never stop making mistakes and following love’s calling,

Mindy

My Thoughts

A Stolen Kiss by Mindy Steele is the seventh book in The Heart of the Amish series. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. LeEtta Miller (a very unusual first name that I am guessing is pronounced Lee Etta) was raised by her widowed father. LeEtta did not grow up with a mother to teach her how to run a household, cook, do laundry, garden, and other tasks handled by a female in Amish society. Benuel Ropp is visiting Cherry Grove to raise money to purchase his own farm in Ohio. LeEtta kisses Ben which is seen by a teenage boy who is besotted with LeEtta. Unbelievably, this leads to a shotgun marriage (for a quick kiss). It is a slow burn romance. I found it a little too slow, but others may like this unhurried pace.

There were some amusing moments and a quirky character or two. I like the friendly cast of characters especially Ben’s Aunt Oneida. It is an emotional story with the characters dealing with a range of emotions. The ending left me smiling. I enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the story. I like the life lessons in the story especially about forgiveness. Forgiving someone is more for yourself than for the other person. Letting anger and bitterness burn in your heart will only lead an individual down the wrong path. There are recipes at the end of the story. A Stolen Kiss is an emotional tale with family farm kerfuffle, a smitten teen, an overprotective father, cheesy dishes, a forced marriage, a barn bedroom, and finding forgiveness.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mindy is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon e-Gift card and a print copy of the book! Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click here to enter. Good Luck!

A Stolen Kiss is available from Amazon as well as other major retailers. You can find the other books in The Heart of the Amish series here. Lizzie's Little Mouse is the next book in The Heart of the Amish series. It will be published on March 15. You can find Mindy Steele's other novels here. Thank you for dropping by today. Tomorrow I will be shring my thoughts on The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime by Vicki Delany. It is the tenth A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery. I was tickled on Friday when Ohio State University won the Cotton Bowl (I am from Columbus, Ohio). They are heading to the CFP National Championship on January 20 where they will face off against Notre Dame. I hope OSU demolishes the Fighting Irish. I hope that you have a cozy day. Don't forget to enter the giveaway before you depart. Take care, stay warm, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader