A lovely novella! I love the Love Inspired line and I adore Amish stories and this is the best of both worlds! This 4 star novella is filled with loving characters and beautifully written by a new to me author. If you are looking for a story filled with hope, love and understanding, look no further! Well done, Ms. Bale!

I love a good Amish tale, especially a romance. Holding on to a memory amidst abuse leads to love several years later. In helping a family get thru their grief, love blossoms and sets them free. Wonderful.

Abigail Miller comes to Colorado after receiving a letter from Mr. Fisher asking her to marry his son, she agrees. But when Abby arrives she finds that Mr. Fisher has died and that his son has no intention of marrying her. Abby agrees to stay and work for them so that she doesn't have to go back to her abusive brother.



Jakob Fisher is a widower with two children, Reuben and Ruby. His wife passed over a year ago, but he intends to never marry again. He sees that his mother need help and that Abby needs a place to stay, so he agrees to let her stay.



Could it be that Abby is just what he needed after all?



Abby is cheerful and hardworking, she is a great help to Naomie, and Ruby takes to her instantly. She tries to encourage the children, especially Reuben. Abby is hardworking and resilient, with a strong faith despite everything that she has been through.



Jakob is determined to avoid Abby, but she is so helpful that she is hard to avoid. He tries to be kind and respectful to her, but his a very stubborn man.



Jakob's grandfather is a great character, with wise advise and a good sense of humor.



I liked this story from the start, it brings a twist to the mail-order bride situation, which adds tension at the very start. Fun characters, and a lovable heroine, this is a very enjoyable read.



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Who is Abigail (Abby)? Who is Simon to her? Where is she from? What is her life like there? What causes her to travel to Colorado? She is met at the station and taken to Jakob's farm. Who is he? How do they know one another? Why is she taken there specifically? Who are Rueben and Ruby? What are each of them like? How does it affect Abby's time in Colorado? What does Abby do that starts things changing? What letter does Bishop Yoder get in the mail? What transpires because of this letter? Read and see! God knows that this story truly hit home from me and turned me into a basketcase for a few minutes after I finished reading. It also became a bit healing for me, allowing me to understand some things about myself that I had never truly thought about with my own past. Maybe one day, I will be as lucky as Abby and Jakob.

2.5 stars

I enjoy Amish-themed novels, so I was glad to have the chance to review this one. While enjoyable, it does have a slower pace than many I’ve read, which made it hard to stay fully engaged. The author tackles issues not often found in this genre (such as physical and emotional abuse).

This review was posted on Goodreads and Amazon.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.

Runaway Amish bride, well kind of, but not quite, especially as you quickly turn the pages, and not all is as it appears.
The author touches on some tough subjects here, and we meet them head on with putting faces to how people deal with grief, especially children. One little boy was naughty, but you will chuckle on how this young fellow deals with what he perceives as a threat to his deceased mom. Poor Abby!
We also put a face to abuse, both physical and mental, and how to deal with someone that has had that happened to them, all the while wondering how such evil could exist in supposedly Godly people?
Will warn you that once you turn the first page you will not be able to put the book down, it is a real compelling read.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review.

Jakob Fisher has had three huge losses within the last year - his wife, his unborn son and his father, all taken too soon. When an acquaintance from his youth shows up on his doorstep claiming that his father sent for her to be his wife, he can't wrap his head or his heart around the idea. What in the world was his dad thinking??

Abby Miller has gladly left the home she knows for the promise of a home where she would know kindness. The man she has traveled from Ohio to Colorado for is the only person who ever stood up for her, and she remembers him as a hero. Can she make a home for herself as she cares for his two children?

This was a powerful story. Abby and Jakob have a history but can they have a future, too?

This book kept me turning pages far into the night. I absolutely recommend it!

This book was hard for me to put aside. This is an intense story. Abby's character felt so 'real'and I was immediately drawn in to her situation. I like that she is a compassionate person despite being abused and misused for the greater part of her life. She is an endearing person as she looks and takes a huge risk just to have a family of her own. The trip she takes and the welcome she has just starts the book off with a powerful hook. The characters of Jakob, his grandfather, mother and children give variety to the story. This is a family caught in mourning. It's a wonderful story that shows that God will cradle you during great loss and open new doors if you are willing to accept change and let go of fear. This is also a tasteful story that shows that a person can rise above living with horrendous abuse and choose to be loving, forgiving and better than the terrible person or persons who have caused pain and fear. I like having Amish based stories that reflect life that is more reasonable than all sweetness and light. This is true to reality.


Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

This was a sweet story and one that actually includes issues that non-Amish usually face.

As you can tell by the synopsis Jakob has lost his wife and child within the last year, he has also recently lost his father who had made arrangements without Jakob's knowledge to set up a marriage with Abby who has come from Ohio to Colorado to get married to Jakob. (wow that was a heck of a sentence!). Well, things don't go as planned and as per the usual plot line -Jakob doesn't feel that he can ever love again and Abby won't marry unless she is loved and comes first.

While this is a religious book it is not overly so if you are looking for a 'clean' and sweet romance this will hit the right buttons for you.

The only issue I had is that I wasn't sure if the research on the Amish was as careful as it should have been -I (in all of my Amish reading) have never heard of an Amish sect that worked on a Sunday and that includes the women cooking. They (in the books I have read) have always had cold meals that were prepared ahead of the Sabbath.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

Runaway Amish Bride is truly a feel good read. I finished reading with a huge smile on my face and a few tears as well. These are characters that I truly liked and would love to read more about them in another book.