Book Description:
Korey Bontrager knows he’s been an immature dummkopp. When his widowed dad remarried, Korey was unwelcoming to his kindhearted stepmother. Then he became estranged from his older brother. But after fourteen months in Ohio, God called Korey back to Pennsylvania.
Easier said than done. Back home, Korey feels left behind by his family and friends, who want to see him also happily married. Instead of looking for a new relationship, he finds himself spending time with Savannah Zook: the most outspoken maedel he’s ever met. She’s also confident and brave, having raised her younger brother from a young age. And she’s a natural beauty. But, hard as her friends try to convince her otherwise, she has no interest in dating. Her priority is looking out for her bullied brother.
So when Savannah suggests they pretend to date as a way to get her friends—and his family—off their backs, Korey readily agrees. Soon, he can’t imagine life without her. But could Savannah ever truly be part of his future? And after feeling betrayed by his brother and his last girlfriend, Korey isn’t quite ready to trust another woman with his heart.
My Thoughts: Wonderful and Heartwarming
Korey Bontrager has come a long way from the person he was in the past. He knows God has brought him back home, but moving forward is going to take a lot of work. However, moving forward becomes a little less challenging and a lot more interesting when Savannah Zook suggests they fake date. That's when things take a turn for them in ways they never thought possible.
I truly did not like the old Korey, but the new Korey touched my heart in a special way. I could feel his frustrations and struggles as he worked at moving forward from his past and moving toward making things right. His situation struck a cord with how realistic and true to life it is. It shows how hard life is when you mess up and have to own up to your mistakes in order to make things right, especially when it involves moving from blame shifting, to taking responsibility, to asking for forgiveness. As Korey worked through all of that, his faith in God, his determination and his friendship with Savannah kept him moving forward. The same can also be said for Savannah. Her situation was different from Korey's, but she too had struggles and things to work through. Just as with Korey, their friendship, her determination and her faith in God helped her move forward as well.
I loved Korey and Savannah's story. It was truly a joy to see how their "fake" relationship developed and grew. I also loved the how the themes of faith and family were woven into the story in such a way that added a very special touch to their story and to that of the other characters as well. This made for a wonderful and heartwarming story that I did not want to see end and one that I highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and strictly my own.
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About the Author: Amy Clipston
Amy Clipston has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her fiction writing "career" began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan College and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. She is the author of the bestselling Kauffman Amish Bakery series with Zondervan, which is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. An advocate for organ and blood donation, Amy donated a kidney in 2011 at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Through her donation, her husband received a second kidney transplant. Amy and her husband matched another couple and swapped kidneys with them. Amy's memoir, A Gift of Love, will be available in early 2014. She hopes her story inspires others to become organ and blood donors. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and four spoiled rotten cats. You can find her on the web at www.AmyClipston.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmyClipstonBooks.
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