Book Review (and Giveaway Info!): A Mother for Leah by Rachel L. Miller

Posted August 22, 2017 by meezcarrie in Amish, Christian, contemporary, giveaway, Rachel L. Miller, romance / 5 Comments

Will Leah Fisher find love because of a buggy accident?

Could love soften her heart so that she is able to see her answered prayers in Naomi Yoder or will she drive a wedge between her father and the only woman he has shown interest in since Elisabeth Fisher’s death?

Leah Fisher lost her mother ten years ago. She is rapidly approaching womanhood and the lack is becoming more difficult every day.

Will she be able to recognize love when it’s right in front of her?

Could love be the key to Leah opening her heart, making room for the woman her father intends to marry… or will she stubbornly cling to the memory of her own mother?

Will Leah be able to let go of her own ideas and realize that God truly does know best for her or will she allow love to slip through her fingers, destroying Samuel Fisher and Naomi Yoder’s happiness at the same time?

SERIES: Windy Gap Wishes #1
GENRE: Inspirational Amish Fiction
PUBLISHER: S&G Publishing
RELEASE DATE: August 15, 2017
PAGES: 384

A Mother for Leah starts off with a poignant prologue, in which you can feel the ‘thick, dark curtain of rain’ in your own spirit. Your heart hurts for young Leah, her father, and her ten (gulp!) siblings, and there’s a subtle shift in narrative style between the child’s perspective and her father’s perspective. The word pictures created for the mood & environment – along with the style shift – set just the right tone to begin the novel.

The pace of the novel, as well as its structure, reflects the simplicity of the Amish life but there are profound truths tucked within the story as well. Reminders to trust God’s plan, to seek His will, and to follow His lead are peppered throughout the framework of the plot.

Readers are treated to two sweet romances in A Mother for Leah, as well as a cast of characters that sets the stage for future books in the series. As far as the romances, I would have liked to see a bit more development of the ‘insta-love’ in both cases. Especially with Samuel and Naomi, I think there could have been more exploration of what it looked like for them to instantly know they’d met ‘the one’ God had for them – how that knowing develops into attraction and then into a commitment of love. It’s there on a surface level, but it could definitely be given more layers.

Bottom Line: A Mother for Leah by Rachel L. Miller stays sweet and light while also dealing with grief and the struggles of life. Its style will appeal to both young adults and not-so-young adults 😉 It’s a fairly quick read but doesn’t feel at all rushed. The characters you meet will draw you back to Windy Gap for the next book in the series, and I’m hoping for a focus on one intriguing character in particular!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Pleasant read!

Rachel L Miller writes sweet Amish romance with a focus on faith, family and friendship.

She feels very strongly that God has led her to live a simpler lifestyle – thus her deep kinship with the plain people. She enjoys spending time with her family and doing fun, simple things like swimming, making sun tea, sitting outside watching the sunrise or listening to rain fall on the tin roof.

Rachel enjoys writing Amish fiction and hopes that the purity of her stories will allow God’s message to shine through more clearly. She also writes Contemporary Inspirational Romance – and with all of her stories she focuses on presenting romance the way God intended it to be.