Joanna is a people-pleaser. And she has been loving Andrew her whole life. So when he finally proposes, she should be over the moon, right?
No.
The day she had tried her will for the first time, the day she har argued with her parents, had also become a day of the tragedy, the day when her parents died in a crash of their buggy with a car.
And Joanna is scarred now. And she believes that Andrew has proposed as an act of compassion, not because of true love.
But she said yes.

What to do now? How to heal?

The novel is a part of the series Amish of Birch Creek.

This is a sweet story. And I am thrilled that some author has addressed the issue of people-pleasing! I am not trying to put Joanna down here, I understand her. And this is definitely an issue that needs to be confronted.
And there are more motifs to explore in the novel.

While I would love more rawness and realism, I have enjoyed the sweet way this (love) story has progressed.

Everytime I read a book from this author, I know it is going to be an unforgettable story that is filled with love, forgiveness and a story that is mesmerizing. I love how the author develops the characters with a soft and gentle spirit about them.

Joanna is in the buggy with her parents discussing her desire to marry Andrew. The feelings were a bit strained between her and her parents over the marriage. Her mother was explaining why she thought Joanna was not ready for marriage when suddenly a car hits their buggy. Joanna's life is suddenly turned upside down. She finds herself with a broken pelvis and cuts on her face . She is in for a long recovery and as she also has to deal with the loss of her parents.

As she recovers in the rehabilitation center she feels hopeless, empty inside and alone in the world. Her self worth became very low the longer her recovery took. Andrew is very upset with all Joanna is going through. He doesn't want to lose her and knows that she is the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with. He proposes to her and she accepts it with a bit of uncertainty. She knew she should be overjoyed, but the feelings are mixed .


As her wedding day arrives , will she follow through and marry Andrew? Is Joanna struggling with her parents death? Can she find hope in God to show her how precious she is? The author does a great job of showing the emotions, and struggles that Joanna goes through. I'm sure we have all felt unhappy with ourselves at one time. Joanna must learn that God sees her as a beautiful young woman with no scars. In her journey with God, she will learn to be strong and find courage to overcome her emotional feelings. It is hard to deal with losing someone when the last words exchanged were in anger. Can Joanna forgive herself for the angry words she said just before the accident? The book is an emotional journey that will keep readers glued to the story. It is another great story by a very gifted author.

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild for an honest review.