Book Review: Gathering the Threads

I was so excited to see a brand new book by Cindy Woodsmall available, when I was choosing books to review! I always love a great Amish romance, and the fact that it's by Cindy Woodsmall just made my day!

This is the third book in the "Amish of Summer Grove" series and definitely delivers a phenomenal story line. Arianna Brenneman returns to her Old Order Amish family, that raised her after several months of staying with her biological family. After the shock of finding out that she was switched at birth with Skylar Nash, both are forced to swap places for a year, and get to know their biological families.

After only three months, Arianna has been able to convince her biological Dad that she needs to return to the family and lifestyle that she can relate to. But, after gaining knowledge from the English world, can Arianna find her place back with her family? Will her Amish family accept her new take on life, or will they try to force their wishes on her? Will the community be able to accept her and allow her to have her place in the community?

Meanwhile, Skylar is finally clean and starting to get her life back in order in her new Amish surroundings. Will Arianna's return threatens her self discovery and her place in her new family? Can Skylar keep her sobriety while still establishing her place in a new community?

I loved how this book brought together the modern English and the Old Order English ways of life. It was a true melding of both ways, and addressed some of the issues that these two worlds have when the mesh together. Having lived near an Amish community, the struggles to stay apart from the world, and yet meeting the needs of the simple life are complicated, and this story addresses many of those issues. Both Arianna and Skylar are able to find their way, and yet hold to what they were raised with.

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing has given me this book in exchange for a free copy of this book. That being said, I formed all opinions for myself.

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