5-Star Review of "A Simple Prayer"

Review of A Simple Prayer

Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel, book #4

by Amy Clipston

Life has taken much from Linda Zook. Now she dares to hope for a chance at love and a new beginning.

Linda Zook, 32, works part-time at the Lancaster Grand Hotel. As the sole survivor of a buggy accident that left her orphaned at age four, she was raised by her unwilling Uncle Reuben. Linda longs to be worthy of someone, but the life-long effects of her injuries and her upbringing under the care of her embittered uncle have destroyed her self-worth.

Aaron Ebersol, 32, left the Amish community 17 years ago when he could no longer bear the restrictions or the constant tension with his father. He'd written too many unanswered letters to his mother and found himself incapable of putting down any roots in his new home in Missouri. Success in work could not replace the family that denied Aaron, even after all of these years.

Aaron hastily returns to the Amish community of Paradise, PA, after receiving word of his mother s stroke. Hesitant to get too close to the family he was once a part of, he decides to stay at the Heart of Paradise Bed & Breakfast. He soon encounters Linda, working there part-time, and they begin to develop a friendship.

Aaron's return allows him to reconnect with his family as he jumps into home improvement projects, hoping to make his parents house more accessible to his handicapped mother. But before long, he is enraged to learn that his brother, Solomon, had hidden all of Aaron's letters to their mother.

Linda and Aaron must each learn to forgive the family members who have deceived and forsaken them. And Aaron must also show Linda that she is worthy of his love.

MY REVIEW:  I have been following the characters of the Lancaster Grand Hotel from book one and feel like the characters are family now.   As with any family, there are growing pains and issues.   This family is no exception.  Aaron returns home to see his mamm after her stroke and his brother Solomon does not exactly roll out the red carpet or kill the fatted calf.   This story reminds me of the story of the prodigal son in the Bible.   Aaron's parents, other family members and friends are thrilled to have him home but not Solomon.   Solomon has practiced some deception of his own as well.  

Readers will enjoy seeing how Aaron fits back into the Amish community he grew up in and will be most anxious to see how his new found relationship with Linda develops.  Many readers will be able to relate to family difficulties of all sorts.   Whether readers have the same issues or different ones, the pain is real.  Amy manages to make her characters come to life and seem like real family members or friends.   So get ready to have a great adventure with the workers of the Lancaster Grand Hotel as you read book four of the series.  While this is a series, I believe that readers would be able to read the book as a stand-alone.  Reading all of the books in the series will add depth to the characters and their lives however.   

I rate this book 5 stars and highly recommend it to readers.  

I received a free ebook copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.   

About the Author:

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.