SPOILERS BELOW!!!

My Review: Uhhhhhhh, well then. That was different? I thought it would be interesting to read about an Amish man set in the Revolutionary war era but I was sadly mistaken. The book started well but soon lost my interest. The fact that Adam was abused for no reason was bad enough. That is until you get to the last pages and it turns out his father abused him because at nine Adam saw his dad murder a guy who had touched his wife's hair once . . . Uh, one Amish don't believe in using weapons, they won't fight, and here's an Amish man that brutally murdered a man? And then went on to abuse his young and helpless son so much with a whip that he couldn't stand to have his back touched, the father would refuse to let anyone but the wanton serving girl bandage him up. Oh, and I forgot! The dad, he's a deacon and nobody cared that he beat his younger son. Sickening! It ends with him confessing and not receiving any punishment but what he had already been punished with; meaning the cat attack that nearly killed him, I mean.

Adam also got in a fight if that's what his attacking another man could be called, I believe it was supposed to be PTSD induced but no. And Lena's father marrying an "Englisher"? Not a chance! A true Amish bishop would never let one of his community marry outside of the Amish people. And Adam's brother getting engaged to Lena was pointless, sure the brother was the perfect brother but he wasn't a guy I could see marrying even if commanded to do so by his father.

Of course, that was not nearly enough drama because after fighting so hard for the girl he loved she was bitten by a rattlesnake on the way home on their wedding day. She was fine before the week was out though. So happily ever after.

I'm sorry but I cannot recommend this book with the violence, abuse, murder, and romance that was not even almost romantic.

I just have to add, Lena had a dream in which her mother told her of Adam's promise not to marry her daughter until he was free of his past.

The unreal plot of this book was almost humorous but so unrealistic that it was sad.

If you read this I'd love to know what you think of it. I'd like to say I was harsh on the book but I really wasn't. But maybe this is the book for you; try it out. See if you like it if it sounds interesting to you, I know I wish I hadn't touched it. ( )

In short, this book is about a young lady, Lena, & her struggles - both her struggles to listen to her beloved father, her struggles to do what is right & her struggles to listen to what she believes God is telling her to do.

The book begins with Lena's love interest, Adam, making a promise to Lena's dying mother. As with most romance books, most of the anguish of the book could have been solved if Adam just told Lena of his promise to her mother - but he doesn't. The rest of the book is about how he struggles to keep his promise, how their romance is resolved, so they can live happily ever after. There's a few minor mysteries that are solved along the way as well.

This book takes place during the Revolutionary war, but those seeking a historical fiction book won't really see any history in the book. There's a few brief mentions of going off to fight the war, & Adam is friends with a military man, but over all, this is more of an Amish romance than a historical fiction book.

All & in all, I did greatly enjoy the book & read it in just a couple of days, which is amazing for me these days. I felt it was a little slow in the middle, & I wish it had ended a little sooner (instead of adding a couple more scenes after what I felt was a nice climatic ending), but I did enjoy reading the tale of Lena, Adam, & his brother Issac. ( )

Arms of Love by Kelly Long is a uniquely styled story. I have read other books in an Amish setting, but never have I come across something quite like this. It is set in the late 18th century and is largely a romance, but there are also elements of suspense, jealousy, scandal and tough topics such as abuse, loss and post traumatic stress disorder. While the topics are vast, the subplots mesh well.
There are characters that are likable and those that are intended to be disliked, but the author does a fine job at addressing the inner demons that are a struggle for some and understanding replaces disdain for even the most deviant of character. Adam Wyse is by far one of my favorite male heroins. Although he suffers profusely from the trauma of his past, he remains incredibly giving and is very much a masculine, but tender gentleman.
The ending fell a little too easily into place for my liking, but it was still satisfying and I look forward to reading more from Kelly Long. I recommend Arms of Love to fans of historical romance, Christian fiction and Amish fiction fans. There are some interesting discussion topics for reading clubs. Reading guide questions are included at the end of the book. ( )

Set in colonial America, the Amish families suffer persecution from the colonists because they do not fight against the British and from the British because they are colonists. Adam is the son of an Amish family that holds some authority in their neighborhood Amish community. Adam has loved Lena for several years and they look forward to marrying, but on her deathbed, Lena's mother Mary makes Adam promise to stay away from Lena until he is no longer under a dark cloud. When Adam tells Lena that the can no longer be together, she vows to marry is brother. Between the difficulties of life, Adam discovers a truth that he has tried to forget for many years, and comes to forgive his father for beating him.

This is a very tender story of strength, forgiveness, and love, with well thought out characters, and involving plot twists. One rarely remembers that while fighting for their own freedom, colonists were lax to extend those same ideas to others. Viewing the Amish way of life through a historical lens adds interest to the story, as does other elements of the setting such as the frequent deaths that surrounded everybody's lives. This is a book for readers that enjoy a love story deeper than a mere romance, along with the interesting history of the setting.

Received Galley from NetGalley.com ( )

A very different type of Amish Story, with a lot of Historical reference. It takes place in Lancaster PA, but not the current Amish population. The Bishop doesn't come around all that often, and the district sounds huge, but a small number of Amish. Weddings can only happen when he comes, and it could be many months in between.
There are a lot of sad happenings in this story, death in childbirth, loss of a spouse in war, and home burning down, murder, imprisonment, and horrible child abuse. Not really happy topics.
The story did keep me turning the page, and kept my interest. It takes awhile for all of this to work out, and some of the happenings are so different that what we are used to with Amish stories.

I received this book from the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and Netgalley, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )