Kristina Anderson
His Pretend Amish Bride by Rachel J. Good has Priscilla Ebersol preparing a picnic lunch to enjoy with her beau, Matthew King. She is surprised to find Bishop Troyer at the door, and he delivers some upsetting news that could cause Priscilla to lose a job she loves. Needing to get out of the house, Priscilla heads to the new camel farm. Gabe Kauffman has just moved to Bird-in-Hand with his camels. Priscilla has done research on the benefits of camel milk for autistic children, and she wants to purchase some her for brother, Asher. Priscilla finds that she can share with Gabe what has happened without worry that he will share with others. When a pushy Englischer tries to bully Gabe into selling his farm, Priscilla is there to assist Gabe. He finds it difficult to talk in front of large crowds and when faced by an angry, bullying individual. The man assumes Priscilla is Gabe’s wife with the way she defends Gabe and his business. This sets the tone for the rest of the story. I enjoyed reading His Pretend Amish Bride. It is a cute story with romance, secrets, betrayal, theft, bullying, and gossip. I liked the characters in this story. I thought they were developed and realistic. The book is well-written with a good flow and pacing. I was unaware of the benefits of camel milk until I read this story. It was interesting learning about camel farming. I enjoyed the side stories in His Pretend Amish Bride because they added depth and interest. There is also humor sprinkled throughout. The Amish characters had deep faith and were wonderful examples to others. Priscilla helps a woman find Jesus which I thought was inspiring. I appreciated the epilogue which nicely wrapped up the book. His Pretend Amish Bride was a delightful story, and I am eager to read the next Unexpected Amish Blessings novel. My favorite line from His Pretend Amish Bride is, “Mamm says worrying isn’t trusting God.” His Pretend Amish Bride is a charming Amish tale with an unethical Englischer, missing milk, rampant rumors, galling glossophobia, a major misunderstanding, and camel curiosity.