Reading Taken
for English (Barbour Publishing) by Olivia Newport is like unwrapping a gorgeously
wrapped present then finding that what’s inside is even more wonderful than the
beautiful covering. Olivia knows how to write an Amish romance and she delivers
with several delicious romances as well as a good mystery within the covers of
this delightful book.
In addition to the continuing love story of Annalise and Rufus,
interspersed is a separate, yet fascinating, action packed historical tale of
Rufus’s Amish ancestors sent by their bishop to look for a farmable spread of
land to begin a community in the summer of 1892.
Taken for English is
the third in the series Valley of Choice, but easily stands on its own. The
story begins with Annalise, who was raised English, taking her Amish baptismal
vows as sirens alert the congregation that something is amiss in their
community. Thus begins the mystery of fires being set around town, always in
uninhabited settings. Several capable
suspects are introduced.
Rufus, who is Annalise’s beau, is having financial problems
with his cabinetry business. He doesn’t feel financially ready to ask Annalise
to marry him. In addition, the family farm is suffering and Rufus wants to help
his father. How long can Rufus delay an engagement to Annalise after her
baptism into the Amish faith? Readers will be rooting for Annalise and Rufus,
two very pleasing and engaging characters.
As Annalise is trying to live her new faith the best way she
knows how, she feels called to help a young girl, Leah, who is new to their
Westcliffe, Colorado, Amish community. Leah’s somewhat dysfunctional family left Pennsylvania to move to
Colorado which required Leah to leave her steady boyfriend behind.Leah is disheartened and has run away from
her family. She is looking for a way to earn money to purchase a train ticket
back to her boyfriend in Pennsylvania. Annalise tries everything she can think
of to befriend Leah, but Leah isn’t making it easy. The question arises –with
all of Leah’s anger issues, could she be the one starting the fires?
Meanwhile, Annalise’s best friend Ruth, is suffering growing pains
in her journey transitioning from Amish to English lifestyle while she is
working and going to nursing school. Ruth is troubled by the attention she is
getting from two Englisher firefighters, Bryan and Alan, as well as her old
Amish boyfriend, Elijah. He has waited for Ruth even though she has left the
Amish faith. Also, he has a secret to reveal. Who should Ruth trust? Could any
of her three potential suitors be involved in setting the unexplained fires?
Taken for English is
an enjoyable read with appealing characters and thought-provoking
relationships. The ending wraps up all loose ends in a happy and rewarding
style. Olivia Newport truly provides a quality Amish Christian faith novel interlaced
with several captivating romances, a portion of history and action, plus one curious
mystery. Once finished with Taken for
English, readers will certainly want to read the first two books in the
series Valley of Choice to learn more about the start of the opposites attract relationship
between Annalise and Rufus.Taken for English was released February
1, 2014.
Gloria is a 59 year-old
retired RN and former accountant who has a life long love of reading. She has spent the last two years reading
every Amish novel she can get her hands on.When not reading, Gloria spends her day trading stocks and options,
tweeting under the name of @gloriason, and expressing her gratitude to God.