Janna Kauffman enjoys working as a personal shopper for the homebound in her Amish community. But when her wayward niece comes to live with her family, Janna finds herself spending less time shopping and more time explaining Meghan’s erratic behavior to the local authorities. Her dealings with the law aren’t entirely bad, though, as they bring her back into contact with a childhood crush. Police … crush.
Police officer Troy Troyer shed his given name when he left the Amish eight years ago in an effort to escape his demons. He has no intentions of going back, either–not even for Janna Kauffman, the girl he’s admired as long as he can remember. He can’t believe his luck when she still welcomes a relationship with him, and he does his best to straddle both worlds, even as he questions the point in pursuing a love that cannot last.
Caught up in the exhilaration of their youthful dreams coming true, the couple makes a brash decision that jeopardizes the reputations of Janna and her father, the local bishop, and also threatens to destroy the fragile stability being built into Meghan’s life. It will require the power of forgiveness to mend broken bonds and pave a path for future bliss.
SURRENDERED LOVE by Laura V. Hilton is the second book in the Amish Of Webster County series. It’s the story of Janna Kaurfman and Hiram “Troy” Troyer.
Janna Kaurrman is the daughter of the Bishop. She’s only had one true love, a boy from her youth, and has never been sought out by anyone for buggy rides or courting. She started her own personal shopper business for those that either can’t do their own shopping or those too busy to do it. About the time she has it up and running smoothly, she becomes shared guardian with her parents for her niece, Meghan, when her shunned mother sent her to the Amish community due to her unruliness. It’s through one of Meghan’s rebellions acts that Janna reunited with Police Officer Troyer – who eventually learns why Meghan has been acting out.
Hiram “Troy” Troyer is a young former Amish man carrying around a lot of guilt that lead him away from the Amish community after he felt unworthy. Since he hadn’t joined the church, he hasn’t been shunned for jumping the fence to live as an Englischer and becoming a police officer. He finds his roommate with questionable scruples and his job that has become less than fulfilling to be less than ideal but has no idea what to do. He feels that because of what he did that he can’t go home. They might say they forgive, because it is their way, but he think they could never forget or forgive from their heart.
From their first encounter in the grocery story, sparks flew for both Janna and Troy. Their growing intense attraction has them reaching out to each other with verboden passion. Janna wonders if she dares to dream and wonders if Troy will come back the church. She knows right off that Troy is the man she wants to marry. Troy thinks he can keep it light and playful walking away before things get serious, but soon learns he’s head over hills in love with Janna. Bishop Dave has good feelings about a union between Troy and his daughter and begins to talk to Troy about facing the past to make a path for the future leading him back to his faith. Janna and Troy end up eloping and then realize there are consequences for our actions. Will their love endure and show them the way?
Can Janna be happy if she jumps the fence to be with Troy knowing that as a member of the church it would mean being shunned from the church, her family and friends? Can Troy find a way to forgive himself, accept that God loves him faults and all and that others can forgive him? Can his love of God and Janna bring him back to the church? Will Bishop Dave, after losing one child to death and one by being shunned, lose his last remaining child to the English world too and possibly lose his position in the church as well? Can they all help Meghan to see her worth and know that things that adults did to her in the past don’t define her? Will Troy become a mentor to others by sharing his experiences?
THE SURRENDERED LOVE is an exceptionally great book that I highly recommend to anyone that loves the Amish genre, a wonderfully touching romance and just a wonderful book all round. Love the way the author touches on so many situations with a Christian pen. In this story one reads about honesty, accountability, the harm of hidden secrets, forgiveness, child abuse, compassion, faith, unconditional love, and the belief of God’s plan which may not be apparent to us but is always for his good. Enjoyed the way the author used scripture within the storyline where it flowed seamlessly as part of the story. THE SURRENDERED LOVE can definitely be read as a standalone, but I’m sure you will love this author’s books and want to read them all.