Customer Reviews

Restless Hearts (The Flanagans, Book 6) (Larger Print Love Inspired #388)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fiona Flanagan is a young woman set to start a life far away from the family she has known, that has never really wanted her. She travels to Pennsylvania Dutch Country, a place where her mother's family was from, partly to get in touch with her roots, but mainly because she feels called to go there and open her practice as a Nurse/Midwife. Almost as soon as she enters the town of Crossroads, Pennsylvania she gets on the wrong side of the town police chief, Ted Rittenhouse. He thought she was breaking in to the house she was looking over to buy! Ted is in a tough place having to straddle two worlds, the world of the Dutch and the outside world, and he thinks this city woman, an outsider, won't make it. Fiona on the other hand is determined to make this work and to make Crossroads her home, a place for her to belong for the first time in her life.

Being a Christian novel I wasn't too surprised at the over all tasteful approach to romance that the book took. I was surprised at how the relationship was developed and about how the Christianity was worked into the very fiber of the story telling itself.

The relationship, history and background of the characters was all done surprisingly well. There was depth and detail and believability in all of these aspects and with the back story of the Dutch country, a place a lot of people are not overly familiar with, it was engaging and interesting as well. Probably just for the back story and background alone I would recommend this book to people unfamiliar with this part of Pennsylvania. For me, it was all old hat, but I did find words and ways of explaining my background that I hadn't thought of before and will probably make explaining who I am and where I'm from a lot easier in future.

As for the Christian aspect of the book, it was woven into the story and instead of preaching to the reader it was presented just as a part of who these people were. It also didn't sugarcoat it, it showed not only the good times of being a Christian but the hard times as well, the times when faith is tested and when trust and belief become paramount, even when all seems to be lost. There was only one scene that went a little over the top with the prayers and, for the first time, quotes from the bible, but I was able to forgive it as it gave important back story and set up for one of the main characters.

This ended up being a surprising page turner in a book which I picked up with no to low expectations and so ended up being blown away by the well written and engaging story I found. It is standard romance fair in that there is a couple presented at the beginning and they can't be together for a variety of reasons, but since the set up of the characters' stories and their believable and well rounded back story was so interesting it made up for the predictable set up with a refreshingly engaging story and resolution.

Fiona Flanagan never met her relatives on either her mother or her father's side of the family. A quarrel between brothers alienated her father from his family and her mother's Amish relatives disowned her when she left her faith to marry an outsider. Now Fiona is in town and determined to get some answers. The Flanagans welcome her with open arms, but the Stolzfus family isn't ready for a confrontation. Fiona realizes people were hurt but it was all so long ago, and what about forgiveness?

Ted Ritenhouse meets Fiona when he finds her prowling around the house she wants to buy and thinks she's up to no good. Ted is the law in Crossroads and he's not happy to learn Fiona is Hannah Stoltzfus' daughter. Marty Perry has written a compassionate story of love and forgivness, hidden hurts and the courage to do what is right, regardless of the cost. The characters are so well developed we can understand their pain, feel their joy and rejoice at the way God can give peace to hurting hearts. Another good story about the Flanagan family

I thought this book started out well, with the Amish country providing an interesting setting for a romance involving people who are not really Amish -- although they have Amish family, providing them unique access into this community.

The plot involves Fiona Flanagan, a woman raised in California who returns to the small Pennsylvania community her parents were from in order to start her own practice as a midwife. She immediately meets a police officer called Ted, who she is attracted to, and vice versa. Fiona is too wounded from her own traumatic childhood (mother died when she was a baby and she spent several years in foster care) to be willing to open up to him. He is also wounded by a bad experience in his life. All of this stands in the way of romance. Fiona is trying to establish a practice, but establishing family ties is also an important element of this book.

If you don't mind the predictable romance plot -- eligible man and woman attracted but something keeps them from getting together -- this is an enjoyable enough read for beach or airplane. It's a chance to escape reality and enter the world of the Pennsylvania Amish, who I thought seemed realistically portrayed. The author had clearly done her research and did not present the usual stereotypes -- so much so, that I wondered if she had Amish family ties herself. Also, although this is "Christian fiction," I thought it was done well, without preaching -- faith was simply a part of the characters' lives, and at difficult times, there were prayers and an occasional verse from the Bible. You don't have to be an evangelical Christian to enjoy this book.

I got a free gift from Love Inspired the other day, a larger print version of Restless Hearts by Marta Perry. So when the guys sat down to watch the soccer match (Liverpool won) I curled up to nurse the dregs of a day-long headache and quietly read. I found that my reading rate, with headache, is approximately one Love Inspired romance per soccer match, but perhaps I'd have to read a few more samples to confirm that. Unfortunately, even though their prices are really good, and only a dollar extra for the larger print, my books budget is currently dead in the water. I guess the experiment will have to wait a while.

Restless Hearts was a pleasant way to end my day. I was slightly dubious about yet another book set in Amish country--why do I see so many of them in the stores? But the characters were interesting, particularly as the protagonist shared most of my pre- and misconceptions about the culture. I learned things I hadn't known about the Pennsylvania Dutch. And I enjoyed the insights into relationships, the misunderstandings of caring people that turn into bitter anger, and the hope that heals.

The book is clearly a Christian novel, but I was pleasantly surprised by how naturally it was written. I've read other Christian novels that assume I'll agree with everything said, or that paint any non-Christian as hopeless sinner or saint-about-to-be-redeemed. In Restless Hearts the faith of the characters was just a part of how they felt. It came into their despair as much as their hope, and led to questions answered by the lessons of life.

Fiona comes to her father's family in Pennsylvania, with secrets about her mother and her past. The sudden, accidental revelation of some of those secrets threatens to destroy her hopes of being a midwife to the Amish. Meanwhile the local policeman has secrets of his own, and... Well, it is a romance.

I enjoyed the book. I'm not sure what qualified me for a free gift, let alone a larger print free gift--oh dear, am I getting old? But I did enjoy it. And the guys enjoyed the soccer. Did I mention, Liverpool won!

I received this book in the mail for free. I had no idea where it came from, but it came one day, addressed to me. I decided to read it, what the heck, it was free, right? It turned out that I could not put this book down and finished it in one sitting. Would recommend.

I received this book in the mail as a free gift. I set it aside as one who usually reads in the summer... well, on the spur of the moment off to a Dr.'s appointment I tossed it into my bag. Needless to say, it was a wonderful surprise. The story is well written with great characters and much insight into the Amish community. I only wish I knew ahead of time that it is 6 in a series of 7. I'm a fanatic for series but I only like to start at the beginning. Guess I will have to get the others now and catch up. Thanks for a wonderful book.

Restless Hearts
Fiona Flanagan went to Crossroads to practice as a nurse-midwife in a Pennsylvania Dutch country where she'd find a place to call home. But everything didn't turn out as she expected it would. She met Ted Rittenhouse, but she didn't trust him with her heart. Later she found out her mother's mom and aunts lived at Crossroads, and they were Amish. Since they were Amish, they didn't want to see her because her mother had married an outsider.

This is the best written book I have read in a long time. It not only gives us an insight of Amish life, but also presents drama, a love story, and brings to you many characters who you wish you could know better. Marta Perry is as genius with her special writings, that will keep you interested, so that you don't want to put the book down, even when you have read the last page. I'm looking forward to her next book.

I was very sceptical about this book at first but it soon became one of my favorites. Everytime i would put it down it would reappear. A friend and I liked it so much we would read it and send it back to eachother again and again. It mush have swapped hands 10 times. It is a tender romance story that will have you hooked.

I am a fan of this author, but I especially enjoyed this book. Great suspense along with insights into the Amish community. This was a very enjoyable book that held my interest from the beginning to the very end.