The Seeker

Shaker #3

by Ann H. Gabhart

Charlotte Vance is a young woman who knows what she wants. But when the man she planned to marry joins the Shakers--a religious group that does not marry--she is left dumbfounded. And when her father brings home a new wife who is young enough to be Charlotte's sister, it is more than she can bear. With the country--and her own household--on the brink of civil war, this pampered gentlewoman hatches a plan to avoid her new stepmother and win back her man by joining the Shaker community at Harmony Hill. Little does she know that this decision will lead her down a road toward unforeseen peace--and a very unexpected love.

Ann H. Gabhart brings alive the strikingly different worlds of the Southern gentry, the simple Shakers, and the ravages of war to weave a touching story of love, freedom, and forgiveness that sticks with readers long after they have turned the last page.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Amish, Romance, Fiction, Civil War, Historical

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Ann H. Gabhart grew up on a farm in Kentucky. At the age of ten, she started dreaming of writing stories others would want to read. That dream has come true as she's published over thirty-five novels. She and her husband have three children married to three beautiful in-law children who have gifted her nine grandchildren. She still lives on a farm not far from where she grew up. She loves playing with her grandkids, walking with her dogs, reading, and, of course, writing. Her Shaker books, set in her fictional Shaker village of Harmony Hill in the 1800's, are popular with readers. The Outsider was a Christian Fiction Book Award Finalist in 2009. Her Heart of Hollyhill books are Small Town, America books set in the 1960's. Angel Sister, a Rosey Corner book set during the Great Depression, was a best-seller and was followed up by two more stories about the Merritt sisters. She keeps her stories in Kentucky and has enjoyed going to the Kentucky Appalachian Mountains for some stories including These Healing Hills and Along a Storied Trail. And if you like mysteries, you can try her Hidden Springs Mysteries published under the author name, A.H. Gabhart. Visit Ann's website http://annhgabhart.com to find out more. There you can sign up for her newsletter where she does giveaways several times a year.

Reviews

[Ann Gabhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Seeker is my most romantic Shaker book to date. It's not easy writing a romantic Shaker book since the Shakers were celibate. But neither Charlotte nor Adam are actually Shakers although Charlotte lives with the Shakers for part of the book and learns their ways. This story is set during the first years of the Civil War and Adam is an artist/illustrator who covers the war for Harpers' Weekly. That was very interesting research and I really liked Adam's character in the story.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book in the new fiction section of the public library and thought I would give it a shot since it's outside of the type of book I normally read. This author writes fiction that focuses on the life of Shakers, a religious group I was not very familiar with. My hope was to learn a bit about the group while reading a historical fiction book in the process.

Unfortunately, this was one of those books I just trudged through because I got past that point of quitting. I don't like to not finish books, so I stuck it out despite wanting it to be over.

Gabhart's writing style is easy to read and reflects the era in which her story takes place. However, it dragged in a lot of areas. Establishing relationships between some characters could have been done much more succinctly. The love story didn't seem believable (probably because I don't believe in love at first sight). Despite wanting to be open-minded and learn about the Shakers, I could not identify with their beliefs and way of life.

I'm willing to bet that those who are religious themselves may identify more with this book than an agnostic like me. While I am overall proud of the fact that I read the book to try something new, this is definitely not an author or a topic I have an interest in exploring further.

[Hannah Beth (Hannah's Book Cafe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this series is so good! The Civil War perspective of this book is amazing. I love the way the characters grow in spiritual ways as well as in maturity.

Landon is a very sweet addition to the story. The romance between our two main characters is also just a welcome refreshment. The letter writing portion of their romance is my favorite part.

I highly recommend this series so far. I've also already started the 4th book. 😉

[ClaraBelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on the history of the Shakers, and the state of pacifism during the American Civil War! Loved Charlotte and her forbidden love story.
Read: (1)8/12-19/2019
Recommend: for all readers and ages

[ANNETTE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is 3rd book in series. This story had me turning the pages I enjoyed the tenderness Adam had for Charlotte and how she grew as a person was intriguing. All the drama and plenty of twist-n- turns.
Will be looking forward to the next book .

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page, this story swept me off my feet. While not a book I devoured in several sittings, each time I settled in to enjoy the story, I found myself swept into the world of the 19th century Shakers.

The setting against the backdrop of the Civil War was rich in authenticity and flavor. Each nuance of the Shaker cultural played an intricate part in the story and I learned a great deal about their belief system.

The love story was endearing and heart pounding. The first scene in the garden of the plantation just about took my breath away. What a wonderful way to open the book with an unexpected kiss from a complete stranger, good looking as can be!

THE SEEKER was rift with conflict and turmoil and it played vividly before my eyes, eliciting many emotions, from anger to joy.
The one thing I would have liked better shown would have been more of the true faith of God to be spoken of, instead of just the false religion of the Shakers, but I do think in the end the point was made,
I would have just liked it to be stronger.

All in all, this was an enthralling read and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Thanks to Revell for my copy to review. This review is my honest opinion.

**Available August 2010 from Revell, a division of Baker publishing.**

[Lugene Lancaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This southern bell is no Scarlett O'Hara, but she does face some similar problems in a much different way. I liked this book.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Seeker is the 3rd book in the Shaker series by Ann H. Gabhart. Although I enjoyed the first 2 books in the series, this one is my favorite of the 3 books.

The story is once again set in the Shaker village of Harmony Hill in Kentucky. It begins at the onset of the Civil War. Once again there is a romance involved but I felt there was more development of the main characters, southern belle Charlotte Vance, and artist Adam Wade who works for Harpers Weekly. The reader sees Charlotte change from a willful, headstrong young woman whose life revolves around the plantation she lives on and who will do anything to preserve that life. She and Adam come in contact when he comes to the plantation to do a portrait of Charlotte's new stepmother, Selena.

Charlotte goes to the Shaker community taking along a slave she has set free to not only try to persuade her ex-fiance who has joined the community to leave but also as a refuge when her new stepmother all but pushes Charlotte out the door. Although Charlotte does not go along with all the Shaker beliefs, she does find a peace she had never known before and the willingness to give up trying to control the outcome of everything.

This story also describes Civil War battle scenes as artist Adam Wade observes them and does illustrations for Harpers Weekly and also writes descriptions to Charlotte. The Shakers have approved this correspondence as a way for the elders to keep abreast of the developments in the war.

[Jeanette Durkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte is a determined woman and when the man she wants to marry decides to join the Shakers she is in shock. Then his father brings home a new wife that is determined to get rid of Charlotte. She even replaces her mothers portriat with her own drawn by Adam a sketch artist.On the brink of war in her country and home Charlotte decides to escape to the Shaker community. She soon finds herself adapting to the rules of her community even though her heart belongs to Adam. They write letters to each other during the war and each suffer losses. Charlotte is chosen to help with nursing duties for those wounded. Adam turns out to be one of those in the hospital. They renew their love for each other and Charlotte agrees to marry him.

[Cathy B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish the ending had more

I love this author, stumbled upon the and have been reading as many of the books as I can. I enjoy the Shaker books as well but wish the as more of an ending into the lives of the people. I love how these characters learn of their way to God in different ways, I love when I read of that!
However, I do wish we knew more enjoy the main characters. I am a civil war but so I enjoyed this book from a different perspective of the war. But I wanted to know more about Charlotte, Adam and even little Landon. Maybe the needs to be a series or something but the ending left more hanging and wishing to know more.

[LavonSheree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exhilarating read! I love how Ann Gabhart starts off with a historical love story, adds the turmoil of Kentucky during the Civil War, and blends it all together with tenderness. Neither of the main characters have a strong faith in God, despite being raised in faith-based homes. But through their seperate journeys, they learn to fully rely on God. This book added even more insight into the Shaker ways with characters who had human emotions in spite of their strict beliefs. I highly recommend this story, and hope to someday read more about Charlotte, Adam, Mellie and Aunt Tish!

[Maryellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte’s war

This book was so hard to put down. Charlotte was the senator’s daughter, during the civil war. She met an artist commissioned to draw a portrait of her new step mother. Her step mother was evil, Charlotte having no place to go, ends up joining the Shakers with her maid. She did so to give her maid her freedom. After a long time she is able to leave the Shakers & marry the man she can’t stop loving.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books so far of this series. I liked how it took a look of the Shaker community from the point of view of someone who knew they would leave one day. I also liked how it looked at what was going on in the country at that time, the Civil War, and how the Shaker community responded.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. It starts just before the civil war starts. the main character named Charlotte is wants to marry a young man who decides that he want to live with the shakers. She falls in love with another man, but goes to live with the shakers to convince the man to keep his promise to her.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte Vance had everything, she was a Southern Belle, her Father was Senator Charles Vance of Kentucky. She had lost her Mother at a young age but as she grew up she became the matriarch of Grayson, she would one day inherit Grayson, land owned by her Mother's family for many years, she was engaged to Edwin and preparing for her wedding, and loved by her Father and their slaves as she treated them kindly. Little did she know that her world would soon be falling apart. Edwin is thinking about going to live with the Shakers on Harmony Hill, a short distance from Grayson, instead of getting married in a couple of months as planned and joining the two family plantations, and her Father tells her to plan a grand gala for his return home. He not only wants guests from both North and South states when a war is about to break out over slavery, but when he comes home he introduces her to his WIFE, young enough to be her sister! She's taken aback by this as she realizes she'll no longer have the say about what goes on at Grayson. They also have in their company an artist, Adam, who was reluctantly talked into doing a protrait of the new Mrs. Vance, Selena. Adam is an artist that doesn't like doing portraits but was coerced by his sister to do this one, he does drawings for Harper's Weekly. Adam is attracted to Charlotte at first sight, but is a confirmed bachelor who soon gets in the habit is "surprising" her, he seems to appear when least expected.

The day after the party, Selena has Charlotte's Mother's portrait removed from the wall, Charlotte can tell how things are going to be with that one action. Things go quickly downhill for her, Edwin tells her he is going to spend a month at Harmony Hill with the Shakers and if things go as he thinks they will, he'll be signing over his family property to the Shakers, as Believers can't own anything personally. Selena talks about selling their slaves and getting younger ones, so Charlotte asks her Father to sign ownership of Mellie, her personal slave and best friend since childhood, so she can't be sold. Following through on her Mother's promise to her, he does so without consulting Selena. Adam is still working on the portrait of Selena, although he's having problems because he doesn't like her, and "sneaking" up on Charlotte, not on purpose it just seems that way.

Charlotte soon has to make some quick decisions as Selena is planning on sending her to Virginia to finishing school. Charlotte takes Mellie and they go to join the Shakers at Harmony Hill where Edwin is, she feels that way she's at least close to Grayson. When they get to Harmony Hill the Shakers accept them so Mellie's ownership papers are handed over and she is now a free person, no longer a slave, Shakers don't believe in slavery. This was Charlotte's plan anyway, to free Mellie since she is her childhood friend.

They have been at Harmony Hill a short time when Adam appears, not knowing they are there, he thinks Charlotte is in Virginia since Selena told him that. Selena also leads her father to believe she's in Virginia. Mellie leaves shortly after that to run North with, Nate, her fiance, he is not free yet so they have to go north. They are spotted and have to separate so he doesn't get caught. Adam sees Mellie and helps hide her, as most of the time they don't believe the former slaves when they have freedom papers. He takes her to a safe house where she meets Nate. Adam gives her money and a note to give to his sister in Boston. He figures she owes him something for doing Selena's portrait, so he tells her to give Nate and Mellie a job.

Charlotte stays on at Harmony Hill, she still has not joined as a believer when Adam appears again. The elders allow him to do drawings for his paper. When Charlotte sees him in the biting room, she acts sick so she can leave, but he sees her hand on her cap and he feels he knows the person, soon he finds out he's right. He tries writing to her at Harmony Hill, the elders read his letter and pass it on to her with permission for her to answer his letter. The elders have to approve any correspondence coming and going, they allow Adam and Charlotte to continue corresponding so they, the Shakers, can keep up on the war activities, he also includes drawings of the war.

Do Edwin and Charlotte sign papers to become Shakers, does Adam return again, did Nate and Mellie make it to Boston, does Charlotte's Father ever learn where his daughter really is and what happens to Selena? Questions you'll have to find out for yourself by reading this book.

I found that Ann let the Shakers be a little 'nicer' in this book, there was still one that was more strict than the others, but she wasn't as 'angry' it seemed. I just don't understand why they don't believe in marriage, they can't have conversations with the brothers and sisters, if a family joins they are all separated, parents are not even allowed to talk to their children or express any emotions. It is very confusing to me.

I really liked this book, the storyline was very interesting. I am looking forward to the next two in the series, The Blessed is already out and The Gifted comes out next year, 2012.

[Dale Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, although it was a little start and had the usual problem of "stock" characters and unrealistic happy endings. But I liked the description of life in the Shaker Village where the main character stayed for part of the book, the stories of the civil war and the dialogue

[Mai-Lor-A-Ma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like these series and are glad to have discovered them. My reason for giving this particular book three stars is that I got lost in the sheer amount of time and info spent on the war that I forgot what the focus of the book was!

[Shelia Stovall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the Shaker storyline. Great story.

[Candi Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, clean read, full of drama and intriguing insights into Shaker beliefs and daily life.

[rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

I truly enjoyed this book. I wish it had an epilogue to this particular story to give a more satisfied closure.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ann Gabhart weaves an interesting take set at the beginning of the Civil War. Her characters are believable and there are twists and turns to keep you reading.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m reading all the books on my nightstands. This one has been there for a few years. Wish I’d read it sooner. Good story about faith, even when the definition is different for each character.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book very good series

[Norma Henson · Rating 5 out of 5]

They keep getting better

I could not put this book down! I stayed up much too late trying to learn the fates of Charlotte and Adam. Well worth the time spent in these pages.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story Description:

Charlotte Vance is a young woman who knows what she wants. But when the man she planned to marry joins the Shakers – a religious group that does not allow marriage – she is left dumbfounded. And when her father brings home a new wife who is young enough to be Charlotte’s sister, it is more than she can bear. With the country – and her own household – on the brink of civil war, this pampered gentlewoman hatches a plan to avoid her new stepmother and win back her man by joining the Shaker community at Harmony Hill. Little does she know that this decision will lead her down a road of unforeseen consequences.

Ann H. Gabhart brings alive the strikingly different worlds of the Southern gentry; the simple Shakers, and the ravages of war in 1860’s Kentucky to weave a touching story of love, freedom, and forgiveness.

My Review:

Charlotte Vance’s fiancé, Edwin Gibley, announces that he is going to join the ‘Shaker’s up in Harmony Hill. The Shakers “originated in England in the eighteenth century. Its leader, a woman named Ann Lee, was believed by her followers to be the second coming of Christ in female form. The Shaker doctrines of celibacy, communal living, and the belief that perfection could be attained in this life were all based on revelations that Mother Ann claimed to have divinely received. The name Shaker’s came from the very way they worshipped at times when a member received the “spirit”, he or she would begin shaking all over”.

Charlotte just couldn’t believe Edwin would give up a life of being married to her to live as a single man in an odd religious society. They were to be wed next month in May. As if this wasn’t bad enough news, Charlotte’s father arrives home after time away escorting a new wife on his arm! And, she had to be at least 20 years younger than her father. Yes, Selena Harley Black was to be the new mistress of Grayson.

As Charlotte stood outside in the night air watching her father’s home-coming party through the window, she was trying hard to convince Edwin to give up his ridiculous idea of joining the Shaker community. But, Edwin had heard enough from Charlotte and went back to the party leaving her alone in the darkness when suddenly a male voice said: “He must be an extremely foolish man to turn his back and run from such a beauty” Charlotte was startled and whipped round to find a tall, dark handsome man who introduced himself as Adam Wade, an artist who was commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of the new Mrs. Vance. Was painting the new Mrs. Vance all that Mr. Wade would be involved in at the Grayson Estate?

This was a spell-binding piece of historical fiction set in the 1800’s. The characters were well-developed and I felt myself feeling the emotions of each character. I found the Shaker doctrines to be interesting and gleaned a lot of information about this old but odd order. Good reading!

[Ruth Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew nothing about this book when I first picked it up. I knew that at some point it had been recommended to me online, but I just didn't remember. I looked at the front cover and read the back of the book before reading it, and I thought, "This sounds like my kind of book," and I got pretty excited.

I began by reading the little 2-page history on the Shakers that the author wrote. I barely remembered learning about the Shakers in American History in high school. I always put them in the same category as the Quakers. Similarities, yes, but some major differences. Shakers do not get married, and they follow the teachings of Mother Anne, the female representation of God, as well as the Bible.

As I read the first chapter, I smiled and thought, "This is Gone With the Wind all over again." It does take place in the South right before and during the the Civil War. The main character, Charlotte, is a Southern belle who is lives on a huge plantation with her widowed senator father. He has just remarried, and the woman is only barely older than Charlotte, and it is clear she only married him for the money. Charlotte herself plans to marry Edwin, but he tells her that is going to join the Shakers.

Then enter Adam--the dashing, debonair artist. He is instantly smitten with Charlotte, and he steals a couple furtive kisses. Throughout the whole of the book, neither of them can forget each other.

AS Kentucky stands on the brink of war, Charlotte follows Edwin to the Shaker village. She plans to win Edwin back, and she also frees her personal slave in the process before her father's new wife can sell her. Charlotte struggles through her time in the Shaker village as the whole country is in the throes of civil war.

In the end, God's faithfulness to Adam and Charlotte is shown in spite of immense sadness. Both come to a true knowledge of the God that they only knew nominally as children.

I am quite impressed by the writing of Ann Gabhart. She has to be the best Christian author I have read in a long time. Her characters are 3-dimensional, and I found myself truly caring about what would happen. Yes, it is sometimes a predictable storyline, but she throws in enough twists and turns to make you want to keep reading. While she does no beat you over the head with Christianity, she makes it clear that God is integral part of the events that are happening.

It was quite refreshing to read a book without sex and foul language. I am able to read books that contain some of those realistic ingredients, but it is nice to see that a well-written story in this day and age can be accomplished without these things. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good historical romance. I appreciate the historical accuracy of this book and the high level of writing.

[LeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and bad; right and wrong; they dont always go together as we think they should.

The Seeker by Ann Gabhart is romance, and romance lovers wont mind the cheesiness that creeps in very occasionally. Fans of Gone with the Wind will eat up the opening party scene on the verge of the American Civil War. The female lead, Charlotte Vance, daughter of a Kentucky state senator, has all the spunk of Scarlet OHare as well as her love for the land. There is even a Rhet Butler character who steals passionate kisses in the rose garden, but from there the story takes completely different directions.

Charlotte follows Edwin (the Ashley character) to the local Shaker village where her plans to win him back fail completely. She must learn to submit her plans to the Lord, take her needs to him in prayer and trust him even as she cannot commit herself to the Shaker way of life. Meanwhile Adam Wade, illustrator for the popular newspaper Harpers Weekly, goes his way to draw the scenes of war, haunted by memories of the beautiful girl in the garden.

Gabhart knows the Shakers well and presents them with sympathy. I find myself identifying with their values of simplicity, peace, equality and hard work, and yet from a Biblical standpoint, they were heretics. They believed their founder, Ann Lee, was the second coming of Christ in female form. After all, if God made both male and female in his image, he must be feminine as well as masculine. This gender equality sounds very twenty-first century, but elevating Mother Ann to the level of Christ and praying to her as well as the Eternal Father is blasphemous to any biblical Christian.

Gabhart presents some Shakers as grim; others as finding serenity in the Shaker way of life. Edwin, Charlottes intended at the beginning of the book, blossoms and seems to find confidence in a way that he never had, growing up in his grandmothers shadow. But as Charlottes former maid, Mellie, says, Wed best keep our eyes fastened on Jesus till we know more about this Mother Ann and her spirit fruit. (p.162)

So how is right thinking related to righteous behavior? The Shakers were guilty of gross heresy, but their reputation for peace, a strong work ethic and feeding the hungry (as many as 14,000 in one day after the Battle of Perryville!) has been handed down for more than a century. (They are also known for the lively worship that gave them their popular name and the weird doctrine forbidding marriage, which played no small part in their dying out.)

Gabhart doesnt examine the question theologically. She presents people with strengths and weaknesses, joys and pain, growing as they interact with one another in the context of a Shaker village and a terrible war. Her writing is excellent, and she left me with a great deal to think about.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s start with the characters. A couple of people in The Seeker will bring out so much irritation in you that you will want to reach into the pages and slap them silly. Or at least I did. One of them redeemed herself; one of them did not. Some of the characters just made me smile any time they shared page-time with my eyes. Sister Martha, Landon, and Aunt Tish were some of those characters.

Now for the romance (because that can honestly make or break a book for me). Here on Goodreads, the author Ann Gabhart said that this book is her “most romantic Shaker book to date“, not an easy thing to do when the Shakers are celibate. Fortunately, the hero of our story – a sketch artist who is covering the Civil War for Harpers’ Weekly – isn’t a Shaker and neither is Charlotte really. She is living among them, though, and since the elders monitor all incoming and outgoing mail (don’t get me started!!) for anything they consider inappropriate it is a bit tricky for Adam to let her know how he feels and vice versa. I thought Ms. Gabhart came up with a very creative way to accomplish this though!! I’m not going to spoil it for you – you’re just going to have to find out on your own.

There were only a couple facets of The Seeker that I felt were less than stellar. First, the letters between Adam and Charlotte while he was embedded in the battles became a bit tedious at times – too much historical detail. I see what the author was trying to do but it just (in my opinion) took away from the story and dragged it on too long. The other thing that bothered me – and it’s a problem I have with the first two books in this series as well – is that, while a reader can clearly see how warped some of the Shakers’ views were, the truth of Jesus’ grace is either glossed over or given just a brief mention. I am not one for a lot of preaching in fiction books – even Christian ones. I figure that if I want some preaching I will listen to some – or read a nonfiction Christian book meant to help me grow in my walk with Jesus. BUT if such a messed-up view of the Bible and God is going to dominate a book as the WRONG way to believe, then I think readers need to see a strong emphasis on the TRUTH to counteract the hopelessness that such falsity leaves in your spirit.

Overall I give The Seeker 4 out of 5 stars! This is the 3rd book in the Shaker series but the books don’t really need to be read in order. Read more of my review here - https://readingismysuperpower.wordpre...

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: THE SEEKER
Author: Ann H. Gabhart
Publisher: Revell
July 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8007-2363-6
Genre: Inspirational/historical/Shaker

Charlotte Vance is a southern belle used to slaves, a plantation, and being the apple of her father’s eye. But then when her Senator father came home with his new wife, Selena, Charlotte quickly feels unwelcomed. Selena makes it clear that Grayson is her home now, and that she would be ruling it.

Charlotte had long planned to marry Edwin, a neighboring boy, but when Edwin joins the Shakers, Charlotte isn’t quite sure what to do. Especially when a man commissioned to paint her step-mom’s portrait waylays her in the garden and steals a kiss.

When Selena makes it plain that all the slaves are to be sold down river and be replaced with new slaves, Charlotte takes her personal slave and runs away to the Shakers. She plans to give Melly her freedom and talk Edwin into marrying her and giving up his foolish ideas. But things change, quickly. And with the country at the beginning of the War Between the States, Charlottes actions have unforeseen consequences.

THE SEEKER is the first book I’ve read in Ms. Gabbart’s Shaker series. It is in reality the third book in the series, preceded by The Outsider and The Believer. THE SEEKER can stand alone though. I wasn’t sure what to expect about THE SEEKER, since it is a historical romance set in a community that believes marriage is a sin, so I was interested to see how this would work out.

The story does get a little slow and dragged at times, but there was enough to keep my interest. Charlotte is a realistic heroine, strong and courageous, and willing to face difficulty for the sake of those she loves. She grew a lot in this story. The ending is sweet.
I would give this book 4.5 stars, but it is impossible to do that on Goodreads, so I am rounding it up to 5. Excellent story. $14.99. 410 pages.

[Christy Trever · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Seeker by Ann Gabhart is the third in The Shakers series. Charlotte Vance has long been used to running her family estate, Grayson, in Kentucky until her father brings home a new wife, Selena, who is young enough to be his daughter and who has her own ideas on how Grayson should be cared for. Charlotte's fiance, who would have been her escape from her Selena's reign of terror, but he's broken their engagement to join the Shakers, a religious community nearby that believes in communal living but no marriage. He invites her to join the community as well, and Charlotte is forced to accept before Selena ships her off to boarding school. Before she leaves, newspaper artist Adam Wade tempts her with a kiss in the garden, a kiss that will carry them both through the trying years to come. Gabhart is an extraordinarily talented writer who perfectly renders a tumultuous time in American history. Charlotte and Adam's meeting in the garden is equal to that of Scarlett and Rhett in Gone with the Wind: a feisty heroine who has just been embarrassed by a man, and a mustached gentleman with a devilish grin who is unafraid to tease her and steal a kiss. As the nation is headed toward Civil War, Charlotte and Adam are both caught up in events bigger than they are. Charlotte is a strong-willed and intelligent heroine (who actually looks like the cover model) and readers will enjoy reading about her growth in character and faith. Adam begins as a bit of a rake, but as the book and war progress, he becomes worthy of Charlotte and finds faith of his own. Gabhart's books feel like so much more than just a romance; she packs in history, suspense, drama, and faith all with a powerful punch. I can't wait to read whatever she does next.