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The Heritage of Lancaster County #3
The Reckoning
Katherine Mayfield, the new Mistress of Mayfield Manor, always dreamed of a fancy "English" life. But as the seasons pass, she finds herself grieving the loss of her Amish family and her dearest friend, Mary Stoltzfus. Shunned from the Plain life she once knew, Katherine finds solace in volunteer work with hospice patients--a labor of love she hopes will bring honor to the memory of her birth mother.
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Unknown to Katherine, her long-lost love, Daniel Fisher, is desperate to locate his "Sweetheart girl," only to be frustrated at nearly evey turn. Meanwhile, she delights in the modern world--once forbidden--cherishing the attention of Justin Wirth, her handsome suitor.
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Her childhood entwined with Daniel's, yet her present life far removed from Lancaster County, Katherine longs for the peace that reigned in her mother's heart. And once again, she is compelled to face the heritage of her past.
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First published July 1, 1998
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About the author
Beverly Lewis
259 books3,022 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Beverly Lewis, raised in Pennsylvania Amish country and both a schoolteacher and an accomplished musician, has been an award-winning author for over a dozen years. Her acclaimed novel, The Preacher's Daughter, was a 2006 Quill Book Award finalist in the romance category. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today and The New York Times. She and her husband, David, live in Colorado."
Beverly Lewis, raised in Pennsylvania Amish country and both a schoolteacher and an accomplished musician, has been an award-winning author for over a dozen years. Her acclaimed novel, The Preacher's Daughter, was a 2006 Quill Book Award finalist in the romance category. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today and The New York Times. She and her husband, David, live in Colorado."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 401 reviews
March 5, 2011
Besides the unbelievable plot developments, the poor writing, the forced and cheesy dialogue, and the fact that this easily could have been one book instead of three, I think the thing that most drove me crazy about this series (particularly this last book) was the author's constant and redundant preaching of her own narrow view of Christianity. I consider myself to be a tolerant person when it comes to religion--I think everyone should find what works for them and stick with it--but I really hate it when people who belong to one religion make judgments about those from another.
I don't know much about the Amish (the protagonist was raised Amish), but I do know that they consider themselves to be Christian: they believe in the Bible and in Jesus Christ. But the protagonist, as she "finds" Christianity, and "accepts" Jesus Christ as her "personal Lord and Savior," constantly says things like, "I've never learned about forgiveness or Jesus or grace before--all this is so foreign to me; I don't know what to think." Since she was raised Amish and had been to church at least once every week, of course she "knew Jesus"! Give me a break.
Obviously this is a sore spot for me, but I think that if someone (or a group of people) believes in the Bible and in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, they fall under the umbrella of Christianity. And just because one brand of Christianity is different than another, it doesn't mean that that person or those people who are "different" aren't Christian.
In summary: even if you think Amish culture is interesting, don't read these books.
I don't know much about the Amish (the protagonist was raised Amish), but I do know that they consider themselves to be Christian: they believe in the Bible and in Jesus Christ. But the protagonist, as she "finds" Christianity, and "accepts" Jesus Christ as her "personal Lord and Savior," constantly says things like, "I've never learned about forgiveness or Jesus or grace before--all this is so foreign to me; I don't know what to think." Since she was raised Amish and had been to church at least once every week, of course she "knew Jesus"! Give me a break.
Obviously this is a sore spot for me, but I think that if someone (or a group of people) believes in the Bible and in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, they fall under the umbrella of Christianity. And just because one brand of Christianity is different than another, it doesn't mean that that person or those people who are "different" aren't Christian.
In summary: even if you think Amish culture is interesting, don't read these books.
January 25, 2015
I liked the first book in the series but not the second book. This one I skimmed through alot. It felt like the author wasn't sure which direction she wanted the main character to go in. Alot of it made no sense to me. As a woman, if the love of my life whom I thought had died and turns up alive on my doorstep, I would not shove him away and be angry. Yes I would have questions but I would be grateful he didn't die. Isn't that what we all pray for? That a loved one who has passed would come back? So that part just didn't resonate with me. Her romance with Justin seemed a little forced. Like she was just trying to replace Daniel and this man seems the most likely and fastest choice.
I know many of the Amish books are categorized as Christian fiction but this book was way over the top with the religion and preaching. I am open minded when it comes to other religions but as a Spiritual person the "fire and brimstone" teachings that the main character was experiencing as she attended Christian churches was a bit much for me. Religion is like a penis. It's perfectly fine to have and take pride in but when you take it out and wave it in my face, then we have a problem.
I know many of the Amish books are categorized as Christian fiction but this book was way over the top with the religion and preaching. I am open minded when it comes to other religions but as a Spiritual person the "fire and brimstone" teachings that the main character was experiencing as she attended Christian churches was a bit much for me. Religion is like a penis. It's perfectly fine to have and take pride in but when you take it out and wave it in my face, then we have a problem.
June 27, 2021
A sweet ending to this trilogy!❤️ I’m so happy she ended up with the right guy☺️
October 11, 2021
While I greatly enjoyed the book, I found that the so-called romantic interests didn't get enough screen time together. It more concentrated on Mary and John Beiler's romance instead (which I feel rather....awkward about, not gonna lie). I also felt like the romantic storyline wasn't set up well. Being that this was the last book of the series, I'll give the author a little grace.
September 13, 2014
The final book of the Heritage of Lancaster County series. A good read, very good. Katherine has moved from her Amish home to the home of her birth mother, who died in the hospital at the end of book 2. She is searching for her mother's journal. She is dating a guy, Justin, but her first love, Dan, turns up at the house. Katherine is furious that he pretended to be dead for so long. Can she forgive Dan? Will this change things with Justin? Will Katherine find the Lord??? Will Mary marry the bishop that Katherine was betrothed to and ran out on, on the day of their wedding?? Will Mary get that same bishop to allow her, and others, to correspond with Katherine? And what will happen with Willie, the little boy Katherine is ministering to at the hospice???
This was a great book. One of things lost and found. Love, God, belonging, friends, family, faith, and more.
And what to do with the big mansion Katherine inherited from her rich mother??? I had a feeling part way through the book what would happen... but I won't answer the questions for you. You will have to read and find out.
"'My search is over, Mamma. All the scraps and pieces of my life are a God-ordered design ... like one of your beautiful quilts. I was looking for fancy things and found a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. I was yearning for my roots and found a portion of heaven on earth' I patted the small white Bible I'd carried under my wedding roses. 'It's all right here, Mamma. I just didn't know it.'" (location 3515)
This was a great book. One of things lost and found. Love, God, belonging, friends, family, faith, and more.
And what to do with the big mansion Katherine inherited from her rich mother??? I had a feeling part way through the book what would happen... but I won't answer the questions for you. You will have to read and find out.
"'My search is over, Mamma. All the scraps and pieces of my life are a God-ordered design ... like one of your beautiful quilts. I was looking for fancy things and found a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. I was yearning for my roots and found a portion of heaven on earth' I patted the small white Bible I'd carried under my wedding roses. 'It's all right here, Mamma. I just didn't know it.'" (location 3515)
October 4, 2025
This series taught me a lot about Amish beliefs. Very interesting story about a woman's journey to discovering who she is and her place in the world.
January 26, 2011
The Reckoning is the third book in Beverly Lewis' Heritage of Lancaster County series. While I loved the first book, and abhorred the second, I have mixed feelings about the third.
The story starts with Katherine becoming accustomed to life at the mansion after her biological mother's death. Just as she is settling in and getting used to things, Daniel, an old boyfriend whom she thought dead shows up on her doorstep begging forgiveness. Its a little more than Katherine can handle and she send him away.
Meanwhile, to fill her time she dates the charming painter Justin and volunteers at a hospice where she makes friends with a young boy dying from terminal cancer. She also hosts a quilting class in her home with several friends and also some newer friends, local amish people.
Something is missing from her life though and as the ban on her shunning is partially lifted she returns home to talk with her family and friends and somewhat misses the Amish even though she has found a new religious relationship.
The ending came as quite a surprise for me. While I had a suspicion that it might end up the way it did, I never imagined the destination to be what it was. It was as if Lewis changed her mind literally between paragraphs to a different ending and followed through with it.
While I was pleased to see the development of characters improve in this novel over the second, I have some reservations about the novel. There seemed to be a quite open agenda throughout the entire novel, a theme if you will. While I realize Beverly Lewis' writings are technically classified as Christian fiction, this book was so blatant about its proselytizing it was almost off-putting. While I love reading about the Amish and their culture, the constant references to being saved by Jesus in the Mennonite and regular Christian churches Catherine attends was heavy handed.
Lewis still offers a lot of detail in her writing and a nice history of the Amish. While most of it is written in the 3rd person, the prologue and epilogue are written through Katherine's eyes. It brings a nice change and divide in the novel.
The Reckoning
Published in 1998
281 pages
The story starts with Katherine becoming accustomed to life at the mansion after her biological mother's death. Just as she is settling in and getting used to things, Daniel, an old boyfriend whom she thought dead shows up on her doorstep begging forgiveness. Its a little more than Katherine can handle and she send him away.
Meanwhile, to fill her time she dates the charming painter Justin and volunteers at a hospice where she makes friends with a young boy dying from terminal cancer. She also hosts a quilting class in her home with several friends and also some newer friends, local amish people.
Something is missing from her life though and as the ban on her shunning is partially lifted she returns home to talk with her family and friends and somewhat misses the Amish even though she has found a new religious relationship.
The ending came as quite a surprise for me. While I had a suspicion that it might end up the way it did, I never imagined the destination to be what it was. It was as if Lewis changed her mind literally between paragraphs to a different ending and followed through with it.
While I was pleased to see the development of characters improve in this novel over the second, I have some reservations about the novel. There seemed to be a quite open agenda throughout the entire novel, a theme if you will. While I realize Beverly Lewis' writings are technically classified as Christian fiction, this book was so blatant about its proselytizing it was almost off-putting. While I love reading about the Amish and their culture, the constant references to being saved by Jesus in the Mennonite and regular Christian churches Catherine attends was heavy handed.
Lewis still offers a lot of detail in her writing and a nice history of the Amish. While most of it is written in the 3rd person, the prologue and epilogue are written through Katherine's eyes. It brings a nice change and divide in the novel.
The Reckoning
Published in 1998
281 pages
June 17, 2009
Don't read this review if you don't want to know the ending!
The story itself wasn't that bad, but pretty much a typical romance formula. Young lovers run into problems, part, reunite... Of course this one had an Amish flavor, and I enjoyed reading the speech patterns. My main gripe with the series wasn't the story or it's predicatbility. It is that the story could have been told in a single book, or maybe 2, if the author had fleshed it out some.
(Here's the 'spoiler' part; for those who don't want to know the end...quit reading NOW!) Katie and Daniel do, of course, reunite, but it seemed the story dragged out forever before they got there! It seemed totally out of character for Katie to not see what was up with the stranger the first time the butler turned Daniel away. And for NO ONE to realize he was speaking of the REAL Katie Lapp, and not the imposter, was totally unbelievable! Then, when Katie finally DID meet Daniel, her reaction was NOT what I would expect from someone who'd been in love with his memory all those years. I'm not Amish, but Katie was, and I would think that at least some of the 'confession and forgiveness' thing would have rubbed off to the point that she could have accepted him as a friend, if not her mate.
Getting past that, for a 3 book series, the author left way too many things unanswered. Forget that the stepfather and imposter daughter were not prosecuted in the 2nd book. But what about Justin Wirth. Many times the author hinted at the idea that he may have been more interested in Katherine's money than Katherine. We never find out if he really loved her, or if he wanted to marry into her wealth as her 'step'father had marreid her biological mother. How does Katherine turn down his proposal and how does he react? Katie's mother attended her wedding, but what about her 'dat' and her brothers? Is she able to maintain a friendship with Mary, and how does the Bishop react?
As I said, the story itself wasn't really a BAD story...just incomplete, and way too long for the material covere
The story itself wasn't that bad, but pretty much a typical romance formula. Young lovers run into problems, part, reunite... Of course this one had an Amish flavor, and I enjoyed reading the speech patterns. My main gripe with the series wasn't the story or it's predicatbility. It is that the story could have been told in a single book, or maybe 2, if the author had fleshed it out some.
(Here's the 'spoiler' part; for those who don't want to know the end...quit reading NOW!) Katie and Daniel do, of course, reunite, but it seemed the story dragged out forever before they got there! It seemed totally out of character for Katie to not see what was up with the stranger the first time the butler turned Daniel away. And for NO ONE to realize he was speaking of the REAL Katie Lapp, and not the imposter, was totally unbelievable! Then, when Katie finally DID meet Daniel, her reaction was NOT what I would expect from someone who'd been in love with his memory all those years. I'm not Amish, but Katie was, and I would think that at least some of the 'confession and forgiveness' thing would have rubbed off to the point that she could have accepted him as a friend, if not her mate.
Getting past that, for a 3 book series, the author left way too many things unanswered. Forget that the stepfather and imposter daughter were not prosecuted in the 2nd book. But what about Justin Wirth. Many times the author hinted at the idea that he may have been more interested in Katherine's money than Katherine. We never find out if he really loved her, or if he wanted to marry into her wealth as her 'step'father had marreid her biological mother. How does Katherine turn down his proposal and how does he react? Katie's mother attended her wedding, but what about her 'dat' and her brothers? Is she able to maintain a friendship with Mary, and how does the Bishop react?
As I said, the story itself wasn't really a BAD story...just incomplete, and way too long for the material covere
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2020
This book has more romance than the previous two books, but it is still not a main component of the story. The story is more focused on finding out what is is you truly believe and about life in general.
The downside to this story is that it has your traditional conversion story written in the traditional way, along with a few more cliches, but if you know going in it probably won't be as annoying when it happens.
Recommended 12+ for romance, death, and one or two hinted mention of sex.
The downside to this story is that it has your traditional conversion story written in the traditional way, along with a few more cliches, but if you know going in it probably won't be as annoying when it happens.
Recommended 12+ for romance, death, and one or two hinted mention of sex.
July 2, 2025
An excellent finish to the series! The story developed well, any questions I had during this story (and the preceding two) were answered by the last page. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys romance, Christian Fiction, or is looking for a new book to read.
November 10, 2020
A wonderful conclusion to a great series full of faith, family, and second chances at love.
November 27, 2019
In this concluding book of the trilogy, Katherine has embraced her English ancestry, but as much as she likes parts of it, she cannot be fully comfortable in her role as a woman of wealth. She desires a more friendly relationship with her servants than is normally accepted. And there are times she craves some of the plain life she left behind. Author Beverly Lewis has written quite an interesting novel, one in which she cleverly solves Katherine’s conflicts as well as the problems faced by her best friend, Mary. This novel is well written and peopled with delightful characters.
September 4, 2022
I was glad to finish this last book in the trilogy. This seemed to interest me much more than the last and the ending was satisfying but a bit too sudden. Again, I loved the salvation overtures and the resulting changes in the person. Well done.
March 5, 2012
‘The Reckoning’ concludes The Heritage of Lancaster County Trilogy, following ‘The Shunning’ and ‘The Confession’. I was very pleased with how this series was wrapped up after my slight disappointment in Katherine in book two. I wasn't disappointed in the writing but in the character herself as I tend to develop a relationship with the books I lose myself in.
‘The Reckoning’ starts out with a look into Katherine's life as the Mistress of the Mayfield Manor and her continual struggle to fit in, even in the society she thought she so wanted. There's just something missing in life for Miss Katherine and she has yet to put her finger on what that is. Partly due to Daniel, her old love that she had thought was dead, has shown back up in her life, claiming he is still in love with her and always has been. However, Katherine has herself a new beau, the aristocratic artist named Justin Wirth. Katherine's romance with Justin was frustrating for me to read. I didn't trust him or his intentions and I felt that he didn't have Katherine's best interests in his heart.
Meanwhile, life in Hickory Hollow, Katherine's old Amish community,has continued to go on. Mary's romance with the Bishop has blossomed and she has settled in as his wife and a mama to his children. Rebecca seems to slowly be recovering from the immense loss she endured with
losing Katie to the English world. Annie is coming to terms with her brother Daniel's betrayal and sadness over his shunning. Ella Mae, perhaps my favorite character in this book, has suffered a stroke and is nearing the end of her life. It is Ella who holds the key to Katherine's salvation and in finding her true purpose in life. Not as the fancy and worldly "Katherine" but as the sweet and humble "Katie
Girl".
I was thrilled with the conclusion to this story. I just never saw Katie returning completely to her Amish roots, I was actually happy that she didn't. But I also am glad that she didn't choose to stay and live out her life as an extravagant rich lady. I would have never been able to accept her as anything else but "Plain". It was truly the best compromise for her. A fantastic series and I look forward to reading more by Beverly Lewis.
‘The Reckoning’ starts out with a look into Katherine's life as the Mistress of the Mayfield Manor and her continual struggle to fit in, even in the society she thought she so wanted. There's just something missing in life for Miss Katherine and she has yet to put her finger on what that is. Partly due to Daniel, her old love that she had thought was dead, has shown back up in her life, claiming he is still in love with her and always has been. However, Katherine has herself a new beau, the aristocratic artist named Justin Wirth. Katherine's romance with Justin was frustrating for me to read. I didn't trust him or his intentions and I felt that he didn't have Katherine's best interests in his heart.
Meanwhile, life in Hickory Hollow, Katherine's old Amish community,has continued to go on. Mary's romance with the Bishop has blossomed and she has settled in as his wife and a mama to his children. Rebecca seems to slowly be recovering from the immense loss she endured with
losing Katie to the English world. Annie is coming to terms with her brother Daniel's betrayal and sadness over his shunning. Ella Mae, perhaps my favorite character in this book, has suffered a stroke and is nearing the end of her life. It is Ella who holds the key to Katherine's salvation and in finding her true purpose in life. Not as the fancy and worldly "Katherine" but as the sweet and humble "Katie
Girl".
I was thrilled with the conclusion to this story. I just never saw Katie returning completely to her Amish roots, I was actually happy that she didn't. But I also am glad that she didn't choose to stay and live out her life as an extravagant rich lady. I would have never been able to accept her as anything else but "Plain". It was truly the best compromise for her. A fantastic series and I look forward to reading more by Beverly Lewis.
February 27, 2017
I was so confident I had read this book years ago, but nothing from it seemed at all familiar, so, for whatever reason, I must have stopped at the second book...
I will say I was disappointed by this one. For one thing, I hated how there was so much confusion over Daniel calling Katherine "Katie". I don't know why the butler wouldn't have any concept of the possibility that someone from Katherine's old life might try to contact her. Why would he assume Daniel was referring to the impostor? It was too obviously just a way for Daniel to come frustratingly close to Katherine without a reunion actually taking place.
I also was very unsatisfied with the ending. Katherine is perfectly happy living in the mansion and using her wealth to help others until she suddenly turns around and decides she's not happy living that way, so she ditches the mansion and becomes Mennonite instead. It was so abrupt. And I felt like the book was claiming that it's wrong to be rich or to enjoy nice things. I would have bought her happy medium if she had found herself becoming obsessed with her riches, but that didn't ever seem to be a concern.
I thought there would be more of a love triangle, but it was clear that Justin was never a contender. There wasn't really much substance to their relationship at all. It makes sense to me, though. As if dating Justin was just a part of testing out this new life she has. This isn't really a complaint. I don't mind love triangles, but they are a bit over-used these days.
Combining the last two points, maybe it would have made more sense if Katherine's faith in God wavered and dating Justin was part of that, considering he was so apathetic toward religion. That would have achieved the same end, and been more believable and satisfying, I think.
I will say I was disappointed by this one. For one thing, I hated how there was so much confusion over Daniel calling Katherine "Katie". I don't know why the butler wouldn't have any concept of the possibility that someone from Katherine's old life might try to contact her. Why would he assume Daniel was referring to the impostor? It was too obviously just a way for Daniel to come frustratingly close to Katherine without a reunion actually taking place.
I also was very unsatisfied with the ending. Katherine is perfectly happy living in the mansion and using her wealth to help others until she suddenly turns around and decides she's not happy living that way, so she ditches the mansion and becomes Mennonite instead. It was so abrupt. And I felt like the book was claiming that it's wrong to be rich or to enjoy nice things. I would have bought her happy medium if she had found herself becoming obsessed with her riches, but that didn't ever seem to be a concern.
I thought there would be more of a love triangle, but it was clear that Justin was never a contender. There wasn't really much substance to their relationship at all. It makes sense to me, though. As if dating Justin was just a part of testing out this new life she has. This isn't really a complaint. I don't mind love triangles, but they are a bit over-used these days.
Combining the last two points, maybe it would have made more sense if Katherine's faith in God wavered and dating Justin was part of that, considering he was so apathetic toward religion. That would have achieved the same end, and been more believable and satisfying, I think.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2019
I read the first book in this series and had a hard time putting it down. I knew that something would happen with the young man that was Katie's first love, and didn't think she would marry the older Bishop with all the children. I bought the second book to see what would happen with her first love, but it didn't happen in that book. Then I had to buy the third book to see what happened with this first love. The got together, but I would have liked the story to have more story time in that area. I enjoyed the story line about her volunteer work at the hospice, and how she decided to help them, by giving them her mother's huge house, when she decided to go back to her Amish home area. Katie changed, but still had many of the Amish ways in her life.
January 16, 2009
This author is writing from an evangelical Christian perspective -- while she has respect and understanding of the Amish community, in her mind the greatest good is being "saved" by Jesus. The evangelical slant diminished this series for me, as well as the fact that this is not the most skilled author. However, she told a story that got me interested, and made me care about the characters enough to want to finish it.
September 22, 2015
I enjoyed the first two books in this series better than this one. I was looking forward to reading The Reckoning, but was somewhat disappointed in parts of it. Katherine seemed wishy-washy to me and parts of the story just didn't seem that realistic. As is usual in most fiction books, the ending seemed rushed, with some details left out. Definitely not one of my favorites from this author.
September 14, 2018
I enjoy reading Amish stories because I enjoy learning about cultures different from my own. This author did not seem to truly appreciate the culture. She was very preachy about why their beliefs were wrong and they should all convert to "true" Christianity. The author seemed so focused on converting her main character, she forgot what else she wanted to to with her. This made the story seem very lost at times.
January 24, 2019
In two days I finished off the entire triology. I just had to know what happened to Katie! I'm honestly glad at the ending but I do wish she went back to being Amish with Daniel.
August 23, 2018
This book was alright, but I think because I have seen the film version it’s kind of ruined it for me. Mum and I bought the books on the premise of those films and there is such a change in the story which I think is why I’m having trouble with the plot in the book. Throughout the book Katie has been a Fabulous character , She has not been afraid to go out into the wider world and see life. The ending of the book to me was a bit rushed , And her going to Dan was so Impulsive & didn’t quite sit well with me.
I’m glad that I have read all three in the book series but I Won’t be rushing to get any more books by this author, I just find her writing rather saccharine!
I’m glad that I have read all three in the book series but I Won’t be rushing to get any more books by this author, I just find her writing rather saccharine!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2023
This is the third and final book in Beverly Lewis’s The Heritage of Lancaster County series.
I have always known that the Amish are religious, but I did not know they aren’t Christians. “I’m trusting God for my salvation, and I do hope with all my heart that heaven will be my reward when I die” (252). “Saved isn’t for us to know” (255).
Katie has always felt different, searching for more. She finds it in Jesus. “The Lord works miracles. Sometimes when we least expect them” (259).
Life’s too short not to be searching for heaven. I’m all for it” (263). Me, too, friend! Me, too! ❤️
I have always known that the Amish are religious, but I did not know they aren’t Christians. “I’m trusting God for my salvation, and I do hope with all my heart that heaven will be my reward when I die” (252). “Saved isn’t for us to know” (255).
Katie has always felt different, searching for more. She finds it in Jesus. “The Lord works miracles. Sometimes when we least expect them” (259).
Life’s too short not to be searching for heaven. I’m all for it” (263). Me, too, friend! Me, too! ❤️
November 1, 2023
This book was more similar to the first book compared to the second one which drug on. I am thankful that I finished the series. I gave it four stars because although the main plot lines were tied up, I wanted there to be more details of how she lives her day-to-day life still being shunned but living back in the community. I was disappointed that after so much plot with a guy named Justin, we don’t get a glimpse of what Dan and Katie’s married life is like. I want to know how often she sees her Amish family and friends.
An amazing story that just simply wrapped up too quickly.
An amazing story that just simply wrapped up too quickly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2020
This was such a disappointment and definitely my least favorite of the series. I thought that it was boring and dragged. I think this series easily could of been a single book. I don't know if I'll read anything from this author since this series was just okay to me.
March 3, 2018
I finished this one in just a few hours and it was great. Sweet series with great characters. It tugged at my heart and rekindled my love for Amish books. Can’t wait to read more by this author soon
August 18, 2024
“All the scraps and pieces of my life are a God-ordered design…like one of your beautiful quilts.”
October 18, 2021
I very much needed to know the conclusion of this series, though I pretty much accurately predicted exactly what was going to happen. This story could easily have filled 2 books at very most, this one felt stretched waaaaay too long. A lot of talking and thinking and very little happening.
August 31, 2024
What a conflicting end to this series, I have a lot to say.
The romance between Kate and Daniel was set up through the series in such a way that you really root for them to get back together, and to be honest, I wasn't expecting for them to run into each other so quickly in this book. I was anticipating Kate to get closer to this Justin guy and then get engaged, but then find out that her first love is still alive and then be conflicted on whether to break her engagement to go back to him or stay-- but instead, we see her adjust to the news of Daniel being alive, and instead of being overjoyed that he's back, she sees this as yet another betrayal by someone close to her. I saw some other reviews mention that they can't imagine being upset to find their presumed dead first-love back alive in front of them, but remember, the central conflict of these books and the reason Kate ran away in the first place is that she was lied to by everyone she trusted in the first book. Her parents lied to her about a core part of her identity, and now she realizes that Dan, her sweetheart, lied to her too and abandoned her to deal with all of the events of the first book alone. We see her going through that emotional rollercoaster and ultimately unable to accept it. She tells him to leave her alone and don't bother her again, but as the pain fades, he starts sending her letters about his Mennonite faith and that he hopes she will learn the love of Jesus. Which she eventually does, more on that later. Despite everything that happens, the books are set up for you to want them to get back together and I kind of wished that happened in a different way than it did, because what ultimately gets Kate to go back to Daniel is reading her mother's diaries. Which, that being the reason is honestly really messed up for reasons I'll mention later.
This book focused a bit more on Mary Stoltsfus, which was interesting. Mary's conflict left me sad. She's going through it because she thinks she's too fat and unattractive and old at 20 years old that she isn't going to get the chance to get married, but now that Katie is gone, she has the chance to marry widow John Byler, their bishop. Katie's mom is pissed about this and accuses her of trying to steal Katie's man, which is ridiculous and obviously from grief, because Katie didn't want to marry John, that's why she ran away from home, lol. Anyway, Mary is courting John in secret and at first it seems really romantic and sweet. We even hear that the parish is getting so large that it might be broken into two communities soon, and Mary is excited about this because it means that Katie might be able to come back and talk to her family and friends again, because the new community will have a different bishop, one who might not be so strict. However, in either situation, MARY still won't be allowed to talk to Katie, because when the communities split, she's going to be in John Byler's community. She wants to marry John, the guy who kicked Katie out and enforced her shunning, so Mary is going to be made to follow John's strict rules regardless. She uses her womanly wiles to try and convince John to lit the shunning on Kate, but insodoing, she starts to have some doubts about this relationship when she realizes that John is kind of using her to fill the role of mother, maid, cook, and bedwench. God forbid men have to do their own cooking or interact with their own kids. Which... yeah? He IS using you for that, Mary. Notice how it really wasn't about Katie, when he wanted to get married, and that he's content to stick you into that place now that Katie left? Any woman will do to fill that role. It's not about love, it's about the duties you'll fulfill for him. But, Mary then decides to marry him anyway and the end of her story is her being really haggard and harried and busy caring for all these stepkids and literally barefoot and soon to be pregnant. Her ending was kind of sad.
Let's talk about Rebecca, Kate's Amish mother, for a minute. Rebecca going mad was a big part of book 2, the Confession, but that plotline was abruptly dropped in this book. It isn't resolved and isn't explained why she isn't going crazy anymore. She was literally delirious in the last book but she's completely fine again now. There was no resolution to that, she got her sanity back without any reason. You'd think she would've gone even more bonkers after Ella Mae took the baby dress but that seemed to cure it? Rebecca just wasn't a big focus of this book, we didn't even get a scene of her breaking into grateful tears when the preacher said he would allow contact between Kate and the family again, y'know, the thing she was so upset about in the last book that she was literally having hallucinations and languishing in bed??? No reaction! It was so strange that we don't see her reacting to these huge emotional moments after book 2 focused on her so closely. I was also hoping for a really touching reunion scene with Kate when she comes back to visit, but we never... really get that? I was expecting more of a detailed and emotional scene when they reunited, tears and joy from Rebecca, but we didn't get that, it kind of deflated me after all the build up of book 2.
Justin. Oh Justin, the relationship with him was really rushed seeming, it could honestly have been cut entirely because he really had no impact on the story at all? There was no tension or contrast between him and Dan other than to show that he wasn't 'christian enough' for Kate compared to Dan, he wasn't as interested in religion as Kate was. The reason that she doesn't fully love Justin is because he isn't that excited when she joins a church and gets really obsessed with her new evangelical born-again christian church, which yeah, if I was him, I would be concerned if my girlfriend, who just escaped the cult of the Amish church and lost her adopted family, and then went through the death of her birth mother, is now SUPER INTO this new religious organization she's joined and is giving them lots of money and all her free time. I'd be worried for her too, but Kate takes his lukewarm comments about her church-going as a sign that he's not a true believer. The relationship dissolved without a single scene or even a sentence? She apparently loved this man enough to get engaged to him, but we don't see Kate have to break off their engagement or even talk to him that often really. He literally just disappeared when the story no longer needed him.
The central conflict of these books and something that I noticed was actually a brilliant touch by the author, is Kate being drawn to the 'english' world. Do you remember the horse, Satin-boy? That was a special name that Kate gave to the horse, who is supposed to be a representation of her desire to be english and fancy-- but that's not it, is it. She's not fixated on being English exactly, but a very specific aspect of that life. We never see Kate fantasizing about having electricity, using the phone, riding in fancy cars. The thing she fantasizes about is wearing a satin dress, styling her hair, shaving, wearing makeup. She essentially longs to be /beautiful/ and feminine and have individuality. Amish people all dress the same and women cover their hair, which is the one thing that makes her an individual, she's the only one with red hair and she has to cover it up, she longs to let her hair down and run through the fields. There's this really sad moment in this book where she's reminiscing about childhood and remembering that she was underdeveloped compared to the other girls, and that the only time she saw herself as an individual was when she looked down at her shadow compared to the other girls. Her struggle and her running away isn't about wanting to be extravagant or escape the rules, it's about wanting to be herself. There's something there-- that theme is what makes these books deeper than they initially look on the surface.
Also, you can't read this books without getting into some kind of religious analysis. You can't separate this book from the christianity in it, and the specific kind of christianity that the author believes in particular-- because Beverly Lewis really laid it on thick. From an athiest perspectice, it was painfully clear that these books were written by an evangelical protestant who is obsessed with the percieved 'purity' and simplicity of the Amish lifestyle, as many evangelical women are, they're the main readers of the genre! She has her heroine, Kate, convert to her own religion and join a branch of HER own church! She leaves one cult and is immediately sucked into another cult, evangelical protestant 'born-again' christianity. The storyline also needs you to be invested in the idea that the Amish, and honestly, every other branch of Christianity besides Beverly Lewis's DO NOT KNOW about the light or love of Jesus. The book pretends that the Amish don't believe in Jesus, salvation, or that Jesus died for the sins of the world. Which is a pretty weird thing to get wrong, unless you realize that she had to set it up that way to justify the main character joining the author's religious beliefs and becoming a born-again believer like her. The book wants you to think that America is a dark void that has never heard of Jesus and that even the Amish, pious devout people that they are, don't know about eternal salvation. You realize how bonkers it is the moment you say it out loud. We're supposed to believe that Kate has 'found' Jesus and is now a TRUE follower of Jesus for the first time in her life, and that her previous spiritual life and baptism apparently weren't real experiences for her because she didn't know jesus before this. And then, crazier still, none of it matters at the end because she converts to being a Mennonite to be with Daniel and become a submissive wife! Her spiritual journey didn't matter, she joined another branch of Anabaptism, y'know, the same religious sect as the Amish??? And in the same breath says that she swears off dogmatism and the ordnung, while joining another really conservative and patriarchal religion that believes almost exactly the same things. Weird.
And can we talk about how weird the end of the book was, the whole 'Katherine finally found her mom's diary' chapter. It actually shocked me that I didn't notice before how stupid and nonsensical the 'my birth mother was secretly rich' plotline was. I never realized that it didn't make sense until that moment of reading the diary. This plotline is actually ridiculous - 'You're not actually amish, you're a rich english-woman's daughter! And she gave you up to Amish people on purpose because she thought that.... growing up rich and privileged would be BAD for you!!!!' It made no sense. Laura was a teenage mom who had family support, loving parents, all the financial resources necessary to raise the baby and still get her education. She also loved the baby and wanted it. So WHY did she adopt it out? What a stupid plotline. Maybe if she had been a desparate teen mother whose parents had kicked her out and she was penniless it would have made more sense, but then Katherine wouldn't have gotten her rich-bitch mansion money plotline. Dude, lmao, let me adopt my beloved baby out to people who live in a community known for having 10 kids per family. She didn't even give Katie to a childless couple, she deliberately chose an Amish family because she thinks they'll love her more than her parents loved her. Which, girl???? You can tell this book was written by someone upper-middle class or above because the whole diary was so tone-deaf. Rich, spoiled teenage girl who grew up in a mansion goes 'DOY-OY-OY, it will be the best thing for my baby to NOT grow up in a mansion with servants, I've always secretly wished we were poor! I bet poor people are happier than us rich people' Tripe so ridiculous and insensitive that only a rich person could have typed out. Laura literally says her own rich privileged childhood was worthless because she was an only child with no siblings, and that she would've been happier as a poor dirt baby in a strict religious society. Screw you, mom and dad, who gave me everything and cared for me during the pregnancy and wanted me to keep the baby! I want her to have all the 'simple things' that I didn't have, even though I grew up with everything! I always secretly wished we were poor, I secretly wished we struggled and lived in degradation and suffering, a wish that only a spoiled pampered rich girl who doesn't know what poverty is like could wish' So weird. And this-- seeing that her mother always wished for her to be Amish, is what makes Kate decide to sell the mansion and go back to Dan. WOW. The reason she goes back to Dan is because she reads her mom's diary and goes 'WOW, my mom gave me up as a baby to these people and it was HER wish that I live with them! I guess I was always meant to be plain!'
So the whole storyline was pointless and she ends up back where she started, but she believes in JESUS NOW. Even though the Amish know about Jesus, they're literally strict christians. I was left reeling by the ending, god. Time to read the prequel that was released like 25 years later last year.
The romance between Kate and Daniel was set up through the series in such a way that you really root for them to get back together, and to be honest, I wasn't expecting for them to run into each other so quickly in this book. I was anticipating Kate to get closer to this Justin guy and then get engaged, but then find out that her first love is still alive and then be conflicted on whether to break her engagement to go back to him or stay-- but instead, we see her adjust to the news of Daniel being alive, and instead of being overjoyed that he's back, she sees this as yet another betrayal by someone close to her. I saw some other reviews mention that they can't imagine being upset to find their presumed dead first-love back alive in front of them, but remember, the central conflict of these books and the reason Kate ran away in the first place is that she was lied to by everyone she trusted in the first book. Her parents lied to her about a core part of her identity, and now she realizes that Dan, her sweetheart, lied to her too and abandoned her to deal with all of the events of the first book alone. We see her going through that emotional rollercoaster and ultimately unable to accept it. She tells him to leave her alone and don't bother her again, but as the pain fades, he starts sending her letters about his Mennonite faith and that he hopes she will learn the love of Jesus. Which she eventually does, more on that later. Despite everything that happens, the books are set up for you to want them to get back together and I kind of wished that happened in a different way than it did, because what ultimately gets Kate to go back to Daniel is reading her mother's diaries. Which, that being the reason is honestly really messed up for reasons I'll mention later.
This book focused a bit more on Mary Stoltsfus, which was interesting. Mary's conflict left me sad. She's going through it because she thinks she's too fat and unattractive and old at 20 years old that she isn't going to get the chance to get married, but now that Katie is gone, she has the chance to marry widow John Byler, their bishop. Katie's mom is pissed about this and accuses her of trying to steal Katie's man, which is ridiculous and obviously from grief, because Katie didn't want to marry John, that's why she ran away from home, lol. Anyway, Mary is courting John in secret and at first it seems really romantic and sweet. We even hear that the parish is getting so large that it might be broken into two communities soon, and Mary is excited about this because it means that Katie might be able to come back and talk to her family and friends again, because the new community will have a different bishop, one who might not be so strict. However, in either situation, MARY still won't be allowed to talk to Katie, because when the communities split, she's going to be in John Byler's community. She wants to marry John, the guy who kicked Katie out and enforced her shunning, so Mary is going to be made to follow John's strict rules regardless. She uses her womanly wiles to try and convince John to lit the shunning on Kate, but insodoing, she starts to have some doubts about this relationship when she realizes that John is kind of using her to fill the role of mother, maid, cook, and bedwench. God forbid men have to do their own cooking or interact with their own kids. Which... yeah? He IS using you for that, Mary. Notice how it really wasn't about Katie, when he wanted to get married, and that he's content to stick you into that place now that Katie left? Any woman will do to fill that role. It's not about love, it's about the duties you'll fulfill for him. But, Mary then decides to marry him anyway and the end of her story is her being really haggard and harried and busy caring for all these stepkids and literally barefoot and soon to be pregnant. Her ending was kind of sad.
Let's talk about Rebecca, Kate's Amish mother, for a minute. Rebecca going mad was a big part of book 2, the Confession, but that plotline was abruptly dropped in this book. It isn't resolved and isn't explained why she isn't going crazy anymore. She was literally delirious in the last book but she's completely fine again now. There was no resolution to that, she got her sanity back without any reason. You'd think she would've gone even more bonkers after Ella Mae took the baby dress but that seemed to cure it? Rebecca just wasn't a big focus of this book, we didn't even get a scene of her breaking into grateful tears when the preacher said he would allow contact between Kate and the family again, y'know, the thing she was so upset about in the last book that she was literally having hallucinations and languishing in bed??? No reaction! It was so strange that we don't see her reacting to these huge emotional moments after book 2 focused on her so closely. I was also hoping for a really touching reunion scene with Kate when she comes back to visit, but we never... really get that? I was expecting more of a detailed and emotional scene when they reunited, tears and joy from Rebecca, but we didn't get that, it kind of deflated me after all the build up of book 2.
Justin. Oh Justin, the relationship with him was really rushed seeming, it could honestly have been cut entirely because he really had no impact on the story at all? There was no tension or contrast between him and Dan other than to show that he wasn't 'christian enough' for Kate compared to Dan, he wasn't as interested in religion as Kate was. The reason that she doesn't fully love Justin is because he isn't that excited when she joins a church and gets really obsessed with her new evangelical born-again christian church, which yeah, if I was him, I would be concerned if my girlfriend, who just escaped the cult of the Amish church and lost her adopted family, and then went through the death of her birth mother, is now SUPER INTO this new religious organization she's joined and is giving them lots of money and all her free time. I'd be worried for her too, but Kate takes his lukewarm comments about her church-going as a sign that he's not a true believer. The relationship dissolved without a single scene or even a sentence? She apparently loved this man enough to get engaged to him, but we don't see Kate have to break off their engagement or even talk to him that often really. He literally just disappeared when the story no longer needed him.
The central conflict of these books and something that I noticed was actually a brilliant touch by the author, is Kate being drawn to the 'english' world. Do you remember the horse, Satin-boy? That was a special name that Kate gave to the horse, who is supposed to be a representation of her desire to be english and fancy-- but that's not it, is it. She's not fixated on being English exactly, but a very specific aspect of that life. We never see Kate fantasizing about having electricity, using the phone, riding in fancy cars. The thing she fantasizes about is wearing a satin dress, styling her hair, shaving, wearing makeup. She essentially longs to be /beautiful/ and feminine and have individuality. Amish people all dress the same and women cover their hair, which is the one thing that makes her an individual, she's the only one with red hair and she has to cover it up, she longs to let her hair down and run through the fields. There's this really sad moment in this book where she's reminiscing about childhood and remembering that she was underdeveloped compared to the other girls, and that the only time she saw herself as an individual was when she looked down at her shadow compared to the other girls. Her struggle and her running away isn't about wanting to be extravagant or escape the rules, it's about wanting to be herself. There's something there-- that theme is what makes these books deeper than they initially look on the surface.
Also, you can't read this books without getting into some kind of religious analysis. You can't separate this book from the christianity in it, and the specific kind of christianity that the author believes in particular-- because Beverly Lewis really laid it on thick. From an athiest perspectice, it was painfully clear that these books were written by an evangelical protestant who is obsessed with the percieved 'purity' and simplicity of the Amish lifestyle, as many evangelical women are, they're the main readers of the genre! She has her heroine, Kate, convert to her own religion and join a branch of HER own church! She leaves one cult and is immediately sucked into another cult, evangelical protestant 'born-again' christianity. The storyline also needs you to be invested in the idea that the Amish, and honestly, every other branch of Christianity besides Beverly Lewis's DO NOT KNOW about the light or love of Jesus. The book pretends that the Amish don't believe in Jesus, salvation, or that Jesus died for the sins of the world. Which is a pretty weird thing to get wrong, unless you realize that she had to set it up that way to justify the main character joining the author's religious beliefs and becoming a born-again believer like her. The book wants you to think that America is a dark void that has never heard of Jesus and that even the Amish, pious devout people that they are, don't know about eternal salvation. You realize how bonkers it is the moment you say it out loud. We're supposed to believe that Kate has 'found' Jesus and is now a TRUE follower of Jesus for the first time in her life, and that her previous spiritual life and baptism apparently weren't real experiences for her because she didn't know jesus before this. And then, crazier still, none of it matters at the end because she converts to being a Mennonite to be with Daniel and become a submissive wife! Her spiritual journey didn't matter, she joined another branch of Anabaptism, y'know, the same religious sect as the Amish??? And in the same breath says that she swears off dogmatism and the ordnung, while joining another really conservative and patriarchal religion that believes almost exactly the same things. Weird.
And can we talk about how weird the end of the book was, the whole 'Katherine finally found her mom's diary' chapter. It actually shocked me that I didn't notice before how stupid and nonsensical the 'my birth mother was secretly rich' plotline was. I never realized that it didn't make sense until that moment of reading the diary. This plotline is actually ridiculous - 'You're not actually amish, you're a rich english-woman's daughter! And she gave you up to Amish people on purpose because she thought that.... growing up rich and privileged would be BAD for you!!!!' It made no sense. Laura was a teenage mom who had family support, loving parents, all the financial resources necessary to raise the baby and still get her education. She also loved the baby and wanted it. So WHY did she adopt it out? What a stupid plotline. Maybe if she had been a desparate teen mother whose parents had kicked her out and she was penniless it would have made more sense, but then Katherine wouldn't have gotten her rich-bitch mansion money plotline. Dude, lmao, let me adopt my beloved baby out to people who live in a community known for having 10 kids per family. She didn't even give Katie to a childless couple, she deliberately chose an Amish family because she thinks they'll love her more than her parents loved her. Which, girl???? You can tell this book was written by someone upper-middle class or above because the whole diary was so tone-deaf. Rich, spoiled teenage girl who grew up in a mansion goes 'DOY-OY-OY, it will be the best thing for my baby to NOT grow up in a mansion with servants, I've always secretly wished we were poor! I bet poor people are happier than us rich people' Tripe so ridiculous and insensitive that only a rich person could have typed out. Laura literally says her own rich privileged childhood was worthless because she was an only child with no siblings, and that she would've been happier as a poor dirt baby in a strict religious society. Screw you, mom and dad, who gave me everything and cared for me during the pregnancy and wanted me to keep the baby! I want her to have all the 'simple things' that I didn't have, even though I grew up with everything! I always secretly wished we were poor, I secretly wished we struggled and lived in degradation and suffering, a wish that only a spoiled pampered rich girl who doesn't know what poverty is like could wish' So weird. And this-- seeing that her mother always wished for her to be Amish, is what makes Kate decide to sell the mansion and go back to Dan. WOW. The reason she goes back to Dan is because she reads her mom's diary and goes 'WOW, my mom gave me up as a baby to these people and it was HER wish that I live with them! I guess I was always meant to be plain!'
So the whole storyline was pointless and she ends up back where she started, but she believes in JESUS NOW. Even though the Amish know about Jesus, they're literally strict christians. I was left reeling by the ending, god. Time to read the prequel that was released like 25 years later last year.
July 19, 2010
This review refers to the audiobook version
The Reckoning not only brought this series to an end, it proved a stern point. Amish fiction is far from boring and Beverly Lewis depicted a wonderful story. Katherine Mayfield, the main character in this series, is adjusting well to her new, “fancy” life and becoming more of an “Englisher” than she ever thought possible.
Katherine struggles with her old love, Daniel, and her new love, Justin and what she really wants in her life. Even though she misses her life in Hickory Hollow, she also loves the fancy things she has always dreamed of having. She misses her adoptive mother, Rebecca and her best friend, Mary among other simple life things.
The narrator of this audiobook series, Marguerite Gavin, is wonderful. Gavin uses a very believable Amish dialect when she speaks the phrases of the characters and also has a very captivating voice. I’m thankful that Blackstone Audio used the same narrator throughout the series, it makes the story flow better from book to book.
I was glad that so many things were concluded in this book. I really feel that Lewis left no stone unturned and that I was satisfied with the ending. I don’t like to be left hanging; wondering what happened to a certain character or relationship.
Overall, the Heritage of Lancaster County Series is wonderful and captivating. I truly enjoyed all three books, especially The Reckoning because it tied together every loose end. I will be listening to more Amish fiction soon, these stories really keep my attention.
Originally posted on our blog at http://www.audiobookfans.com/2010/07/audiobook-review-of-the-reckoning/
The Reckoning not only brought this series to an end, it proved a stern point. Amish fiction is far from boring and Beverly Lewis depicted a wonderful story. Katherine Mayfield, the main character in this series, is adjusting well to her new, “fancy” life and becoming more of an “Englisher” than she ever thought possible.
Katherine struggles with her old love, Daniel, and her new love, Justin and what she really wants in her life. Even though she misses her life in Hickory Hollow, she also loves the fancy things she has always dreamed of having. She misses her adoptive mother, Rebecca and her best friend, Mary among other simple life things.
The narrator of this audiobook series, Marguerite Gavin, is wonderful. Gavin uses a very believable Amish dialect when she speaks the phrases of the characters and also has a very captivating voice. I’m thankful that Blackstone Audio used the same narrator throughout the series, it makes the story flow better from book to book.
I was glad that so many things were concluded in this book. I really feel that Lewis left no stone unturned and that I was satisfied with the ending. I don’t like to be left hanging; wondering what happened to a certain character or relationship.
Overall, the Heritage of Lancaster County Series is wonderful and captivating. I truly enjoyed all three books, especially The Reckoning because it tied together every loose end. I will be listening to more Amish fiction soon, these stories really keep my attention.
Originally posted on our blog at http://www.audiobookfans.com/2010/07/audiobook-review-of-the-reckoning/
August 14, 2017
I am glad to see the end of this book.
Why in the world I kept going after disliking the second book in this series so much, I'll never know. There's a certain stubborness to me, that keeps me pressing on. I blame it on the autism.
In this third book, Katherine is adjusting to life in the mansion, has more men thrown at her than she can handle, she is well-loved by every person she meets, including those that are shunning her, and is given the choice of every dream/fantasy a girl could have. What more can I say? This is every teen girl's wild daydream I suspect, with more Mary Sue factors than a person can count.
And yet people love these books. I truly do not know why.
I finally was getting all the characters sorted out by this book. Wow, it gets hard. We have everyone from the previous books, and then started adding in some new folks. There's some heartstrings being tugged, but with volunteering in a HOSPICE can't we expect heartbreak???? I kept wanting to shout at Katherine and tell her, "You know why they're there, right?"
The ending was rushed and awkward. I had an idea that it would go that way, and was sorely disappointed when it did. Not because she wound up with the wrong person, but .
Overall I would NOT recommend this series. The only reason I gave this two stars instead of one is because I kept reading despite everything in me telling me not to finish. ARGH. I really hate to say this, but I will hesitate a long time before touching anything by this author again. I really hope she improved over time...
Why in the world I kept going after disliking the second book in this series so much, I'll never know. There's a certain stubborness to me, that keeps me pressing on. I blame it on the autism.
In this third book, Katherine is adjusting to life in the mansion, has more men thrown at her than she can handle, she is well-loved by every person she meets, including those that are shunning her, and is given the choice of every dream/fantasy a girl could have. What more can I say? This is every teen girl's wild daydream I suspect, with more Mary Sue factors than a person can count.
And yet people love these books. I truly do not know why.
I finally was getting all the characters sorted out by this book. Wow, it gets hard. We have everyone from the previous books, and then started adding in some new folks. There's some heartstrings being tugged, but with volunteering in a HOSPICE can't we expect heartbreak???? I kept wanting to shout at Katherine and tell her, "You know why they're there, right?"
The ending was rushed and awkward. I had an idea that it would go that way, and was sorely disappointed when it did. Not because she wound up with the wrong person, but .
Overall I would NOT recommend this series. The only reason I gave this two stars instead of one is because I kept reading despite everything in me telling me not to finish. ARGH. I really hate to say this, but I will hesitate a long time before touching anything by this author again. I really hope she improved over time...
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