Hiding in Amish country may not be enough to save her…
In a killer's sights after she witnesses her sister's
murder, Christy O'Malley's only option is to flee to Amish country -- and the
estranged husband she left behind. But there's something Sam Burkholder doesn't
know -- they have a daughter. With enemies closing in, Sam will do anything to
protect Christy and their little girl…but can he forgive the past for a chance
to be a family for Christmas?
Terrific book. The action and suspense started right away
and rarely let up throughout the book. We've met Sam and his brothers in
previous books, where Sam's reluctance to marry puzzles his family. In this
book, we learn that he may already be married. When he was seventeen, and on
his rumspringa, Sam met and fell in love with an Englisch girl. They married,
but his bride disappeared without a trace in a few days. Now Sam is in limbo
regarding his options.
Seven years earlier, Christy met and married the love of
her life while rebelling from her father's control. Before she and Sam could
escape to his parents' home, Christy's father found her. By threatening Sam's
life and family, her dad ensured her cooperation. It wasn't until later that Christy
discovered she was pregnant. Kept under control by her father's threats and
later by her sister's illness, Christy hasn't contacted Sam to tell him he's a
father.
The story opens with a disturbing conversation between
Christy and her sister Joanne. Joanne has been in a coma, so Christy is shocked
and elated when Joanne speaks to her. That joy turns to fear and dismay when
Joanne tells her to take Ellie and run because their lives are in danger. Later
that night, Christy witnesses Joanne's murder and overhears the murderers
talking. Fearing for their lives, she immediately grabs Ellie and some supplies
and runs, but not before she's spotted and shot at.
A few hours later, Sam's shock at receiving a message
from "his wife" sends him rushing to the town where they met. His
shock doubles when he gets a look at Ellie and realizes he's a father. Unwilling
to leave them in danger but knowing that his life is about to become very
complicated, Sam plans to take them back to his family. Their plans take a
sudden turn when they are attacked and run off the road.
Thus began a story of many twists and turns as Sam,
Christy, and Ellie attempt to escape the people determined to stop them. It
seemed that every time they thought they were safe, the bad guys would find
them again. Though I'm surprised they didn't make the connection of how it
happened, I'll give them the fact that their minds were more on getting away. There
were plenty of surprises, from Sam's willingness to involve the police to the
truth behind the attacks. What appeared to be the final confrontation left
questions unanswered and opened the door to an unexpected twist at the end.
I loved seeing the rekindling of the relationship between
Sam and Christy. They met and married when both were young, idealistic, and
rebelling against their current lives. Who knows what would have happened if
they'd been able to stay together. In the seven years since they parted, both
experienced life-changing events that matured them. When Sam and Christy meet
again, their old feelings don't take long to resurface. However, both are well
aware of the obstacles between them. Sam is Amish and has no intention of
leaving his faith behind. Christy is decidedly Englisch, used to a more worldly
lifestyle. She also left her faith behind her many years earlier, though the
more time she spent with Sam, the more she felt it begin to return. I loved watching
them get to know and appreciate the adult versions of each other. I especially
liked Sam's appreciation of Christy's strength and resilience.
My heart ached for both of them when everything was over,
and they parted ways. Sam couldn't see a way forward without Christy leaving
everything behind, and he refused to ask that of her. Christy had a lot of
soul-searching to do, and I loved following her thought processes as she did
so. While I wasn't surprised at her decision, I loved how she carried it out.
I enjoyed catching up with Sam's brothers and their wives. Each of them plays an essential role in this book, too. There were a couple of other familiar faces, and I look forward to seeing if they show up again.
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