The pacing on the audio was very peculiar - both the narration and the editing seemed a little off.

4.5 stars.

Fans of Amish fiction are going to love Beth Wiseman's newest release, Her Brother's Keeper. This first installment in the Amish Secrets series has a very unique and fascinating storyline but it is the characters that make it such an outstanding read.

Charlotte Dolinsky is determined to find answers about her brother Ethan's death in Lancaster County. Dissatisfied by answers she receives from his fiancée Hannah King, Charlotte devises a scheme to do little undercover sleuthing in the Amish community. Armed with a little knowledge of the Amish faith, she poses as a distant cousin of the Kings and they open their home (and eventually their hearts) to her. But Charlotte is woefully unprepared for Amish life and she quickly discovers there is much more to being Amish than donning a kapp and living without electricity. She grows increasingly uncomfortable with the lies she must tell to divert their suspicions but when she begins to care for Hannah and her family, Charlotte is torn between ending her deception or continuing to seek answers about her brother's death.

Charlotte and Ethan's abusive childhood left permanent scars on both of them. Charlotte finds it difficult to trust or get close to people while Ethan suffered from depression off and on over the years. Neither has much of a spiritual background so Charlotte found Ethan's newfound faith difficult to believe and she harbored serious reservations about his engagement to an Amish woman. Learning of his suicide devastated Charlotte and she is desperate to understand why someone on the verge of marriage would suddenly and inexplicably take his own life.

Charlotte's crash course in Amish living provides the basics (i.e. dress, common dialogue, etc) but as she quickly discovers, there is much she does not know. She quickly realizes how unrealistic her scheme is but she comes up with very plausible explanations for her mistakes. While she comes to appreciate some of the Amish lifestyle, she is very uneasy with the spiritual aspects she encounters.

Charlotte is surprised by how much she likes Hannah and she cleverly works discussions about Ethan into their conversations. Hannah's answers to her probing questions are not completely satisfying but their surprisingly in depth exchanges about faith begin to resonate with Charlotte. Discussions with Ethan's best friend Ryan also aid Charlotte on her spiritual awakening but this journey has just begun when her deception is uncovered. Although the Amish are quick to forgive, will this prove to be the case for the King family and the other members of their community?

There is also a slight romantic element to Her Brother's Keeper, but these relationships are not the focus of the novel. Charlotte and Ethan's friend Isaac go on a few dates but it is soon apparent that their relationship is strictly platonic. Isaac is really interested in Hannah but he is afraid it is too soon to ask her out since she appears to be still mourning Ethan's death. Hannah is caught off guard by her jealousy when Isaac and Charlotte begin dating and she becomes quite introspective as she tries to overcome her unexpected feelings. This contemplation is surprisingly useful and helps her move through the grieving process.

Her Brother's Keeper is a heartfelt and poignant novel and Beth Wiseman tackles some very difficult subjects with a great deal of sensitivity. The faith portion of the storyline is realistic and it is absolutely delightful watching Charlotte begin her spiritual journey. There is also a bit of a suspense aspect to the novel as Charlotte tries to uncover the truth about the circumstances leading up to Ethan's death. All in all, it is an absolutely incredible beginning to the Amish Secrets series that will leave readers impatiently awaiting the next installment. ( )

Charlotte's brother, Ethan has died leaving her with no family and a belief that something isn't right. Ethan committed suicide and she is positive that there is more to his death than she has been told. She believes that the Amish community he was living in is hiding something and she plans to find out what it is!

Her plan? To change her name to Mary and live within the Amish community while she tries to uncover the secrets surrounding Ethan's death. It soon becomes evident that Charlotte gets more than she bargained for!

The Postive Points: Her Brother's Keeper by Beth Wiseman is part of her Amish Secrets Novels. I found the character's were believable and the plot/sub-plots very interesting. I was appreciative of how Ms. Wiseman weaved into the story both Charlotte and Ethan's background while as the story unfolded. It really helped to round everything out!

I also appreciated the bits of humor interspersed throughout this deeply moving novel as well as the strong beliefs in God and Faith that Ms. Wiseman shared within this book.

The Sticky Points: The only real "sticky point" that I have with this story is that it was far stretched to have the Amish community that Charlotte/Mary was staying with believe that she was Amish. Charlotte/Mary made so many obvious mistakes that the author explained away through Charlotte stating that she came from a "less restrictive community". This was a bit hard for me to believe that her host family and Amish community would actually believe and accept that as an excuse as some of her mistakes were pretty big!

Final Thoughts ... I found Her Brother's Keeper to be a relaxing and enjoyable read so I gave it 4 stars!

A big thank you to Booklook Bloggers for the opportunity to review this book. My review is an honest reflection of my reading experience and my feeling about this book. ( )

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3HF5VU6BZK2M6/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm ( )

Her Brother’s Keeper (An Amish Secrets Novel) by Beth Wiseman is set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Charlotte Dolinsky wants to find out what happened to her brother. Ethan Dolinsky went to Pennsylvania to work on a roofing job. He ended up staying and was converting to the Amish faith. Ethan was also engaged to be married to Hannah King. Then Ethan hung himself. Charlotte was not able to get answers to her letters or phone calls from Hannah (Hannah was grieving and upset over Charlotte’s insistence that Ethan’s body be sent home to Texas for burial). Charlotte came up with the idea to go to Lancaster County and impersonate an Amish person (a cousin to the King’s) to get her answers. Ryan Hanemann, Ethan’s best friend when they were growing up, does not think it is a good idea, but he is unable to discourage Charlotte.

Charlotte’s research involved talking to people at the market in Beeville, Texas and looking at some sites online (she would have been better off reading some books or even watching the Amish reality show). Charlotte picked up her clothing at a secondhand Amish clothing store. Charlotte arrives in Lancaster County and introduces herself as Mary. Charlotte is welcomed into the family. Lena King, Hannah’s mother, is hoping that Mary will get Hannah out of her grief. Hannah has withdrawn from life since the death of Ethan (she is just going through the motions). Hannah can tell there is something different about Charlotte. She does not under their language, she never helps with the cooking, cleaning up, lousy at gardening, and she sleeps very late. Lena says it could be the difference in their districts. When Hannah finally asks Charlotte about not understanding their language, Charlotte explains that she did not come to the Amish faith until she was nineteen (more lies).

As Charlotte and Hannah get to know each other, they become quite close (like sisters). Charlotte is starting to get some answers to her questions, but she is feeling guilty about her lies (Ryan got Charlotte to start exploring religion). Will Charlotte get the answers she is seeking about Ethan? Is she prepared to accept the truth about her brother? What will happen when the King family finds out about Charlotte’s deception? Hannah is starting to get over Ethan and is interested in Isaac Miller (a neighbor who has been taking care of his parents for several years). Is Hannah ready to move on with her life? Will the answers Charlotte finds about Ethan upset Hannah?

I give Her Brother’s Keeper 4 out of 5 stars. It is a charming story that is well-written. I liked most of the characters in the story. Charlotte was my least favorite character in the beginning of the book. I did not understand why she did not just come to King’s as herself. They would have welcomed her with open arms since she was Ethan’s sister. I like the way the suicide was handled and the way the answers were revealed (about Ethan and his life). Reading Her Brother’s Keeper is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

I received a complimentary copy of Her Brother’s Keeper from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own. ( )