'A honeymoon was something Bethel would never have. Love was something she'd never have.' She was twenty-five, she had never been courted, and she was now married to a stranger.
This book is the perfect example of what lies and rumors can do and it also perfectly illustrates how misconceptions can eat away at a person. Bethel Eicher is forced by her father into marriage to a man she doesn't know and she can't believe that a "loving dadd" would do this. Gideon Kaiser has just buried his wife, he has an infant son to take care of, and he finds himself being rushed into a marriage with a woman who may be carrying someone else's child! They both find themselves married to a stranger and this seems to be a horrible fate for both of them. But, as is so often the case, it soon appears that God had a hand in all of this. As they continue to be in the same house it becomes apparent that Gideon and Bethel are aware of each other in more than a platonic way but the path is not going to be easy. Even as he seems to be mellowing toward her, Gideon is very vocal about his objection to being railroaded into marriage and Bethel is terribly hurt that she is only being seen as a babysitter for baby Elam and a nursemaid for Gideon's ill mother.
Married to a Stranger is filled with miscommunication, misunderstandings, and a mini-mystery concerning someone that may be secretly stalking Bethel. I found myself wanting to kick Gideon during his outbursts regarding this forced marriage and I often felt heartbroken for Bethel. She felt she had been betrayed by her father, she had been falsely accused of an unwed pregnancy, and she had never even been kissed. Bethel was old enough to be considered an old maid by Amish standards but her hopes of love and romance seemed to have been forever severed because she was now married to a man who didn't want her!
This is a book that will surprise you and entertain you but it is also a reminder that the ability to forgive is necessary for a person's happiness. I enjoyed Laura V. Hilton's story and I recommend Married to a Stranger to everyone who enjoys faith-based stories and Amish fiction.
I received a complimentary copy through Celebrate Lit and Netgalley. I have voluntarily chosen to share my honest thoughts. ( )

What I think you should know:
Married to a Stranger is an Amish fiction, however I would not call it a typical Amish romance novel. It follows several books about the same community, but it could be read as a standalone novel if needed ( I recommend you start at Firestorm). I enjoyed seeing the characters from the previous books, for me it is always like dropping in on old friends. In this book a new character, Bethel is sent away by her father to be married after false accusations are placed against her. Gideon Kaiser agrees to quietly marry her in spite of false accusations against him due to the fact that he needs a caregiver for his child and mother.

What you might want to know:
Gideon’s first wife died in childbirth, much of the novel that is from his perspective is based on him struggling with how he can move on with his life while still being faithful to her memory.

What I loved about this book:
Bethel is such a strong girl, she gave up her youthful courting time to care for her mother, and now finds herself falsely accused of being pregnant and feels like her world has fallen apart. When faced with hard situations she tries to look for the bright spots. I hurt for her when she was faced with forever being the unwanted wife, just a caregiver and substitute for a beloved wife. Gideon is also a unique character, as a new Amish minister he is busy trying to help his community when their bishop falls unexpectedly ill, and adjusting to having Bethel as his wife all while grieving the loss of his first wife.

What I want more of:
Laura V. Hilton has done it again! I hope she will bring us more books about the characters that we have met like Naomi. I also wish we could know more about what happened to Ruth, I need resolution to such a mystery.

Who will love this book:
Fans of Amish Fiction
Fans of Christian Fiction
Fans of Mystery (not the main component, but woven into the story beautifully)

I received a complimentary copy for this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

Married to a Stanger, an Amish Fiction story, captured me with the title, and the book did not disappoint. Imagine thinking you are in love with one person only to have your father force you to marry someone else in another community. Bethel Eicher, an Amish young lady, faces accusations by her father of dishonorable actions. At the same time, she fancies herself in love with one man in their community, while another man pursues her, which makes Bethel uncomfortable.

From the start of the story, I despised the man stalking Bethel. He seemed evil from the word go. The mystery surrounding the Amish girls who had gone missing from Bethel’s community added a lot to this story. I found myself unable to put it down.

When Bethel and Gideon are forced to marry, it seems uncertain what the outcome would be. Gideon’s first wife and mother of his infant son caused Gideon to turn away from the idea of love. But in her last moments, Lizzie encourages Gideon to choose love.

So if you want to read a book with suspense, mystery, family, and finding out the truth in the form of an Amish story, check out this book for yourself.

I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review. ( )

Laura V. Hilton is now on the top of favorite Amish fictions writers. She does a great job of engaging story plots with unexpected twists. "Married to a Stranger" is a sweet story of an arranged marriage.

Bethel is desperate to escape the man her dad wants her to marry. A horrible untruth about her and another man causes her to find herself in a marriage for someone she doesn't know. Gideon, a preacher who lost his wife during childbirth, now has a newborn to raise and a new wife who is destroying his reputation Bethel seems to be really confused on what is going on her wedding day. No one helped stop the sham of the marriage. Even Bethal's father didn't believe her truth. The Bishop spoke with Bethel and Gideon on what they really needed to hear. They learn the best way to get through rough times is forgiving. Gideon who lost his wife and remarried very quickly. Bethel is struggling to forgive her father for not believe her. The story shares a marriage that begins without love, but will that change?

The characters in this book are well thought out and felt like I was reading a biography of Gideon and Bethel's life. Bethel lacks self-confidence and obeys. She struggles with her worth. I felt their emotions while reading each page.

The story is about using faith to help get through tragedies and hardships through forgiveness and loving each other. "Married to a Stranger" is suspenseful at times. to the story as well. The lesson I took from this story is how important it is to trust God. He knows what he is doing and will always be there for us. Don't give up even when there doesn't seem like the light at the end of the tunnel. If we don't learn to forgive ourselves and others misunderstandings can really damage a relationship.

The cover of the book is beautiful which caught my attention. I really enjoy Laura V. Hilton's writing style. This can be a stand-alone book. I would highly recommend reading all of her books, but if not she does a great job of helping new readers not feel so lost in the story. f you haven't read her previous books you will know You don't have to read her previous books in the series. "Married to a Stranger' focuses more on Gideon's story. I had a hard time putting this book down. Usually, the book is told through the side of the woman, but "Married to a Stranger" seemed to lean more towards Gideon.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. This review is my own opinion. ( )

This has been a very eye opening book because it talks about marriage and how God ordained it to be. Bethel is desperate to escape the man who her dad wants her to marry. When a horrible untruth is said about her and another man, she finds herself in a marriage to someone she hardly knows. My heart went out to Bethel because she really has little self confidence and thinks she is unworthy of a man loving her.

Gideon is a preacher who has recently lost his wife during childbirth. He now has a newborn to raise and a new wife due to accusations that could destroy his reputation. It is a wonder that someone didn't speak up sooner to stop this sham of a marriage. I am upset that Bethel's father would believe a lie about his daughter. Does he think so little of her that he would believe someone else over his own flesh and blood?

The words that the Bishop shares with Bethel and Gideon are exactly what they needed to hear. Forgiveness and grief are something they each need to deal with. It can't be easy for Gideon to have lost his wife and remarry so quickly. Bethel is struggling with forgiving her dad for not believing her. The story shares a marriage that begins without love, but will that change as Gideon and Bethel get to know each other better?

The lesson I learned from this story is to never give up. It doesn't matter what your circumstances are, just trust that God has a plan. Bethel and Gideon show us what it means to truly forgive and learn to love with a joyful heart. I loved reading how they each grew in their faith and especially watching Bethel begin to believe in herself.

The story has an element of suspense in it that I didn't see coming. It brings to light just how precious life is and how important it is to trust God. Misunderstandings can damage a relationship if we allow ourselves not to forgive. Enjoy this story about trust, pride. forgiving and marriage God's way.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. ( )