The second book in Wanda Brunstetter's Creektown Discoveries trilogy

Another wonderful book by Wanda Brunstetter! Good, wholesome Amish fiction at its best! I really enjoyed getting to know the complex character, Lisa. I was also happy that the Troyers were in the book. Their personalities are sweet and genuine. ( )

The Sugar Creek Surprise is book #2 in the Creektown Discoveries series, by Wanda E. Brunstetter.
In this story, we find Amish schoolteacher Lisa Miller, happily teaching her students, and living with her grandparents, Marlene and Jerry Schrock who sh lived with, since the death of her parents in an accident when she was a young girl.
Perhaps because of this loss, has an incredibly crippling fear of abandonment. Lisa fears those she loves will ultimately leave her, and has decided she will never marry. She is content with this decision. Until she meets Paul Herschberger.
Paul has recently arrived from Indiana to stay with family and work as a carpenter. Paul has been hurt in the past, when his girlfriend decided to marry his best friend. Wanting a fresh start, Paul decides Ohio is the place to be.
Lisas Aunt Marlene is so concerned about her granddaughters desire to never marry that she write to the local newspaper column, Dear Caroline, for help. The person who answers the questions is Lois Troyer, who runs Memory Keepers, an antique store, with her husband, Orley. Her suggestion is that Marlene play matchmaker.
Marlene decides that that is a great idea- she will invite Paul Herschberger over to put some new cabinets in her kitchen, which will give him a chance to get to know Lisa. The only problem is, Lisa does not really like Paul. On the few instances she has met him, she finds him always gazing at her oddly. The reason Paul looks at Lisa oddly every time he sees her is that he feels like he has met her before, but cannot remember where.
He does, inevitably remember how he knows her, but does not tell her, because he is afraid she will be angry with him for not telling her sooner. Instead, he decides to keep the secret from her, be her friend, and offer whatever type of support she needs to deal with her fear of abandonment. He also confides in Orley Troyer, who confides in his wife, Lois.
Everything is going along well, until the day that Paul decides to tell Lisa his secret. He is speaking to her uncle about it, and Lisa overhears. She is angry that he did not tell her as soon as he remembered and tells Paul that she does not want to see him ever again. Heartbroken, he goes back to Indiana to visit his family and finds out that his old girlfriend is single again.
But is this really what Lisa wants? Will Paul return to Ohio? To find out get your copy of The Sugar Creek Surprise, available now!
A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Once again, Wanda E. Brunstetter provides another chance to slip away from our everyday 'English' lives to experience a simpler style of living. The Sugarcreek Surprise takes us back to Sugarcreek, Ohio, and offers a reunion with Orley and Lois Troyer, the owners of an antique store in Sugarcreek. It also introduces us to two people who both have difficulties with relationships. Lisa Miller is afraid to get too close to anyone because she's lost so many of the people she's loved, and she also suffers from memory loss because of those painful losses. Paul Herschberger suffered rejection from someone he thought he could love, and he's vowed never to let himself be hurt again. Can Orley and Lois work their magic and help these two wounded people? Better yet, is there a chance that Lisa and Paul might be able to help each other?

Brunstetter has such a unique talent for writing thought-provoking stories and creating characters that we all want to know. Orley and Lois are wonderful mentors, and the guidance that they share is advice that we all can use. Advice grounded in life experiences and built on a tremendous faith in God. This is a very compelling story, because the tragedy, loneliness, and rejection that are experienced by Lisa and Paul are issues that affect people every day. Being reminded that we need to place our total trust in God is excellent advice that we all can use! The Sugarcreek Surprise is wonderful Amish fiction, and I'm hoping that there will be more books in the Creektown Discoveries series.

I received a copy of this book from the author. There was no obligation for a positive review and these are my own thoughts. ( )

After losing both her parents in a car accident as a child, Lisa is raised by her grandparents who live in a different Amish district. She is now a school teacher, and though devoted to her grandparents, she resists any deep friendships, fearful of losing the people she loves. This proves to be a problem that she has trouble resolving when she meets Paul, a newcomer to their community. She finds she is attracted to Paul, but resists developing a friendship with him. Paul has a secret that he knows he needs to tell Lisa, but he has trouble deciding when he should disclose that knowledge to her. This novel is rather slow moving, and while readers will sympathize with Lisa, her treatment of Paul is surprising and uncalled for. Though the novel is interesting, it is simplistic in its writing, and the characters seem superficial. ( )