Book Review: Amanda Weds a Good Man

Amanda Lambright and Wyman Brubaker are getting married. After four years as a single mother, Amanda is looking forward to having the support of a good man and thrilled at her chance for happiness. But as soon as Amanda's family moves into Wyman's home, it's plain to see it won't be easy blending their families.

The older siblings are quarreling, the young ones are in tears, and the newlyweds have no privacy. It doesn't help that Wyman has kept the house the same as when his first wife, Viola, was living. His daughter, Vera, isn't keen on changing her mother's house either. Then there's problems with the bishop, who is adamant Amanda discontinue making her pottery that gave her great solace after her first husband's death.

Can Amanda find the wisdom to guide her blended family toward the love that will bind them together?

One Big Happy Family is a subseries of King's Home at Cedar Creek series. As with all Amish fiction I've read, a sense of community plays a huge role in this book, despite the focus of the story being on one couple.

Amanda Weds a Good Man is another fabulous, heartwarming story from King. Though readers of the Home at Cedar Creek series will find many familiar faces in this novel, the main focus is on the challenges Amanda and Wyman face in blending their families. While staying true to the genre, King allows her characters to be pushed to the edge. And though I had faith that all would be resolved by the end, there were moments when I wondered how it was going to happen.

In addition to Amanda and Wyman's story, readers are treated to watching James Graber and Abby Lambright's courting days unfold, catching up with Matt and Rosemary Lambright, and witnessing the potential of a romance for Emma Graber.

The ending, while more than satisfactory, lends itself to another book in the series. I can't wait to see what happens next.


Series: One Big Happy Family (Book 1)
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade (November 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451417879
ISBN-13: 978-0451417879

I received a free copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Preview: Amanda Weds a Good Man by Naomi King

Amanda Lambright loves Wyman Brubaker, and after four years as a single mother, she is grateful for his support and for this new chance at happiness as his wife. She’s confident that their children will get along just fine. But once Amanda’s clan moves into Wyman’s home, the tight quarters and Wyman’s reluctance to make changes to accommodate Amanda cause friction. The older kids are squabbling. The little ones are frequently in tears. Tiny Alice Ann isn’t speaking at all. Amanda and Wyman can’t find any privacy. And Amanda wonders if she’ll ever have a chance to pursue the pottery making that means so much to her.

Amanda believes that family lies at the center of any well-lived Amish life. Can she find the wisdom to guide the reluctant members of her new extended family toward the love that will bind them together?

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I'm not quite done with this book yet, so I'll give you a little preview of what it's like so far.

The main story is the blending of Amanda Lambright's family with the family of Wyman Brubaker. A widow, Amanda lives with her three girls, her elderly mother-in-law, and her nephew, who she has cared for since he was orphaned. Wyman is a widower with three boys and two girls of his own. Are you humming the tune to The Brady Bunch yet?

Amanda and Wyman are very much in love, but that doesn't mean blending their families will be easy. Amanda's mother-in-law, Jemima, is cantankerous and outspoken. Wyman's youngest boy, Simon, tends to leap before he looks, creating all kinds of mischief. Wyman is pressuring his oldest daughter, Vera, to set her sights on marriage instead of making wind chimes to sell. Though it means a much better life financially for Amanda's family, she is the one who must decide what she can bring into her new home and what must be left behind; and is also the one coming into a home that is filled with memories of Wyman's first wife.

One Big Happy Family is a subseries of King's Home at Cedar Creek series. Like her other books, a strong sense of community runs through this novel. Amanda Weds a Good Man features characters that readers of the first series will be familiar with. After helping with three weddings in a row, Abby Lambright is wondering if James Graber will finally ask for her hand. Emma Graber is concerned she'll never catch the attention of any young man. Even newlyweds Matt and Rosemary Lambright make an appearance.

If you've enjoyed the Cedar Creek series, and if you like wonderfully told Amish stories, you'll want to check out Amanda Weds a Good Man. My full review will follow soon.


Series: One Big Happy Family (Book 1)
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade (November 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451417879
ISBN-13: 978-0451417879

I received a free copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.