A Simple Winter

Title: A SIMPLE WINTER
Author: Rosalind Lauer
Publisher: Ballantine Books
October 2011
ISBN: 978-0-343-52671-7
Genre: Amish/romance

Remy McCallister is forced to drop out of college when she starts having seizures and her father pulls the plug on her education. Yet, going home is the last thing she wants to do. Remy doesn’t have a good relationship with her father and dreads being there with him and his new girlfriend, who seems to only think Remy exists to beg money from her dad.

Adam King left the Amish years earlier, during his rumschpringa and started a business making furniture. He is doing very well, but he’s forced to return home when his parents are murdered outside their buggy on a winter night, leaving Adam the sole caretaker of his ten younger brothers and sisters.

A year later, Remy is a budding journalist and eager to prove herself. Investigating an unsolved crime, Remy goes to Lancaster County. She’s never forgotten Adam, but has little hope he’d remember her. Remy investigates and grows to love the King family while she’s there, but the killer still roams free. And the only witness knows more than he’s saying. When it’s time for Remy to go, does she dare reveal the killer, knowing it’d destroy the friendship she’s developed?

A SIMPLE WINTER is a sweet romance between an unlikely couple. A man who left the Amish faith, but due to circumstances beyond his control must return, and a woman who has everything money can buy but is searching for more. Remy is a hurting heroine, wanting to earn her father’s love and respect, but not sure how to do it. Adam also is hurting, wishing he’d done things differently so he could have been right with his parents before they died.

As Remy investigates the story behind the murder of Adam’s parents she learns some disturbing things. She faces a monumental decision as the story goes on. There is a lot of detail included about the Amish faith in this book, so if you aren’t familiar with the Amish culture this book will include tons of explanations. If you are more familiar the telling does drag the story down considerably. An excerpt of A Simple Spring is included at the end of the book. $15.00. 416 pages.