Ties That Bind

Ties That Bind: A Novel 

The Amish of Summer Grove #1 

Paperback, ebook

September 8, 2015

by Cindy Woodsmall

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook 
• ISBN-13: 978-1601426994

Ariana’s comfortable Old Order Amish world is about to unravel. Will holding tightly to the cords of family keep them together—or simply tear them apart?

Twenty-year-old Ariana Brenneman loves her family and the Old Ways. She has two aspirations: open a café in historic Summer Grove to help support her family’s ever-expanding brood and to keep any other Amish from being lured into the Englisch life by Quill Schlabach. 

Five years ago Quill, along with her dear friend Frieda, ran off together, and Ariana still carries the wounds of that betrayal. When she unexpectedly encounters him, she soon realizes he has plans to help someone else she loves leave the Amish.  

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Despite how things look, Quill’s goal has always been to protect Ariana from anything that may hurt her, including the reasons he left. After returning to Summer Grove on another matter, he unearths secrets about Ariana and her family that she is unaware of. His love and loyalty to her beckons him to try to win her trust and help her find a way to buy the café—because when she learns the truth that connects her and a stranger named Skylar Nash, Quill knows it may upend her life forever.      

Ties That Bind is the first novel in the Amish of Summer Grove series.

My thoughts: TIES THAT BIND is the first book in Ms. Woodsmalls newest series, The Amish of Summer Grove. This is a series that is all tied together, so readers will need to read them in order – TIES THAT BIND, Fraying at the Edge, and Gathering the Threads. The good news is that you won’t have to wait long to read Gathering the Threads as it is releasing in another month.

TIES THAT BIND starts slow, and at first I was confused what the fire had to do with anything, but it all ties together. Ariana is a very sweet Amish girl who loves her family with everything she has in her. She loved Quill but he hurt her deeply when he left with Ari’s best friend, and now she doesn’t trust him—especially when she discovers that he is the reason why Amish disappear in the still of the night. And when she learns that one of her family is planning on leaving she is desperate to find out who and stop them!

Quill is a dear and I love his level head, his ability to think on his feet and his caring nature. Even though he loves Ariana deeply his biggest desire is to keep her from getting hurt and he’s happy for her when she finds love with another.

When the upset comes, everyone is stunned and hurt and I am anxious to read Fraying at the Edge to find out what happens next! I’m sure it’s going to be a page turner. Stay tuned, as I will be reading that book soon.

Don’t miss TIES THAT BIND. A spell-binding book that kept me engaged and left me anxious for more. I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.