About the Book

Book: The Amish Marriage Bargain

Author: Marie E. Bast

Genre: Amish

Release Date: December 17, 2019

Will a baby girl bring them together at last?

She’ll do anything for her niece…Even marry the man who broke her heart.

Nothing can keep May Bender in her Amish hometown—except caring for her baby niece. But the bishop insists that May also marry her widowed brother-in-law, Thad Hochstedler—the beau who jilted her to wed her sister. Can May risk her heart long enough to learn the real reason for Thad’s first marriage…and possibly rediscover their love?

My Thoughts

"The Amish Marriage Bargain" is not listed as being part of a series, but it is definitely the second book in the unnamed series. There were several times that I was very confused about what was going on. Did May move in with Thad and Leah after April died or did she always live there even when Thad and April were married since her father had told her she could live there until she got married? Sarah and Caleb were mentioned and how a pregnant Sarah wanted to take care of Leah since it was her first baby and she wanted to see how it would run in her household, but then it mentions two children and said they were Caleb and Sarah's. That was when I decided to look and sure enough, there was a story about Caleb and Sarah and the two kids were Caleb's from his first marriage. Later on, it mentioned that the pregnancy was the first child of the two of them together. I think it would have made more sense to have that mentioned at the beginning of them coming onto the scene. I liked Thad's care for May and wanting what is best for her, but he didn't fight very hard for her when she came to him after she found out the reason for his first marriage (which I had figured out almost at the beginning). I got a little frustrated with them both not wanting to let the other one know that they loved them. There was a nice spiritual faith thread in the story. This was a nice story, but I think it would have been better had I read the other book first. I would be interested in reading more books by Marie E. Bast.

About the Author

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Marie E. Bast is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author. Her stories whisper words of hope and healing through complex characters and twisting plots. She enjoys writing Amish, contemporary and historical stories. Married for twenty-eight years, Marie and her husband have two grown sons and one daughter. When she’s not writing, she’s walking, golfing, gardening or spending time with her family. Visit her website at MarieBastAuthor.com or follower her on social media.

More from Marie

Did you know that until as late as the twentieth century, marriage was never based on love?

In fact, the institution of marriage predates recorded history. But in ancient biblical times, the reasons for marriage are numerous. The kings, nobility, wealthy, and aristocratic families used arranged marriages to ensure loyalty between kingdoms, which forced a united bound and ensured the integrity of their inheritance and the family wealth.

Arranged marriages, marriages of convenience, and marriage bargains were practical to keep property and kingdoms intact and in the family line. But these marriage contracts also spilled over into the commoners’ lives. In times of poverty, a daughter was only another mouth to feed and therefore a burden on the family. That fueled the arranged marriages where the groom gave the family money, animals, or some other commodity in exchange for the marriage.

Also, arranged marriages were instrumental for women over the age of 30 who were unwed. Even in the nineteenth century, many women would find that a marriage of convenience was the way to go. Often, a widower needed a mother and housekeeper for his family, and sometimes a woman without means to support herself would readily accept a marriage of convenience. Even today, some cultures still use arranged marriages.

But one of the most unique marriage of convenience is the marriage bargain, and that is the central theme to my newest book, The Amish Marriage Bargain, which releases in book form December 17, 2019, and eBook January 1, 2020. The marriage bargain is the specific negotiation of the terms of the agreement regarding a particular situation and often included land.

After her sister dies, May Bender will do anything for her niece…Even marry the man who broke her heart. But like the days of old, the bargain goes deeper than that.