Wednesday, January 15, 2020

"The Amish Marriage Bargain" by Marie E. Bast -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: The Amish Marriage Bargain
Author: Marie E. Bast
Genre: Amish
Release Date: December 17, 2019
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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.

Blog Stops

The Power of Words, January 2
The Avid Reader, January 3
Texas Book-aholic, January 4
Vicky Sluiter, January 4
Mary Hake, January 4
Among the Reads, January 6
Betti Mace, January 6
Older & Smarter?, January 7
Batya’s Bits, January 7
janicesbookreviews, January 8
Hallie Reads, January 8
Bigreadersite, January 10
She Lives to Read, January 11
Quiet Quilter, January 12
Pause for Tales, January 12
EmpowerMoms, January 14
Splashes of Joy , January 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Marie is giving away to four winners each a $25 Amazon card will also receive a copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.


"Amish Marriage Bargain" is available in paperback:
  • Series: Love Inspired
  • Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Love Inspired; Original edition (December 17, 2019)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1335487883
  • ISBN-13: 978-1335487889
  • Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.6 x 6.6 inches

and in Kindle edition:
  • File Size: 1173 KB
  • Print Length: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Love Inspired; Original edition (January 1, 2020)
  • Publication Date: January 1, 2020
  • Sold by: Harlequin Digital Sales Corp.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B07SZ1S7P7

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

3 comments:

Melissa W said...

Looking forward to reading this one!

James Robert said...

Thank you for taking the time to share your terrific book with us. I enjoyed reading about it.

Dianna said...

I can see what you mean -- I'm confused reading about the confusing parts!