Saturday, January 4, 2020

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?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Marie Striped Sweater Enhanced12015 Pic2

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.

This has been such a wonderful book to read. The story line is about an arranged marriage that finds May and Thad married so May can help raise her sister's baby. I enjoyed the way the author showed May's flaws and how she tried so hard to overcome them. It is hard for May to be married to Thad since he dumped her once before to marry her sister. After April dies, Thad is in need of someone to help him with Leah and finds a way to get May to marry him.

I can't imagine how hard it was for May to be Thad's wife after he betrayed her. The author writes an incredible story about forgiveness and takes a look at marriages that open the eyes of what unconditional love is. Thad has a secret that he can't let May know about. I found him to be a very caring and selfless person. He has his hands full running the farm and trying to make ends meet. I loved reading about dairy farms and how much work it takes to make a profit from it. The author does a very good job of giving readers details about farming and the day to day chores that are involved. The other aspect of making a living by making cheese intrigued me. I didn't know how much work it takes to make cheese.

What I liked most about the story was how real the author portrayed May and Thad. They each were struggling with emotions and wanted to make things work between them. There are moments in the story that we see a glimpse of May starting to forgive Thad for what he did to her. When she overhears a conversation one day, everything in her life changes. Betrayed and deceit rear their ugly head and the enemy comes in try to destroy a marriage.

The story held my attention and I really didn't want it to end. The characters draw you in and I could easily relate to May and and how angry she felt. Her love for her niece is very well defined throughout the story and their bond was wonderful to read. There is one character in the story that I did not like. Thad's mother is very hard on May and several times belittles her. I was hoping that Thad would stand up to his mother and defend his wife. May is a strong woman who is willing to sacrifice her happiness to care for her niece. Will she find love along the way as she and Thad try to make their marriage work? Can forgiveness mend a heart? The faith element in the book is good and I loved the prayers that both characters said when they turn to God in their struggles. The book is a wonderful story that places two people together where God shows them how to work together and let go of the past.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.