Thursday, January 9, 2025

About the Book

Book: A Stolen Kiss (The Heart of the Amish Book 7)

Author: Mindy Steele

Genre: Amish/Christian Fiction

Release date: December, 2024

Who Kissed Who First?

Full of faith, hope, and romance, the series takes you into the Heart of Amish Country.

LeEtta Miller has never done anything spontaneous before, but when a girl is the last one at everything, sometimes she has to take the reins into her own hands. What harm could come from kissing a stranger she’ll never see again?

Benuel Ropp isn’t sure he can ever forgive his father for giving away his inheritance. Taking work far from home, Ben hopes to earn enough to build his future, but nowhere in his plans did he predict being kissed by a beautiful stranger – or having to marry her. To save both their reputations he has little choice but to accept the elder’s demands. Well. . .if LeEtta thought he’d flinch, letting her boldness ruin the future he had all mapped out, she was mistaken. He has a dream to work for, and if he has to make sacrifices to reach them, so will she.

Who kissed who first? He couldn’t even remember anymore.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mindy Steele is the award-winning author and bestselling author of over a dozen novels and novellas in Christian fiction. Raised in Kentucky timber country, Steele has been writing since she could hold a crayon on the wall and lives in northeastern Kentucky—where many of her stories are set.

More from Mindy

The Story Behind the Story with Mindy Steele

A Stolen Kiss

I’m always seeking the not-so-ordinary plot for one of my stories. So, when our youngest son and his intended traded a look one evening, something struck a cord in my always moving imagination. Mind you, Blake told me when he was ten, riding a new bus to a new school, that he met the girl that he was going to marry. So cute, yet, they married in May, eleven years later. A Stolen Kiss is not love at first sight. It’s not even love over-the-years, but that one moment birthed a new character. LeEtta Miller. Not all love stories are as beautiful as our son’s, but all love stories are worth telling.

I’m an author of romance, love inspired stories weaving through rural landscapes where characters unveil themselves into realistic people most of us are glad to know. Romantic fiction gives readers what no other genre seems to offer. It’s an escape, a hope. Hope across illness, loss, despair, and uncertainty. Its community, knowledge, a gathering of friends, unity, while representing comfort.

We all want to add more love to our lives. After all, it is the greatest gift God has given us. Gentle or fast moving, we are sucked in to reach those glorious chapters of a first kiss and a promising tomorrow.

But, what if the kiss came sooner? What if love isn’t fast moving, but something earned and quietly obtained through slow familiarity.

LeEtta Miller is quite the rule follower and people pleaser. I’ve shaken my head at her quite often as I got to know her. LeEtta also feels as if life is passing her by. How many times have we’ve been in those pair of shoes? In one bold moment, she’ll through caution to the wind, and act, impulsively. Thus we get introduced to Benuel Ropp, who’s visiting his grandparents, hoping to earn enough money to buy his own land, back in Ohio. As events escalate, from a chance meeting to an binding union, these two young characters are thrown into new roles neither of them intended. I’ve never laughed more writing LeEtta and Ben’s story, and hope it brings joy, hope, and a wiliness to accept that the mistakes we make in life, are only rocky paths leading us to where we belong.

May you never stop making mistakes and following love’s calling,

Mindy

MY REVIEW

This book is filled with so much wisdom for couples that I started writing down in my journals things to remember. It starts with an innocent kiss that explodes into rumors and life changes. LeEtta is a great character who wants to be married. She has a bit of insecurity which makes others seem to withdraw from her. I loved her dedication to her father and how she wants to make him proud of her. She does have a suitor that is quite younger than her. LeEtta does try many times to let this young man know she is not interested. Jealousy rears its ugly head when an innocent encounter brings LeEtta shame in the community.

Benuel has come to the community to work so he can save for his own farm. He is hurt when his dreams are shattered by something that is interpreted wrong. I did like how he is an honorable man and steps up to save someone’s reputation. Benuel had a hard childhood and hopes to overcome his past.

LeEtta and Benuel get some great advice such as “ when something is afraid, it never functions as it should. Fear and doubt are the devil’s best tools.” For Benuel it’s the fear of not being loved. LeEtta is afraid of failing as a wife. With both having doubts about themselves it is easy for the enemy to sneak in and try to destroy their marriage. Benuel is angry at God and blames him for the life he has now. Have you ever been mad at God? It is easy to blame others but we must remember that sometimes God has us go through things to grow us spiritually .

LeEtta is bold when she tells Benuel that “ she prayed to not be in fear anymore, not be seen as different and feeling alone.” Her prayers helped her overcome all these things and softened her heart. Benuel needs to stop being bitter about his life and thank God for loving him just the way he is. LeEtta also has things to work on. She has this need to please others. In her mind if she pleases others, they will accept her. Her insecurity does hold her back from sharing her thoughts and feelings.

The story illustrates how not trusting others can lead to loneliness and bitterness. Forgiveness is important so you can move forward. The author does a great job of showing problems that may occur in a marriage. Faith, trust, forgiveness and communication are the keys to a successful marriage. I think this story is filled with so much wisdom about marriage that I would recommend couples read it.

“Those we care for the most are often the ones we are hardest on.”

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