The Amish Marriage Bargain by Marie E Bast

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 ON THIS BOOK

Sometimes reading an Amish book is so frustrating because of their rules, and this one sure frustrates me. Not because of the author, Marie Bast is a new author for me and I found her writing to be very professional, and it has a way of relaxing me! And that’s a good thing. The bishop forcing May, making her options difficult. I like that May was spunky enough to stand up to the bishop. That one scene made me laugh!

May was in a situation that she had difficult decisions to make, she didn’t want to Thad’s second choice and I really felt bad for her because she loved her niece. Thad was not easy for me to like. He sure didn’t have the attitude of an Amish man, especially in the beginning when he was forcing May to make decisions by making her feel guilty. But Than did grow on me some. But his mom, Gretchan needed someone to put her in her place. I really didn’t like the way she treated May. But then she did make the story more interesting, and she was needed to put that little bit of Amish mother in law attitude to the story.

Things I did like in the story was May, and the way she loved April and Thad’s child, despite what they did to May. She was a sweet and caring character. It was amazing how the Amish community came together to help each other, as Amish do. I enjoyed the closeness of the people. Ms. Bast does an amazing job keeping the plot flowing just right.

I love reading Amish stories, and I am happy to find a new Amish author in Ms. Bast. I’ll be looking for more of her books in the future. I strongly encourage you to check out this book, along with other this author has written. A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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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.