The Amish Marriage Pact by Samantha Price (2021)

I was hoping that this latest story wouldn’t suffer from Price’s problem of slapping the Amish name on a LHOTP story (Little House on the Prairie), but no. Her characters used modern lingo and the boyfriend was a dog. I mean, the guy ran around with not only her sister (and got the sister pregnant!) but also her best friend. Any time he felt guilty, he’d make the other person feel badly. At least it ended well for the people who deserved it.

As far as her usual fare, it was a nice little romance. I won’t go into some of my problems with her, because I’ve expressed them before and Price hasn’t changed. Since I don’t expect her to, I take it for what it is. That said, Price left the story undercut this time. Kate was a doormat for most of it and there wasn’t really any character development for anyone. I don’t call Kate a doormat because she whines and cries all the time — she doesn’t get emotional (except for occasionally crying). I call her a doormat because she gets manipulated so often and is constantly trying to make everyone around her happy to the point that she ignores any of her negative emotions. When her boyfriend treats her badly, she wonders what she could change so he won’t be upset, rather than asking what’s really going on. 

The Amish Girl Who Never Belonged (Amish Misfits #1) by Samantha Price (2020)

Sweet story that needed an editor (and more research)

I said that it’s a sweet story, and it is. Emma was orphaned at 7.  She went to live with her bitter grandmother and then was sent to live with her aunt and uncle. They showed preference for their daughter. This left Emma feeling utterly alone and wanted by no one. Scattered in between were stints working for the Esh household. The mother was sick and convalescing, so Emma cooked and cleaned for the Esh family.

Thomas Esh may have grown up Amish, his youth was wayward indeed. He gambled and became drunk. It was even said that he got a girl in the family way. Now grown, he has left that life behind and is looking for a wife. When he heard that Emma’s uncle was looking for a husband for his niece, he jumped at the chance to marry her. Unfortunately, things don’t get off to a good start. 

Emma is given no warning about Uncle’s plan and she doesn’t know that Thomas is coming until he arrives. She remembers him and how Mrs. Esh used to fret over him. He makes things worse by pretending not to remember her. Emma is so upset over being forced to marry someone with questionable character that she storms upstairs and then later runs away.