My review: BECOMING BEA, by Leslie Gould

  Bea Zook is a homebody who has few friends. Although she's of marriageable age, she's decided she'll never marry, which is an anomaly in her Amish community.

When near neighbors are overwhelmed by the birth of triplets, Bea decides to step out of her comfort zone to answer their call for help in dealing with the new babies.
 
After Bea goes to stay with the family, her confidence grows to the point where she begins to make friends with the other young people in her community. One person she can't stand, however, is Ben Rupp. They've been rivals ever since their school days. Ben knows all the ways to rile Bea, and she responds accordingly. Yet, they have more in common than they realize.

    Becoming Bea is an appealing story on many levels. The way the birth of the triplets impacted the family is a fascinating segment of the plot, as are Bea's own family issues.

   Readers of Leslie Gould's previous novels in The Courtship of Lancaster County series will enjoy updates on characters from Courting Cate, Adoring Addie, and Minding Molly. However, it’s not necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy Becoming Bea. I loved Bea--and Ben! This novel is one you don't want to miss.

My thanks to the author and Bethany House for my review copy.

 (As an aside, Bopplis is the Amish term used for babies. I think it's a darling name for little ones!)

MINDING MOLLY, by Leslie Gould

To say Molly Zook is a controlling woman is an understatement. Her days consist of making lists and plans, not only for herself but for her sister and for Mervin Mosier, a neighbor who helps on their family farm. In the Biblical story of Mary and Martha, Molly identifies with Martha. Somebody's got to do the work, right?
 With her father recently deceased, and her mother ailing, Molly's not far off the mark. If she can't keep their farm profitable, her mother wants her to marry Mervin Mosier to solve their financial problems. Then Molly meets handsome horse trainer Leon Fisher, who has come from Montana to Pennsylvania to work with a horse breeder--and not incidentally to find a bride.
 Molly jumps into full "control" mode to arrange things so that Mervin will fall in love with someone else, and Leon won't want to go home to Montana. But the harder she tries to manipulate the lives around her, the more her plans fail. Readers will find the book hard to put down. Will Molly ever give up control and wait to see what God has planned for her? Or will she control herself into a lonely spinsterhood?
  On a personal note, reading Minding Molly was a bit of a nudge for me, since I, too, have always identified with Martha in the Mary and Martha story in the Bible. Minding Molly is a novel that will keep readers entertained as they follow Molly while she learns that "the course of true love never did run smooth."

 My thanks to the author and Bethany House Publishers for my review copy of Minding Molly.

COURTING CATE, by Leslie Gould

Cate Miller's younger sister Betsy has attracted the attention of most of the eligible men in Paradise, Pennsylvania. The only attention Cate attracts is teasing and avoidance, due to her sharp tongue and quick temper.
When Betsy settles on one beau and wants to marry him, their father makes a new rule: Cate, the older sister, must marry first. Unfortunately, most of the local bachelors have been scorched by Cate's tongue and want nothing to do with her.
When newcomer Pete Treger arrives in town, he's attracted to Cate's beauty and intelligence and seeks out her company. Things look rosy for Betsy and her beau until Cate begins to suspect Pete is more interested in her father's money than in her.
From this point on, the story gets better and better (not to say it wasn't terrific in the first place). The choices Cate and Betsy make had me chuckling through much of Courting Cate.
I loved Courting Cate and recommend this novel highly.
My thanks to the author and Bethany House for my review copy.