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Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Book Review: Taken For English( Valley of Choice~ book #3)

Taken For English
By~ Olivia Newport

Quote: "You underestimate yourself, Annalise. Look at what you have already accomplished in your life. How can you think there is anything you could not do?"~ Elijah pg. 156

Started: September 1, 2017
Finished: September 12, 2017

paperback 368 pages

From the Cover:

Annie joined the Amish church based on prayerful conviction, not romantic dreams.
 And yet, she can't deny she'd hoped to share her new, plain life with Rufus. Neither can she deny that his ways are nothing like the fast-paced culture she left behind- Rufus is obviously in no hurry. When he makes unexpected choices about his work, Annie wonders if he has lost interest in the love that sparked between them.
While arson threatens trust in the peaceful southwestern Colorado valley near Westcliffe, Annie resolves to keep a confused Amish teenage girl from decisions that could jeopardize her future. Ruth, Rufus's sister, is Annie's temporary roommate while she navigates the muddy waters of shifting family relationships, career choices, and an irresistible romance with the persistent Elijah.
Family history clearly shows it's never been easy living a plain life in the English world. Will the changes and challenges Annie now faces as a young Amish woman test her newfound faith in good ways or bad? And how long will Rufus test her patience?

My Review:

My first thought in starting this review is..."Shwooo! I finally made it through this series. I'm done!"
I am a stickler for seeing things through to the end and this was no exception. Although, I admit, I did struggle.
I found myself almost dreading my "reading time" and I hate that. That is my time to do something I enjoy!
I just couldn't with this whole series. I held out hope in book two but was disappointed yet again.
There just wasn't any part that really grabbed me and made me want to continue.
And, I really tried!
I wanted to at least like the characters,but they never seemed to develop. And the ones that did make it into all three books just seemed...fake or vague.
Annie, claims to be truly Amish and not "in it for love", BUT that is all we hear from beginning to end, in all three books!
She is waiting on Rufus to make his move.*SPOILER*(Which he does in the last 30 pages or so)
Ruth wants to be All things English, nurse, drive a car, go to school, have a cell phone, wear English clothes, yet she keeps going back to everything Amish! And is still in love with her Amish beau.

Once again, there are new characters thrown into this book. Some that had no place or purpose, some were just annoying and then with that history, genealogy, past Bieler/Byler stuff again that made no connections to the present day story.

I'm sorry Ms. Newport, but I was not impressed. 
I only gave this book 2 stars. Mainly for effort. I definitely felt, as the third and final book, there should have been so much more!
Where was that... "Aha!" moment?? 
The big finale!?
It just never happened for me.

Has anyone else ever had this happen? 
Did you finish it out or give up? 
Am I being to harsh?

As always, Happy Reading! 

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