A Beautiful Arrangement
By Beth Wiseman
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Can Samuel and Lydia find love in their marriage of convenience? In the third and final novel in the Amish Journey series by bestselling author Beth Wiseman, a newlywed couple learns they must mend past hurts before they can hope to heal.
Lydia still can’t believe that she is Mrs. Samuel Bontrager. Or that she is seventeen with a six-month-old daughter. As baby Mattie grows fussier by the day, Lydia wonders how she will survive a lifetime of marriage to a man she doesn’t love—at least not in the way she wants.
Samuel knows he and Lydia did the right thing by marrying when Lydia became pregnant. He has even grown to love Lydia, though he never seems able to say the words out loud. What if she doesn’t love him back? After all, she pushes him away each time he tries to draw closer.
When Lydia and Samuel introduce their mutual friends Beverly and Joseph to each other, they are as envious as they are delighted to watch their friends fall in love. But just as Samuel thinks Lydia might be softening to him, she gets involved in investigating the mysterious past of a local homeless woman with a bad reputation—a curiosity that threatens to drive the couple further apart.
A testament to the renewal of love and hope, A Beautiful Arrangement is a poignant tale of forgiveness and learning to love unconditionally.
Praise for A Beautiful Arrangement:
“A Beautiful Arrangement has so much heart, you won't want to put it down until you've read the last page. I love second-chance love stories, and Lydia and Samuel's story is heartbreaking and sweet with unexpected twists and turns that make their journey to love all the more satisfying. Beth's fans will cherish this book.” —Jennifer Beckstrand, author of The Petersheim Brothers series
- A sweet, contemporary Amish romance
- Part of the Amish Journey Series
- Book one: Hearts in Harmony
- Book two: Listening to Love
- Book three: A Beautiful Arrangement
- Book length: approximately 85,000 words
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs
Beth Wiseman
Bestselling and award-winning author Beth Wiseman has sold over two million books. She is the recipient of the coveted Holt Medallion, is a two-time Carol Award winner, and has won the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award three times. Her books have been on various bestseller lists, including CBA, ECPA, Christianbook, and Publishers Weekly. Beth and her husband are empty nesters enjoying country life in south-central Texas. Visit her online at BethWiseman.com; Facebook: @AuthorBethWiseman; Twitter: @BethWiseman; Instagram: @bethwisemanauthor
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Reviews for A Beautiful Arrangement
9 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The author gives us two Amish couples to focus on, and we get to be part of their lives, and things may look wonderful on the outside, but not so in reality.The married couple are very young, the wife being only 17 and already have a child, but they skipped an important part of their life together, and we are witnesses to their attempts to make it right.The other couple meet as a result of the first married parents, but we are with them as they journey to be with one another. What a bumpy ride you are about to experience as they travel towards life long commitments.There is so much compassion offered here for the less fortunate, made me want to become friends and know them personally.Some things are not how we perceive them to be and there are many examples offered here, but answers are forthcoming, and this is a book that you will get lost in and not want to put down until you know what happens!I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5There are a few authors that I can always count on to write stories that move me. They are able to penetrate my heart with words of hope and give me a deeper understanding of God. The author of this book is one of those who can dig deep into a character’s emotions and bring them through darkness. Lydia is far older in wisdom than most seventeen year olds. She made a mistake and finds herself married and with a baby. One bad decision changed her life but I loved how she has embraced the path God has taken her. There is much to learn from Lydia as she struggles in her marriage. One very important aspect of any marriage is communication. Without sharing things with your spouse it can cause a way for the enemy to slither in and whisper lies to tear the union apart. Samuel was a good character and it was easy to see how frustrated he was in his marriage. When he married Lydia he had hopes of a good marriage including intimacy. In his mind he felt like a Lydia was withholding intimacy from him because she was angry. It was so special to read how these two young adults were faithful and turned to God to heal their marriage. One of the lessons in the story is forgiveness. The author lets us see through the hearts of several characters how important forgiveness is. I really liked Joseph and Beverly’s story and how the author explores the destruction a lie can cause in a relationship. Beverly has kept a secret from everyone that has burdened her. Lies always get exposed and when they do, the mistrust comes in. Joseph is a good man but at some point he has to turn to God to help him with forgiveness. This part of the story is powerful and will have a lasting impact on me. The character I loved the most was the homeless woman. The loneliness and rejection this woman has endured broke my heart. This part of the story had me shaking because I so wanted someone to reach out to her and show her love. I couldn’t help but want to push someone toward her and share God’s love with her. I won’t give this part of the story away because it is a great example of being God’s hands and feet. To look past the outside and see the broken heart inside is what each of us should be doing. Life is short and we need to make the most of every day. When you see someone hurting , go to them and offer compassion. The story is a masterpiece of emotions and a realistic look at forgiveness, sharing God’s Word, communication and loving unconditionally. I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Beautiful Arrangement by Beth Wiseman is the third An Amish Journey Novel. Lydia Bontrager is seventeen years old and married to Samuel with a six-month-old daughter. Lydia and Samuel were forced to marry by their parents after she became pregnant. They went from lust to marriage skipping the courtship stage of the relationship. Lydia wants romance and a chance to fall in love with the husband she hardly knows. Samuel and Lydia are asked to introduce Joe, a co-worker of Samuel’s to Beverly, a friend of Lydia’s. The foursome have a lively dinner together and then a picnic. Lydia and Samuel like watching their friends fall in love. It gives Samuel the idea to court Lydia. Just when they are getting to know each other, Lydia and Beverly begin looking into the local homeless woman with a mysterious past. Samuel wants Lydia to avoid the woman, but Lydia wants to help her. Will Lydia and Samuel get the chance to have a traditional marriage? While A Beautiful Arrangement is the third book in An Amish Journey series, it can be read as a standalone. I have enjoyed all three novels and I recommend reading Hearts in Harmony and Listening to Love. I thought A Beautiful Arrangement was well-written with realistic characters. Lydia is a seventeen-year-old who is unready for marriage especially to a man she hardly knows. Her six-month-old daughter, Maddie has been crying each day and Lydia does not why. She feels like a bad mother (I know that feeling). Lydia and Samuel want to improve their marriage, but they do not share these thoughts we each other. They both have fears, regrets, and hopes. When they introduce Beverly and Joe to each other, they get to join them on a couple of dates. It gives Samuel and Lydia a chance to get to know each other. They are each afraid to make the first move, though, for fear of rejection. Samuel is also worried about his elderly parents. His father has heart problems and his mother is unable to care for him like she used to. Beverly and Joe were delightful additions to the story. Joe is a lively man with a humorous side. I liked the addition of the mystery involving the homeless Amish woman. It added more depth and interest to this engaging Amish novel. I quickly found myself engrossed in this appealing story. A Beautiful Arrangement is a poignant tale with regrets, friendship, faith, family, fear, hopefulness, and romance.