His Risk by Shelley Shepard Gray Series: The Amish of Hart County #4
Published by HarperCollins on March 6, 2018
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Clean & Wholesome, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 288
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New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray brings us another compelling suspense in her Amish of Hart County series, this time featuring an undercover English DEA agent who will do anything to protect the Amish girl he loves.
Calvin Fisher left the Amish community at fourteen and never looked back. Only his brother’s illness can bring him back to Hart County. Now, as Calvin works to make amends, he meets Alice, a local nursery school teacher, and falls hard for her. But he has a secret that could threaten the happiness he’s finally found.
Alice shouldn’t like—or want—Calvin. He’s English, has a questionable past, and an even more questionable job. Still, she can’t help being intrigued. Though Calvin assures Alice that he’s worthy of her, she’s torn between surrendering to her growing feelings and steering clear of him.
When a sudden surge of criminal activity alarms the community and even targets Alice, Calvin fears that his double life has put everyone he loves at risk. As for Alice, she can’t help but wonder if the brave and honorable man she’s lost her heart to is far more dangerous than she could ever imagine.
Working my way through the Amish of Hart County series has been interesting. I mean that in a totally good way! These books were released over a period of time that I am spanning in a matter of weeks. That gives a different perspective on the books, inconsistencies I pick up on that other’s may not due to the span of time between books, the ease of falling back in with the communities and characters, and of course the fact that it’s a subset (of sorts) of a favorite genre so it’s easy reading. I mean, let’s face it, Shelley Shepard Gray takes Amish fiction to a different level with layers of gritty reality and not all sunshine and roses lives for her characters. Life isn’t always idealistic and simple, even for the Amish and I appreciate that she can weave touches of real ‘Englisher’ life as it impacts the Amish communities into her books. I was super excited to get back with Mark and Calvin from ‘His Guilt‘ in this book. Calvin deserves his story, even if he is no longer Amish. It was interesting as well since I have read the ‘An Amish Homecoming‘ (releasing 10/16!) novella collection before reading this so I sorta knew what happened and got a glimpse into the future of Irene as well.
There are a couple of little things I need to address first. And apologies now as there will most likely be a spoiler or twenty while doing so. First, as I’ve mentioned in previous reviews of this series, there’s a disconnect about what has happened and which community of the county they happened in. This book starts in February, not long after the Christmas adventures that were in ‘The Gift’ yet nothing is mentioned of those events. Nothing. I’m totally OK with that on one level but on another I feel like it would still be a concern for this small community. Secondly, I feel like the DEA/gang angle that Calvin was in was overly simplified and a bit rushed. I mean, who goes around talking about being in a gang? It feels a bit outdated. And it also feels a bit, OK a LOT, simplified. However, I get it. It’s a book about the Amish and less about surviving in and spying on a gang. Lastly, I really really struggled with wrapping my head around the idea that a super sheltered, overly coddled, Amish girl would have the backing of her family to pursue a non-Amish future. I mean, Alice was so very sheltered and almost smothered by her parents yet her family comes together and makes way for her to travel to Calvin, a known bad guy, former Amish man, with no intentions of returning to the faith. Really? It felt backward. Awkward. And just, I mean it’s amazing they love their daughter so much they are willing to pave the way toward happiness but on the other hand you NEVER see the Amish open to the idea of their children leaving their faith. They are usually trying to pull them back.
I said finally but there’s one more thing I need to address, actually two. First the suspense in this book came out of no where, felt twinged with desperation, and didn’t fit to the rest of the story. I totally saw things coming for a different direction (you know. . .the gang angle). With that said the gang angle was weird too. I mean, here is Irene trusting a stranger, an Englisher, almost from the git go. And he’s not a good person! And she’s just sure I’ll get in your truck. Sure I’ll go to a trail that will be pretty empty and isolated this time of year but it’s public so why not. For a girl who didn’t trust the hairs on her own head she fell into whatever it was with West pretty tootin’ fast. All that said I feel like you are shaking your head how I can love this book when I have just went on a rant of negativity. Here’s the thing. The bad guys don’t always lose. The good guys don’t always win. Sometimes it’s hard to tell them apart. The bad guys aren’t all bad, every person on the planet has redeeming qualities that are separate from their choices in life. Everyone has the ability to find redemption and I think West found that at the end. Perhaps not how he saw it coming but still. But wait, guess what, the good guys aren’t always all good, they have also made poor choices and regrets, every person on the planet has sinned. Even the good guys mess up. I think that Irene and Alice have the ability to see people for their worth, not their deeds. And that benefited to guys who were seen as ‘bad’. Yutzey was a story-line that I didn’t even need but you have that as well. It fits with the good guy/bad guy theme. Just cuz you’re Amish doesn’t make you pure. Just cuz you’re English doesn’t make you evil. It’s there in all of us. There’s a scene in the book, where they are first dealing with the vandalism at the school that embodies this for me. Calvin reminds Alice that we can’t do everything but we can do some things. We have to prioritize. Good and bad, we can’t do it all. Which way that goes it all based on how we prioritize our lives. Ya’ll that right there is why I love this book.
About Shelley Shepard Gray
I grew up in Houston, Texas, went to Colorado for college, and after living in Arizona, Dallas, and Denver, we moved to southern Ohio about ten years ago.
I’ve always thought of myself as a very hard worker, but not ‘great’ at anything. I’ve obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree…but I never was a gifted student. I took years of ballet and dance, but I never was anywhere near the star of any recital. I love to cook, but I’m certainly not close to being gourmet…and finally I love to write books, but I’ve certainly read far better authors.
Maybe you are a little bit like me. I’ve been married for almost twenty years and have raised two kids. I try to exercise but really should put on my tennis shoes a whole lot more. I’m not a great housekeeper, I hate to drive in the snow, and I don’t think I’ve ever won a Monopoly game. However, I am the best wife and mother I know how to be.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that in God’s eyes that is okay? That from His point of view, we are all exceptional? I treasure that knowledge and am always so thankful for my faith. His faith in me makes me stand a little straighter, smile a little bit more, and be so very grateful for every gift He’s given me.
I started writing about the Amish because their way of life appealed to me. I wanted to write stories about regular. likeable people in extraordinary situations-and who just happened to be Amish.
Getting the opportunity to write Inspirational novels is truly gratifying. With every book, I feel my faith grows stronger. And that makes me feel very special indeed.
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