Book Review: "A Man of His Word" by Kathleen Fuller

In just a few short months, Moriah Miller's perfect life unravels. Newly wed and newly pregnant, Moriah is abandoned by her husband, Levi. He's left her, his family, and their faith without a backward glance. The community, stunned, rushes to the young woman's aid.

But there is someone who feels more than just sympathy for Moriah. Gabriel Miller Levi's twin longs for an intimate commitment that might someday bind them to one another. Convinced of the impossibility of his dream, Gabriel settles for a mere friendship with the woman he loves.

Moriah bravely goes on with her life, adjusting to her new role in their tight knit Amish community and preparing for the birth of her child. She is unaware that her brief marriage once idealized as the happiest time in her life may have been merely a shadow of the king of love God has created for her. A love that can mend the soul, renew her heart, and give her a future filled with hope...if only she'll let it.

To be honest, I wasn't really a big fan of this story. Even though the story wasn't very preachy about the Amish way of life, I felt that the characters were a bit bland. I'm never a fan of stories where siblings are in love with the same person. I know it happens in real life, but I just always wish people talked about it instead of keeping it inside. Also in this case, the siblings happened to be twins who looked alike, therefore making it seem like one was just being replaced by the other. I also felt that the whole situation involving Levi's departure seemed very unrealistic, very dramatic and very stereotyped. I just didn't buy his story at all. Moriah is not a strong female lead at all. I can understand a person that is on the quiet or meek side, but she just came across as a pushover. Her future of a relationship with Gabe is obvious from the beginning. I just felt that I knew that everything was going to happen eventually and I was just waiting for the magic incident to make it all come true to happen.

The other part that kinda bugged me a bit was there is a whole other side story in this book that gets absolutely no mention in the description of the book. Therefore when I started reading the second story, which doesn't have much connection to the main story, I was a bit confused as to who these people were and why they were getting any mention at all.

I like Amish stories that showcase the culture as opposed to preaching about the way of life. However, I didn't feel as if this story gave either. The characters just seemed very cardboard and not developed at all. The story as a whole isn't very strong either. I can see potential in the author's writing and I hope that by the next book it will be better. I just didn't see this book as a strong book in terms of story or faith.

A Man of His Word by Kathleen Fuller is published by Thomas Nelson (2009)

This ARC was provided by the publisher