Debra E's Never-Ending TBR

A Forbidden Rumspringa is a beautiful story of love, family and faith. It was not preachy, it did not paint the Amish in a bad light and it pulled me right into the strict, insular community where David and Isaac live.

I loved the portrayal of both men, old enough to remember what it was like in their former community, which was slightly less restrictive about dealing with the English (non-Amish) and allowed the young a rumspringa to explore life outside the community before they decided to join the church. David has suffered the loss of his brother and father and is doing everything he can to support his mother and sisters, while Isaac is dealing with the memories of a brother and family left behind in the old settlement. David is in training to join the church, at which time he will be expected to take a wife and settle down and Isaac, having just turned 18, is also feeling the pressure to do the same, but cannot imagine his future working out that way. As Isaac begins his apprenticeship as a carpenter with David, his doubts are only confirmed when his feelings for David are reciprocated. The love the men have is challenged by the knowledge that it is a sin to love each other and it will inevitably end when they are caught or they join the church. While Isaac is beginning to strongly question his place in the community, David's need to stay for his family seems an insurmountable obstacle.

This was my first Keira Andrews book. I thought both the writing and storytelling were fantastic, really allowing me to visualize the setting and feel for the characters. I don't want to give any story away, but getting toward the end of the book I still didn't know what to expect and it really kept me on the edge of my seat. While not exactly a cliff hanger, more a HFN, there is definitely another part of the story to be told and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment (somewhere around February 2015 I'm told).