The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher ~ review

Book Description

Series: Stoney Ridge Seasons | Publication Date: January 2, 2012

Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she knows who is to blame. Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man.

Roamin' Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul's cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant.
Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

Full of the plot twists and surprises her fans love, The Keeper is the first in a new series by bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher. Through touching family relationships and trials of the heart, Fisher's vivid characters grapple with yielding to God's will when it doesn't match their own.

My take on this book:

Julia Lapp has always planned on marrying Paul Fisher, so when he postponed their wedding once she could understand, but when he decides to postpone a second time, Julia is sure she knows who to blame, The Bee Man, Roman Troyer, an Amish drifter who seems to have the effect of causing young men to get cold feet about marriage. 

Roman Troyer has been friends with Amos Lapp for years and has always loved visiting Windmill Farms, but this year it seems that the heart of the farm is failing so Roman decides to spend the summer at the farm to try and help out however he can, so when the youngest Lapp daughter M.J. comes to him with a plan to try and get Julia and Paul back together he decides to try and help but soon he realizes that maybe Julia just might be the one worth settling down for. 

 Life on Windmill farm was never dull, and once Fern Graber came to the farm it picked up even more. I really enjoyed getting to know each character, and enjoyed each one so much it's hard to choose a favorite. Julia was the strong one in the family, trying to hold it all together because their father was struggling with health issues. Even though Fern's beginning at the farm was sort of bump she quickly became an integral part of the family. While I enjoyed the romance that slowly developed between Roman and Julia, I found the secondary stories just as interesting and also touched on the important topic of becoming an organ donor. I thought the storyline revolving around Menno was so touching, I could easily relate to him becoming  so excited over spotting a rare bird, and his love of animals was wonderful. The author also provided an ending that allowed for heartbreak but also joy, really making my emotions run the gamit!

If your a fan of Amish fiction or just someone who enjoys a very well written story that has wonderfully positive inspirational messages, unforgettable characters, humor and a sweet romance to boot, along with a few twists that you won't see coming then you really should pick up this book and take a trip to Windmill Farms. I can't wait to read the next book in the series titled "The Haven" due out in Aug 2011.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group