Unbreakable (Road to Kingdom) (edition 2013)

This is the second book in this series that I have read, and another really great read. It will keep you guessing who is behind the fires and even the murder?
We renew our time with Lizzie, Cassie and Noah, and Hope Kauffman. Love being able to get caught up in their lives. As the story opens Hope in engaged to Ebbie Miller, and even though she loves him, she is feeling sparks from new comer Jonathon Wiese.
We find Hope being run off the road, her buggy tipping, and along comes Jonathon in his truck. He give comfort to Hope and helps her. When Ebbie breaks their engagement, Jonathon moves in. He loves Hope!
All of a sudden this peaceful Mennonite Community is under attack. Ebbie wants them to follow under Gods Protection, not violence. Where as, Jonathon thinks they should at least carry guns, even unloaded.
It is hard to imagine this peaceful Community of Kingdom living in so much fear! Who would do this?
You will have to read right to the end for answers. Even when I was sure I knew who was to blame, I was wrong. Also who will Hope end up with? Jonathon, who gives her her first kiss....or Ebbie who will step aside for Hopes happiness. Oh my, both these guys sound wonderful. Prayer.... for the Community and for the right choices.

I received this book through Litfuse Publicity Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this second book in Nancy Mehl's Road to Kingdom series. Although we were introduced to Hope Kaufman as a close friend to Lizzie in the first book of the series, Inescapable, this is definitely one of those books that can well stand alone. Lizzie does make appearances in the story, along with other characters of the town they wish to isolate from the evils of the world.
Unassuming Hope, motherless, but living with a loving, caring father, lived her life as a faithful Mennonite girl. Seldom questioning whether the faith she embraces is her own, or her father's faith she is suddenly brought up short and has to decide for herself what she believes.
Nancy does a phenomenal job in bringing the Mennonite belief in nonviolence into the modern world, and explaining the reason they believe the way they do. She does this without belittling the faith or those who believe otherwise, as well as showing us the virtue of forgiveness. Forgiveness does not necessarily equal trust, as forgiveness is freely given, but trust, once lost, must be earned. Stories told in the first person point of view are perhaps more difficult to write as well as to read, but that should not stop a reader from picking it up. Beautifully written, the book is difficult to put down because the suspense, though not as dramatic as in a suspense novel, is there through the book.

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Group for the purpose of review. A positive critique was not required, and the opinions stated are my own. ( )

Title: Unbreakable (Road to Kingdom #2)
Author: Nancy Mehl
Pages: 330
Year: 2013
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Set in the modern day Mennonite Community of Kingdom, Unbreakable is the second book in Nancy Mehl’s romantic suspense “Road to Kingdom” series. The first book is titled Inescapable, which has been reviewed by this blogger previously. Kingdom is located in a remote part of Kansas.
Hope Kauffman is a 26-year-old, single woman still living with her father, who is a widower. He owns a quilt store and Hope runs the store. Once a month, she travels by horse and buggy to the larger town of Washington for supplies for the store. On her return trip, she is run off the road by a truck. She calms her horse down, gets out of the ditch, and waves to the driver who has turned his truck around. The truck moves forward and Hope thinks he is coming to help her, but the truck keeps gaining speed. He isn’t going to help her, but run her over! Then, shortly thereafter someone in Kingdom is actually killed when their buggy is run over. This isn’t the first instance of Christians being targeted for harm. Other communities have had their churches set on fire. Who is doing this? How can the people of Kingdom protect themselves when they believe in not taking up arms for defense? They live by the tenet that God is their protector and they need nothing else. At least most of them try to live this way. Hope has always believed this, but with her recent experience she begins to question if this is really how God wants her to live.
Hope is engaged to Ebbie Miller. They have known each other since the first grade, but didn’t discover their love for each other until recently. At least that is what Hope thinks. She learns, however, that Ebbie has always loved her. Can Hope love Ebbie without comparing him to another? Jonathon Wiese has been watching Hope, but has done nothing more as she is engaged to Ebbie. However, Hope has realized she has feelings for Jonathon and her engagement to Ebbie is broken. Is there a future for Hope and Jonathon? He declares his love for Hope soon after he learns of her broken engagement. He has lived in the community only a year and has advocated changes that not everyone likes. He wants some things to change, looking to adapting to the future. Ebbie disagrees and thinks Kingdom must remain grounded in their original beliefs. Can Hope truly be happy with Jonathon? Hope’s father is adamantly opposed to a marriage between Hope and Jonathon. Will Hope go against her father’s wishes?
This is a story that will keep you turning pages until the end. I had to keep reading to find out who was terrorizing Christians and why. It was neat to see how the various characters reacted to certain situations and to see their faith at work. I don’t know if there is another book planned in this series, but I sure hope so!
My rating is 4 stars.
Note: I received a complimentary copy for an honest review of this book. The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. Other reviews can be read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/ . Also follow me on Twitter @lcjohnson1988, FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.johnson.75457 ( )

Looking For A Great Mystery? Here It Is!!

This exciting mystery by Nancy Mehl kept me guessing until the very end. I was so caught up in this book that I picked it up every chance that I got. I needed to find out who would want to hurt the people of Kingdom and why and who was behind the burning of the churches outside of Kingdom. Up until now evil hadn’t come into the town of Kingdom but would that change? The people in Kingdom were God fearing non-violent
Mennonites. Were they easy targets?

Hope Kauffman finds out first hand the terror of what goes on outside the boundaries of Kingdom. Was there a motive behind it? Was she just selected randomly for what happened to her?

What next for the people of Kingdom? Will someone have to die before it ends? Would the people behind all this go as far as to commit murder?

The author brought out how important it is to fully rely on God and not to take matters into their own hands. While the elders of Kingdom held meetings on how to protect themselves they were divided on what actions they should take. Prayer was an important part of deciding what to do. Did God care enough to intervene and help his people out?

If you love mysteries this is the book for you! I highly recommend it. It will keep you turning the pages until the very end.

Thank you Nancy Mehl for a great read! ( )

Hope is torn between two men who both love her. One man she had feelings for she can't explain and she is engaged to the other. Which man does she finally wind up with? The author kept me guessing until the LAST page. I'm not kidding. You don't know who she decides to spend the rest of her life with until the last page.

There's a mystery going on. Hope was nearly attacked while on the road to a neighboring town in her buggy. All she knows that it was a man in a red pickup truck. One of the local beloved Mennonite men was murdered. Their nice little town is under attack and nobody is going to feel safe until the person is caught. This storyline also kept me guessing. I did not even begin to guess who the bad guy was until the end. I love a novel that keeps me guessing and this book fit the bill. This book will be released in February 2013 with the third in the series to be released later in 2013.

Thanks to Netgalley and Baker Publishing Group for providing me a copy of this book to review. ( )