Blog Tour and Book Review: Winter's Awakening (Seasons of Sugarcreek, Book 1) by Shelley Shepard Gray

Winter's Awakening (Seasons of Sugarcreek, Book 1)
by Shelley Shepard Gray
Copyright 2010
Avon Inspire
298 pages
ISBN: 978-0-06-185222-0
Fiction

From the publisher:
Joshua Graber knows his future is set. He′s expected to work at his family business, the Graber Country Store. He′s expected to marry Gretta Hershberger, who he′s been courting for several years. But when a new English family moves next door and their lovely teenage daughter, Lilly Allen, catches his eye, Joshua wonders if all the plans for his future are too set in stone.

Gretta doesn′t know what′s going on with Joshua. When they argue and later stew in silence, it feels a lot like the frosty atmosphere at her home. After promising herself to never have a marriage like her parents, she wonders if perhaps another man might be a better match. A man such as Roland Schrock. He′s steady and kind and somewhat boring. If she marries him, she won′t ever have to worry about loving him and getting hurt.

Meanwhile, Lilly is enamored with the Amish way of life, and especially her handsome neighbor Joshua. But despite being drawn to him, she has a secret that will only drive him away. Her family moved to Sugarcreek to hide her pregnancy from their community back home. Once she′s had the baby, they plan to send her off to college without anyone from their old neighborhood knowing the truth. But as Lilly becomes wrapped up in the simplicity and graciousness of the Amish people, she begins to question what′s expected of her, and whether giving up her baby, and leaving Sugarcreek, is what she truly wants.

As the coldest winter on record blows into Sugarcreek, these three young people must struggle to determine the path of their futures.

My Review:
I'll admit I was a little nervous headed into this book as I've only finished reading one of Shelley Shepard Gray's books, Hidden her first Amish fiction book. I tried to read Book 2, Wanted, but I never got past the first few chapters. However, Winter's Awakening was a good book. I liked the idea of Amish and English teens who become friends and was interested to see where the author took it. I was a little bit frustrated with the English family, the Allens, moving because their unmarried teen daughter, Lilly became pregnant, it seemed a little 1950s for me but I got past that and started to enjoy the book.

Ms. Shepard Gray explored the theme of unlikely friendships and family relationships while showing the reader how very similar seemingly different cultures could be. The main characters Lilly, Joshua, and Gretta were all 20 years or younger so I'm not sure if older readers will be able to relate to this book. Older teens and young adults however, I think will like Winter's Awakening. I'm not sure if Book 2, Spring's Renewal, is going to include any more of Lilly's story or not, I really hope so because it will be interesting to see how she deals with her pregnancy and raising her child.

If you enjoy your everyday, run of the mill Amish story with a bit of a twist you will probably like this story. It's a super fast read so there's not as much detail and in depth story telling as I would have liked but if you want a quick Sunday afternoon read, pick up Winter's Awakening.

For more info on Shelley Shepard Gray and her books visit:
Her WEBSITE
Her BLOG

* Thanks to Trish @ TLC Book Tours for recommending this book and Stephanie @ Harper Collins for sending me my free review copy.*