“The Last Bride” by: Beverly Lewis

This is the 5th book in the Home to Hickory Hollow series by Beverly Lewis but can be read as a standalone. The review of the first book, The Fiddler, can be found here.

Recommended Age: 15+

336 pages

Description: Of her Old Order parents' five daughters, Tessie Miller is the last to marry. She has her heart set on Amishman Marcus King, but Tessie's father opposes the match.

Impetuously, Tessie and Marcus elope to the English world, then return to Hickory Hollow to live as singles, trusting they'll convince the Millers to give their love a chance over time. But when the unthinkable happens, Tessie faces the almost-certain censure of the People. Will she find a reason for hope in spite of her desperate plight?

My Rating: 4/5

I enjoyed this book and I think Lewis did an excellent job of creating characters who readers just fall in love with! Even if you start out unsure, you will, by the end, be enamored by their development!!

While the storyline was well-crafted, there were some crucial moments where the descriptions ran too long or the moment seemed to freeze so that the outcome became muddied. A couple times I was unsure what had just happened. In an exciting or tense moment, having that delay I felt drained some of the eagerness to keep reading. (-1 star)

Also, mini sidebar: I understood the reasoning behind the title from the beginning but as the story progressed and became more complex I was wishing that the title had been more reflective of the larger journey Tessie had gone on and not just “the last bride”. Just a thought. :)

Things to be aware of in “The Last Bride”:

Spiritual Content:

• No explicit gospel presentation :(

Additional Notes:

• A character’s face is described as “plump.”
• Children defy parent’s wishes.
• Abortion is mentioned very briefly (but it is noted as an unacceptable practice in the Amish community).

Links to the book: Amazon and Goodreads.