UNFORGIVEN by Shelley Shepard Gray
GENRE: Contemporary Romance/Suspense (Clean)
PUBLISHER: Revell
RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2024
PAGES: 292
Ex-con Seth Zimmerman has spent the last three years making amends by helping the vulnerable in his former Amish community. Lately, this mission includes calling on Tabitha Yoder, whose divorce from her abusive husband has isolated her from the community. Even though she never comes out of her house to talk to him, Seth knows she watches him from the window while he chops wood, clears her driveway, and drops off food.
An uneasy friendship is just starting to take hold between them when small gifts begin to appear at Tabitha’s home–gifts that can only be from her ex-husband. Seth might be Tabitha’s only hope at maintaining her hard-won freedom from the man whose violent outbursts had almost cost her life. But coming to her rescue might mean he ends up behind bars once again.
See AlsoWhich of the Olsen twins was on drugs?The 10 Most Expensive Celebrity Clothing Lines, RankedGet swept up in this emotional story of two outcasts who may be each other’s only hope for happiness and redemption from New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray.
I love the way Shelley Shepard Gray writes heroes that appear big and tough on the outside but turn into teddy bears with the people they care about, specifically the woman they love … and Seth Zimmerman is one of my favorites! This ex-con has had my attention since I first met him in another series (though he is a slightly different variation of that character here), but he completely stole my heart in Unforgiven. He was exactly what Tabitha Yoder needed, and she in turn was exactly what he needed too. I absolutely loved watching these two fall in love. Seth on a mission – to protect Tabitha, yes, but also to woo her – is incredibly swoony.
Both Seth and Tabitha are former Amish, now isolated from their community (though not shunned) because of choices they made. Seth, for being an ex-con (after accidentally causing the death of someone who was attacking a friend). Tabitha, for daring to divorce her abusive husband after he took one precious life and nearly took hers, too. That’s another thing I love about Gray’s Amish novels – she never tries to portray the Amish as perfect saints who live in a utopia but as flawed human beings just like the rest of us who are touched by the same things we deal with in the ‘Englisch’ world. The tough topics in Unforgiven are handled with an abundance of grace and lots of heart, tempered with sweet romance and moments of wit, too. Seth and Tabitha are truly good characters with compelling backstories, and the Amish they still interact with are as well. Including Seth’s sister and her new beau, whose perspectives I also enjoyed reading.
Bottom Line: Unforgiven is another heartfelt and layered story from Shelley Shepard Gray with absolutely engaging characters you’ll love right away. Along with the charming romance (plus a bonus), there’s an air of underlying danger and fear that lurks around Tabitha, thanks to her ex-husband, that gives the book a dash of suspense to keep tensions high. The perfect excuse for Seth’s teddy bear heroic side to come out, something which certainly put a grin on my face, but for Tabitha to find her own inner strength as well (which also made me smile). This book really does have it all – including an adorable hund – so make sure you’ve added it to your TBR list!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 4.5 stars / loved it!
KissingBook Level: 3+ / will forget to breathe on occasion
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Shelley Shepard Grayis the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 books, including Unforgiven. Two-time winner of the HOLT Medallion and a Carol Award finalist, Gray lives in Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail. Learn more at ShelleyShepardGray.com.
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