Books for Christian Girls: "A Seat By the Hearth" by Amy Clipston

About this book:

“Priscilla Allgyer knows she cannot leave the past behind. But can love lead her toward the promise of healing?
Priscilla Allgyer left the community to escape the expectations of Amish life. Now, years later, she is forced to return—along with her six-year-old son—to the place she thought she’d left behind forever. Though once estranged from her family, Priscilla is welcomed by her mother, but her father is cold and strict. He allows Priscilla to stay with them provided she dresses plainly, confesses her sins, and agrees to marry within the community. Once again, she feels suffocated, trapped, and alone.
As Priscilla reluctantly completes her shunning, she catches the eye of Mark Riehl, a farmer with a playboy reputation. Wary of Mark, Priscilla barely gives him the time of day—while Mark, unused to being ignored by the women of Bird-in-Hand, won’t give up the pursuit of her friendship. Priscilla desperately needs a friend in Mark, even if she doesn’t realize it—and after Priscilla’s father and the bishop catch her and Mark in a compromising situation, their relationship becomes more complicated than ever.
As affection quietly grows between them, Priscilla struggles to open her heart and reveal the painful secrets of her past. As Mark works to earn her good faith, can they both learn the hard lessons of love and trust? And can two friends discover a happiness that only God himself could have designed?”

Series: Book #3 in the “Amish Homestead” series. Review of Book #1 Here and #2 Here!

Spiritual Content- Prayers; Church going; Talks about God; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, bishops/ministers, hymns, sermons, youth groups, & Sunday school classes; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; Mentions of sins, sinning, & sinners; A few mentions of Christians; A couple mentions of miracles.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘stupid’s; Some eye rolling; Pain & Injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Hints of & mentions of an abusive (physically and verbally) home (Priscilla thinks if she had tried harder, it would have been better, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of alcohol, drinking, an angry drunk, & being injured by him (Priscilla’s son’s father, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a car accident, drunk driving, pain, & injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths from prior books; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of lies; A couple mentions of divorce;

*Note: A couple mentions of car brands.

Sexual Content- three almost border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses, a forehead kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, a semi-detailed kiss, and two detailed kisses; Wanting to kiss/to be kissed (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Nearness, Smelling, & Warmth (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing; two ‘harlot’s; Priscilla had a son out of wedlock & many mentions of the fact (including that he seduced her, and she lived with him, no details); *Spoiler* Priscilla and Mark are forced to get married after being found alone in a barn talking closely; After getting married they both long to be intimate with each other and have a child together (no details); There is one end of chapter part that is hinted about them having intimacy *End of Spoiler* ; Mentions of being intimate behavior & touching/physical contact; Mentions of kissing, kisses, & an almost kiss; Mentions of a playboy reputation, flirting, dating, & girlfriends; Mentions of reputations; A few mentions of fulfilling wifely duties & in name only marriage; A few mentions of a rumor of why a couple is getting married quickly (pregnancy, which she’s not); A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of touches & kisses; A couple mentions of cute boys; A mention of not taking advantage of a woman; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;

*Note: A couple mentions of miscarriages; A mention of sitting on a rear end.

-Priscilla Allgyer, age 24 (?)

-Mark Riehl, age 26
P.O.V. switches between them
331 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

{Could be triggering to some readers for mentions of an abusive home & also being a marriage of convenience plot.}

Well. I truly have enjoyed many of Miss Amy’s other books, but this one was not my cup of tea at all. I really don’t like marriage of convenience or abusive stories because of the content. Priscilla and Mark both seemed really young (almost like high-school aged) in their thoughts and actions as well, so that also took away from the book to me. The detailed kisses are enough to get any book a low rating on here, even though I am very sad to give this author that rating. Just the longings of intimacy mentions were too much to me, but I do have a slight problem with Mark telling his older brother about the lack of intimacy with Priscilla after they were married and then Priscilla with her two friends. Not my favorite by this author to say that least. :(

See y’all on Friday with a new review!