“The Trustworthy One” (Walnut Creek Series #4) by Shelley Shepard Gray

“The Trustworthy One” (Walnut Creek Series #4) by Shelley Shepard Gray

I have read the other books in this series and really enjoyed them and getting to know “the 8”-a group of close knit friends from high school. Each book focuses on a couple of the kids from this group which includes flashbacks of high school, growing up and present day. Although this is a series, they can be read as stand along books.

This is not a light-hearted Amish read. This story deals with issues like addiction, neglect, severe abuse, depression, suicide and bullying. Despite all that, it was still enjoyable to read and realistic and emotional. The characters and town were great to read about and kept my interest from beginning to end.

I really liked the main character Kendra and her desire to improve her life and not let her past define her. I liked that although she let go of the anger and bitterness of the past, she didn’t just simply forgive and move on. In my opinion, that’s not realistic…especially with trauma and abuse victims. I believe a person can heal and move on without telling an abuser that they “forgive” them-Christian or not.

I liked Nate’s true remorse and persistence to make amends and help Kendra and her family. He was a great character and it was nice to see the maturity and responsibility.

I am sad to see this series end and I look forward to reading more books by this author. Her writing and books over the years has definitely changed my opinion of Amish Christian books.

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
Kendra Troyer always knew she would leave Walnut Creek the first chance she got. When she was accepted into design school, she tried her best not to look back at the four siblings she was abandoning, but ahead to Columbus, where she was determined to stay—far away from her abusive home and far away from Nate Miller, the boy she vowed to despise for the rest of her life.

Though she suffered through dark times in Columbus, Kendra found her faith in the Lord again, and years later, when she learned one of her good friends had died, she realized it was time to go home to those she left behind.

Back in Walnut Creek, Kendra has a life she never could have imagined: her own design shop, a pretty little house, and a tight-knit group of friends. After she settles down, though, unexpected visitors come knocking and dark memories begin to resurface. Complicating things even further is the ever-present Nate Miller, who now owns the hardware store two doors down and whose very presence stirs in Kendra a fierce need to turn away and hide from her past. But Nate is persistent in setting things right between them.

As Kendra tries to come to terms with the anger she holds from her childhood, will she be able to open her heart to forgiveness and find the comfort she has always longed for in Walnut Creek?

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About the Author
A practicing Lutheran, Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than eighty novels, translated into multiple languages. In her years of researching the Amish community, she depends on her Amish friends for gossip, advice, and cinnamon rolls. She lives in Colorado with her family and writes full time.