From the Stacks: Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Teen romance story with the guy being Amish. Needless to say the idea caught my interest immediately. I don't know what it is about the Amish lifestyle but for those who really don't know all that much about it, it seems so simple and...almost romantic.

Summary:

"Your heart misleads you.

That's what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah. And he loves me. We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms. It should be Rose & Noah forever, easy.

But it won't be.

Because he's Amish.

And I'm not."

My Thoughts:

Wow. This was an interesting story and I really couldn't put it down. The only hugely negative thing I can say about this book is something that is extremely common in romance books and movies...the characters always seem to fall in love instantly, or at maximum it only takes them a day or two. Come on now, how realistic is that? 

Anyway, I actually enjoyed getting this glimpse into the Amish lifestyle. I believe that it is probably fairly accurate considering that the author actually lives in an area where all of her neighbors are Amish. That was really interesting to me and seeing their close-knit family and lives was nice. In the book Rose and even some of her family members make remarks about the Amish people still basically living in the past (I believe one of them even says the Dark Ages) but it works for them.

Now, considering their lifestyle, I somewhat understand why Noah sometimes treats Rose as he does, but I have never been a fan of the male who has to be the dominant, possessive, controlling person in a relationship. It does not sit well with me, and that may well be because my education and upbringing have told me that I am just as capable as a man, which I'm grateful for. And Rose struggles with accepting Noah's beliefs because she too is a modern girl, and it's really difficult.

Seeing how things progress in the book as well as reading the first chapter of the second book (to be released April 23, 2013) I see a huge change in Rose's character, and I plan on reading the next one, but I don't know if I can completely agree with everything that has happened or will happen. However, I do understand that Amish culture is vastly different from my modern American culture, and therefore, I take in what I read, and remember it for if I someday would end up living around the Amish. I try to be respectful of other cultures, though it isn't always easy.

In Temptation I saw where the women stood aside and waited for the men to get their food and start to eat first before the women even thought of it. I saw a culture where boys and girls did not really spend time together; at their gatherings boys were at one table, girls at another, or they would sit on opposite sides of the table. When they played volleyball there were separate nets for girls and boys. Courting happened with supervision. It is not a life I think I would be able to adjust to, being an outgoing, loud, and strong-willed woman.

Nevertheless, I devoured this book and I really would recommend it for others to read. 5/5 from me.

Temptation at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/temptation-karen-ann-hopkins/1108038530?ean=9780373210541

Temptation at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Temptation-Harlequin-Teen-Karen-Hopkins/dp/037321054X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357578530&sr=8-1&keywords=Temptation+Karen+Ann+Hopkins

Other Readings:

I'm in the middle of reading Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, and Shatter Me by Tahereh Mati right now. And I just got an alert from my library so I have to go pick up Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff so this month is already awesome.