Once Upon a Buggy

Title: Once Upon a Buggy

Series: The Amish of Apple Creek #2

Author: Shelley Shepard Gray

Genre: Amish, Christian Fiction, Retellings,

Publisher: Kensington

Source: Author provided/Net Galley

My review:

When asked if I would review Once Upon a Buggy, I knew I liked the author's books and figured I could squeeze it into my schedule. I had no idea it was a Beauty in the Beast retelling. I have not read the first book in the series, (yet) but Once Upon a Buggy can be read as a stand-alone novel. 

I have mixed feelings about Once Upon a Buggy. It gets props for a more unique Amish story line. It is a very loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but there is no beast here, just a guy with a lot of burns and emotional baggage. Sadly, he does not have a fabulous library.

May and Carl's relationship is strained, especially after six years of no communication. Their interactions were awkward, their families feuding, and their siblings are in love with each other. I never felt the chemistry between May and Carl. However, their siblings' relationship was beautiful.

My biggest hang-up was the feud between the two families. It was very un-Amish-like, and odd that the bishop didn't step in. Once Upon A Buggy is a story of reconciliation, forgiveness, and letting go of guilt and things we can't control.

Thank you to the author and Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

★★★/5

Synopsis (Goodreads): 

New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray—one of the most beloved voices in inspirational romance—welcomes readers back to Apple Creek, Ohio, a bright and bustling Amish community where a fairy tale romance is in bloom—but getting to happily ever after may require seeing love through new eyes . . .Perfect for fans of Beverly Lewis, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Charlotte Hubbard, this second installment in The Amish of Apple Creek is rich with warmth and utterly endearing characters sure to enchant readers looking for a sweet twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast tale.

May Schott would do anything to change the tragic moment when she stepped too close to the fire that left her best friend, Carl Hilty, devastatingly burned. After Carl left Apple Creek for extensive surgeries, May patiently prayed for one chance to ask his forgiveness. Now, six years later, Carl Hilty is coming home.

The reunion goes nothing like May anticipated. Overwhelmed with emotion at seeing Carl again, she is speechless, unable to look away. And Carl’s own stone-cold silence leaves her certain that whatever attraction they once shared has been replaced by his hatred of her.

After hiding in the shadows of the big city, Carl has returned to connect with his family and to see if May can overlook his scars and accept his love—but it seems she wants nothing to do with him. He grudgingly agrees to stay with his family for a time before retreating once again. . . . But in Apple Creek, it’s easy to miss what everyone around you sees plain as day. For two people who belong together, it will take a few helping hands to heal the hurts of the past and make a miraculous new beginning.