My Review - Inescapable

a3.5 out of 5 stars

INESCAPABLE by Nancy Mehl was a pleasant surprise. I am not a fan of the Amish genre, and when I saw the buggy on the cover of this book, I thought, “Oh great, how did I accidently order this?” But, I’m glad I did. To clarify, this book is not set in the Amish community, but a Mennonite community; and was an entertaining story filled with romance and suspense.

After an unplanned pregnancy at the age of eighteen, Lizzie Engel left Kingdom, Kansas, feeling shunned by the community and reviled by her father. Though it hasn’t been easy, she’s made a life for her and her daughter. But that life is now slowly falling apart. Accused of stealing money at her current job, she is fired; with the possibility of prosecution. But that is the least of her problems. Threatening letters, and a man stalking her, has Lizzie fearing for her daughter’s safety.  Feeling she has no choice, Lizzie does the one thing she vowed she would never do.  She runs home to Kingdom.

When her father refuses to accept her back, Lizzie gets a job at a local diner.  Once back in Kingdom, Lizzie realizes a lot has changed.  Many of the people she thought would shun her, accept her and her daughter; among them is Noah Housler.  Noah, a childhood friend, expresses more than just a passing interest in Lizzie.  And when Lizzie concedes to him the reason she is back in Kingdom, he vows to protect her.

As Lizzie dares to dream that she and her daughter are safe in Kingdom, and maybe she and Noah could have a future together, she sees her stalker and realizes she’s been followed. Now it’s not only her daughter that’s in danger, but all those she loves and cares about.

I really enjoyed the approach Nancy Mehl took in INESCAPABLE. Having someone close to the conservative Mennonite community and a history with it, but not having to be entrenched in it, allowed the story to have so much more dimension than most stories in this genre.  The characters were well written and likable.  The tug-o-war Lizzie experiences with her suitors added to the depth of the story. I’m glad I accidently ordered this book.  INESCAPABLE was an enjoyable read.