Name: The Judgment
ISBN: 9780764206009

Beverly Lewis

In the second book of a unique, mysterious and romantic series, Rose Kauffman and her older sister, Hen, struggle to find love, acceptance and their place in the Amish community. Simultaneous.

The Judgment

Jeni Enjaian

One of the worst things with books is when the first book in a series captures one's attention generating anticipation for what comes next and hopes that the books in the remainder of the series will live up to or surpass the first book but those hopes are dashed.
That's how I felt about the second and third books of this series, with special emphasis on the third book in the series. (I will describe that more in my review of the third book.)
The narrative of this book felt off from the outset with the noticeable absence of one of the primary characters from the first book, Nick.
I also became increasingly frustrated with the one-dimensional nature of several characters, such as Brandon, Hen's husband.
One issue that I have been even more aware of with each book of Beverly Lewis' I have read recently is her seeming adoration of the Amish lifestyle and religion. By no means do I believe that every author I read believe exactly the same way that I do. However, I do have a problem with someone who claims to be a Bible-believing Christian almost ignoring the glaring issues with the Anabaptist tradition. Lewis flirts with reality on this front but ends up pushing it to the side and avoids truly dealing with it. Perhaps that because she is writing her books for an audience that is not willing to be challenged and just wants an easy read.