A Forbidden Rumspringa

Gay Amish Romance Series, Book 1

By: Keira Andrews

Narrated by: John Solo

When two young Amish men find love, will they risk losing everything?

In a world where every detail of life - down to the width of a hat brim - is dictated by God and the all-powerful rules of the community, two men dare to imagine a different way. At 18, Isaac Byler knows little outside the strict Amish settlement of Zebulon, Minnesota, where there is no rumspringa for exploration beyond the boundaries of their insular world. Isaac knows he'll have to officially join the church and find a wife before too long, but he yearns for something else - something he can't name.

Dark tragedy has left carpenter David Lantz alone to support his mother and sisters, and he can't put off joining the church any longer. But when he takes on Isaac as an apprentice, their attraction grows amid the sweat and sawdust. David shares his sinful secrets, and he and Isaac struggle to reconcile their shocking desires with their commitment to faith, family, and community. Now that they've found each other, are they willing to lose it all?

Contains mature themes.

©2014 Keira Andrews (P)2019 Tantor

love this book

love love love this book....

you got to read this book its a must read..

A must "read"

I've just finished my second listen through. I adore this series. It's well written, well read, and a nice break from the standard every other chapter switching of the usual romance format.

A delightful Runspringa

Excellent narrator. A delightful story about first love, coming out and choosing the life you want to live, against the odds.

Great series

I wish someone would make this into a movie. Such a great series, makes you laugh and cry.

Stolen moments...

3.5 Stars for the narrator. I like John Solo but sometimes he whispers too much and it is too low to hear what he is saying. He did this often in this book. I had to turn my radio up in my car multiple times because of it. I will credit him for me actually liking the story more. Through his narration, I was able to feel more emotionally when it was read to me rather than me reading on my own.

Giving the story 4 stars. Still hate the abrupt ending but that's what book 2 is for. 😆

Great trilogy

I realized that I really enjoy KA books,not a single one disappointed me.
I liked a lot this trilogy, with the second one being the most boring. Strength of Isaac and David, their love,but also their inner struggle kept me on the edge. I liked the end as well,it is hea, but realistic one for them and their families.
I have learned some details about Amish, that I didn't know before,which is additional plus.

A sweet story of queer love

At first I started reading because the idea of Amish gays made me giggle ( I am lgbtq+) but as the book went on I found myself actually relating to Issac and his circumstances. A cute easy read.

Original,creative,captivating,engrossing

The author explores gay invisibility in a dour world of disapproving Amish. Isaac and his fellow sect members in Minnesota have never seen a mirror "the devil's plaything," which encourages vanity. Nor have they spoken on phones, seen TV, films or read non-scripture books. What if one of them is gay, same as the 4% of people in the Western world? The story explores the characters in this environment, the attempt to establish love despite its danger and the effect of this vacuum life on different men.
I loved it & can't wait to listen to the remaining audiobooks in the series.

A Forbidden Ability to put down the book

This is the first in a series of 3 books. Because the premise was a little over the top, my expectations were not super high. I cannot state strongly enough how much the book exceeded my expectations.

The incident that changed everything was a rumspringa ending in death. After partying hard with crystal meth, a young amish man drowns in the lake, naked, along with two amish girls; one the Deacon’s daughter. This causes a hundred people from the Amish community to resettle in a different state with stricter rules. No more rumspringas and, among other things, running water is now a forbidden luxury.

Now at age 22, the younger brother of the drowned boy is the best carpenter in the settlement. He’s given an apprentice, age 18, with whom his sister is in love. The two men are both pressured to officially join the church and “take a wife” which is problematic because they are both gay. And in love with each other.

This series is in my top 10 of 100 romance novels. I highly recommend it.

Gay Amish, Who Knew

I absolutely love this audio book. It was a quite a change from the usual Amish fare. The narrator was excellent. I cannot wait to listen to the next book in the series. It should be interesting to learn how their story continues.