Hi there! Here’s a sub-genre I never thought I’d read: Gay Amish Romance. But, I’ve been a fan of Keira Andrews for a bit now and I thought I’d give it a go. WOW!!! FYI:  This is an adult read.

About the book:
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?

Note: Contains explicit sexual situations and graphic language. This is not an inspirational/Christian romance.

My Review:
I never thought I could get so beat up by forbidden Amish love. As a kid I remember seeing WITNESS and being blown away with this quiet, idyllic life–or so I thought!

Issac is 18 and due to begin Church in his sheltered devout Amish community in Zebulon, Minnesota. He has lived here for the past seven years, ever since his sect had broken from a more “worldly” Amish community in Ohio. This community breach occurred because three Amish teens drowned while intoxicated in the period of rumspringa, a time of youthful experimentation (rebellion) in Amish communities that precedes adulthood and marriage. Rumspringa is forbidden in their new community.

In this new community, Issac’s family is less well-off. In Ohio they were allowed to have English jobs and sell their handicrafts openly. Their new locale is far more remote and restrictive. The families must subsist off the land by farming, and minimal sales of wares to tourists. Issac is unsure how to live in this life–he’s not interested in farming–and he also misses his older brother, Aaron, who ran away.

Isaac’s father arranges for Isaac to become an apprentice carpenter, to David a man the community is questioning. David is 22 and unwed. This is strange, and Isaac wonders why David, who is industrious and attractive, is unmarried. He also feels shame for finding David attractive–especially as David’s sister, Mary, makes no secret of her interest in Isaac. All of Isaac’s friends are beginning “dating”, and Isaac has no interest in the women of their community.

Working with David becomes a torture–Isaac is so incredibly, shamefully, aroused by David. The best/worst thing? It seems David reciprocates.

Okay, David TOTALLY reciprocates. And David has a secret life in the “English” world that Isaac never could have dreamed. Together, David and Issac find love, but is it meant to be? There is no homosexuality in the Amish community, and especially not in their even more restrictive sect. Their time together becomes a forbidden rumspringa, and the longer it continues, the more dangerous their feelings become. If they are caught, they will be shunned, leaving David’s widowed mother and five sisters without a provider. Isaac fears his family will also suffer, having two sons who are shunned.

Still, as David takes steps to begin a family life, Isaac realizes that he cannot stay in Zebulon. His heart is David’s and he can’t go on pretending that he’ll one day marry. Isaac finds the courage to make his future outside–and his love is soon rewarded.

This is, without question, an HEA. And the Amish life was so detailed and well-described, I could feel the constriction around my heart for Isaac and David. I had never imagined the Amish life would be so interesting, or complicated. Even Isaac’s siblings feels stifled in this new life. His younger brother, Ephraim, begins to strike out against the many rules of their world. Meanwhile, David’s family is under constant scrutiny–and yet he finds his path rightly. The end is quick and satisfying, with a sequel published and a third book in the offing.

Interested? You can find A FORBIDDEN RUMSPRINGA on Goodreads, All Romance, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:
After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal and fantasy fiction, and—although she loves delicious angst along the way—Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”

You can catch up with Keira on her website, Facebook, twitter, and Goodreads.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!