Butterfly Garden by Annette Blair

Butterfly Garden Reviews

• 
  Sarah (is only writing short reviews for now)

  I read this for the
  URR 2017 New Year's Reading Challenge prompt 'An Amish Romance'
  
  17/2 - Okay, so my first experience of 'Amish' romance didn't go too badly. The religiosity wasn't too overt (as a well-read atheist I know many bible stories, but don't enjoy having the themes shoved in my face so I was pleased about that), in fact for the first 30% you'd hardly know it was set in an Amish community. It could have been any close-knit community in Midwest 1880s. It wasn't until the bishop forced Sara and Adam to get married or face the shunning of the entire community that hints of Amishness appeared.
  
  There were a lot of punctuation problems, mostly speech marks related - speech marks for internal dialogue, none for conversations, an opening set but no closing and vice versa - there was barely a page that was spared the curse of the incorrectly placed speech mark.
  
  I also noticed a couple of strangely described situations where I questioned Blair's understanding of simple terms
  
  '...until a milk stream pierced her cheek and dripped down her face.' from page 103
  
  Has Sara got dangerously thin skin or does that cow udder have the propulsion of a rocket?
  
  and the time on page 148 when Adam's daughters suggested that nettles be one of the flowers they planted in their new garden the next spring. Being Australian I've never actually seen a nettle, but Wikipedia makes them sound like a plant to be avoided - "bear many stinging hairs whose tips come off when touched, transforming the hair into a needle that can inject several chemicals" (I wouldn't be planting that in any yard with little kids around to get spiked).
  
  The sex was pretty good, but I would say that this was a bit of a slow burn with not that much burning because while they were both 'rebels' in the eyes of the church (Sara a spinster midwife who dressed in 'bright' colours and Adam called 'mad and bad' by the townspeople because of his behaviour), they were believers so they didn't stray that far from their faith.
• 
  Darcy

  I definitely didn't expect this from this author. I have read her PNR books and this one couldn't be more different. This one is a really cute, sweet, innocent love story set before in the late 1880's, about a sassy Amish woman and a stubborn Amish man. Sara is a spinster with no family bucking the culture and being a midwife. Adam's wife just died after giving birth the their 4th daughter in 4 years. Both of these people have baggage galore and they spend most of the story trying deal with how they feel about each other.
  
  If you are looking for a really good feel good story make sure to check this one out.
• 
  Kate Sherwood

  I've never read an Amish romance before, although I was familiar with the concept. If this one's typical, I don't think I'll seek out any more.
  
  At first I really liked it, but it dragged on, with huge gaps and then things happening too closely together without enough explanation in the text - like a character just appearing in someone's house for no reason. And both characters got increasingly histrionic as the story progressed, lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth without nearly enough reason for it.
  
  I was also annoyed by the depiction of the Amish lifestyle. Apparently they had it pretty easy - the husband is able to take seven weeks off, during planting season, to drop a stranger's family off somewhere safe, and while he's gone his wife and children frolic in their butterfly garden rather than slaving away on the farm. It's okay, because the neighbour does the husband's chores for him - apparently the neighbour doesn't have anything better to do with his time, either, and apparently all farmers do is barn chores. Well, later on there was mention of "harvest chores", but given that they'd never apparently bothered to plant anything I'm sure the harvest couldn't have been too onerous!
  
  And there seemed to be strange contrasts in just how rigid the rules were... the husband had to keep his whiskers trimmed to the proper length to avoid censure, but it was okay for the wife to trot all over the place with the English doctor, snuggling with him and caressing him in public? Really?
  
  I don't know. I'm glad I read it, just to say I've given the Amish Romance thing a try.
• 
  Jacqueline J

  Not typical of Amish romances. This one has sex in it. Granted the sex is pretty flowery but it's there. I enjoyed this one mostly because of the hero. I like a taciturn hero. This one had been abused by his father and equated love with beatings so he tried not to love his kids. There were some big coincidences and not a lot of reality in the day to day life of a working farmer but all in all a pleasant read. Not a lot of religious stuff either so I wouldn't really consider this Christian Fiction.
• 
  Freedom

  Great fast read...loved it. I seriously want Sara as a friend! Adam...what can I say ;) Loved the Way Annette wrote this relationship... I need to read more of her work! (Oh and is there an Emma based story out there?)
• 
  Rachel

  I'm all about midwives and the Amish so this story was a good one for me. It's labeled as an Amish Historical Sensual book, but I didn't find it to be too sensual. The book is a great read for getting over grief, and abuse while learning to love again.
• 
  Klista

  Wow! What a pleasant surprise!!! This is one of those books that really blows you away, it did me anyway! The subtle romance leaves you wanting more.
• 
  Sarah Peralta

  Whoa! Way too explicit for an Amish story. Good story line but holy cow! Not as good as her last Amish novel.
• 
  Sabi Edwards

  I loved this book and gobbled it up in two days!!
• 
  Viper Spaulding

  Amazing love story!
  
  Sara and Adam certainly seem ill-suited at first, and it's a wonder anyone could love the gruff, broody man who insists that he cannot father his children. The author brilliantly sets up the necessary circumstances so that these two come to understand each other better as they care for his children and as Sara tends to Adam's healing.
  
  The love and intimacy that build is beautifully portrayed, sensitively detailed, and gently persuasive. Sara proves to have the insight necessary to help Adam heal his heart, too, and this part of the story was gut-wrenching in its honesty yet absolutely essential to their HEA. This book sets the bar high, and was such an absorbing story that it has ruined me for all other Amish romances.
• 
  Carol Ann

  Amish woman Sara Lapp is shunned for studying to become a midwife. Her first call to tend a birth comes from Mad Adam Zuckerman. But Adam's wife has already died, and Sara learns that Adam called her only to take his children. Adam is afraid he will hurt his children in the way his father hurt him. Without his wife to protect them, Adam must find someone else, and he can think of only one woman brave enough, Sara, whose passion for things beyond her control is greater than is good for her. When Adam is hurt, Sara and his girls move in. When the Bishop insists that they marry or be shunned Sara and Adam face the greatest challenge of their lives.
• 
  Marian Baay

  I found this a nice read, but would not recommend this book to most Christians who devour many Amish books, because of the sensual nature and a couple of swear words. However, if this doesn't bother you, then go ahead and enjoy; it is a fun read.
  I liked the characters and storyline, but the writing style is a bit confusing from time to time. An editor should have fixed this before publishing. I read this book for free and considering this it was good enough to read, but I'm glad I didn't pay for it.
• 
  Keely

  Unfinished. The premise of this book sounds intriguing though I honestly did not see the cover with the description of “sensual Amish historical”…but I’m about 30% in and it’s not my thing. Lacking so much depth of character and things moved FAST after this poor woman died in childbirth. The midwife is forced to move in with the widower to care for his children after an accident—then they’re forced to get married after like a second…like I said I’m 30% in!!! Not gonna waste my time.
• 
  Carol Burnside

  Another good one.
  
  I really like these sensual Amish stories by Blair. I wish there was more of them to read. Maybe someday...
• 
  Terra Denniston

  This was a great story! I loved it but didn't give it 5 stars because at some places it jumped oddly and the punctuation wasn't always right.
• 
  TinaMarie

  Amish story love story, with each suffering childhood loss/abuse
  
• 
  Ray

  This is a beautiful book that's a well written story of healing and hope. It's predictable but that makes it comfortable.
• 
  saundrea robinson

  I thought it was a very good book with believable characters. Interesting to learn more about the Amish.
• 
  Carissa Anne

  I absolutely cannot fathom why this book possibly has so few bad reviews. The story line was so jumpy that from the beginning of the book to the point where they get married (note: 75 pages in), the author could have easily stretched that into a book alone. Months passed within paragraphs, and integral plot was skipped over. Because of this, the two main characters went from hating each other to falling in love, with no explanation of the time in between.
  
  My kingdom for some description! I have no idea what even one of the characters look like, aside from the fact that they're male or female and a rough age range. The only time we even figure out Sara's hair color is during one of the many sex scenes, which are by far not the norm for an Amish-themed book, and unnecessary in my opinion. This genre generally isn't sought out by those who want to read something so explicit.
  
  Half the time, I thought that Adam was a werewolf or something, with the way he was carrying on about how he had to hold himself back and couldn't be allowed to love and couldn't get a woman pregnant, for fear of her life. His reactions and inner monologue were far too extreme to be for the reason it was.
  
  The interaction with Jordan, the doctor, was also inappropriate. Sara acted like she either had an ongoing relationship with the man, or had in the past. She was a married woman and he was kissing her, cuddling up to her, and she was stroking his cheek and smiling fondly to wake him from his sleep with his head in her lap. No forgiveness was asked for these actions, even though they were by far not those found in a normal friendship. He also had feelings for Adam's sister, which just ended up looking inappropriate, because we never found out what his sister's age was - and she was made out to be around thirteen or fourteen, with the way she was acting. This made the doctor into a pervert.
  
  I have never heard a child speak like his children did, either - using "my" instead of "I" was extremely, teeth-grindingly annoying, and it was never corrected. "My doesn't want you to go?" What in the world is that?
  
  Not a good book. If it was stretched out, description was added, a chill pill was given to Adam, and time was given for events to occur, then maybe it could have been salvaged in some way. Please don't waste your time on something that will only annoy you.
• 
  Sharene

  Since I’ve been learning about Amish living, it helps me to appreciate how Amish based stories are written. Some of the concepts of the how and why certain decisions are made can be very tough….either go with the order given or be shunned. No matter who you are or your upbringing…anyone can be shunned. That being said, this book was a pretty decent Amish read.
  Most women want to get married and have a family no matter what your background….but Sara Lapp wanted to become a midwife. She has to face the order to be shunned so she can help women in childbirth. Her first call was to Adam Zuckerman, who everyone calls Mad Adam. He had a brutal childhood and who feared his father and grew up to become mad with the world. Unfortunately, Adam’s wife had already gone to peace before Sara arrived. Adam needed someone to help him raise his three girls as well as protect the girls from himself. Sara agreed to care for his girls until after the funeral. Adam was still afraid of himself to harm the girls, so he convinced Sara until after harvest time.
  Adam being so stuck in his past was avoids loving and caring for anyone even his children. But Adam gets badly physically hurt and he needs someone to tend to him. Since Sara was already taking care of the children, Sara was asked to live in and take care of Adam too. Because of the Amish ways, the Bishop insisted that Sara and Adam marry since they lived in the same household or be shunned…..there’s that word shunned again!
  But God has a plan! It is not always how we would like the plan to go but it is for our good in the end. Right?!
  I enjoyed this book…it shows that anyone can change and there is always a chance at love.
  
• 
  Beverlee Couillard

  I don't know when I've read a more disturbing story, yet, this is a very good book. The writing is very good, which is so important when telling a story of such a horrifying magnitude. Don't get me wrong, regardless of the subject matter, it's worth your time to read it. The writer takes an unusual path in WHO tells this story. One of the victims is being questioned by the police, but this is not a so-called police procedure novel. When asked a question about how all these "butterflies," read: young girls, were kidnapped. and became captives for so long; the story is told by her; the role of the police in this story is minor. This novel is, violent, sexual, yet hardly any of this is told graphically--we are not beat over the head with it--the author did a fantastic job of allowing us to understand it without descriptions, which would have been more than I would care to read. This is a very different "abduction" story, and one that is told beautifully, for such a novel. I do recommend it, but warn you...a tough story is told here, but by an author who tells it with as much "taste" as possible without losing the horrific impact on lives of these many girls. A writing lesson for me.
• 
  Wanda

  Sara is a midwife in and Ohio Amish community. She is called to her friend Abby's home to deliver her fourth baby. When she arrives Adam, Abby's husband is waiting for her on the front porch. He gives her a hard time when she tells him he is killing his wife having babies so close together. He finally lets her in to go to Abby, and discovers Abby is dead and the baby is wrapped up and in the cradle by the bed. Sara lifts the sheets and discovers that Abby had bled to death.
  
  Adam is filled with demons from his abusive childhood and tells Sara she must take his children. She fights him on this, but relents. She falls in love with the girls. The time for her to return the girls to their father is pushed back until the time when Adam falls from a tree and injures himself. Sara moves into his house to nurse him back to health. Adam begins to fall in love with Sara, but he denies what he is feeling. The Bishop gets involved and the outcome of their hearing is that they must marry. They fall madly in love with each other and Adam learns that he can love without being abusive like his father.
  
  I enjoyed this book, however, there are some scenes which are more adult that most of the book.