The Gift is the second book in The Prairie State Friends series.

At twenty-five, Leah Mast is content to practice her gift of reflexology in her community to help others, but that doesn't stop her wishing to become a wife and mother. I really enjoyed Leah's character. She is such a well written character, one that was truly easy to relate to. Her love of hummingbirds and the information that Wanda Brunstetter wove into the story was interesting to read. The topic of reflexology was something else that held my attention. THE GIFT is how Leah and Adam come together under heart breaking circumstances.

Adam Beachy thinks that he is content living as a bachelor, after all something from his childhood soured him on ever getting married. He does find himself lonely at times, but he tends to overlook those feelings. When he winds up as the caretaker of his three nieces he needs help. Adam is pretty much a loner and now having three young girls in the house is driving him crazy. Why do they have to make so much noise? Adam really acts like a jerk and many times I just wanted to take him and shake some sense into him.

Even though he doesn't see eye to eye with Leah and her ideas on reflexology he hires her to take care of the girls. It doesn't take Adam long to realize that he should marry Leah, but will she agree to a marriage of convenience when she longs for so much more? Adam's character was easy to understand, my heart truly went out to him as he struggled with issues from his past, but at the same time, he was mean and he yelled at those who didn't deserve his anger.

If you haven't read the first book in the series, The Decision, you will have no problem following the storyline in THE GIFT. Wanda Brunstetter creates a storyline where I felt like I became a part of the characters lives. I felt like I was right there with them, sitting at the table snacking on a chocolate chip cheese ball with graham crackers. The ups and downs of everyday living is captured perfectly. Loss and love, hope and longing, the author allows the characters emotions to flow from the pages so easily.

A riveting plot that kept me glued to the pages, one minute THE GIFT would be going smoothly and then Ms. Brunstetter would throw in a twist that was sometimes gut wrenching. Each twist kept me wondering what might happen next. There were a few story lines going on within the story and Wanda Brunstetter blends them together perfectly, providing an ending that certainly leaves this reader longing for the next book in The Prairie State Friends series.

Fans of Amish fiction will devour THE GIFT but anyone dealing with love, loss and family issues really should give this one a try. Wanda Brunstetter has always been one of my favorite authors in the Amish genre because her work always provides inspirational messages while also providing real life issues that happen to take place in an Amish setting.