Arms of Mercy (Amish Mercies)

Arms of Mercy by Ruth Reid is the second An Amish Mercies Novel. Catherine Glick is hoping her boyfriend of five years, Zach will propose to her on New Year's Eve. Her old beau, Elijah Graber arrives bringing up old feeling in Catherine along with resentment and anger. When her cousin from Sarasota writes about needing help in the bakery, Catherine decides it is providence. Elijah knows that he has hurt Catherine and he would like the opportunity to explain his actions. The bus trip will allow them time to talk and hopefully rekindle their relationship. Elijah has never stopped loving Catherine. Just when they start to grow closer, an accident tears them apart. Elijah is determined to find Catherine and prays for God to assist him in his venture.

Arms of Mercy may be the second book in An Amish Mercies Novel series, but it can be read alone. I thought the book was well written and it had an interesting scenario. My attention was captured and held until the middle of the book. The pacing is good in the beginning, but it slows down considerably in the middle. I was glad when the pacing increased towards the end and I was once again invested in the story. Do you believe that God would send one of his angels to assist you? I believe that God guides us, and it is not beyond belief that in challenging situations, he would send an emissary. It is a thought-provoking concept. Ruth Reid does a beautiful job at weaving Christian beliefs (prayer, having faith, forgiveness) into the story. At times, though, I did feel that there was too much scripture (felt preachy). It is amazing how a lack of communication, misunderstanding and miscommunication can change a person's life. I could feel (and understand) Catherine's frustrations with Zach as he continued to drag out their courtship and focused on his watch/clock business. Five years is a long time to wait for a person to commit. The ending did feel a little rushed after the long search (the area that dragged for me), but I appreciated the epilogue. Arms of Mercy is an intriguing story. I am rating Arms of Mercy 4 out of 5 stars. This is a story that will stay with you after you finish it.