Review: Inescapable

Lizzie Engel is a young, caring mother to her daughter Charity, much more caring than she believed her own parents to be, especially her father. But Lizzie is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Years after having run from her Old Order Mennonite hometown of Kingdom with an illegitimate daughter, a threat to her freedom and safety force her back. Little does she know that danger has followed her.

To be honest, the book began a bit slow for me. Though it didn’t drag, I thought Lizzie could have returned to Kingdom sooner than page forty-three. Once she did, the pace picked up and I found myself enmeshed in the story.

The theme of this book is forgiveness—the forgiveness of past wrongs. It’s made clear through the family’s relationships. But being a romance writer and reader, I have to say I would have preferred seeing more of the hero in this book. I felt I really didn’t know him well enough to cheer for the romance element. The deeper interaction was between Lizzie and her parents.  

All that to turn around and say I enjoyed the novel. It has some quirky characters—not because they’re Old Order Mennonite, but because they’re…well, fun. Charity’s revulsion for outdoor potties made me laugh. (Who hasn’t felt that way?) And I liked Lizzie and her sense of responsibility in raising her Cherry-bear.

Inescapable, the first book in the Road to Kingdom series, allows the reader to “escape” to a world (likely) different than they’re used to, while being caught up in romantic mystery.

As a historical writer, my imagination tends to live in those horse and buggy days. How do you think you would fare if there were no modern conveniences to see you through your day? Which ones could you not do without? Which ones would you like to get rid of?

Disclosure of Material Connection: This story came to me free from Bethany House with the hope that I would mention it on this blog. There was no requirement for me to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.