Contemporary Amish Fiction ~ Courting Cate


Disclosure *I was given a copy of this book. All thoughts are from @FitzysMom of Rambles of a SAHM

Leslie Gould
Contemporary Fiction/Amish



Back of the book:

When this couple gets to courting, sparks will fly!

In Paradise, Pennsylvania, Cate Miller is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Her sweet and flirty sister, Betsy, on the other hand, seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!

But the sisters’ wealthy father has made one hard-and-fast rule: Cate, as the oldest, must get married before Betsy can do so. Unfortunately, untamable Cate has driven away every suitor—until Pete Treger comes to town, that is.

Prodded by the men of the area, Pete turns his attention to winning Cate’s hand. But is his interest true or is there a scheme at play?


About the author:

Twitter: @lesliejeangould








Some of my strongest memories from childhood include stories—and how those stories connected me to my family and friends. As a preschooler, I remember playing Island of the Blue Dolphin with my three siblings and the neighbor kids, my father reading A Street of Flower Boxes to us before bed, and my mother reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn on long car trips. I also soaked up Bible stories and accounts of grace and redemption during Sunday school and Good News Club. Along with my love of stories, my love of writing began in those early years with my very first written word—S-K-Y.

Even though I knew I wanted to write fiction by the time I was in the sixth grade, as I grew older I pursued other things instead, such as majoring in history and communications, and then working as a museum curator, then a public relations specialist, and finally as a magazine editor. Once I finally started writing fiction, it was another ten years until I sold my first novel. By that time I’d been married for nearly 20 years and had four children of my own to read to.

In the decade since my first contract I’ve written fifteen books, from Beyond the Blue, a story about international adoption set in Vietnam, to Courting Cate, a retelling of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. No matter what I write, I aim to reveal truths about God’s love, beauty, and redemptive work in our lives. My goal is to connect more deeply to God, family, and friends through my writing. My hope is that my stories encourage readers to deepen their own connections too.

My thoughts:

If I had to sum this book up in one word it would be clever. Why clever you ask? Leslie has taken the skeleton of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew and fleshed it out in her own unique way. It is kind of like Old England meets Lancaster County.

I am a big fan of Shakespearian literature so when I first heard about this book I kept wondering how Leslie was going to stay true to the storyline yet keep it an Amish based book. I was pleasantly surprised at how closely she stuck to the original.

The thought of an Amish woman being a shrew just didn’t fit with my perception of how I think they conduct themselves. The character of Cate really does start out as a shrew. It is very interesting to read about why Cate has developed such a churlish attitude. The contrast between her and her sister Betsy couldn’t be more apparent. The whole community loves Betsy but many tend to avoid Cate. Of course if you know the original story you already know that Betsy isn’t all that she appears to be. Cate’s motives are about self-preservation while Betsy’s are just selfish.

The second book in the series, Adoring Addy was just released and I look forward to snatching it up as well. It is based on the story of Romeo and Juliet. If it is even half as witty as this book it will be worth the read. 


Disclosure: The opinions expressed in this review are those of @FitzysMom from Rambles of a SAHM. A book was provided free of cost in order to facilitate this review. This post contains affiliate links. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"


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