A Cousin's Challenge by Wanda E Brunstetter

A Cousin's Challenge (Indiana Cousins, #3) (Center Point Christian Romance (Large Print))

by Wanda E Brunstetter

Jolene Yoder returns to Indiana to teach lip reading and sign language to the newly deaf Amish man Lonnie Hershberger. As she begins falling for Lonnie, Jolene wonders if she'll ever see "signs" of his love for her. Lovelorn Lonnie is fighting his attraction to Jolene, especially since she seems smitten by Jake Beechy. And Ella Miller is worried the roving Jake will end up breaking her cousin Jolene's heart, never realizing that Jake has really set his sights on her-Ella! Who will end up with whom as these cousins face challenges in love and life?

Reviewed by Hillary on

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This is the third and last book in the Amish Indiana Cousins Series.
This book I was looking forward too as it had a Deaf main character and I am Deaf myself. Granted the woman in the book lost her hearing after she was in a van accident and I was born Deaf but I will take a deaf character where I can find them. Especially if they are positively portrayed like they are in this book.
Jolene lost her hearing in a Van accident and had went to PA to live with her aunt to learn to sign. She is back in Indiana to teach two deaf children. She also teaches some adults in the community. Lonnie becomes deaf after getting hit in the head with a fence post. Yeah, that was stretching it a little far even for me but I am willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of the story. His girlfriend breaks up with him after he becomes deaf and he thinks he cant be a good husband because he cant hear. Throughout the whole story I kept wanting to push these two together. I know that they had to grow and the author was showing authentic relationships but honestly Jolene and Lonnie was so perfect that each time they did not end up together I just wanted to scream in frustration.
The story throughout the three books really draws you in and you can see how all of the characters grow. I became attached to the characters and was rooting for them. The story drags at times but looking back I can see it was necessary for the characters to go through what they did to complete to growth.This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 January, 2014: Finished reading
  • 16 January, 2014: Reviewed