Unforgiven

In this propulsive series opener from Gray (His Risk), two outcasts from the Amish community in Crittenden County, Ky., forge a friendship that might become more if their pasts don’t derail it first. Tabitha Yoder has led a reclusive life in the five years since her divorce from her abusive husband forced her to leave the Amish faith and distance herself from her community. She’s skittish and stays inside whenever Good Samaritan Seth Zimmerman comes by to do chores for her, until the day when the two lock eyes through the window while he’s chopping her firewood. When Tabitha goes outside to thank him, she’s smitten. Seth has been ostracized by the Amish community after he indirectly caused a man’s death and spent several years in prison, but he retains an unshakable belief in God that gives Tabitha hope for the future. Just as things start to heat up between them, Tabitha gets word that her ex has been picked up for assault by the police in a nearby community and released. She worries it’s only a matter of time before he returns to stalk her—a fear that quickly comes true and threatens to involve Seth, who can’t afford another mark on his record. Gray’s multifaceted narrative blends uneasy suspense, slow-burning romance, and community drama, all while leaving plenty of secrets yet to be uncovered. Readers will be eager to get their hands on the follow-up. (May)