Forgiven

Plain Fear #3

by Leanna Ellis

"Leanna Ellis has written an emotionally powerful story with an unusual twist to the vampire legend."—Nina Bangs, USA Today bestselling author What Must We Sacrifice to be Forgiven? Evil returns to Promise, Pennsylvania in this gripping finale of the Amish vampire trilogy… Samuel Fisher has committed a sin of biblical proportions—he killed his own brother, Jacob. Haunted by guilt and talked by a vampire out for his soul, Samuel starts down the same dark path of destruction that led to his brother's death. A captivating coming-of-age story unlike any other, Plain Forgiven pits redemption against temptation, love against fear, and simple faith against the intricacies of sin and salvation. In the gripping final battle between hunters and vampires, Samuel must choose where his loyalties lie. The lives of those he loves—as well as his own ultimate forgiveness—hangs in the balance. Praise for Plain Forsaken : "An intense, powerful novel of love and loss, deception and deliverance."—Nancy Haddock, bestselling author of Always the Vampire "In a word...captivating. Leanna Ellis creates a world seemingly simplistic but teeming with complexity. Forsaken is a book you won't want to miss."—Elisabeth Naughton, author Tempted "Leanna Ellis takes readers on a thrilling journey to the dark side of Amish life and beyond. Forsaken exemplifies the ultimate literary juxtaposition of good and evil, and is made all the more powerful by Ellis's ability to paint a vivid and realistic picture of Amish life."—Linda Castillo, New York Times bestselling author

Genres: Amish, Romance, Christian Fiction, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Christian, Amish Fiction

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 6, 2013

About the author

Award-winning author, Leanna Ellis, writes sweet, heartwarming romances and closed-door romantic comedies with heart, humor, and hope. With over a million books sold, Ellis has won numerous awards, including the National Readers' Choice Award. She lives in Texas with her husband where they raised their two children, who now live too far away living their dreams but apparently still like to come home, probably to visit their doodle siblings who never grow up and move away. Readers who love Hallmark-style, wholesome love stories, will love The Wedding Letter series and the coming Love Note sereies. You can find more about Ellis at leannaellis.com.

Reviews

[My Book Addiction and More MBA · Rating 4 out of 5]

PLAIN FEAR: FORGIVEN by Leanna Ellis is an exciting finale to the Inspirational Amish Paranormal Romance. Book 3 in the "Plain Fear" series, but can be read as a stand alone. Although, I would recommend reading all three "Plain Fear" titles. Seem"Plain Fear: Forsaken",and "Plain Fear: Forbidden". First let me say what an amazing series this has been. Filled with sacrifice,guilt,deception,redemption,faith, and love. Samuel Fisher killed his brother,Jacob, in a previous story. Now he is trying to deal with his guilt,and the sin he committed, he is also being stalked by a vampire,who wants nothing more than to capture his very soul. While, "Plain Fear: Forgiven" is a kinda coming of age story it is so much more,for you have the balance of sin and salvation,love and fear,temptation and redemption,faith against evil,sacrifice and the power of love. What a powerful story and a finale to die for literally. Well written with just the right amount of romance,faith and love. If you enjoy Vampires,Amish faith,community,and romance than "Plain Fear: Forgiven" is the story for you to read. A captivating story from beginning to the last page! Very intense with compelling,engaging,charismatic characters. A very different storyline than just a vampire story,good vs evil,it is a story of loss,deception and finding deliverance. A must read! Ms. Ellis also paints a vivid and realistic look at the Amish faith,their life, and their community. Received for an honest review from the publisher.

RATING: 4.5

HEAT RATING: SWEET

REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you have read the Bible than you are familiar with the story of Samuel. However I bet you did not know the other version of the story. The one that goes where Samuel killed his brother, Jacob because he was not himself. He was something else. Someone people call these creatures blood suckers, undead, or vampires.

Samuel is trying to come to grips with his actions. However he better watch himself as he has a stalker. One that wants to turn him into one of them.

I have read several books by this author. Yet Plain Fear: Forgiven is the first of the Plain Fear books I have read. The idea of vampires and a biblical story I admit are not something I would ever think I would mix or that I would say in the same sentence.

Well after reading this book I have to say the two worked out alright. Because of the type of book it was the vampires were not portrayed too evil or too blood thirty. In fact the few scenes that there were of killings was quick and painless with no gore. The whole book was quick read. This is usually a very good thing but it seemed like it was really fast because details were glossed over. The good versus evil piece was there in the story but I don’t think either side prevailed over the other. This was an alright book. Not a favorite of them from this author.

[Harriet Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is the perfect ending to the Plain Fear trilogy. While it is enjoyable to read this one on its own, it is much better to have read the previous two. The author picks up the characters where she left off in the previous story. The gospel is presented as part of the story. The struggle between good and evil and what happens after death are both presented as part of the story. This book is very well written. One might think that the combination of vampires and the Amish faith would be a strange combination, but the author has done excellent research and woven a beautiful story. There are plenty of moments where the reader may feel very afraid, and rightly so. But then, the answer is also told. This is excellent writing and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys gripping Christian fiction.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of good vs evil in an amish community in book #3 of the Plain Fear series. Although a Paranormal read...I found this story (to my surprise) highly inspirational, page turning to find out what was gonna happen next as well as a story of love & forgiveness. The characters were colorful( & quite believable), fresh & youthful with great moral integrity scattered among the darkness.......which was accurately adapted to my satisfaction. Probably not a re-read for me...but one that should be read at least once for anyone who has an interest. The Author truly breathed life (good & bad) into the Amish storyline & that was refreshing, too.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally read Christian Fiction, mainly because I'm Jewish. However, when I came upon the first book in the Plain Fear series, Forsaken, about vampires and the Amish, I had to read it. I ended up liking it enough to read the whole series, Forgiven being the third and final book. I felt like this book got a little more preachy, but I still enjoyed it. And note, by preachy, I don't mean characters simply displaying their beliefs. In fact, my favorite scene in the book was when a female character (trying not to be too spoilerish) stands up to a vampire calmly armed only with words of scripture.

[Joyce Yanney · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amish family dealing with being stalked by vampires. A battle between hunters and vampires. One brother has to learn to live with the knowledge that he killed his own brother that had been turned to a vampire. To let go of his guilt and forgive himself while fighting for their lives. Simple faith of the amish against sin and their salvation. An usual twist of good and evil and the life of the amish. A book to be enjoyed. I would like to read more books by this author.

[Kate Hearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read the first 2 in this series, but things were explained enough that I knew what was going on. I plan on getting the first 2 now, as I really enjoyed this book.

I have never read a book where vampires could be exercised, and the human saved. This was an interesting spin on things. I have also never read where quoting the bible drains vampires of their power, or makes them back away.

[Lisa Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Some people may think -- an Amish vampire series? However, the author, Leanna Ellis, portrays vampires as they should be portrayed -- not as a romantic interest, but as the evil that they are. This trilogy includes Scripture, as well as topics of forgiveness and salvation. A great alternative to the "Twilight" series!

[Carolyn E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series!! I hope we will hear more Amish stories from this author.

[Sherry Gordanier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book...will have to look into the rest of the series now

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great end to the series.
Samuel Fisher is confused and guilt-ridden over his brother Jacob's death. With nowhere else to turn he seeks solace and answers at his brother Levi's house in Pennslyvania. There he is lured away to New York by a former lover hoping to learn more about Jacob. But someone else has plans for Samuel--a vampire named Giovanni, betrayed by Jacob. Now she wants revenge and will stop at nothing to get it.

Once again danger is headed towards Promise, Pennsylvania, this time in a final battle between good and evil for both Samuel's life and his soul. The decisions he makes will determine not only which side will triumph, but who will be forgiven.

[Lydia Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely could not put this book down! I am so in love with this series, but I have to say this was by far my favorite book in the series! So good. I love seeing the spiritual warfare side of things and the way that, that was incorporated in this book was so awesome! Love, love, love!!!

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A weird combo of Amish and vampires but still an enjoyable read.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? First, don't read this without reading the series in order first. You must have the background stories or this book would make no sense. At it's core this story is a continuation and completion of the series. It was a nice wrap up to all of the various bits and pieces from the prior to books.

I started this series really excited that it was a mix of vampires and Amish. I was frustrated by the first book but I decided to dive into the second book to see where it was going. I was frustrated by the second book but I really wanted to find out what happens to Roc and Rachel. Yes, the third book does reveal Roc and Rachel's story but it is focused in a lot of different directions so they are only a small part of the story. The introduction is about an angel and the soul of Jacob who died in book two. I never connected with that storyline so I was frustrated every time the story switched back to his story.

That is the problem with the whole book. There are a lot of little bits but no big bits that I could really latch on to and get worked up about. I think the book suffered from too many ideas with not enough development of any idea except that faith in God will see you through the bad times. In addition, I could not figure out the timing of events. Also, I did not like the "conclusion" of the vampire issue. It seemed abrupt and contrived. I actually rolled my eyes over it.

I will certainly look for other books by this author. I think she is very creative. Perhaps this just wasn't the right series for me. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes Christian themed books that are off the beaten path.

Quotes:
When he's confessed he appreciated the darker poems, she'd suggested the obvious: Poe. page 20

"You know that's not our beliefs, Samuel. Our God is true. Our God is a god of love, not destruction...." page 117

purchased copy from Amazon

[Jane Night · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off the idea of mixing the Amish and Vampires was BRILLIANT. I was really excited to read this book.

This is book 3 in the series and I haven’t read the others. I wish I had because I felt pretty lost. I never really felt like I had been pulled into the story partly because there was so much back story that wasn’t well explained.

If you think this series interests you I say start at the beginning. You will get so much more out of it.

I liked Samuel. I felt bad for the pain he was suffering. He is torn up about killing his brother even though it had to be done to save other people. I also liked how torn he was in the beginning of the book about his feelings towards his father and his uncertainty whether he should get baptized into the Amish faith.

I have read many Amish books and this one did feel a bit weird. Maybe not Amishy enough. I didn’t feel pulled into the Amish lifestyle as I usually do in other books. Maybe more setting and cultural details would have helped that. There were some thrown in. Enough to remind you that the characters were Amish. But, the story, setting, and even the characters at times lacked the Amish feel I usually notice when reading Amish fiction.

Also, the book started out slow. It took me a long time to get into it and it never really became a page turner for me. I could easily let it sit on the nightstand for days. I do believe that if I had started at book #1 I might have found it easier to be sucked into the very interesting world that the author creates.

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed by Aubrey
Book provided by NetGalley for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

I was so excited to read this book. Since I was very young I’ve had a fascination with the Amish. A book about vampires and the Amish- I’m so there. I was so completely lost from the beginning. I’m assuming it is because I did not read the first two books of the series.

I wanted to love this book so much and I was so disappointed. I thought it would be much more of a fast paced novel with spurts of Amish romance. It was so slow and boring in parts that I had to stop reading the novel and come back to it. It is very, very rare that I dislike a novel so much. I’m really hoping that if I read the first two novels that I will understand the plot
lines and themes more and I won’t be saying “what?” so much.

I did like how the author made the main characters so real and brought the Amish lifestyle to life. I felt like I could be a part of their community.

While I can’t recommend this novel, at the moment, I hope that I can after a second read once I read the first two books of the series.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank the author, Leanna Ellis, for sending me this book with her autograph in it. When I received the book I was very excited, but I wanted to read all three in the series in the order that she wrote them. I read the first one, but was not able to get the second one from the library, so I went ahead and read this one. I enjoyed this book and the characters in it. Samuel is a person that is trying to come to grips with his faith and the things he has done. I find his struggles believable because many people struggle with this same concept. Naomi is a strong woman that does not waiver in her faith even though she does not always understand her journey. I believe the author does a good job of showing how evil can come into even the strongest of faith based communities or households. The vampires are evil and she also does a good job of blending that into the story as well. This book also has a romantic side and it is nice to see characters make decisions based on the pure love that they have for others. I enjoyed reading this book and again thank the author.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third and final book in this Amish/Vampire series was my favorite. I felt the storyline moved at a quicker pace and the action kept me up late at night reading. Samuel and Naomi were two of my favorite characters. It was great following up with Levi & Hannah and Roc & Rachel's lives. I've read some of the other reviews and some people have only read this book. I highly recommend reading all three books in order, so you get the story from beginning to end. I would have been too confused if I only would have read this book.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Plain Fear series and I hope it is not the last. Although this one was a bit preachy, I can flow with that when the supernatural is involved. I love the characters, Amish and English. The world she has created is quite interesting and they seem to have just touched the surface of what they could do with these characters even if it has to move out of the Amish world a bit more. These books could stand alone but I recommend reading them in order to get the full effect. Fingers crossed for more.

[Mary Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great end to the trilogy. I hope Leanna decides to continue the Plain Fear series. I would like to read more about the adventures of Roc, Father Roberto, Father Anthony, Samuel and the rest of the team.

[Barbara Andrews]

I received this book free from Goodreads First Read. If you like books about the Amish and vampires you will enjoy this book. For me it was alittle weird but I read the whole book.

[Gina Shupp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it kept the reader involved in the story
Line.