Girls Who Pray

by Evelyn Dar

New York Times bestselling author Claire Roberts is being sued by the Amish.

Yep, those Amish.

Claire’s latest release, a tell-all memoir about growing up Amish, reveals startling truths and intimate details about a passionate, secret love affair between herself and another woman. Claire now stands accused of libel and finds herself locked in a legal battle against the very community she once called home.

Can Claire defend the truth of her words while still protecting the privacy of the woman she once loved? And perhaps still does?

Genres: LGBT, Lesbian, Romance, Second Chance, Adult, Fiction, Religion

185 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 26, 2019

About the author

Mailing List
http://eepurl.com/dpVwJr

Blog
http://www.evelyndar.com

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/evelyndarwrites

Reviews

[Corporate Slave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!!! I didn’t read this, I inhaled every single word of every single sentence and chapter! That was one hell of a book!
I don’t even know where to start! You know what? I’m just going to ask you nicely all to DEVOUR this book!
This is the most solid 5 I’ve given this year!
Miss Evelyn: bravo 👏 and most importantly thank you for this wonderful experience.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second read only a day after finishing the first time. That ought to tell you how much I liked this one. This time around I noticed more of the feelings and emotions opposed to young lust.

I also thought there were some things not resolved. For example the Netflix deal her Marc talks to her about in the beginning. Did she take the deal or not? We shall never know.

I didn't catch it the first time but in the second read I questioned how someone could see underwater in the dead of night. And why the author described lake water as seawater.

However, on my first review I thought this situation going to trial was suspect given what Claire's lawyer knew all along. This time, I noticed there was a small reference as to why. So that was an unfair critique.

I loved this more deeply than even before. So all weird editing things get a PASS.



Come on, Evelyn Dar. Where in the world did this come from?!

I loved, Loved, LOVED this book! 5 Stars. Favorites shelf. Period.

Claire is being sued by the Amish for a non-fiction book release of her relationship with a woman during her time in the Amish community. The story intricately moves between past and present to reveal their restrictive and oppressive lives. It is a coming of age story. Then as the years go by it becomes an angsty drama. The passage of time gives this an epic love story feel.

What I really liked about this book was that it wasn't just a story about two women falling in love. It was layered with friends and family issues. I was invested in all of their relationships and how what was happening impacted everyone.

Dar knows how to create intense situations. From discreet hand holding, hidden underwater touches, handsy porch encounters, and explorations in the barn... the threat of their forbidden interactions being uncovered was high and kept me feeling super anxious. But I was rooting for them to come together.

It hurt to see Rachel struggle with her attraction and feelings. And at times it was frustrating, too. But the deep weight of religion made her feel guilty and somehow responsible.

I thought it was unique how Rachel wasn't just some rebellious girl that hated her place among the Amish. She truly believed in the religion and way of life. She never felt like she wanted to leave but circumstances made her feel that it was the only solution.

Also, I recently commented on another review that Sarah Water's 'Fingersmith' contained the best twist ever. There is something in this that gives that one a run for it's money. I was well and truly shocked. Then it made me think about things. And ultimately I came away both wanting to re-read it and to praise Dar for her careful writing that made me unconsciously make assumptions.

Were there some things that MAY be a bit suspect? Sure. I wasn't a fan of some chosen kid names. It was a bit too cheese for me. And I doubt that this would have every truly made it to trial given all that Jenny (Claire's lawyer and friend) knew about the situation all along.

But given how much I was entertained, those things just didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Read this, OK? Forbidden romance, Amish, young lust, adult love, family drama, and radios up skirts.

[Heat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book I would normally read. I tend to stay away from books that feature religion. If it wasn’t for seeing this on someone’s end of year list I would have skipped right by. I couldn’t stop reading. And once I was done reading I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

If you have KU hurry up and download it. If you don’t, hurry up and throw some money at it.

[Sapphic Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well damn—I needed a moment to recover after I finished this one. Even though I predicted the big twist by chapter 8, the reveal was still super satisfying nonetheless. The writing style was spot-on, and I never once felt the urge to skim; it kept me hooked through all 15 chapters.

It was so close to being a 5-star read for me, but the romance didn’t quite hit the mark. I felt like Sarah and Rachel’s relationship needed more development. A few extra chapters to explore their connection could have elevated the story. Their love felt more like a product of their isolated environment—two young people leaning on each other simply because they had no other options instead of a genuine love that they would have chosen if their circumstances were different.

[John Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my second outing with Ms Dar. An involving story of two young Amish women who commit the unpardonable sin of falling in love with each other, which is strictly forbidden according to this book. One of the two writes a non fiction book about their liaison, which means the author is sued by the bishop as to its veracity. Confusion reigns and a bit too much back and forth, but an ok story. 3 Stars

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! What a story!! Girls Who Pray is simply awesome!!!Read it based on the many reviews from GR friends and am reaaaally glad that did! I just can't put down the book once I got started. So engrossed that I didn't realise that I'm actually tearing towards the end of the book. GWP had all the ingredients of a great book; family drama, forbidden love, angsty scene, lost love, first love.... My only gripe is that the book is a tad too short and no epilogue?

Solid 5

[Agirlcandream · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever, clever

Oh the Amish. Comfort, control and for women who love women, constricting. I enjoyed sinking into this romance/family drama. Nicely done.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this one up only because several reliable reader reviews expressed loving this book. I do not subscribe to KU and rarely purchase KU author's books. This one is so worth it. It is a fast read, and I doubt you will put it down once you start. It was so nice to read a different type of romance. Once I finished this one I immediately purchased another book by this author. If you want a short read that will leave you thinking about it for days after you finish, this one is perfect.

[Mekeia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, this was unexpectedly awesome! A big thanks to carrie and corporate slave, if it hadn't been for your reviews, I might not have known about this gem.

So yeah, please everyone, pick it up and read it. That's all

[Jo reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I've read from this author and it was surprisingly a very good storyline. Will definitely be reading more books by Evelyn Dar.

[JulesGP · Rating 5 out of 5]

GR Friends are always on point. Recently, I
spotted a friend’s great review of the book. So often, I’m in a rush to read the newest books that I forget about the older books on my tbr such as Girls Who Pray. So I went ahead and dove in.

Claire is former Amish and is now being sued by her former Bishop. She wrote a memoir about her years with the Amish and how she fell in love with one of the other Amish women. The Bishop is calling them lies. Girls Who Pray goes back and forth between the present and the past but everything flows so well that I almost read the book in one sitting. The character development, the passion, the longing, the less is more sexy scenes are incredibly potent. I was deeply invested in the two women’s story. Their dedication to family and their faith is important and not disrespected which I appreciated. A short but spectacular read.

[BadassCmd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girls Who Pray is not a book I would have chosen to read by myself, but I am glad I did.

I expect books with heavy religious themes to freak me out and make me uncomfortable. But in the end I decided to give May 2020’s Sapphic Book Club read a chance since as a German, the Amish are not something that exists anywhere close to me, so I could view it with enough distance.

And while it does show an inherent homophobia from people of this believe, all in all I didn’t think it was too disturbing to enjoy the story.

Now, to the actual plot:

It's a melancholic book and definitely not uplifting for most of the story, but it paints an intense and capturing atmosphere. And it has a happy ending.

The main character Rachel was really interesting to me. On the one hand she is the one trying to not act on her feelings, hopes they go away and keeps insisting to Sarah that their feelings for each other are wrong. But she is also the one leaving the Amish to live in the outside world again and again.
I expected her as “the one who gets out” to be criticizing the amish’s homophobia, leaving to live openly and beg Sarah early on to come with her so they can be together in their youthful love. But the reality is always more complicated than that.

And I really never saw that plot twist coming.

Spent quite some time trying to remember the whole book back and see if it made sense and also if there were any signs leading up to that. I don't know if there were, but it was a good twist and I am happy with it.

[Best Lesfic Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is a book you’ll be reading at an even pace, enjoying the writing, the characters, the environment that is built so well – and bam! along comes an unexpected twist that makes the book simply exhilarating…and you almost want to start re-reading the whole thing from start again to see if you’ve missed anything.

Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...

[Statum · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book!!! This was so not what I expected and in the best way possible. I devoured this.

The book was very well written. It spoke a lot about the Amish faith and it was very enlightening. I enjoy so much learning about different faiths and religions. This gave me glimpse into the Amish faith and the trials and tribulations that some endure.

This book will have you on the edge if your seat. Then when you think you know what’s going on, it will take a turn. So much fun to read this suspenseful romance.

I’m so excited to find this author and I look forward to recommending her and also reading more from them.

[khi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the back of mind laid the simple prediction of a plot twist the second the flashbacks started- and even though I predicted it this author still managed to build me up to shock.

Loved this book, my only problem would be the ending. I would’ve loved it to be a bit more romantic or even longer. A bigger shock would’ve been if Rachel and Claire were already together and she was waiting for her to come home.

[chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many things to love about this story! Navigating young sapphic love is challenging enough without the added complexity of living in a repressive and misogynistic religious community. Evocative writing, great romantic and suspense plots, and well-developed side characters.

The plot twist was EXCELLENT. I still enjoyed the reveal though I guessed it might be coming. It is The Reason™️ I’ll recommend this book to others. My only qualm is that the whole book hinges on the Bishop being… unbelievably stupid as well as hateful, but there isn’t enough of him in the book for me to fully “buy” how the trial was resolved. 4.5 stars

[Nadine Bok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and a quirky plot line. Great read!!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness! The synopsis is unique enough, and I was hooked on the opening chapter. I tried not to spoiler, but I do have lots confuse feelings during the middle of the book, mostly I feel the character is being contradictory. But then the biggest plot twist happens, and everything suddenly makes sense. I did not see that coming!

I tend to avoid wlw fiction that involves religion because it usually makes me devastating; even the ending is happily ever after. In this case, after too many years when they finally have each other, the book seems to end up abruptly and has no epilogue at all. I wish there was more but then I thought, maybe it was done on purpose. Clair made a cliffhanger in her “book,” and I believe this is the cliffhanger that Evelyne Dar gave to the reader. All we have to know is that they are finally free and happy and full of love.

This book is brilliant and amazing. You gotta read it!

[Vita L. Licari · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating book! It pulls you into the Amish world and how families work, and their "politics ". But it doesn't stop 2 young women from falling in love. There is a twist that makes you gasp! You'll be so happy you read this great book! A FAVORITE! 5 stars!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For being relatively different in a sea of similar novels, I have to give Evelyn Dar major kudos. And I felt that well before the moment that made me gasp. But I have to admit I was a little disappointed overall. Dar gives us an interesting premise—set in Amish country, no less: religious dogma, forbidden love, etc; but this didn’t really grab me emotionally. I think it’s because Dar doesn’t do a great job setting up the present moment scenes and secondary characters (ie Claire’s friends), so the overall narrative suffers for it. Also, the novel is riddled with typos and/or bad grammar and, at points, the wrong character seems to be speaking. I had to reread small sections to make sure I was understanding the words correctly.

I’m glad I read this, but considering its average Goodreads rating, I was expecting more. That’s not really Dar’s fault, but the comma splices are.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there a movie made of this? There needs to be one. This one broke my heart more than once. It's so well written I was drawn in from the very first paragraph. Rachel and Sarah know their love is forbidden in the Amish community, and just try to find a way to make it work . The secondary characters are sharply drawn and impact the story as strongly as the main characters. The flow of the story is great. Like a river heading to the ocean, you know the direction the story is going. But wait...a twist in an already great story takes you to another level. I love this book. I give it 10 out of 5 stars!

[Anna Avian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the author had put more time and effort into research prior to writing this book. There were a lot of inaccuracies regarding the trial process which made the story less credible. The constant going back and forth between two choices became absurd at some point. The plot twist was the only thing that kind of salvaged it for me because it was unexpected, otherwise I would have given it 2 stars.

[Kexx · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book which was also educational - impressive - with a powerful tale but it was a bit "WTF" that dropped it down a star - though that does feel a bit mean. With continual flashbacks I needed to read it quickly so I didn't lose the flow of it all. Glad I read it.

[Cal · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I’m rarely surprised with a plot twist and the one in this one got me. The story overall is well told with likable characters. All the elements deserving of five stars. I definitely recommend.

Can there be a sequel?

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly fantastic. I couldn’t read it fast enough. I read it on KU and loved it so much I bought it afterwards so I can read it again.

[Lesbereading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me so completely sucked I had to finish it in one sitting. Then I proceeded to continue thinking about it these last 24 hours. It was not a light read but that was pretty clear before picking it up due to it being religious, Amish specifically, in nature, but it was super good. At one part I said out loud “Oh my god!!!” and covered my mouth which if you read it you’ll know that exact moment.

[Gabriela · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read this year. I cried so hard in the end. It was really emotional. I have no words to describe how i feel after reading this. I just want everyone to read this beautiful love story.

[Mirtha Siblesz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

This was an excellent story. This is the third story I’ve read by this author. With every book this author gets better and better. This book was beautifully written and the characters Rachel and Sarah’s chemistry is off the charts. The evolution of their relationship within the confines of the Amish strict community was heartbreaking and enlightening at the same time. Such a quirky plot line. Yet, what a wonderful ending!

[Matty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I'm in awe of this book. I set a book challenge for myself this year to read 50 books, and this was the 50th book I've read since the start of January. I've read some incredible books this year, but I really think I saved the best one for last. This book was so captivating in so many ways. It definitely tops the list of one of my all time favorites. To think I almost didn't read it because of the title. Never judge a book by its title 😄.

[XR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah... that twist really got me good, and man, it was satisfying!

I would love to read a sequel to this, or a short story just 'cause it'd be nice to see what happens to Sarah, Rachel and the kiddos.