What do you think?
Rate this book
Rum Spring
Sometimes love doesn't play by the rules.
Rebecca Lapp is a devout follower of her Amish faith and a firm believer in the Ordnung, the set of rules that govern her life in the tiny Pennsylvania town she calls home. When she meets Dylan Mahoney, however, the rules go out the window. During Rebecca's rumspringa—the four-year period during which Amish teenagers decide whether to join the church or leave it for the outside world—Dylan, a film buff and aspiring movie critic, shows Rebecca a world she never dreamed of. The pair make plans to spend the rest of their lives together until a rift forms between their families and forces them to part ways. After much soul-searching, Rebecca decides familial loyalty is more important than her own happiness. But when Dylan develops feelings for another woman, Rebecca's loyalty is put to the test.
Love or tradition? Which path will she choose?
Rebecca Lapp is a devout follower of her Amish faith and a firm believer in the Ordnung, the set of rules that govern her life in the tiny Pennsylvania town she calls home. When she meets Dylan Mahoney, however, the rules go out the window. During Rebecca's rumspringa—the four-year period during which Amish teenagers decide whether to join the church or leave it for the outside world—Dylan, a film buff and aspiring movie critic, shows Rebecca a world she never dreamed of. The pair make plans to spend the rest of their lives together until a rift forms between their families and forces them to part ways. After much soul-searching, Rebecca decides familial loyalty is more important than her own happiness. But when Dylan develops feelings for another woman, Rebecca's loyalty is put to the test.
Love or tradition? Which path will she choose?
264 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2010
About the author
Yolanda Wallace
19 books96 followersYolanda Wallace is not a professional writer, but she plays one in her spare time. She has written seven novels, and her short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies. She and her partner live in beautiful coastal Georgia, where they are parents to four children of the four-legged variety — a boxer and three cats.
Yolanda Wallace also writes under the pen name Mason Dixon.
Yolanda Wallace also writes under the pen name Mason Dixon.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 4, 2017
This is my second Yolanda Wallace book I've read this year. My first was one of her new releases, Divided Nation, United Hearts--a Civil War historical romance that I really enjoyed. I liked this book just as much, and I love how diverse Wallace's subjects and characters are.
The beginning of this book is probably the clunkiest part of the entire read. It starts with young teenagers Rebecca and Dylan, who are good friends despite coming from wildly different backgrounds in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Rebecca comes from a devout Amish family where she's expected to go to church, marry a nice Amish man, and eke out a quiet, content existence as loyal family woman. Dylan, on the other hand, is a modern movie buff who wants Rebecca to be able to experience all the world has to offer during her four-year rumspringa. Like I said, the first 10% or so is a little rocky--we're not exactly sure how Dylan's family and Rebecca's people met or why they are friends, and there was an abandoned sub-plot about a shooting in the Amish community that seemed to be plucked from the headlines but I can't find a basis in reality for. However, once you catch onto the loving, deep connection between the two young women, you're immediately invested in their romance.
I was more attached to Rebecca than I was to Dylan. I identified more with her, which is weird, because my upbringing more closely mirrors Dylan's. Rebecca is part of a loving home, a thriving community, and has prospects as a talented quilter, but that means nothing if she can't be with the one she loves. Seeing a good person struggle like that is always hard, especially since it all seems so hopeless. But, because this is a romance, . We always knew there would be a HEA, but getting there was a tense ride!
Wallace is also very good at providing background info without clumsily dumping it onto the page. We learn about Amish culture through events in the story, not through facts sprinkled her and there--we pick up on the rules and language and customs very quickly, which brings us close to Rebecca right away. I'm not sure I've ever read a book with Amish characters before, so I learned a ton along with enjoying a great story.
I really, really liked the sub-plot about Rebecca's sister Sarah, who is battling her own demons due to events that occurred during her own rumspringa years before. When we find out that our heart breaks for her, even more so when she is shunned from the community that raised her. This book in no way demonizes Amish folks, their culture, or their religion--it only shows how secrets always come out in the end and how they rarely have positive consequences. Though I love Rebecca and Dylan, I probably would've read a book about Sarah's experiences alone.
Also, lesfic is sadly short on good sub-plots, so a really good one is always a treat.
Since I know now that Wallace can pull of both historical dialect and modern language/slang, I'm really eager to dig into the rest of her works (many of which are already on my Kindle). She's obviously a woman with many interesting stories to tell. I think this is a great read that will appeal to many readers, not just lesfic lovers.
The beginning of this book is probably the clunkiest part of the entire read. It starts with young teenagers Rebecca and Dylan, who are good friends despite coming from wildly different backgrounds in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Rebecca comes from a devout Amish family where she's expected to go to church, marry a nice Amish man, and eke out a quiet, content existence as loyal family woman. Dylan, on the other hand, is a modern movie buff who wants Rebecca to be able to experience all the world has to offer during her four-year rumspringa. Like I said, the first 10% or so is a little rocky--we're not exactly sure how Dylan's family and Rebecca's people met or why they are friends, and there was an abandoned sub-plot about a shooting in the Amish community that seemed to be plucked from the headlines but I can't find a basis in reality for. However, once you catch onto the loving, deep connection between the two young women, you're immediately invested in their romance.
I was more attached to Rebecca than I was to Dylan. I identified more with her, which is weird, because my upbringing more closely mirrors Dylan's. Rebecca is part of a loving home, a thriving community, and has prospects as a talented quilter, but that means nothing if she can't be with the one she loves. Seeing a good person struggle like that is always hard, especially since it all seems so hopeless. But, because this is a romance, . We always knew there would be a HEA, but getting there was a tense ride!
Wallace is also very good at providing background info without clumsily dumping it onto the page. We learn about Amish culture through events in the story, not through facts sprinkled her and there--we pick up on the rules and language and customs very quickly, which brings us close to Rebecca right away. I'm not sure I've ever read a book with Amish characters before, so I learned a ton along with enjoying a great story.
I really, really liked the sub-plot about Rebecca's sister Sarah, who is battling her own demons due to events that occurred during her own rumspringa years before. When we find out that our heart breaks for her, even more so when she is shunned from the community that raised her. This book in no way demonizes Amish folks, their culture, or their religion--it only shows how secrets always come out in the end and how they rarely have positive consequences. Though I love Rebecca and Dylan, I probably would've read a book about Sarah's experiences alone.
Also, lesfic is sadly short on good sub-plots, so a really good one is always a treat.
Since I know now that Wallace can pull of both historical dialect and modern language/slang, I'm really eager to dig into the rest of her works (many of which are already on my Kindle). She's obviously a woman with many interesting stories to tell. I think this is a great read that will appeal to many readers, not just lesfic lovers.
Read
July 11, 2011Fairly good and refreshingly different, even though it could have dipped deeper into some of the emotions and issues.
December 13, 2010
I think what I like most are the unique ideas behind each of Yolanda's two novels. "In Media Res" was about a woman who is running through an airport and forgets who she is. "Rum Spring" is a really interesting look into a rite of passage for Amish girls. I had no idea they were even given a choice.
But the thing that puts her books on my "read again" list is that they are intelligently written and the endings so sweet. When I say "sweet," I say it with the utmost respect. It usually takes "sexy" to draw me back to a book again and again, but Yolanda can lay out a romance so gentle and heart-tugging it's like a cuddly puppy you want to a pick up as soon as you put it down. I immediately read it a second time, and I have no doubt I'll enjoy this one again months down the road when I've had time to forget the details.
But the thing that puts her books on my "read again" list is that they are intelligently written and the endings so sweet. When I say "sweet," I say it with the utmost respect. It usually takes "sexy" to draw me back to a book again and again, but Yolanda can lay out a romance so gentle and heart-tugging it's like a cuddly puppy you want to a pick up as soon as you put it down. I immediately read it a second time, and I have no doubt I'll enjoy this one again months down the road when I've had time to forget the details.
October 27, 2017
I loved this story and especially like the manner at which it was written even though on a couple of occasions I felt like smacking Rebecca for her indecisions.
I do wonder if love so dedicated and patient like Dylan's does really exist....this writer made me believe it might.
I do wonder if love so dedicated and patient like Dylan's does really exist....this writer made me believe it might.
October 9, 2023
Amish or English?
Rebecca Lapp is a devout Amish girl whose best friend Dylan Mahoney is “English.” Their two worlds can never mesh yet they both are bound together by love. During Rebecca’s two years of Rum Spring, Dylan spends her weekends showing Rebecca the English world. Will they bridge the gap between them or be separated forever? A book of family, romance, faith and romance.
Rebecca Lapp is a devout Amish girl whose best friend Dylan Mahoney is “English.” Their two worlds can never mesh yet they both are bound together by love. During Rebecca’s two years of Rum Spring, Dylan spends her weekends showing Rebecca the English world. Will they bridge the gap between them or be separated forever? A book of family, romance, faith and romance.
August 7, 2017
I loved this book. Don't read it if you are feeling emotional - I cried frequently! For me, that's a sign of a great book as it really pulls you in to the story and the characters. I couldn't stop reading the book and was even late for work because of that. I'm not mad about that because I enjoyed the entire story.
May 15, 2021
Another wonderful love story from this author.
January 31, 2022
I found the world building difficult - organised religion is a big trigger for me - and that made the whole book slightly hard work for me as a person.
It's basically an unlikely friends to lovers romance.
It's basically an unlikely friends to lovers romance.
September 13, 2020
This was a tough one to read, I could feel the struggle that Rebecca was going through and the pain every time she had to leave Dylan. The way Dylan never gave up on her was beautiful to watch.
August 16, 2012
I loved this book. Most novels about the contemporary adolescent gay experience leave me completely alienated. They all are about a very particular kind of person, and in most books I find nothing about them to identify with. On the other hand, here Wallace created a cotton-candy sweet story about a very unusual pair of young people, whom I nonetheless found more engaging, more relatable than any other protagonists I've read.
The only reason I can't give this book a five is because the prose is rather deficient - frequently obvious and occasionally dull. However, the plot and characterization more than make up for it. It's a sweet, mild read, and I truly enjoyed it.
The only reason I can't give this book a five is because the prose is rather deficient - frequently obvious and occasionally dull. However, the plot and characterization more than make up for it. It's a sweet, mild read, and I truly enjoyed it.
January 16, 2016
A book that will challenge you to think about the clash between western values and lifestyle of the 21st century and the choice to live a lifestyle not dissimilar to that of their 1800s forefathers. Can the Amish lifestyle continue largely untouched and unchallenged, as it has for over a thousand years ? There is sure a lot to learn about family values, spirituality, helping each other and living simply, that we would do well to entrench in our own lives. Although some of their beliefs and rules, we may wish to ditch, let's not throw out the baby..... Like "Married to Bhutan"by Linda Leaming, there is real appeal in 'living more simply that others may simply live.'
October 14, 2013
I made a joke with some friends a few years ago about making a NASCAR or Amish lesbian romance to scare the bored Christian housewives. Yolanda Wallace beat me to it. Besides the novelty, it's fairly standard romance with twists that are easy to foresee. That's not to say I didn't like it. It made the pots boil.
However, I do have to warn you about one line where Dylan compares Rebecca to Forrest Gump's chocolates.
However, I do have to warn you about one line where Dylan compares Rebecca to Forrest Gump's chocolates.
January 29, 2020
I got through 28% (Kindle, hence the precision) of the book before giving up.
Perfectly well written and physically readable, but the storyline was so contrived and unlikely and very little of interest was happening or seemed likely to happen that I grew bored. Likewise very little about the main two characters had really been said, so that I found myself not caring about either of them in the least as there was nothing really to 'latch on to' in that regard.
A shame really.
Perfectly well written and physically readable, but the storyline was so contrived and unlikely and very little of interest was happening or seemed likely to happen that I grew bored. Likewise very little about the main two characters had really been said, so that I found myself not caring about either of them in the least as there was nothing really to 'latch on to' in that regard.
A shame really.
December 31, 2011
My review here: http://lesbrary.wordpress.com/2011/06...
Read
July 24, 2015This was a sweet romance, though with not nearly enough sex and some weird contrived plot twists. We need to step up our game when it comes to lesbian sex scenes. Seriously.
August 14, 2015
2011 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews