4.5 stars

Hold on to your bonnet – or tiara, depending on which heroine in Unforgotten you most relate to – because Shelley Shepard Gray delivers a stalkery suspense novel that kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end, with two sweet romances for the price of one as well!

We met Bethanne Hostetler in Unforgiven as her story is very closely tied to Seth’s, the hero of that book. And while Unforgotten isn’t purely a sequel and can be read as a standalone, you will likely understand the deeper layers of her character more if you’ve read Unforgiven first. I enjoyed getting more acquainted with Bethanne – after all, she has my dream job (and likely one of yours as well), and she’s exactly the kind of winsome that I love to find in new friends. Not only do we come to appreciate her warm personality on these pages, we also get to watch her courageously face her fears and find healing from the trauma she experienced in the past… and what’s not to love about that? Jay … oh goodness, he had my heart melting with his patience and steady love for Bethanne. I loved his gentle but persistent pursuit of her, especially when he tells her that she’s worth it. Ahhhhh that makes me all twitterpated!

Bethanne’s cousin Candace is another sweet character who touched my heart with her care for and friendship with Bethanne over the past few years. Despite the fact that Bethanne is Amish and Candace isn’t, these two have a great relationship, and I had fun watching them together and reading their banter – even when they’re dealing with a pretty terrifying situation. I loved how they had each other’s backs no matter what, something that’s always refreshing to see whether in fiction or in real life. Ryan makes a very swoony police escort for the newly crowned Miss Crittenden County (aka Candace), and that first kiss – wowza!! But always lurking around the corner with these two, even as I was fanning myself over that aforementioned kiss, is the chilling shadow of Candace’s stalker. Gray does a good job of making this creep daring but cowardly all at the same time, and I must confess to jumping nearly out of my recliner when he gets too close at one point.

Bottom Line: Unforgotten by Shelley Shepard Gray combines the sweetness of two wholesome romances with the shiver-inducing instability of a stalker who’s about to snap, and I couldn’t put it down. Gray’s consistently warm and engaging writing voice always pulls me immediately into the story and its characters, and this book was no exception. Bethanne and Jay’s well-worth-the-wait romance had my heart in a little puddle of mush, and Ryan and Candace’s swoony-insta-attraction left me reaching for my fan. Both couples are edifying #relationshipgoals as far as mutual respect, honor, and friendship, and I loved getting to know all four characters. The suspense is well-crafted and builds naturally across the novel until it culminates in a final showdown that will steal your breath, twist your heart, and have you rooting for good to triumph – and quickly. Another charming and captivating visit to Amish country with Shelley Shepard Gray!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I enjoyed this book very much. I enjoyed the character development and the characters. They were believable, relatable, and fun. The mystery was paced well and intriguing. I’d read this author again.

Unforgotten is a very enjoyable book that follows Unforgiven and takes us back to Crittendon County, Kentucky. Candace and Bethanne are cousins but Candace is an Englisher and Bethanne is Amish. Both young ladies have gone through or are going through some scary stuff, Bethanne needs to overcome her past in order to have a future with Jay. And Candace needs to work with a handsome new officer in town to figure out who the man is that is stalking her.

This is a great romantic suspense that was easy to listen to. Leah Horowitz is a wonderful narrator.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own,

Publication date: 5 November 2024

In Unforgotten, by Shelley Shepard Gray, you will see Bethanne Hostetler reconnect with Jay Byler. They had formerly been friends; however, after his best friend Peter had abused her, Bethanne has stayed far, far away. Little does she know Jay has had warm feelings towards for years!

When Bethanne learns that her cousin Candace, who has recently won a local beauty contest, is dealing with a stalker, she worries that Candace is in danger. After Candace contacts the local police, she meets Ryan Mulaney. This officer begins to escort her on her many appearances. This definitely gives everyone some peace of mind!

However, when this stalker abducts both Candace and Bethanne, you have no idea if these two young women will ever find freedom again!

Shelley Shepard Gray writes Amish stories with a feel of what can really happen. I appreciate an Amish story that shows reality rather than a sweet and innocent tale that could never be. This is an excellent story to follow up her book, Unforgiven, the dramatic read about the attack on Bethanne by Peter Miller and the terrible consequences for Seth Zimmerman. If you haven't read it yet, Unforgotten can be a stand-alone but I also recommend the previous story.
Bethanne and Candace are cousins, their mother's born into the Mennonite community. Bethanne has been brought up Amish and Candice, an Englisher. They have been able to have a close relationship.
Bethanne has struggles with anxiety since the attack and is fighting her way to feel as normal as possible again. She attends a beauty pageant competition that Candice is in. Candice has her own secret battle going on. She is receiving weird notes from someone. She feels that she is being watched. Both women have faith. They need to draw on it to live through trauma and find their way to love.
Jay Byler has loved Bethanne for years, she ignores him. He was Peter's friend. He feels guilty because he should have protected her. Now she seems terrified of gatherings and men.
Ryan Mulaney is a new officer for the Marion Police Dept. He is to be watching over Candice. He is starting to get too attached to the beautiful woman.
I received an e-copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my own unsolicited opinion. I really enjoyed the suspense and how the characters dealt with things. It's a story that I didn't want to put down and felt intrigued to know what was happening and who was behind some of the problems. It does deal with trauma in each young woman's life and how they get through it all with each other and the two good men who care about them. It's a 5-star read for me. I hope we get to read more from Marion County.
Triggers: Violence towards women (handled tastefully), stalking and kidnapping.

Such an emotional roller coaster ride as Shelley Shepard Gray takes us back to Crittendon County KY with a suspenseful storyline. Shelley writes with such depth and precision, you can easily feel like your are one of the characters in the book. If you enjoy a clean Amish mystery, you will definitely want to read this book. You will not be disappointed.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

This is a pretty easy, quick read that deals with some heavy topics.. .stalkers and recovery from attempted rape. There's a good pace and flow to the story. After several years of hiding in her room, Bethanne is ready to take her life back. She's given too much up already. She shows incredible strength in a tough situation as well as courage. However, her cousin Candace's troubles are just beginning.

I enjoyed this book. I liked Jay a lot. I appreciated his patience and determination to do what was best for Bethanne. I liked Ryan. It was fun seeing Candace interacting with little girls at public appearances. The only drawback for me was that some things came too quickly or easily. There's not a lot of development in the relationships. Bethanne's mental health seems to hit a switch and it's totally the opposite from one day to the next. Still it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book was amazing! I loved that it was the second in the series and we got to see a little of Tabitha and Seth still. Not too much because they weren't super close with Bethanne and Candace in the first book, but it was a natural running into each other in the community that felt like real life. Enough to satisfy the reader but not too much to be forced. Bethanne's story with Jay and Candace's story were amazing. I loved how the author took traumatic events and broke them down in a way that, again, felt natural and real life, not forced. The book ended too quickly (not that she wrote too little, just I wanted to stay with them longer) and I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

I was given this book as a complimentary copy from netgalley. I chose to write a review and all opinions are my honest feelings.

Eight years ago Bethanne Hostetler experienced a life changing event that makes life hard to move forward. How does one pick up the pieces? When her Englisher cousin Candace becomes Miss Crittenden County, Bethanne wonders why she can't be more like Candace. Life though is not always as it seems. Candace reveals she has a stalker as he becomes more bold. Officer Ryan Mulany knows that Candace is only a job. However, the more time he spends with her the harder that becomes. Will they find that stalker before any escalation? When lives are in danger, who will survive?
Unforgotten brings us to a path for forgiveness, moving forward without fear, trust, and love for oneself and others. Bethanne learns that moving forward can happen but takes trust in God, trust in others, and trust in herself. Fear can be paralyzing. Can one overcome tragedy? I really love reading Shelley Shepard Gray. Her books bring real world problems to life. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

I have read many, many books by this author in the past. While this book was okay, it is not one of my favorites. It felt quite different from her other books. There is a decent mystery, but the story felt a bit more like an early copy of the story versus the final version. There was a lot of repetition, which surprised me. I did like the addition of a stalker, as well as Amish and English cousins, as that is a bit different than I'm used to reading in Amish-themed novels.

Was given the chance to read Unforgotten by Shelly Shepard Gray, was not required to leave a review! This is a beautiful story of Bethanne leaving her past scare behind and moving forward with her life and finding love! She goes through more trauma but comes out on the other side stronger in life and stronger in belief and love! A must read!!

Unforgotten
by Shelley Shepard Gray
Pub DateNov 05 2024
Revell
Christian| Mystery & Thrillers| Romance


Revell and Netgalley provided me with a copy of Unforgotten to review:


Seven years after an attempted assault and the accidental death of Peter Miller, Bethanne Hostetler is still haunted by the memory. Candace, Bethanne's English cousin who has just been crowned Miss Crittenden County, reveals that she has a stalker, bringing back all of her old fears.



The fact that Jay Byler did not protect Bethanne that fateful night has haunted him ever since. Further complicating matters, she continues to avoid him, even though he still loves her. The only thing Jay can hope for is that Bethanne will one day see the person he has become instead of the boy he used to be.




Officer Ryan Mulany becomes Candace's escort as her stalker becomes more aggressive. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to maintain professional distance from Candace. When everyone's worst fears are realized, the four must work together to prevent another tragedy before time runs out and another innocent person is hurt.


I give Unforgotten five out of five stars!!!


Happy Reading!

Coming after Gray’s book, Unforgiven, both are standalones yet tied together. Both are worth reading if you like suspense with a message.

In Unforgotten Bethanne is struggling to heal after an attempted assault. (We met her in Unforgiven.) This may be a trigger for some people, but it is handled well without a lot of detail. Jay is dealing with guilt over not protecting her well enough. Is guilt enough to build a relationship on?

Candace has a stalker and some really difficult things happen. Again, another trigger warning. Gray handles it carefully but it is very suspenseful with details given in the action scenes. Can Ryan save her in time? Can she heal afterwards?

So much is going on in this story that I kept turning the pages as it held my attention. Very suspenseful, the tension was off the charts a few times, and the twists and turns kept me guessing. If you enjoy a story with both suspense and clean romance, then I recommend Unforgotten.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

I loved this wonderful Amish story with two storylines. I loved the romance that finally starts between Bethanne and Jay even though they have problems they need to work out. I also loved the romance that blossoms between Candace and Ryan as they try to find her stalker. I enjoyed the romance and the suspense in the story. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

This book is a perfect blend of suspense, romance, and faith with a well-paced well-structured plot and wonderfully created, compelling characters. Set in Crittenden County, Kentucky, the multi-layered plot features two storylines with two sweet love stories that merge expertly and satisfyingly. The story features cousins Bethanne Hostetler, an Amish book reviewer, and Candace Evans an Englisher beauty queen. Bethanne struggles to make peace with her past and move on with her life. Candace’s life is being upended and threatened by a stalker. Sweet romance walks alongside emotion-packed, pulse-pounding danger and suspense as their captivating story unfolds. Faith themes of forgiveness, trust, and reliance on God to overcome fear are inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and highly recommend it especially for fans of Amish fiction and/or romantic suspense. Note: Although there are carryover characters from a previous book, sufficient background information is provided to make this book work as a standalone.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley with no obligation to write a positive review all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unforgotten, an Amish romance with a lot of suspense, by Shelley Shepard Gray, will keep you turning the pages long into the night. Even though this heart-pounding story can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Unforgiven first as it provides a lot of backstories of the characters whose story continues in Unforgotten.

Gray has a unique ability to write about issues not covered by most authors who write Amish suspense romances, giving her readers a story that they will not soon forget. Even though this may be hard to read, her dynamic character’s growth will inspire those who have had life-changing experiences written about in this book. Unforgotten and Unforgiven are a break from her usual Amish romance stories, and her best thus far!

Unforgotten is a realistic story told through the eyes of Bethanne Hostetler, and her English cousin, Candace, as they deal with attempted rape, stalking, and kidnapping. Bethanne and Candace each have a knight-in-shining armor, who, with their unique abilities, helps to navigate them through the ordeals they are facing. With their trust in God, Bethanne, Jay, Candace, and Ryan, learn to forgive and overcome their fears. 

I highly recommend reading both Unforgiven and Unforgotten in the order that they were written to truly grasp the character’s state of mind. Since Unforgotten did not have an epilogue, I hope the author is planning a third book that will tie up loose ends.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell via NetGalley through Interviews & Reviews. I was not obligated to write a favorable review, and all opinions are my own.

Unforgotten by Shelley Shepard Gray is an emotional tale. The author has a way of telling a story that draws you in. The story revolves around Bethanne, an Amish woman, and her Englisher cousin, Candace. I like that we get to see events from each of their perspectives (Amish and Englisher), especially the Miss Crittenden County pageant. I liked the characters, and I thought the secondary characters added depth to the story. Bethanne’s family was kind, loving, and patient. I felt for Bethanne who had been through something horrific as a teenager. The author captured the emotions of how Bethanne felt at the time of the incident and at the present time. It is not something that will be forgotten, but you learn to deal with what happened. The story has romance mixed with suspense and mystery. It is a realistic story. The second half moves quickly as the tension and fear ramp up. I liked that the conclusion in Unforgotten was not neatly wrapped up with a bow (this was not that type of story). It takes time to recover from an ordeal. Unforgotten can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading Unforgiven first. I like that we get to catch up with characters from Unforgiven. Fear, faith, and forgiveness are three of the themes addressed in this special story. I liked how the author handled difficult and sensitive topics. Unforgotten is a touching tale that will hold your attention until you turn the last page.

Wow, what a rollercoaster of emotions in this book. This is a story about two cousins Bethanne (Amish) and Candace (Englisher).

Bethanne is trying to get over the trauma of almost getting raped and Candace has just been crowned Miss Crittenden County and ends up having a stalker who becomes dangerous.

While they both work though their situations they seem find time to spend with unexpected people. Bethanne spends time with Jay who grew up with her and felt bad about what happened. And Candace was spending time with Ryan an officer who just moved to town and is assigned to drive Candace around to her appearances as Miss Crittenden County.

Bethanne and Candace work together as they face both of their situations.

The only thing I didn’t like was the way it ended, it was kind of left up in the air.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author through Netgalley. The review expressed here is my honest opinion.

Bethanne and Candace are cousins but come from two separate worlds (one is Amish and one isn't) but their stories intersect in a terrible way. Bethanne has had a violent encounter in the past and Candace has a stalker. I enjoy how the cousins support each other throughout the story. There is quite a bit of suspense in the story as the reader seeks to uncover who is the stalker.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

Shelley Shepard Gray has really upped her game with Unforgotten! Unforgotten is half mystery, half love story that centers around cousins Bethanne and Candace. Bethanne and Candace could not be more different, but their differences have only helped them to forge an unbreakable bond that has weathered many storms that life has thrown their way. Bethanne has been living in her Amish community learning how to deal and live life after a traumatic event. Candace, being raised Englisch, has lovingly been there for Bethanne, while trying to walk her own path God has given her and pursue a college degree. While making her way through College, Candace enters the Miss Crittenden County Pageant to get the scholarship money and wins. After Candace wins, the Stalker that has been following her escalates his tactics forcing Candace to report it to the police. The Police assign Candace an officer named Ryan to accompany her to Miss Crittenden County events. Officer Ryan and Candace soon develop a special friendship. While Candace is dealing with her Stalker, Bethanne intends to live life more fully and strikes up a friendship with Jay, a man with close ties to Bethanne’s traumatic event. Things seem to be looking up for Bethanne and Candace in their respective lives and with love, but will a run-in with Candace’s Stalker put it to an abrupt end?

I cannot say enough about how much I love Shelley Shephard Gray’s Unforgotten! I was surprised at the places Ms. Gray took Unforgotten, because they are untypical of the books I have read by her. I’m ecstatic that Unforgotten went to the places it did! Unforgotten’s grittier themes reminded me of something that I would find in a book by Nancy Mehl, Cynthia Hickey, or Mary Alford. It’s awesome to see how God is stretching Ms. Gray as a writer! I felt that the characters and situations portrayed were authentic and showed realism that will resonate with readers. I love getting to know Bethanne better after being introduced to her in Ms. Gray’s Unforgiven. I understood what Bethanne went through and appreciated what she went through in her healing journey. I believe those parts of Bethanne’s story were written realistically and showed Hope through the Brokenness. I also really love that Bethanne reviews books for a living! I love that Candace continued to do what was right and took necessary steps to keep herself safe while still doing life. I love the characters of Jay and Ryan. I liked that Ryan came to Crittenden County as part of a special police program. I thought it was an interesting twist to have Jay closely associated with the person who caused Bethanne’s traumatic event. To me, it was monumental that Bethanne was able to strike up a friendship with Jay because of that. I thought Ryan was a perfect fit for Candace and that Jay (ironically) was perfect for Bethanne. Unforgotten may not be your typical Shelley Shepard Gray book, but it’s one of the best books Ms. Gray has ever written and one of the best I have ever read. I highly recommend Unforgotten by Shelley Shepard Gray! I cannot wait to see what Ms. Gray creates next!

Have you read Unforgotten? What did you think of the book?

Thank you to Jean for giving me a copy of Unforgotten via NetGalley and the Publisher to review, letting me be on Shelley’s Street Team, and for giving me the information I needed for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My review is also on Amazon and Goodreads, and my blog Leslie's Library Escape.