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    Becoming Bea
    Becoming Bea
    Becoming Bea
    Audiobook10 hours

    Becoming Bea

    Written by Leslie Gould

    Narrated by Suzy Jackson

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Christy Award-Winner Gould Delivers Amish Romance with Wit and Charm Zook only wants to devote herself to God, but struggles with patience toward others. Her sister's challenge that she can't serve God if she isn't willing to serve His people finally opens her eyes and she soon finds herself helping a family overwhelmed by triplets. Much to her surprise, she has a knack with the babies, and her confidence in dealing with others, both young and old, grows. One person she'll never be able to find peace with, though, is Ben Rupp. They've known each other forever, and Ben understands precisely how to antagonize her. What neither she nor Ben realize is that beneath all their bickering awaits an attraction neither will admit. When their friends decide to try and bring the couple together, will the pair be able to find true love? Or damage their relationship beyond repair?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateOct 21, 2014
    ISBN9781490628080
    Becoming Bea
    Author

    Leslie Gould

    Leslie Gould (LeslieGould.com) is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of over forty-five novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds a bachelor's degree in history and an MFA in creative writing. She enjoys church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and have four adult children and two grandchildren.

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    Reviews for Becoming Bea

    4.5/5

    15 ratings5 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Amish Bea Zook is determined to remain unmarried. Her one attempt at courting had ended badly when Ben Rupp had cut things off with her with no explanation. They had know each other for years having attended the same school and having similar interests, including the yearly spelling bees. But when Ben suddenly stopped their courting it hurt her badly. When Bea took a job with neighbors, helping to tend their new triplets she was again thrust into the path of Ben. It started to look like they might get back together, but a misunderstanding soon broke them apart. I though this was a wonderful, clean, romantic novel. Its well written, easy to follow and has very lovable realistic characters. I will be looking for more from this fine author.**Good Reads win.
    • 4/5
      Beatrice Zook, who you will know slightly from reading other stories in this series, is a person who loves books, and writing in her journal. She doesn't plan to marry, and is most happy staying at home with her Mom. She will have to step way outside her comfort zone though, when she is asked to assist another family overwhelmed with triplets. There Bea will learn patience and gain a friend. She will also come into close contact with Ben Rupp, who has a way of antagonizing her way to easy. Can their bickering really be an attraction that neither one of them knows how to express? It is a story that deals with many issues in life and is not your typical Amish story; but that is one of the things I liked about the whole series. (Each story has a resemblance to a Shakespeare play and this one takes after 'Much Ado About Nothing'.
    • 4/5
      Beatrice Zook has resigned herself to being single. Not that she really wants that sort of life, but she seems destined for it. When her family plans on visiting Montana, Beatrice decides that anything – even helping a family with newborn triplets – is better than seeing Montana, and she gets a job caring for the infants. In new surroundings, she is in close proximity to a former schoolmate, a boy she was attracted to but also competed with when they were in school. Having been courted by Ben briefly and then dumped (her words), she is leery of him even while she is still attracted to him. But there is much more to this story than a simple school girl crush that lingers on. Well written with well-developed characters, this novel has a good balance of Christian ethics in an engaging story, without the Christian aspect being overdone or the plot becoming uninteresting. Recommended for readers of Amish fiction.
    • 5/5
      This book is a character-driven, Amish romance at its best. If you have read other books in this series, you get to re-visit principal players from some of the other books as well as get to know the small close-knit community surrounding this story's main characters, Bea and Ben. Beatrice Zook was the youngest child in the family of sisters and brothers, step-brothers and in-laws. The next oldest sister, Molly, and her husband Leon lived in the same farmhouse with Bea and her Mamm, taking on the responsibility of making it productive again. Bea's dat (father) had died only a few years earlier. It seemed to Bea that Molly had then stepped into dat's shoes and become another parent to her. So it was no wonder that she began to feel the necessity of becoming more independent. Now that she had just turned 21, she was looking for employment outside her home, hopefully within their small community. Thanks to a friend of hers, she heard that Bob and Nan Miller had just given birth to triplets and were now bringing the babies home. They needed helpers. When Bea stepped in to help, the task seemed daunting at first, but soon she found her stride and began to enjoy the new experience. Bob Miller was a cabinet maker who employed several young men, including his son-in-law Pete, the twins who lived near Bea's home (Martin and Mervin), the two sons of Bishop Eicher (Phillip and Don), and Ben Rupp. Ben and Bea had gone to school together; more accurately, they were always at the top of their class, the best spellers in the school, competitive with each other yet also being a challenge to the other to excel. They had become nearly best friends and the reason for each other's love of learning. Their competitiveness cooled a bit after schooling was finished with the eighth grade. However, the year before, Ben began to court Bea formally. She was ecstatic until he suddenly stopped coming around without explaining the reason. Since then, she hasn't trusted him or any other young man. If they did see each other, their exchanges were contentious, with a hint of bitterness on Bea's part.Now that Bea was living with the Miller's, she was surprised how crazy the household could get with three newborns, especially when they would get colicky. She worked together with Hope, Nan's niece from New York, and they established some kind of routine. For the first time in her life, Bea was finding herself and blossoming into an attractive young woman. In fact, not only did she attract Ben's attention again, but Don's as well. The rivalry became serious over time while Bea and Ben's relationship suffered several ups and downs. The reader wonders if it will work out at all. Would Bea choose Don instead?The author, Leslie Gould, has created an entire cast of characters who have come alive for me. Hope befriended Bea as they worked together with the triplets. Then Hope fell in love with Martin, who worked for Bob in the cabinet shop. He was one of the twins that lived near Bea's home. Martin was a good friend of Ben Rupp. Soon Martin and Hope were trying to play matchmaker to get Ben and Bea back together. Unfortunately, because of so many conflicts, their efforts failed. But during this upheaval, Bea's personality was going through a metamorphosis, thanks to her new job and new friendships. Even her relationship with Molly began to change. At one point, Bea even stood up to Molly, who realized finally that her little sister was maturing. But of all the relationship challenges she faced, the most difficult was with Ben. When, in their on-again off-again courtship, he believed a lie perpetuated by Don and accused her falsely, Bea's heart was crushed. This conflict was written so well that I couldn't help but feel sick at heart with her. Besides all the relationship drama, I enjoyed Ms. Gould's use of the competitive spelling bees as a metaphor that represented the young peoples' struggles with immaturity and growth of character in the present stages of their lives. During their school years, it was for the most part a friendly form of competition--a setting up of standards. But there also existed a rivalry between them that could turn on a dime and become destructive if allowed. Both of them were wordsmiths with a love of learning; something beautiful could come of it, or it could become a stumbling block. Much of the consequences depended on how they handled their pride. Would selfishness grow out of it, or selflessness? The third thing I enjoyed about this book are the details the author uses to describe the introduction of triplets into the Miller household. The situation with preemies in a Plain household was intriguing, amazing and heart-warming. I was right there walking the halls in the middle of the night with Hope, Bea, Cate, Nan and Bob. I could feel the frustrations and the rewards of caring for such precious little ones. It brought back memories of my daughter when she had colic for nearly three months. It was unsettling, but still generates warm feelings when I think back. The author created some heart-rending conflict, but the final resolution is satisfying to read. In fact, I read it over at least three times. It was one of the loveliest scenes I've ever read. If you enjoy Amish romances, you don't want to miss this one. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher's Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
    • 5/5
      Welcome back to this Lancaster PA Amish community, and the folks we have come to love and become friends with. In the last book we spent time with Molly Zook, and her family. As this book begins she and Leon are married, and the focus of this story is on her sister Bea.We come of think of Bea as being rather anti-social, and with no prospects of a suitor. Will she spend her life as a spinster, a helper for her sister? Will she and Ben ever stop fighting? Two competitors, who literally changed the schools spelling bee competition, one always had to outdo the other, to much pride here.Loved how this community rally around one another, whenever there is a need, whether there is a death, an accident or even a new baby. A helping hand is there, to hold a hand or a baby, and a hot meal soon appears.Bea does try to move outside her shell, she does apply for a job to help a new mother of triplets. Can you imagine, of course some can, but not me, three crying at once? Will Bea be able to handle this; she can barely go down to the market on her own property!This is one interesting story and will keep you turning the pages, and of course there is always someone who is the bad apple, and you hope that everyone will find out and take care of them.Come along and ride in the buggy with these young couples, there may be some new marriages here, and some may not make it to the altar.A really get Amish read here that you don’t want to miss!I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.