Unforgotten

Author: Shelley Shepard Gray
Genre: Amish Romantic Suspense
Pages: 304
Release Date: November 5, 2024
Publisher: Revell 

Even though Bethanne Hostetler has found some peace seven years after an attempted assault and the accidental death of Peter Miller, she is still haunted by the memory. When her Englisher cousin, Candace--who has just been crowned Miss Crittenden County--reveals that she has a stalker, all of Bethanne's old fears come rushing back.

Jay Byler had once been Peter's best friend, and the fact that he did not protect Bethanne that fateful night has haunted him ever since. To make matters worse, she continues to avoid him--even as he continues to love her. Jay can only hope and pray that one day Bethanne will see the person he is today and not the boy he used to be.

As Candace's stalker becomes bolder, Officer Ryan Mulany becomes her escort to various events. He knows he should only think of Candace as a job, but the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to maintain professional distance. And when everyone's worst fears are realized, all four must work together to prevent another tragedy before time runs out and another innocent person is hurt.

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Reviewer: Adriann Harris

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.

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Reviewer: Lori Parrish

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series! I think this one will be my favorite though.

At times, I felt like I was reading two different plots, but in my opinion, it made it that much better and more interesting.

Ryan was a great character! I can visualize him being a good-looking cop and protective, too. Wow!

This story is about patience, faith, love and family. All of whom support each other like Bethanne. I really liked her. And I like Jay too.

When you read this novel, you’ll see why I liked him.

I didn’t want this series to end. It was so good. I finished this around 4 am. I wanted to see how it worked out. I wasn’t disappointed at all.

This beautiful book has left my heart feeling full and satisfied. I sure hope there’s more to come!

Five stars from me for sure! I loved being lost in a story like this one. Shepard Gray has done an excellent job of rounding out each character, especially with the secondary ones.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

Unforgotten by Shelley Shepard Gray is an inspiring tale of courage and faith that will keep the reader engaged until the wee hours of the morning.

Although not a sequel to Unforgiven, the characters from that book are in this one. While this book can be read as a standalone, the first book provides a lot of backstory that you don’t want to miss. One of the main characters of this story, Bethanne Hostetler, was saved from being raped by Seth Zimmerman, who was in Unforgiven.

In Unforgotten we follow Bethanne as she deals with the trauma of that incident and the death of Peter Miller, the man who tried to rape her.

While Bethanne tries to find life again after an attempted rape, her cousin Candace has been crowned Miss Crittenden County. Unfortunately, she has a stalker, and he is becoming bolder and dangerous.

The author has done an incredible job of getting into the minds of her characters and the trauma they were going through. I loved how Bethanne gradually opened up to consider love again. And while I found Officer Ryan to be a little unprofessional, his romance with Candace was necessary to the storyline. I enjoyed their relationship so much that I found the ending to be too abrupt and wished there had been an epilogue to discover what happened after everything was said and done.

A word of warning for those who have had any sort of trauma related to rape or stalking, this book may be a trigger for you. However, the author has also made God a central figure in this drama, in that He is always with us, even during the most harrowing times.

If you love Amish fiction, mystery and suspense, you will love Unforgotten! I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through NetGalley for my honest review.

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Reviewer: Katie Slocum

Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster as Bethanne and Candace face their worst fears. Even though they will never forget, they must learn to forgive, or they will miss out on all the good things life still has to offer. It is a challenge to not let fear win, no matter how bad things become. But with trust in God, it is possible to get through it.

This was a very hard book to put down. It is heart-pounding, fast-paced, and I finished in 24 hours. The story flowed well, although, as I am a very visual reader, some minor things tripped me up. For example, I would picture the characters already sitting, but then it said they sat down. I thought it was just me missing something, but it happened multiple times. It did not deter me, however. The characters are realistic and the text carried me along to the very end. I appreciate an author who can tackle difficult subjects in a thoughtful way. I also liked that the ending was satisfying enough without tying everything up in a neat bow. Recovery takes time, but there is hope.

I was initially confused about whether or not this is a sequel to Unforgiven. These books are not promoted as a series, but I would definitely say they are. Unforgotten can easily be read as a stand-alone novel, although I highly recommend reading both. I appreciated the reappearance of familiar characters and learning a bit more about what happens to them. I would definitely welcome a third installment.

If you enjoy clean Amish fiction, a good mystery, or anything else by Shelley Shepard Gray, then you will not want to miss this one. It is now one of my favorites by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this e-book courtesy of Revell Publishing through Interviews & Reviews and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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