“The Protective One” by Shelley Shepard Gray – Review

If you’re a fan of Amish fiction, you won’t want to miss Shelley Shepard Gray’s The Protective One.

The tragic and untimely death of her old friend has made Elizabeth rethink not only her priorities but her relationship with David, the man her parents have been encouraging her to see. Desperate for a change, she breaks things off with David in an effort to just focus on herself for a while.

But when her family becomes upset with her decision, Elizabeth turns to her friends for support. One of her most supporting friends is Will, who has long secretly harbored feelings for her. And when Elizabeth’s ex unexpectedly raises some trouble, Will decides to step up to the plate for his long-time friend. Can their friendship survive this difficult time or will it actually change for the better?

Gray has mastered the ability to write sweet stories with real-world problems. It’s a fantastic element of this story, and I don’t know how she does it. Although there are elements of harsh problems – abuse, stalking, family conflict – there’s not a part of the story that is too harsh or scary to read.

That’s not to say that I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. I was completely invested in E.A.’s story and couldn’t wait to find out how resolution would be found. I read the second half of the book in one fell swoop, reading super late at night, because I just couldn’t put it down.

I haven’t read the other books in the series, but that really didn’t matter. Although I certainly want to know what happens, and I’ll definitely be seeking the first two books out, I didn’t feel lost or confused about the characters or their plot lines. The characters felt realistic and interesting, and I liked the way that they interacted.

Their situations sometimes felt less than realistic, however, but maybe that’s just for me. Having Englisch, Amish, and Mennonite kids being super close doesn’t feel totally real. There were Amish kids in my elementary school, but very few, and the vast majority went to their own schools. I lived near one of the purest, most conservative Amish communities in the world, though, so maybe their communities have different types of interactions in other places. This didn’t make me want to put the book down by any means; but it did make me pause to consider whether it felt realistic.

All told, I really liked The Protective One. I like the way that Gray was able to address current, modern, edgy issues from the perspective of young Christian adults. I like the way that she considered life and priorities and relationships in ways that felt both realistic and sweet.

I don’t want to miss the rest of the series – I’m seeking them out now.

If you like sweet stories with a touch of suspense, be sure to look up Shelley Shepard Gray’s The Protective One!

I received a free book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Interested in Gray’s other books? Check out Her Fear and His Risk!