Monday, February 10, 2014

Blog Tour: Forever (Temptation #3) by Karen Ann Hopkins



Forever (Temptation #3)
by Karen Ann Hopkins
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: January 28th 2014
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Synopsis:
All I want is my happily-ever-after.
That's all I've wanted since meeting Noah Miller.
From the day we met, the world has tried to keep Noah and me from being together, but now that I'm carrying his child, no one will be able to tear us apart. Or so I hope. But Noah and I have made some mistakes along the way, and the consequences are impacting the people we love. Worse, there's a storm on the horizon, and it's sure to cause serious devastation.
If we can get through this, we'll finally be Rose and Noah; a family, forever. 
But first we have to survive the road ahead. And happily-ever-after is a long way off.





by Karen Ann Hopkins

What Rose and Noah face when they begin courting.

Yes, there still is a place in the world where the process of a boy and a girl getting to know each other is called ‘courting.’ In Amish communities throughout the Midwest and stretching into other regions of the United States, dating is called courting and breaking up is referred to as ‘quitting’ each other.

Because of my years of contact with Amish teens coming to my farm to participate in horse-back riding activities, babysitting my children or hanging out with my own teenagers, I’ve come to understand their secretive world of courtship very well. 

First, Amish teens do get to pick their partner, contrary to popular belief. But they must choose another Amish member or they’ll get into heaps of trouble as seen in TEMPTATION where Noah, an Amish teen, falls for Rose, an outsider. The boys and girls of a community spend their entire lives together; meeting as toddlers, going through school together until the eighth grade and participating in church and weekly youth activities, such as singings and volleyball or softball games. 

By age sixteen, many of the Amish have already decided on their future spouse. Courting is serious business for the Amish. ‘Dating around’ is not acceptable behavior within the Amish society. A person chooses carefully who they will commit to courting, because they know that they will be expected to stay in the relationship due to problems that can arise within the community when couples ‘quit’ each other. Also, divorce is almost unheard in the Amish world, so teens tread lightly with the opposite sex until they decide on the right person.

The Amish youth are encouraged to begin romantic relationships, because it helps insure that they will remain Amish. Since the teens aren’t allowed to court until they’ve officially gone through the ceremony to join their church, many young ones who might have reservations about living their lives the Amish way, will commit to it in order to be with the person they’re fond of. With courting, comes the prospect of marriage and a jump into adulthood, which satisfies the hope of more freedom.

Each community has its own set of courting rules. The community I live in for instance, has a-hands-off courting policy. This basically means that a couple will get in HUGE trouble if they get caught holding hands, kissing or going any further physically within the relationship. Punishment includes reciting their sins before their entire community on Sunday and possibly being ‘shunned’ for a length of time, usually lasting one to six weeks, depending on the conduct. Shunning is especially painful to the couple, because it means they won’t be able to see each other until the time is up. Other communities are a bit more relaxed on the matter, but Amish teens are always held to a high standard when courting. This doesn’t mean that couples aren’t getting a kiss in here and there or even going much further into a physical relationship, but they are watched carefully and learn early on to either abstain or be extremely stealthy in their liaisons. 

Although, the courtship rituals of the Amish society might sound harsh to those of us on the outside, there are many positives to their strict structure. Most couples will begin courting at the age of sixteen and marry by the time they’re nineteen or twenty. Because the teens have a deep sense of responsibility and meaning about entering a relationship, they don’t play games, and there is much less drama and heartbreak involved. They enjoy support from their families and community and begin their lives together on solid ground. 

I’ve witnessed many teens go through the process of courting and each couple eventually married. In the end, they were in love and happy…and isn’t that what we all strive to achieve?

You can read firsthand about Rose and Noah’s courting experience in TEMPTATION, where they meet secretly and struggle to find a way to be together. Their story continues in BELONGING, when they finally have the opportunity to court in the Amish way, but are torn apart again when Rose’s family puts a stop to it. You will find out once and for all if Rose and Noah find their happily-ever-after in FOREVER. 

Learn about a fascinating culture while taking an emotional roller coaster ride in the TEMPTATION series! I love to hear from readers! You can contact me on my FB page (Karen Ann Hopkins) or the Temptation FB page. 

Happy reading!





Monday, January 20th - Absorbing the Content - Review


Tuesday, January 21st - Sassy Book Lover - Review


Wednesday, January 22nd - Mangamania Cafe - Character Interview


Thursday, January 23rd - Ramblings From This Chick - Guest Post


Friday, January 24th - Andi's Young Adult Books - Author Interview


Monday, January 27th - Literary Meanderings - Author Interview


Tuesday, January 28th - Crossroad Reviews - Review


Wednesday, January 29th - Books I View - Review


Thursday, January 30th - Actin' Up with Books - Review

Friday, January 31st - Books Complete Me - Review


Monday, February 3rd - No Bent Spines - Character Interview


Tuesday, February 4th - Paranormal Opinion - Review


Wednesday, February 5th - Bittersweet Enchantment - Review


Thursday, February 6th - Curling Up With a Good Book - Author Interview


Friday, February 7th - Behind A Million Pages - Review


Monday, February 10th - The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Guest Post


Tuesday, February 11th - Jenuine Cupcakes - Review


Wednesday, February 12th - Jeanz Book Read N' Review - Review


Thursday, February 13th - Deal Sharing Aunt - Guest Post


Friday, February 14th - Lost Time Reading - Review


Monday, February 17th - Into The Hall of Books - Review


Tuesday, February 18th - Swoony Boys Podcasts - Review


Wednesday, February 19th - My Favorite Things - Guest Post


Thursday, February 20th - Reading Lark - Review


Friday, February 21st - Tien's Blurb - Author Interview


Monday, February 24th - Kimberly Faye Reads - Guest Post


Tuesday, February 25th - Book Whales - Guest Post


Wednesday, February 26th - A Bookish Escape - Review


Thursday, February 27th - That Girl Reads - Review


Friday, February 28th - Books Marks The Spot - Author Interview



A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.



We have lots of exciting prizes, so make sure to follow the tour for more chances to win every day! Up for grabs is both a $100 Amazon Gift Card and a $50 Amazon Gift Card, plus copies of the following Harlequin TEEN titles: Heartbeat, The Queen’s Choice, White Hot Kiss, Anything to Have You, Secret Diamond Sister and Grim. Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. 

Giveaway is open to US/Canada.





This tour was organized by



6 comments:

  1. Your books sound like very good stories. I've never read Amish themed books before.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Karen! Even before I moved into an Amish community the culture fascinated me. Learning about them first hand was a real treat. There are so many story possibilities and authors to choose from in the Amish literature community, that you'll have a lot to choose from if you get hooked. I hope you'll give Temptation a try! If you do, please contact me on FB and let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

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    2. Hi Karen!
      After reading the temptation series I have the same fascination for the Amish community. There were a lot of things I didn't know and I learnt them while reading a beautiful YA romance story. You should definitely try it!

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    3. And thank you so much both Karens to stop by my site! ^^

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    4. You're very welcome, Patricia! Thanks for hosting my article and supporting the blog tour!

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  2. Amazingly informative post. : )
    I love learning how other people live.

    ReplyDelete