352 pages Publisher Bethany House Publishers Publication date November 4, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

Their hidden past brings questions about their future . . . together.

Unsure of her future within the Amish community, Beth Peachy arrives in Lancaster County for the summer to care for her ailing grandmother. Yet with dementia threatening to steal away Mammi’s memories, Beth’s visit quickly evolves into an urgent search for answers to questions that her relatives seem determined to avoid. How can Beth possibly make a lifelong vow to the Amish church when her own family is concealing so much of the past from her?

Beth’s childhood friend Danny Lapp faces his own dilemma as his ex-Amish older brother turns his back on their family upbringing, dishonoring his Plain heritage. Struggling to find some sort of connection with his brother despite their deep difference of opinion, Danny is determined to find a solution before church leadership becomes involved. As Beth and Danny reconnect and seek to help each other in their search for answers, they find themselves stirring up not only surprising revelations about the past, but questions about a possible future–together.

MY THOUGHTS

This is not a new to me author but a new to me series as I haven’t read the first book yet skipping right to the second. I do need to go back and read that first one now.
There is a lot going on in this book.
Set in Pennsylvania a young Amish woman goes to help her grandmother move in with her parents.
Her grandmother has dementia and becomes more easily confused living in the past a lot. It was hard to read because my grandmother also had dementia.
Her grandmother also has a secret some in the church district know and they keep her secret. Grandma won’t talk about the past, but Beth feels it’s important to talk about and know as it’s her family history.
Several characters have not joined the church and are included in the book, and one is on the fence with their decision.
There is a lot of questioning of Amish beliefs, and rules by former Amish members.
A gentle read full of compassion, forgiveness and the possibility of reconnecting loved ones.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Patricia Johns is a New York Times and #1 Publishers Weekly bestselling Amish fiction author, writing from Alberta, Canada. She relishes electricity and modern conveniences in her real life, but she loves to imagine what life would be like living without everything we so easily rely upon. If you were to peek in at her, you’d find her tapping away on her computer writing her newest book, or arranging her dollhouse furniture which has become a big passion of hers. You can keep up with her on social media, or sign up for her newsletter for a chance to win signed books and knitted surprises made with love by the author herself.

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature- Frank Lloyd Wright

336 pages Publisher Zondervan Publication date October 17, 2023

ABOUT THE BOOK

This Amish matchmaker is an expert at finding love for others, but will she find it for herself?

Widowed sisters Esther and Lizzie are the town innkeepers—and the town matchmakers. But when a new tenant moves into a guest cottage at their Peony Inn, the sisters are shocked to discover that maybe this time, one of them might finally find a match of her own. Retired dentist Dr. Benjamin Stoltzfus has signed a six-month lease at the cottage—and gentle Esther and spirited Lizzie are in a surprising competition for the kind doctor’s affections. Dr. Stoltzfus doesn’t appear to be Amish, but his last name and his mysterious background have the sisters guessing—and open to the possibility of finding love again.

Things really heat up when Benjamin’s granddaughter, Mindy, comes to visit. Escaping her big-city life in Texas, Mindy has moved to Amish country to be closer to her grandfather and to embrace the simpler life she has longed for. But she’s unprepared for what happens when an attractive young Amish man, who spends time at the inn helping out the widows, runs his lawnmower right into her little red sports car. Sure, Gabriel is cute and funny and nice—but can a romance between an Englisch girl and an Amish boy end well?

As Mindy and Gabriel find themselves thrown together time after time, they forge a friendship and start making matchmaking plans of their own. Which sister would be better for Mindy’s grandfather—Esther or Lizzie? And as the two young people put their energy into playing Cupid, it looks like love and the life they’ve both dreamed of might also be finding them.

• Charming Amish romance featuring a later-in-life love triangle
• Stand-alone novel, but returning to the world of The Amish Inn series
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

MY THOUGHTS

The Amish Inn series have been such adventurous reads and it’s fun to catch up with the characters in it with the addition of new characters.
Elderly widowed sisters Esther and Lizzie run the Peony Inn, and they are the town’s matchmakers.
These sisters are fun; they bicker and are quirky as all get out. I love the sisters, they are great.
They’ve taken on a new renter in one of the cottages, a retired dentist. Though not Amish he has an Amish last name and has a few secrets he’s not ready to reveal. With a six-month lease on the cottage maybe the sisters will find out a thing or two about him.
The sisters both have been charmed by this gentle older man and appear to be in a bit of a competition over his affections.
Escaping the big city, Mindy the dentist’s granddaughter arrives for a visit to get to know her grandfather but promptly falls for an Amish man. With the possibility of young love and mature love I enjoyed reading the differences with it. The book was one adventure after another, and I’d love to see these characters in future books.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the author

Beth Wiseman is the best-selling author of the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. Having sold two million books, her novels have held spots on the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) Bestseller List and the CBA (Christian Book Association) Bestseller List. She was the recipient of the prestigious Carol Award in 2011 and 2013. She is a three-time winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and an INSPY Award winner. In 2013 she took home the coveted Holt Medallion. Her first book in the Land of Canaan series—Seek Me With All Your Heart—was selected as the 2011 Women of Faith Book of the Year. Beth is contracted with HarperCollins Christian Publishing into the year 2018, and she has published thirteen novels and thirteen novellas to date.

As a former newspaper reporter, Beth was honored by her peers with eleven journalism awards, including first place news writing for The Texas Press Association. She has been a humor columnist for The 1960 Sun in Houston and published articles in various publications. However, writing novels is where her heart is. She left her job as a journalist in 2008 to write novels fulltime.

Beth has a deep affection for the Amish and their simpler way of life, and while she plans to continue writing Amish love stories, she is also branching out into other areas. Her first non-Amish, contemporary—Need You Now—released in April 2012 and landed on the CBA Bestseller List. She enjoyed writing the story based in a town near where she lives, and she chose another small Texas town for her next non-Amish contemporary—The House that Love Built—which is based in Smithville, the same quaint town where movies such as Hope Floats and Tree of Life were filmed. Beth continued to spread her wings when she released The Promise in October 2014. Inspired by actual events, The Promise follows Beth’s characters all the way to Pakistan. Beth was involved in the real-life rescue when her friend was held captive in Pakistan. Beth is currently working on book #2 in her new Amish Secrets series, tentatively titled Jacob’s Ladder. Book #1—Her Brother’s Keeper—recently released and was chosen as a Top Pick by RT Reviews Magazine.

Beth and her husband are empty nesters enjoying the country life in Texas. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel, paint, and enjoy time with friends and family. You can find Beth at Fans of Beth Wiseman on Facebook where she interacts with readers and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bethwiseman.

Have A Wondaful day and thank you for stopping in.