The Shop Down the Lane: (A Sweet Contemporary Amish Letter Writing Enemies to Lovers Romance) (Letters from Lancaster County) 

352 pages Publisher Bethany House Publishers Publication date May 6, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

Leslie Gould delights in this sweet and humorous Amish romance reminiscent of The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail.

Lois Yoder has always found solace in the quiet life of Paradise, Pennsylvania, where she manages a gift shop that reflects her Amish community’s simple values. Her tranquil world is upended when Moses Lantz, a former Amishman turned Mennonite and the man who broke her heart, buys the shop with ambitious plans to transform it into a tourist hub–a move that Lois fiercely opposes.

Seeking a distraction, Lois joins a bird watchers’ circle letter under an alias. But unknown to her, Moses does the same at the urging of a friend. While their correspondence blossoms into a tender romance, the enmity between Lois and Moses in real life only intensifies. Can they overcome their animosity and embrace the love they’ve found through their letters, or will their stubborn hearts keep them apart forever?

MY THOUGHTS

I really, really enjoyed this book.
Aside from the story which really kept my attention I very much enjoyed that it takes place in Pennsylvania, my home state and where I still live.
How fun to see a story including birding circle letter writing. I have a bird app I use almost daily, and it identifies bird calls it hears. It’s so much fun to see new ones on it with the bird migration.
I also have the bird book the author recommended that she used for her research.
A long ago misunderstanding stopped a couple from courting but when they are brought together again can that be put aside so they can at least be nice to each other.
An Amish man and woman get to know each other through their interests in birding, a common interest amongst the Amish. They write letters to each other and the interest becomes more than about just birds but could a secret they’ve each been keeping from each other be detrimental to their relationship?
Very much enjoyed all of the characters and their personalities and how caring and forgiving they are to each other.
The characters are compassionate and helpful towards each other.
I also enjoyed the author talking about planting certain things and helping to create a habitat for the birds. The ending was wonderful and there was a surprise with one of the main characters I enjoyed too. I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

Leslie Gould is the best-selling and award-winning author of over forty novels. She loves research, traveling, and church history. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon and have four grown children and one grandchild. http://www.lesliegould.com/

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