Author: Shelley Shepard Gray
Publisher: Berkley Books
Series: The Amish of Apple Creek #1
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 304
Date of Publication: October 25, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
Combining the appeal of a small-town Amish setting and favorite romance tropes, New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray—one of the most beloved voices in inspirational romance—presents the first in a heart-warming new series perfect for fans of Beverly Lewis, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Charlotte Hubbard.
Addie Byler may be Apple Creek’s resident wallflower, but she knows she has a lot to offer—and much to be grateful for. Raised by her loving grandmother, she lives a life filled with good friends and hard work. Wary of romance, Addie assumes no man will look beyond her glasses and her tendency to talk to her rescue donkey, Snickers—until the day she finds a note from a secret admirer. A prank, most likely. But then, a second note arrives . . .
It’s not that Daniel Miller doesn’t like Addie, he just doesn’t want to court her. She’s too willful, too chatty, too odd. Yet when he learns she’s been teased because she’s never had a beau, he decides to send a little note of encouragement. One note leads to another. And when Addie begins replying with thoughtful messages of her own, he’s struck by her sweetness and warmth.
As chilly winter melts into spring, what began as a gesture of sympathy becomes something much deeper. Daniel fears revealing the truth, but with courage, faith—and a helping hand from their close-knit community—Apple Creek’s most unlikely couple may find their path to happiness . . .
MY THOUGHTS:
I love books when the basis of a new relationship comes in the form of letter writing, and that is how this first book in Shelley Shepard Gray's series begin. Addie is exchanging letters with her S.A., Secret Admirer,, and it takes her some time to discover who she is losing her heart to.
It is Daniel who is admiring Addie from afar and the two do eventually personally interact. However, he holds his identity as her S.A. away from her as their connection is being built.
What a lovely story and a great start to a new series for me. I am enjoying the many Shelley Shepard Gray books that I have been reading and this ranks right up there with the others that I have loved.
Many thanks to Kensington and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
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Author: Shelley Shepard Gray
Publisher: Kensington
Series: The Amish of Apple Creek #2
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 272
Date of Publication: March 28, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray—one of the most beloved voices in inspirational romance—welcomes readers back to Apple Creek, Ohio, a bright and bustling Amish community where a fairy tale romance is in bloom—but getting to happily ever after may require seeing love through new eyes . . .Perfect for fans of Beverly Lewis, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Charlotte Hubbard, this second installment in The Amish of Apple Creek is rich with warmth and utterly endearing characters sure to enchant readers looking for a sweet twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast tale.
May Schott would do anything to change the tragic moment when she stepped too close to the fire that left her best friend, Carl Hilty, devastatingly burned. After Carl left Apple Creek for extensive surgeries, May patiently prayed for one chance to ask his forgiveness. Now, six years later, Carl Hilty is coming home.
The reunion goes nothing like May anticipated. Overwhelmed with emotion at seeing Carl again, she is speechless, unable to look away. And Carl’s own stone-cold silence leaves her certain that whatever attraction they once shared has been replaced by his hatred of her.
After hiding in the shadows of the big city, Carl has returned to connect with his family and to see if May can overlook his scars and accept his love—but it seems she wants nothing to do with him. He grudgingly agrees to stay with his family for a time before retreating once again. . . . But in Apple Creek, it’s easy to miss what everyone around you sees plain as day. For two people who belong together, it will take a few helping hands to heal the hurts of the past and make a miraculous new beginning.
MY THOUGHTS:
May Schott and Carl Hilty were Amish teenagers who snuck away to her family's barn to be alone. Sadly, the barn was struck by lightning and although May got out with a relatively minor injury, Carl was seriously hurt and had to be life-lighted to the hospital. It has been six years of pain, treatment and healing for Carl, and during those years he has become English. However, he makes a trip home to reconnect with his family, bearing lifelong scars.
Carl is used to people taking a long and second look at him, but the person that matters to him most is May. While Carl is renewing his connection to his family, things between him and May are tentative. Guilt and forgiveness go hand in hand in this second book in the Amish of Apple Creek series. I loved the story between Carl and May and how they had to resolve their past in order to move towards a blessed future together.
Many thanks to Kensington and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.
Photo credit: Dianne Bomar
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