The perfect family awaits…if only he’ll risk his heart.
Pregnant and recently widowed, Grace Fisher is determined to provide for her family on her own. Thankfully, her jam business is popular in her Amish community. But it’s difficult keeping up with her work, her farm chores, and her two mischievous children. Especially now that they’ve taken to idolizing their neighbor Elijah. While the handsome farmer is kind and generous, he seems intent on holding Grace and her little ones at a distance…
Elijah Beiler has always admired his neighbor Grace. So standing by while she struggles to support her family isn’t an option. Offering to take over her farm duties, Elijah is determined to help while remaining detached. He knows all too well that love only leads to heartbreak. Yet the more time he spends with Grace and her children, the harder he finds it to leave each day. But can Elijah overcome past hurts and open his heart to this ready-made family?
“A beautiful story of forgiveness and second chances.” -Shelley Shepard Gray, New York Timesbestselling author, on The Amish Teacher’s Gift
My thoughts: This story is beautifully written and drew me in from the get go! I enjoyed getting to know Grace, a young woman who is lovely both inside and out. Having taken care of a sickly husband, her growing family, and a business selling jams, life suddenly changes when her husband passes away at a young age. When Elijah enters the scene, he is quick to make assumptions about the young widow and her family, though he steps in to help nonetheless. I thought that Rachel did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life, with their unique personalities and backstories! This is an enjoyable story to pick up.
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.
About Rachel:
Inspirational author Rachel J. Good writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. The bestselling author of several Amish romance series, she grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for many of her stories. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farms and attending family events. Rachel has more than 40 books in print or forthcoming for both children and adults under several pen names. Find out more about Rachel and her books at her website and by signing up for her newsletter.
Rachel’s Amish series include Sisters & Friends (Charisma House & Harlequin), Love & Promises (Hachette/Grand Central), Hearts of Amish Country (Annie’s Book Club), and the forthcoming Unexpected Amish Blessings and Surprised by Love series (Kensington). She also has several anthologies in print as well as the Amish Quilts Coloring Book.
More from Rachel
The story idea for The Amish Widow’s Secret came to me after I’d just finished reading stories to my Amish friend’s children to give her a little break. She was expecting a new baby, and while we sat in their kitchen enjoying a snack, her husband came in.
The tenderness in his eyes as they talked made my eyes well with tears. It was obvious how much they loved each other, and they both supported each other. A perfect companionship. Not everyone gets to experience that bond, that caring.
It made me wonder what she’d do without him, and the seeds of a story was born. I decided to explore how a widow would cope with a pregnancy and two children alone. In the Amish community, of course, no one is ever left on their own. Everyone chips in to help.
So, what if the handsome and reclusive bachelor next door felt obligated to help, but wanted to avoid getting involved? Would he eventually soften his heart toward children and love?
As I wrote, I wondered if Elijah Beiler could get over a previous heartbreak. He needed to face his past before he moved forward, so I gave him that opportunity. A surprise visit and unwelcome news force Elijah to rethink everything he believes about parenting and love. And about the person who destroyed his world. He also needs to face the bitterness he’s been harboring.
Sometimes learning more about the circumstances or reasons of the person who has hurt us causes us to see the whole situation in a new light, making it easier to let go of the hurt. That’s what happens to Elijah.
I hope his journey will encourage readers to consider the places in their lives where they’ve been holding onto pain and reevaluate those experiences in the light of God’s forgiveness and love. To write this story, I needed to do that too.
For a complete list of the blog stops, go here.
Giveaway:
To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a grand prize of autographed copies of The Amish Midwife’s Secret and Big-City Amish, a copy of an Amish cookbook, and an authentic Amish headscarf!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link here to enter.
Title: Vigilant 
