We join some of the folks from Bliss Creek as they start their new life in The New Hope Amish community. If you read the first series (Bliss Creek) you will recognize and remember many of the characters. I enjoyed the book very much. While I am not a huge fan of continuing novels, I do enjoy meeting up with familiar characters. This is not a continuing novel, it will stand alone, but it does help to understand what is going on if you have read the Bliss Creek books.
I did find myself having to go back and read sections over again, because there are so many characters it can get a bit confusing. That being said, I enjoyed the book, and cried my way through it. There should be a tissue warning at the beginning. My heart broke as Leah dealt with the unknown issues and depression she was dealing with due to postpartum depression. My heart broke for Luke, who tried to understand his wife and balance the responsibilities of being the new bishop for The New Hope community. I wanted to shake Bethel at times, and at times I cried as she tried to figure out what she wanted from life, and what she felt like God wanted from her. This book will make you eager for the next installment of The New Hope Amish. A great story, with a beautiful ending. 4 stars!This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.
About the Book:
Readers of Kelly Irvin’s Bliss Creek Amish novels will be overjoyed to discover her new series for lovers of Amish fiction: The New Hope Amish. In the first installment, Love Still Stands, a group of dedicated families leaves Bliss Creek to establish a new community in Missouri. Among them is Bethel Graber, a beautiful young woman with a passion for teaching. But after being disabled in a terrible accident, overseeing a classroom is out of the question…and romance seems a long-lost dream. Bethel begins physical therapy, determined to make a fresh start. But that won’t be easy in the town of New Hope, where the locals seem anything but eager to welcome their new Amish neighbors. Amid growing intimidation from the community, Bethel must find the strength to face her many challenges and the faith to believe that God still has a plan—and a love—for her life.
