Book picks similar to
Dreams of Christmases Past by Hannah Schrock
amish-fiction
amish-romance
dec-20
first-only
Seek Me with All Your Heart
Beth Wiseman - 2010
Others are fleeing strict bishops with long memories.For Emily Detweiler and her family, the move is more personal. Tragedy struck Emily in Ohio, shaking loose everything she believed was firm, including her faith. Her family took the bold step of leaving Ohio to resettle in a small Amish community in Canaan, Colorado, where they hope the distance will help erase painful memories.David Stoltzfus's family moved to Colorado for reasons he doesn't understand. But Canaan is turning out to be something other than the promised land they all anticipated. Fearing that a health condition will cut his life short, David plans to return home to Paradise, Pennsylvania, as soon as he can. But then he meets Emily, who stirs feelings in his heart despite his apprehension about the future.Emily's growing love for David surprises her, but she fears that he will find out the truth about her past and reject her. But what if the truth is that they are made for each other? And that God longs to give them the desires of their hearts if only they will seek Him first?
Leaving Lancaster
Kate Lloyd - 2012
Growing up in Seattle without a dad or grandparents, she wonders what it would be like to have a heritage, a place of belonging. Holly is furious when her mother, Esther, reveals a long-kept secret: Holly’s grandmother and uncles are still alive and begging Esther to return. And Holly is shocked when she learns that the family she’s never known lives on a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, farm—as part of an Amish community her mother once abandoned.Guilt-ridden Esther, terrified to see her mother and siblings, begs Holly to accompany her on a visit to Esther’s mother before she dies. But can their journey to a conflicting world heal their emotional wounds and finally bring them home?Set in the heart of contemporary Lancaster County, Leaving Lancaster explores the power of forgiveness, family reconciliation, and love where least expected.
Loving a Tender Outlaw
Lorelei Brogan - 2019
When circumstances arise and her kidnapping becomes a permanent situation, Kate finds herself bonding with the very man who took her away from her family and fiance. Will it be possible for her to find what she was looking for where she least expected to? When the time comes, will she choose love over family, or will she find a way to have it all? Jack has led a rough life and he's determined to care for no one but himself. When he is hired by someone to kidnap young Kate and hold her for ransom, he jumps at the chance. But getting the money will not be that easy, as Kate's father is prepared to fight back. Jack is initially challenged by her stubbornness, but in time he discovers that her sweet personality brings out a softer side of him. In this impossible dilemma he is facing, will he choose to save the woman who makes him a better person over money? Nothing is what it appears to be and when all cards are revealed, decisions will need to be made. Who is behind Kate's kidnapping? They say when you find love, hold on to it, but will Kate and Jack dare to let love conquer all?
Her Undercover Billionaire Boss
April Murdock - 2019
A broke, big-hearted retail associate. Unexpected consequences. Anna Sharpe has suffered too much loss. In spite of that, she's still hopeful and believes in Christmas miracles. Her retail job has been a second home even though she could, and should, make more money somewhere else. The holiday season at Montgomery's Department Store is fun and she's looking forward to another year of joy at work. Michael Montgomery has also suffered loss. As the sole owner of the legacy left to him by his father and grandfather, he feels pressure to grow his business. But things in his comfy corner corporate office aren't so rosy. Struggles from within and worries about profits make him realize he needs to make some changes. He hears he's out of touch. One snap decision should help him remedy that problem. Going undercover, he poses as a new associate in his flagship store. Thinking he'll get insight into the business that will help him make better decisions, he's shocked at some of what he learns. But the biggest surprise of all is Anna Sharpe. He never saw her coming. Will Michael's secret be the thing that drives Anna away even though it's the very thing that brought them together?
A Family Reunion
Patricia Scanlan - 2021
A lifetime of secrets revealed.Spanning generations and covering seismic shifts in the lives of women, A Family Reunion is a compelling, thought-provoking, important and highly emotional novel.Praise for A Family Reunion:'Bestselling writer Patricia Scanlan returns with a dramatic novel that tracks four feisty women as they prepare to meet up for a family reunion... Dramatic and twisty, this novel is a riveting read' OK!'A must-read' Bella'Explosive' Best
Back in the Game
Susan Harper - 2020
A self-deprecating detective thrust into the spotlight. Criminals beware!A cozy mystery from International Bestselling Author Susan HarperFran spent her younger days making bad guys pay for their sins. At 79, those days are long behind her. But then she rents a room to an awkward young man who just happens to be a suddenly-rising detective. Fran finds herself thrust back into the world of crime and punishment. And she loves it. Can Toronto survive now that Fran is back in the game?Back in the Game is the first book in the dark, comedic Granny Vigilante Cozy Mystery series. If you like stories where the criminals get what’s coming to them, you’re going to enjoy watching the Granny Vigilante in action.
After the Fire
John Pilkington - 2011
All are linked to the new Dorset Gardens Theatre where feisty young Betsy Brand is playing First Witch in Macbeth. It seems that a shadowy figure called The Salamander, who haunted London during the Fire, has returned to wreak cruel revenge on his enemies. With the authorities utterly baffled, Betsy takes on a new role as an investigator. She reasons that perhaps a clever, courageous actress can unravel the deepening mystery. But soon she faces a more terrible foe than ever stalked upon a stage—and finds her own life is at stake.
The River
Beverly Lewis - 2014
Since Anna's death, it had been such a barrier...a place and a moment she could not seem to move past. A line I can't move beyond...The River Tilly and Ruth, two formerly Amish sisters, are plagued by unresolved relationships when they reluctantly return to Lancaster County for their parents' landmark wedding anniversary. Since departing their Plain upbringing, Tilly has married an Englisher, but Ruth remains single and hasn't entirely forgotten her failed courtship with her Amish beau.Past meets present as Tilly and Ruth yearn for acceptance and redemption. Can they face the future in the light of a past they can't undo?
Sarah's Garden
Kelly Long - 2010
But this love is forbidden, and could cost her everything she holds dear.Tucked into the majesty of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains is a garden Sarah King has been nurturing for years. She never feels more alive than when she is alone with her thoughts and her Creator among the delicate rows of plants. But then duty calls her away from her beloved garden and into a world she knows little about.Grant Williams, a handsome young veterinarian, has left the city to open a rural practice among the Amish. Within minutes of meeting shy but feisty Sarah King, he is captivated by her.As their feelings grow for one another, Sarah insists they can never be together. Marrying Grant would mean being uprooted from her home, her family, and her community. Throughout the cold Pennsylvania winter, with her garden tucked away until spring, Sarah begins crafting a quilt that illustrates her pain. Can anything lasting blossom from a love that's forbidden?
A Season for Tending
Cindy Woodsmall - 2012
Can she cultivate her relationships with the same care and tenderness that she gives her beloved garden? Old Order Amish Rhoda Byler’s unusual gift and her remarkable abilities to grow herbs and berries have caused many to think her odd. As rumors mount that Rhoda’s “gift” is a detriment to the community, she chooses isolation, spending her time in her fruit garden and on her thriving canning business. Miles away in Harvest Mills, Samuel King struggles to keep his family’s apple orchard profitable. As the eldest son, Samuel farms with his brothers, the irrepressible Jacob and brash Eli, while his longtime girlfriend Catherine remains hopeful that Samuel will marry her when he feels financially stable. Meanwhile, Samuel’s younger sister Leah is testing all the boundaries during her rumschpringe, and finds herself far from home in Rhoda’s garden after a night of partying gone badly. But Leah’s poor choices serve as a bridge between Rhoda and the King family when a tragic mistake in the orchard leaves Samuel searching for solutions. Rhoda’s expertise in canning could be the answer, but she struggles with guilt over the tragic death of her sister and doesn’t trust herself outside her garden walls. As the lines between business, love, and family begin to blur, can Rhoda finally open up to a new life? And what effect will this odd, amazing woman have on the entire King family?
Sweet as Honey
Jennifer Beckstrand - 2016
Jennifer Beckstrand writes lovely stories, sure to touch your heart.”--RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling authorSmart, kind, and good-hearted, the three Christner girls are affectionately known as The Honeybee Sisters in the beloved Wisconsin Amish community where, under the care of their aunt, they've grown into skilled beekeepers--and lovely, sought-after young women. . .Though she has blossomed into a beauty, Lily Christner doesn't really believe it. Deep down, she still feels like a lonely, gawky teenager. Maybe that's why she's all but promised herself to Paul Glick, the one boy who never teased her in her awkward girlhood--unlike Dan Kanagy, whose creative name-calling left her in tears many a time. Now he's back in town after two years away--and being surprisingly sweet, suspiciously attentive--and making Lily unsettlingly yet deliciously nervous. It seems Dan wants Lily's forgiveness--and her heart. But can he convince her--not to mention her protective schwesters and aendi--that despite the past, her future lies with him?... Praise for Jennifer Beckstrand and her Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series"Full of kind, sincere characters struggling with the best ways to stay true to themselves and their beliefs." --Publishers Weekly"Readers will treasure this series and put the first outing on their keeper shelf." --RT Book Reviews"A delightful voice in Amish romance. Sweet and funny." --Emma Miller
A Marquess to Have and to Loathe
Tiffany Baton - 2021
Teased for her unladylike behavior all her life, she has finally decided to fight back against her brother and his cruel friends.Duncan Flemming, the Marquess of Galeran, enjoys nothing more than getting under the skin of the explosive Evalyn. But ever since it is announced that they are to spend the summer together, their fights only seem to be getting worse.As Duncan starts to realise that the feelings raging in his heart might be more than hate, another suitor shows up to claim Evalyn’s heart. And when Duncan falls inexplicably ill, Evalyn faces the reality of losing him forever. What both of them don’t know, however, is that someone awfully familiar has set a trap for them, and they’re walking right into it.
Annie's Truth
Beth Shriver - 2012
But when she learns that she was adopted after being found as an abandoned newborn, she sets out on a journey to find out who she is. Her father is strongly against her decision to leave, as it could mean Meidung, or excommunication from the community and even her family. But Annie knows she must find “the path that has her heart.” As Annie’s search brings her into the fast-paced world of modern life, she is confronted with all of the temptations she was warned of. Can she make her way back to the order and security of her family? Or will she remain an outsider, torn between her two worlds?
A Stranger's Gift
Anna Schmidt - 2011
On the heels of a horrific hurricane, Hester Detlef, field director for the Mennonite Disaster Service, blows into the life of self-made, shunned Amish man John Hafner. Will she find a way through his shield and into his heart? Although the hurricane has left John homeless and badly injured, the last thing he wants is some do-gooder Mennonite woman intruding in his life. Will his impatience with her intention of restoring his faith and property keep him from accepting this beguiling stranger’s kindness?