Book picks similar to
Sibling Rivalry by Samantha Jillian Bayarr


amish
christian-fiction
genre-otherfiction
christian-romance

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.

Rachel's Secret


B.J. Hoff - 2008
    With the first book, Rachel’s Secret, Hoff introduces a new community of unforgettable characters and adds the elements readers have come to expect from her novels: a tender love story, the faith journeys of people we grow to know and love, and enough suspense to keep the pages turning quickly.When the wounded Irish American riverboat captain, Jeremiah Gant, bursts into the rural Amish setting of Riverhaven, he brings chaos and conflict to the community--especially for young widow, Rachel Brenneman. The unwelcome “outsider” needs a safe place to recuperate before continuing his secret role as an Underground Railroad conductor. Neither he nor Rachel is prepared for the forbidden love that threatens to endanger a man’s mission, a woman’s heart, and a way of life for an entire people.

Ella's Christmas Miracle


Betty Bontrager - 2019
     When Jeremiah’s father passed away, he wasn’t ready for the responsibility that fell on him. But when his mother fell ill soon after, he had little choice. He had a farm to run, his mother to pray for and barely time to eat a cooked meal. When Ella’s friend asks her to accompany her to hospital, Ella visits a stranger in a coma, the lady is Amish but Ella doesn’t know her name. Ella begins frequent visits to the sleeping stranger, telling her stories about her Amish life growing up, hoping that in some small way she might make a difference. During a visit to his mother in hospital, Jeremiah finds a girl in his mother’s room, telling stories as if she was a long-time friend of the family. But something shifts inside him, something that gives him hope for the first time in years. Do miracles still happen? In Lancaster County they do! Can Jeremiah find time to get to know Ella with all the responsibilities already on his shoulders? Will Ella open her heart to a man who clearly doesn’t have time for her? Enjoy this sweet Amish romance that will remind you to appreciate every day and delight you with a Christmas miracle, or two.

A (kinda) Country Christmas


Krista Phillips - 2015
    Owner of Bethlehem's Boutique in the tourist mountain town of Gatlinburg, TN, she has no room for the bad boys of her past and devotes her whole life to the struggling boutique and her teenage daughter, Maribelle. She's perfectly happy with her country-living life until he walks into her store. Nate Myers travels the globe for his job and has the bank account to prove his success. The former "bad" boy is in town for a short visit with his sister and is determined to not get caught up in all the Christmas hype. But then he falls for the beautiful shopkeeper—quite literally. Will these two (sorta) opposites be able to find a happily-ever-after together?

Blueberry Cupcake Mystery


Naomi Miller - 2016
    Katie Chupp spends her days at The Sweet Shop, taking care of customers and baking delicious treats . . . not exactly a profession where one expects to be thrown into the midst of mysteries and mayhem.But when the bakery is broken into, someone has to find the thief . . . besides finding another place to do the baking and get the orders to the customers.Is this a random theft, or is the thief trying to ruin the town's Independence Day celebration?Book 1 of the Sweet Shop Mysteries seriesAnd watch for book 2 - Christmas Cookie Mystery - COMING SOON!

Andrew


Jennifer Beckstrand - 2019
    But if their matchmaking younger siblings have their way, all three may soon bear another title: husband . . . Handsome, hardworking, and godly, Andrew Petersheim has always been sure of his place in his Wisconsin Amish community. He'll be a welcome catch for the local girl who finally captures his heart. Mary Coblenz certainly isn't that girl. Two years after "jumping the fence" for the Englischer world, she's returned, unmarried and pregnant. Yet instead of hiding in shame as others in the community expect, she's working at the Honeybee Farm, ignoring the gossips--and winning over Andrew's eight-year-old twin brothers . . .For all Andrew's certainty about right and wrong, it seems he has a lot to learn from Mary's courage, grace, and resilience. She's changing his notions about forgiveness and love, but will she in turn accept the challenge of starting over and choose to stay--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"A heart-warming story of faith, hope, and second chances. The story will captivate readers who love the Amish culture and enjoy an endearing romance." --Amy Clipston, bestselling author of A Place at Our Table

Gifts of Love


Carol Moncado - 2016
    But somehow, since they started teaching at Serenity Landing Elementary II, he’s managed to worm his way into her life and make himself indispensable. Vince Roberts has loved Samantha since their first date, though he hasn’t done the best job of showing it. Spending time together is one reason he volunteered both of them to plan the staff Christmas party. They work together to take care of one of their own, dealing with the recent death of her husband in a house fire. As they plan the party, Samantha tries to keep Vince from finding his way into her heart. Will she admit the feelings that have been growing for so many years or walk away from Gifts of Love?

Unlikely Santa: An Amish Christmas Story


Jennifer Spredemann - 2019
    But when young Jaycee Parker mistakes him for Santa Claus, his heart is moved with compassion for the boy and his family. Will this unlikely pair discover more than just a holiday filled with food and gifts? At eighteen, Englischer Shannon Parker is left the sole caretaker and provider of her three younger siblings. All she truly wants for Christmas is to be able to provide a happy holiday and decent gifts for each of them. Not an easy feat, given that her low-paying waitressing job is their only source of income. When a handsome stranger walks into the restaurant offering kindness, she has a feeling her life will never be the same again. A faith-filled Christmas story sure to bring a smile to your face and warm your heart with the Joy of the season!

Reverie


Christina Yother - 2014
    When a job opportunity as a housekeeper presents itself Hetty accepts believing that working for Isaac Wheeler and his family is a welcome, if not temporary, surrogate for her own family dreams. As she’s faced with learning to trust she discovers that wanting a family and building a family are two very different things. Will she learn to see herself as worthy of God’s gifts? Or will she return to the solitary existence that defined so much of her life? Isaac Wheeler, successful furniture maker and dishonorable bachelor, finds Hetty’s presence in his home to be disturbing and a haunting reminder of his past sins. As he struggles with his growing and unwanted feelings, he can’t help but torment himself with mistakes from his past. Can he navigate the family tensions, infidelity, and sudden choices destined to keep them apart? Or can Isaac endure each struggle and seek forgiveness before discovering what truly makes a family?

Maggie's Mondays


Diane Lil Adams - 2012
    She cleans houses for a living, but tries to devote a few minutes to her sketchbook every day. Jim Madden is struggling to get out of debt, while he single parents three children. A romance is hardly feasible, but God never lets circumstances interfere with His plans.

All He'll Ever Need


Loree Lough - 2019
     For Amish widower Philip Baker, providing for his family in the wake of his wife's death means back-breaking work and renewed dedication to his faith. Still, his strength can't help him relate to his little son's struggles. It seems a godsend when new doctor Emily White is able to treat Gabe's shyness and fear even as she helps heal him. But no matter how strongly Philip is drawn to the caring Englischer from the city, their differences may be too great to overcome ...Reeling from her own tragic loss, Emily keeps loneliness at bay through her clinic work. Somehow, though, Gabe and his gentle, sad-eyed father are making her want to risk opening her heart again. But can she find acceptance in their Plain world--and a way to turn their separate lives into a family forever? ...

Lily's Longing (Amish Bouquet Bakery Book 1)


Emma Cartwright - 2017
    Her days and nights are filled with caring for both. Having lost their parents two years before, the girls work together to keep their legacy alive, and each one has a responsibility to fulfill. Lily loves baking delicious pastries, bread, cookies and pies for their community, but she feels that something is missing in her life. Although her time is taken up by her work and helping her older sister run their household, Lily’s heart longs for the kind of relationship her parents had, but no one in their small town of Greenwood, Kentucky has ever tried to win her heart. In her youth, her shyness prevented her from responding to any overtures, but now she is just too consumed with her duties to even try. Gabriel Albrect works for his father’s construction company and is a former charmer of women. However, after having his heart broken, he retreats from the social scene and throws himself into his work. He’s done with women now. But when his cousin comes to visit, he is reminded of his former self and knows that he has to take responsibility for his cousin’s actions. After all, he is the reason that Mark behaves this way. When Mark appears to be making advances toward Lily’s sisters, Gabriel steps forward to intervene. He cares deeply for the Springer sisters. Although he and Lily were once close friends, time and changes caused them to drift apart. While they are still friendly, the relationship is a shadow of what it once was. Gabriel feels helpless to change it, believing that Lily will never trust him again because of his past. Still, he wants to protect her sisters from the advances of his flirtatious cousin. As the anniversary of her parents’ death approaches, Lily feels vulnerable and calls out to the Lord for comfort. If she can’t have the desires of her heart, she asks that He take them from her. Little does she know that God has a plan for her that will go beyond all her hopes...

An Amish Romance: Rebecca's Second Chance: A Yoder Family Series


Ellie Troyer - 2020
    But the delivery man for the local grain store, Jimmy Knox, had caught her eye and eventually her heart. Following a fateful kiss with Jimmy, Rebecca’s family gives her an ultimatum -she can go with Jimmy and leave their community, or she can stay with her family and lose Jimmy. After days of agonizing, she chooses her faith, but by then, the local village basically shuns her. Rebecca’s parents decide it would be best if she moves in with her grandfather two towns away, to take care of him as his health declines. They feel that by removing her from their home, they will no longer face the condemnation of the community for her relationship with Jimmy, and maybe she can find a man who would forgive her past. Becca moves in with her grandfather, and toils day and night, taking care of his house, the cooking, many of the farm chores, and taking care of his health needs. Sad and lonely, still facing comments about Jimmy, Becca starts taking long walks by herself when her work is done. On one such walk, she meets Noah Flaud, and they begin to court. Rebecca struggles to put her shame behind her, and fully embrace the love and acceptance Noah is offering her.

The Heart Knows the Way Home


Christy Distler - 2021
    While he grew up in the gmay—Lancaster County’s Old Order Mennonite community—she was the daughter of a single mother who left her in the care of Luke’s grandmother. For six years Janna found love with the Martins, until her mother abruptly moved them away.Now, almost fourteen years later, Janna returns to the area with her daughter. Her hope for a new beginning is lost when they find their home uninhabitable after a storm, then an out-of-gas car leaves them stranded. When two women stop to help, they turn out to be Luke’s aunts, and the Martin family again takes her in.Janna and Luke, a widower struggling to balance business and family responsibilities, reacquaint as Janna assists his grandmother and cares for his son. Her self-protective independence and his conservative principles put them at odds, but the difficulties they face draw them closer.When long-lost friendship rekindles into unexpected love, will either be willing to make changes so they can be together?A portion of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to Clinic for Special Children in Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

The Sound of Sleigh Bells


Cindy Woodsmall - 2009
    But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry. Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?