Amish Promises Review

Amish Promises by Leslie Gould is a 368 page novel in the Amish fiction genre.  It is the first book in the Neighbors of Lancaster Series. Amish Promises is published by Bethany House Publishers and was released on May 5, 2015. To purchase your copy from Amazon, click here or from Barnes & Noble, click here.

Overview

Journey Down a Quiet Lane in Lancaster County Where Love and Heartache and Friendship and Healing Meet.

When Joel and Shani Beck arrive at their new home, they’re looking for peace. Shani is thrilled to have Joel back from Iraq, but he needs time to heal, and the quiet of Lancaster seems just the place. They can’t imagine any trouble with their Amish neighbors, the Lehmans, but things get off to a rocky start when their son is involved in an accident that injures one of the Lehman boys.

Eve Lehman has run her brother’s household ever since the death of his wife, but Tim’s a stern patriarch. Despite his protests, she’s drawn to the new neighbor, Shani, and the two begin to form a strong friendship forged on faith and family. Things seem like they’ve quieted down until Joel’s single and handsome army friend Charlie catches Eve’s attention–a man unlike any Eve has ever met. Suddenly life for both families becomes more complicated than any of them could have ever imagined.

My Two Cents

Amish Promises was a realistic, heart-warming read.  The storyline of Amish and English neighbors made the book very interesting and the conflict between the two kept the pace going.  Amish Promises also offers a look into soldiers who suffer from PTSD and the effects it has on them and their family.  The theme of friendship and loving your neighbor shined throughout the book.

Though it was difficult to keep account of all the characters at the beginning of the story, the characters were extremely well-written.  The characters are real with real issues in both the Amish and English families.  The storyline of the relationship between the two families is different from most Amish novels.

Amish Promises discusses many difficult issues yet it is not a heavy read; they were handled with respect and grace.  I finished the book feeling encouraged and can not wait for the next book in the series.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  No monetary compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Leslie Gould is the author of the bestselling Courtships of Lancaster County series and coauthor, with Mindy Starns Clark, of the #1 bestselling The Amish Midwife. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Portland State University and has taught fiction writing at Multnomah University as an adjunct professor. She resides with her family in Portland, Oregon.

Giveaway

To enter to win a copy of Leslie’s Amish Promises click on the words, “Entry-Form” below: