Author Interview: The Shop Down the Lane by Leslie Gould

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Shop Down the Lane by Leslie Gould, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Shop Down the Lane
Series: Letters from Lancaster County
Author: Leslie Gould
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Genre: Amish Romance

Leslie Gould delights in this sweet and humorous Amish romance reminiscent of The Shop Around the Corner and You've Got Mail. 

Lois Yoder has always found solace in the quiet life of Paradise, Pennsylvania, where she manages a gift shop that reflects her Amish community's simple values. Her tranquil world is upended when Moses Lantz, a former Amishman turned Mennonite and the man who broke her heart, buys the shop with ambitious plans to transform it into a tourist hub--a move that Lois fiercely opposes. 

Seeking a distraction, Lois joins a bird watchers' circle letter under an alias. But unknown to her, Moses does the same at the urging of a friend. While their correspondence blossoms into a tender romance, the enmity between Lois and Moses in real life only intensifies. Can they overcome their animosity and embrace the love they've found through their letters, or will their stubborn hearts keep them apart forever? 

This heartwarming Amish romance includes themes of bird watching, correspondence by letters, enemies to lovers, and family secrets for readers of Beverly Lewis, Wanda E. Brunstetter, and Shelley Shepard Gray.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Bethany House | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

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Excerpt

pp 14-15

She turned her attention to tidying the shelves. She guessed John Miller wanted to marry soon. And Lois needed to marry. The bishop was intent on her not living alone.

The door buzzed again. This time Scotty entered the shop with a serious expression on his face. He cleared his throat as he approached Lois. “I need to talk to you about something.”

Alarmed, she stumbled backward. Had the books been off the day before? Had she ordered too many birdhouses? Not enough greeting cards?

He ran his hand through his gray hair. “I’ve had a couple of offers on the store.”

Lois gasped. “What?”

“Barb wants me to retire. This time for good.”

Lois felt ill. “What are you talking about?”

“We hope to be in Florida by October.”

Lois put her hand to her chest. “You’re kidding, right?”

He shook his head.

She placed her free hand on the shelf to steady herself. “What about the farm?”

“We’ll be selling it too.” His expression turned sympathetic for a moment and then, with a bit of a quiver in his voice, he said, “I’ve been talking with a prospective buyer. I’ve told this person I’ll only sell the shop if he promises to keep you on and let you continue to live in the apartment.”

Lois opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

“I wanted to tell you, so you wouldn’t be surprised.” He stepped behind the counter and opened the cash register. He held up a key. “I need to show Moses the shed.”

She sputtered, “Moses?”

“Yes. Moses Lantz.” Scotty gave her a questioning look. “Do you know him?”

Lois put her hand over her mouth. She had—she didn’t anymore. But she did know he was the last person in the world she wanted to buy Paradise Found.


© 2025 by Leslie Gould
Published by Bethany House Publishers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
BethanyHouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved.

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Also Available

   

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About the Author

Leslie Gould is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of more than 48 novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds a bachelor's degree in history and an MFA in creative writing. She enjoys church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and have four adult children and two grandchildren.

Connect with Leslie by visiting lesliegould.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.

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Author Interview

Q: What inspired you to write The Shop Down the Lane?

Leslie: This story is the first in my Letters from Lancaster County series, so I needed to create characters and a plot that had to do with letters. I chose a circle letter (where people exchange letters in a circular, group setting) device, complemented by an anonymous pen pal trope. However, a set of stories spanning a couple of centuries also influenced my story, starting with the novel Pride and Prejudice (1813), then the Hungarian play Parfumerie (1937), the movie The Shop Around the Corner (1940), and finally You’ve Got Mail (1998). The first three stories influenced You’ve Got Mail, and the three latter ones also have anonymous pen pal tropes. It was a lot of fun to explore the connections between all four of these stories and plop elements from them into a story set in Amish country with an Amish heroine and a Mennonite hero and a circle letter.

Q: How long did it take to write this book?

Leslie: It took about five months to write the first draft and then a couple of months to rewrite it after receiving my editorial letter from my publisher. I especially love the rewriting process!

Q: What surprised you while writing this novel?

Leslie: This is definitely a sweet romance and that’s the main focus, but a side plot is the friendship between my heroine, Lois, and her best friend, Amy. The importance of their friendship became much more central to the story than I’d first planned and really took on a life of its own, which was a pleasant surprise. It was a reminder of how important it is that we have support and other healthy relationships in our lives, not just romance. ☺

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from The Shop Down the Lane?

Leslie: “As he kicked the scooter around the curve just before the bridge, they both leaned into the turn, flying together.”

The heroine, Lois, doesn’t have a horse and buggy and rides her scooter nearly everywhere she goes. There’s also a birding theme in the story. This quote combines Lois’s mode of transportation and the bird motif through the flying image.

Q: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

Leslie: I dreamed of being an author since the sixth grade, but it wasn’t until my twenties when I started writing short stories that I truly wanted to be one because I finally believed I could be!

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?

Leslie: I was hired to curate a museum in Ashland, Oregon when I was 23. Later, I set my first novel in Ashland, and I’ve have used what I learned in that job in multiple dual-time and historical novels that I’ve written through the years. It gave me a strong sense of history as applied to a community and a timeline of how world events impacted Americans living in small communities through the decades of our existence as the USA.

Q: What are you currently reading?

Leslie: I’m reading Joanne Lehman’s Leah’s Faith, and I’ve just started listening to Jane Kirkpatrick’s Beneath the Bending Skies.

Q: What is your favorite genre to read?

Leslie: I can’t choose just one! I read everything from literary fiction to sweet romances. I love reading Amish novels by my writer friends, but I also love World War II dual-time stories and historical fiction too.

Q: What is your favorite hobby?

Leslie: Because I consider reading essential to life and not a hobby, I have to say gardening. We live in the city, but I have a garden plot, a row of raspberry bushes, lots of flower beds, and a large collection of containers that I fill with flowers. I love being outside whenever I can be, but I especially take time in the morning in the late spring, summer, and early fall to water and weed and enjoy “watching” my plants grow.

Q: What is your favorite season and why?

Leslie: I really love summer—the warmth, the produce, the flowers, and the extra time spent with friends and family. We love hiking and kayaking and gardening (as mentioned) and generally spending as much time outdoors as possible. We live in Portland, Oregon so after a winter and spring of lots of rain, I really appreciate sunny days!

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a print copy of The Shop Down the Lane!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 13, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 20, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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Author Interview: Home from the Storm by Laurel Blount

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Home from the Storm by Laurel Blount, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Home from the Storm
Series: Johns Mill Amish Romance #4
Author: Laurel Blount
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: December 26, 2023
Genre: Inspirational Romance Amish

In this stirring Amish romance about love and second chances, a shunned man returns to protect the wife he left behind—and falls in love with the family he never knew he had. 

After a senseless loss, hotheaded Caleb Hochstedler left his Amish faith and his young wife to seek justice. Two years later, he tracks his parents’ killer back home to Johns Mill, where he’s astonished to learn he’s the father of twins. Now he's determined to protect his children and the woman he still loves—if she’ll let him. 

Her new husband’s abandonment broke Rhoda Lambright’s heart and proved her father, the bishop, right. Such a stubborn man could never be happy among the peaceful Amish. When Caleb unexpectedly returns, Rhoda is caught between her rock of a husband and a very hard place. 

Her church forbids divorce and requires forgiveness, so Rhoda lets Caleb back into their home. But can she ever let him back into her heart? One thing’s for certain sure. This second chance will take all the faith they can find.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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Excerpt

The rosy-cheeked girl he’d married had turned into a woman. Rhoda’s features were sharper, and the innocent softness he remembered was gone.

Guilt rolled in Caleb’s chest. Their marriage hadn’t been kind to her. It hadn’t done him any favors, either. He’d hurt her by leaving. She’d hurt him by staying.

It had been a mistake, just walking in the bakery like this. The shock of being in the same room with Rhoda after all this time had hit him hard. He couldn’t seem to move or speak. He couldn’t do anything but stare at her.

She stared back, her face blank and stunned.

He should say something. The problem was, he had no idea what. He’d been driving all night, pushing past exhaustion with truck stop coffee and determination. All he’d wanted was to get here, see Rhoda face-to-face and reassure himself that she was all right, that Trevor hadn’t gotten to her first. He had no idea how he was going to explain this, no idea how to get her to listen to him.

All he could do right now was look at her. Because even with that new hardness in her face, when she’d gone white as a sheet, her brown eyes huge, Rhoda was still the prettiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

“Caleb?”

Hearing her whispering his name again cut at him.

“Ja, it’s me, Rhoda.” It was the first time he’d spoken an entire sentence in Deutsch in a very long time.

Except, of course, in his dreams.

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More Books In This Series

   

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About the Author

Award-winning author Laurel Blount writes inspirational romances full of grit and grace—with characters who’ll walk right off the page and into your heart! She lives on a farm in Georgia with her husband, their four fabulous kids, and an assortment of ridiculously spoiled animals.

An enthusiastic multi-tasker, Laurel writes for both Berkley/Penguin Random House and Love Inspired/Harlequin. She’s a Publishers Weekly best-selling author and the recipient of ACFW’s Carol Award, The New England Reader’s Choice Award and GRW’s Maggie Award. She’s represented by Jessica Alvarez of Bookends Literary Agency.  

Home from the Storm is Laurel’s twelfth book—and more stories are in the works! Stay tuned!

Connect with Laurel by visiting laurelblountbooks.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

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Author Interview with Laurel

Q: What was the inspiration behind Home From the Storm?

Laurel: What a great question! I think Home from the Storm was inspired by the ideas of love and forgiveness—and how those things might play out in difficult times.

We often hear that “love conquers all.” But does it really? For example, what happens when two very different people fall in love and get married in spite of their differences? And what if their “opposites attract” love is then further tested by a tragedy?

That’s what happened with Caleb and Rhoda Hochstedler in Home from the Storm. Caleb was the town troublemaker, always skirting the church rules, but he fell head over heels for Rhoda, the Amish bishop’s devout daughter. When Caleb’s parents were killed by an unstable Englischer, the church—and Rhoda—expected him to follow the guidelines of their faith and forgive. But forgiveness was the last thing on Caleb’s mind—he was determined to bring the killer to justice.

There’s no doubt these two young people love each other, but is that love strong enough to bridge the widening gap between them? Home from the Storm explores that question.

Q: How long did it take you to write this story?

Laurel: It’s always so hard to figure that up! My book writing is done in spurts—first I write the rough draft, then it goes through lots of edits and revisions—and often I’m also working on another book at the same time! My best estimate would be that I spent about seven months writing Home from the Storm.

 

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

Laurel: It’s hard to pick! But I do love the character of Abram, the new bishop of Johns Mill, and I especially love what he tells hard-headed Caleb at one point in the story:

“Gott has great need of such men as you, Caleb, given the world we live in. Men who stand up for what is right, no matter the personal cost. Men”— Abram winked—“who will guard the fences well. Of course, there is a cost. Such a man will have a hard time submitting his will, even to Gott. But . . .” The bishop leaned forward and tapped his finger on the desk, punctuating each word as he spoke it. “Submission. Is. Necessary.” He leaned back in his chair. “A man’s greatest strength is always also his greatest weakness. What Gott wishes to use for His purposes, the enemy will always try to turn to his own. It is up to you to prevent that by following the Lord as faithfully as you can.”


Q: What do you hope readers take away from Home From the Storm?

Laurel: This is a story about family and about forgiveness—and all the hard, gritty heart-work that requires. I think we all struggle with forgiving people who’ve hurt us, and I hope that seeing how Rhoda—and especially Caleb—work through their pain will spark some thoughts about how we deal with our own wounded relationships.

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers would not know?

Laurel: Hmm—that’s a toughie! I love to share about my life, so if readers subscribe to my monthly newsletter (and I hope they do!) there’s probably not much they don’t know about me! But here’s something—my grandmother used to dance with Winnie the Pooh! She was from Cedartown, Georgia, the birthplace of Sterling Holloway. He was the original voice of Pooh, and when he and my grandmother were in their teens, they were both excellent dancers. She said there was never any romance between them, but they often paired up at parties because they danced so well together and they always had, as she put it, a “grand time.” As a little Winnie-the-Pooh loving girl, I loved listening to her stories!

Q: How long ago did you start writing?

Laurel: I’ve always loved to write, and as long as I can remember I’ve written stories. But I started writing professionally in 2015 when I sold my first inspirational romance, A Family for the Farmer, to Love Inspired.

 

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Laurel: There are so many things I enjoy about this career! If I had to pick just one thing, I’d say it’s being a part of the writing community. Being able to spend so much time interacting with readers, other authors and editors—people who love books every bit as much as I do—that’s a dream come true for me and a privilege I don’t take for granted!

 

Q:  Do you prefer to read eBooks or physical copies?

Laurel: I love both! I love the feel of a “real” book in my hands, but I also love the convenience of eBooks. (My husband loves that I can fit thousands of eBooks on one small device—otherwise he’d spend all this time building me more bookcases!)


Q: How many bookcases are in your home?

Laurel: Eight very large ones! And they are all stuffed to the gills. I also have stacks of books on nightstands and end tables, a Kindle crammed with books and a very well used library card!


Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Laurel: So many things! I love to cook, and I find baking bread particularly relaxing. I enjoy long, thoughtful talks with friends and family over cups of tea or coffee. And of course, I also love reading!! I’m never happier than when I have a good book to read, a hot cup of tea, and a friend to talk it over with!

Thanks so much for letting me visit with you today!

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win print copies of Shelter in the Storm, Strength in the Storm and Courage in the Storm plus a $25 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight December 11, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on December 18, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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Book Review: Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert & Tricia Goyer

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert & Tricia Goyer hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Under the Blue Skies 

Series: Big Sky Amish #3 

Authors: Elly Gilbert & Tricia Goyer 

Publisher: Sunrise Publishing 

Release Date: August 8, 2023 

Genre: Contemporary Amish Romance

Thomas Smucker moved to West Kootenai for a fresh start—one where he could make his own decisions and build a life away from his deceased father’s harsh reputation. But when a tragedy occurs, he finds his five-year-old niece in his care. Now, he has to build a life he didn’t want and face a past that he longed to escape.

Lovina Graber dreams of a husband and family of her own, but a lifelong limp and disfigured face have her doubting it will ever happen. Instead, she’s content working as a scribe for The Budget and spending her days helping her parents and the less fortunate in her community. Well, mostly content. And then there’s that secret anonymous column she’s been writing too … 

When a newly arrived bachelor becomes an instant father, Lovina feels compelled to come to the rescue, helping Thomas care for his Englisch niece as he works toward gaining custody. Although Thomas and his niece clash at every turn, Lovina finds herself building a bond with the girl. Could this be the family she’s longed for? 

Afraid he’s too much like his anger-driven father, Thomas has no plans to ever marry or have children, despite the sparks between him and Lovina, and his growing fondness for his niece. When he finds out Lovina’s secret—and believes she’s perhaps not the person he thought—he strikes out in caring for Emily on his own. 

But when his custody is threatened, he must do what’s best for his niece. The only problem is he’s not sure what that is. Can he and Lovina work together to fight the lies they’ve believed all their lives—and fight the system to get back their girl? 

Find out in this third installment of the Big Sky Amish Collection.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Christianbook | BookBub

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Excerpt from Under the Blue Skies

Monday, July 24

Right now, all Thomas Smucker wanted was a nice, warm bed. Well, maybe a quick, hot shower too. Grime covered every inch of his body. A two-day train ride from Pittsburgh to Whitefish would do that to a man.

Instead, he had to make polite conversation with strangers.

And yes, one of those strangers might have the prettiest brown eyes he’d ever seen on a woman, but Thomas wasn’t here for love.

He was here to work. To find peace. To escape.

But first . . . sleep.

Just not yet. He sighed.

As Wyatt helped Miss Graber out of the van, Thomas stole a long look at the energetic, nearly elfin woman. The headlights of the van illuminated her slight five-foot frame. Like him, she had to be in her mid-twenties. Frizzy spirals of brown hair dared to escape from her kapp. The dark expressive eyes he’d noticed earlier remained lowered, and her jaw clenched tightly, as if she concentrated on each movement.

And along the left side of her face ran a puffy, purplish scar.

She trudged toward the house, and he noticed a limp. Initially, he believed she was having trouble balancing her bags while keeping her long dress from dragging in the mud, but the farther away she walked, the more obvious the limp became. He couldn’t help but wonder if the limp and the scar were connected.

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My Thoughts: 

As a contemporary Amish romance, Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert and Tricia Goyer rests beyond my normal reading zone. Feeling brave and spontaneous, I signed up to read the story, planning to have an open mind. The novel adhered faithfully to Amish-romance-novel structure with some predictable plot points and the setting of a close-knit community living together in the Plain lifestyle. Though West Kootenai calls itself a progressive Amish community, I still struggled with the normal things that push me away from Amish fiction: forgiveness without healthy boundaries, all male leadership, and humans as high spiritual authority. Readers who love Amish fiction will likely not be as put off by these things as I was.

Obviously, I am not the ideal reader for Amish fiction, including Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert and Tricia Goyer. However, I did like the novel’s strong theme about how the words of others can plant lies within one’s mind. Lovina and Thomas both had to learn to embrace the truth as a means of refuting the embedded lies. At times, both main characters demonstrated immaturity and angst that made them seem more like teenagers than mid-twenties adults and this particular theme supplied some needed character growth.

Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert and Tricia Goyer read fine as a standalone novel though it is the third installment in the Big Sky Amish series. This isn’t a book I would read again, but fans of Amish romance will likely enjoy it more than I did.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

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About the Authors

Elly Gilbert lives in central Kentucky with her husband, daughter, and twin sons. A lifelong bookworm, she finds joy in reading and writing inspirational fiction and devotions for adults and teens. When she’s away from her desk, you can find her scoping out the nearest nacho joint with her family or snuggled up with her rescue dogs, Gus and Bella. She adores leopard print, never turns down dessert, and believes that when it comes to earrings, bigger is always better.

Connect with Elly by visiting ellygilbert.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tricia Goyer writes out of her passion for God and her love for family and others. The author of more than 70 books, she writes both historical fiction and nonfiction related to family and parenting.

This USA Today best-selling author has won a two Carol Awards and a Retailer’s Best Award. She was also an ECPA Gold-Medallion Nominee and a Christy Award Nominee and won Writer of the Year from the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference. 

Tricia’s contemporary and historical novels feature strong women overcoming great challenges. She is a beloved author of Amish fiction, having written the Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series.

Whether for fiction or nonfiction, Tricia’s writing style is vivid and heartwarming, allowing readers to take home more than engaging stories, but also messages that inspire faith and hope. Her goal is to write stories that matter. 

Connect with Tricia by visiting triciagoyer.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Under the Blue Skies and a $10 Sunrise Shop gift voucher!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight August 16, 2023 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on August 23, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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Book Spotlight: On the Golden Cliffs

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for On the Golden Cliffs by Christen Krumm with Tricia Goyer, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: On the Golden Cliffs
Series: Big Sky Amish #2
Authors: Christen Krumm with Tricia Goyer
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing
Release Date: March 21, 2023
Genre: Christian Contemporary Amish Romance

One wrong post has sent influencer Lyla Taylor’s social media empire crashing to her feet. To save it, she’ll have to escape to rural Montana. Six weeks in a high-end spa won’t hurt…except, she’s not booked into a spa, but at a rustic Amish B&B. Suddenly, her roommates are racoons, and her daily activities include hanging laundry. Thanks, but no thanks. Lyla is ready to hit delete and head back to civilization.

Amishman Reuben Milner has a secret…one that could destroy his world. For now, however, he’s kept his life as a novelist under wraps, focusing on providing for his family after the tragic passing of his father. Renting the dawdi house seems the right move—until the wrong woman moves in. However, she comes with ideas to help improve their B&B, and that, along with her feisty personality, is something Reuben can’t ignore. Even if the elders want him to focus on joining the church and finding a wife. 

When going home isn’t an option, Lyla decides to help the Milners spruce up their rental. It does help distract her from her problems online. The more Lyla works on the rental with Reuben, the more she wonders if returning to her former life is worth it. However, is it the simple life that Lyla’s heart longs for—or a particular guarded Amishman with secrets of his own? And when those secrets are discovered, what will it cost them both?  

Book two in the delightful and sweet Big Sky Amish Collection.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub | IndieBound

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Excerpt

After grabbing the bucket of pitch, Reuben climbed down the ladder with one hand, careful not to slip. Once his right foot hit solid ground, he checked off the roof on his list, then scurried to determine what chore should be next.

“Hi, yeah, I’m supposed to connect with a Mara or Reuben Milner?”

He jumped at the soft voice from behind him. Reuben turned, practically dumping the half bucket of black tar on a woman that barely even came up to his chin. He pushed his straw hat back on his head. She stood near the bottom of the ladder, wearing black shorts, a colorful T-shirt, and a black jacket. She wasn’t Amish.

Then he noted her extremely high heeled shoes. Definitely not Amish.

How was she even able to stand upright in them? She looked ridiculous. What could she possibly need with him or Mem?

Reuben lifted an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

One hand rested on her hip. The other hand blocked the sun as she stared up at him. Her auburn hair framed a pair of flashing green eyes. He could already tell this one had more spunk than Penny, even on Penny’s best day. All that attitude had rendered him speechless.

He threaded his free hand through his suspenders. “Your shoes are so tall,” he sputtered.

She looked down at her shoes and back to him, frowning. “What do my shoes have to do with anything? Are you or aren’t you Reuben Milner?”

He shrugged, wishing he had just kept his mouth shut.

“You must be Lyla,” his older sister called from behind him.

Saved by Susanna. Married now and six months pregnant, she waddled barefoot out onto the porch and eyed the two of them standing in the yard. Without a word, Lyla moved around him and stomped up the porch steps, stopping next to her two large suitcases. Reuben winced, hoping that she didn’t go through the steps or roll an ankle. It was a toss-up which one would actually happen.

“Are you Mara Milner?” Lyla asked, holding her hand out toward his sister.

Susanna smiled and took Lyla’s hand in her own. “I’m Susanna, Mara’s daughter. Wyatt said you might be out here. Are you hungry? You must be tired from your journey. Would you like to come in and sit down for a while?”

Lyla pulled her hand back and eyed the ramshackle front porch—or at least, from the slight wrinkle of her nose that’s how he assumed she saw it. “I’d rather just head to the Airbnb, maybe get unpacked.”

Reuben thought the response was a little rude, and his sister’s smile faltered. Her brows scrunched in confusion. “Airbnb?”

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About the Authors

Tricia Goyer writes out of her passion for God and her love for family and others. The author of more than 70 books, she writes both historical fiction and nonfiction related to family and parenting.

This USA Today best-selling author has won a two Carol Awards and a Retailer’s Best Award. She was also an ECPA Gold-Medallion Nominee and a Christy Award Nominee and won Writer of the Year from the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference. 

Tricia’s contemporary and historical novels feature strong women overcoming great challenges. She is a beloved author of Amish fiction, having written the Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series. 

Whether for fiction or nonfiction, Tricia’s writing style is vivid and heartwarming, allowing readers to take home more than engaging stories, but also messages that inspire faith and hope. Her goal is to write stories that matter. 

Connect with Tricia by visiting triciagoyer.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Christen Krumm is the author of the young adult romcom It Happened At Christmas. She lives with her husband and three barefoot wildings in the middle of the world, Oklahoma. She drinks way too much coffee and reads too many books, but creating stories with her Creator is her favorite.

Connect with Christen by visiting christenkrumm.com to follow her on social media, subscribe to email newsletter updates, or listen to her podcast, Exploring the Blank Page.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of On the Golden Cliffs and a $10 voucher to the Sunrise Shop!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 20, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 27, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Book Review: Christmas Grace by Mindy Steele

About the Book:

Second chances and the Christmas spirit abound in Mindy Steele’s heartwarming novel, one of faith, love, and the power of community.

Grace Miller believed herself in love with the charming Englischer who eventually broke her heart. Now alone except for the secret life growing inside her, she arrives in the unfamiliar small village of Walnut Ridge, Kentucky, to hide and hopefully gain forgiveness.

She is pleasantly surprised, however, to find a tight-knit, welcoming group who help her heart grow right alongside her belly. And with the holidays around the corner, there’s plenty of preparations to occupy her mind. Also occupying her mind? Her strong, protective neighbor, Cullen Graber, the town’s blacksmith, who seems intent on not allowing her to ever suffer alone.

Cullen Graber gave up on love after too many losses early in life. He planned to live out his days focusing on his smithy business, yet the beautiful and mysterious Grace refuses to leave his thoughts. But can they open their hearts to God’s grace and create a new family together before Grace must return home?

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My Thoughts:

Christmas Grace by Mindy Steele stands as my first Christmas read of 2021 and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Grace and Cullen, the main characters, held my interest from the start. Grace, and everyone around her, recognizes that she is far from perfect, but Cullen is an amazing male lead as he reflects the selfless love of Jesus so well to Grace. The character-driven plot gave both Grace and Cullen the necessary time and development to grow as people and embrace their future. I adored their relational tension and blossoming love.

My enjoyment of Christmas Grace’s storyline overshadowed the few typos and occasional awkward conversation in which I wasn’t sure which character was speaking. However, I mention those flaws as I know some readers might struggle with them more than I did. Amish romance is not my normal genre, so I cannot speak to the cultural authenticity or plot uniqueness, but I think many Christian Fiction readers will find Christmas Grace by Mindy Steele enjoyable.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.