In the first installment of bestseller Amy Clipston’s brand-new series, an Amish widower with three grown sons discovers that another chance at love may be waiting for him.Duane Bontrager was devastated when he lost his beloved wife three years ago. Now pushing fifty and certain he’s done with romance forever, he has thrown himself into running his roofing company and being the best father he can be for his three grown sons.But the bishop in Duane’s Amish community has other plans for the widower. He hopes Duane will marry a widow with young children and spend his life caring for her. While Duane likes the woman as a friend, he doesn’t feel anything more. A future between them would be one of friendship–not romantic love. Meanwhile he’s working on a roof when he meets Crystal Glick, who’s a bit younger than Duane and yet never married. He feels a stirring in his heart for her, but he cannot see past the gap in their ages.Crystal always dreamed of getting married and having a family; however, she’s older than the other singles in the community and believes life has passed her by. When she meets Duane, she feels something for a man she has never felt before. But with family and community pressures against her and Duane, will a path forward ever be possible?This sweet, inspirational novel will delight Clipston’s devoted fans and introduce new readers to the storied and faithful community of Lancaster County. Click here to purchase a copy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZMBJJ4S?_bbid=39020838&tag=individualbookpagesite-20
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Clipston has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her fiction writing “career” began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. She has sold more than a million books and is the author of the bestselling Kauffman Amish Bakery series, Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series, Amish Heirloom series, Amish Homestead series, and Amish Marketplace series with HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and six spoiled rotten cats. You can find Amy at AmyClipston.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmyClipstonBooks, and on Twitter at @AmyClipston.
My Review:
This is a sweet, heart-touching story of two people who are struggling to find their way in life again after suffering great loss. Crystal Glick has spent most of her young life taking care of family members. Her father has died; her fiancé broke their engagement, and Crystal finds herself living in her brother’s household and helping with the care of their six children. Her sister-in-law is expecting twins, and is experiencing a difficult pregnancy. The majority of the care of the household now falls on Crystal’s shoulders. She loves her family and loves helping with them, but at times she wonders if she’ll ever experience the joy of having husband and family of her own. Duane Bontrager is still recovering from the loss of his wife of 24 years. Crystal and Duane meet and feel an instant connection to each other. But with 14 years of age between them, their match is not looked on with favor by their friends and family. To add to the confusion, Crystal’s fiancé returns to try to win her love again. There are quite a few complications for Duane and Crystal to work through, and I found myself reading quickly to find out what happened next for them.
I loved the characters of Crystal and Duane and the author did an excellent job of allowing us to get to know them. This helped me feel compassion for these characters and that added depth to their story. I had a difficult time warming up to the characters of Crystal’s brother and sister-in-law. Although kind to her, I felt their lack of recognition of Crystal’s situation went on a little too long. But I also liked the fact that not every problem was resolved for Crystal and Duane by the end of the book. It made the story seem more true to life, and highlighted their decision to move forward with their lives in hope and faith. This is a great beginning to a new series, and I’m already looking forward to the next book.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
