Amish Mennonite Romance

Dinah’s sister Claudia has been seeing an Englischer, and Dinah has been covering for her. She promises to keep Claudia's secret, but when Claudia disappears, everything comes out, including the lie Claudia told her family when she claimed she was being courted by local Amish boy Aaron Burner. That particular lie burns through Dinah’s heart, for she’s fond of Aaron Burner. More than fond, truth be told.

The elders had been predicting a cold snap for many weeks now, but nobody could have expected what was to happen next. In the town, the Englischers had their machines to clear roads, but the community just had shovels and each other. After prayers, the community left the prayer house to make their way home just as the snow began to fall. They all looked skyward, for the sky was a dull grey, laden with snow, and the flakes of snow seemed so large that the children ran around trying to catch them.

Katrina Stoltzfus thought she had life and love all figured out: She was going to marry John and live happily ever after. Those plans started to crumble when her father moved the family to Stoney Ridge then completely collapsed when John decided to marry someone else.

One night four lives entered the world by the hands of an Amish midwife just outside North Star, Pennsylvania. Rebekah's babies, as they are called, are now grown adults, and in four heartwarming novellas each young person experiences a journey of discovery, love, and the wonder of Christmas.

Jack Livingston has been raising his nine-year-old adopted niece, Natalie, since the accident that took her parents' lives. While he travels for work, Natalie is lovingly cared for by Laura, an Amish nanny who loves her as her own. Kelly Maines is nearing the end of her rope. Her baby was kidnapped, the apparent victim of a black market adoption ring, and for eight years, Kelly has tirelessly pursued every lead to its bitter end. Now, there's one last lead from a private investigator: Just a few miles away lives a girl who matches the profile....

On a warm spring day, Sadie Lapp returns home to her quiet, unassertive life in Stoney Ridge after spending the winter in Ohio. Gideon Smucker, an awkward schoolteacher, has been in love with Sadie since childhood and eagerly awaits her return. But does Sadie feel the same about him?Will Stoltz, a charming and impetuous college student, has been banished for a semester and sent to babysit endangered peregrine falcons nesting at the Lapp farm. He’d rather be anywhere else...until he befriends Sadie. As the hopes and ambitions of these three young people converge, life in Stoney Ridge may never be the same.

When wild child Sophie Deiner - the daughter of an Amish bishop - is forced to return to Nappanee, Indiana, quilt-shop owner Jane Berger is one of only a few who welcome her back. It’s the last place she wants to be, but Sophie’s recent illness requires that she lay low for a while. As Sophie recovers, she befriends a group of migrant workers and is appalled when one of them is detained and threatened with deportation. Sophie begins advocating on their behalf but soon finds herself opposed by an ex-boyfriend, who is the farm foreman.

Widower Eustace Byler stands out in his Amish community for his eccentricity and his wealth. He mourns the loss of his son to the world like he mourns the physical loss of his wife. In the past, Eustace has freely loaned Joel money, perhaps hoping to entice him back home, but now Eustace is done and is moving on to fulfill some of his own dreams. Can father and son come to an understanding about their different choices in life before time runs out?

Christian, quiet and dedicated to learning, is focused on putting a rambunctious school into order. He's also determined to check off another task on his list: finding a wife. When he suffers an accident that puts him out of commission for a few weeks, Ruby steps in. Her teaching style and personality clash with his, and he wonders if all his hard work will be undone.

Lillian's first 27 years have been challenging at best. Her decision to get reacquainted with her Amish grandparents in Lancaster County, PA, is an attempt at finding peace in a complicated world. But her plan has a flaw.... Lillian is practicing the Amish lifestyle with no real understanding or relationship with God. And despite her best efforts, complications arise when she takes a fancy to Amish widower Samuel Stoltzfus who has an 11-year-old son, David.

Recently widowed after twenty years of marriage, Frances Lehman is only just tasting the freedom and opportunity that her Promise Lodge friends enjoy. So she's not about to be pressured into marriage by her widowed brother-in-law, even if she and her daughter have no real means of support. Much more promising is her new friendship with Preacher Marlin Kurtz, though their respective families don't see their relationship as proper.

Michelle Taylor is not who her new family in Lancaster County believes her to be. The Lapps were looking for their long-lost granddaughter when they met Michelle, and she assumed the identity of Sara Murray. Once homeless and hopeless, Michelle has come to love her new Amish friends and even considers the idea of romance among them. Finding an old blue jar in the barn that is filled with slips of paper containing thoughts, quotes, and prayers by an unknown author becomes a boost to Michelle’s budding faith.

Making rugs for Simple Gifts has taught Loretta Riehl that an unassuming pattern can reveal surprising depth. People, too, have a way of defying first impressions. Drew Detweiler came to Willow Ridge under a cloud, but the handsome craftsman has gained the community's respect for his upholstery skills and commitment to making amends for his mistakes. As her new brother-in-law's twin, he's joining the family for dinners and Sunday visits at the Riehl house, and Loretta can't deny enjoying his attentions.

Joy Lehman has pressed on faithfully since losing her husband, raising their children and running a thriving bakery alone. Even caring for her oldest son, Johnny—seriously injured after a fall—has not shaken her fierce independence. Johnny will walk again, she's sure. Until then, a meeting of the Widows' Club at her home makes it clear that Joy must consider some costly renovations. Her brother-in-law, Uriah, is happy to provide the lumber and the labor—if Joy will accept his help.

With two weddings to plan, it's a busy time for the Amish girls in the Baker family. Will their mother be successful in her desire to combine the weddings into a double? When the new stepfather moves into the house, will he be harsh and strict like their new stepsister warned them? Cherish is up to her usual mischief and drags one of her sisters with her. Meanwhile, Florence is creating both the foundations of her new life and her new apple orchard. When Florence gets to know her birth mother's family better, will she miss the Baker family all the more?

Looking after everyone else is how Florence Baker lived her life. She was determined to set a standard for her younger step-sisters to follow. When Ezekiel Troyer came to dinner, Florence knew he would make her the perfect husband, but that didn’t stop her thinking about the mysterious neighbor next door. However, daydreams were one thing, and reality was another. Will Florence finally put an end to her foolish fantasies when Ezekiel hints at commitment? Determined to learn the neighbor’s secrets, Florence confronts him. Is she prepared for what happens next?

Can a couple rent by grief find renewal? Timothy Fisher’s decision to move his family from their home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, isn’t a happy one for his wife, Hannah. Everything she knows is in Lancaster County—her mother, her home, her friends. But what choice does Hannah have? Realizing that her place is with her husband and young daughter, she reluctantly goes—but her new life is a hard adjustment. Nothing Timothy does pleases Hannah, and his best-laid plans are beginning to crumble before him.

While most women her age are searching for husbands, Astrid Kauffman has chosen a different path—writing romance novels and donating her profits to her beloved Amish community. But when Astrid struggles with writer's block, she agrees to play matchmaker for Imogene Yoder, a widowed mother of rambunctious twin boys. Perhaps the diversion will spark her creativity. Fortunately, Astrid has just the match for Imogene: a widower she believes is the finest, most handsome man in town. In fact, Astrid realizes he's perfect . . . for herself!

Enoch Miller was Kate Bieler’s first love, but when it was time for her to go on rumspringa, he cut all communication with her. Furious, Kate married another Mann. Now she is a widow, her parents are dead, and she has an orphaned child to raise. Out of options, she turns to Gott for help. One night while praying, she realizes she must marry, and quickly. Unfortunately, the only single Mann in her Amish community is Enoch Miller, who hasn’t spoken to her in years. Trusting in His guidance, she summons her courage and asks Enoch to marry her. Will Enoch agree to marry her?

When her mother passes away, Ella is forced to auction off her family’s farm. Her father died years ago, and she could never manage the fifty acres on her own. But after she moves to town, she can’t deny the pain she feels watching the new owner, Loyal Weaver, repairing her family’s old farmhouse—everything Ella had once dreamed of doing.