Boy, does this one have plenty of surprises?!!! This novel threw a really big surprise for me. It was something that I honestly don't think I've ever read about in any Amish books previously. Amish fiction is definitely not new to me. I am an avid reader and Amish fiction is one of my absolute favorites. Rachel J. Good is a new author to me and I am very impressed with this novel. I did not read the first book in the series, but it did not interfere with my enjoyment of the book. I'm sure that reading book one in the series first would add some additional information that would make the story and characters continue on and become like family to the reader.
Emma and Sam were both highly likable characters. I could certainly feel the emotions of both of them. Family dynamics played a large part in the lives of Emma and her family. Emma and her sister, Lydia, have some issues from their past to resolve and these issues keep cropping up in their present day lives. Sam has been hurt by a girl once, and he doesn't care to be hurt like that again.
I highly recommend this book to readers! My star rating on this book is 5!
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Book Tour. and netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Somehow, I have not read one of this author's books before. This book stood alone just fine, thought I do like to read everything in a series. Emma is one distressed young woman. She has major panic attacks. Having dealt with that some myself, and with many friends and family, that is not an easy thing to overcome. Emma has some buried secrets, and things that are hidden don't tend to stay that way forever. Emma's amnesia was not an easy thing either. It's hard to have missing memories. Emma has to trust that God knows what He is doing, and that she is on the right track and Sam, he has to figure out why he feels the need to rescue her. Emma and Sam have a lovely relationship that we get to watch grow in this book. I felt pretty close to Emma, and I liked the aspects of God's forgiveness showing through so clearly.

My copy came from Celebrate Lit. I have left this review because I choose to do so. Thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.

Thoughts:

In BURIED SECRETS by Rachel J Good, Emma Esh is impulsive, speaks up for herself, and can be honest to a fault, but she is not a complete person by her own standards.

Everyone has his or her yesteryear, but Emma remembers today and only parts her past. She wants to know why things happen to her but much of her is too scared to find out. She is well despite an accident that could have left her dead, but her memory of at least a year before is missing adding trauma inside those days of recovery to steal her playful personality.

Now, while living with her sister to help with her expected twins, Emma cannot but feel the pressure of censure by her sibling’s voice or a need to change by Lydia’s open disapproval.

Emma is prone to speak up even in her childhood years, but although she is mature, her father is evasive, her mother is harsh, and her sister acts as if she is still childlike. Something about that lost year froze them in time even as Emma became a young woman! All this could be due to her irrational fears, reclusiveness, or even from Emma’s perceived frailty, but her sister’s cringe-worthy looks, stares, and spoken thoughts suggest something more.

From the garden to a dog, her quiet life becomes anything but once she meets the family member of her neighbor.

Meanwhile, Samuel Troyer is here to help his onkel Eli with planting and harvesting since the death of his wife and to allow his own heart to heal. Sam’s betrothed was unfaithful, and he is not ready to court yet. However, a former stray dog brings him into the most uncomfortable situations with a beautiful woman next door.

Her laughter is contagious, as her smile is a blast of sunshine. However, what draws him to her is that she is unlike many meek Amish women searching for a spouse. Emma Esh is like a breath of fresh air to a wounded heart. However, his time around her seems to bring out something from her past that keeps him at times distant and at other times running to her aide.

Despite all of this, her strengths remain her honesty and her personality. No, maybe he was not ready to feel something for another, at this point in his life, but he wonders.

When does fear become a social problem anyway?

***This opinion is my own.***

Preview:

BURIED SECRETS by Rachel J Good brings a woman from death’s door into a murky past to live a better life. Moreover, one man takes her from panic to fortitude in embracing it.

Emma Esh is a survivor, but the shards of trauma have her life at a standstill.

As she helps her sister and brother-in-law prepare for the expected twins, Emma understands true love. A desire for her life to be different from the sum of her fear grows, but her courage is weak. When a stranger next door helps Emma gain strength to face her issues, a visitor from the past reemerges, and her sister’s twins come early!

As the family assembles with this news, the lines from past and present blur revealing painful secrets to keep Emma stuck inside of her mistakes.

How can love ever thrive in such a desolate place?

Buried Secrets by Rachel J Good is a delightful Amish romance and one that I devoured in just two sittings.
Buried Secrets has many themes including healing. A physical healing and a healing of hearts and spirits.
Linked to the theme of healing is that of fear. Fear can consume us. "Stuck in this prison of terror." Often "facing her fears was the last thing she wanted to do" but it is necessary for healing. Fear can affect not just our mental state but our physical body too. With love, care and compassion one can face ones fears and conquer them.
There are the themes of grace, forgiveness and guilt. Our guilt may be tied to the past. We cannot alter the past but we need to deal with it. We need to confess our sins and receive God's grace and forgiveness. We often find this hard to do. We believe God forgives others but not us. We disqualify ourselves but God forgives everyone. Likewise we need to forgive others because we are commanded to do so.
Trust is another theme. We need to trust others and we need to trust God. If we trust God, we do not need to worry. "I'm not trusting [God] if I'm worrying." We can trust God because He loves us enough to die for us.
Rejection rears its head. We never need fear rejection from God but rejection from others leaves us with questions.
There is the whole idea of rebirth and new beginnings. The motif of the garden illustrates this perfectly. Our lives may become chocked with weeds which need removing for us to flourish.
There is a wonderful charm about the whole novel. The main characters are kind and caring. Kindness permeates the novel. The reader 'feels' its reaches from the pages of the book. I 'felt' the emotions emanating from the main characters, I empathised and I loved them all.
Secrets can be all consuming with the power to hurt and destroy. The truth needs to come to light and release the burden and power of secrets.
I absolutely loved Buried Secrets. The whole novel 'spoke' to my heart. It was a wonderful read and I cannot wait to read more by Rachel Good. I love all her novels.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

"Buried Secrets" is the second book in the "Sisters and Friends" series. As with most books that are part of a series, I recommend reading "Buried Secrets" after you read the first book in the series, "Change of Heart". If you read "Buried Secrets" alone, you will be just as surprised about Emma's past as she is when it comes to light. I really liked Sam and Emma's relationship and how it grew. He was so kind and thoughtful toward her. I felt sorry for her as she floundered to know who she was and how she felt like she made problems wherever she went. I was happy to see mending of relationships and personal spiritual growth for the characters. I didn't want to put the book down and I can't wait to read the next book in the series when it comes out.

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received.

Very well done. Amnesia can be a hard topic and especially around the Amish. This is treated very well. I loved the story and the ending. Emma and Sam were made for each other like Bolt was made to be with Sam also. I did not want to put this book down before I learned all of the buried secrets. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

This story just grabs you and you will be wanting to cheer Emma on to recovery and on to a life of new happy memories! Emma made some mistakes during her Rumschpringe and the loss of her memory has caused so many changes to her families lives and a new life for her with so many things she just doesn’t understand the why’s of. If you like Amish stories.. this one will surprise you with all the twists and turns.. I really liked this story of secrets, family, faith and recovery.

I really love Rachel's Amish work. She grabs the culture so beautifully and gives them to the non-Amish in a form that makes us kinder and more loving. Emma was a strong character giving this reader the chance to see a different perspective on this series. I really loved her back story and her soft spirit.

This book kept me at the edge of my seat! I love the plot and all the uncertainty at the beginning of the book. An accident, amnesia, secrets, lies, fear and a budding love story... just some of the wonderful elements of Ms Good's latest story. There were tons of little teasers. A little glimpse of what might be happening here and there but nothing was fully revealed until the very last pages of the book. I was reeled in. I had to find out what happened to these characters. Why they were the way they were. There was no way to predict the outcome of this book which makes for a way better book! I hope there are more books about these characters. Beautiful development, details so vividly painted, and story lines so intricately woven together. Love this book!

After reading the book summary I was immediately intrigued. Memory loss is something I have a lot of interest in. I like hearing different ways people try to get their memories back and felt Emma's story was well written. To date I think it is one of my favorites! What I enjoyed most was the way her memories came to her. They were just tiny, mysterious puzzle pieces that didn't quite fit together, or so she thought. But what really caught my attention was Emma's attitude about the situation. Overall she didn't lash out at anyone about it, she just kept plugging along.

The blossoming relationship between Emma and Sam was a joy to read. Rather than immediately try to rush into a romance they chose to focus on friendship and getting to know each other. The author did a wonderful job of writing this storyline, especially the scenes where Sam was trying to help Emma. The emotions were real and raw, and I found myself sympathizing with Emma wishing that I could help her myself.

I found myself reading this book as quickly as I could so I could solve the mystery of Emma's past. The author was fantastic at grabbing your attention every time Lydia and Caleb started to mention something about the past but then stopped short. My frustrations grew with each moment, but in a good way. It just mean I needed to find out the truth about Emma's missing year. Great way to keep me hooked in the storyline! There was also a twist near the end that really tugged at my heart. Without giving any information away, I will just say the author obviously put a lot of thought and effort into writing those scenes. Warning - it may make you a little emotional!

I cannot say enough good things about this book and think you will thoroughly enjoy it. It was so fun to read! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved reading the amazing and intriguing romance story by the talented author Rachel J. Good. I voluntarily reviewed a copy from NetGalley.
Emma is helping her sister and brother in law prepare for the birth of their twins. For three years, Emma has no memory of the year before her accident. She starts to get to know her sister's neighbor, Samuel, but an Englischer she once dated shows up,
Read the highly recommended, wonderfully story full of romance and mystery, and a must read love story of Emma and Samuel.

Amish/Christian Fiction- there is just something about them that I find addictive. "Buried Secrets" went above and beyond my expectations, making the story seem more realistic that some I have read. The characters felt real, and I felt connected to all of them - their pain and their happiness. Great book and cannot wait to read more by this author.

Annie has her chest from Sam, carved with the recipe she uses for making sponge cakes, how sweet and personal for her, and what a gift from Sam, who has turned his grief into blessings for others.
The power of our minds to help protect us, and that is exactly what Emma is experiencing, will she ever be able to remember the accident that changed her life.
I’ve had panic attacks, but never to the extent this poor girl has, and protection her family tries to surround her with, and yet you wonder if they are to protecting. Can’t imagine the fear of the unknown she is experiencing, and I had to chuckle at what she did to her neighbor Sam.
Will Emma ever remember, and if so, what was so terrible that happened to her, we are going to find out, and surprise after surprise is dropped. Then we wonder what is going to happen her to this poor young woman, will she stay with her sister, and will she be accepted by this Amish Community, will there be forgiveness?
This one is a page-turner as you want to chip away what caused all of Emma’s problems, and piece-by-piece the answers appear, and there are surprises that I didn’t see coming.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Charisma House and was not required to give a positive review.

Buried Secrets by Rachel J. Good tells the story of Emma Esh who lost the memories of an entire year of her life after a vehicle accident. This is not my usual genre, but the storyline in Buried Secrets intrigued me and I am so glad that I read it. The mystery of Emma’s accident and what happened that year—it led to a fantastic story and a plot that moved at a great pace. I highly recommend this book! I cannot wait to read more from this author. I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not read the first book in this series, but don't think it was necessary to get enjoyment out of this second offering.

This book was full of humble and kind characters, as most Amish fiction is. However, some of the antagonists are pretty predictable (e.g., Eli). I gave the book only three stars primarily because I was frustrated with the mystery of why Emma kept having panic attacks and no one would talk about what had happened to her. I know it builds up suspense, but I was so much happier with the story after the secret was revealed. I could really empathize with the various parties involved after I knew what had happened. The secrets weren't predictable either, so that was a bonus.

Emma, Sam, and Bolt were engaging and good "company" for those readers looking for that from their books. I would recommend this book to lovers of Amish fiction who are looking for a new author to follow -- she was new to me. I think I will go back and read the first in this series next. If there were a third book in the series (there was some setup to focus on Sarah next I think), I would read that one too. Good read and relatively quick.

EXCERPT

"How does it feel to hold your first grand baby, Reuben,?' Mammi asked. Dat's face screwed up in anguish. "Oh, Gott forgive me, " he cried. "Someone please take the boppli."

"Buried Secrets" is the second book in the series "Sisters and Friends" by Rachel Good. In this book we get to me a lovely young girl, Emma Esh, whose has lost the past year or so of her life due an accident resulting is a lapse in memory. Emma finds herself living with her sister and brother-in-law who are expecting their first set of twins. Lydia, being the big sister, was way over protected and did everything she could to keep a secret about Emma's life before the accident, knowing, she would not be able to handle it. Like all secrets, they can never truly stay hidden. Emma can't believe what she's learned of her past when her family finally comes to visit, and the truth is revealed.

MY THOUGHTS

I throughly enjoyed this book. Once I started reading, it was impossible to put down. With each turn of the page, I was in suspense, and like Emma, I was trying to figure out what this secret was. I had no idea where Good was taking me, but when the truth was finally revealed, it left me in complete shock. I asked myself, how can keeping such a secret, even if we think it's the best thing to do, be good for anyone? As parents, we do what we think is best for a children no matter the age. We pray that God will give us peace over the decisions, especially, if we are unsure of the choices we make. This story was was a true delight to read, and recommend it to anyone looking for some suspense.

I was given a copy through NetGalley in return for my review for which I have given.

Rachel J. Good created an enthralling story with Buried Secrets. Emma Esh is currently living with her sister Lydia and brother-in-law, Caleb. This isn’t the perfect solution for her as Lydia was a little over protective. Then after Emma met their widower neighbor’s nephew, Samuel (Sam) Emma would find Caleb and Lydia talking quietly about the situation. Lydia just couldn’t allow Emma to get involved with Sam. However, Sam saw something in Emma similar to his rescued dog, Bolt, and he wanted to help her overcome her fears. Will Emma be allowed to see Sam for his assistance in learning to overcome her fear of being in a buggy?

There are under lying plots in Buried Secrets that definitely caused this book to be a page turner. Every family has secrets, but this one was totally a shock who actually knew the most kept secret of Emma’s life. A year of Emma’s life she could not remember, plus the fact it appeared some family members could not stand to communicate or be around her. When Emma discovered English clothes, in the closet of the soon to be nursery, Lydia was set on not explaining why and who they belonged too when Emma enquired. However, Emma secretly kept a green sweater out of the sack as she felt a pull to it. Would she start remembering the past that Lydia feared for her?

When Emma seemed to be making progress overcoming her fear unexpected twists and turns happened with an unannounced visitor. What will happen between the visitor and Emma when Lydia goes into premature labor? The ending of this gripping story was astonishing. My heart was racing with various emotions as I read the final pages. Rachel J. Good’s stories reels you right in the moment of the story along with the characters’ emotions and actions.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of Buried Secrets. I was not required to write a positive review but have shared my honest thoughts

So honored to be able to read the second book in the Sisters and Friends series. The first book, Change of Heart, was exceptional and the second, Buried Secrets, was phenomenal.

We pick up three years later after the accident and watch Emma continuing to heal and learn who she is with the help of her sister, Lydia and brother-in-law Caleb. As she tries to overcome her fears, she meets and befriends Sam, her next door neighbor. Together they learn what trusting another person means.

Rachel Good is quickly moving up on my list as an author whose books I must read the minute they are released. She writes with such feeling and emotion that as a reader you can't help but experience what the characters are going through.

If you like to read romance without sex scenes but don't want a scripture filled novel, this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Charisma House for the opportunity to read and review with my honest opinion.

Buried Secrets is second in the Sisters & Friends series by Rachel J Good. Emma has amnesia from a previous vehicular accident and is staying with her sister, Lydia. Lydia is pregnant with twin bopplis and needs help with household chores. But is that the real reason Emma is there or is it to keep her from remembering her past, to keep her from...what? Throughout the book, readers are kept wondering just what did happen that was so traumatic and why should Emma not make friends with the new neighbor, Sam. Occasionally tiny cracks opened and memories would slip out. Someday Emma might remember the past and then what? As the story comes to a climax, there are several twists and turns to the plot that are quite surprising. Characters are likable and it is interesting to see the growth in their faith as they begin to forgive and healing occurs. An engaging book about secrets that when seen by the light of day, are covered by the grace and love of a merciful Heavenly Father.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to give a review and the opinions are my own.

This is the first book I read by this Author and it was a good one. It is a story about Emma Esh and her family. She was in a accident and did not remember her past and what had happen to her. After she came out of her comma and was recuperating her parents sent her to live with her sister Lydia and brother-in-law Caleb who was having twins. She could not figure out why her Father could not speak to her and why everyone did not not speak about the accident. Why living with her sister she meet Sam and his dog Bolt. Due to the accident Emma had a fear of driving in a buggy or car and Sam helped her try to overcome it. Emma started having flash backs after she found a green sweater in a bag of old English clothes. This story kept you in suspense of what was Emma's secret. Great book..