I have to admit Amish fiction is just not my favorite genre. I don"t hate it, it's just not my favorite. So, honestly my expectations were not that high for this book. But I have to say I ended up loving this one!

This is the second in a series of books, Every Amish Season, by Kellie Irvin. I am sure I missed a lot of back story as I have not read the first. But it worked as a stand alone just fine.

This book does not follow the typical pattern for most Amish fictions. The characters were well developed and complex. There were some tough issues dealt with like spousal abuse, cancer, childhood trauma, and death.

I loved the love triangle between Jenny and Leo and Nathan! Had me guessing for a good long while as to who would (or should) win her heart!

The abuse Jenny suffered from her late husband left her with PTSD and crippled her ability to move on in life. It strained all her relationships. My heart grieved for her! I felt her pain, her trauma, her grief, and her lack of trust. And then when her son, Matthew started to rebel and act out, I felt her shame and her feeling of helplessness. But I also felt his pain - of what it must feel like to be a child and feel desperate to protect your mother from your abusive father, to be abused by him and fear him and hate him but at the same time love him.

I loved this book so much that I want to go back and read the first book and read the first book!

I recommend this book to anyone who loves Amish fiction and to those, like me, who just sort-of enjoy it. It is well written and it will definitely move your heart!

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, and all opinions are mine alone.

Delightful Amish fiction read. Teaching us that sometimes we must rely on Gods faith and forgiveness and not our own.

Excellent story by Kelly Irvin. She had my attention on every page with wanting to know what was going to happen next. Plus how her main character was dealing with grief, running a household and a secret. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I received an advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and no money exchanged.

Pain and secrets abound in this book. Kelly Irvin addresses a serious issue in this book and she does it with sensitivity. The pain and secrets are effecting Jennie and her son, as well as Nathan and Paul. Differences in faith make the possibility of a relationship between Nathan and Jennie difficult, if not impossible. Jennie is raising her children on her own and the Amish encourage widows to remarry. Jennie needs someone to help her and to care for her, but will she be able to let go and trust that God has a plan for her.
This book is one that will hold the reader's attention. I couldn't help but shed tears as I read. I wanted to help Jennie so badly. But only she can make the decision to follow her heart.
I am rating this book 5 ***** stars and highly recommend it to readers.

I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and Zondervan Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Jennie lost her husband four years ago and she is struggling to make ends meet with seven kids. Atlee was not a nice husband and has forever scarred her emotionally to love again or so she thinks.

Nathan, a Mennonite bookseller, has fallen in love with Jennie over the years he has stopped by her place trying to sell her books. He thinks he wants to become Amish but us he doing it for the right reasons?

Leo used to be in love with Jennie when they were younger but life got in the way from him pursuing her further. Can he overcome his own demons and learn to love again?

I truly enjoyed this book even though it was not a light hearted Amish read as most. Kelly Irvin tackles abuse between husband and wife and child and father. She tackles death from all sides with the upside of new life. I feel as if she really gets down and deep into true Amish life as much as one can to keep the reader still interested. We read to escape reality in some way and don't want constant reminders of the "real world". Irvin has it down to a science to write about real subjects but not fully immersing in to real world. We still get our fairy tale ending.

This is the second book in the Every Amish Season series and both books are a true work of art. If you want an Amish fiction story with a little more grit I suggest starting with this book that can be read as a stand alone with no problems.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Four years have passed since Jennie Troyer’s husband, Atlee, died in a farming accident, leaving her to raise their seven children on her own. Long enough that the elders in her Amish community feel that it’s time for her to remarry, for the sake of her children. What they don’t know is that it isn’t grief that’s holding Jennie back, but the fear of finding herself in another abusive marriage. Now that there’s talk about the possibility of her remarrying, she won’t have to look far to find someone, as there are two very different men pursuing her. Leo Graber has known and loved Jennie since they were children and he had originally planned to court her when they were teenagers. But, when he was fourteen, his father died suddenly, in his arms. Ever since then he’s been far too afraid of the devastating pain that comes from losing a loved one to even think about opening himself up to love someone. Now, Jennie is available again and he’s fighting to have enough courage to not lose her again for the second time. Nathan Walker is a Mennonite traveling book salesman who makes a point of visiting Jennie as often as he can manage. He has grown to care for her but knows that he has no right to court her until he gets his struggles with his faith taken care of. In order to even have a chance with her, he will have to change almost everything about his life and join the Jamesport Amish community. If he does this, is he embracing a new life or running from his former life? Can Jennie put aside her fears and trust that she can trust the one God has chosen for her? Can all of them put aside past hurts and embrace God’s plans for them?

I really enjoyed reading this sweet story and getting another visit with some of my favorite characters from “Upon a Spring Breeze” while getting to know and love Jennie, her children, Leo, and Nathan. I found myself relating to Jennie and her fear of putting her trust in another man, and that fear that he will hurt her again and thinking that it might be better just stay alone rather than take the risk. Leo was such a wonderful character, right from the beginning and my heart really went out to him. My heart also went out to Nathan for most of the book but at the end, I found myself really having some hard feelings concerning him. This story was very well written and one of the main themes was that even when we don’t understand why something has happened or why we’re experiencing something, we can always trust in Gods plans for us, along with the power of forgiveness. There really are some wonderful themes or lessons that really stood out for me. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book so I can see what happens next to this sweet family and I genuinely hope that we find out what happens to Nathan and his journey, as well.

Kelly Irvin is a very talented writer, and this book showcases her talent. This is an emotional, heart-wrenching book to read. The main theme throughout the book is recovery from both physical and emotional domestic abuse. Ms. Irvin successfully brings all the heartache and emotions to the story from the viewpoint of the abused wife and her older son. As we follow Jennie though the storyline, we experience her fear, sorrow, anger and even undeserved guilt over being glad that she was rescued from the situation by the accidental death of her husband. The characters of Leo, Jennie, and Nathan are very compelling. Their lives intersect for a purpose as they seek to find hope and faith again.

This book is not light reading. But even though the topic is abuse, Kelley Irvin effectively communicates this without any bad language or inappropriate scenes. Definitely a book for mature readers. If you have a young teen girl, I’d suggest first reading it yourself.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Beneath The Summer Sun is a story of rape, abuse, secrets, loss, love and the all-consuming love of GOD. Jennie has seven children who, one of whom believe you me was very well aware of the abuse his deceased father heaped on their mother. Trust me, in real life if one knew it they all knew it, but I digress, now the community wants her to marry again and she is afraid of ending up in another one of those marriages but there are two good guys that want to date and marry her. The only problem is they both have things to get over. Who will he choose? Will she be able to get over her fear as well as her son's fear?

This is book 2 of the series "An Every Amish Season". I have to admit that I did not yet read book 1. But I will be going back to read it. I really enjoyed this book. I don't feel as though as missed something by not having read the first book in the series because it serves well on it's own as a stand alone.

I am so happy I was able to read this engaging book. You will probably "stay up late" reading this one. It was hard for me to put down.

I always appreciate a book with Christian values and this one includes this. It's a touching and moving book.

I received an ebook copy from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

A beautiful story of God’s love for his people. A must read for all Amish fans.

We all carry secrets with us some a lot worse than others. Jennie has been a widow for 4 years and has seven children. Her oldest was only 10 when his father died but he is a smart boy and knows how his father mentally and physically abused his mother even though she tried to hide it. Amish marriages are for life though and she couldn't divorce him to get out of it. Her oldest son and Jennie are both glad he has passed away even though she'll never admit it or bad mouth him to her children.
Her abuse has her flinching at men's raised voices or a gentle touch on the arm. People in the community talk and know something was wrong in her marriage but not what it is.
Two men, very different men are attracted to her and she wants to love again but is afraid to since her husband was nice to her before their marriage. He hid what he was truly like from her until after the vows. Her flashbacks of his behavior steers her clear of starting another romantic relationship.
One man who vies for her attention is Amish the other is not. Can the ice in her heart begin to thaw? She will do anything to protect her brood and if it means not having another man in her life that's the way it'll be. Her oldest acts up,leaving the house,being out all night,disrespectful behavior. How can she reach him when he feels guilty for the way his father treated her? He wanted to protect her from his father but he was just a 10 year old boy. Even though this story does contain an abusive relationship I hope anyone in one will get the help they need and be encouraged to do so even more after reading this book. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, available 24/7 1-800-799-7233 as listed in this book.
Pub Date 16 Jan 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and Zondervan Fiction for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

One of the reasons I love reading books by this author is because with a few words I am swep away to another place. Her vivid description of the setting takes my breath away. She is an excellent writer and I fall in love with the characters each time. I loved the story and wanted to sit down with Jennie and hold her hand. She had kept a dark secret for many years. Not every marriage is perfect but Jennie’s was like living a nightmare. Her fear of doing something wrong kept her on egg shells. Now that she has seven children to raise on her own, what will she do? Can she continue to scrape by, or will she follow what the church thinks she needs to do?

One of the things I found so fascinating was learning the difference between Anabaptist and Mennonites. There are many things the Mennonites allow, that the Anabaptist don’t. I loved how the author brings Nathan into the story. He is a good man, but I’m not sure he can get Jennie’s attention. They come from different backgrounds and for Jennie she doesn’t want to go against her church. He wants to make roots in the community, but devastating news may change that. What will Nathan decide?

Leo is the kind of man who would make a great husband. He is a good hard working man. He is very quiet and hard to talk to though. Many people have talked to him about his guilt over his father’s death. Leo feels responsible and he will have to lean on God to heal him. I loved the turmoil that Jennie and Leo are going through. They each have guilt that is overwhelming them. For Jennie , will she learn to trust another man, or stay in her own raising her children? Can Leo learn to forgive himself ?

The story is like a walk through the countryside with beautiful things waiting to be explored. It can bring you new adventure and give you a sense of peace while allowing God to heal hearts. I loved this story and wanted it to not end. I loved this quote from the story ,”It’s a sign of overwhelming pride when a man thinks he’s the only one who can do God’s work.”

I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.

Spousal abuse is a hard subject to write about but this author portrayed it in a relatable way. Jennie's story is one to learn from - abuse hurts the whole family. I love that the Amish strive to help one another. Nathan's story added an unusual twist to this story. It shows that everyone one is searching. I did find it hard to keep up with some of the characters so the chart at the beginning of the book is very helpful. Recommended!

Beneath the Summer Sun is a very well written inspirational romance. This book has a good plot and well developed characters. I recommend to readers of inspirational romance

Beneath the Summer Sun by Kelly Irvin is the second installment in An Every Amish Season series. Jennie Troyer is a widow with seven children in Jamesport, Missouri. It has been four years since her husband, Atlee passed away, and Jennie is content to live without a spouse. Jennie never told a soul about the type of husband Atlee was and how she can still hear his voice in her head belittling her. Leo Graber has been in love with Jennie since they were young. His guilt over his father’s death has prevented him from pursuing a relationship with Jennie or living a happy, fulfilling life. Nathan Walker is a Mennonite traveling book salesman who has fallen for Jennie. He visits her farm whenever he is in the area and enjoys spending time with Jennie and the children. Nathan has been unable to settle down in one place because of resentment towards his parents for their mission work and leaving him behind when he was younger. He is contemplating becoming Amish to be with Jennie. Matthew Troyer, Jennie’s oldest son, has been moody, rude, sneaking out of the house at night and refuses to discuss what is troubling him with Jennie. What will it take for the four of them (Jennie, Leo, Nathan, and Matthew) to resolve their issues and move forward with their lives?

While Beneath the Summer Sun is the second book in the series, it can be read alone. You need not have read Upon a Spring Breeze which involves different characters (but in the same community). Beneath the Summer Sun is well-written and engaging. I appreciate this author’s writing style (makes for an easy and enjoyable novel). I was drawn in right away and my attention was held until the end of the book. The story contains lovely characters that are nicely constructed and develop over the course of the book. They are realistic and relatable as well as the issues that they are experiencing. I like how Ms. Irvin handled the subject of domestic abuse (physical and mental). It is an issue that is generally not addressed in Amish novels and the author shows that abuse is not limited to Englischers (as we are called). I am grateful that the author does not paint the Amish in a picture-perfect world. The author has a way of incorporating Christian values into the book (light touch). It flows nicely with the story and does not come across as preachy. Some of the issues that are addressed are faith, following God’s path for your life, power of prayer, scripture, trust, forgiveness (of oneself and others), love, grace and guilt. Beneath the Summer Sun is a captivating book that will stay with you long after you finish it. I am eager to read the next book in An Every Amish Season series which is Through the Autumn Air. We get Mary Katherine Ropp’s story who is in Beneath the Summer Sun.

Kelly Irvin created three fascinating characters for this book and she created an equally fascinating storyline for each of them. Jennie is raising her seven children on her own since her husband died, Nathan is a Mennonite book salesman that has grown fond of her and Leo has been in love with her since they were kids.
Ms. Irvin does not shy away from topics that you don’t see in too many Amish novels which is why I’m drawn to her work. Jennie’s story is heart wrenching as she struggles to love and trust again after a less than happy marriage. Nathan is struggling with his faith and his feelings for Jennie and Leo struggles with his fear of losing the ones he loves. I have to say that I liked Nathan because he gave Leo more courage to follow his heart and let go of some of his fears.
There are secondary characters that I loved, too and would enjoy reading their stories in future books in the series.
This is a story of love, faith and trust and is beautifully written. Although, this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand alone.
I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

The author had me guessing from beginning to end as to who Jennie’s choice would be, or if she could ever commit again.
Shocking facts come out about her marriage to a sadist and shows that abuse crosses all cultures, and Jennie and her seven children are survivors. Will Jennie ever be able to trust her heart again, widows are expected to remarry and provide a father figure for their children, but will she ever be able to trust again.
The candidates are a friendly Mennonite man with hidden childhood hurts, and a very quiet Amish man who once had his chance to be with Jennie. I know I found myself rooting for one, and was right, but there is a lot going on to bring myself to the conclusion.
We are Jamesport, Mo and back with old friends, and walk with this Amish Community as they go about their everyday life, and try to make ends meet, and we watch as they survive the trials that come their way.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.

Loved this story so very good! Had trouble putting it down. Love the characters in it and love the cover. Kelly is A fantastic writer and my favorite character was Jennie Troyer she was a strong one for all she had to endure. Raised 7 children wow. This a great story you'll love it hope you get your copy Jan. 16 ,2008

I easily give Beneath the Summer Sun by Kelly Irvin a five-star review. The book is tender and emotional. I was moved by the way Jennie worked through her memories of a painful marriage to move on with her life.

This book grabs at all of your senses from the first page! The author does such a great job describing things and bringing them to life. Characters struggled with real issues in authentic believable ways. I loved how this story brought in characters from the previous book. I love seeing the developments since the end of the other book. Many issues of life, desirable and undesirable are addressed in this book. I love that the Amish people weren’t painted as perfect people. The story was great. Kept my attention. I had a hard time putting it down. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.