FRIENDS TO THE END is the first book in the new series by Shelley Shepard Gray called Walnut Creek.

FRIENDS TO THE END starts off increasing the reader’s heart rate right away. Trish is stuck at the family cabin and there is a blizzard on the way. Her family has no idea where she is. Andy sends his friend Logan to help her and this is where the fun begins. Trish had a secret crush on Logan when she was younger. My heart immediately goes out to Trish and I just want to hug her. Will she ever be able to tell Logan how she really feels? While she is struggling with all of this, Logan finds himself wanting to protect Trish, but he must be careful! She is Andy’s little sister after all. Will their unexpected time together at the cabin give Trish hope that a relationship between them might be possible?


FRIENDS TO THE END is a short novella in the Walnut Creek series and is about eight friends Amish and English and you will be flipping the page like mad trying to hurry to see what they are going to do next! I know I did! FRIENDS TO THE END is such an emotional read, you won’t be able to help yourself from getting into all of the characters business. There are several members of the Eight that are Amish and Logan is one of them. Trish is not. I have read many of Shelley Shepard Gray’s other Amish series as well as some of her other books, and I really feel like she writes with a heart for people. I know this series will definitely be a great one!


My emotions were all over the place as they always are reading a Shelley Shepard Gray story and I have already read the blurb for book one, The Patient One and I am very impatient to read the book. Warning do not read the blurb for book one until you have read this novella. I loved how she made me feel all of the anxiety and tension that the characters were dealing with. Besides all of that, there is also romance, forgiveness, and healing. A perfect way to spend the day on the couch with your favorite beverage, lost in the pages of a heart tugging but beautiful story.

I received a complimentary copy of this novella from the publisher, Gallery Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Excellent pre-quel by Shelley Shepard Gray, Friends to the End sets the scene for her series The Walnut Creek series.

A group of friends, from various backgrounds, grow up and vow to remain friends forever. But as the realities as adulthood begin to settle in for each of them, the friends slowly drift apart with the natural and daily activities. Until a tragedy hits one of their members, bringing them all back together.

Again, the friends make a pact to always be there and provide support for each other. Will they drift apart again as daily life begins anew with her distractions?

Another lovely read from the talented hands of Shelley Shepard Gray. Filled with lots of great characters and inspiring messages, this one is a keeper for sure. Four stars and two thumbs up!

When Trisha finds herself in a spot stuck at a cabin because of a snowstorm. Her brothers friend Logan shows up to bring her home but ends up having to stay because of storm that dumps new snow. The other 7 of her brothers friends show up the next day but are stuck at the cabin themselves. Trisha finds that they all consider her part of the group and she finds out more about herself than she realized before now.

Friends to the End is a prequel to the Walnut Creek series from Shelley Shepard Gray and after reading it I am SO excited for this series! You learn about the creation of the "Magnificent Eight" and are able to meet several of its members, including Andy, Logan, and Andy's younger sister, Tricia, though Tricia isn't technically apart of the Eight.

Since the creation of the Eight, Tricia has been crushing hard on Logan, but falling for him is not that simple. There are several members of the Eight that are Amish and Logan is one of them. Tricia is not. After having a rough time at college, Tricia escapes to the family cabin deep in the woods, and while there is caught in the middle of a record-breaking snow storm while her brother and parents are on vacation in Florida. Scared and unsure of what to do Tricia calls her brother out of desperation. Unable to leave Florida Andy has no choice but to call upon the help of the Eight, namely Logan.

Friends to the End is the rescue mission of poor Tricia and the prequel is sweet, well-written, and an absolute joy to read. It encourages and excites me about the direction of this wonderful new series and the path it might take. Admirable characterization and charming descriptions pull you right into that snow-covered cabin, making the story truly come alive! Simply delightful!

Friends to the End is a novella and a prequel to the Walnut Creek series. The story revolves around the 'Eight", a group people who come from Mennonite, Amish, and English backgrounds. The story begins with a phone call to Andy, one of the Eight. His sister Tricia is calling seeking out help after becoming stranded at a cabin during a snowstorm. Andy assures her that he can get one of the Eight to help her out since he is on vacation in Florida. Little does Tricia know that her crush, Logan, is on his way to save her. Will Logan and Tricia's friendship blossom or will he think that her choice to stay at the cabin during a snowstorm done is immature?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This was a great way to introduce the Eight and I can't wait to read The Patient One.

I received a complimentary copy of this novella from the publisher, Gallery Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Friends to the End by Shelley Shepard Bray finds Tricia Warner stranded at her family’s cabin ninety minutes outside Walnut Creek, Ohio. The electricity is out and she did not bring provisions with her. Tricia her big brother, Andy, who is on vacation with their parents in Naples, for assistance and prepares herself for his lengthy lecture. Andy knows that his close group of friends called the Magnificent Eight will rescue Tricia despite the storm. Logan Clark, who is New Order Amish, is Andy’s first call since he can get to Tricia by sleigh. Tricia has had a crush on Logan since the day she met him and worries about spending time alone with him. It turns out that Tricia is not the only one with that concern. When Andy hears that Tricia and Logan are alone in the cabin with a blizzard raging outside, he reaches out to Harley, Elizabeth Ann and Marie. Logan was quick to respond to Andy’s request because he has been attracted to Tricia for a couple of years and she is frequently in his thoughts. While the storm rages outside and the pair are alone, Logan tries to uncover why Tricia ventured to the cabin on her own. Get to know Tricia, Logan, Andy and a few of the Magnificent Eight in Friends to the End.

Friends to the End is a well-written and thoughtful story. It introduces readers to Tricia Warner along with brother, Andy plus a group of close friends. Friends to the End is only 113 pages in length so it is a quick, easy to read novella. Tricia is a junior at Bowling Green State University and is a mathematics whiz. However, she has difficulties with other parts of her life. Tricia feels like she is letting down her parents with her frequent mishaps. Andy Warner is an organizer and worrier. He cannot help fixing things for Tricia and his friends. Logan Clark is New Order Amish, but he cannot help his feelings for Tricia. He cannot imagine Tricia giving up her lifestyle to be with him. We also meet Harley, Elizabeth Ann and Marie Hartman. When Andy called, they dropped everything to come help Tricia (good friends). I thought the story was realistic with interesting and relatable characters. I look forward to learning more about them in The Patient One. The author laid the groundwork in Friends to the End for the series and we get a glimpse of what will happen in the next book. I do recommend reading Friends to the End before embarking on The Patient One. Friends to the End is the perfect tale to settle down with in a cozy chair on a cold afternoon.

This is a novella to introduce a new series, Walnut Creek. I felt like I had jumped into the middle of a story and needed much more information. I'm looking forward to reading the first book in the series to find out more background on the Magnificent 8. I like that it's a group of friends from different backgrounds and they all support each other. Also, helping Tricia and validating her concerns and self worth is commending.

Andy’s phone went off and he was in Florida with his parents and it was his sister Tricia. He answered as tricia wouldn’t call him without a reason. Tricia told Andy she was in trouble. Than she told him she was at the cabin and it was snowing like crazy. The weather reports were bad also. She added she didn’t think her car would make the drive back. She also said the only way she could charge her phone was to sit in the car. Andy asked if she had told anyone she was going to the cabin and she said no. The cabin had every modern convenience but it was still very secluded. Fear for Tricia went through Andy. trish was a walking disaster and she never thought things through. How could one girl be so flighty but make the dean's list while majoring in applied mathematics. He knew seven people who would drop everything to help Tricia out. The other members of the Magnificent Eight- his best friends. He was closer than close to these seven men and women thanks to the bonds formed when they were toddlers. The have vowed to be there for each other no matter what - and their loyalty never waned. The best part of some of the Eight were Amish and would have horses and a sleigh. They didn’t need good roads to travel on. They didn’t need electricity either. They do without electricity all the time as was their way. Trisha wasn’t part of the Eight but she knew them all well. First he would track down Logan who knew all the back roads to the cabin. Also Logan was New Order Amish and their was one phone in the house. Someone ik Logan's family would answer and let Logan know about Trish. He got to Logan right away and Logan said he would leave within the hour. A long time ago Tricia came to understand, while Andy excelled at always having all the friends and all the answers she excelled at messing up. Her mother reminded Tricia she had gifts: remembering information effortlessly and she was pretty. Tricia would have gladly traded some of her looks to make friends easily, she would have traded all her honor rolls and her academic awards fa sliver of common sense. After about three hours Tricia seen a light and Logan was there. But if there were people in the world who knew her faults almost as well as andy did it was the Eight and most especially Logan who was tricia’s secret crush since she had been ten years old. Logan prayed as he neared Tricia “ Lord, help me be the man Tricia needs instead of the man who can’t seem to stop thinking about her at the worst possible times. “Logan reminded himself Tricia was one of his best friend's little sister and she was English. Logan knew he was smitten with Tricia. Logan didn’t know how to act around tricia anymore. Not since she smiled at him about three years ago. He realized he hadn’t stopped thinking about her since. Later that evening Logan knew he hadn’t been imaging the pull between them. Though it was wrong and might never amount to anything it was there. Something close and tangible and deeper than just a physical attraction or a shared history together. Logan than called Harley and explabo0ut Tricia and Logan going to her and harley said he would get a hold of Marie, John B and Elizabeth Ann. marie had a fancy new SUV and maybe they could go to the cabin. Tricia didn’t sleep much that night and than later in the day she seen a vehicle approaching and it was Marie, harley, amd Elizabeth Ann. They had brought more supplies some even for Logan’s horses. But they wouldn’t be leaving for a while. As another storm was coming through. The friends seen it was obvious there was something special between Logan and Tricia. But Logan had been baptized and joined the church and he wouldn’t leave the Amish. Tricia knew there was no future for them. Marie said all relationships are hard and sometimes she wondered why any of them even try to get involved with other people at all. Logan symbolized so many things tricia shouldn’t want and couldn’t have. Logan realized he couldn’t fight it anymore he was falling in love with Tricia. Later that night Tricia realized she was falling in love with Logan.
Well I enjoyed this book until the very end which as far as i am concerned ended in a bit of a cliffhanger and I hate them. Tricia planned on studying the Amish and their ways but did she follow through? We weren’t told why Andy was in pain than he wasn’t and looking forward to the future. Or did I miss some things? I like endings to my books not carried onto the next one or left to your imagination. That has happened to me a couple times lately and that annoys and frustrates me me and takes away a lot of my enjoyment of the story. So I loved this until the end. So instead of a five this went to a 3.5 for me if i could have rated it that way. I enjoyed the characters and mist of the book but the ending did it in for me…

The Warner family is on vacation all but Tricia she decided to stay at home. But she gets in some trouble when she decides to go to the family's cabin in the middle of no where. When a big snow storm hits and the power off and she gets stranded there so She calls her brother Andy on vacation so he can't do much to help but he calls his best friend Logan Clark to come help Trisha but the snow storm gets worse and they get stuck there overnight. (Logan and Andy are part of a group called the 8. They met when they were young and some are Amish some are Mennoite and some are English.) Trish called Andy and said they were stuck so he called another member of the eight. Did other members of the eight come to help? How did they get there? Did they make it? Was there more snow? get your copy today and see for yourself what happens.
This is a book that you don't want to put down and you want to find out what happens when/if the others make it to the cabin. Can't wait to read more of this new series.

I really enjoyed this novella. I thought that the concept of a diverse group of friends called the Eight was really unique. It made me want to know all of their stories and how they became friends. I’m really looking forward to reading this new series! Shelley Shepard Gray has a wonderful way of weaving together these interesting stories!



I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

This new prequel, Friends to the End by Shelley Shepard Gray, may be shorter in pages but jam packed full of information that lays the foundation for her upcoming new series.
In this e-novella, we meet the "magnificent eight", a group of friends who will do whatever is necessary to be there for one another. Just how far they will go for their leader, Andy, shows the depth of their friendship. Andy's younger sister makes a rash decision that could end up being life threatening. The magnificent eight come to the rescue and a new dynamic begins to form that may impact the group. Also a very important insight into Andy's character is revealed which will shed a bit of light when reading the upcoming novel, The Patient One. This is a must read to prepare yourself for what is coming...a great new series!

NetGalley: When Andy’s baby sister Trish gets stranded at the family cabin during a massive blizzard, he calls upon his best friends—the Magnificent Eight—to go to his sister’s rescue.

Andy knows that several members of the Eight will drop everything to help, and they’re the perfect solution because the Amish aren’t hindered by stalled cars—they can travel just fine in their buggies.

But when Logan, Trish’s secret crush, is the first to volunteer to save her, she can’t help but worry that despite the freezing temperatures, being alone with Logan might mean that things heat up pretty fast. Filled with Shelley Shepard Gray’s signature “heart-warming, heart-stopping” (Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Friends to the End is an evocative and endearing romance.

My review: Wow, what an introduction to the Walnut Creek Series. I was blown away by how a novella made me fall in love with the characters so quickly. I am a sucker for Amish romance and this novella delivered on all aspects. The end will leave you hungering for more.

A quick read perfect for a quiet evening.

I have already read the blurb for book one, The Patient One and I am very impatient to read the book. Warning do not read the blurb for book one until you have read this novella.

I received a complimentary copy of this novella from the publisher, Gallery Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

This is the introduction of a brand new Amish series by Shelly Shepard Gray. During childhood, eight children meet and become.e close friends, a mix of Amish and Englishers! When one of their sisters become stranded in a snowstorm, her brother calls and ask his friends to help her out. I love these characters already and can't wait until book one, The Patient One. I have read most of Grays other Amish series as well as some of her other books, and really feels like she writes with a heart for people and the faith needed in one'side. I know this series will definitely be a great one!

I love quick reads, they are the perfect way to end a rough day and I would say that this book did just that. With its lightheartedness and fun friendships in the story. Not just another love story but a story of "family" being there for each other even from a distance or right there in the same town. I loved how Logan has this big heart and the 8 friends all hold each other accountable but are there no matter what, all from different walks of lives. I loved how this book had a powerful message of self worth. I really loved that this book was a clean read and suitable for all. I really wanted to read more about these group of friends and can't wait to see what's next for them.

When Andy Warner got a call from his little sister Tricia while he and his parents were in Florida, he knew exactly what to do. He called Logan Clark. Logan was his best friend and, along with Andy, a member of the Eight. As children, this group, some Amish, some Mennonite, and some English, had formed a fast friendship and a deep bond. They made a pact to always be there for each other. Now in their twenties, that bond still held.

All the Warners where supposed to go on vacation but Tricia hadn’t wanted to go. What she did do however, was very reckless. She went to the family cabin in the woods and got stuck there due to a bad snow storm. What a predicament she had gotten herself in! The power was out. Her phone was dying. The only way she could charge it was to go out to the car. It was freezing and she was alone in the middle of nowhere. Until she wasn’t.

Pick up a copy of Gray’s newest novella. You won’t be able to put it down! Read Tricia’s story. Find out who went to her rescue and what happened in the cabin.

This novella centers on the blossoming romance between Andy's little sister, Trish, and Andy's good friend Logan. It is a prequel to the author's Walnut Creek series. However, I read it after I read the first book of the series and really enjoyed seeing clues or foreshadowing of events to come. Definitely a good bonus to the series.

WOW!!! What a great beginning to a new series! I can't WAIT to read the next book in the series. This is a short novella introducing a tight-knit group of Amish and English friends who met as elementary-age children and formed a deep friendship that has lasted into adulthood. This first book sets the stage for the series and introduces the characters. It is a quick read, but oh-so-hard to put down! Shelley Shepard Gray has written one of her best books yet - & I haven't read a book of hers I didn't like!

Friends to the End is a prequel to Shelley Shepard Gray's Walnut Creek series which revolves around the friendship of 8 people. Not all are Amish. Besides Amish there are Mennonite and also English, some women some men. The story starts out where Trish Warner is at her family's summer cabin and the power goes out. In a panic mode she calls her brother Andy, one of the 8 people and he calls one of his best friends in the group Logan who happens to be New Order Amish. Trish, an Englisher had a crush on him when she was younger. Logan comes to the rescue and then about half of the Magnificent 8 as they are called come a few hours later bring more supplies to weather the storm. We get a brief introduction to some of the characters that we will get to know in the series. There is a romance but not until the end of the book. I felt that it was rushed and not entirely believable. The two people involved are from different walks of life and for the romance to be able to thrive it is going to me one person making a drastic change. I suppose that romance will be developed in future books and will make more sense. This novella was only 100 pages and not enough pages to develop characters, romance or even a plot. I look forward to reading future books in this series as I have always enjoyed books by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book is due to be published on February 11, 2019.

I've read just about every book by Shelley Shepard Gray, and I always enjoy them. I prefer the full-length novels, and this one is a novella, so I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. That said, the author has crafted an solid story line with relatable characters and scenarios. She has a way of making the reader feel a part of the story, and that continues to be the case with this book. The romance angle is sweet and develops in a natural manner (though it feels a bit rushed due to this being a novella).

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.