Member Reviews
Loved reading this book. Amazing story and the characters lend to the charm of this book. I would highly recommend this book. You would not be disappointed.
This is the third book in the River Haven series and I enjoyed them all. They are all standalone stories, so you can read all or one, or you can read them in any order. In this story we meet Rachel Hurst. Rachel put her life on hold to stay at home and take care of her father and her siblings after her mother passed away. She was engaged to Jacob, but when she said she couldn't marry him at that time, their relationship ended. Years later, her father had remarries and there is no room for Rachel in the family home. She takes a job away from home, accepting the position of housekeeper for a wealthy elderly woman in her isolated mansion. It is the same woman that her mother worked for when Rachel was young and she had spent summer days on the grounds. Someone does not want Geraldine to stay in the house though, and she begins to have accidents. Coincidentally, Jacob, who never married, is also the handyman for Geraldine, forcing him and Rachel to face their past.
Amish Secrets is a mystery, a thriller and a romance all meshed together well. There is suspense as the reader tried to figure out who the target of the "accidents" really is. As we get to know Geraldine's family, I was sure I knew who was responsible, but then would change my mind. I was also sure of the motive behind the sabotage, but again, I was wrong. I liked the two main characters, Rachel and Jacob and enjoyed seeing them rekindle a relationship, first of friends then as more than that. Rachel is also dealing with her family and the sense of abandonment, so there was another plotline to deal with. Marta Perry creates a suspenseful atmosphere, which led this reader in several directions. I was very happy with the ending, the twists and surprises and how all the various storylines came together. An enjoyable story all around. I recommend this story to those who enjoy Amish Fiction, especially with mystery and twists involved.
I loved this book. The characters are very well defined and their personalities drew me into the story. There’s a mystery that slowly builds at just the right pace. The ending where the answer to the mystery was revealed was definitely not what I expected. This book is a little bit more intense than most Amish stories, and that added to my enjoyment of the book. It was great reading the combination of two genres I enjoy: Amish and mystery/suspense.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
There was loving someone and building a family. Real love is much deeper-part affection, part friendship, part attraction, part caring. Not as exciting, but much more satisfying.
Rachel Hurst is starting over. Living Amish does not mean living independently but in community however, with her father's recent marriage and her break up with Jacob, she must find other means to support herself and heal. A housekeeper position is available in the house of an elderly woman by the name of Geraldine Withers. She had employed Rachel's mother many years ago when Rachel was a small child. Rachel has many memories of the family and Ms. Withers. Jacob is also employed by Ms. Withers restoring her home and is still hurt from Rachel's rejection. Their relationship is the underlying thread of this mystery. Together they become worried with their employer when break-ins happens. Ms. Wither's family members want her to move to assistant living, however, Ms. Withers is refusing to oblige. She finds purpose when her niece leaves her 12 year old daughter to find herself.
Rachel and Jacob work together to find out who is behind the mishaps while reflecting what had happened to their relationship that they both could not face.
Rachel and Jacob both have some emotional baggage but in helping Ms. Withers, their baggage becomes clear and they are able work thru their confused emotions. The secrets that kept Ms. Withers' family in chaos is another thread that left a surprising end.
A special thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review
This is the third book in the River Haven series but can be read as a stand alone book. This book contains a mixture of it all: romantic suspense, family secrets, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing who did it through the whole story line. I recommend this series to all my customers who like mystery and an Amish romance
After years of taking care of her father and brothers after her mother died, Rachel's father decides to suddenly remarry and tells her she needs to find a new home. Rachel finds a position with a elderly woman in her home. After several things happen, it seems like someone wants the elderly woman to leave her home, and also puts Rachel in danger. Also working at the home is Rachel's boyfriend who she gave up to take care of her father. There are several twists and turns and it keeps your interest all the way to the end. I loved the book.
Marta Perry has always been a favorite author of mine and her latest novel, AMISH SECRETS is exactly why I am a huge fan. Rachel Hurst put her life on hold to stay at home and take care of her father and her siblings after her mother passed away. She was engaged to Jacob and sadly, she ended that as well.
Now that her father had remarried, there is no room for Rachel to stay at home. She decides that she will take a job away from home and she accepts the position of housekeeper for a wealthy elderly woman in her isolated mansion. It also happens to be where her ex Jacob is working, unbeknownst to Rachel. When Geraldine almost gets hurt, Jacob thinks something sinister is going on. Her relatives seem to be visiting more and more and not always seeing Geraldine. They are up to something and Jacob worries for Rachel’s safety. Hang on tight readers, it’s a crazy ride!
AMISH SECRETS is a mystery of who done it with the twists and turns of a great page turner that I just couldn’t put down. Marta Perry creates a suspenseful atmosphere, and leads the reader to a variety of conclusions before revealing the true identity behind the criminal activities. She had me convinced I knew “who dunit” a few times, before leading me in yet another direction. To me that is a sign of a good mystery novel! I always look forward to reading Marta Perry novels and AMISH SECRETS is exactly why.
What a fantastic combination of genre this book turned out to be! This story involves a second chance romance, suspense, intrigue, danger and memories reawakening all wrapped up brilliantly in an Amish romance!
It is a decade since Rachel Hurst stayed at home to care for her father and young siblings following the untimely death of her mother. That's when her proposed marriage to Jacob Beiler was sacrificed for the sake of her family. Now her father has remarried and there's no longer room for Rachel in her family home so she has taken a job as a live in housekeeper for the wealthy old lady that her Mum used to work for. Rachel has happy memories of the time spent there with her Mum and the Englisher nephews and niece of the lady so is quite looking forward to her new life there. However, she never imagined that her ex fiancé, Jacob Beiler, would also be working for the old lady nor that a series of near accidents would have her fearing for the safety of herself and the other residents of the house. As if that wasn't enough, there's still the mutual attraction between Rachel and Jacob, the finger pointing of her employer's relatives and a rambunctious, rebellious teen being unexpectedly left to stay with them! As the danger mounts, can old wounds heal, secrets from the past be revealed and justice be served before anyone else is hurt?
This is a brilliant page turner, a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and full of unexpected twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. It is skilfully written, an engaging story with surprising triggers to memories deeply hidden . . . . fantastic! I'll definitely be looking out for more by this author in future.
Thanks you to Harlequin and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.
"Amish Secrets" by Marta Perry
Released: 12.29.2020
Rachel Hurst decided to stay home after her mother's death to take care of the home, including her father and siblings. With her father's upcoming remarriage, Rachel is no longer welcome. She accepts a job as a housekeeper for a wealthy woman, Ms. Geraldine.
Jacob Beiler is Rachel's ex-fiance. He is now working as a carpenter and is working at a wealthy woman's home. The same home that Rachel is now employed. He thought he was over her, but when he sees Rachel as the housekeeper, he feels happiness and anger.
Ms. Geraldine has a few close calls, and these "accidents" are not accidents. Rachel thinks that someone wants to hurt the older woman. She works with Jacob to discover who is behind this.
"Amish Secrets" is the third novel in the River Haven series by Marta Perry. I wasn't aware this was a series, but I didn't feel as though I missed too much by not reading the previous two novels. It was well-written, and the characters were developed and believable. There were enough twists and turns without feeling overwhelmed! This will certainly not be my last Marta Perry book to enjoy!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
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Amish Secrets by Marta Perry is the third book in the River Haven series. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series or if you missed a book. I do wish that we could have seen or received updates on the characters from the previous two books. I thought Amish Secrets was well-written with developed characters. I liked the storyline that contained mystery, suspense, and romance. The characters were developed and realistic. I enjoyed the feisty Geraldine Withers. She needed to be to put up with her family. Holly, Geraldine’s great-niece, added lightness and humor to the story. I believe she will grow up to be like Geraldine. The mystery was interesting. There were a variety of suspects who could be behind the misdeeds. I did feel that there some unanswered questions at the end that I would have liked resolve, but I did enjoy reading Amish Secrets. I stayed up late to finish because I wanted to see if I correctly identified the evildoer. Amish Secrets has a good ending. Amish Secrets is an intriguing and suspenseful tale with irregular incidents, a troubled tween, an unfriendly family, missing memories, and romantic reflections.
A must read book if you like Amish romances.
“Children are a gift from God”
Amish Secrets is a heartwarming, wholesome romance with a beautiful outcome.
The characters are engaging and believable. I was drawn into each characters story as they matured during the story.
This book can be read as a stand alone though it is number 3 in the River Haven series.
I look forward to reading more books by Marta Perry.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
Marta Perry is my go to author for Amish romances. This book finishes her River Haven trilogy and I enjoyed it. However, I really wish she'd brought Joanna and Cathy in more from the previous two books- Cathy is only mentioned in passing, while I don't remember Joanna being mentioned at all. I think that would've added to the story. Overall, this was a good book and I look forward to reading more in the future.