This is a Clean Amish Romance, and this is the first book in A Season in Pinecraft series. I was pulled into this book right away. I found this Amish fiction book was different then the other Amish fiction books I have read in the past. I really loved this book so much. This book followed some Amish young girls and boys while on vacation which made the book so different then what I read in the past. I also loved the setting. This was a fun and great read. I really enjoyed this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Fleming H Revell Co) or author (Shelley Shepard Gray) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is scheduled to be released on January 3-2023.

Her Heart's Desire by Shelley Shepard Gray is such a cute and sweet Amish romance book. I really enjoyed it. A fun fact I learned while reading is there is an Amish community in Pinecraft Florida. Many Amish from the north frequent there to vacation. The story features Mary Margaret, who for a better word for it was bullied by other Amish girls from her community. The hero, Jayson feels he needs to marry a girl from his community that he doesn't love. The two meet at the Inn and sparks fly. I enjoyed not only their love story, but the second love story in the book as well. This is a series and I look forward to the other two.
*I was given a copy of the book by the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Mary Margaret Miller works hard to earn more to go on vacation to the popular Amish community of Pinecraft Florida. The lonely young woman from Ohio meets two Amish ladies on the bus trip. Each one has similar experiences in life and tentatively become friends during the two-week stay. Mary meets an Amish man, Jayden, from Kentucky during the first day of the trip and a friendship starts. She is determined to change her life and push past her self-described wallflower ways despite the psychological scarring of years of bullying by schoolmates.
Mary's trip becomes compromised when one of her life-long antagonists, Esther, shows up at the same vacation spot.
This story is about growth, learning to forgive and move forward and as faithful Amish each person needs to seek God's will for her or his life. It's an overall sweet story and a good introduction to a new series. I like the characters and learning more about the area.
I thank the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy. This is my own personal opinion. It is a light romance appropriate for teens and adults.

Sweet and Entertaining

Her Heart's Desire follows Mary Margaret Miller on a much needed vacation to Pinecraft, Florida. On the trip she meets Betsy and Lilly. When they discover how much they have in common, a friendship develops between them. Another friendship forms when Mary and Jayson Rayber meet, and as they spend time together, their friendship blossoms into something more.

I absolutely loved the characters (especially Michael) and their stories. Each one was dealing with situations from their past or present which affected them in different ways. Watching each one maneuver through their friendships, feelings, struggles and circumstances was realistic and refreshing. My heart completely went out to each of them and kept me riveted to the story wanting to see what the outcome for each would be, especially when unexpected challenges got in the way.

Her Heart's Desire is an Amish romance story, but it is so much more. It is about overcoming deep hurts and betrayals, forgiveness, trusting God, and growing and changing into the person God wants you to be. It is a sweet and entertaining read that I greatly enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are strictly my own.

I just finished this amazing this new book by Shelley Shepard Gray!
I enjoyed meeting Betsy, Mary, Lilly and the rest of the characters too.
My favorite was the setting of Pinecraft, FL. I very much enjoyed my "visit." I didn't want to leave!
My 2nd favorite thing was that miracles do happen when we least expect it. I loved how Gray showed us that "letting go" of the past can allow people to heal and move on like God wants us to.
Such a fantastic novel! I eagerly look forward to the 2nd book in this serial
Yes, this series in my opinion is off to a great start! 5 stars hands down!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A short Amish fiction romance story that I got wrapped up in from the beginning. I thought the story was entertaining and I always enjoy a Amish book when it takes place in Pinecraft Florida. The book focuses on forgiveness and being open to Gods will for your life. The story had a pleasant happily ever after ending .

Three plain girls on a Trail bus trip to Pinecraft Florida meet when bad weather forces the bus to stop overnight at a motel in Georgia. They are thrown together when they have to share a room at the motel and they enjoy each other’s company. They wind up staying at the same B&B in Pinecraft and become best friends. A fourth girl joins the other three at the B&B but one of the three girls has every reason not to like the newcomer. Romance enters the story when two of the girls meet two handsome Amish men . As time passes and the end of their vacation draws near no one wants to go back home to snowy Ohio . What will happen to the two dating couples? Will the time away and their break from every day Amish life be enough for them when they return home to their regular routines and the stress and tension they had felt before they left for a get away vacation?

I recommend this book to readers of Amish Fiction Romance and fans of the Author. Her Heart’s Desire is the first book in Shelley Shepard Gray’s new series, A Season in Pinecraft. This book is scheduled to be released on 1/3/23.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

#HerHeartsDesire #NetGalley

I really enjoyed reading Her Heart's Desire which is set in Pinecraft, Florida. I liked that the setting was different from other Amish books I've read and I easily imagined it because I live in Florida. The friendship between Betsy, Lilly, Esther and Mary Margaret was fun and I'm looking forward to seeing more romance for the girls in the next book. This has two sweet romances in it and it's a very clean read. If you like easy-to-read Amish books then grab this latest one by Shelley Shepard Gray. You won't be disappointed!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publishes 3 January 2023.

Ms. Gray takes her readers back to sunny Pinecraft Florida in her new series. It really is lovely location and yes, there are many Amish who vacation there during the winter months, which is where we meet Mary Margaret, Betsy, and Lilly. It seems like these three young ladies are destined to become friends as they get to know each other during their 2-week vacation at the Marigold Inn. I could easily imagine staying there, from the proprietor, the guests to the description of the breakfasts to the delightful porch.

One of the newly arrived guests happened to be the one person Mary would rather not see, the lovely, but not so nice, Esther. She has bullied Mary back in their hometown and that is not what Mary wants to deal with on her vacation.
As misguided as Jayson Raber is, I liked him so much, and found him to a perfect match for Mary, it just took some time for him to disclose a secret he had been keeping, but when he finally told her she was not at all pleased. I would have been upset, too.
Overall, I enjoyed the start to this series. A novel of friendship, forgiveness, growth, maturity, and sweet romances.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I love Ms. Gray’s books and Her Heart’s Desire is no exception. Well written with a good plot and character dynamics. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook.. this is my unbiased review.

Her Heart’s Desire by Shelly Shepard Gray is due to be released, January 3, 2023. Thank you, Revell for allowing me to read an advance copy through NetGally.

In Shelly’s totally unique way of telling a story she approaches the ideas of bullying in the Amish community along with acceptance, growth, understanding, forgiveness, and happiness.

Mary Margaret Miller needed an escape from her Amish community. She boarded a bus, alone, to vacation in Pinecraft, Florida. Along the way, she meets Betsy and Lilly and they become inseparable friends.

Adventures await as her Nemesis, a New, Beau, and the new friends struggle to find their place in Mary’s life.

The story is well written, exciting, and keeps you guessing from beginning till end. The characters are strong and well developed. Overall, this is a wonderful five star addition to your Shelly Shepard Gray library.

Opinions are my own, and I was not required to give a positive review.

Before I get into my review. My husband and I had watched on Youtube Peter Santenello on the Amish visiting Pinecraft Florida. It was during the start of Covid and like many people Peter was reexamining life and the Amish simplicity and community appealed to him. He had many videos of his experience with the Amish and one was the Amish visiting Pinecraft Florida which this story takes place. Seeing those videos helped me visualize even more the characters, the place, and the Amish letting "loose". I highly recommend watching these videos for yourself.

Mary Margaret Miller is planning an escape. A new start and way to restart her own life. She had always felt out in her Amish community due to some "mean" girls that made her life miserable. With the blessing of her parents, she gets on a bus to Pinecraft and on the way there meets two girls that are on the same mission as she. Mary has never made such quick friends as her traveling champions and is excited for a new start. However, when her nemesis Esther from her hometown comes to the Inn she and her new friends are staying out and with their help, she is able to extend grace and her own heart. Esther and Mary are both on a journey of facing their past hurts when they meet two young Amish men in Pinecraft.

A friendship blossoms with these men that gives both Esther and Mary growth that they did not have back home. That is what is appealing to this budding romance. Jayson and Mary pair up and they have such an attraction that Jayson does not want to reveal his circumstances at home. Once Jayson reveals the truth, Mary comes back home changed for the better but with a broken heart. Jayson knows that Mary is for him but is the damage done. Can he repair the pain he caused.

Misunderstandings are the cause of many broken relationships and this is what drives the plot, the romance and the friendships. How do you overcome such misunderstandings? By vulnerability.
Great lessons to learn

A special thank you to Revell and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I loved that this story does not take place in the typical Pennsylvania or Ohio Amish community, but in Florida. Pinecraft is a popular Amish and Mennonite vacation spot and an enjoyable place to escape to in this book. During this cold, wet, snowy winter I enjoyed spending a little time on the beach in Florida (if only in my imagination). It was easy to forget at times that the characters were Amish; the exact same story could have been told with English characters, and perhaps would have been a bit more believable. Still, it was an entertaining, easy read for this busy holiday season. I look forward to reading more in the series and continuing the story of these characters.
*I received a free copy of this book from Revell Publishers and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book will be popular in our community because of other titles that I believe are similar. For me, while I read right through the book, and liked it well enough, it seemed too set up and too sweet. The sweetness was rather refreshing, yet it seemed too unlikely. Go on vacation, and everything is a dream come true. So while it was a quick, feel good kind of story, it was too teenage dreamy for me. It would be a strong recommendation to younger readers of Amish backgrounds.

Her Heart's Desire
by Shelley Shepard Gray
3 stars
A very sweet Amish book with three young women who feel left out of life for various reasons. It showed the Amish community in a very different light. Her Heart's Desire drags a bit in the middle, but has a very solid ending. Shelley Shepard Gray has once again written a charming Amish romance book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.

Her Heart's Desire
by Shelly Shepard Gray
Pub Date: January 3, 2023
Revell
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Many of our patrons request this author, so I was excited to see a new series written by her.
Mary Margaret is seeking an escape. With the money she has made from her greeting card-making business and a little bit of money her parents give her, she goes to Pinecraft, Florida, for a vacation. On the bus ride there, she meets Lilly and Betsy, two other Amish girls also on vacation. Once she gets to Pinecraft, she finds out that her arch-nemesis from grade school on is coming to Pinecraft as well, and is staying at the same Bed and Breakfast. Mary Margaret has had to overcome years of bullying at Esther's hands and is not exactly excited to see that she will be staying in the same place.

Shelley Shepard Gray has written a book about forgiving the hard things, the deepest hurts, and the betrayals people inflict on one another. This isn't an easy book to read, and it differs from most Amish fiction in that it isn't over-the-top syrupy sweet. Those are things I really liked about it. The characters are flawed which makes them all the more believable and relatable. The setting of Pinecraft is one I've read about with other authors too and seems as familiar as being home, so understanding the surroundings is very easy to do.
5 stars

Mary Margaret Miller boards a bus to Pinecraft for a vacation she needs the break of being bullied by her piers. She meets to girls Lily and Betsy on the bus and becomes friends. Mary Margaret meets Jayson Raber. who is a handsome carpenter who she begins to have feelings for. Jayson also has problems he helps raise his sister after his mother passed and his father becomes bitter and hard to live with. His family is poor and to have a better life for his sister he promises a man to marry his daughter for a good job to work for him. Jason does not want to marry her but feels he has no choice. When he meets Mary Margaret he becomes confused and rethinks his decision. This is a cute story. I loved the characters and enjoyed the storyline very much.

This is such a refreshing read, I enjoyed it from beginning to end! I also love that this is part of a series, and now I can't wait for the next book in this series, and updates on the character's I now care about!

We have four young women going to Florida trying to escape their problems, but life can't go smooth, and some of their problems actually follow them!

Here's to new friendships, experiences, toes in the sand, and some sweet romance. Then it's back to their homes and their old lives, or?

There are some really great surprises, some hard decisions, and some sweet kisses!

I received this through the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

Her Heart's desire is not what first comes to mind but true friends and good relationships within a community. The interactions through life give meaning in the direction that ones life goes. Heartfelt choice allow the paths taken within the break the winter into a warmer place. Thank you NetGalley for this heart's desire!

Mary Margaret saved up her money and was determined to have
a wonderful vacation at Pinecraft in Sarasota, Florida. Having been bullied for years, she longed for true friends but what happens when one of the bullies decides to vacation at the same boarding house? The characters in this story and their situations are relatable. Family issues, bullies, medical costs and loneliness are some of the issues relayed in this start of a new series. Recommended.

I received this e-book ARC through Net Galley from Revell in exchange for a truthful review.

I was not familiar with inspirational Amish romance, so this one was a complete surprise to me.
I was open to learning new things. I didn't quite expect the "going on vacation" unchaperoned premise to a somewhat Amish-friendly enclave (in Florida of all places!) but I went with the flow.

Sweet, clean romance(s), a bit of religion/morality and an easy read. Lots of likeable characters.

I think I wound up liking the second main character, Esther, much more than the first, Mary Margaret. I understand that this is a series and I hope we get to see more of Esther when the stories Pinecraft continue in the remaining series.