I'm happy to revisit the Bird in Hand community and Korey Bontrager who has come back home to his family. It is easy to see that the character has matured since leaving the area when his brother Tyler, fell in love with his girlfriend Michelle. Korey has a lot to own up to and residual anger at the couple to deal with. The author shows his trepidation as he tries to blend back into the family and community.
Savannah Zook has a group of female friends with romance and marriage on their minds to the point that they are irritating. She isn't interested. After being set up with a 'date' Vannah has had enough. Korey notices her walking alone at night and when he offers a ride home the perfect opportunity sets up that will help both of them. Savannah talks Korey into being pretend girlfriend and boyfriend so everyone will leave them alone. They just have to spend some time together in public then eventually 'break up'. Perfect plan, sweet story.
I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my own unsolicited opinion about it. This is an excellent third story in "An Amish Legacy" series by Amy Clipson. She has created strong characters with solid back stories. She delves into the damage that is caused by feelings of abandonment. I love this series and look forward to more books. I'm expecting brother Toby's romance in the future.

Breaking New Ground is the third in the series. I am so glad that Korey finally has his own story and what a story. Returning to Pennsylvania after months in Ohio, Korey continues to struggle with the same problems which drove him away. Add to the fact, his friends and family have moved on while he is stuck in the past. Wanting to escape the advice of all urging him to marry and settle down, Korey starts spending time with the most outspoken female he could find. Savannah Zook is only interested in protecting her brother. Meanwhile everyone else believes she needs to find a spouse and settle down. Hence a plan is hatched! Korey and Savannah begin "dating". When fantasy and reality collide, how will the story end? Looking for a story of redemption and forgiveness, this is it! Amy Clipston has a wonderful way of writing lovable and hatable characters. I have enjoyed the whole series. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

This book was a joy to read! It's a heartwarming Amish romance that will keep you turning the pages. I loved everything about this book; the characters, the setting, the plot and the faith filled themes woven into the story. This is a book you don't want to miss.
I received a complimentary copy from Zondervan Fiction via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really loved this story about Savannah and Korey as the main characters. Korey leaves home for a year or so after his older brother dates Michelle, Korey's ex girlfriend and marries her and then his dad had married.Crystal after his mother dies of cancer. He needs time to figure things out. He comes back home as the story begins. Savannah's friends are always trying to fix her up with a date but since her mother died and her father deserted her and her baby brother Toby. She felt it was her responsibility to take care of him. Korey gives Savannah a ride home after she is left at the Sunday evening gathering and singing hymns etc, They kind of click and pretend to see each to kee[ their friends trying to fix them up. So begins their story. This is a Very GOOD READ,

Breaking New Ground, the third installment of the Amish Legacy series, is a faith-filled, emotional Amish read with themes of forgiveness and healing broken relationships. Well-crafted characters pull you into their lives and touch your heart. The plot is well-structured and flows smoothly with some unexpected twists. The pretend courtship romantic trope is not one I typically see in Amish fiction, and it is very well done in this story. I love the way Korey and Savannah’s relationship develops as they both deal with familial challenges. I loved this story, and highly recommend it for fans of Inspirational Amish Romance. Note: Even though it is the third book in the series, this book can be easily read as a standalone.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Breaking New Ground by Amy Clipston has Korey Bontrager returning home to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I am glad that Korey is returning home and it seems his time away has matured him. Korey’s attitude toward his stepmother has also changed. He is still struggling with how he feels toward his brother, Tyler who is now married to Korey’s former girlfriend. Korey needs to find a way to heal the rift between him and his brother. He needs to find a way to forgive. Savannah Zook is the only one of her girlfriends who does not have a boyfriend. Her friends are determined to find Savannah a beau. Korey is having a similar problem. His family believes it is time for him to start dating. Savannah and Korey can help each other by having a pretend relationship. Breaking New Ground is a heartfelt tale. I enjoyed getting to know Savannah and her family. I admit that I was not a fan of Korey in the earlier books. I was happy to see that he is not the same angry, bitter fellow who departed for Ohio. I like the mature Korey. He still has some things to work out, but we are all works in progress. I can understand Korey’s struggle with forgiveness. It can be hard to forgive someone who has wronged you especially when it is a family member. Savannah finds herself going through an emotional time when someone from her past returns. She must make a tough decision. Savannah also finds herself grappling with forgiveness. She knows that she is supposed to forgive, but Savannah anger are getting in the way. I like that we get to catch up with the characters from Foundation of Love and Building a Future. There is some predictability to the story as well as repetitive details. However, those aspects are overshadowed by great characters, the touching moments, the humor, the close friendships, and the loving family members. I like how the author worked the title into the story. My favorite line from Breaking New Ground is, “We’re all different. I’m different from mei bruders, but God gives us all our own gifts.” I am looking forward to Jayden’s story in The Heart’s Shelter. It will be interesting to see who ends up being Jayden’s romantic partner. I find Jayden to be a mature and insightful young man. Breaking New Ground is a poignant tale that will tug at your heartstrings (keep the box of tissues nearby). While Breaking New Ground can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the series in order. It will allow you to get to know the characters along with their struggles and the community. Breaking New Ground is an uplifting tale with a returning brother, matchmaking chums, finding a friend, a dissatisfied sibling, an uninvited visitor, a difficult decision, and finding forgiveness.

I'm going to start out by saying, after reading the first two books in Amy Clipston's 'Amish Legacy' series, I did NOT like middle son, Korey Bontrager. He came across as just plain disagreeable. Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to reading his story, but Clipston is in the business of redemption both in her character's personal lives, and in their spiritual lives, and she definitely turned Korey around.

When his father remarried, then his older brother 'stole' his girlfriend and married her, Korey Bontrager left his home in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania to work in a factory in Ohio. Yes, there was some door-slamming and stomping off involved, and he gave every indication that he was a champion grudge-holder. Fast-forward a little over a year, and Korey has returned home to make things right with his family. Influenced by an elderly Amishman in Ohio, he has realized that his family is important to him, and that the rift in the family is all his doing. Can he dial back his emotions enough to see everything from another viewpoint?

While Savannah Zook's friends are all pairing off, she is actively avoiding dating. She has seen herself as her brother's main caregiver since she was 5 years old and he was an infant, when their mother died in childbirth, and their father abandoned them. Even though she's now 25 and he's 20, she still feels responsible for his happiness. When her friends start setting her up on blind dates, she can't convince them she's not interested, so she cooks up a scheme with Korey to fake date each other. His family believes that a relationship will cement his staying in the community, and her friends won't stop the blind date nonsense unless she's off the market.

As Korey and Savannah spend time with each other, they discover a deep friendship. As they confide their deepest hurts, and their greatest joys, they also find out that fake dating can lead to not so fake feelings. Can they find a way out of their pretend courtship, to a place where they can share their real feelings with each other?

This was the perfect way to tell Korey's story. Yes, he turns around, but it's not immediate, which would not have looked genuine, knowing his personality. I worked with a teacher once who said that there is a "miracle of maturity' that happens sometime between the 8th and 9th grade years, and I felt like Korey had his maturity miracle hit while he was in Ohio. He learned to bite his tongue and not spout off when his temper flared. He learned to think before he spoke, and to walk away before he said words he couldn't take back. He still had he emotional highs and lows, but he found a friend he could talk things out with when he found Savannah. I loved the way they helped each other.

All in all, this was a wonderful read that - once I started it - I couldn't put it down. Readers who love Amish romance should pick up Breaking New Ground. While it can be read as a stand-alone story, it is far more satisfying to read it in sequence with the first two books. Korey's transformation is far more dramatic if you first see what he was like in the first two books. I definitely recommend!

This novel focuses on Korey and his return home. There were definitely good parts of this novel especially around Savannah and fake dating her however I felt like there was some part of the story missing as I just wanted more details about his relationship with his family. Good clean Amish read though! I read this as an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley

4.5 stars

In this third book in the series, we catch up with Korey Bontrager after the events of book two, which devastated him and his life. He's returned to PA and his family with a changed attitude. Honestly, I would have liked to see more of how that went down - because it was a pretty big shift! But I was glad for it. Poor kid really did need an attitude adjustment.

Savannah was a new character, I think. I don't recall hearing about her in other books, but she became a perfect match for Korey. Stubborn just like him, speaks her mind, soaked in responsibility... The way they set up their fake relationship flowed easily, but you just know it'll turn real.

Oooohhh so good!! I've had a rough 2 months of reading and this one just hit the spot. I knew it would, so I sat on it for a bit, and I just loved it.

It was so nice to see what these characters were up to. I've come to love the Bontrager family and really this whole fictional Amish community. It's such a positive, bright, uplifting series, so if you need something that won't add to the negativity and the craziness of the world, this is a good one to check out.

Some of the writing style is a little repetitive still. "Later that evening" is in like 10 chapters, etc. But even though it's low drama, it's still packed with the feels. I really enjoyed it and hope you do too. Especially for all the surprises and family updates! :)

I sure hope Jay gets his own book too!!

Breaking New Ground by Amy Clipston

Breaking New Ground is book #3 in the An Amish Legacy book series, which is the story of the Bontrager Brothers. The first two books were amazing and well….Amy Clipston has done it again!!

Breaking New Ground is Koreys story. I haven’t always been a fan of Korey, but this changed it all…his coming out party so to speak…I truly loved it! This book is filled with lighthearted humor, fun, love, and faith! You just can’t get better than that!

A definite must read for any Amish Fiction Fan!!

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: 4/11/2023

I received complimentary ARC copy of this book from its publisher and author (Thank you!! I loved being a part of this book) via NetGalley . This review is my honest opinion, I was in no way required to give a positive review.

A great little book. Thank you gforbletting me read it. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and characters b

I have enjoyed this series, although I have wanted to knock some sense into Korey Bontrager from the very beginning. The Bontrager family has had their share of heartache, so it made me happy when they started to find joy once again.


In all honesty, I’m not a fan of fake dating, however it worked perfectly in this novel because I think it helped Korey finally mature and that’s what I have been waiting for. I was glad when he returned home to reunite with his family and community. He was so unkind to his stepmother before he left Pennsylvania for Ohio, his behavior towards his older brother was pretty awful, too, so I was glad when he left. Of course there was a part of me that wondered about him and waited for his return. The author managed to make me care about a character that I doubted would ever have any redeeming qualities, but the transformation of Korey made him likable and he had the sweet, caring nature that had been hidden for far too long. What a wonderful ending to this series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

What a wonderful conclusion to this series. Loved all of the books, and this one sure didn't disappoint!

Korey has come home, he loves his family, but is he really sorry? This is also Savannah's story, a woman who has had so much hurt, but the light of her life is her brother Toby.

In the previous books Korey was so dislikeable, but it seems a more mature young man has returned back to Pennsylvania. This Korey will warm your heart with his kindness to his stepmother and Toby.

I loved the concept of dating the author gives us between Korey and Savannah, pretend. Get their friends and family off their backs! Yes, but my mind was thinking how great there are together, but of course life isn't always the way we want it to be, and a big bombshell enters their lives.

This is a wonderful page turner and now I'm waiting for the next in this series by one of my favorite authors!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.

Wonderful and Heartwarming

Korey Bontrager has come a long way from the person he was in the past. He knows God has brought him back home, but moving forward is going to take a lot of work. However, moving forward becomes a little less challenging and a lot more interesting when Savannah Zook suggests they fake date. That's when things take a turn for them in ways they never thought possible.

I truly did not like the old Korey, but the new Korey touched my heart in a special way. I could feel his frustrations and struggles as he worked at moving forward from his past and moving toward making things right. His situation struck a cord with how realistic and true to life it is. It shows how hard life is when you mess up and have to own up to your mistakes in order to make things right, especially when it involves moving from blame shifting, to taking responsibility, to asking for forgiveness. As Korey worked through all of that, his faith in God, his determination and his friendship with Savannah kept him moving forward. The same can also be said for Savannah. Her situation was different from Korey's, but she too had struggles and things to work through. Just as with Korey, their friendship, her determination and her faith in God helped her move forward as well.

I loved Korey and Savannah's story. It was truly a joy to see how their "fake" relationship developed and grew. I also loved the how the themes of faith and family were woven into the story in such a way that added a very special touch to their story and to that of the other characters as well. This made for a wonderful and heartwarming story that I did not want to see end and one that I highly recommend.

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

Amy Clipston is truly one of the queens of Amish fiction, and I couldn't wait to dive into this one. I've been looking forward to another visit with the Bontrager family of Lancaster County, and especially looking forward to Korey finally getting his own story. It was going to take a pretty amazing story to redeem this prodigal son in the reader's eyes, and I'm happy to say that the author managed to deliver exactly that.

Fake dating is one of my all time favorite romance tropes, and I've never had the pleasure of reading an Amish fiction title that's employed this before. When Korey returns home, he's still struggling with the familial troubles that sent him running in the first place, and he's tired of his family and friends trying to push him into dating when he's not ready to chance his heart. Savannah Zook is tired of her friends trying to set her up on blind dates, when all she wants is to be able to watch out for her younger brother. When Korey and Savannah become friends, she proposes they pretend to date to get their friends and families off their backs. Only, neither of them expected the feelings to become real, and both have hurts and insecurities they need to deal with before being able to move forward into their own happily ever after.

Once again, Amy Clipston has delivered a heartwarming, wonderful romance that tugs at the heartstrings and brings tears to the eyes. These characters have truly come to feel like old friends, and I'm so thankful that readers finally got to see another side of Korey, and what was his reason for his actions in the previous titles. The Bontragers truly have come together as a family, and I can't wait to read Jayden's story when it releases next year!

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Zondervan for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Zondervan) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

What I read: Breaking New Ground by Amy Clipston

Why I picked it up: I’ve been enjoying Amy’s work recently and was excited to see this newest in the series on NetGalley – so I requested it and promptly read the previous two the past two days so I could enjoy this one today. received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

How I read it: On eGalley from NetGalley today.

What it’s about: We finally get Korey’s story – and he’s back from Ohio with a partially mended heart, but there’s still a lot of work to do. Savannah notices him but all of her friends are only noticing that she’s the only one without a boyfriend … so she devises a plan for them to fake date in order to get everyone off their backs. The only thing she didn’t plan for (and neither did Korey) was for them to become close as friend, confidants, and future family.

What I liked: I really liked the progression of Korey’s maturity throughout this book. We’d seen him in the previous two being shortsighted and immature and hotheaded. He really grows in this book.

What I disliked: The conflict at the end felt like a giant surprise and was really rushed. I also kept getting upset with Savannah’s notion that she had to be the one to take care of her brother – who it seems has a learning disability. Why has no one helped him with that?

Genre: Amish, chaste love story, fathers.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and absolutely – but you need the previous two to really understand Korey – this doesn’t make sense without his backstory. It releases on April 11th.

Breaking New Ground is the third installment from An Amish Legacy series by Amy Clipston. I found it to be a delightful and sweet Amish read. Four stars.

I loved this book as I have all in this series. The story of Korey and Savannah and their pretend courtship is so cute. I recommend this book. I was provided a copy by Netgalley but it didn’t affect my opinion.

I loved being back with the Bontrager family and learning more about Korey. It's always fun to hear about the characters that I have read about previously. The aspect of their relationship being fake was a new and intriguing one. I really enjoyed the characters of Toby and aunt Dorothy.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

This is the third book in a series about a father and his three grown Amish sons, but it could be read as a standalone. Writing the family dynamic is often a strength of Clipston and I've enjoyed the whole mult-book series based on them. Thankfully, this book made Korey so much more sympathetic and nuanced soul whereas in the other books, he was kind of portrayed as a jerk and the foil to his brother Tyler. But I fell in love with this other side of Korey- a new more mature man who has such a kind heart and just needed to find his place in his community and family. Savannah, on the other hand, some parts I felt her also to be a sympathetic, relatable character, others, just grated. She was fiery in her overprotectiveness of her brother, but it also seemed over the top and somewhat unrealistic for a 25 year old. Is she a good match for the new Korey? I did love the build up of the romance, the drama towards the end was an interesting conflict to overcome. As always the resolution is sweet, heartfelt and comforting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a final story based on Jayden, because out of all of the brothers, he is the most likeable. Can't wait for Clipston to create his perfect match.
Thank you to #NetGalleyand Zondervan Fiction for the Arc. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.