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.

The Heart’s Bidding

by Kelly Irvin

Although this book is an Amish romance, its strongest theme is the acceptance and education of children who are labelled as different, educationally challenged, developmentally delayed, disabled, mentally or physically handicapped, or as the Amish prefer to call them “special.” They see these children as gifts from God. In The Heart’s Bidding, Rachelle is a dedicated teacher, but as a Plain (Amish) woman she knows that although she loves teaching and has a talent in that area, her future will be to get married and have children. When the governing educational committee in her community decide that the special children should be transported daily to a town that offers more specialized services than the little community has available and at no cost to the Amish, Rachelle finds her last day of teaching coming more quickly than she could have imagined or desired.

Toby is a handsome bachelor who has been hurt in a past experience in courting and is haunted by the thought that no woman would want to be married to an auctioneer who spends many days and months on the road crisscrossing 5 states. Could an attraction between Toby and Rachelle come to anything? Both of their mothers would like to see it happen and have to be reminded to rein in their matchmaking. Both Toby and Rachelle have special siblings and common love and understanding for them.

There are other plot threads within this book about the large Amish families, the head of a family business stepping down, and an adult with dyslexia that has never been addressed. If you are interested in the Amish way of life and how both education and technology are addressed on an everyday level, this would be a good book to read. It gives the reader a different point of view from an author who is sensitive to both Amish and English cultures. The many children in the book provide both humor and excitement. In particular Jonah, Rachelle’s little brother, and Sadie, Toby’s little sister, both of whom will need lifelong support, will make you smile and tug on your heartstrings.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Religion, Romance,

Notes: 1. The author includes a listing of characters by family and a glossary of Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch words at the beginning. She ends with author’s notes and discussion questions.
2. #1 in the series The Amish Calling. There are two in the series available now and one more that will be published in January 2025. All have characters who deal with disabilities of various types.

Publication: August 1, 2023—Zondervan Publishing

Memorable Lines:

Plain women liked their appliances the way some English women loved their jewelry or a roomy SUV for carting around their children—all two of them.

Their education was intended to help them be successful in their Plain communities, to be hard workers and good people, with the skills they would need to sustain to work with their families, to thrive, but to do so in a godly way.

“Sadie’s soul is innocent. It always will be.” Rachelle sought out the little girl. She found her on a swing, her legs pumping, her head thrown back, laughter spilling from her lips. “She knows what is gut and right and fair. Nothing will change that.” “Do you really believe that?” “Gott made her special. I believe His plan is for us to learn as much from her as she learns from us—more really.”

The Heart's Bidding by Kelly Irvin
The Heart's Bidding (Amish Calling #1)
by Kelly Irvin (Goodreads Author)
983488
Susan F's review Jul 14, 2023 ·



I loved this book. The two main characters, Toby Miller, an auctioneer and Rachelle Lapp, a schoolteacher who works with special needs children, are excellent characters. I want to thank the publisher Zondervan and NetGalley for my copy of the book. This is my own personal opinion about the it.
I like that this is a new series which depicts the lives of a family that operate an Amish auction business. The information about that lifestyle is interesting. Toby is very devoted to his family, especially his special needs sibling. Rachelle loves teaching and is devoted to the children, including her own brother. The children are portrayed very well with their various challenges. Both adults seriously seek God's will to the point that Toby feels he should never marry, and Rachelle is determined she is to be a teacher and will spend her life doing so. They both face challenges, doubts about God's will and changes in their lives. This is very well written with serious moments, humor and touches of romance. I look forward to the other books in the series.

A heartfelt and inspirational story. It grabbed me from the first page.
Manythanks to Zondervan Fiction and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved reading this novel, I would definitely recommend it, great writing style. Her books never disappoint!

This is a contemporary novel, set in the Amish area of Virginia. It focuses on a school teacher at an Amish school with a heart for special needs children. The Amish community chooses to move those same children to the public school as they can obtain more services there. The teacher is torn about the opportunity / challenge.
On the other side of the story, we meet a 30-year old Amish bachelor whose family runs an auctioneer business. This family has been granted some exceptions to traditional Amish choices because they need phones, computers and vehicles for their business. He is a bachelor because his is convinced that no woman would want to tolerate his travel schedule due to the business.
I thought it was a unique story and I appreciated the tenderness with which the author handled the telling of the special needs children.

This is a fantastic novel, showing two families with special needs children. I loved how the author told this story with love and compassion.

Filled with faith, love and terrific writing, this is one book I highly recommended.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

The Heart's Bidding by Kelly Irvin, book one in the Amish Calling series, is a faith filled story sweet, heartwarming story about trusting G-d and allowing G-d to show you what is best for you all. A story that drew me, not letting go until the last page.

Rachelle Lapp teaches special education to developmental and disabled Amish students, especially her brother Jonah who has developmental and learning disabilities. She loves her students and is gifted teaching in this area of education. When the parents committee of the Lee’s Gulch Amish School decides to send their Special Ed students to an English school, where they can get occupational teaching, Rachelle’s future looks uncertain. Her choices are to either apply for a teaching position at another school, possibly far from home, or give up teaching altogether; neither of which make her happy.

Toby Miller is an Auctioneer for his family’s successful auction business. Toby, his brothers and Dad are always away from home and on the road going from town to town wherever business takes them. Toby is too busy to marry and settle down; what woman would want a man who is never at home. Toby did not feel that any woman would marry him and want to be alone raising his children while he was on the road. Then he meets pretty Rachelle Lapp who turns his head and makes his heart beat. Rachel teaches Toby’s sister, Sadie, who has Down syndrome. Together, Toby and Rachelle advocate for their siblings who have learning disabilities. Toby wonders if he could be more than a friend to Rachelle; if she would welcome an auctioneer, who is on the road five months out of the year, court her. There are some matchmakers trying to help Toby and Rachelle come together; his family and their siblings, Jonah and Sadie.

Ms. Irvin wrote a wonderful, heartfelt, sweet, and moving story that had me reflecting on how he Amish would differ in how they value children with different abilities; especially developmental disabilities. Jonah and Sadie were such sweet kids who had such a love for life and those who were their friends and family. In this life we all have good and bad things that happen to us and in this story the characters also had good and bad times when unpredictable things became a part of their lives. I highly recommend The Heart's Bidding to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

#TheHeartsBidding #NetGalley
Rachelle comes from a large family and loves being a teacher for Amish children with special needs. What she doesn't like is her mom tring to play matchmaker. After a bad breakup Rachelle is weary of trying to start a new relationship.
Toby's life is dominated by his family's auctioneer business which takes him out on the road six months out of the year. Toby has already been jilted once by someone who didn't want to date him because of his career choice. Toby is nearing thirty and wonders if he will ever find someone. He definitely doesn't need his mom to meddle in his life and play matchmaker.
Two lonely hearts, two siblings who try their best to get in the middle of both Rachelle and Toby's dating lives, a sweet story.
/ l

I absolutely loved this story. The characters walked off the page and made me care what happened to them.

When Rachelle Lapp gets the news that her "special" students would be attending the English school in the fall, she is devastated. She is a gifted teacher who knows and loves each of the children in her care, and her salary also helps her family of 16 function. At 23, she has already turned down two marriage proposals, neither of which felt like the right thing for her. While her parents hope that she will find someone to marry if she isn't teaching, Rachelle hopes to find another position, even if it takes her away from her home community. She knows her skills are needed, somewhere, but she doesn't know if she can really leave her family, especially her little brother, Jonah, who is one of her special students.

Toby Miller is an auctioneer, a highly unusual occupation among the Amish for two reasons. One, he has to use an electronic sound system to be heard, and two, the job calls attention to him, makes him stand out, which the Amish generally frown upon. He's gone from home six months out of the year as part of the family auction business begun by his grandfather, which was never a problem until he wanted to court a girl. Shattered by the reaction of the first girl he courted to his absences, he has reached the "old" age of 29 without giving his heart away again. When he calls Rachelle's little brothers onto the stage with him at an auction, he earns her wrath but he also finds a woman that interests him. Fear has kept him from pursuing relationships before, but is it possible that Rachelle is different from other Amish girls?

Toby and Rachelle have an almost immediate connection/attraction to one another, but both have been burned by love in the past. Can they get past their current "comfort zones" to find the love that both their families want for them?

I really felt for these two. They know that marriage is expected for each of them, but Toby is well past the age when men normally marry and Rachelle feels called to teach, something she can't do as an Amish wife. Toby's fear of disappointing yet another young woman has him locked in indecision. He wants a home and family, but is afraid to offer his heart to anyone after the first girl he dated stomped all over it. He knows his job and how much he is away will make life difficult for a wife, but his father and grandfather both managed. Why not him?

Readers who enjoy Amish sweet romance will love The Heart's Bidding. There is humor to go with all the angst, and the characters make you hope for a sequel. It reads very quickly, too.

THE HEART’S BIDDING is such a sweet story. Rachelle doesn’t want to leave her community, but she just might not have a choice. She is a special education teacher and the school board has decided that her school children will be going to the English school in the fall.

The Amish Calling series seems like the perfect new series for me and THE HEART’S BIDDING is exactly why. All of the characters from this story are fantastic. Rachelle comes from a big family and her salary helps with the bills. How can she not leave her family forr a different teaching position? She has to help them. She is really struggling with the way her life is headed. She didn’t know that her life would get even better once she starts confiding in Toby Miller. These two people helped each other grow. I did not want to put this book down.

THE HEART’S BIDDING Is a tough read because you can only imagine how Rachelle and Toby are struggling with their decisions they must make. Toby wants a family, someone to come home to. He loves his job as an auctioneer but knows for his Fra being home alone for long stretches of time, is a very hard life. Toby isn’t married for that reason alone. How can he ask someone to go through that? THE HEART’S BIDDING is another in-depth and insightful story by one of my favorite Amish fiction authors.

My emotions were all over the place as they always are reading a Kelly Irvin story and I’m excited to read the next book in this series. I loved how Ms. Irvin 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 book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’ll cut to the chase. 5 stars! I loved this story because we got to see the community’s heart for their special children. How all come together to love and care for them. Author Kelly Irvin did a great job getting this across. She also touched on learning disabilities in adults; how it’s not shameful and can be overcome.

Both Toby and Rachelle are well developed, very likable characters. I’d love to meet them. And both love children and understand them. It was fun to “watch” them grow and change as God was allowed to work in them.

If you like Amish fiction with not only challenges but a lot of hope, then I highly recommend The Heart’s Bidding.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

Toby works with the men in his family as auctioneers. They travel for their jobs and are gone much of the time. Toby feels he is destined to remain single as the one woman he thought he loved, very hatefully told him no woman would want to marry a man who was gone so much of the time. Yes, his mother and grandmother did it, but, her words haunt him.
Rachelle teachers in the Amish schoolhouse. She longs to be a wife and mother, but does love her job. She teaches the children who have academic and social challenges. The Amish call these children, 'special,' and indeed, they are. Jonah and Sadie are such sweet little children and full of joy in spite of their disabilities.
It has been decided the 'special' children will be going to the English school as that school can meet some of their needs better, as well as being a financial help. Rachelle is devastated, as is her little brother Jonah. Whatever is she to do if she cannot teach? How will the 'special' children understand the big change in their lives?
Such a lovely story with great characters and a happy ending.
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Zondervan through Netgalley. I was under no obligation to write a positive reviews.

This is a wonderful book and a great start to a new series. It's a clean sweet romance with wonderful characters and just the right amount of conflict to keep you turning the pages. I enjoyed everything about this heartwarming story and look forward to the next book in this series.
I received a complimentary copy from Zondervan Fiction via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A great romance story by Kelly Irvin. Rachelle is a teacher at a Amish school. Toby is an auctioneer in his families Auction business. Some of the characters in the story have disabilities. You teeter totter back and forth between if Rachelle and Toby will get together or if they won't. It is not your typical Amish story but you sure will fall in love with the story as you follow along. I received a copy from NetGalley and Zondervan. All opinions in this review are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Zondervan for the complimentary copy.
#netgalley, #theheartsbidding, #kellyirvin, #zondervan, #amish, #romance

The Heart’s Bidding was the first in the new series by Kelly Irvin, The Amish Calling series. I love all of Ms. Irvin’s books, but this series has an added touch of the heart. I fell in love with Sadie and Jonah from the moment I was introduced to them. They were each so different and the author portrayed them so well. Rachelle was an amazing teacher and I fell in love with her character. Toby took a little getting used to, but I loved Micah. Each person had hurts they needed to overcome and each coupling (pairing) complimented each other. The story felt very realistic and the people were written so well they could have been my best friends. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher but was under no obligation to write a review. All opinions are mine.

I enjoyed this book very much. It was definitely a romance but, the back story of the special needs children was addressed with compassion and an awareness that there are special circumstances concerning education. The romance involved 2 separate couples with hurts in their past that they needed to overcome. The growth of the characters was a joy to see develop.

Toby is getting a lot of pressure from his mother to find a wife. Toby is an auctioneer in his family auction business and travels 6 months of the year. Toby has a gift of words in his profession, but not with Rachelle, the woman who has caught his attention. Rachelle works with the 'special' children of her community. Rachelle loves the children and working with them. She is at a crossroads when the parents decide to send the children to an 'English' school which offers additional services instead. Toby and Rachelle draw together, but Toby isn't sure Rachelle would welcome courtship from him. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I love that this story deals with different subjects (i.e. auctioneering and 'special' children) than are normally written about in Amish stories. I also love that Toby and Rachelle are warm and loving people who are struggling with big changes in their lives. Toby's little sister Sadie stole my life and her friendship with Rachelle's brother Jonah is precious. There is also a nice secondary romance dealing with love after heartbreak. I look forward to the next book in this series.

The Heart’s Bidding by Kelly Irvin is a sweet Amish story. I thought the story was well-written with developed characters. I enjoyed getting to know Toby Miller, an auctioneer, and Rachelle Lapp, an Amish special needs teacher. We first get to meet Toby and his family. They have an auctioneer business that keeps the men on the road during the warmer months leaving the women and kids home. Toby has been yearning for someone to love. However, Toby cannot see leaving his wife and, eventually, his children home while he travels. The family business works well with three generations of Miller men taking care of the work. But then Toby’s grandfather announces his retirement, and their well-run business gets off kilter. Rachelle loves children and enjoys teaching the special needs children in their district. Rachelle is surprised when the school board announces that in the fall, Rachelle’s pupils will be going to an Englisch school that has more resources available for the children. Rachelle is thrown for a loop. There are no openings for teachers in her community. Toby and Rachelle’s relationship has a rocky beginning. Their love for their siblings, Jonah and Sadie, helps draw the two together. Toby and Rachelle will see that God is in charge of their lives and with Him anything is possible. I like how the Amish regard children (and adults) who have learning and developmental disabilities. They see them as special gifts from God. Toby and his family learn that while traditions have their place, sometimes you need to try new methods. I like how faith is woven throughout the story. The Heart’s Bidding is the first An Amish Calling Novel. I look forward to reading the other books in this touching series. The Heart’s Bidding is a heartwarming tale with precious children, looking for love, retirement predicament, account confusion, an unconventional solution, and a faithful family.

This sweet Amish story focuses on special needs Amish children. Woven into the tale are the reasons why there may be developmentally children in their community. These children are deemed special and are cherished by the Amish. Rachelle a school teacher and Tom, an auctioneer both have special needs siblings. This story is about relationships and seeking God's will. Recommended.