Not your typical Amish story. This is a hard read that applies to so many families! Bring a tissue (or a whole box) when you read this one.

Declan Miller lives in a family that has an auctioneer business. He is happiest when he has that mike in his hand and is rambling off a spiel selling goods. He has dreams that he hasn't shared with his father. Dreams of breaking away from his dad and brothers and starting his own auctioneer business. Then, all of a sudden, he is ill. He's losing his voice. It must be a cold, right? But, tests reveal cancer. Surgery follows and treatments. Physical therapy. There's no promise he will regain his voice to the point of being able to auctioneer again. He knows he is to have faith and not question God, but is this God's will for him?
Then, there's the matter of Bethel King who he has cared for since they were kids, but he's never revealed that to her. Surely, she wouldn't be interested in a man who may not live to be a ripe old age. A man who may lose his voice.
Bethel has her own concerns about her future. A genetic disease that runs in the Amish as they tend to marry within their own community has struck two of her younger siblings. They are now in wheelchairs and will always be dependent on others for their care. Bethel loves them dearly and is happy to care for them, but does she carry these genes? Will she pass this on to children she may bear? How could she ask any man to bear this burden with her, yet she longs for a husband and kinner. Her younger sister, Claire, is now showing signs of the disease. So heartbreaking. Bethel has had feelings for Declan for a long time, as well. Will they be able to overcome their fears and place them in God's hands?
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Zondervan through Netgalley. I was not obligated to leave a positive review.

Rest in Me....

In the Amish community, Faith, family and community are one. With the communities very small and families very big, there are marriages that have the same gene pool in common. This leads to families have medical conditions that there children and families have to endure. Matters of the Heart deals with that with honesty and compassion.

Delcan Miller and Bethel King have grown up together in their Amish community. Bethel's life is more serious because of the health problems her siblings face. She helps her family with care, support, and money that she makes. She has accepted her lot in life however, she does have a longing to have a family of her own. However, a fear of future health conditions keep those dreams just a dream. Delcan on the other hand does have a sister with Down syndrome but other than that the family has a successful auctioneer business. Delcan is a natural with his talent and bringing the bidders together. He likes to have fun and takes life a little less serious than Bethel. Maybe it is Bethel's devotion to her family that attracts Delcan to Bethel. Her patience with her siblings, and the support and love to her parents. Bethel sees Delcan has the class clown and never being serious. Than one day... it all changed. The process of that change and how their relationship changed was soul searching for both of them. It also deepened their faith and purpose. That is what faith does.. it gives purpose to what God gives us in family, community and church.

A special Thank you to Zondervan and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

This the second book in the Amish Calling Series. The story addresses Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, a known prevalent genetic disorder among the Amish in Northern Indiana. Bethel King's family has it's challenges but none aren't surrmountable. Having siblings with MD and another who is showing signs of the affliction, she worries about her own future of having the gene. Declan Miller, an autioneer in his families business has a plan for his future, marrying Bethel if she'll have him and starting his own business.. He and Bethel have known each other since school and was always pretty sweet on her. He develops a setback with his plans when he is diagnosed with his own illness. Declan and Bethel both address issues that many face in our own lives. This book makes it real, a journey both won't forget.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Matters of the Heart by Kelly Irvin, book two 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. It is a story filled with emotion as a young woman struggles with whether or not she should court a young man knowing she most likely is a carrier of a gene that could cause a birth defect. This series is unique in that its main theme is genetic disabilities as a result of the Amish closely intermarrying.

Declan Miller is an auctioneer and the community jokester. Bethel King is a caregiver for her siblings who suffer from a rare form of muscular dystrophy. She would love nothing more than to fall in love and become a wife and mother, but she can’t see ever leaving her parents to handle her siblings on their own. With a good chance that she carries the gene and could pass it on to her children, Bethel has tried to convince herself marriage and family just aren't in the cards for her. When Declan receives a devastating diagnosis, his world is turned upside down, and he looks to Bethel for understanding, compassion, and a realistic outlook. As they share their dreams and fears, and grow together in faith, a bond begins to develop between them.

Ms. Irvin wrote a wonderful, heartfelt, sweet, and moving story that focused on how the Amish value children with different abilities. . It was a book about patience, letting go of fear, trusting in God and learning how to rest in his peace. I loved Declan and his cheesy personality. He went through a lot and always seemed to try his best to hold on to his joy. Bethel had the best heart, and I loved the conversations she had between herself and G-d about her struggles and the fairness of it all.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Zondervan

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This book was truly emotional and I
could not put it down. “Matters of the Heart” is Kelly Irvin’s newest book. Bethel and Declan love each other, but they have huge obstacles in their way. Bethel has two and now three siblings with muscular dystrophy and Declan receives a cancer diagnosis. They work together to overcome their challenges and leave on God to guide them. This book also talks about The Founder Affect, which is seen in many Amish families. It’s when the gene pool isn’t mixed so many recessive genes are present in younger generations. Kelly Irvin wrote about this topic in an extremely sensitive way. It did make me go down my own rabbit hole of research.
Many thanks to the author, Zondervan Fiction and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

BOOK: MATTERS OF THE HEART
AUTHOR: KELLY IRVIN
PUB DATE: JULY 2024
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I think this is the first Amish romance I've ever read, and this was not a disappointment. I feel like the author did judgment in describing the Amish world, and it was nice to read and learn new things. The same thing with the medical condition, Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD), it was concise and easily understandable, and I appreciated that
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I liked and understood our MCs, Bethel and Declan. Especially Bethel, I admire her strength. I liked how the MCs faith and trust God was revisited. It was realistic. I liked the support of their family members and the community of Lee Gulch. It was wholesome.
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I liked Bethel and Declan's relationship. It was perfectly paced, closed door, but there was chemistry too. Both of them had different personalities and different problems. Their romance was nice, although it's not something I wanted for myself. I don't think I would have made the same decision as Bethel made with that kind of dominant gene in my family.
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All in all, it was a beautiful read with amazing characters and a good storyline about love, family, acceptance, and religion. You should read it!

What a great story! Kelly Irvin captures every emotion in this one, from despair to hope and joy.

This one follows on the heels of The Heart's Bidding where auctioneer Toby Miller falls for Rachelle Lapp. Most of the characters are the same but this book follows the journey of 2nd brother Declan Miller who is also an auctioneer. Declan is known for being a jokester so when he seriously starts to pursue Bethel King, she thinks he's kidding. Both come from HUGE families, which are typical among the Amish. Bethel's family, however, is anything BUT typical as more than half of the children have something called Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, a super rare form of MD. Bethel feels that marriage for her is out of the question, as she will one day be called upon to care for her brothers and sisters who are afflicted with the disease. She's the oldest and one of two who are not afflicted. Her friendship with Declan Miller takes a bit of a turn, though, when Declan is hit with a diagnosis that threatens his livelihood as an auctioneer. Will his health challenge just add to Bethel's burden, or can they work together to make both of their burdens lighter?

Ms. Irvin does a great job telling about the unique challenges of something called The Founder Effect among the Amish. I'd heard of it often, and knew it was the reason behind so many "special children" in Amish homes. Focusing on a family with 7 children, 3 of whom present with the same disability, 2 of whom don't have it, and 2 of whom are too young to show signs yet, helped me see the gamut of emotions these families face.

I listened to the audio version of this book, but really wish I'd read the book instead. As someone whose father and grandparents spoke Penn Dutch as their first language, I was unbelievably distracted by the number of mispronunciations the narrator had in this book!!! Every time she pronounced buwe as "boo-we" instead of "boo-va" I cringed, and mentally fixed it. I wish they'd hire narrators who have a passing knowledge of the language, or are willing to ASK SOMEONE who speaks it how to pronounce each word they find.. Other than the language thing, the narrator did a great job, but wow did she ever butcher the "Deutsch!" For me, the narration knocked it down from 5 to 4 stars, but I'd give the book all 5!

Matters of the Heart is so beautifully written, a tender story that is compassionately and sensitively written. Bethel and Declan's love is so sweet and their journey to rest in Him amongst their trials (cancer and family members with disabilities) and worries is authentic. I hope Kelly Irvin continues this series because each book she has written centered around this community has been just a joy to read. This will be one of my favorite reads of the year!
Thanks to #NetGalley and Zondervan for the ARC.

Matters of the Heart by Kelly Irvin is a touching Amish tale. This story focuses on the genetic disabilities among the Amish as a result of them intermarrying. We get to see the emotional, physical, and spiritual challenges that families face when family members have medical conditions (it can be overwhelming). The old adage “when it rains, it pours” came to mind when I was reading Matters of the Heart. Life is challenging when you have a relative (or in this case multiple relatives) with physical challenges (I know from experience). I enjoyed getting to know Declain and Bethel as well as their families. I was rooting for Declan and Bethel. Bethel’s siblings are so sweet and happy. They do not let their challenges bring them down (a lesson I could learn). Matters of the Heart is the second An Amish Calling Novel. It can be read as a standalone. Matters of the Heart was thoughtfully done with realistic characters and situations. This compelling story has ups and downs (have tissues nearby) along with a sweet ending.

Matters of the Heart is a very touching romance. I loved the story and the characters. Kelly Irvin always delivers a good read. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley deformity my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

Matters of the Heart, the second book in the Amish Calling Novels by Kelly Irvin will not disappoint. I loved catching back up with my friends from Lee’s Gulch, Virginia and I love how the author gives me a cast of characters in the beginning of the book so I can reference it while I’m reading to keep everyone straight. I love how we’re back with Miller family, a professional auctioneer family who I already have grown to love. I love that we get to catch up with Sadie and Jonah while being introduced to other families as well. The topics in this book were hard to read sometimes as they were tragic, but they were written in the most beautiful way. I not only learned about various diseases that I didn’t know about but also grew my compassion because I realized the daily struggles people deal with – not just the people living with the diseases but those who love them and care for them. This was a great book and a series I would highly recommend.

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

Auctioneer Declan Miller loves his job and loves entertaining friends and family with his jokes. He has had a crush on Bethel for years. Bethel works hard taking care of her siblings who have limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD). Bethel is uncertain about courtship, especially with a jokester, because she is concern that she might be a carrier for the LGMD gene. Delan's lingering sore throat is keeping him from auctioneering and might change his whole future. Both Declan and Bethel question God about their struggles, but cope through prayer and faith. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I love when stories, especially romances, show the real-life struggles that some individuals and families have. I admire how dedicated Bethel is in taking care of her siblings and supporting her family. I love seeing how 'special' children are thought of and cared for as 'Gifts from God' in the Amish community. Declan's Down syndrome sister Sadie adds a lot to his family and to this story.

One of the main focuses of this book is on the "special" children of the Amish community. Bethel has a couple siblings with a type of muscular dystrophy. She helps her parents take care of her siblings to the detriment of her own life and future. When Declan comes into her life and challenges her thoughts on her future, they have much to consider.

Declan has his own issues that make him wonder if he should pursue a woman. I enjoyed Declan's humor. I felt he was a good foil to Bethel's seriousness and I liked seeing her come to appreciate his humor and outlook on life. This book also has a strong message on trusting God and his will in times of suffering knowing He will help you. I appreciated that.

Thank you to Zondervan for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is books is very well written as I have coke to expect from this author.
I absolutely adored Declan and Bethel, they have obstacles to overcome and they overcome them with
Faith and dignity.
A must read for fans of Amish and Christian fiction readers.

Matters of the Heart by Kelly Irvin
(Amish Calling)

Book 2 of 2: Amish Calling
He's the community's jokester auctioneer. She's the serious caregiver for her siblings who also works at the local plant nursery. What future could they have together?
Declan Miller has always had feelings for Bethel King. Back when they were in school, she was the smartest girl in the class and, in his opinion, by far the prettiest. Now the two of them are in their twenties and while the attraction is still there, Declan is as hesitant as ever to let Bethel know how he feels. His corny jokes and wisecracks cover a heart that's afraid of rejection.
Bethel can't deny Declan is nice, funny, hardworking, and pleasing to the eye--a perfect match if you asked any Plain girl in the area. But marrying Bethel would also mean marrying into her family. Two of her younger brothers have a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and her sister Claire is now showing signs of having it as well. Fiercely loyal and nurturing, Bethel has promised herself her siblings will always come first. With a good chance that she carries the gene and could pass it on to her children, Bethel has tried to convince herself marriage and family just aren't in the cards for her.
When a devastating diagnosis of his own turns Declan's world upside down, he looks to Bethel for understanding, compassion, and a realistic outlook. As they share their dreams and fears and grow together in faith, a bond begins to develop between them. Perhaps their combination of optimistic extrovert and thoughtful introvert really isn't such a bad thing--perhaps it's actually a part of God's beautiful design.
This is Declan Miller and Bethel King's Story.
Robbie from his chair.” Bethel went to her mother. She took the stack of bowls from her. “She dropped her bowl of oatmeal this morning.”

“Gott provides.” Her expression was stoic, but Mom’s voice quivered. “I’d hoped Claire was getting too old to be affected, but Gott’s will be done.”

Even with her fourteenth birthday coming up next week, Claire wasn’t too old. This form of LGMD was as unpredictable as it was vicious. Bethel could cite all the symptoms. They all could. They’d watched them consume Judah and Robbie. They still watched and waited to see if Enos, Liam, and Melinda would be spared. ...

When a devastating diagnosis of his own turns Declan's world upside down, he looks to Bethel for understanding, compassion, and a realistic outlook. As they share their dreams and fears and grow together in faith, a bond begins to develop between them. Perhaps their combination of optimistic extrovert and thoughtful introvert really isn't such a bad thing--perhaps it's actually a part of God's beautiful design.
This is Declan Miller and Bethel King's Story.
He switched to Pennsylvania Dutch. “Let’s give the Hershbergers a great send-off to Pinecraft. You know what a buggy like this should go for.”And then back to English. “This excellent piece of workmanship has headlights, taillights, warning lights, and running lights. In addition to the bench seat in front, it has two smaller flat seats in the back and plenty of storage. Nice green carpet in the interior, a dashboard made of inlaid pine with a roomy glove compartment, and two cupholders. I’d be tempted to bid on it myself, if I had a wife and kids. Maybe this buggy would be just the thing to get a woman to finally say yes to me.”
“You have to ask her out first, hanswascht!”

I recommend this book.
Matters of the Heart by Kelly Irvin is a 4 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Kelly Irvin .
I received a complimentary copy of the book and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.
Book 2 of 2
Amish Calling

I enjoyed reading this series with the Miller family of Amish auctioneers. It's been interesting to learn about this type of career for the Amish. The Millers are a sweet family with a great sense of humor too.
I want to thank the author, Zondervan and NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy of this very special book. This is my reaction to, and opinion of, the book.
Declan Miller loves to host an auction. It is his dream job as he follows in his grandfather and father's footsteps with his brothers. He thoroughly enjoys joking around. Now something may threaten his dream and maybe his very life. It's no joke.
Bethel King is a very serious young woman. Her family deals with the challenges of an incurable illness, a rare form of muscular dystrophy. She helps as a caregiver to her siblings who have been disabled from the disease. She also works at a local nursery to help her parents with finances.
These characters and secondary characters feel like real people. They have strengths and weaknesses. As they get life altering diagnoses and slowly start to consider what it all means, they react in different ways. Some struggle with their faith and the Amish way of being told to believe that everything is God's will.
This story touches my heart in many ways. Kelly Irvin writes with knowledge of how a person and family feels when dealing with the challenges and heartache of a serious medical condition. This means so much to me as I have had a lot of these questions and feelings living with two diseases that can only be managed but not cured. One of my dearest friends had the diagnosis of a rare form of muscular dystrophy while in nursing school when we were teens. A book like this is wonderful. I can understand the questions that a lot of us ask when our lives are changed drastically. I believe that it takes a person on this journey to understand and convey the feelings to others.
In a place where we give a book a 1 to 5 rating, I want to give this book a 10. This is a lovely romance which is surrounded by a story that is reflective of real life. If you are challenged with medical problems, have a friend dealing with chronic disease this is a story I would recommend. You are not alone in the thoughts, questions and maybe even anger. We are all human. If you want a little insight into what others live with, this story represents.
Thank you, Kelly.

Beautiful

There is so much I want to say about this story that I don't even know where to begin. I guess I should start with the fact that author Kelly Irvin has clearly done plenty of research and accompanied it with her insight. There is so much depth to her characters, making them so true to life. Her writing makes your heart completely go out to the characters and feel what they're feeling and dealing with.

Although Bethel and Declan have known each other since they were children, they've been more like acquaintances than anything else. I loved how their relationship began changing. I thought I knew where it was going. But, oh boy, was I mistaken when a complete curve ball came out of nowhere and things took off in another direction.

This amazing story is absolutely beautiful! There are difficult moments where faith waivers and worry rears its ugly head. But there are also moments where faith shines through even stronger than before. It is a mixture of joy, sadness, faith, hope, and love. This combination results in a beautiful and impactful story that will deeply touch your heart, especially when you are reminded to "rest in Gott."

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

Matters of the Heart was so sweet and I absolutely love these families that Kelly Irvin has created. Bethel and Declan went through so much and struggled with their feelings as they dealt with family health issues. The ending was wonderful though and I ended a little teary-eyed.

I'm looking forward to book 3 that is about Declan's shy brother Elijah. Kelly Irvin is always a must-read for me!

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

Publication date: 16 July 2024

"Rest in me" its words that God tells us we should do... and yet it is SO hard when life seems to feel so unfair.

He's the jokester and auctioneer. She's the serious florist. But together they offer eachother strength. Bethel has a life that is filled with caring for her siblings, a disease that will likely be passed down to any children she has. Declan is training to be a traveling auctioneer until a health scare threatens his whole livelihood. He wants a family, wants a future ... but who would want to marry a man that isn't healthy and now his career is up in the air? She wants to settle down, fall in love, marry and have a family of her own. But her life is spent helping with her siblings and working to help pay for their medical bills. Plus, who wants to marry a woman who is destined to pass down this disease?

Neither feel themselves worthy for courting the other, but it doesn't change how they feel for each other. But what future do they have if he's always fighting an illness, and she's destine to pass down this disease to her children?

Is a future together possible and worth the risks?!

This was a sweet, sweet story. The chemistry, love and respect between Declan and Bethel is so perfect. And you understand their dilemma and yet, you are rooting for them the whole time. This is very much a story of blooming where you are planted. And how perfectly fitting for the two people working at the nursery! In this season of life, in this moment.. you don't stop living because fear. You hand your future over to God and you live fully in the present, your faith/trust in God bringing HIM glory.

Wonderful story! So glad I was blessed to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley & Zondervan for this early copy for review, it is all my own opinion.