With All Her Heart is a great Amish romance! I truly enjoyed getting into this world once again. This series highlights genetic diseases that occur in Amish communities due to a smaller genetic pool when having children. Bonnie is a gift store worker who has a physical disability that has left her wary of people helping her. Elijah crafts wooden toys to sell in her shop. He suffers from social anxiety and finds it difficult to talk to Bonnie despite his attraction to her. Their growing friendship and romance was really sweet. I also liked that at the same time Bonnie’s mother is trying to open herself up to love again. I would recommend this series if you like Amish reads! I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in trade for my honest opinion. My thoughts are my own.
YouTube Handle: KeenCat

Kelly Irvin’s third book in the Amish Calling series is a heartwarming tale of love and acceptance. The series begins with an insightful Author’s Note that delves into the concept of the “founder effect,” a phenomenon experienced by some Plain families due to a limited gene pool. Despite this, these families firmly believe that every child, regardless of disability, is cherished and considered special.

The story follows Bonnie Yoder, a co-owner of a successful gift shop with two other disabled Amish women. While Bonnie has managed her disability well and achieved success in her business, she has never imagined marriage or children in her future.

Elijah Miller, on the other hand, comes from a family of auctioneers but struggles with shyness, making it unlikely that he will follow in his father’s footsteps. Instead, he finds solace and passion in creating wooden toys from carvings. He has been working in a workshop behind his family’s home and dreams of turning his hobby into a business and eventually having his own family.

Elijah and Bonnie strike a deal for him to sell his wooden carvings at her gift shop. As they spend time together, they realize that there’s a deeper connection between them despite the challenges they face. Elijah’s shyness just might hold him back. And Bonnie struggles with the idea of being a good Plain wife and mother due to her disability. In fact, she finds it impossible to imagine.

While it is clear that there is a strong connection between Elijah and Bonnie, the couple struggle to find a way that will bring them both happiness. This book is a story of love and acceptance that celebrates the happiness of even less-than-perfect protagonists. The author’s sensitivity in portraying these characters’ struggles and their eventual happy endings is truly commendable.

While the main focus of the story is on Elijah and Bonnie’s love story, there’s also a delightful secondary love story that adds to the overall charm of the narrative. Additionally, I must mention the profound love and care shown by the Plain community towards disabled individuals and children in their midst. It’s a testament to the values and beliefs that reinforces their society’s ways.

Many thanks to Zondervan Fiction and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

A completely different genre from my usual usual choices of psychological thriller or police procedural , but I have read a couple of novels that involved Amish protagonists and find myself interested in their lifestyle .
This book was a refreshing change, people who live their lives with God at the forefront of everything they do, even when life is complicated and decisions are not clear cut or easy to make, there is no violence , no swearing , no high octane cliffhangers yet this book keep me listening , desperate to find out what happened to all the character's.
The relationship between Bonnie and her mother was equally as engaging as the romantic relationship between Bonnie and Elijah . All of the characters are interesting and well drawn and the descriptions of some of the foods were very tempting , so much so that I looked up a couple of recipes .

I really enjoyed listening to this book, the narrator did an excellent job and I will look out for more books in this series .