Kelly Irvin does it again! This is the third in the Amish Calling series and once again takes on one of the toughest of topics, disabilities. As a mother to several children with various special needs, this book was a powerful story of challenge and triumph. The romance woven between every day life with SMA and extreme shyness was sweet and raw. This was a sweet and lovely read that had me looking forward to each evenings reading time and left me so encouraged at the end.

With All Her Heart is book 3 in Kelly Irvin's Amish Calling series and it was so good that I had tears in my eyes when I finished it! Because of Bonnie's disability she feels like a relationship with Elijah wouldn't be in his best interest. He also struggles with extreme shyness and is scared to do the calling at his family's auction business. They both grow so much, and it was a joy to read their story! I also really enjoyed Bonnie's mom romance with a widower and how that all played out. Slowpoke is also a great dog and one everyone would love to have. This is truly one of my all-time favorites by Kelly Irvin!

I read/listened to the audio book. The narrator, Laura Berst, did a wonderful job!

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

Publication date: 28 January 2025

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.

Thank you, Net Galley, for the advanced audio of Kelly Irvin's WITH ALL HER HEART. I was looking forward to this novel because I read Amish fiction and have not read this author before. I did not realize that this is part of a series, but I'm listening to it right now and believe it's not too dependent on the previous novels. This novel centers around an auction company owned by the family of the male main character, Elijah and disabilities prevalent in some many Amish families, particularly the female main character, Bonnie. This novel also focuses on the relationship between Elijah and Bonnie and the difficulties both face if they pursue a relationship. The author explanations of both the business and the disabilities are clear and easy to understand. I knew a little about disabilities being prevalent in Amish families, but that being the main focus of the novel really taught me a lot. As I am now a senior citizen and have experience with the physical difficulties that come with age, this really put that in perspective since others have these troubles at an early age and they cope well. The narration was also very well done.

First off, as someone who lives with a disability, it was exciting to see that representation in this book. Just simple things like distinguishing between a walker and a rollator nearly made me giddy! And a romance featuring a heroine with mobility issues is such a gift, not only for people like me, but to help others understand that physical limitations don’t have to limit life choices.

That’s something Bonnie wrestles with. She has an almost false sense of pride, not wishing to be a burden to others which was so relatable. I cringed in places because I could see myself being as stubbornly independent in just as exasperating a way as she is. So, lessons learned here.

Definitely don’t skip the author’s note at the beginning of the book. It is heartfelt and to the point and should be read before diving into the story.

And what an incredible story it is! With a surprise second romance! There’s a real sense of Amish community – both comforting and frustrating (for this reader, anyway) and two strong women finding their way after life has knocked them around a bit.

An emotional and rewarding read…well, listen in my case. I thoroughly enjoyed narrator Lauren Berst’s performance. She doesn’t just narrate, she brings the characters alive with her emotional interpretation. An immensely satisfying listening experience.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Everything you love about Amish Reads!

Kelly Irvin does an amazing job of holding her reader's interests as she weaves together Bonnie's story. Amish families have a higher rate of genetic issues and Bonnie is one of the "special" children, as they are called in the plain world. Bonnie has SMA (Spinal Muscle Atrophy) and started a business with her best friends who also have special needs. Her shop sells Amish goods made by those who have disabilities and has done well. She uses a walker with wheels (Rollator) to get around and with her SMA - she feels no one would want a wife who has her challenges and to be a mom who can't fully care for her child. She is set in her ways and is lonely.

Elijah, has always thought Bonnie beautiful and kind when they were in school. He has his own challenges, his family owns an auction business and he is so terribly shy and has a hard time finding words. After a horrible auction fail, he is more determined to make a go of creating wooden treasures and he goes to Bonnie's shop.

Bonnie & Elijah's story is beautiful and healing. Not realizing this was book #3 in this series, I didn't feel like I was missing any information, it only made me want to read more!;

Disabilities of all kinds step into the limelight in "With All Her Heart" by Kelly Irvin, book 3 in her Amish Calling series. From hereditary disabilities to those caused by accidents, the main characters find ways to be productive members of their Amish society.

Bonnie Yoder has something called SMA (spinal muscular atrophy), a rare disease that is gradually stealing her muscles. She uses a rollator to walk, and is determined to walk as long as she can, thank you very much. She often needs help but is offended if anyone just steps in without asking if she needs help. She feels she has been a burden on her mother all her life, but is unwilling to entertain any thoughts of marriage because she doesn't want to go into such an unequal union. She owns and operates a craft shop with two of her friends - all of whom are disabled in one way or another. The crafts she sells are mostly made by disabled members of her Amish community, because everyone needs to feel valued for what they can contribute.

Eli Miller is an oddity in his family of auctioneers. His worst nightmare is standing in front of a group of people with all eyes on him as he calls an auction, but that is exactly what his father asks him to do. Every other man in his family has stepped up to the mic without fear and done his duty to the family. Eli has taken the classes and passed with flying colors but when he actually tries he freezes and can't get a word past his closed throat. His dream is to make children's toys and furniture in his shop, selling them in Bonnie's store. He feels misunderstood as the lone introvert in his family of extroverts. It also doesn't hurt that he's been half in love with Bonnie Yoder ever since their school days.

As Bonnie and Eli work together to sell his toys, and the pressure from his father mounts to join them on the auction circuit, can Eli prove to himself that 1. he IS capable of calling an auction without freezing, and 2. he can convince his father that auctioneering isn't what he wants for his life? When Bonnie's condition deteriorates and she pulls back from him, can Eli convince her to give their love a chance?

As the daughter of a man who was disabled at 28 due to a 52' fall from the top of a silo he was building, I know all about stubborn Mennonites who don't want help if they don't NEED help. Bonnie's constant "I can do that myself" rang pretty true in my mind, although I thought she took it too far to her own detriment. I have to say, I was amazed by Eli and his willingness to take Bonnie's limitations and look right past them to the beautiful heart she tried so hard to protect. Most people would be like the young man at the Bent and Dent who was interested as long as she was pushing a shopping cart but the minute she grabbed her rollator, he completely lost interest in Bonnie.

In many ways, this was a harder book for me to read than the others in the series, and maybe it is because, in my mind's eye, I could see the reactions people sometimes had to my dad and his cane. Readers interested in learning about the Amish, and the Founder Effect, and the many rare diseases found among the Amish population, will find a wealth of knowledge here. I also enjoyed revisiting the characters from the first two books in the series, and I absolutely loved Eli. He is a gem! Kelly Irvin has written a book that came straight from her heart for the disabled. Don't miss it!

I listened to this one on the NetGalley Shelf app, and was impressed with the narrator and her Pennsylvania Dutch pronunciations. (My dad was fluent, so I heard it often and recognize when it's being butchered.)

This my first Amish book. I have always wondered the ways of the Amish. I love that this was a fictional book that taught you about serious health issues they might encounter. I love that both main characters battled their own type of issues. This was a book about growing as a person, allowing people in, going for your dreams and standing up for yourself.

I ordered this whole series for the library. I believe they will be a big hit.

I was given an advanced ebook copy by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Having a son with a disability made reading this book come to life. This author has fully researched the disabilities, and has written a beautiful tale of overcoming those disabilities and how they don't define a person. How a person that has more issues than another one deserves love and to live their life like everyone else. This author has always been a favorite of mine and writes beautiful stories, and this one didn't disappoint either! I love how she incorporated different disabilities into the story line. I fell in love with each soul in this book and I love the way this author kept Christ in the center!!