Book Review: An Amish Noel by Patricia Davids

What’s the story- From Goodreads:

An Amish Homecoming

Luke Bowman’s homecoming is turning Emma Swartzentruber’s carefully ordered world upside down. Gone is her rebellious girlhood crush, and in his place is a handsome man who seems committed to serving the community. Luke’s even agreed to work for Emma’s ill father, whose last wish is to see his daughter wedded to a stable, loving man. But Luke – a man who flirted with the outside world with disastrous consequences – is hardly marriage material for a good Amish woman. Yet this Christmas, when her family is flung into crisis, Emma finds that he may just be the one to capture her heart for good. 

Favorite Words:

“Your guilt. You wield it like a club to beat away the goodness of others and to keep happiness from your door.”

I personally love redemption stories. I love when a hero has made his mistakes and he is struggling to find the inner good, the man he can be. Luke was one of my favorite characters from An Amish Harvest, so I was ecstatic when his story would be next in the Amish Bachelor series. Luke is an ex-convict and drug user, who didn’t know if he would stay with his family in the Amish community or go to be English. However, when he sees that his childhood sweetheart Emma still hasn’t married, the gears start turning.

There is a lot of angst in this book. It’s not overbearing though and it fits perfectly with the struggles of the characters. Emma isn’t whiny and should have her trust issues and worries. Luke has his own doubts about himself and I think it takes a strong man to admit that he’s feeling weak. We all have our moments, and this helps faith and love enter at the perfect moment.

I truly never thought that I would enjoy Amish romances but now I see the draw. I understand why so many women need a good wholesome romance in their lives. Life can get crazy and it’s nice just to take a moment to read a romance that’s set in a simpler way of life with characters that have their flaws and struggles. It’s a nice reminder that we are all the same. We all need family and love to help us through the tough times.

An Amish Harvest is still my favorite but this one is a great second book in the series.

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