A Hopeful Heart

About The Book:  In A Hopeful Heart, the first novel of the new Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series from best-selling author Amy Clipston, Hannah finds herself at a crossroads in her life. Her community offers her love and support after the untimely death of her husband, but an Englisher offers her the chance of a new life after her unexpected tragedy. Wealthy businessman Trey Peterson is surprised by his attraction to the gentle Amish woman who works as a housekeeper in the Lancaster Grand Hotel. They share a common bond of loss and are able to offer each other comfort and support as they journey through their grief.  Joshua Glick wants nothing more than to offer his friendship and love to Hannah and her family. Not only is he her late husband’s brother and business partner, he has always been in love with Hannah.  A Hopeful Heart is filled with surprising twists as Hannah tries to balance her life in the Amish community and her growing love for an outsider.

About The Author:  Amy Clipston is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. She works full-time for the City of Charlotte. Her home includes husband, Joe; two sons, Zac and Matt; mother, Lola; and four spoiled rotten cats, Molly, Rico, Jet, and Lilly.  She is an advocate for organ and blood donation. She donated a kidney on June 14, 2011, at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Through her donation, her husband received a second kidney transplant. Her husband and Clipston herself matched another couple and they swapped kidneys with them. She gave a kidney to her husband's donor's wife. Feel free to check out her website: http://amyclipston.com.

My Thoughts About The Book:  I love Amish fiction and was thrilled to have the opportunity to review this book for Thomas Nelson's Book Sneeze Blogging Program.  Because it was an Amish story I devoured the book and read this book all the way through in one day.  Once I started it I could not put it down.  The resolution was a bit hard to swallow.  Trey and Hannah fell in love too quickly, after just one brief conversation.   I haven't read an Amish fiction book where things were resolved in that way, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen.  Clifton does not  portray the Amish as perfect people like most  Amish fiction does.  This particular Order of Amish seemed to be terribly judgmental and gossipy.  Although many of them were kind and gentle, they were human and things around her were not perfect.   Personally I don't believe this would happen where two people – one Amish and one Englisher would act on feelings of this magnitude so fast. I knew from the moment they met that Hannah would end up leaving her Order and marrying Trey.  I also knew that her decision would eventually affect her whole family. I was very frustrated with Hannah, Trey, Barbie, and Josh because of their actions yet the characters and the storyline and characters came across as real. This could really happen today.  I believe the story was one that portrayed the struggles that Amish widows face.  It was a good story about the Amish way of life and the struggles Amish women may face. I would love to read a follow up of the main characters. I really liked Hannah; her character was really likeable. I really thought Trey, and two of Hannah's children were likeable too. I can understand the struggles the other child was probably going through though. I felt all the characters were well-rounded and very thought out. This book was a gem.  Even though I was not entirely sold on the book I would still like to read the entire set of stories from the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel Series.

Disclaimer:  I received this book to review from Thomas Nelson Publishing Group's Book Sneeze Blogging Program  and Zondervan for an honest review.