Reread: I stand by my original thoughts.

First Read:
Genre: Christian fiction, Amish fiction
Age: adult (but appropriate for younger)
Series/Standalone: series but can be read as a standalone
Content: Death of parent, kissing

Middle school me would have absolutely adored this book. Yes, they didn’t make the brightest decisions at time but they are also 16 years old. Some parts were slightly preachy.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ( )

I really enjoyed this clean, Amish romance. I checked this out of the local library and I voluntarily chose to review this story. I've given it a 5* rating. Be ready for a hanky, because this has a lot of feels along with some growing up for the couple. A very interesting ending. ( )

Hopefully Ever After by Beth Wiseman is the third An Amish Bookstore Novel. It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the series in order. It allows you to get the full experience. I thought Hopefully Ever After was well-written with realistic, developed characters. I enjoyed getting to know Eden Hale. She is a special young lady who will touch your heart. The author created wonderful characters for this story. I like that we get to catch up with the characters from The Bookseller’s Promise and The Story of Love. I was glad that we got to spend more time in the bookstore. Eden is fascinated by the idea that coins may be hidden inside the bookshop. Eden meets Samuel Byler who wants to experience the Englisch world and is struggling with his faith. Samuel’s parents are strict. They do not want their children to leave the Amish faith. However, their tight hold may drive Samuel away. I like that we get to see that the Amish struggle with their beliefs as do their Englisch counterparts. We also see that Amish parents are just like Englisch parents. They want to keep their children safe and nearby. We get to see that people make assumptions about a person based on their past and rumors. In order to truly know an individual, you need to spend time with them. A person can change and overcome their past if they remember to keep God at the center of our lives. Hopefully Ever After is a story with hope, faith, forgiveness, redemption, family, and young love. I loved the ending. I am glad we got to spend more time with Yvonne and Abraham (such a sweet couple). Hopefully Ever After is an expressive story with a visiting teen, a restrictive rumspringa, a wayfaring aunt, strict parents, finding forgiveness, and God’s grace. ( )

This is the third book in the Amish Bookstore series by veteran writer Beth Wiseman, set in Montgomery, Indiana. Eden arrives in Montgomery to live with her cousin for a month. Although she has had a rough life, Eden demonstrates a strong faith in God. She meets Samuel, an Amish teen who has been raised in a strict home setting and is questioning his life in the Amish community and his faith. There is a definite attraction between the two young adults, but difficulties loom on the horizon due to their very different lifestyles.

This is a book about faith in God and overcoming difficulties and hardships. It is a clean and sweet novel without descriptions of adult intimacy or violence, and without swear words. While it is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone novel. Characters from previous books make appearances in this one, so those readers familiar with the series will enjoy reconnecting with familiar characters.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )

This is book three in An Amish Bookstore series and I was so glad to be back. I love the backdrop story of the bookshop and the mystery of hidden coins there. It is a joy to revisit Abraham, Yvonne, and other characters from the previous books. I’m not a big fan of coming of age stories but I actually found Eden’s and Samuel’s story intriguing and was their biggest cheerleader as I was pulled into their stories. Eden has lived a lifetime of hardships that break my heart and I was so proud of the strength she showed both in her faith and her personal goals. Yvonne was the perfect person to show her love and what a healthy relationship looked like with her example of a marriage where prayer and communication were at the center. This is an Amish book that thinks outside the box and it pulled me in as did the previous books. Ms Wiseman has a knack for capturing your heart and attention with her stories and this one does exactly that. I give this a thumbs up for adding to your TBR pile as soon as possible.
I was blessed to receive a complimentary copy from the author/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required. ( )

This was an emotional and complex story about two teens from very different backgrounds who meet and discover they have much in common. Sixteen-year-old Eden has come to stay with her Amish cousin, Yvonne, for a month while her guardian, Emma, is away. Eden has had a turbulent life so far. Her mother is a drug addict and is serving a term in prison, she never knew her father, and there isn't much of a connection between herself and Emma. In trying to find her place in the world, Eden made a few mistakes before vowing she would not follow in her mother's footsteps. She hopes this time in Indiana will give her the fresh start she craves. On her first day with Yvonne, she's introduced to Samuel, Yvonne's husband's nephew, who offers to teach her to ride.

Samuel is the sixteen-year-old son of very strict Amish parents. Though he is of the age for his rumspringa or running around, Anna and Leroy keep him under tight control. Samuel is curious about life outside the Amish community and feels trapped without the ability to experience any of it. Complicating matters, those same feelings cause him to question his faith and whether to stay in the community.

There is an immediate connection between Eden and Samuel. They find it easy to talk to each other as Samuel asks questions about her life as an Englischer, and Eden rhapsodizes about how beautiful and peaceful Montgomery is. But Samuel's parents aren't happy with the amount of time he's spending with Eden, worried that she will influence him in the wrong way. They come down quite hard on him, and Samuel reacts by using deception to do as he wants. Eden is initially unaware of his actions and is angry with him when she finds out.

Eden loves her time in Montgomery and getting to know Samuel. It is a relief to know that he likes her for who she is and doesn't judge her for her past mistakes. But Samuel's lies have put her and her cousin in an awkward position. She doesn't understand Samuel's fascination with the outside world when he has such a wonderful family and home life.

I could feel the tension build as Eden and Samuel grew closer. I could see the trouble looming on the horizon and knew it wouldn't be pretty when Anna and Leroy discovered the truth. I hurt for everyone when the confrontation came. Leroy and Anna are angry and hurt at Samuel's deceptions and double down on their need to control his actions. Yvonne and Abraham are caught in the middle and want the best for both teens. Eden is hurt by how his parents blame her when she's done her best to show him that the outside world isn't as great as he thinks. And Samuel wants a chance to experience the same things others do. I liked that Abraham was the voice of reason in the storm and devised a solution to prevent Samuel from running away while giving him the freedom he craved. It was an eye-opening experience for Samuel, and I loved seeing him learn from it. I also liked that his parents also learned a few things.

Eden has some hard lessons to learn, also. Her mother is in prison, and Eden has difficulty forgiving her for what she has been through. When she gets word that her mother is ill, she hardens her heart against her. Samuel sees Eden's conflict and does his best to encourage Eden to speak to her mother before it is too late. In a heartwrenching scene, Eden finally lets go of her hatred and finds the peace she needs.

By the time this is all over, it is time for Eden to return to Texas and her guardian. When Eden receives unexpected news, it opens a realm of possibilities for her future. Will this change her relationship with Samuel? I loved watching Eden figure out what she wanted from her life and go after it. The ending was fantastic, as Eden and Samuel found what they sought.

Running through all three books in the series was the mystery of the trove of gold coins supposedly hidden inside the Amish bookstore that Yvonne runs for her friends Jake and Eva. One coin has turned up, but no one has had any luck finding others. After further research, Jake makes a decision about the shop that has unexpected results. There is a saying about counting one's chickens, but everything works out.

#netgalley ( )

What a tug on your emotions this read is! This is the story of a sixteen year old Eden, a young girl who has mostly brought herself up, and seen things she never should had as her Mom abused drugs.

Can you imagine the peace that came over this teenage as she is about to spend a month in Indiana Amish Country, away from the city, she loves the calmness she feels. Then enter a spark of romance, only Samuel is thinking of jumping the fence, or leaving his community and seeing the world.

Wow! These are teenagers, so much on their shoulders, and we wonder how this is all going to turn out! The author gives us family, so important for one who has been lacking it most of her life, young sweet romance, a mystery, and the need for forgiveness,

I loved how the this story all wove together, and I always enjoy an epilogue!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )