After a near death experience, Nadia Markovic moves to the peaceful Amish town of Byrum, Missouri, hoping for a new start. She opens a quilt shop where she sells handmade quilts made by the townsfolk and holds quilting classes. After taking part in a charity auction that raised money for townspeople who were devastated by a tornado earlier in the year, Nadia holds on to the money that was raised overnight, and the money ends up getting stolen. She is looked upon as the prime suspect and many people she thought were her friends have turned against her. She is even targeted with violence. She does have the support of the Amish community who stand up for her, but that may not be enough for her to stay in business. Nadia is also developing romantic feelings for police chief Ben Slater, but it’s complicated since he initially treated her as a suspect as well.

This was a very entertaining read with lots going on, and some very likable people and some not-so-likable people. I really liked Nadia and felt for her. She thought she found the just right place to live and set up her shop, and made new friends, only to have so many turn against her and be quick to judge her. I also liked Hannah, who was a lovely Amish woman and a true friend to Nadia, and I admired how she still worked for Nadia when Nadia could no longer afford to pay her. I liked Ben’s sister Lucy a lot. Lucy was a rape victim. She came to visit her brother in Byrum, looking for a safe place. It was nice seeing her becoming fast friends with Nadia and how she took a liking to quilting. It was nice to see Nadia finally cleared of the theft after being treated badly and unfairly by so many people who thought her guilty. This story always managed to keep my interest and it was a wonderful read. ( )

Fantastic book. I was hooked on it from the very first chapter. Nadia has come to Byrum to escape the memories of what happened to her and get a new start on her life. She has her quilting store, which allows her to indulge her passion, has made some good friends in both the Englischer and Amish communities, and has organized a fundraiser to help her neighbors recover from a devastating tornado. When someone breaks into her apartment and steals the proceeds, Nadia is heartbroken. It's even worse when it appears that the police chief believes that she is the most likely suspect.

Ben is also a relatively new arrival to the small town. He left his big-city cop job when he realized that his loss of objectivity when dealing with particular criminals impacted his ability to do his job. Though his new job isn't as intense, he still harbors a deep cynicism about what his fellow humans are capable of. When he gets the call about the missing money, Nadia is at the top of his suspect list.

The initial meeting between Nadia and Ben is very antagonistic. Nadia still harbors some resentment toward law enforcement thanks to an event in her past and takes it out on Ben. On his side, Ben's experience causes him to be a bit less sympathetic toward Nadia than he could be. Underneath it all is a simmering attraction. Ben fights the attraction, knowing that he has to remain objective to do the investigation properly, but his heart tells him that she is innocent. It takes Nadia longer, as she has to deal with the effects the investigation has on her life and business. I liked how Nadia slowly begins to trust Ben and believe that he is working to prove her innocence. Ben has a couple of instances of foot-in-mouth disease, but his growing feelings for Nadia are obvious. I liked the effect that Ben's support had on Nadia as she came to terms with her past and opened herself up to what she could have with him.

The mystery of the missing money was very well done. Nadia's desire to help the people of her new home was clear from the beginning, and I ached for her when the money was stolen. Not only was she heartbroken that the much-needed money was gone, but she was also hurt by the attitudes of so many of the people she thought were friends. The lack of clues made finding the culprit even more difficult. Ben was also suspicious that there were two unsolved crimes that took place in the same building. Things became even more intense when Nadia was shot. I loved seeing the support she received from the Amish community and how it contrasted with the attitudes of the other townspeople. The scene outside her shop was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The resolution of the missing money was a complete surprise to me, as I never suspected the person who did it. The final confrontation with the shooter was intense, and the identity of that one was exactly who I thought it was.

I also loved the various secondary characters. Nadia's Amish friends were wonderful. It was sweet to see the older woman and her fierce defense of Nadia and her innocence. I really enjoyed seeing them include her in their quilting frolic. I especially loved Nadia's friend and employee Hannah, and how she insisted on remaining even if Nadia couldn't pay her. I'd love to see her get her own story. I also adored Ben's sister Lucy. I ached for what she had been through and loved that she was ready to start taking back control of her life. Ben's protectiveness of her was understandable, even if he took it a little far sometimes. I loved his shock when she stood up to him over spending time at Nadia's shop. I liked how quickly she and Nadia became friends. I would really like to see her get a story of her own, and wonder if it would involve Jacob or someone else. ( )