'A Daughter's Dream' {A Terrific Amish Fiction Read!}

'A Daughter's Dream' is the 2nd book in Gray's "The Charmed Amish Life" series, and I have to be honest....I really enjoyed the first book, but I like this second book a lot more! My liking it more took me by surprise, as I had anticipated who the main characters would be for book 2, and was disappointed when I was wrong. My disappointment did not last long! While the recently married Darla & Lukas (book one followed their journey) are still very solid characters in "A Daughter's Dream", it's Lukas's sister Rebecca (a rather minor character in book one) who takes center stage in this most recent novel. Jacob Yoder joins Rebecca front and center in creating the major storyline, and Jacob's niece Lilly takes her spot within a very solid 2nd storyline that overlaps nicely with Lukas & Rebecca.

Loss, Love, and Life pursuits drive all of us, and Gray expounds on that beautifully within 'A Daughter's Dream'. Many characters have experienced the loss of one or both parents. Some have experienced the loss of a sibling, either through death or leaving the area. One character, school teacher Rachel, is preparing for loss as she will have to step away from her teaching job as she is expecting a baby. Love--either already established or growing throughout the novel, allows a chance for bravery in following dreams, learning new things, or discovering contentment in what one already has...and love mixed within those life pursuits brings a depth to the characters in unique and personal ways.

I really don't want to say much about the storylines...you can gain insight from Gray's own highlights of the book within the description she provides. But as far as recommending....Christian Amish Fiction was not previously a genre I read, but after reading "The Charmed Amish Life" series, I am absolutely hooked on Shelley Shepard Gray's writings. A very good balance of Amish living and the similarities found within my own life.

**I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.**

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Daughter’s Dream (Avon Inspire, May 2016)

A young teacher and farmer discover they have much in common, especially when it comes to healing old wounds from the past . . . and finding love in one another.

Rebecca Kinsinger has always dreamed of being a teacher. But when she’s given the opportunity she’s been waiting for at Charm Amish School, she’s dismayed to discover that teaching is hard work—work she’s afraid she’s not very good at.

That is, until Lilly Yoder joins the class. A thirteen-year old who’s just lost her parents, Lilly is in need of someone like Rebecca. For the first time since starting her new job, Rebecca feels a sense of purpose. But when she meets Lilly’s uncle, Jacob, his good looks and sweet, easy-going temperament are hard to ignore. How can she even entertain romantic thoughts of Jacob when his niece is her student?

Suddenly becoming Lily’s sole caregiver, Jacob Yoder never thought he’d be a single parent—or a farmer. Having been living in Florida as a carpenter, Jacob feels more at home wielding a hammer than a backhoe. The only bright spot in his life is Rebecca Kinsinger. As Lily and Rebecca develop a bond, Jacob’s fondness for the pretty teacher grows, too.

But when a fateful accident brings them together, Rebecca and Jacob must choose between duty and desire. Will they follow the path before them? Or set out to find true happiness . . . and true love?

Learn more and purchase a copy.HELLEY SHEPARD GRAY

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.