Amish Mennonite Romance

Twenty-seven-year-old Amish woman Joanna Kurtz has been a bridesmaid plenty of times, but never a bride. And despite having a secret romance with responsible young Amishman Eben Troyer, their relationship can only go so far, because the two are always kept apart. Will Joanna ever know the joys of marriage?

Lancaster County has always been her home - but where does her heart belong? One moment Carrie Weaver was looking forward to running away with Lancaster Barnstormers pitcher Solomon Riehl - plans that included leaving the Amish community where they grew up. But the next moment she was staring into a future as broken as her heart....

Capable and optimistic Molly Zook has a slight issue with control: She doesn't like giving it up. So she's chafing against her mother's wish that, to save the family farm, she marry Mervin Mosier--especially after she meets Leon Fisher. He's from Montana but is working in Molly's district, training horses at a nearby ranch. He is tall and muscular, with a confident demeanor. Molly has never met anyone like him, and he seems to feel the same about her.

When Mandy Helmuth hears that her best friend Kristina's heart has been broken, she decides to visit her grandparents and cheer her up. Mandy never liked Noah Mischler anyway, with his rough exterior and outspoken ways. Unfortunately, she can't avoid him - especially after he saves her life.

Shy, skittish Rose Christner is more comfortable tending to the beehives on the family farm and keeping her aunt's unruly cats in line than attending social gatherings with the rest of the die youngie. A childhood trauma and secret shame keep her heart under lock and key, and Rose just cannot accept the sweet attention she's receiving from a handsome neighbor. But the more she shies away from Josiah Yoder, the more their families sneakily plot to bring them together.

When Widow Emma Hochstetter discovers a run-away teenager in her barn, and the bishop asks her to provide a haven for a local woman and her two children she finds her quiet life has been interrupted. Then, her mother-in-law, Mary Ann, reveals one of her garden's hidden secrets, something very unexpected. Will she continue alone or will she accept the gifts God has given her?

The Byler family is on a hunt for the father's will while relations continue to deteriorate among the siblings and between Joel and his fiancée. Joel is desperate for closure of his father's estate - but how far is he willing to go in order to restore the chaotic turn his life has taken? Will his quest ignore the needs of those closest to him?

Now that Wilma has finished Cherish’s quilt, she and Ada decide to make her a surprise visit. While they are gone, the timing is perfect for Krystal and Hope to test Matthew’s love. If he loves Krystal, as he says, he won’t succumb to the new woman’s charms.

The mistakes of the past haunt Lucy Flaud, who years ago stopped attending the activities for courting-age young people in her hometown of Bird-in-Hand. Now 25 and solidly past the age of Amish courtship, Lucy has given up any hope of marriage, instead focusing her efforts on volunteering in both the Plain and fancy communities of Lancaster County. Yet no matter how hard Lucy strives, she feels uncertain that she'll ever find redemption.

What would cause the Amish to move to Colorado, leaving family and friends behind? Some Amish are making the trek for cheaper land. Others are fleeing strict bishops with long memories. For Emily Detweiler and her family, the move is more personal. Tragedy struck Emily in Ohio, shaking loose everything she believed was firm, including her faith. Her family took the bold step of leaving Ohio to resettle in a small Amish community in Canaan, Colorado, where they hope the distance will help erase painful memories.

Married for eight years, with no children to help fill her days, Heidi Troyer cooks up the idea of teaching classes in the art of Amish cuisine in her home in Holmes County, Ohio. But it is a recipe for drama when five very different men and women answer the advertisement.

Phineas King knows better than to expect anything but shock and pity wherever he shows his face. Horribly scarred from the tragic accident that claimed his mother's life, he chooses to keep his distance from everyone, focusing his time and energy on the bees his family raises. So why does he start finding excuses to seek out Deborah Lantz, the beautiful new arrival in town?

Ever since his father died, Levi Kinsinger has felt adrift. Newly returned to Charm, Ohio, Levi is trying to fit in to his old life, only to discover he seems to have outgrown it. But when Julia, his young widowed neighbor, asks for his help with a Christmas project, Levi finds a sense of purpose for the first time in months. She and her daughter are new to Charm and could use a friend, a job Levi takes personally. Soon enough, friendship grows into attraction, but Levi can't help having doubts.

With two weddings to plan, it's a busy time for the Amish girls in the Baker family. Will their mother be successful in her desire to combine the weddings into a double? When the new stepfather moves into the house, will he be harsh and strict like their new stepsister warned them? Cherish is up to her usual mischief and drags one of her sisters with her. Meanwhile, Florence is creating both the foundations of her new life and her new apple orchard. When Florence gets to know her birth mother's family better, will she miss the Baker family all the more?

Looking after everyone else is how Florence Baker lived her life. She was determined to set a standard for her younger step-sisters to follow. When Ezekiel Troyer came to dinner, Florence knew he would make her the perfect husband, but that didn’t stop her thinking about the mysterious neighbor next door. However, daydreams were one thing, and reality was another. Will Florence finally put an end to her foolish fantasies when Ezekiel hints at commitment? Determined to learn the neighbor’s secrets, Florence confronts him. Is she prepared for what happens next?

Essie Lapp's birthday is doubly blessed. There's a delicious meal to savor with her family, and the sweet gift of time spent with her beau, Harlan. Over two years they've forged a bond as strong and hopeful as a tree reaching for the sky. To practical-minded Essie, there's comfort in knowing exactly what her future will bring. Yet Gott has his plan, and it soon turns her family's world upside down....

After a year of secrets and scandal, will this Amish community finally find peace under the bright promise of Christmas? Beth Byler has a secret. Ever since she met Englischer Chris Ellis while helping out at the Yellow Bird Inn, she can't stop thinking about him. She knows a relationship could never go anywhere Chris was working undercover in Crittenden County as a DEA agent. That meant he faced danger daily and carried a gun, making him completely unsuitable for an Amish woman like herself.

A solitary sort, 42-year-old Atle Petersheim spends his time hard at work in his wood shop. But as the days get longer, he realizes just how lonely he’s become. When his longtime crush, Sadie Mast, a widow and mother of three, asks him to help her build a room in their barn for her son, Atle can’t say no. Eager to pursue Sadie at last, he turns to bookmobile librarian Sarah Anne Miller for courting advice. More than happy to help, Sarah Anne decides the best way to learn about love is through books - romance novels, to be precise.

Sarah Shelter has lived in West Kootenai for the last 10 years and wonders if she will ever fall in love. Since the tragic death of her best friend, she carries her memories in a jar along with the small items connected to them. For just as long, she’s also been carrying around her emotions instead of allowing them to penetrate deep into her heart. Now she’s met a kind and gentle man who may be able to break down the wall. But can Sarah risk her heart to finally achieve her dreams?

Lenore Lapp is an Amish schoolteacher in her late 20s still living at home with her parents and grandparents. She thought love had passed her by until she meets Jesse Smucker, a widower with a baby daughter. She quickly falls in love with them both and accepts Jesse’s proposal of marriage, but Jesse breaks off their engagement when he realizes he can’t marry only for convenience. Resigned to living single, Lenore throws herself into caring for her elders. While working in her grandmother’s garden, she digs up an old jar.