Reckless Heart

by Amy Clipston

Slipping. Lydia Bontrager's youngest sister is frighteningly ill, and as a good Amish daughter, it falls to Lydia to care for her siblings and keep the household running, in addition to working as a teacher's assistant and helping part time at her grandmother's bakery. Succumbing to stress, Lydia gives in to one wild night and returns home drunk. The secret of that mistake leaves Lydia feeling even more restless and confused, especially when Joshua, the only boy she's ever loved, becomes increasingly distant. When a non-Amish boy moves in nearby, Lydia finds someone who understands her, but the community is convinced Lydia is becoming too reckless. With the pressures at home and her sister's worsening condition, a splintering relationship with Joshua, and her own growing questions over what is right, Lydia could lose everything that she's ever held close.

Genres: Amish, Christian Fiction, Amish Fiction, Young Adult, Christian, Romance, Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Hi! I'm a bestselling author of heartwarming romance and happily ever after.

Contemporary Romance (Non-Amish)
The Heart of Splendid Lake (2021)
The View from Coral Cove (2022)
On the Way to Christmas (Anthology) (2022)
Something Old, Something New (2023)
Starstruck (2023)
Finding You (2024)
With This Ring (2025)
Second Chance at Sunshine Inn (7/2025)
The Lighthouse at the Cove (12/2025)

Stand Alone Amish Fiction
Caring for the Amish Family (4/2025)

Guideposts Amish Suspense
A Heart Set Free (9/2025)


An Amish Legacy
1. Foundation of Love (2022)
2. Building a Future (2022)
3. Breaking New Ground (2023)
4. The Hearts of Shelter (2023)

An Amish Marketplace
1. The Bake Shop (2019)
2. The Farm Stand (2020)
3. The Coffee Corner (2020)
4. The Jam and Jelly Nook (2021)

An Amish Homestead
1. A Place at our Table (2017)
2. Room on the Porch Swing (2018)
3. Seat by the Hearth (2018)
4. A Welcome at Our Door (2019)

An Amish Heirloom
1. The Forgotten Recipe (2015)
2. The Courtship Basket (2016)
3. The Cherished Quilt (2017)
4. The Beloved Hope Chest (2017)

Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel
1. A Hopeful Heart (2013)
2. A Mother’s Secret (2014)
3. A Dream of Home (2015)
4. A Simple Prayer (2015)

Kauffman Amish Bakery
1. A Gift of Grace (2009)
2. A Promise of Hope (2010)
3. A Place of Peace (2011)
4. A Life of Joy (2012)
5. A Season of Love (2012)

Amish Anthologies
• An Amish Kitchen (2012) – Spoonful of Love (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Cradle (2015) – A Son for Always (This story complements A Mother’s Secret)
• An Amish Market (2016) – Love Birds (This story complements The Forgotten Recipe)
• An Amish Harvest (2016) – Love & Buggy Rides (This complements The Courtship Basket)
• An Amish Home (2017) – Home Sweet Home (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Summer (2017) – Summer Storms (Stand-alone story)
• Amish Sweethearts (2018) –Complements The Kauffman Amish Bakery Series and also has a sequel to my story in An Amish Summer
• An Amish Heirloom (2018) – Complements A Place at our Table
• An Amish Homecoming (2018) – Complements A Place at our Table
• Seasons of an Amish Garden (2019) – Complements The Christmas Cat, novella included in An Amish Christmas Love
• An Amish Reunion (2019) – Complements Room on the Porch Swing
• An Amish Christmas Bakery (2019) – Cookies and Cheer (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Singing (2021) (Collection of four stories by Amy Clipston)
• An Amish Christmas Wedding (2020) –Evergreen Love (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Barn Raising (2021)
• An Amish Schoolroom (2021)
• An Amish Quilting Bee (2021)

Young Adult
1. Roadside Assistance (2011)
2. Reckless Heart (2012) (Kauffman Amish Bakery young adult book)
3. Destination Unknown (2014)
4. Miles from Nowhere (2015)

Non-Fiction
A Gift of Love (2014)

Seasonal
• A Plain and Simple Christmas (2010) Naomi’s Gift (2011)
• Kauffman Amish Christmas Collection (2012)
• An Amish Christmas Gift (2015) includes Naomi’s Gift
• An Amish Christmas Love (2017) –The Christmas Cat
• An Amish Christmas Bakery (2019)
• An Amish Christmas Wedding (2020)
• On the Way to Christmas (2022)

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“Slipping. Lydia Bontrager's youngest sister is frighteningly ill, and as a good Amish daughter, it falls to Lydia to care for her siblings and keep the household running, in addition to working as a teacher's assistant and helping part time at her grandmother's bakery. Succumbing to stress, Lydia gives in to one wild night and returns home drunk. The secret of that mistake leaves Lydia feeling even more restless and confused, especially when Joshua, the only boy she's ever loved, becomes increasingly distant. When a non-Amish boy moves in nearby, Lydia finds someone who understands her, but the community is convinced Lydia is becoming too reckless. With the pressures at home and her sister's worsening condition, a splintering relationship with Joshua, and her own growing questions over what is right, Lydia could lose everything that she's ever held close.”


Series: As of now, no.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are quoted; Prayers are said; Talks about God, His Will, & trusting Him.


Negative Content- In the first chapter, Lydia is semi-drunk and she has that on her conscience throughout the book.


Sexual Content- One or two quick, not-detailed kisses.


-Lydia Bontrager
P.O.V. of her
265 pages (with a yummy-sounding recipe in the back!)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens-
Three Stars (and a half)

New Teens -
Four Stars

High School age Teens –
Five Stars

My personal Rating-
Four Stars {I couldn’t completely connect with Lydia since she has such a huge responsibility of being the oldest sibling}

Another fabulous book by Mrs. Amy Clipston!




*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Paige · Rating 1 out of 5]

UGH. DNF @ 75%.
What a waste of paper. I was really disgusted with the whole story, Lydia is drunk in the first chapter which I don’t agree with. and Lydia whines. THE WHOLE ENTIRE BOOK IS LYDIA WHINING ABOUT HER SISTER.
If Lydia was a real person the first thing I would tell her is SHUT UP AND DEAL WITH IT. She is so rebellious, annoying and ugh.
Im also so tired of so many stories with Amish people going rebellious and wild and marrying an outsider. It’s totally not realistic for 98.7% of the Amish to go English just so they can drive cars, and marry the Englisher love of their life.
okay, i’m done ranting.
1.5/5 stars

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lydia is in the unenviable position of being an oldest sibling in an Amish household that demands much of its elder daughters. One of her younger sisters is battling a terrible illness and Lydia is depended upon more and more to hold the family together while trying to have as close to a normal teenage life as she can. As the pressure gets to her, the more she rebels until she risks endangering not only her chances with the boy she loves, but her reputation in the community and her relationship with her troubled family.

A couple of seasons ago, stories about the Amish community became a trend on the rise, but it's taken some time for this to trickle down to the YA world. Clipston is no newcomer to this genre so going in, I was expecting a little more than the book ultimately delivered. On one hand, I feel like Clipston should get some credit for trying to portray the challenges of Amish teenagers in a way that shows that even among a community known for its structure, you can still find a lot of almost universal things for most teenagers: fun, rebellion, crushes, boundary-testing, identity struggles, etc. but at the same time, this is all kind of a double-edged sword. Lydia's predicament could take place almost anywhere--and has--it's a story that's been told before (older sibling having to bear the weight of the world because of a chronically ill younger sibling and acting out). Because of this, with the Amish setting the one novel factor begins to feel a little gimmicky, a little less organic and a little more contrived. This isn't helped by the occasionally awkward incorporation of cultural references in the exposition as well as the handling of the language. While I was very pleased to see that Clipston worked in some German, and I do feel like it had to be somewhat complicated trying to balance that--unfortunately the German is employed all too often in a somwhat gratuitous (and distracting) form of a generic "gut" or a "wunderbar" dropped into the middle of a sentence. Full disclosure: this is not a subject area I've done much reading in before now, so I can't say for sure, but I feel that there must be other options out there that offer more of an exploration of the community, if that is where a readers' interests lie. My hope is that there's more to this increasingly popular subject than a curiousity show or window dressing to spiff up old storylines, because that doesn't seem very fair to the Amish, not to mention not very interesting for readers. It seems like this is a community that may have their own interesting stories to tell, and I'm sure people would like to hear about them. Given the somewhat self-contained nature of some of these communities, this may be easier said than done, but I hold out hope.

[Danica is Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a condensed version of my review. The extended version can be found here.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: First off, I'd like to thank Zondervan for giving me a copy of this to review in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book with no expectations. I hadn't read anything else by Clipston and didn't really know what to expect. However, I quickly was entranced by this story. Lydia was a character that I both respected and admired. Her strength and commitment to do what was right was inspiring.

Another character that I loved was Tristan. Tristan was not Amish, but was Christian. He was just a genuinely nice guy (one that I wouldn't mind meeting). I really enjoyed learning about him in this novel.

In addition to the characters, Clipston also weaved issues of faith into her novel in a way that never seemed overbearing or forced. She created a plot that touched my heart and left me reflecting on my own life.

This novel was both poignantly moving and entertaining. It's been awhile since I've read an Amish fiction book that I enjoyed as much as this one. Clipston is definitely an author that I will be keeping tabs on. She has an ability to create a story that is compelling. I know that I will definitely want to read the companion series.

[Celestria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

Reckless Heart is not as good as Amy Clipston's Roadside Assistance trilogy, but better than some of her Christmas novellas I've read.

I found a lot of this book frustrating. Yes, Lydia made some unwise decisions, But everyone was always making a big deal about everything. Like Tristan giving her a ride home during the storm. What, does Lydia's family WANT her to get pneumonia or struck by lightning!? But then everyone apologized about it later and admitted Tristan was a good Christian guy.

But I had problems with him too. I got so mad when he was so unforgiving to Lydia for avoiding him even after she explained why. I mean, come on, she's Amish and she has to follow certain rules if she doesn't want the whole community to look down on her and fire her from her teaching position. And Tristan was telling her she shouldn't care what everyone thinks and just got angry! He should have accepted it, even if he didn't like or understand it.

I also found the dialogue repetitive and annoying at times.

Ruthie wasn't miraculously healed at the end, but it was still a nice ending.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a bit unusual for Amy Clipston since it was an Amish YA and I haven’t seen too many of those. The main character Lydia is facing the burden of becoming the woman of the house after the diagnosis of leukemia in her younger sister causes her mother to focus on the sick girl.

Lydia copes with feeling that she had to grow up too fast, the stress of the illness, questions about her future, among other issues. I did feel that she grew and matured a lot by the end of the story.

I wasn’t a fan of the open-endedness of the ending but overall I enjoyed this one.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. This was the first Amy Clipston book I read and I can definitely say it won't be the last.

I won't spend time telling what the book is about because that is covered in the description. I will tell you the story is so good and written so well I was pulled into it and was able to read this book in hours, not days. (In fact I had to force myself to do housework and have reading this as a reward!).

This book is not your typical Amish fiction story. Amy writes about a serious health issue and how it affected the entire family, focusing on Lydia, the main character. The story was written in a way that I forgot I was reading about fictional characters. These characters became real to me and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen.

This book made me tear up one second and smile the next. This book takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions.

I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys Amish fiction. I will be telling others about it. This definitely goes on the keeper shelf!!!

Thank you Amy for writing such a great book.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reckless Heart by Amy Clipston is a fast-paced, great read! Even though this book is part of Amy's "Young Adult" series, any adult will enjoy reading it!
Sixteen year-old Lydia Bontrager has not made some very wise choices lately. She feels much pressure and stress since her younger sister recently became ill. Her mother is staying in the hospital with her sister, which means Lydia, being the oldest, is basically in charge of making sure the household runs smoothly. Lydia's father has picked up extra work to pay the hospital bills so he does not get home until night and is usually exhausted. Lydia is not sure how much more she can handle. Is she being selfish in this situation? Will her life ever return to "normal" again?
The author does a great job of bringing the characters to life; you will feel like you are right there with them in beautiful Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I highly recommend checking this book out!

[Arjaye-Rose Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a heartbreaking turn of events and how trusting in God can help guide you and bring a family closer together at the same time. In a world of confusion she feels lost, out of her depth and finds her way through it all. Some of her actions weren’t the best at time but all you can do is to ask for Gods foregiveness and apologise to those who you hurt.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lydia, a 16 year old Amish girl, bears the weight of responsibility for her family due to her little sister's illness. She struggles between the desire to be a normal teenager and the need to do as expected by her family and the community. At times, she feels alone and restricted.

Amy Clipston did a great job with portraying the emotions Lydia goes through. It feels very realistic.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, clean YA! A sixteen year old is put into the position of being mother and caretaker while trying to be a “normal” Amish teenager. Quick read with good story about mistakes, lessons learned, and growing up.

[Cindy Sickenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young love

This story had love, fear, loyalty, dishonor and redemption. Simple acts of life with a message of hope if you keep the faith.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good clean read for teens. The writing was little bit hokey at times, but still a decent story for the age it’s written for.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day read. It was heartwarming.

[Jillian (Peapod Historical Bookery) · Rating 2 out of 5]

{ I received an ebook for free from NetGalley. Full review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. }


I have a fascination with Amish culture, so when I learned of Reckless Heart, I knew I had to give it a read. The synopsis sounded strong, so I was expecting an equally strong story, something full of emotion where you could really feel Lydia's struggles as if they were your own. Unfortunately, for me, Reckless Heart just did not deliver.

My real issue with Reckless Heart is that it features a teenage girl dealing with teenage issues, but the writing comes across a little too juvenile for YA readers. The narration is distant and a little simplistic, and the dialogue is stilted and repetitive. Where a line to the effect of "the characters greeted each other" would have been just fine, Clipston fully wrote out each character's stated greeting to each other. If a character came into a scene late and missed what was said a few moments ago, the other characters went through almost their entire conversation again. I ended up skimming dialogue to get past the parts I had already read once.

There was a dictionary of sorts at the beginning of the book with Pennsylvania Dutch words and their meanings. I was excited when I first saw that - I imagined it would really add to the narration, that it would make things seem more realistic and would be a nice little insight into the culture. But unfortunately, it wasn't used very effectively. Some words are used so often you just want to roll your eyes when you see them pop up again. Other words aren't given many context clues in the sentence; you can't figure out what the characters are talking about, so then you have to flip back to the front of the book and find the meaning there before you can go on.

Lydia is indeed dealing with a lot all at once - her little sister Ruthie has cancer, she's taken on a lot of responsibilities for the family while her parents are busy at the hospital with Ruthie, the Amish community frowns upon her friendship with the English boy next door, she has to decide whether to work at her family's bakery or become the school's teacher, and she's afraid her night of drinking is going to be found out. But the story just never connects with Lydia's emotions. We're not really given any heavy thoughts from Lydia, no real insight into her feelings as she struggles through everything. We get a lot of repetitive thoughts - it's not fair, everything's so stressful, there are a lot of decisions to be made - but the whole time I just felt like I was being told how Lydia was feeling. I never really felt connected to Lydia at all.

Clearly there are a lot of issues to resolve, and they do get wrapped up neatly one by one. But the resolution of the drinking issue really irked me. The very first scene in the book is Lydia coming back from drinking with the community's resident bad boy, Mahlon, and his friends. Throughout the rest of the book, the guilt from this moment of weakness hangs over her head. She's afraid she might be found out, which would mean she'd be in major trouble. She's afraid it's going to cost her a chance at the teaching position. She's afraid it's going to turn Joshua, the boy she hopes to marry, against her. All very big, scary possibilities. So you know it's going to be a big moment when it's finally dealt with. But...it wasn't. The resolution of this overhanging issue was a pretty big let down. Lydia decides she has to confess, since she wants to be a teacher and wants to set a good example. So she tells her father. Whenever she showed even the slightest disobedience through the rest of the book, her father lashed out and angrily reminded her of what was expected of a good Amish girl. But now, when Lydia confesses that she has truly acted scandalously, her father takes it in stride. Doesn't even raise his voice. ... I'm sorry, what? It didn't make sense to me. It just didn't seem in character at all.

Reckless Heart is an easy read that would most likely appeal to younger YA readers. The story did cover some interesting aspects of Amish culture, but overall I thought it just wasn't as strong as it could have been.

[Arlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author: Amy Clipston
Published By: Zondervan
Age Recommended: Pre-Teen
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Blog For GMTA

Review:
"A Reckless Heart" by Amy Clipston was wonderful interesting read. There will be illness, misunderstandings, sadness, lots of conflict, faith, family, loyalty and love. The glossary at the front of the book with all of the Amish phrases was real good add giving you the definitions of many of the hard pronounced words.


The novel is set from a modern day Amish community with the oldest of four (Lydia) children has the a lots of responsibilities put on her due to the fact of a illness of a younger sister battling leukemia. Their mother has to leave to take care of the younger child, Ruthie who is in hospital and the father has to who works overtime and still has a finance problems. Lydia who is sixteen year old wants to date and be with her friends but this is not to be and this has made her very unhappy. It seemed that all is falling on Lydia...but was it? There was help from family and Amish friends. I really enjoyed seeing how this community came in with their assistance, however, Lydia felt that it was all on her so she gets into many situations that really she should not have by not listening and obeying the rules ....of her father and even the Amish church which was to obey and respect. Many things come upon Lydia....her drank with Mahlon and his friends where she lied to save her friendship...then meeting the English boy(Tristan) whose family had moved recently into the community..however, was she supposed to be alone with him? Yes, you can see that this was a difficult time for Lydia but sometimes I wondered if she caused some of this because...well, I will stop and just say you must pick
up the excellent read that this author did with "A Reckless Heart" to see how this story will turn out for Lydia .... her reputation, sister, family and future who was only yearning for the 'normal' life Lydia once had. Will she get it back? Will she be able to face these challenges?

This was be a new read for a lot of us ...being Amish, different...and coming to us from a young Amish view. Being a teachers' assistant and also working the other times in her grandmothers bakery.. now having to take care of two younger siblings and the home...and even giving the family her money... Lydia earns to help her family... Wow! that was a lots for Lydia...Will she be able to handle all of this and what about her friendship with Joshua?

The characters were for the most part very realistic and intriguing. I was kept turning the pages to see what was going to happen next.

This was a excellent christian novel that has a glossary in the front of the read and Amish recipes at the end. Oh! I really like the pray chains that were so active in the read. OK, yes I enjoyed the read and learned a lot so..... I would recommend "A Reckless Heart" to any Preteen...YA.... and even Adult ....Enjoy!

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Lydia Bontrager's parents discover that her 4 year old sister has a life threatening illness, the family's world is turned upside down. Lydia is suddenly thrust into the adult responsibilities of caring for her home and her siblings. The problem is that she is still a child herself. At sixteen years old, she is already working as a Teaching Assistant and at her grandmother's bakery. All Lydia wants is for her family life to get back to normal and for Joshua Glick to ask her to be his girlfriend. Feeling all the pressure coming down on her, Lydia unwisely chooses to get drunk with Mahlon and his friends. She begins lying to cover her tracks and the time she spent with Mahlon. Members of her community become concerned when she befriends new neighbors, an English teenager named Tristan, and his family.

Lydia felt that it was unfair that she had so much responsibility on her shoulders. All she wanted to do was go to singings and be with her friends, not run a household. That is exactly how any teenager would feel. Lydia was also confused about what to do with her future. Everyone else seemed to know the path she should take but her. Teenage readers could definitely relate to this as they are searching for their place in the world. Worst of all, she was unsure of her little sister's well being. Anyone who's had an ill sibling will feel for Lydia.

I really enjoy Amy Clipston as an author but this book fell a little short for me. It seemed slow moving. I know that the Amish are Pacifists but I think that Joshua should have told what he knew about Mahlon and the situation. I don't want to give anything away, but some other way should have been used to solve Lydia's problem. Everything was resolved too quickly in the end for my liking. This doesn't mean there isn't anything worthwhile in the book. As I read through the story I was reminded why it's labeled Christian fiction. Lydia and her family trusted God with her sister's life. Tristan was a terrific example of what a true Christian is. Lydia choose the harder path of telling the truth to everyone she had lied to. Lydia's grandmother reminded her several times in the story what the Bible says a Christian is to do. Reckless Heart reflects Christian values that any parent would want their child to read about.

Kauffman Amish Bakery Series:
#1 A Gift Of Grace
#2 A Promise Of Hope
#3 A Place Of Peace
#4 A Life Of Joy (read my review here)
#5 A Season Of Love
Novellas in the series:
A Plain And Simple Christmas
Naomi's Gift (read my review here)
Reckless Heart
A Kauffman Amish Christmas Collection

I received a free copy of this book from Zondervan's Z Street Team and NetGalley for my honest review.

[Sara Nowlin-Edens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Clipston has written several Amish-themed novels. Her books are Christian novels, some even include Amish recipes. As a best-selling author, Clipston writes Young Adult inspirational fiction and Adult inspirational fiction. From what I’ve read so far, you don’t want to miss any of them.

Reckless Heart is a novel about a 16-year-old Amish girl faced with challenges that would give many girls pause. Her youngest sister, Ruth, is sickly, then the family finds out it’s leukemia. Leukemia is a daunting disease for the well-insured, for an Amish family it brings extra challenges on the financial side.

As a responsible Amish youth, Lydia takes the added burden of caring for her younger siblings while her mother and Ruthie are battling leukemia. Lydia also works two part-time jobs, as a teacher’s assistant and in the family bakery. She faces challenges of feeling left out as her friends go to the sing-alongs where the bloom of first love begins in the Amish community. She finds out the boy she likes may be seeing another girl, that her friends are having fun, and then meets a new neighbor family, Englishers.

The community interferes with her English friendship, possibly mainly because that family has a young boy the likes Lydia, although he knows and she knows they’re friends and each like someone in their own communities, those not involved in the friendship see danger of outside influences (without merit, I might add). Lydia gives the money she earns to help her family in its time of need, feels the call of two possible professions (until she becomes a wife anyway) between teaching and the bakery. She has normal teenage angst of wanting to be with friends, while needing to stay home and help. Lydia lashes out, mildly according to worldly standards, but it’s rather large according to a secluded community, about her need to be with friends. Her father responds that she’s disrespectful and punishes her.

All through the book I found myself alternately rooting for Lydia, being angry at dad, and hoping for Ruthie. While some of these issues are the same issues all teens face, some are bigger than some teens face and some are smaller than some teens face, I can see how it can be confusing for a teenager. Her responsibilities increase as she shows she’s capable of dealing with them until she feels overwhelmed.

I won’t go further without disclosing the ending. Lydia shows us that, no matter what your background is, there are problems to deal with, some large, some small, and some are simply misunderstandings. No one is exempt. This is a fun read and I’ll give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:Reckless Heart by Amy Clipston
5 STARS I gave Reckless Heart 5 stars because it made me envolved in the story so much. I cried in it. I wanted to say things back to the characters. I was so Lydia Bontrager side except for one thing. Lydia Bontrager was 16 and wanted to be like other teens in her church. She was hoping that her good friend Josh would ask her to go on dates. She worked as a teacher assistant and in her families bakery. Her little sister was really ill and she was concerned and worried so much. One evening at her youth group her best friend and her cousin Amanda was not thier. neither was her neighbor and crush Josh thier. She was lonely and worried. When Mahlon Ebersol invited her to come join him and some friends into the barn with him. Lydia went and they got her drunk. She knew it was wrong and vowed not to do it. Her little sister Ruthie was diagnosed with cancer and had to go to bigger hospital. Her mom and grandma will also go to be with her. Lydia now had too still work her two jobs and give her father both paychecks to help the family pay bills. He would work extra long if he could. Lydia had two take care of her other two siblings and the house. Lydia agreed to help. She cooked breakfast, made sure her brother & sister were ready for school and come straight home to cook and clean. Her church neighbors helped her with some cleaning and meals. No one really appreciated how much stress she was under. How tired she was from all the extra jobs she was dealing with. She had new nieghbors and met the cute 4 year old and her puppy. When her older brother came to get her she met Tristian. Who was easy to talk to. The next day the three Bontrager childen took box of bakery items to welcome them to the nieghbor hood. Tristian was a new friend he told her about school, his girl friend and family. Lydia told him about her sister illness. Lydia kept getting lectures about her friendship with a english. Mahlon was always flirting with her at church and she was not interested in going to drink with him after the first time. Her friends told her that Josh was interested in another girl at youth meetings. Lydia had a lot of trials. She tried to do all her family wanted her to be. She kept praying. I read last night till I could not keep my eyes opened and finshed first thing this morning. This is my first book of the series I have read but not the last. I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley. Thier are no warnings about reading this book except you might want some kleenex in case you need them. I did! 05/01/2012 PUB Zondervan

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reckless Heart by Amy Clipston
Review by Kara Grant

My Review
Lydia’s story is not the average Amish story, so be prepared. She’s the eldest of four children with a sister battling an illness that will change life as they know it. Her parents, her friends, and her siblings will be tested in ways they never imagined while Lydia has to decide what’s right as well as where she belongs in her community. This story is filled with sadness, loyalty, faith, frustration, love and family.

Another great thing about this story, I truly had no idea what would happen next. The reader will feel everything Lydia is experiencing, which made for some emotional scenes, but also a few misunderstandings and tension along the way. Lydia wants to do what’s right, but she also experiences true teenage angst that is both accurate and heartfelt. Despite the sadness and fear about her sister’s health condition, it was wonderful to see the family and community pull together while Lydia’s family endures the medical hardships.

I believed that Lydia was judged too harshly for befriending an Englisher boy, for not being able to attend some of the youth Bible studies and keeping up with the latest, and for not immediately knowing whether or not she wants to become a full-time teacher. Some people can make committed decisions easily, but with the stress Lydia was going through I understood why she needed extra time in deciding certain things. Even though Lydia desires to have the freedom to enjoy her friends and have fun, her loyalty to God and her family supersedes anything else. I greatly admired her in the book because her thoughts in the narration are honest yet she never rebels.

Even though this story was not a light read for me, I truly believe that only a handful of writers can tug on the reader’s emotions as Amy Clipston can. Thanks to stories like this one, I have a better understanding and more respect for Amish communities/cultures. It’s a joy to read about people who love God and pray for one another as they do. This book includes a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies and discussion questions. Please feel free to visit Amy Clipston at her website, http://www.amyclipston.com/

I want to thank Zondervan for the paperback ARC copy they sent me for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually didn't know that I've read one of the books in this series until I started reading Reckless Heart. Then, it hit me. I realised that the names were familiar not because they were common, but because I've seen them before.

And really, I enjoyed this book more than A Life of Joy.

Reckless Heart follows Lydia, who's suddenly overwhelmed when her younger sister Ruth is diagnosed with Leukemia. She reacts by alternately trying to bear the weight of the household on her shoulders and what she perceives as "lashing out/being disrespectful" towards her dad (her mom is at the hospital with poor Ruth). At the same time, she has to make a career choice and deal with a friendship with an English boy, a friendship frowned upon by the community.

Personally, I think the two subplots weren't as well dealt with as the main plot. While I didn't always agree with Lydia's perception of herself, I could understand her and I was hoping along with her that Ruth would get better. Plus, the characterisation of this household in turmoil was very well done, and brought the characters to life.

On the other hand, I think that the weight of the main plot crowded out the subplot. There wasn't enough space given to each that they could develop and honestly, I thought that the whole "school-or-bakery" crisis was a non-event. It didn't feel like a crisis anyway. But, the friendship with Tristan (the "English" guy) had definite potential. In fact, he was my favourite character in the whole book, a nice Christian guy who goes beyond the discrimination against him. It was a stronger sub-plot, but again, the resolution felt like a non-event. Perhaps more time was needed to build up the tension before the resolution?

All in all, this is an enjoyable book. The speech felt a bit confused at times (sometimes I didn't understand the Amish words, and sometimes I felt like the characters were speaking exactly like modern teens), but it wasn't a very big impediment. I'd recommend it if you're looking for a fiction book centered around the Amish.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Synopsis:
16 year old Amish Lydia has a younger sister who is very ill, while coping with this, she has to run her household, look after her other 2 younger siblings and work 2 jobs while her mum takes young Ruthie for treatments. She befriends a young “Englisher” boy, which is frowned upon by her community.

Why I picked this book up:
I like reading about how people react when they have ill members of family, I also thought it would be interesting to learn about the Amish as I knew nothing about them. I also expected the friendship with the “Englisher” to turn into a forbidden romance.

Did it live up to my expectations:
Not really, the friendship was just that, and made clear of that fact throughout the book. I didn’t really learn much about the Amish as the author seemed to expect me to know so much, and we were constantly told how Lydia was coping without really being shown, nor did we see much of Ruthie and how it was for her.

What I thought:
This book was very slow going, it seemed as though nothing much as happening, as I said above, we were told over and over how Lydia wasn’t coping, but not really shown anything, towards the end of the book she did start acting out, but it seemed a bit too late, especially after we see her really act out at the beginning, there was just nothing in between.
We were also given a glossary at the front of the book explaining some of the Amish/German words, the problem with this was the choice of words used, instead of just picking common words that would be easy to guess, e.g. Mamm/Mum, Dat/Dad and ya/yes, we were given odd words and whole sentences that I couldn’t understand why they were chosen, and just added to confusion and interruption as I constantly had to go back to the glossary.
We were also given a family a tree at the beginning of the book, this didn’t show up properly on my version on the kindle, although I didn’t need it, it would have been a nice inclusion.
Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I was Amish, or even Christian?

How did it stand as part of the series:
It is part of the Kauffman Amish Bakery series, I have not read any of the others, and it was not needed to understand this book, it works fine as a stand-alone.

Read if:
You like slow going books.

[Kelly Tyree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reckless Heart by Amy Clipston was a gripping novel. It captures your attention on page one and keeps you glued in until the last page.

Lydia Bontrager, age 16, is the oldest sibling in her home. Her baby sister, Ruth, has been sick and is diagnosed with leukemia. Lydia is put in the position of maintaining the home, taking care of her siblings, working at the bakery, and the school house. Lydia's mother is staying at the hospital with Ruth while she undergoes chemotherapy. Lydia's father is working extra jobs to help pay for the medical expenses. The family is about as stressed as it can be. Lydia struggles to maintain who she is and feels as if she is missing out on "typical" youth activities.

Lydia becomes friends with her English neighbors and those friendships are looked down upon by her community especially her friendship with Tristan, their teenage son. Lydia has to make the decision to obey the rules of her community despite her strong desire to remain friends with Tristan. I loved the part where Tristan's true character is seen by Lydia's friends and family.

Lydia also feels she is losing the interest of her longtime friend and love interest, Joshua. She is also haunted by a mistake she made one night at a youth gathering with a friend named Mahlon. As the book goes on, Lydia's character develops. You are drawn into her struggles and are so proud of the growth she experiences when she takes the advice of her grandmother and just gives her concerns to God. It was such a blessing to see her get clarity from Him when she saught Him fully. I loved the ending despite how emotionally charged it was. The book had a ended perfectly.

Reckless Heart was well written and keeps you engaged. The best part of this book is the thread of faith that runs through it. I loved the wisdom Lydia's grandmother gave her. The scripture verses were perfectly placed in the story. The book also sheds light on how difficult it is to have a child faced with a chronic illness. That illness affects each member of the family. The Bontragers are a family unit and despite the stress they faced, God was still in control.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a new stand alone novel from Amy Clipson, but it ended up being based on a series of Amy's that I love, the Kauffman Bakery. This book focuses on Lydia who is the assistant teacher for the Amish school and also works in the family bakery. She also has a sister who is very sick. Lydia's parents ask her to become an adult overnight as she is expected to work both her jobs and take care of her two siblings and the household chores. She is also expected to give all of her paychecks for the family to use for expenses. She is in love with a boy who lives close to her, but he will have nothing to do with her. Lydia has to grow-up fast but will she is able to figure out what she will do with her life and will her sister get better and things go back to normal? Find out the answers to all of those questions in this book.

There were several things I really enjoyed about this book. First it really kept my interest. I devoured this book in a day and a half! Second I loved the bakery scenes and the scripture quotes from Elizabeth the owner of the bakery. These were things that I missed from the latter books in the series.

There were also a few things I did not like. I just felt like there was too much left hanging at the end of the book. I wanted more and there was not enough time to fit it into the book. I guess that just means I really liked the book. I also did not like how Lydia was treated over a friendly boy neighbor. I just think her family and friends were really hard on her. Her parents, especially her father, were also really hard on her. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that he was also under a lot of stress, but some of it is just how the Amish expect the father to be the head of the household and not to be questioned.

Overall I loved this book. A book that can keep my interest and I can read quickly gets high points with me!

This book was provided to me through Netgalley. I was not required to give a positive review only an honest one.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: RECKLESS HEART
Author: Amy Clipston
Publisher: Zondervan
April 2012
ISBN: 978-0310719847
Genre: Amish

Slipping.

Lydia Bontrager's youngest sister is frighteningly ill, and as a good Amish daughter, it falls to Lydia to care for her siblings and keep the household running, in addition to working as a teacher's assistant and helping part time at her grandmother's bakery. Succumbing to stress, Lydia gives in to one wild night and returns home drunk.

The secret of that mistake leaves Lydia feeling even more restless and confused, especially when Joshua, the only boy she's ever loved, becomes increasingly distant. When a non-Amish boy moves in nearby, Lydia finds someone who understands her, but the community is convinced Lydia is becoming too reckless. With the pressures at home and her sister's worsening condition, a splintering relationship with Joshua, and her own growing questions over what is right, Lydia could lose everything that she's ever held close.

I have read a few of Ms. Clipston’s books, but not all of them. She writes kind of a family drama, some of the stories were women’s fiction, some romance. You don’t need to read the books in order as you won’t be lost if you don’t, but a family tree is included in the book so you can see the family lines. The books in the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series are:

#1 A Gift Of Grace
#2 A Promise Of Hope
#3 A Place Of Peace
#4 A Life Of Joy
#5 A Season Of Love

Novellas in the series:

A Plain And Simple Christmas
Naomi's Gift
A Kauffman Amish Christmas Collection

I enjoyed reading RECKLESS HEART and getting to know Lydia. I felt for her as she struggled with her sister’s illness and her guilt over getting drunk when her friends and want-to-be boyfriend didn’t go to a singing. I’d recommend this book for teens and anyone who loves Amish fiction. A recipe and discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $9.99. 272 pages.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reckless Heart was a very relaxing read. I haven't read any of Clipston's other (separate) Kauffman Amish Bakery novels. So the family tree at the beginning was very helpful. :-) This novel circles around a topsy-turvy year (or very close to) of Lydia Bontrager's life.

Lydia is an ordinary sixteen Amish young woman. She is works as a teacher's assistant at the school most weekdays and she spends the rest of her weekdays at the family Bakery. But at home, things are less than normal.

Her youngest sister Ruth is very, very, sick and is diagnosed with pediatric leukemia. So when her sister is taken to the hospital and their mother leaves too Lydia is left to run the household, parent her other two younger siblings, and balance two jobs. Then, as if things couldn't get harder on Lydia, her close friendship with Joshua begins to crumble..

Although Lydia strives to do the right thing after her mistake, her guilt hovers over her like a cloud. After all, keeping a secret from your parents and best friends isn't an easy burden. Nor was it the right choice. I was reminded frequently of how important it is to just come clean and not let lies fester and eat away at you.

Personally, through this part of the novel things really dragged. But this is also coming from the mystery/suspense lover that I am. Hehe. Clipston's characters appeared very realistic. They weren't perfect, they had their own set of problems, and they certainly came to life! Another brief complaint of mine is that the ending felt extremely rushed.

To conclude, this was a very refreshing read and I wouldn't mind reading a little more about Lydia.

I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review, which I have done.

[DJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa! Amy Clipston has serious talent!

I began reading Reckless Heart and immediately had a bit of a rough time identifying with it… until I remembered that this isn’t one of her Amish novels written for women; it’s written for young adults… for youth… for teens!

And then it clicked and everything made sense.

Teenagers don’t think the way grown women do… especially women my age! And Amy somehow picks up on this and this novel totally relates to a young person – how they think, how they act… and react.

I have to admit, I was blind-sided… I didn’t expect a young Amish maedel to act so reckless (duh – maybe the book title should have given me a clue) but it is written tastefully and is a real eye-opener.

The story touches on how the young people can be seduced by some of the English ways, without even knowing it. It also shows how conflicted the young person can feel and how “normal” the household is – even to the family members being tired, angry, argumentative, jealous, frustrated and afraid. Yet they have something many others don’t have – they have a God whom they can trust, even in the bad times.

Amy Clipston does a tremendous job of showing how Lydia, Tristan, Mahlon and Joshua deal with their teenage anxieties and feelings.

If you haven’t read this amazing YA novel, pick up a copy and read it. It fits perfectly between the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series books 4 (A Life of Joy) and 5 (A Season of Love) but it focuses on some of the teenagers.

Tomorrow come back for my review of the (sob) final book from the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series… A Season of Love.

If you’ve been reading this series, don’t miss this YA… no, it’s not written the same; just think about your teenage years… and you’ll love it, too.

[Jennifer Lavoie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reckless Heart is the story of Lydia, an Amish girl who is facing a very difficult time in her life. She is sixteen years old, interested in a boy whom she wants to date, but her youngest sibling is diagnosed with a terrible disorder. Her family starts to fall apart when her mother leaves to take care of her sister in the hospital. She befriends an English boy who moves into the neighborhood and their innocent relationship is under scrutiny.

I both enjoyed this book and it frustrated me, but the frustrations I felt could be from my own background. As a non-amish girl, or English girl as they would say, I was angered with how the men and boys seemed to chastise the girls so often. I wanted Lydia to stand up for herself because, while yes the Ordnung does say to obey and respect, I felt she did nothing wrong in wanting to know why she couldn't do something. When her mother agrees with her, I was relieved.

Lydia is a great character. She is strong, faces a very difficult time, and yet tries to keep her composure for her family. She does, however, have flaws, which adds to how real she felt for me. The end of the book is not perfect and not the happiest ending (Ruthie is still sick), but it is HOPEFUL and that, I felt, was the best ending for the book. Had it been anything other than that, it would have felt forced and unrealistic.

Though I teach in a public school, I will be happy to include this book in my classroom library because it offers students a view of a world they are likely unfamiliar with, and I want all of my students to experience diversity and acceptance for the world around them.

[Jill Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lydia is struggling. Her four-year-old sister is diagnosed with leukemia and Lydia doesn’t know what to do. In a moment of weakness at a youth meeting, Lydia goes with Mahlon and his friends and drinks beer, something her parents would never forgive if they found out. When Lydia’s mother has to take her sister to the hospital, Lydia must help out more at home.

When an English family moves to town, Lydia befriends their teenage son, Tristan. But the community doesn’t like Lydia being friends with Tristan. It’s not proper. But Lydia has no one else to talk to. She’s doing her best to take care of the kids and to cook and clean and work, but she wants to be a regular teenage girl too. And she’s worried that she’s missing out, especially when she hears that Joshua, the boy she likes, might be talking with another girl at the youth meetings. How will Lydia ever get married if she can go to youth meetings? How will she know if she supposed to be a teacher or working her grandmother’s bakery? And if she can’t talk to Tristan, who can she talk to?

I enjoyed this book a lot. It showed a realistic portrayal of a teenage Amish girl. I was fascinated to see how much pressure they put on their kids and that Amish teens do experience some of the same temptations as regular teens. The segregation frustrated me, but I understand it. I realize that Lydia’s parents were under a great deal of stress, but I was annoyed at how they were treating her. This was a gripping story that sucked me in until the very end. Loved it!