Homecoming ReunionJohn Amman left his Amish community and sweetheart Lydia Goodloe to make his fortune in the outside world, while Lydia stayed behind to devote herself to teaching. She can accept spinsterhood, and even face the closure of her beloved school. But John's return after eight years tests her faith anew. Lydia hasn't forgotten a single thing about John Amman-including the way he broke her heart.John risked becoming an outcast to give Lydia everything she deserved. He couldn't see that what she really wanted was a simple life-with him. Lydia is no longer the girl he knew. Now she's the woman who can help him reclaim their long-ago dream of home and family…if he can only win her trust once more.
Anna Schmidt's historical novel, THE WINTERKEEPER, received a Five Star rating from Reader's Favorites. Reviews for the story have been strong including one from the Historical Novel Society that raved: "The storytelling and scene building are masterful and create an immediacy that keeps the reader turning pages. This is a writer who feels words as well as thinking them." Anna is a three-time finalist for the coveted RITA award presented annually by Romance Writers of America. In addition she has been a four-time finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine—an award she has won twice. Her latest novel RENEGADE is the second in her new series: Cowboys and Harvey Girls and is available now. Publisher's Weekly hails the series as: "Easygoing western romance readers will cheer for this good-hearted heroine to achieve all her dreams." Anna splits her time between Wisconsin and Florida, noting that, “I am blessed to have a career that travels well!”
This was a very good book of lost and found love. The Amish setting was believable - as I was reading I could vividly picture it all in my mind. Readers will not be disappointed! 💕
I very much like this series, but this one was too repetitive in the leaving and returning and leaving... The characters were one dimensional, but the epilogue was long and satisfying.
This was the last of the 'Amish Brides of Celery Fields' series, and was Lydia's story. I got to know Lydia a little bit in the previous books, but this book showed a different, more spunky, side to her. That said, she still managed to get on my nerves because she was so afraid of John leaving her again that she eventually pushed him away. John also was aggravating in some ways, especially how he would not tell Lydia what was on his mind from when he'd left 8 years previously. A LOT of assumptions were made on both John and Lydia's part, and that created a whole lot of problems. They did work things out eventually, (this IS a 'Brides' book, after all!) and vowed to not rely on assumptions anymore. All in all it was a good book.
Love this book. Even though it took me forever to read it. Lost my Father the 6th of Dec and lost all interest of reading... until a few days ago... then I just couldn't put it down. my love of reading and of Amish lives finally pushed thru my grief and showed me I can be happy again.