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Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors #2
The Promise Box
Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive 'resident' status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides!In The Promise Box, the second book of best-selling author Tricia Goyer's Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series, Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai to give comfort to her father after her mother's death. She is drawn back to the familiar Amish ways after finding her mother's most precious possession, a Promise Box of prayers and scripture. What her publisher sees, though, is an opportunity for a sensational 'tell-all' book about the Amish.Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride. But will the pain of her childhood---and her potential betrayal of her community---keep her from committing her whole heart?
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2013
36 people are currently reading
1166 people want to read
About the author
Tricia Goyer
162 books1,673 followersTricia Goyer is a busy mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites.In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
October 10, 2019
I’ve been listening to this one on audio from the library. I forgot I had this on my kindle.
Anyway, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought due to the never ending secrets and lies, it just got too extreme in some parts.
So not the best choice I’ve made.
Anyway, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought due to the never ending secrets and lies, it just got too extreme in some parts.
So not the best choice I’ve made.
April 22, 2013
If you had stopped by my house this weekend, you would have found me crying over the fictional characters from Tricia Goyer’s latest Amish novel, The Promise Box.
This book moved me because the heart of the story is the damaged relationship between a mother and daughter. The mother doesn’t understand her daughter’s choices. The daughter doesn’t appreciate her mother’s sacrifices.
And the healing they need almost comes too late.
I lost my mom in February. Though our circumstances differ from Ada Mae’s and Lydia’s, I could relate to the soul-searching that comes when human love doesn’t seem to be enough to repair a fraying bond.
Watching these characters find the answers in Jesus was a beautiful experience.
And I especially love that a simple wooden box filled with letters and God’s promises became the vehicle that helped them communicate.
So will reading The Promise Box benefit you? Yes!
What’s also great about this book is that the author knows well the birth mom/adoption experience that the character Lydia goes through. Tricia Goyer is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR.
Tricia is a godly mentor to many young women. You can trust her with the teen girls in your life. Connect with Tricia at her website and read about her service to teen moms, parenting books, marriage advice, homeschooling tips, and much more!
Oh, and did I mention it’s a romance? This is the second book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series. As the book blurb says, “Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive ‘resident’ status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides!” This story focuses on Lydia and Gideon as they meet, become friends, and then realize God means for them to be more than friends—another aspect of the book you’ll love.
A third plus: as a teacher, I really enjoyed the classroom scenes as Lydia begins her teaching career in a one-room Amish schoolhouse.
***Thanks to Tricia, Litfuse, and Zondervan for providing a copy for me to review.
And the healing they need almost comes too late.
I lost my mom in February. Though our circumstances differ from Ada Mae’s and Lydia’s, I could relate to the soul-searching that comes when human love doesn’t seem to be enough to repair a fraying bond.
Watching these characters find the answers in Jesus was a beautiful experience.
And I especially love that a simple wooden box filled with letters and God’s promises became the vehicle that helped them communicate.
So will reading The Promise Box benefit you? Yes!
Read this book for your daughter.
Or your mother.
Read this book with them.
Discuss what keeps the characters apart and what ultimately brings them together.
Begin a Promise Box of your own.
Celebrate the people God gave you to love, mentor, and cherish.
What’s also great about this book is that the author knows well the birth mom/adoption experience that the character Lydia goes through. Tricia Goyer is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR.
Tricia is a godly mentor to many young women. You can trust her with the teen girls in your life. Connect with Tricia at her website and read about her service to teen moms, parenting books, marriage advice, homeschooling tips, and much more!
Oh, and did I mention it’s a romance? This is the second book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series. As the book blurb says, “Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive ‘resident’ status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides!” This story focuses on Lydia and Gideon as they meet, become friends, and then realize God means for them to be more than friends—another aspect of the book you’ll love.
A third plus: as a teacher, I really enjoyed the classroom scenes as Lydia begins her teaching career in a one-room Amish schoolhouse.
***Thanks to Tricia, Litfuse, and Zondervan for providing a copy for me to review.
January 16, 2016
I cannot begin to explain how much I love this story, but I'll give it a try. It is what I do after all.
This is the kind of story that pulls on your heartstrings and in so many ways. You have sad moments that bring happiness with them, once you learn the whole meaning. For me, there seemed to be a few little stories going on that all surrounded these two main characters. In the end, it is all brought about together nicely.
I often had to set the book down, specifically after a deep lesson was learned. I had to absorb and reflect, mostly about God and my own moral compass. Books like this one, when they do that to me, I can't help but love it. Takes some talented writing to pull you into that much of an emotional investment.
Tricia is such a great writer, she could re-write the phone book and it would become a sophisticated bestseller. Okay, so I really like Tricia, but with characters like Lydia and Gideon, and their hopeless romantic moments between them, how can you not melt like butter and enjoy the authors' writing?!
In conclusion, you know I loved it. It's obvious. I bet a lot of you will too! And no, you don't have to read book one, but I think you're missing out on another great story if you don't.
This is the kind of story that pulls on your heartstrings and in so many ways. You have sad moments that bring happiness with them, once you learn the whole meaning. For me, there seemed to be a few little stories going on that all surrounded these two main characters. In the end, it is all brought about together nicely.
I often had to set the book down, specifically after a deep lesson was learned. I had to absorb and reflect, mostly about God and my own moral compass. Books like this one, when they do that to me, I can't help but love it. Takes some talented writing to pull you into that much of an emotional investment.
Tricia is such a great writer, she could re-write the phone book and it would become a sophisticated bestseller. Okay, so I really like Tricia, but with characters like Lydia and Gideon, and their hopeless romantic moments between them, how can you not melt like butter and enjoy the authors' writing?!
In conclusion, you know I loved it. It's obvious. I bet a lot of you will too! And no, you don't have to read book one, but I think you're missing out on another great story if you don't.
May 21, 2013
Lydia Wyse left her Ohio Amish community when she discovered a traumatic secret about her birth. Her adoptive parents have never stopped loving her, and even moved to the small community of West Kootenai, Montana to be closer to Lydia. Now working for a publisher in Seattle, Lydia tries not to think about the faith she left behind, despite her boss’s persistent suggestions to write a book about her experiences. But when her mother dies suddenly, Lydia is thrust back into the faith of her childhood.
West Kootenai was never Lydia’s home, but after only a few days in the community she feels more comfortable than she ever could have imagined. When it becomes apparent that her father needs her help, Lydia begins to consider returning to the faith, and not just for a season. It helps that a handsome bachelor, Gideon Hooley, has caught her attention, not only with his love for his faith but with the gentle way he cares for the horse he works with. But is her renewed love of her faith and appreciation for her father and Gideon enough for Lydia to put the past behind her and rejoin the community?
Gideon has his own secrets that he’s battling with, and they’re the true reason why he’s come to Montana to join the other Amish bachelors for hunting season. When Gideon was a small child, his parents visited West Kootenai and Gideon wandered into the woods, forcing a search party to go looking for him. Although Gideon remained physically unscathed after the incident, there is always sadness in his mother’s eyes when she talks of the experience. Gideon is determined to figure out what truly happened when he went missing, but will he be able to live with the truth?
I have loved every one of Tricia’s Amish novels, and each time I pick up a new book about West Kootenai I wonder if it’s possible that it can live up to the last volume. But each time I’m drawn into the wonderful Montana setting and the lives of the residents of the Amish community that I’ve come to know so well over these past few years. Although The Promise Box is only the second instalment in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series, some of the secondary characters previously appeared in Tricia’s Big Sky series. Fans of her writing will be pleased to know that this book revisits Marianna and others in the Sommer family, including little Ellie, who is finally ready to start school.
Although I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book, I wasn’t able to read it quite as fast as I could have hoped because I was studying for my final exams for university. However, my reading experience actually suited this book as the romance between Lydia and Gideon was a slow, gently-paced one. It can be more exciting to read about a romantic journey that has lots of bumps and twists, but their relationship and the growth of their feelings for each other felt realistic. There weren’t any major obstacles in the way of their relationship progressing, but each of them had their own baggage that kept them from getting too close. I tend to prefer this style of romance, where the majority of the difficulties are internalised ones in the characters lives—perhaps because it bears more resemblance to my own love life.
What initially drew me into this book was the idea of a young Amish woman working for a publishing house and returning to her community to write a book. Although Lydia doesn’t intend to write anything about her return to her faith, this changes when she uncovers the letters and verses in her mother’s Promise Box. Her mother’s writing inspires her to start putting her emotions down on paper and capturing her feelings about starting over in West Kootenai. As a writer, Tricia was able to accurately capture the way that an author’s mind works. I loved being able to read snippets of both Lydia and her mother’s writing, and this element of the story was so compelling that I found myself wishing that I could read Lydia’s finished novel and see her return to her faith from her perspective.
The spiritual message in The Promise Box is simple, but one that I’m sure every reader can relate to. Lydia and Gideon want to start a new life together, but before they can settle down in West Kootenai, they need to deal with guilt from their past—guilt over events which neither of them could control. For Lydia, her guilt comes from her parentage and the knowledge of how she was conceived; for Gideon, it’s the mysterious secrets surrounding the time he got lost in the woods as a child. As they begin to learn more about their pasts, each of them becomes more embroiled in a sense of guilt, but ultimately, they need to believe that God is always looking out for them and can turn bad situations into good ones. I’ve never gone through an experience like the ones Lydia and Gideon faced, but I commend Tricia for tackling such a difficult topic as Lydia’s parentage and adoption. Those who are familiar with Tricia will know that she has both adopted and fostered children, and that she works with young mothers in crisis pregnancy centres and teen MOPs groups. I have no doubt that she was able to use these experiences to formulate a believable background for Lydia and her mother, and she managed to create a realistic situation without shocking or upsetting any potential readers.
I can get emotional when I’m reading—whether it’s anger or sympathy—but it’s not often that I cry over a book. But the other day, I sat down to read another chapter of The Promise Box while taking a break from studying. Before I knew it, I was speeding through the final quarter of the book with tears in my eyes as I read a beautiful scene in which Gideon learned to let go of his past. I don’t think I have any deep, dark secrets in my life like the ones Lydia and Gideon had to overcome, but sometimes it is hard to believe in the promises God has for your life, especially when you’re stepping out into a new situation in faith. As I get ready to graduate from university, make the big move from the country to a city and start a financially unstable career as a writer, I know that I needed to hear the message that The Promise Box held.
Although I’ve long been a fan of Tricia Goyer, I truly didn’t expect to love The Promise Box as much as I did. It’s been a few days since I finished this book, and I still can’t think of any cons or areas for improvement. I love the Montana setting, and since this is the fifth book Tricia has set in West Kootenai, it was lovely to revisit old characters and see how their lives had changed since we last visited them. Tricia really makes the setting come alive, making me want to visit Montana more and more with each book she writes. The community also suits me, as it's devoid of some of the more strict aspects of the Amish lifestyle that can be off-putting to outsiders. But above all, her characters are human--they make mistakes, don't always tell the truth, jump to conclusions, and get angry or upset--and that makes them all the more relatable. Some books paint the Amish as being perfect examples of the kind of Christians we should be, and I appreciate how Tricia brings that image back down to earth again. The realism and relevancy in the message of The Promise Box might even appeal to those who would never normally pick up an Amish novel.
Review title provided by Zondervan.
West Kootenai was never Lydia’s home, but after only a few days in the community she feels more comfortable than she ever could have imagined. When it becomes apparent that her father needs her help, Lydia begins to consider returning to the faith, and not just for a season. It helps that a handsome bachelor, Gideon Hooley, has caught her attention, not only with his love for his faith but with the gentle way he cares for the horse he works with. But is her renewed love of her faith and appreciation for her father and Gideon enough for Lydia to put the past behind her and rejoin the community?
Gideon has his own secrets that he’s battling with, and they’re the true reason why he’s come to Montana to join the other Amish bachelors for hunting season. When Gideon was a small child, his parents visited West Kootenai and Gideon wandered into the woods, forcing a search party to go looking for him. Although Gideon remained physically unscathed after the incident, there is always sadness in his mother’s eyes when she talks of the experience. Gideon is determined to figure out what truly happened when he went missing, but will he be able to live with the truth?
I have loved every one of Tricia’s Amish novels, and each time I pick up a new book about West Kootenai I wonder if it’s possible that it can live up to the last volume. But each time I’m drawn into the wonderful Montana setting and the lives of the residents of the Amish community that I’ve come to know so well over these past few years. Although The Promise Box is only the second instalment in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series, some of the secondary characters previously appeared in Tricia’s Big Sky series. Fans of her writing will be pleased to know that this book revisits Marianna and others in the Sommer family, including little Ellie, who is finally ready to start school.
Although I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book, I wasn’t able to read it quite as fast as I could have hoped because I was studying for my final exams for university. However, my reading experience actually suited this book as the romance between Lydia and Gideon was a slow, gently-paced one. It can be more exciting to read about a romantic journey that has lots of bumps and twists, but their relationship and the growth of their feelings for each other felt realistic. There weren’t any major obstacles in the way of their relationship progressing, but each of them had their own baggage that kept them from getting too close. I tend to prefer this style of romance, where the majority of the difficulties are internalised ones in the characters lives—perhaps because it bears more resemblance to my own love life.
What initially drew me into this book was the idea of a young Amish woman working for a publishing house and returning to her community to write a book. Although Lydia doesn’t intend to write anything about her return to her faith, this changes when she uncovers the letters and verses in her mother’s Promise Box. Her mother’s writing inspires her to start putting her emotions down on paper and capturing her feelings about starting over in West Kootenai. As a writer, Tricia was able to accurately capture the way that an author’s mind works. I loved being able to read snippets of both Lydia and her mother’s writing, and this element of the story was so compelling that I found myself wishing that I could read Lydia’s finished novel and see her return to her faith from her perspective.
The spiritual message in The Promise Box is simple, but one that I’m sure every reader can relate to. Lydia and Gideon want to start a new life together, but before they can settle down in West Kootenai, they need to deal with guilt from their past—guilt over events which neither of them could control. For Lydia, her guilt comes from her parentage and the knowledge of how she was conceived; for Gideon, it’s the mysterious secrets surrounding the time he got lost in the woods as a child. As they begin to learn more about their pasts, each of them becomes more embroiled in a sense of guilt, but ultimately, they need to believe that God is always looking out for them and can turn bad situations into good ones. I’ve never gone through an experience like the ones Lydia and Gideon faced, but I commend Tricia for tackling such a difficult topic as Lydia’s parentage and adoption. Those who are familiar with Tricia will know that she has both adopted and fostered children, and that she works with young mothers in crisis pregnancy centres and teen MOPs groups. I have no doubt that she was able to use these experiences to formulate a believable background for Lydia and her mother, and she managed to create a realistic situation without shocking or upsetting any potential readers.
I can get emotional when I’m reading—whether it’s anger or sympathy—but it’s not often that I cry over a book. But the other day, I sat down to read another chapter of The Promise Box while taking a break from studying. Before I knew it, I was speeding through the final quarter of the book with tears in my eyes as I read a beautiful scene in which Gideon learned to let go of his past. I don’t think I have any deep, dark secrets in my life like the ones Lydia and Gideon had to overcome, but sometimes it is hard to believe in the promises God has for your life, especially when you’re stepping out into a new situation in faith. As I get ready to graduate from university, make the big move from the country to a city and start a financially unstable career as a writer, I know that I needed to hear the message that The Promise Box held.
Although I’ve long been a fan of Tricia Goyer, I truly didn’t expect to love The Promise Box as much as I did. It’s been a few days since I finished this book, and I still can’t think of any cons or areas for improvement. I love the Montana setting, and since this is the fifth book Tricia has set in West Kootenai, it was lovely to revisit old characters and see how their lives had changed since we last visited them. Tricia really makes the setting come alive, making me want to visit Montana more and more with each book she writes. The community also suits me, as it's devoid of some of the more strict aspects of the Amish lifestyle that can be off-putting to outsiders. But above all, her characters are human--they make mistakes, don't always tell the truth, jump to conclusions, and get angry or upset--and that makes them all the more relatable. Some books paint the Amish as being perfect examples of the kind of Christians we should be, and I appreciate how Tricia brings that image back down to earth again. The realism and relevancy in the message of The Promise Box might even appeal to those who would never normally pick up an Amish novel.
Review title provided by Zondervan.
June 22, 2013
Each of Trish Goyer’s latest novels I read is better than the last, and I marvel at how she can do that! The Promise Box is no exception – it is my favorite so far of her series “Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors.”
Lydia and Gideon’s story has a sad beginning. Lydia Wyse, adopted by Amish parents at birth, left that upbringing to enter the English world and became a book editor in Seattle. She returned home to West Kootenai, Montana upon the death of her mother to care for her dat during the funeral and for an unplanned time afterward. Gideon Hooley, an Amish bachelor who has come to the community temporarily for the hunting season, which is a popular draw of young Amish bachelors to learn the skills of this sport. Gideon has ghosts of his own from the past that haunt and puzzle him. He hopes to find answers in the town of what happened there years before while his family visited and a tragedy involving Gideon occurred of which he has no memory.
These young folks had an eventful and humorous meeting which kindled Gideon’s mistrust of Lydia’s English appearance and snapping pictures (not Amish approved) of him while he was in a horse training session with Blue, an untempered equestrian beauty. There were definitely sparks – some of anger, while some were instant attraction between the two. Gideon did not know who Lydia was, and that she was also taking pictures of her home in the background and familiar scenes to her.
Ms Goyer’s story is extremely emotional and heart rendering. Lydia struggles with a decision about returning to the Amish life, being accepted and not shunned by the community, and wanting to clear up the mystery surrounding her adoption. She yearns to be a writer and considers the notion of writing about her returning to the Amish faith. She fights temptation from her Seattle editor and friend who encourages her in this respect. Life is full of unknowns and uncertainties for Lydia and Gideon. Both young people are caught in the time of their lives when their choices could alter their lives destructively.
Personally, I can relate to the adoption issue for Lydia because I have three adopted children, now grown. I cheered and thanked God for Lydia’s mem’s box full of God’s promises and letters to Lydia. Will Lydia find her way through her mem’s words and confidences? How about Gideon…can he express his love and possibly marry an Englisher? Are they the mates God has chosen for each other? What will happen to dat if Lydia chooses not to stay and care for him? Will Lydia learn who her birth parents are? What will Gideon do about finding the answers to the mystery in his life? Will pain heal?
The sub-title for Trish Goyer’s Promise Box might have been The Englisher and the Horse Whisperer. Trish writes a wonderful story with much depth on each page. It is realistic for today’s world concerning Amish communities and lifestyle. Pay close attention to the answers God graces Lydia and Gideon with during their confusion and hunt for reasons to turn their lives completely to Him.
Trish Goyer is a strict master author on God’s interventions and I admire her own faith. She is indeed an artist at painting God’s word into her writings.
So, for the answer to all the questions above, you will not hear the answers from me. You’ll need to get the book on your own and read, read, read. Oh, don’t forget the tissues while reading. And….this is only Book Two, so far, and I’m watching for Book Three to see how she could possibly write a better story than The Promise Box!
Thank you Litfuse for providing a review copy. Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Lydia and Gideon’s story has a sad beginning. Lydia Wyse, adopted by Amish parents at birth, left that upbringing to enter the English world and became a book editor in Seattle. She returned home to West Kootenai, Montana upon the death of her mother to care for her dat during the funeral and for an unplanned time afterward. Gideon Hooley, an Amish bachelor who has come to the community temporarily for the hunting season, which is a popular draw of young Amish bachelors to learn the skills of this sport. Gideon has ghosts of his own from the past that haunt and puzzle him. He hopes to find answers in the town of what happened there years before while his family visited and a tragedy involving Gideon occurred of which he has no memory.
These young folks had an eventful and humorous meeting which kindled Gideon’s mistrust of Lydia’s English appearance and snapping pictures (not Amish approved) of him while he was in a horse training session with Blue, an untempered equestrian beauty. There were definitely sparks – some of anger, while some were instant attraction between the two. Gideon did not know who Lydia was, and that she was also taking pictures of her home in the background and familiar scenes to her.
Ms Goyer’s story is extremely emotional and heart rendering. Lydia struggles with a decision about returning to the Amish life, being accepted and not shunned by the community, and wanting to clear up the mystery surrounding her adoption. She yearns to be a writer and considers the notion of writing about her returning to the Amish faith. She fights temptation from her Seattle editor and friend who encourages her in this respect. Life is full of unknowns and uncertainties for Lydia and Gideon. Both young people are caught in the time of their lives when their choices could alter their lives destructively.
Personally, I can relate to the adoption issue for Lydia because I have three adopted children, now grown. I cheered and thanked God for Lydia’s mem’s box full of God’s promises and letters to Lydia. Will Lydia find her way through her mem’s words and confidences? How about Gideon…can he express his love and possibly marry an Englisher? Are they the mates God has chosen for each other? What will happen to dat if Lydia chooses not to stay and care for him? Will Lydia learn who her birth parents are? What will Gideon do about finding the answers to the mystery in his life? Will pain heal?
The sub-title for Trish Goyer’s Promise Box might have been The Englisher and the Horse Whisperer. Trish writes a wonderful story with much depth on each page. It is realistic for today’s world concerning Amish communities and lifestyle. Pay close attention to the answers God graces Lydia and Gideon with during their confusion and hunt for reasons to turn their lives completely to Him.
Trish Goyer is a strict master author on God’s interventions and I admire her own faith. She is indeed an artist at painting God’s word into her writings.
So, for the answer to all the questions above, you will not hear the answers from me. You’ll need to get the book on your own and read, read, read. Oh, don’t forget the tissues while reading. And….this is only Book Two, so far, and I’m watching for Book Three to see how she could possibly write a better story than The Promise Box!
Thank you Litfuse for providing a review copy. Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 6, 2013
The Promise Box is an amazing story of faith and yet different from most other Amish books out there. Lydia doubts her own value in God's eyes after learning that her conception was the result of rape - and it changes her entire life. While she questions her place as an Amish woman, her larger question of why a good God allows bad things to happen is one asked by nearly everyone at some point in their lives.
Lydia's journey to find the answer to that question makes up the bulk of this book - which, of course, includes a sweet love story and a beautiful mountain setting. (Somehow reading books about ugly swamps is just not appealing to me! I'd rather live beautifully and vicariously through the characters.) Her journey, although full of hardship and loss, has a very Goyer-esque sweetness to it.
The book is titled after a special box kept by Lydia's mother in which she wrote scriptural promises that she wanted to remember - a Bible diary, of sorts. I've seen this same type of 'journal' take many forms, but I especially like this one, and it made for an interesting tool of plot advancement throughout the story.
The Promise Box is a sweet journey of love, hope, and reconciliation. I love how Goyer writes about a realization that we each must come to: that we are all valuable in God's eyes because He made us, not because of circumstances or anything that we've done, but because of who He is and what He has done. Lydia's story is well worth the read.
I received a free copy of The Promise Box from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
Lydia's journey to find the answer to that question makes up the bulk of this book - which, of course, includes a sweet love story and a beautiful mountain setting. (Somehow reading books about ugly swamps is just not appealing to me! I'd rather live beautifully and vicariously through the characters.) Her journey, although full of hardship and loss, has a very Goyer-esque sweetness to it.
The book is titled after a special box kept by Lydia's mother in which she wrote scriptural promises that she wanted to remember - a Bible diary, of sorts. I've seen this same type of 'journal' take many forms, but I especially like this one, and it made for an interesting tool of plot advancement throughout the story.
The Promise Box is a sweet journey of love, hope, and reconciliation. I love how Goyer writes about a realization that we each must come to: that we are all valuable in God's eyes because He made us, not because of circumstances or anything that we've done, but because of who He is and what He has done. Lydia's story is well worth the read.
I received a free copy of The Promise Box from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2024
The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer
Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors #2
325-page Paperback story ends on 321
Genre: Amish Romance, Christian Romance
Featuring: Epigraph, Glossary, Tragedy, Baking, Lake Koocanusa, West Kootenai, Montana; Eureka, Montana; Seattle, Washington; Pennsylvania, Former Amish, Homecoming, Old Order Amish, Lost of Parent, Editor, Aspiring Author, Gelding, Horse Trainer, Product of Rape, Adoption, Got Off On The Wrong Foot Trope, Different Worlds Trope, German - Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch), Sugarcreek, Ohio; Teacher, Family Secrets Trope, Letters, Notes, Drama, Pastries, Unorthodox Ideas, Lyrics, Discussion Questions, Advertisements for The Memory Jar by Tricia Goyer Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors #1
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult situations and tragedies
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½🐎📚📷👩🏫
My thoughts: 📖 Page 128 of 321/325 Chapter 14 - This is different for sure. Why would you have to become Amish to write Amish Fiction? I'm a little frustrated I couldn't find the hymn at the end of Chapter 13.
📖 156 Chapter 17 - I was wondering what could be so bad.
📖189 Chapter 20 - I don't know if I missed where in Pennsylvania or if they just aren't mentioning it, but I'm on the hunt for it. This feels like it's going to be a meaningful story.
📖 236 Chapter 26 - That was very unfortunate. They need to speed things along.
This book has a glossary but it's the same words from the previous book's glossary and more than half the German words I read weren't in the glossary so I had to use context clues as I'm sometimes lazy when it comes to looking up words on paper, ebooks have me spoiled. Anyway, I enjoyed this story, it had a much smoother flow than the first book. I'm going to try to finish book 3 soon to keep this momentum going.
Recommend to others: Yes. I think this series has unique stories and is a good mix of romance and spiritual growth.
Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors
1. The Memory Jar (2012)
2. The Promise Box (2013)
3. The Kissing Bridge (2014)
Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors #2
325-page Paperback story ends on 321
Genre: Amish Romance, Christian Romance
Featuring: Epigraph, Glossary, Tragedy, Baking, Lake Koocanusa, West Kootenai, Montana; Eureka, Montana; Seattle, Washington; Pennsylvania, Former Amish, Homecoming, Old Order Amish, Lost of Parent, Editor, Aspiring Author, Gelding, Horse Trainer, Product of Rape, Adoption, Got Off On The Wrong Foot Trope, Different Worlds Trope, German - Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch), Sugarcreek, Ohio; Teacher, Family Secrets Trope, Letters, Notes, Drama, Pastries, Unorthodox Ideas, Lyrics, Discussion Questions, Advertisements for The Memory Jar by Tricia Goyer Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors #1
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult situations and tragedies
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½🐎📚📷👩🏫
My thoughts: 📖 Page 128 of 321/325 Chapter 14 - This is different for sure. Why would you have to become Amish to write Amish Fiction? I'm a little frustrated I couldn't find the hymn at the end of Chapter 13.
📖 156 Chapter 17 - I was wondering what could be so bad.
📖189 Chapter 20 - I don't know if I missed where in Pennsylvania or if they just aren't mentioning it, but I'm on the hunt for it. This feels like it's going to be a meaningful story.
📖 236 Chapter 26 - That was very unfortunate. They need to speed things along.
This book has a glossary but it's the same words from the previous book's glossary and more than half the German words I read weren't in the glossary so I had to use context clues as I'm sometimes lazy when it comes to looking up words on paper, ebooks have me spoiled. Anyway, I enjoyed this story, it had a much smoother flow than the first book. I'm going to try to finish book 3 soon to keep this momentum going.
Recommend to others: Yes. I think this series has unique stories and is a good mix of romance and spiritual growth.
Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors
1. The Memory Jar (2012)
2. The Promise Box (2013)
3. The Kissing Bridge (2014)
May 31, 2013
Lydia Wyse returns to West Kootenai, Montana for her "mem's" funeral. As a teenager she left her Amish family to discover her true identity. Her "mem" had left her a promise box containing small pieces of paper upon which she had written meaningful verses of scripture, special prayers and promises from God, as well as letters to Lydia. An adoptee, she had numerous unanswered questions about her biological family. Are the answers to her past included in the promise box?
Gideon Hooley traveled to West Kootenai, Montana, with other Amish bachelors to obtain hunting privileges. Gideon's purpose for the visit is far deeper than merely hunting. Painful questions haunt him, and Gideon needs answers to a mystery that involves being lost in the mountains when he was four years old. His family has ignored his questions, leaving him frustrated and concerned about what might have happened all those years ago.
Lydia and Gideon share a special bond, and their relationship blossoms. Lydia commits an indiscretion that could affect all she holds dear. Will the secrets they keep betray their friendship? Will the answers to their questions drive a wedge in their relationship?
Tricia Goyer writes an inspiring story of two characters lost in the questions of their past. The characters in this book are richly defined, and so endearing. A blended community of both Amish and Englische is unique, with numerous colorful characters and personalities. The settings are eloquently described, leaving images and portraits that create a familiarity for the reader to ponder. Conflicting developments and issues that develop throughout the plot are unpredictable, leaving the reader challenged. There is a deep spiritual richness throughout this story, validating the writer's personal convictions. The Promise Box is impressive!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book from Zondervan through Litfuse Publicity in return for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine, and I received no monetary compensation for this review.
Gideon Hooley traveled to West Kootenai, Montana, with other Amish bachelors to obtain hunting privileges. Gideon's purpose for the visit is far deeper than merely hunting. Painful questions haunt him, and Gideon needs answers to a mystery that involves being lost in the mountains when he was four years old. His family has ignored his questions, leaving him frustrated and concerned about what might have happened all those years ago.
Lydia and Gideon share a special bond, and their relationship blossoms. Lydia commits an indiscretion that could affect all she holds dear. Will the secrets they keep betray their friendship? Will the answers to their questions drive a wedge in their relationship?
Tricia Goyer writes an inspiring story of two characters lost in the questions of their past. The characters in this book are richly defined, and so endearing. A blended community of both Amish and Englische is unique, with numerous colorful characters and personalities. The settings are eloquently described, leaving images and portraits that create a familiarity for the reader to ponder. Conflicting developments and issues that develop throughout the plot are unpredictable, leaving the reader challenged. There is a deep spiritual richness throughout this story, validating the writer's personal convictions. The Promise Box is impressive!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book from Zondervan through Litfuse Publicity in return for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine, and I received no monetary compensation for this review.
July 24, 2013
FIRST, I have to say that, The Memory Jar and The Promise Box are my favorite among Tricia Goyer's Amish books, and I can not wait for the third book in the series to be released.
Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors
is a must read series; we need the reminder that everyone has their own person, with their own faults, and that is okay.
I enjoyed following Lydia Wyse as she deals with death and her not so strong faith. She is a book editor from Seattle and is returning to the tiny town of West Kootenai, who was raised Amish. Lydia is trying to understand what God has instore for her life ahead as she experiences life, love, testing of faith, and trust. The promise box is important to Lydia after she learns what it holds inside and the rule it plays through out the book.
I received this book free from Tricia Goyer. In return, I give an honest review of the book and of my own opinion. I'm was also asked to share the book.
I enjoyed following Lydia Wyse as she deals with death and her not so strong faith. She is a book editor from Seattle and is returning to the tiny town of West Kootenai, who was raised Amish. Lydia is trying to understand what God has instore for her life ahead as she experiences life, love, testing of faith, and trust. The promise box is important to Lydia after she learns what it holds inside and the rule it plays through out the book.
I received this book free from Tricia Goyer. In return, I give an honest review of the book and of my own opinion. I'm was also asked to share the book.
June 1, 2013
After reading the first book in the series, The Memory Jar, and thoroughly enjoying it, I knew I was going to love this book before I even had my hands on it.
Goyer has a knack for storytelling, building realistic characters who just want to be loved and to love God. Although Lydia wants to go back to her Amish roots, the publishing industry she's been a part of for so long has taken root too. Not to mention that Gideon is sweet, handsome and a real fine catch. But can she have them both? When her secrets and his begin to reveal themselves, it will be matters of the heart that take center stage.
This town is so quaint and memorable, I can't wait to revisit it again in a new installment. The secondary characters are just as realistic and really add depth to the storyline. Definitely pick this one up. Tricia Goyer is a master at her craft and The Promise Box will stay with you long after you finish!
January 6, 2014
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
The story in the Promise Box made me feel good and optimistic about myself. I think that Trisha Goyer's writing style flowed smoothly with just the right amount of drama, mystery, romance and conflict.
The reminders of Jesus's love for us encouraged me to be hopeful for the future. Life can have a way of dragging us down, but a story like this one reminds us that we are "worth dying for".
That quote was an ah-ha moment in the book and really stood out to me.
I have not read many Amish romance novels, and I found the descriptions of the Amish lifestyle intriguing. The story-lines about items that they live without, such as cell phones, and that we take for granted was eye-opening.
Without being preachy, I think that Trisha's demonstrating God's promises through the promise box was a subtle way of weaving God's promises into our daily lives.
I would recommend this book to friends.
The story in the Promise Box made me feel good and optimistic about myself. I think that Trisha Goyer's writing style flowed smoothly with just the right amount of drama, mystery, romance and conflict.
The reminders of Jesus's love for us encouraged me to be hopeful for the future. Life can have a way of dragging us down, but a story like this one reminds us that we are "worth dying for".
That quote was an ah-ha moment in the book and really stood out to me.
I have not read many Amish romance novels, and I found the descriptions of the Amish lifestyle intriguing. The story-lines about items that they live without, such as cell phones, and that we take for granted was eye-opening.
Without being preachy, I think that Trisha's demonstrating God's promises through the promise box was a subtle way of weaving God's promises into our daily lives.
I would recommend this book to friends.
June 17, 2013
Tricia Goyer has done it again. In The Promise Box, the second book of her Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series, the author is able to take two main characters with self doubts and flaws and endear them to the hearts of readers.
Both Lydia and Gideon must deal with very painful realities from their pasts. Both realities are events they feel enormous guilt over. They must learn to trust that God has their past, present and future in His hands.
The characters feel like real people, living real lives and making real decisions that have real consequences. A thoroughly enjoyable book! I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Both Lydia and Gideon must deal with very painful realities from their pasts. Both realities are events they feel enormous guilt over. They must learn to trust that God has their past, present and future in His hands.
The characters feel like real people, living real lives and making real decisions that have real consequences. A thoroughly enjoyable book! I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 29, 2020
I enjoyed The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer but I kept feeling like I just wanted Lydia & Gideon ( the main story characters) to just be able to let the past go & look for a future together! I felt at times that the story was very redundant, and I really had a very difficult time understanding how Lydia was able to return back to the Amish lifestyle after such a short time. I had great hopes for this book after reading The Memory Jar & several of Tricia Goyers other books which I absolutely loved but I'm sorry to say this is not one of my favorite novels of hers.
February 27, 2013
Having been provided this wonderful title from netgalley, I would first like to thank the Author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Ah, I throughly enjoy amish tales, and this story was no different. It had a new age feeling to it and you have a great storyline to go with it. The twists and turns kept me interested, I just wish I had read the first book before this one! I think I will go buy some books from the great Author Tricia Goyer!
February 23, 2013
A netgalley choice. This was a pretty good Christian fiction. Interesting characters and a plot with enought twists to make it interesting. I may check out more by this author.
June 14, 2017
Of all the novels I've read in my life, I have to say that this one probably impacted me more than any other. Because this is the second novel in a trilogy, I didn't even read the synopsis of the story. I just dove right in after finishing book one. However, I had to make a decision in the first chapter - do I continue reading or stop? The main character, Lydia, is returning to her Amish home (after living in "the world") to bury her mother. I lost my mother unexpectedly a little over a year ago, and I wasn't sure if I could handle reading this story. Yet, I knew I needed to continue - and not just so I could get to book three.
I don't think I ever remember a novel touching my heart to the point of tears like this one did. Tricia Goyer's characters were so real, I literally felt what they felt. I understood Lydia's guilt over living so far away and seeing her mother only once a year (as I live 1000 miles from my family home) - and now, never being able to see her again. I felt her sadness when she read the slips of paper in her mother's promise box as I remembered things about my own mother. I also sympathized with Gideon's pain over the circumstances of a childhood misadventure (sorry...no spoilers) - and actually heard the Lord speak to me what He spoke to Gideon in the book, which made me weep.
I hope the author reads these reviews because I want her to know that her novels are reaching people where they are, despite the readers not being Amish. All her books deal with real life issues that touch all of us, and they all show how our God can comfort us and heal us in the deepest places of our hearts.
Thank you, Tricia, for being led by the Spirit as you penned your stories. This book was definitely written for this reader.
I don't think I ever remember a novel touching my heart to the point of tears like this one did. Tricia Goyer's characters were so real, I literally felt what they felt. I understood Lydia's guilt over living so far away and seeing her mother only once a year (as I live 1000 miles from my family home) - and now, never being able to see her again. I felt her sadness when she read the slips of paper in her mother's promise box as I remembered things about my own mother. I also sympathized with Gideon's pain over the circumstances of a childhood misadventure (sorry...no spoilers) - and actually heard the Lord speak to me what He spoke to Gideon in the book, which made me weep.
I hope the author reads these reviews because I want her to know that her novels are reaching people where they are, despite the readers not being Amish. All her books deal with real life issues that touch all of us, and they all show how our God can comfort us and heal us in the deepest places of our hearts.
Thank you, Tricia, for being led by the Spirit as you penned your stories. This book was definitely written for this reader.
March 9, 2023
WOW! For my reader friends, I highly recommend "The Promise Box" by Tricia Goyer. Have your tissues ready. Redemption, healing, forgiveness, secrets revealed (and healed), love, heartbreak...aren't these enough to grab your interest?
A couple of quotes by the main character Lydia are as follows:
"...I've realized that God doesn't have one life path for all of us - even if yer Amish. It would be too easy to find it and set off on it without Him. Instead He has a unique path for each of us, and the only way we'll find it is by seeking Him, reading His word, and being open to His still, small voice."
and "It's a strange thought, I know, but even a dead fish can follow the easy way (downstream), the comfortable and known path. But it seems when we leave what's most comfortable to us, that's where we need God most. And when we need Him, and cry out to Him, then He comes to us, and it's in the coming there's life."
A couple of quotes by the main character Lydia are as follows:
"...I've realized that God doesn't have one life path for all of us - even if yer Amish. It would be too easy to find it and set off on it without Him. Instead He has a unique path for each of us, and the only way we'll find it is by seeking Him, reading His word, and being open to His still, small voice."
and "It's a strange thought, I know, but even a dead fish can follow the easy way (downstream), the comfortable and known path. But it seems when we leave what's most comfortable to us, that's where we need God most. And when we need Him, and cry out to Him, then He comes to us, and it's in the coming there's life."
October 11, 2017
THE PROMISE BOX by Tracia Goyer book 2 "Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors".
She always knew she was adopted, why then did Lydia later think it was a curse first. Running from Amish ways, and love of parents, didn't change anything about her birth. Coming home, seeing the grief of her father, and the memories of him, sitting by her bed as she slept. Her dad giving her a treasure box of her mother, will that change things. Meeting Gideon, whose past of when he was 4 haunt him, wanting answers, yet hasn't asked. Her editor wanted an Amish book, if she did it would be "coming home" jotting down memories of time past, in a notebook. Could Gideon and Lydia find love and healing, and a life here. A tender love story of the emotions of the young finding peace, and their way in life.Readers will love this story and the series.
She always knew she was adopted, why then did Lydia later think it was a curse first. Running from Amish ways, and love of parents, didn't change anything about her birth. Coming home, seeing the grief of her father, and the memories of him, sitting by her bed as she slept. Her dad giving her a treasure box of her mother, will that change things. Meeting Gideon, whose past of when he was 4 haunt him, wanting answers, yet hasn't asked. Her editor wanted an Amish book, if she did it would be "coming home" jotting down memories of time past, in a notebook. Could Gideon and Lydia find love and healing, and a life here. A tender love story of the emotions of the young finding peace, and their way in life.Readers will love this story and the series.
January 10, 2018
This is book two in the Seven Brides For Seven Bachelors Series, The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer.
After moving away from her Amish community to escape the pain of her birth Lydia is drawn back after her mother passes and she wants to be there for her father, but she soon realizes she misses her community and wonders if they will except her back, she also meets the handsome Amish Bachelor Gideon Holley, but will her painful past keep her from committing to a future as an Amish Bride?
Lydia is given a gift from her father that her mother keep for many years, The Promise Box! Lydia is surprised to find treasured gifts to her that help heal her broken heart but will it be enough, can she move forward? This is a wonderful book and it’s packed full of wonderful scripture. I highly recommend it and look forward to book three in the series The Kissing Bridge.
After moving away from her Amish community to escape the pain of her birth Lydia is drawn back after her mother passes and she wants to be there for her father, but she soon realizes she misses her community and wonders if they will except her back, she also meets the handsome Amish Bachelor Gideon Holley, but will her painful past keep her from committing to a future as an Amish Bride?
Lydia is given a gift from her father that her mother keep for many years, The Promise Box! Lydia is surprised to find treasured gifts to her that help heal her broken heart but will it be enough, can she move forward? This is a wonderful book and it’s packed full of wonderful scripture. I highly recommend it and look forward to book three in the series The Kissing Bridge.
May 21, 2017
I was not a big fan of this book. First off, it felt like a second book. There's a fine balance between having a second book stand alone and re-capping what happened in previous books. This did not tread that line. I felt like I wasn't quite sure what was going on at first.
My main gripe with this story was that nothing happened. Maybe it's because I'd just finished a book where a lot of stuff happens, but this book just seemed bland. Lydia's decision to stay Amish was no surprise except for how early it happened, and other than that there was no real major conflict. Everything was happy and peachy and rosy right up through the end. I kept waiting for something to happen but nothing ever did.
If you're looking for a feel-good, slow book this is it. Otherwise I don't recommend it.
My main gripe with this story was that nothing happened. Maybe it's because I'd just finished a book where a lot of stuff happens, but this book just seemed bland. Lydia's decision to stay Amish was no surprise except for how early it happened, and other than that there was no real major conflict. Everything was happy and peachy and rosy right up through the end. I kept waiting for something to happen but nothing ever did.
If you're looking for a feel-good, slow book this is it. Otherwise I don't recommend it.
January 31, 2023
This was a book that had to be read slower then others so I could take it all in. This is the first book by Tricia Goyer I’ve ever read. It was beautifully written. I cried a lot. I love this Amish community better than any other I’ve read about and/or experienced and visited. Tricia’s Gospel message is very clear. I especially loved that she wrote that it doesn’t matter if your Amish or English, true faith comes through believing in Jesus Christ and not what denomination you are. God brought something beautiful out of something horrible. He has a way of doing that! I loved this book. It is making me think that perhaps I should write my daughters something that they can remember me by, when I go home to be with my Lord and Savior.
February 26, 2024
Two ordinary people find love in the Montana Wilderness.
Enjoyed being with this author again. Lydia and Gideon story was love at first sight for them both. Both had pasts to work through and even trust issues. Lydia thought the English life was just for her. But God wanted her to come back to her roots. If Gideon hadn't comeback to find out what his parents kept from him. He and Lydia would have never met. Lydia changed his life in a good way. Gideon loved her for who she was. Blue the horse was great part to the story too. So happy to that she met her real family. Will read more in this series.
Enjoyed being with this author again. Lydia and Gideon story was love at first sight for them both. Both had pasts to work through and even trust issues. Lydia thought the English life was just for her. But God wanted her to come back to her roots. If Gideon hadn't comeback to find out what his parents kept from him. He and Lydia would have never met. Lydia changed his life in a good way. Gideon loved her for who she was. Blue the horse was great part to the story too. So happy to that she met her real family. Will read more in this series.
May 19, 2017
I've decided that all Amish books end with the main characters getting married. But I guess it's the journey they take to that point that makes them all a bit interesting. I like that Amish people live such simple lives and their faith in God is amazing in the things they do to honor him and how they view him in their lives. Also like these books because it's good, clean romance and the Christian theme.
September 29, 2017
I like to read the different stories about the Amish. This one had just a slight different spin to it. I thought it was very well written and it kept my interest. I found some parts very sad, but Tricia did not leave you there. I love the way she brought out some great life lessons in her telling of their story.
June 7, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer, ©2013
The story of her life filled notebook pages, as if she wrote about another. Words for the next sentence, next paragraph, trailed through her mind throughout the day. It was almost as if God was walking beside her, pointing out the beauty of everyday life, and breathing inspiration into her heart. It was new and different. She was new and different. If someone else would have declared such sudden changes she would have scoffed. Yet maybe all the time God had been waiting, ready for her to open her heart.
--The Promise Box, 147
The Promise Box
Lydia Wyse returns to West Kootenai, Montana, to come to her Mem's burial and to help her Dat. So many years, so many opportunities, so many scant visits. The mountains and lodgepole pine scented trails beckon to her as the sound of silence fills her heart. She first meets Gideon Hooley as he comes to tell her to put her camera away. What she doesn't know is she disrupted his connection with Blue, the horse he is training to trust. Will her heart be able to trust? Will Gideon find the answers he is seeking? With questions in his heart, he has returned to the land his family visited when he was a boy. Will fragments of what happened the day he was lost in the mountains return to his memory, or would he be told the secrets so long ago hidden? Tender moments. Earth-shaking discoveries of times past, to be revealed so he can live ~ today. Unhindered from what binds him; released from pain to gain the path set before him, openly. A joy beyond belief as removal of shadows of what was, bring him to what is. Differences that melt a heart and earn the devotion of a horse who longs to be known, and a woman who quietly finds herself ~ alive. Stripped of what-ifs, to discover God was waiting for her all along as He walked alongside yearning for her freedom to be realized.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
With her heart – and her loyalty – on the line, can she let true love in her life?
Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive “resident” status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides!
In The Promise Box, the second book of bestselling author Tricia Goyer’s Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series, Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai, Montana to give comfort to her father after her mother's death. She is drawn back to the familiar Amish ways after finding her mother’s most precious possession, a Promise Box of prayers and scripture. What her publisher sees, though, is an opportunity for a sensational “tell-all” book about the Amish.
Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride. Will the pain of her childhood―and her potential betrayal of her community―keep her from committing her whole heart?
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
That was one thing about Mem's Promise Box: the Scripture passages were good, but not enough. It was like nibbling on snacks when her soul wanted dinner. Because of that she'd asked Dat for Mem's Bible, deciding she needed to read it for herself. Discover more of God's promises for herself.
--Ibid., 279-280
PSALM 70
Prayer for the Poor and Needy
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.
God is on my side.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O LORD.
2 Let them be ashamed and confounded
that seek after my soul:
let them be turned backward, and
put to confusion,
that desire my hurt.
3 Let them be turned back for a reward of
their shame
that say, Aha, aha.
4 Let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad in thee:
and let such as love thy salvation
say continually, Let God be
magnified.
5 But I am poor and needy;
make haste unto me, O God:
thou art my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, make no tarrying.
What a beautiful story of healing. I would recommend that this book be read by those who carry guilt for something that they had no control over, for one who has given up a child, for one who is the child given. God's Promises to us are real. For all generations. Love.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The Promise Box
By Tricia Goyer
ISBN: 9780310335122
Release Date: 05/21/2013
USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series. She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. Tricia and her husband John live in Little Rock, Arkansas where John works for FamilyLife. They have six children. You can find out more about Tricia at TriciaGoyer.com.
***Thank you to Litfuse Publicity Group for sending me an Advance Reader's Copy of Book 2 of the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series, The Promise Box, for this blog tour. No other compensation was received.***
The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer, ©2013
The story of her life filled notebook pages, as if she wrote about another. Words for the next sentence, next paragraph, trailed through her mind throughout the day. It was almost as if God was walking beside her, pointing out the beauty of everyday life, and breathing inspiration into her heart. It was new and different. She was new and different. If someone else would have declared such sudden changes she would have scoffed. Yet maybe all the time God had been waiting, ready for her to open her heart.
--The Promise Box, 147
The Promise Box
Lydia Wyse returns to West Kootenai, Montana, to come to her Mem's burial and to help her Dat. So many years, so many opportunities, so many scant visits. The mountains and lodgepole pine scented trails beckon to her as the sound of silence fills her heart. She first meets Gideon Hooley as he comes to tell her to put her camera away. What she doesn't know is she disrupted his connection with Blue, the horse he is training to trust. Will her heart be able to trust? Will Gideon find the answers he is seeking? With questions in his heart, he has returned to the land his family visited when he was a boy. Will fragments of what happened the day he was lost in the mountains return to his memory, or would he be told the secrets so long ago hidden? Tender moments. Earth-shaking discoveries of times past, to be revealed so he can live ~ today. Unhindered from what binds him; released from pain to gain the path set before him, openly. A joy beyond belief as removal of shadows of what was, bring him to what is. Differences that melt a heart and earn the devotion of a horse who longs to be known, and a woman who quietly finds herself ~ alive. Stripped of what-ifs, to discover God was waiting for her all along as He walked alongside yearning for her freedom to be realized.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
With her heart – and her loyalty – on the line, can she let true love in her life?
Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive “resident” status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides!
In The Promise Box, the second book of bestselling author Tricia Goyer’s Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series, Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai, Montana to give comfort to her father after her mother's death. She is drawn back to the familiar Amish ways after finding her mother’s most precious possession, a Promise Box of prayers and scripture. What her publisher sees, though, is an opportunity for a sensational “tell-all” book about the Amish.
Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride. Will the pain of her childhood―and her potential betrayal of her community―keep her from committing her whole heart?
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
That was one thing about Mem's Promise Box: the Scripture passages were good, but not enough. It was like nibbling on snacks when her soul wanted dinner. Because of that she'd asked Dat for Mem's Bible, deciding she needed to read it for herself. Discover more of God's promises for herself.
--Ibid., 279-280
PSALM 70
Prayer for the Poor and Needy
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.
God is on my side.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O LORD.
2 Let them be ashamed and confounded
that seek after my soul:
let them be turned backward, and
put to confusion,
that desire my hurt.
3 Let them be turned back for a reward of
their shame
that say, Aha, aha.
4 Let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad in thee:
and let such as love thy salvation
say continually, Let God be
magnified.
5 But I am poor and needy;
make haste unto me, O God:
thou art my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, make no tarrying.
What a beautiful story of healing. I would recommend that this book be read by those who carry guilt for something that they had no control over, for one who has given up a child, for one who is the child given. God's Promises to us are real. For all generations. Love.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The Promise Box
By Tricia Goyer
ISBN: 9780310335122
Release Date: 05/21/2013
USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series. She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. Tricia and her husband John live in Little Rock, Arkansas where John works for FamilyLife. They have six children. You can find out more about Tricia at TriciaGoyer.com.
***Thank you to Litfuse Publicity Group for sending me an Advance Reader's Copy of Book 2 of the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series, The Promise Box, for this blog tour. No other compensation was received.***
April 12, 2021
This is a good book, however the story line is heavily repetitious. I enjoyed the characters but they are built up in a way that feels forced and the story line moves so slowly. Still an easy read that feels wholesome and good.
May 24, 2022
Promises
Love how the author focuses on the promises of God in our lives. Life is not simple and sometimes very messy but God is indeed good and leads us in his paths. God is gracious and oh so loving. A good book!
Love how the author focuses on the promises of God in our lives. Life is not simple and sometimes very messy but God is indeed good and leads us in his paths. God is gracious and oh so loving. A good book!
March 26, 2025
This one was okay. I felt like the story was a bit repetitive and moved at a slow pace. I enjoyed the characters and the beautiful setting in Montana, but the story was about 150 pages longer than it needed to be. The last 1/4 of the book did move at quicker pace with a more in-depth storyline.
September 8, 2025
This is a story of two wounded people who fall in love. Both have issues in their pasts that they need to deal with, though. Through dealing with these issues, their faith in God grows as does their relationship. I enjoyed the sweet story.
December 24, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. It touched me in so many ways and gave me many ideas. There aren't many books that have touched my heart the way this one did. Wow!
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