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Forbidden Gift: Amish Christian Romance Novel
What if the one thing you loved most could destroy everything?
Johanna Yoder writes in secret. She has to. In her Amish community, her stories are forbidden - and if the bishop ever found out, she'd lose her family, her home, and everything she's ever known.
But he does find out. And now Johanna has a burn her words, or be shunned forever.
Judah Barton is a news reporter with a dying newspaper and one last shot to save it. When he discovers the identity of the mysterious Amish writer he's been reading, he knows he's found his story. But Johanna isn't the scandal he expected - and the more time he spends with her, the harder it becomes to choose between the career he's built and the woman who's changing everything.
As secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, Johanna and Judah must protect the lives they've always known, or risk everything for a love that could destroy them both.
A forbidden passion. An impossible choice. A love worth losing everything for.
Previously published in 2021
Johanna Yoder writes in secret. She has to. In her Amish community, her stories are forbidden - and if the bishop ever found out, she'd lose her family, her home, and everything she's ever known.
But he does find out. And now Johanna has a burn her words, or be shunned forever.
Judah Barton is a news reporter with a dying newspaper and one last shot to save it. When he discovers the identity of the mysterious Amish writer he's been reading, he knows he's found his story. But Johanna isn't the scandal he expected - and the more time he spends with her, the harder it becomes to choose between the career he's built and the woman who's changing everything.
As secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, Johanna and Judah must protect the lives they've always known, or risk everything for a love that could destroy them both.
A forbidden passion. An impossible choice. A love worth losing everything for.
Previously published in 2021
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 21, 2025
132 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Debra Torres
16 books117 followersDebra Torres is an author of inspirational Amish fiction.
She writes clean romance for readers looking for relatable characters dealing with raw and real-life issues. The Amish books in her series are touching stories of self-discovery, forgiveness, and healing set in a small Amish community in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
For eleven years, Debra and her family lived in rural Northwestern Pennsylvania, where she was able to observe the Amish in grocery stores—and the “buggy lanes.” For several of these years, Debra and her family lived on a twenty-nine-acre farm sharing the land with a herd of white-face beef cows, two carrot-loving horses, and a barn full of cats. Here, Debra kept a large “kitchen” garden and learned from locals how to “put up” her produce.
She holds a BA in Communication and a MA in Journalism. While in graduate school, Debra was editor-in-chief of two university newspapers.
Debra and her writer husband, live in Virginia,
and have five wonderfully gifted children.
She writes clean romance for readers looking for relatable characters dealing with raw and real-life issues. The Amish books in her series are touching stories of self-discovery, forgiveness, and healing set in a small Amish community in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
For eleven years, Debra and her family lived in rural Northwestern Pennsylvania, where she was able to observe the Amish in grocery stores—and the “buggy lanes.” For several of these years, Debra and her family lived on a twenty-nine-acre farm sharing the land with a herd of white-face beef cows, two carrot-loving horses, and a barn full of cats. Here, Debra kept a large “kitchen” garden and learned from locals how to “put up” her produce.
She holds a BA in Communication and a MA in Journalism. While in graduate school, Debra was editor-in-chief of two university newspapers.
Debra and her writer husband, live in Virginia,
and have five wonderfully gifted children.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 18, 2026
Story? Excellent.
Formatting? Poor
The author is not responsible for formatting for publication. So many "hard returns" throw the rest of the sentence on the next line.
But the story is unique and pulls you in. Characters are fully developed. Scenes well done. You will enjoy the read.
Note: All formatting errors reported to the publisher.
Formatting? Poor
The author is not responsible for formatting for publication. So many "hard returns" throw the rest of the sentence on the next line.
But the story is unique and pulls you in. Characters are fully developed. Scenes well done. You will enjoy the read.
Note: All formatting errors reported to the publisher.
September 30, 2025
Love it!
Great book!! Got my attention from the beginning. It has everything you want a book to be! I can't wait to read book two.
Great book!! Got my attention from the beginning. It has everything you want a book to be! I can't wait to read book two.
November 20, 2025
Exceptional read
Definitely not what I expected, well written, easy to follow, highly recommend . Riveting plot from start to finish, excellent
Definitely not what I expected, well written, easy to follow, highly recommend . Riveting plot from start to finish, excellent
Want to Read
February 24, 2026very good
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews