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Amish Blessings #1
Love's Dwelling
God always had a plan. But how could falling in love with an Englischer be God's plan for one young Amish woman?
Young Cassie Weaver only wants what is expected of an Amish a good Amish husband and a large family. But she's happy as Job and Dinah Keim's housekeeper, helping Dinah, who is losing her sight due to diabetes. For two decades the Keims have prayed for the salvation of their two children who left the community in a cloud of shame and mystery.
Mason knew there was more to his mother's past than she let on, but nothing could have prepared him for learning about his Amish roots upon his mother's sudden death. Even more surprising, his mother named her Amish parents, Job and Dinah, as guardians to her five children. Now Mason has to trust that this couple, and their pretty housekeeper, can take care of his younger siblings, even when all he wants is to take care of them himself.
As the children adjust to this new lifestyle, Mason finds himself pulled back to the Keims' home. Yes, he wants to see his siblings, but it's the conversations with Cassie that keep him coming back for more. Is there more to this Amish faith and how does it play into his own past? Cassie guards against her growing feelings for Mason, because there can be no happy ending for a Plain girl in love with an Englisch man . . . right?
Bestselling and award-winning Amish romance novelist Kelly Irvin is back with a heartwarming tale of the power of love to heal all wounds.
The first in a new, sweet Amish romance series
Full novel at 98,000 words
Includes discussion questions for book clubs
Young Cassie Weaver only wants what is expected of an Amish a good Amish husband and a large family. But she's happy as Job and Dinah Keim's housekeeper, helping Dinah, who is losing her sight due to diabetes. For two decades the Keims have prayed for the salvation of their two children who left the community in a cloud of shame and mystery.
Mason knew there was more to his mother's past than she let on, but nothing could have prepared him for learning about his Amish roots upon his mother's sudden death. Even more surprising, his mother named her Amish parents, Job and Dinah, as guardians to her five children. Now Mason has to trust that this couple, and their pretty housekeeper, can take care of his younger siblings, even when all he wants is to take care of them himself.
As the children adjust to this new lifestyle, Mason finds himself pulled back to the Keims' home. Yes, he wants to see his siblings, but it's the conversations with Cassie that keep him coming back for more. Is there more to this Amish faith and how does it play into his own past? Cassie guards against her growing feelings for Mason, because there can be no happy ending for a Plain girl in love with an Englisch man . . . right?
Bestselling and award-winning Amish romance novelist Kelly Irvin is back with a heartwarming tale of the power of love to heal all wounds.
The first in a new, sweet Amish romance series
Full novel at 98,000 words
Includes discussion questions for book clubs
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2021
59 people are currently reading
1493 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Irvin
74 books830 followersBest-selling author Kelly Irvin splits her writing time between Amish romances and romantic suspense. Her latest release is Trust Me (2/8/22), a romantic suspense novel set in San Antonio's historic art district. It explores broken trust and whether trust can ever be restored. Publishers Weekly called it a "whirlwind romantic thriller" and "an emotional rollercoaster."
Her latest Amish romance is Love's Dwelling, the first book in the Amish Blessings series, which released in July 2021. The series takes place in Yoder and Haven, Kansas, and looks at adoption among the Amish. The series follows her Amish romance series, Amish of Sky Country includes Mountains of Grace, followed by The Long Bridge Home, and Peace in the Valley. The series explores Amish communities in northwest Montana and how they are impacted by wildfires.
Other romantic suspense novels include Her Every Move, which Publishers Weekly called gripping suspense and said, "loving descriptions of San Antonio’s attractions enhance the well-paced plot."
The publication called Closer Than She Knows a "brisk, smoothly written, thriller."
Kelly's Every Amish Season series includes Upon A Spring Breeze, Beneath the Summer Sun, Through the Autumn Air, and With Winter's First Frost from Zondervan/HarperCollins Christian Publishing. This follows the Amish of Bee County series, The Saddle Maker's Son, released in June 2016. It is an ECPA bestseller. It follows The Bishop's Son, and the critically acclaimed bestseller, The Beekeeper's Son, which earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. The reviewer called it "a beautifully woven masterpiece." The Beekeeper's Son was a finalist in the romance category of the 2016 ACFW Carol Awards Contest.
Kelly is also the author of the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Amish Amish series. The first series includes To Love and To Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home, published by Harvest House. The New Hope Amish series includes Love Still Stands, followed by Love Redeemed, which was an ACFW Carol Award finalist, and A Plain Love Song.
Kelly has also penned two other romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine..
The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and ACFW's San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers.
A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly has been writing nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso.
She worked in public relations for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department for 22 years before retiring earlier this year. Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-eight years. They have two young adult children and have three grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories, read books by her favorite authors, and looks forward to visits with her grandchildren.
Her latest Amish romance is Love's Dwelling, the first book in the Amish Blessings series, which released in July 2021. The series takes place in Yoder and Haven, Kansas, and looks at adoption among the Amish. The series follows her Amish romance series, Amish of Sky Country includes Mountains of Grace, followed by The Long Bridge Home, and Peace in the Valley. The series explores Amish communities in northwest Montana and how they are impacted by wildfires.
Other romantic suspense novels include Her Every Move, which Publishers Weekly called gripping suspense and said, "loving descriptions of San Antonio’s attractions enhance the well-paced plot."
The publication called Closer Than She Knows a "brisk, smoothly written, thriller."
Kelly's Every Amish Season series includes Upon A Spring Breeze, Beneath the Summer Sun, Through the Autumn Air, and With Winter's First Frost from Zondervan/HarperCollins Christian Publishing. This follows the Amish of Bee County series, The Saddle Maker's Son, released in June 2016. It is an ECPA bestseller. It follows The Bishop's Son, and the critically acclaimed bestseller, The Beekeeper's Son, which earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. The reviewer called it "a beautifully woven masterpiece." The Beekeeper's Son was a finalist in the romance category of the 2016 ACFW Carol Awards Contest.
Kelly is also the author of the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Amish Amish series. The first series includes To Love and To Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home, published by Harvest House. The New Hope Amish series includes Love Still Stands, followed by Love Redeemed, which was an ACFW Carol Award finalist, and A Plain Love Song.
Kelly has also penned two other romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine..
The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and ACFW's San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers.
A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly has been writing nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso.
She worked in public relations for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department for 22 years before retiring earlier this year. Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-eight years. They have two young adult children and have three grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories, read books by her favorite authors, and looks forward to visits with her grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
August 1, 2021
"Gott didn't say it would be easy. Only that He would be with us during hard times. Don't you feel Him moving here today?"
Wowzers -- Love's Dwelling is all about God moving in the lives of both Amish and Englisch characters and I was riveted! Can't tell you when I've enjoyed an Amish novel more. I was actually reading it in snippets during breaks in the Olympics coverage so imagine my surprise when I finally looked up from the book to discover I'd missed both the gymnastics and swimming competitions. Like I was totally unaware the two events I tuned in to watch had come and gone without me even noticing! So, yes, riveted, enthralled, captivated...obsessed. :-)
While Irvin writes from only two points of view -- Cassie's and Mason's -- she still manages to convey all the emotions and reactions of multiple secondary characters. The far reaching effects the children's arrival has on so many people made this book unputdownable. It's a ripple effect of emotional turmoil and challenging changes that reach beyond their cloistered community.
Cassie's at the heart of it all -- devoted to the Keims, it doesn't take much to fall for their kinnskinner. There's such joy and zest in the way she embraces the challenge of integrating five confused, grieving Englisch children into plain living. That she's inexplicably drawn to the their older half brother is definitely a problem.
Mason is shell-shocked. He's spent most of his life on the outside looking in. He's done his best to shelter his siblings from a broken home and parental neglect. And he doesn't think twice about taking on the responsibility of raising them after the untimely death of their mother. But he's also a product of the same environment and he doesn't have a clue about what a functioning family looks like. But, oh, how he tries! He tugged at every one of my heart strings and then tied them up in knots!
Mason's journey, both personal and spiritual, touched me the most. There are layers upon layers upon layers to this guy and his backstory and I hung on every word. Felt every emotion. Hoped as fervently as Cassie that he would find a way to come in from the fringes and fully experience life and family and faith the way God intended him to. Sniffle. This one left me a tad teary-eyed and infinitely hopeful.
Wowzers -- Love's Dwelling is all about God moving in the lives of both Amish and Englisch characters and I was riveted! Can't tell you when I've enjoyed an Amish novel more. I was actually reading it in snippets during breaks in the Olympics coverage so imagine my surprise when I finally looked up from the book to discover I'd missed both the gymnastics and swimming competitions. Like I was totally unaware the two events I tuned in to watch had come and gone without me even noticing! So, yes, riveted, enthralled, captivated...obsessed. :-)
While Irvin writes from only two points of view -- Cassie's and Mason's -- she still manages to convey all the emotions and reactions of multiple secondary characters. The far reaching effects the children's arrival has on so many people made this book unputdownable. It's a ripple effect of emotional turmoil and challenging changes that reach beyond their cloistered community.
Cassie's at the heart of it all -- devoted to the Keims, it doesn't take much to fall for their kinnskinner. There's such joy and zest in the way she embraces the challenge of integrating five confused, grieving Englisch children into plain living. That she's inexplicably drawn to the their older half brother is definitely a problem.
Mason is shell-shocked. He's spent most of his life on the outside looking in. He's done his best to shelter his siblings from a broken home and parental neglect. And he doesn't think twice about taking on the responsibility of raising them after the untimely death of their mother. But he's also a product of the same environment and he doesn't have a clue about what a functioning family looks like. But, oh, how he tries! He tugged at every one of my heart strings and then tied them up in knots!
Mason's journey, both personal and spiritual, touched me the most. There are layers upon layers upon layers to this guy and his backstory and I hung on every word. Felt every emotion. Hoped as fervently as Cassie that he would find a way to come in from the fringes and fully experience life and family and faith the way God intended him to. Sniffle. This one left me a tad teary-eyed and infinitely hopeful.
February 12, 2022
This is the first book in the new series by Kelly Irvin with her Amish series, Amish Blessings.
Readers who enjoy reading about the Plain life will enjoy this with, it's heartwarming and will keep your attention.
Our story is told from two points of view, Casssie Weaver a young Amish woman, a caretaker for an elderly Amish woman,Dinah with failing health losing her sight to diabetes.
Mason, the oldest of his mother's five children is shocked to discover after his mother's death that his grandparents are the Amish couple Dinah and her husband Job and she wants him to seek them out.
The couple is shocked to learn they have grandchildren as they had no contact with their daughter after she was shunned.
The children have quite an adjustment to make learning to live Amish and Mason being the oldest they see him as their safety net while they settling in.
It's so nice to see Dinah come alive and feel like she has a reason to rejoice with her newly discovered grandchildren.
The book has great character development and it's so nice to see faith sprinkled into the book and the children finding their faith and becoming stronger in it.
Very spiritually sound and uplifting book. Recommended!
Pub July 6,2021.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
Readers who enjoy reading about the Plain life will enjoy this with, it's heartwarming and will keep your attention.
Our story is told from two points of view, Casssie Weaver a young Amish woman, a caretaker for an elderly Amish woman,Dinah with failing health losing her sight to diabetes.
Mason, the oldest of his mother's five children is shocked to discover after his mother's death that his grandparents are the Amish couple Dinah and her husband Job and she wants him to seek them out.
The couple is shocked to learn they have grandchildren as they had no contact with their daughter after she was shunned.
The children have quite an adjustment to make learning to live Amish and Mason being the oldest they see him as their safety net while they settling in.
It's so nice to see Dinah come alive and feel like she has a reason to rejoice with her newly discovered grandchildren.
The book has great character development and it's so nice to see faith sprinkled into the book and the children finding their faith and becoming stronger in it.
Very spiritually sound and uplifting book. Recommended!
Pub July 6,2021.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
August 15, 2021
This is by far the best ever by Kelly Irvin! Lots of things going on in this sweet and fun read. The theme of family, love and forgiveness plus trust are a rolled into one. My favorite from this book is how the author shows us how love runs deep no matter where you come from. "Family is a peculiar thing." You don't get to pick your blood relatives, but sometimes people by being everything that is good in that word." This is my favorite quote in this book. It means everything to me because it rings true in every sense of the word. A gentle reminder from God that there is hope in humans after all. Forgiveness is easy but the hurt runs even deeper and sometimes,, most times it's hard to overcome. Life is what we sometimes make of it. But other times it's out of our control. Cassie's my favorite because she wears her heart on her sleeves just like I do. She willingly opens her heart and her trust in the Lord is strong. Mason is the one I really admired and appreciated. I think I could relate to him in more ways than one except for that one. I appreciate Irvin showing how real his struggles are. Thank you Ms. Irvin for a fantastic story that made my heart melt in more ways than one! I'll definitely be sure to add this to my list of favorites for 2021!
June 10, 2021
This is a read that will tug at your heartstrings, full of chuckles and tears, and most of all love.
Cassie Weaver is enjoying her job as care taker and housekeeper for Keims, Dinah has severe diabetes, and needs help. Her life and those around her change forever when five or rather six siblings of the Keim's daughter arrive at their doorstep.
The Keim's, Dinah and Job's, hearts are full with the arrival of the unknown Grandchildren, what a blessing.
This is a story that shows that family comes in many forms and then their is love!
I loved the ending of this read, it pulled everything together, along with some cake, and of course, all the units of the family!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.
Cassie Weaver is enjoying her job as care taker and housekeeper for Keims, Dinah has severe diabetes, and needs help. Her life and those around her change forever when five or rather six siblings of the Keim's daughter arrive at their doorstep.
The Keim's, Dinah and Job's, hearts are full with the arrival of the unknown Grandchildren, what a blessing.
This is a story that shows that family comes in many forms and then their is love!
I loved the ending of this read, it pulled everything together, along with some cake, and of course, all the units of the family!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.
November 7, 2022
I was captured from the opening of this book. Cassie’s love for the Keim’s grandchildren when they arrived unexpectedly melted my heart. The struggles with dealing with child protective services was not easy for the Amish community. This story is beautifully penned from Irvin’s heart and I felt the tears of joy and pain throughout the tale. This was a great introduction to Irvin’s new series Amish Blessings. I look forward to reading the entire series knowing book three will not release until 2023.
I won an ARC of this book from a Facebook group giveaway without any obligation to write a review. I have shared my own thoughts.
I won an ARC of this book from a Facebook group giveaway without any obligation to write a review. I have shared my own thoughts.
July 7, 2021
Love’s Dwelling by Kelly Irvin is a poignant novel. This is a book that I stayed up late reading (you should have seen me trying to read while I made dinner and did the dishes). It is so much more than an Amish romance novel which I loved. I thought Love’s Dwelling was well-written with developed characters. We go to Yoder, Kansas where Cassie Weaver works for Dinah and Job Keim as their housekeeper. They are shocked when a social worker arrives with five young kids along with a man in his 20s. It turns out that their daughter who left twenty-three years ago has passed away and left guardianship of her children to them. Her oldest son, Mason Keim (22) does not want to lose contact with his half siblings. Cassie offers to move in to help with the kids since Dinah has health issues. Cassie quickly falls in love with the kids. Mason finds Cassie easy to talk to and they become friends. Mason wants to learn more about his heritage and how his siblings will be raised. The more Mason learns, the more he finds it appealing. But Mason is unsure if he could transition from his Englisch lifestyle. He finds himself falling for Cassie, but, as Mason has been warned, love is not a reason to become Amish. What path will Mason take? Love’s Dwelling is an emotional novel as the Keim’s grandchildren adjust to their new life. These kids have not had the easiest life and they have just lost their mother. They are being taken away from everything that is familiar. Little Jennie, the Keim’s youngest grandchild, is the show stealer. She is a cutie. Family, forgiveness, acceptance, and faith are the central themes of Love’s Dwelling. Learning to deal with regrets is another issue addressed. I like that the Amish do not force their beliefs on the kids or Mason. They live by example. You also get to see the differences between the Amish and the Englisch (besides the obvious). The ending nicely wrapped up the story. I am eager for the next book in the Amish Blessings series. Love’s Dwelling is a touching Amish tale with grief-stricken grandchildren, a helpful housekeeper, debilitating diabetes, a searching sibling, grateful grandparents, and scrumptious cake.
November 29, 2021
God offers hope where there seems no hope.
Mason's life seems hopeless. His mother has passed away leaving instructions that the younger children will now live with her Amish parents that she has not seen for 23 years. Mason is 23 and has never met his grandparents. He has been raising his brothers and sisters since his mother's death but the state of Kansas will honor their mother's request. With fears and anxiety, Mason along with their social worker arrives at the Keim farm to set the younger children up. Job and Dinah Keim see this opportunity to make things with their daughter and to find out why she had left the faith. With the help of their young housekeeper Cassie Yoder, they offer the children hope in their Amish community.
Upon meeting Mason and Cassie see each other differently. Mason sees Cassie as different than other girls and Cassie sees Mason with empathy in raising his youngest brothers and sisters. Some of their children embrace the Amish lifestyle while the others reject the authority aspect of the Amish lifestyle. Each of the children including Mason have baggage from their upbringing. There are several fathers and Mason does not know who is father is.
The life lessons in their story is plentiful. Mason being the fixer personality and allowing God and others to help him is always a good lesson and one that bears repeating. We never know how God is working in the life of others and our own. The value of a teachable spirit along with the help of others is always a plus. Another lesson is our personal relationship with God. Mason was developing that and one with Cassie. Our relationship with God is not about feelings but about embracing the truth of who God is and who we are without God and with God. How God reigns in our life. Mason had to understand his relationship with the Lord before he could develop any relationship with Cassie. Cassie was all in with her faith and was wise beyond her years to the fact that she knew if she was going to have a relationship with Mason, he had to understand what faith was. He had to decide what he believed while Cassie had to live what she believed.
The character development was engaging and lovely. The progression of faith was part of their story. Loved it.
A special thank you to Zondervan Fiction and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
Mason's life seems hopeless. His mother has passed away leaving instructions that the younger children will now live with her Amish parents that she has not seen for 23 years. Mason is 23 and has never met his grandparents. He has been raising his brothers and sisters since his mother's death but the state of Kansas will honor their mother's request. With fears and anxiety, Mason along with their social worker arrives at the Keim farm to set the younger children up. Job and Dinah Keim see this opportunity to make things with their daughter and to find out why she had left the faith. With the help of their young housekeeper Cassie Yoder, they offer the children hope in their Amish community.
Upon meeting Mason and Cassie see each other differently. Mason sees Cassie as different than other girls and Cassie sees Mason with empathy in raising his youngest brothers and sisters. Some of their children embrace the Amish lifestyle while the others reject the authority aspect of the Amish lifestyle. Each of the children including Mason have baggage from their upbringing. There are several fathers and Mason does not know who is father is.
The life lessons in their story is plentiful. Mason being the fixer personality and allowing God and others to help him is always a good lesson and one that bears repeating. We never know how God is working in the life of others and our own. The value of a teachable spirit along with the help of others is always a plus. Another lesson is our personal relationship with God. Mason was developing that and one with Cassie. Our relationship with God is not about feelings but about embracing the truth of who God is and who we are without God and with God. How God reigns in our life. Mason had to understand his relationship with the Lord before he could develop any relationship with Cassie. Cassie was all in with her faith and was wise beyond her years to the fact that she knew if she was going to have a relationship with Mason, he had to understand what faith was. He had to decide what he believed while Cassie had to live what she believed.
The character development was engaging and lovely. The progression of faith was part of their story. Loved it.
A special thank you to Zondervan Fiction and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
July 6, 2021
Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of Love’s Dwelling by Kelly Irwin. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.
Love’s Dwelling is a well written Amish novel with endearing characters and an emotionally charged plot. The pacing pulled me in from the first page and kept me enmeshed until the very last page.
Cassie Weaver is the heroine, and her character has all the traits I look for in an Amish female protagonist. While she wants a family and a husband, she’s happy helping Dinah and Job as their housekeeper since Dinah is losing her sight. When they become the guardians to their five grandchildren, she’s more than happy to help her employers. Her immediate acceptance and love for the children in her care touched my heart.
Mason is the hero, and he is shocked when he learns his mother wants her parents to raise his half brothers and sisters. He didn’t even know his mother’s parents, or that his late mother was raised Amish. His reaction is what one would expect when facing such unusual circumstances. This has him questioning everything about his life.
Because he wants to be in his sibling’s life, he finds employment and moves to be near them. As he gets to know his grandparents and the young woman helping them, his feelings for Cassie grow.
I enjoyed the sweet romance between Mason and Cassie. It grows from their friendship and their mutual love for his adorable siblings. I truly wanted this couple to find their happy ending, but there are many things that must fall into place for it to happen.
If you enjoy Amish fiction with plenty of heart that has a lovely message of faith, and a plot that will bring tears to your eyes on more than one occasion, then you will love Love’s Dwelling as much as I did. This is the first book in Ms. Irwin’s newest series, and I can’t wait to read the next one. Happy reading!
Love’s Dwelling is a well written Amish novel with endearing characters and an emotionally charged plot. The pacing pulled me in from the first page and kept me enmeshed until the very last page.
Cassie Weaver is the heroine, and her character has all the traits I look for in an Amish female protagonist. While she wants a family and a husband, she’s happy helping Dinah and Job as their housekeeper since Dinah is losing her sight. When they become the guardians to their five grandchildren, she’s more than happy to help her employers. Her immediate acceptance and love for the children in her care touched my heart.
Mason is the hero, and he is shocked when he learns his mother wants her parents to raise his half brothers and sisters. He didn’t even know his mother’s parents, or that his late mother was raised Amish. His reaction is what one would expect when facing such unusual circumstances. This has him questioning everything about his life.
Because he wants to be in his sibling’s life, he finds employment and moves to be near them. As he gets to know his grandparents and the young woman helping them, his feelings for Cassie grow.
I enjoyed the sweet romance between Mason and Cassie. It grows from their friendship and their mutual love for his adorable siblings. I truly wanted this couple to find their happy ending, but there are many things that must fall into place for it to happen.
If you enjoy Amish fiction with plenty of heart that has a lovely message of faith, and a plot that will bring tears to your eyes on more than one occasion, then you will love Love’s Dwelling as much as I did. This is the first book in Ms. Irwin’s newest series, and I can’t wait to read the next one. Happy reading!
June 3, 2021
Anyone who's read a lot of books from a particular genre knows that after a while you know what to expect. Stories get kind of predictable, however, that is usually what keeps you coming back so that is not meant in a negative way.
Stories like this one is usually some variant of man and woman meet and fall in love. They're often sweet and predictable, you know what you're going to get going into it.
This book caught me off guard because it was so much more than that, this was really about family and loss and the challenges of changes you didn't ask for. It, in a way, reminded me of the drama series I used to watch as a teenager (I can't be the only one who remembers "Everwood" - shout out to young Chris Pratt - and "Once & Again" and the like). They were always genuinely moving and so relationship focused, even though romance was part of it too it was never the only point of the series.
This book felt very much like the romance was a part of a grander story about family and the importance of choice, forgiveness, and how to handle regret and also death. It is still sweet and "in-genre" so to speak (though it became oddly self-aware when one character goes ""It's hard to understand why someone would bother writing a whole book about us. It's even harder to fathom why people spend their hard-earned dollars to buy the book to read it. Don't they have anything better to do? Why do people care how Plain folks live? They even read made-up romance stories about us." Lol, well I feel called out.), but there was a little something extra here. There was even character death which I did not see coming!
Extra points for having a cute dog named Tater in it.
Stories like this one is usually some variant of man and woman meet and fall in love. They're often sweet and predictable, you know what you're going to get going into it.
This book caught me off guard because it was so much more than that, this was really about family and loss and the challenges of changes you didn't ask for. It, in a way, reminded me of the drama series I used to watch as a teenager (I can't be the only one who remembers "Everwood" - shout out to young Chris Pratt - and "Once & Again" and the like). They were always genuinely moving and so relationship focused, even though romance was part of it too it was never the only point of the series.
This book felt very much like the romance was a part of a grander story about family and the importance of choice, forgiveness, and how to handle regret and also death. It is still sweet and "in-genre" so to speak (though it became oddly self-aware when one character goes ""It's hard to understand why someone would bother writing a whole book about us. It's even harder to fathom why people spend their hard-earned dollars to buy the book to read it. Don't they have anything better to do? Why do people care how Plain folks live? They even read made-up romance stories about us." Lol, well I feel called out.), but there was a little something extra here. There was even character death which I did not see coming!
Extra points for having a cute dog named Tater in it.
September 1, 2021
Let me start with my usual disclaimer when it comes to Amish themed books:
I have lots of problems with Amish and Mennonites communities (I encourage you to do some research on hiding rapes and domestic abuse, and how these communities deal [or rather not deal] with it), but in general the Amish culture is fascinating and when you sugarcoat it this book is what you get.
This book is sweet and wholesome and if you need a break from thrilles or any sad/heavy/horrible books then I'd say go for it!
There's a lot of God talk, so be aware of that. Not everyone is ok with it, but honestly it comes with the territory I guess.
The whole plot is more intriguing than in your typical Amish novel and I admit it it made me tear up a bit few times.
It's not the best book you'll ever read but it's a quick and clean read.
I received this book from the Publisher in an exchange for an honest review
I have lots of problems with Amish and Mennonites communities (I encourage you to do some research on hiding rapes and domestic abuse, and how these communities deal [or rather not deal] with it), but in general the Amish culture is fascinating and when you sugarcoat it this book is what you get.
This book is sweet and wholesome and if you need a break from thrilles or any sad/heavy/horrible books then I'd say go for it!
There's a lot of God talk, so be aware of that. Not everyone is ok with it, but honestly it comes with the territory I guess.
The whole plot is more intriguing than in your typical Amish novel and I admit it it made me tear up a bit few times.
It's not the best book you'll ever read but it's a quick and clean read.
I received this book from the Publisher in an exchange for an honest review
March 27, 2023
This was an intriguing storyline. A woman leaves the Amish community after being baptized, therefore she is under the ban. However, she stipulates in her will that her children be returned to the community and raised by her parents if anything happens to her. And when it does, five children suddenly show up on the steps of their grandparents' home, bereft and traumatized. How will five modern youngsters, who have been abused and have had no stability in their lives react when suddenly transferred to the close-knit, conservative world of the Amish?
The storyline was great, but the way it was worked out was not quite as great, in my opinion. I've read and enjoyed several of Kelly Irvin's Amish stories, but this one was a little difficult to believe. Everything worked out a little too nicely, a little too quickly. But it was a good story and kept me interested. I live not far from where her story was set, so I enjoyed hearing the names of the towns and cities in the area.
The storyline was great, but the way it was worked out was not quite as great, in my opinion. I've read and enjoyed several of Kelly Irvin's Amish stories, but this one was a little difficult to believe. Everything worked out a little too nicely, a little too quickly. But it was a good story and kept me interested. I live not far from where her story was set, so I enjoyed hearing the names of the towns and cities in the area.
September 18, 2021
Love’s Dwelling by Kelly Irvin is the first book in the Amish Blessings series. Cassie Yoder works as a housekeeper for an elderly Amish couple named Job and Dinah Keim. Her dream is to one day have a family of her own. The Keim’s two children left the fold more than twenty years ago. Suddenly, they are surprised to learn that after a tragedy, they have six grandchildren who are now under their care because their daughter left a will leaving her children in their custody. A lovely story of loss and renewal unfolds in this touching and heart-warming novel.
November 14, 2022
So, this was a *good* story. All about love - love of God, family love and, yes, also romantic love but I really appreciated the fact that it was not primarily focused on that last one. A story about family and difficult situations and all that. And it really "hit the spot" as some of the characters (and a million other people, I imagine) like to say.
Amish literature project or not, I'm glad I read this book and also got to discover another good writer.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley.
Amish literature project or not, I'm glad I read this book and also got to discover another good writer.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley.
October 30, 2021
Cassie is working as a housekeeper for Job and Dinah when their yet unknown five English grandkids show up on their doorstep with a social worker. Their daughter, the kids mom, has died, and her will requests that her parents be the kids’ guardians. The kids must adapt to an Amish lifestyle, but it will be up to them to decide which world they will ultimately embrace. The story is an interesting mix of romance, spiritual growth, and familial love.
May 11, 2023
February-January/Kansas
This is similar to "The Prodigal Son" story in the Bible. Family, loss, and forgiveness are major parts of the story. There is also romance. It isn't a big part of the story. I didn't like the way the story started. It made me dislike a lot of the characters. Some of them got better as the story progressed. I did like the ending. I had hoped it would have ended differently, though.
This is similar to "The Prodigal Son" story in the Bible. Family, loss, and forgiveness are major parts of the story. There is also romance. It isn't a big part of the story. I didn't like the way the story started. It made me dislike a lot of the characters. Some of them got better as the story progressed. I did like the ending. I had hoped it would have ended differently, though.
October 16, 2024
This is a great book! I like Amish fiction. This story is about about children whose English mother dies and leaves them with her Amish parents. The children's grandparents have Cassie working for them as a housekeeper. The children's oldest brother is an adult who develops feelings for Cassie. Can Cassie keep Englisher Mason at arms length?
November 14, 2021
Sweet, and I liked Mason’s story a lot but Cassie was too much of a “good amish girl” cliche. I’m pretty sure even amish people have personalities and thoughts of their own.
April 21, 2021
This book was a quick and easy book to read. I enjoyed that the premise to the story was different from many that I read.
I particularly enjoyed the character of Cassie. She is a young lady who is working for the Keim family when their 5 grandchildren move in. Cassie also moves in to help with all of the added responsibilities. She works hard for the family and loves deeply.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.
I particularly enjoyed the character of Cassie. She is a young lady who is working for the Keim family when their 5 grandchildren move in. Cassie also moves in to help with all of the added responsibilities. She works hard for the family and loves deeply.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.
May 29, 2021
Thank you Zondervan Fiction for giving me the opportunity to read Kelly Irvin's July 6, 2021, upcoming release, LOVE'S DWELLING through NetGalley.
This is the story of Cassie Weaver who works as a housekeeper for Job and Dinah Keim. Dinah battles diabetes that has caused her sight to fail and created problems with her walking.
Over twenty years ago the Kime's children, Perry and Georgia left the community for the English world. Because of Georgia's death, and flowing her instructions her 5 younger children were to be given to their grandparents to become their guardians. There was also an adult grandson, Mason, that came along with his brothers. sisters and caseworker to deliver the news to the Kime's. The children, Kathy. Jennie, Bobby, Donny. and Kevin were to be placed in the Kime's care.
No question about it, the Kime's wanted these children in their lives, but where was Mason to fit in? We will also be able to follow his growth and maturity.
This is truly a story of love, forgiveness, acceptance, and growth of this not-so-average family.
You will truly enjoy this tale as it unfolds in Kelly's 5-star book. Pre-order yours today. Thank you Kelly Irvin for sharing this wonderful story with us.
#LovesDwelling #NetGalley#ZondervanFiction#Goodreads
https://www.netgalley.com/member/book...
This is the story of Cassie Weaver who works as a housekeeper for Job and Dinah Keim. Dinah battles diabetes that has caused her sight to fail and created problems with her walking.
Over twenty years ago the Kime's children, Perry and Georgia left the community for the English world. Because of Georgia's death, and flowing her instructions her 5 younger children were to be given to their grandparents to become their guardians. There was also an adult grandson, Mason, that came along with his brothers. sisters and caseworker to deliver the news to the Kime's. The children, Kathy. Jennie, Bobby, Donny. and Kevin were to be placed in the Kime's care.
No question about it, the Kime's wanted these children in their lives, but where was Mason to fit in? We will also be able to follow his growth and maturity.
This is truly a story of love, forgiveness, acceptance, and growth of this not-so-average family.
You will truly enjoy this tale as it unfolds in Kelly's 5-star book. Pre-order yours today. Thank you Kelly Irvin for sharing this wonderful story with us.
#LovesDwelling #NetGalley#ZondervanFiction#Goodreads
https://www.netgalley.com/member/book...
May 30, 2021
This is such a deep story. It is heart touching. Cassie truly serves the Lord as she works to help her elderly employers with daily life. Author Kelly Irvin brings a family together through tragedy and need. Young English children are brought into a strict Amish community per instruction from a wayward daughter's will following her death.
This touching story deals with pain, loss and confusion on all sides as the children and their older half brother adjust to a different way of life. The characters are realistic from the elderly Dinah's battle with diabetes and weakness to Cassie's strength in her faithful care of the entire family. Vulnerable children who need care and a lonely young man who has to relinquish his full responsibilities to Amish grandparents he's never met all lend powerful magnetism to this book.
This is a book that is hard to put down. This story of faith, tradition, pain and forgiveness shows the chance for hope that we all need. I want to thank the publisher Zondervan and NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy of this excellent book. This is my own opinion. This is the kind of story that stays with me for days after reading it. If you love a more realistic Amish story I think you will enjoy this book.
This touching story deals with pain, loss and confusion on all sides as the children and their older half brother adjust to a different way of life. The characters are realistic from the elderly Dinah's battle with diabetes and weakness to Cassie's strength in her faithful care of the entire family. Vulnerable children who need care and a lonely young man who has to relinquish his full responsibilities to Amish grandparents he's never met all lend powerful magnetism to this book.
This is a book that is hard to put down. This story of faith, tradition, pain and forgiveness shows the chance for hope that we all need. I want to thank the publisher Zondervan and NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy of this excellent book. This is my own opinion. This is the kind of story that stays with me for days after reading it. If you love a more realistic Amish story I think you will enjoy this book.
November 22, 2022
This is such a good book! I really enjoyed it. What a good story of hope, love and redemption. I really enjoyed, as I do with most Amish fiction, how the entire community plays a role in the life of a Plain person. Im looking forward to the second book!
August 2, 2022
Such an enjoyable read, though there were a few tears near the end. I loved how the family came together and became united in faith. Great book!
July 13, 2021
4.5 stars.
Love’s Dwelling by Kelly Irvin is a heartfelt Amish novel of family, healing and love.
Twenty-two-year-old Cassie Weaver is a housekeeper for Job and Dinah Keim. Despite his advanced years, Job is still hard-working and takes care of his farm work on his own. Dinah’s diabetes has worsened over the years and while she has lost her sight, she remains thankful for her blessings. When their grandchildren unexpectedly arrive, their happiness is mixed with sorrow because their estranged daughter has passed away. With grandchildren ranging in age from four-year-old Jennie to twenty-two-year-old Mason, they open their hearts and their home to the grieving children. Cassie moves in full-time to assist with the care of the younger kids while Mason continues living and working in the city. With his visits to his grandparents’ farm filling a void within him, Mason considers converting to the Amish faith. He is also beginning to fall in love with Cassie who also falls for him, but until he has decided what life he wants, she knows they have no future together.
Cassie is an absolutely delightful young woman who years for a family of her own. She easily settles into helping with the younger children. She is charmed by young Jennie who thrives in her new home and basks in her grandmother's care. Eight-year-old Kathy is very responsible for her age and she loves life on the farm. The two youngest boys enjoy working the farm with Job but sixteen-year-old Bobby chafes at the new rules and expectations. Cassie tries her best to assist the kids as they transition from their old way of life to their new one.
Mason has been raising his younger siblings for so long it is difficult for him to relinquish them into their grandparents' care. With bills to pay, he keeps his old job but he is exhausted from driving back and forth to see his brothers and sisters. Mason soon grows to appreciate the slower pace and simpler life he enjoys at his grandparents’ farm. But does he want to become Amish?
With a lovely undercurrent of faith, Love’s Dwelling is a truly captivating novel with a serene setting and multi-dimensional characters. Dinah and Job are loving grandparents whose pain over their daughter’s death and their son’s continued absence is palpable. Cassie’s joy is contagious as she cares for the children and gently assists Dinah with daily tasks. Mason is a wonderful young man whose confusion about his future is easy to relate to. The storyline is engaging and Kelly Irvin brings this charming Amish novel to an uplifting conclusion. This first novel in the Amish Blessings series will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment.
Love’s Dwelling by Kelly Irvin is a heartfelt Amish novel of family, healing and love.
Twenty-two-year-old Cassie Weaver is a housekeeper for Job and Dinah Keim. Despite his advanced years, Job is still hard-working and takes care of his farm work on his own. Dinah’s diabetes has worsened over the years and while she has lost her sight, she remains thankful for her blessings. When their grandchildren unexpectedly arrive, their happiness is mixed with sorrow because their estranged daughter has passed away. With grandchildren ranging in age from four-year-old Jennie to twenty-two-year-old Mason, they open their hearts and their home to the grieving children. Cassie moves in full-time to assist with the care of the younger kids while Mason continues living and working in the city. With his visits to his grandparents’ farm filling a void within him, Mason considers converting to the Amish faith. He is also beginning to fall in love with Cassie who also falls for him, but until he has decided what life he wants, she knows they have no future together.
Cassie is an absolutely delightful young woman who years for a family of her own. She easily settles into helping with the younger children. She is charmed by young Jennie who thrives in her new home and basks in her grandmother's care. Eight-year-old Kathy is very responsible for her age and she loves life on the farm. The two youngest boys enjoy working the farm with Job but sixteen-year-old Bobby chafes at the new rules and expectations. Cassie tries her best to assist the kids as they transition from their old way of life to their new one.
Mason has been raising his younger siblings for so long it is difficult for him to relinquish them into their grandparents' care. With bills to pay, he keeps his old job but he is exhausted from driving back and forth to see his brothers and sisters. Mason soon grows to appreciate the slower pace and simpler life he enjoys at his grandparents’ farm. But does he want to become Amish?
With a lovely undercurrent of faith, Love’s Dwelling is a truly captivating novel with a serene setting and multi-dimensional characters. Dinah and Job are loving grandparents whose pain over their daughter’s death and their son’s continued absence is palpable. Cassie’s joy is contagious as she cares for the children and gently assists Dinah with daily tasks. Mason is a wonderful young man whose confusion about his future is easy to relate to. The storyline is engaging and Kelly Irvin brings this charming Amish novel to an uplifting conclusion. This first novel in the Amish Blessings series will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment.
July 31, 2021
Love’s Dwelling by Kelly Irvin is Book 1 in the Amish Blessings Series and I am so very excited to start this journey with these characters as well as this series. I can tell you this book was excellent from the very first page right to the last it held my attention and I can honestly say I’m so very much looking forward to seeing what’s in store for this series.
Now are far as this story you will have the pleasure of meeting the wonderful family of the Keim’s ( Job, Dinah, Perry, Georgia, and Mason) then Mason has five half siblings ( Bobby, Kevin, Kathy, Donny, and Jennie) and you will also meet Cassie Waever .
There are several other characters that pop In however these are the ones that hold the main focus in this storyline.
Without giving any spoilers I can tell you that as Mason struggles with putting the pieces of his past together all while trying to adjust to his new reality or better yet the reality he finds himself drawn too he also knows that reality is so foreign to him yet something that did not have to be. He has spent most of his life taking care of his younger half siblings and will continue too although now he finds that this decision no longer falls on him but on the Grandparents he never knew he had and he is so happy for his half siblings as they will have family again.
Then we have Cassie Weaver who has worked for the Keims as their housekeeper for sometime and dreams of having what every young Amish women does a husband and lots of children but will that Dream ever come true? Cassie loves working with Dinah and when her grandchildren come she finds herself that much more happy.
But how will this situation look to the community with Cassie being Amish and Mason being English? Even thou Mason’s grandparents are Amish Mason is still English it’s not a good situation and it’s definitely not proper for Cassie to be around Mason, but oh how she os drawn to him and he to her.
Does God have a plan here?
Will the children adjust to their new life, can these city kids become Amish country happy?
Will Mason find his new normal and make peace with his past and his future?
Can Cassie have her dream life and still take care of her lifelong friendships of the Keim’s ?
I highly recommend this book and I will be counting down the days until I can read book 2 in the series.
This is really an excellent book
Now are far as this story you will have the pleasure of meeting the wonderful family of the Keim’s ( Job, Dinah, Perry, Georgia, and Mason) then Mason has five half siblings ( Bobby, Kevin, Kathy, Donny, and Jennie) and you will also meet Cassie Waever .
There are several other characters that pop In however these are the ones that hold the main focus in this storyline.
Without giving any spoilers I can tell you that as Mason struggles with putting the pieces of his past together all while trying to adjust to his new reality or better yet the reality he finds himself drawn too he also knows that reality is so foreign to him yet something that did not have to be. He has spent most of his life taking care of his younger half siblings and will continue too although now he finds that this decision no longer falls on him but on the Grandparents he never knew he had and he is so happy for his half siblings as they will have family again.
Then we have Cassie Weaver who has worked for the Keims as their housekeeper for sometime and dreams of having what every young Amish women does a husband and lots of children but will that Dream ever come true? Cassie loves working with Dinah and when her grandchildren come she finds herself that much more happy.
But how will this situation look to the community with Cassie being Amish and Mason being English? Even thou Mason’s grandparents are Amish Mason is still English it’s not a good situation and it’s definitely not proper for Cassie to be around Mason, but oh how she os drawn to him and he to her.
Does God have a plan here?
Will the children adjust to their new life, can these city kids become Amish country happy?
Will Mason find his new normal and make peace with his past and his future?
Can Cassie have her dream life and still take care of her lifelong friendships of the Keim’s ?
I highly recommend this book and I will be counting down the days until I can read book 2 in the series.
This is really an excellent book
August 8, 2021
What a wonderful beginning to a new series! Love’s Dwelling, Book One of Kelly Irvin’s new Amish Blessings series will really tug at your heartstrings.
Cassie Weaver works as a housekeeper for Job and Dinah Keim and also helps Dinah with many tasks that she has difficulty doing because of her failing eyesight due to diabetes. When the Keims’ grandchildren (children of the daughter who left the community more than twenty years ago) show up after their mother’s death, Cassie moves in with Job and Dinah to help care for the kids.
Mason, the oldest grandchild at age twenty-two, had wanted to keep his siblings with him, but he honors his mother’s explicit wishes that they go to the grandparents that he ever knew existed. Amish grandparents, at that. How would his English siblings adjust to an Amish lifestyle? He returns to the Keims’ home often to see his siblings and to get to know his grandparents. His conversations with gentle, caring Cassie draw him back even more to learn about her and this strange Amish culture that is his heritage.
Cassie enjoys Mason’s visits more than she probably should. She has always wanted what most Amish women desired—a husband and a large family—but she must keep her growing feelings for Mason in check if she wants to avoid a broken heart. Unless he becomes Amish, there is no hope for them, and she knows how difficult it would be for an Englisher to give up his entire way of life.
Kelly Irvin’s books always have wonderful settings and characters and realistic dialogue. Love’s Dwelling is no exception. I actually felt like I knew these characters as friends. I laughed and cried with them. I shared their hopes and dreams. I wanted their story to go on and on. This novel is filled with love, hope, faith, and forgiveness. You won’t easily be able to lay it aside once you begin reading the first page. I am so looking forward to the second book in this new series.
Cassie Weaver works as a housekeeper for Job and Dinah Keim and also helps Dinah with many tasks that she has difficulty doing because of her failing eyesight due to diabetes. When the Keims’ grandchildren (children of the daughter who left the community more than twenty years ago) show up after their mother’s death, Cassie moves in with Job and Dinah to help care for the kids.
Mason, the oldest grandchild at age twenty-two, had wanted to keep his siblings with him, but he honors his mother’s explicit wishes that they go to the grandparents that he ever knew existed. Amish grandparents, at that. How would his English siblings adjust to an Amish lifestyle? He returns to the Keims’ home often to see his siblings and to get to know his grandparents. His conversations with gentle, caring Cassie draw him back even more to learn about her and this strange Amish culture that is his heritage.
Cassie enjoys Mason’s visits more than she probably should. She has always wanted what most Amish women desired—a husband and a large family—but she must keep her growing feelings for Mason in check if she wants to avoid a broken heart. Unless he becomes Amish, there is no hope for them, and she knows how difficult it would be for an Englisher to give up his entire way of life.
Kelly Irvin’s books always have wonderful settings and characters and realistic dialogue. Love’s Dwelling is no exception. I actually felt like I knew these characters as friends. I laughed and cried with them. I shared their hopes and dreams. I wanted their story to go on and on. This novel is filled with love, hope, faith, and forgiveness. You won’t easily be able to lay it aside once you begin reading the first page. I am so looking forward to the second book in this new series.
September 2, 2021
Great story! Great characters!
Cassie is taking care of an elderly couple, Job and Dinah. Dinah's eyesight is failing, among other health issues when Cassie decided to move in with them so she could be there for them more.
Job and Dinah love Cassie as though she were their own. Their own daughter, Georgia, ran away after joining the church, taking her brother, Perry, with her. They never heard from either of them again.
Cassie desires a husband and kinner (children) of her own, but so far, it hasn't happened for her.
Imagine everyone's surprise when a social worker shows up at their door with five children, and one sibling who is grown and tells them the children belonged to their daughter, Georgia, who has died. Mason, the oldest of the siblings, found in his mother's things a note saying if anything ever happened to her that she wanted her children to live with her parents, Job and Dinah. This was news to the kids as they knew nothing about their mother's family, and nothing about their mother once being Amish.
News, also, to Job and Dinah as they had no idea that Georgia had children. Once she ran away, they knew nothing of her or her life.
The way Kelly Irvin told the story just made all the characters come to life! What a difficult, joyous, and sad time for everyone, all rolled into one.
This is truly a 'beauty from ashes' story. Good came from something that was so hard and sad.
You will fall in love with each of the children. Mason, who shouldered being a parent rather than an older brother to his siblings. Kathy, who tried to be a little momma to her siblings. Bobby, who at 16, is very sad and confused.
This book was truly a delight and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Zondervan and Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.
Cassie is taking care of an elderly couple, Job and Dinah. Dinah's eyesight is failing, among other health issues when Cassie decided to move in with them so she could be there for them more.
Job and Dinah love Cassie as though she were their own. Their own daughter, Georgia, ran away after joining the church, taking her brother, Perry, with her. They never heard from either of them again.
Cassie desires a husband and kinner (children) of her own, but so far, it hasn't happened for her.
Imagine everyone's surprise when a social worker shows up at their door with five children, and one sibling who is grown and tells them the children belonged to their daughter, Georgia, who has died. Mason, the oldest of the siblings, found in his mother's things a note saying if anything ever happened to her that she wanted her children to live with her parents, Job and Dinah. This was news to the kids as they knew nothing about their mother's family, and nothing about their mother once being Amish.
News, also, to Job and Dinah as they had no idea that Georgia had children. Once she ran away, they knew nothing of her or her life.
The way Kelly Irvin told the story just made all the characters come to life! What a difficult, joyous, and sad time for everyone, all rolled into one.
This is truly a 'beauty from ashes' story. Good came from something that was so hard and sad.
You will fall in love with each of the children. Mason, who shouldered being a parent rather than an older brother to his siblings. Kathy, who tried to be a little momma to her siblings. Bobby, who at 16, is very sad and confused.
This book was truly a delight and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Zondervan and Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.
October 17, 2021
A new series by Kelly Irwin and a great one it is going to be!! Love's Dwelling is the first installment, in this new series, Amish Blessings. I thoroughly enjoyed it from the first page, to the last and now can't wait to see where we will go with the second book!!
We never know the roads we will go down, as our life moves on and sometimes it is a good thing! For Job and Dinah Keim, they are struggling in their later years. Dinah is suffering sight issues because of her diabetes and her sight is waning. Job is trying to pick up the slack but can't do it all. Cassie Weaver has become their caregiver/housekeeper and friend. She comes and helps Dinah and Job, cooks meals, cleans and really becomes part of their family.
Dinah and Job have a daughter, Georgia, but she jumped the fence many years ago and they don't know where she living. They don't know anything about her or the life she choose, when she became English.
Well, surprise, surprise.....it seems that Georgia has several children...actually 5 children!!! Georgia has passed and now the children show up at Job and Dinah's because that is the only family they have.
It is a touching story, that is seen all too often, in the English world, but not in the Amish community. It will give you a smile, a few questions, and make you wonder if you could do it, if called upon.
Sit back, grab a warm blanket, a good drink and enjoy where the journey takes you.....you won't be sorry!!
Thank you to Net Galley and Zondervan for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
We never know the roads we will go down, as our life moves on and sometimes it is a good thing! For Job and Dinah Keim, they are struggling in their later years. Dinah is suffering sight issues because of her diabetes and her sight is waning. Job is trying to pick up the slack but can't do it all. Cassie Weaver has become their caregiver/housekeeper and friend. She comes and helps Dinah and Job, cooks meals, cleans and really becomes part of their family.
Dinah and Job have a daughter, Georgia, but she jumped the fence many years ago and they don't know where she living. They don't know anything about her or the life she choose, when she became English.
Well, surprise, surprise.....it seems that Georgia has several children...actually 5 children!!! Georgia has passed and now the children show up at Job and Dinah's because that is the only family they have.
It is a touching story, that is seen all too often, in the English world, but not in the Amish community. It will give you a smile, a few questions, and make you wonder if you could do it, if called upon.
Sit back, grab a warm blanket, a good drink and enjoy where the journey takes you.....you won't be sorry!!
Thank you to Net Galley and Zondervan for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
September 13, 2021
Love’s Dwelling by Kelly Irvin is Book 1 in the Amish Blessings Series. I must say that this book written about the Amish is very different from most and I enjoyed reading it. Job and Dinah Keim have inherited the care of their grandchildren whom they did not know existed. Their daughter left their home as a teenager and they had not heard from her since that time. Mason the eldest of the children wants to make sure his half siblings will be taken care of as he is as shocked as his grandparents are, for his mother never said a word about being raised Amish. Each in their own way do all they can to fit in with each other, as everything is so different for the children and the grandparents. Most Amish books are the telling of those who left their faith but I’ve never read where the non Amish wants to embrace the Amish faith.
There are many tender moments and you can’t help but love the children as they struggle with the loss of their mother and a new way to live without their games, tv, phones and fast foods. This story is incredibly well written, with strong characters, heartache, love, forgiveness, redemption, and a feeling of coming home. Some moments will surprise you and other moments will bring tears to your eyes….. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
There are many tender moments and you can’t help but love the children as they struggle with the loss of their mother and a new way to live without their games, tv, phones and fast foods. This story is incredibly well written, with strong characters, heartache, love, forgiveness, redemption, and a feeling of coming home. Some moments will surprise you and other moments will bring tears to your eyes….. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 12, 2021
Families come in all sizes, through different avenues, and sometimes in surprising ways.
Older couple Job and Dinah Keim, have employed Cassie to be their housekeeper to help Dinah who suffers from the effects of diabetes. Little did they know when they answered the door, they will now increase their family with 5 active young children, who happen to be grandchildren that they had no idea they had.
The Keims had two children who had left the Amish lifestyle over 20 years ago. To their shock, their daughter died, leaving a will stating she wants her parents to take care of the children. Mason, the oldest son is on his own but is not allowed to have custody of his siblings. They have all been raised English and must now learn how to live as the Amish do. Mason finds himself attracted to Cassie, but soon learns it is not a possibility for an English man and Amish woman to pursue a relationship.
I loved this book as there are so many surprising twists and turns showing how relationships, love, forgiveness and new ways of life can create to surprising family dynamics.
I highly recommend this book and thank Zondervan Fiction and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions expressed are my own.
Older couple Job and Dinah Keim, have employed Cassie to be their housekeeper to help Dinah who suffers from the effects of diabetes. Little did they know when they answered the door, they will now increase their family with 5 active young children, who happen to be grandchildren that they had no idea they had.
The Keims had two children who had left the Amish lifestyle over 20 years ago. To their shock, their daughter died, leaving a will stating she wants her parents to take care of the children. Mason, the oldest son is on his own but is not allowed to have custody of his siblings. They have all been raised English and must now learn how to live as the Amish do. Mason finds himself attracted to Cassie, but soon learns it is not a possibility for an English man and Amish woman to pursue a relationship.
I loved this book as there are so many surprising twists and turns showing how relationships, love, forgiveness and new ways of life can create to surprising family dynamics.
I highly recommend this book and thank Zondervan Fiction and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions expressed are my own.
April 24, 2021
Cassie is working for an elderly Amish couple, the Keim’s when a social worker and children appear on their doorstep. Turns out that the Keims daughter Georgia who left the Amish community over 20 years ago because she was pregnant with Mason, has been killed and she made her parents guardians over her children. Mason, the oldest child was not aware of his mother’s Amish background and soon discovers that his dad could be Amish. As he struggles between keeping his siblings with him or letting them stay with the grandparents, he soon realizes that Cassie is a good example of her faith and trust in God. It sparks his curiosity to find out more about the Amish and how God works in peoples lives if they let him.
This book was very enjoyable and I had a hard time putting it down. It held my interest because I wanted to find out the answers to the questions that Mason and Cassie were dealing with.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion and review.
This book was very enjoyable and I had a hard time putting it down. It held my interest because I wanted to find out the answers to the questions that Mason and Cassie were dealing with.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion and review.
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