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Amish Farm Trilogy #2
A Secret Identity
Readers will be delighted as popular author Gayle Roper continues her contemporary Amish series (that began with A Stranger's Wish ) with book two in The Amish Farm series, A Secret Identity . Cara Bentley is raised by her grandfather to appreciate family. When she discovers--quite by accident--that he was adopted, her whole perspective changes. If he wasn't a Bentley, who was he? If she isn't a Bentley, who is she? She determines to find her "real" family. Ending up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she takes a room at the Zook family farm. When she seeks the help of attorney Todd Reasoner, the search for the truth begins in earnest. But as mysterious accidents begin to happen, Cara suspects her attempt to find out the truth is not welcome--and neither is she. Readers will be turning pages to find the answers Cara seeks.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
9 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Gayle Roper
84 books90 followersGayle Roper rejoices every day that she gets to be a writer because she's in love with story. Even on the days that words rebel and have to be coerced onto the paper, there is nothing else she'd rather do. When readers like her work, it's like God says, "See? I knew what you were wired to do." When her books win awards like the Carol Award (Caught Redhanded) or the RITA Award (Autumn Dreams), the Holt Medallion (The Decision, Caught in a Bind, Autumn Dreams) or the Reviewer's Choice (The Decision), it's icing on the cake. And she gets to teach others how to write at conferences too. She spends a lot of time smiling. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America and is the best-selling author of Hide & Seek and more than forty other books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 28, 2024
After having met Todd in the first book of the series, and seeing him with Kristie (who he was ever so wrong with!), it was a delight to see him in *this* book with Cara, who seemed to be very good for him (and he was good for her!).
Aside from the romance aspect, I loved that this mystery was mostly a family history mystery . . . as well as a discussion about adoption and what truly makes 'family'. While I agree with Cara to some extent about 'bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh', I also believe that adoption, and even 'found family' are beautiful ways to surround yourself with love.
I was also pleased to see Jake being a little less grumpy than he was in the first book, as well as Rose playing a minor role after we met her in the first book.
3.5 stars
(Note that there are some discrepancies between the names and dates stated on the family history chart at the beginning of my (paperback) edition of the book and what are stated and implied in the actual text. Most people probably won't pick up on said discrepancies, but as a family historian, I was slightly dismayed to see things not quite 'computing'.)
Aside from the romance aspect, I loved that this mystery was mostly a family history mystery . . . as well as a discussion about adoption and what truly makes 'family'. While I agree with Cara to some extent about 'bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh', I also believe that adoption, and even 'found family' are beautiful ways to surround yourself with love.
I was also pleased to see Jake being a little less grumpy than he was in the first book, as well as Rose playing a minor role after we met her in the first book.
3.5 stars
(Note that there are some discrepancies between the names and dates stated on the family history chart at the beginning of my (paperback) edition of the book and what are stated and implied in the actual text. Most people probably won't pick up on said discrepancies, but as a family historian, I was slightly dismayed to see things not quite 'computing'.)
December 12, 2019
I enjoyed this books, it was really good the way the author blended the first and second book. I liked that she met up with Todd and he was not left hanging from before. I found the whole Zook family likable. I have been to the area many times and that made it even better.
January 3, 2011
Quickly after I finished A Stranger's Wish I jumped into
A Secret Identity by Gayle Roper
This is the second book in Gayle Roper's The Amish Farm trilogy.
You can read my review of A Stranger's Wish, here!
The story follows Cara Bentley who discovers after her beloved Grandfather's death that he was not, in fact, a Bentley, but rather he had been adopted.
Immediately an inexplicably Cara feels the need to go on a search to find her Grandfather's family. All she knows is the area he was adopted from, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
So, with the help of a very handsome attorney, Todd Reasoner, Cara begins the search to find her Grandfather's and her true family.
Cara struggles to figure out where her Grandfather came from, why he was given up for adoption, and why some people involved in her search are very hesitant about her finding her past. With everyone, including her own brother & sister-in-law trying to convince her that the Bentley family should be enough, Cara continues the search on her own, at times putting herself in peril.
Will Cara be able to find her "real" family, or will the Bentley family have to be enough? Why is someone sending her a clear message that she must stop researching her family history and leave well enough alone? Will the underhanded threats like chickens with throats slit, and blown-up mailboxes send Cara running away? Or will she stick around making the threats escalate further.
Will the handsome attorney end up helping her or hindering her in her search to find her "real" family? And why did her grandfather, who clearly knew of his own adoption, never tell her or search for his own family? Is there a secret buried deep he never wanted her to know? Or is there another reason that Cara was meant to go on this search?
A Secret Identity is similar to A Stranger's Wish in that the main characters it follows are not Amish, but are Englischers. There are also ties back to the main characters in A Stranger's Wish because we see Kristie again, now happily married to John Clarke Griffin, and we learn much more about Kristie's ex, Todd Reasoner as he moves from being a minor character to becoming a main character in this second book. Also, Cara moves onto the Zook farm where Kristie had lived before she married John Clarke Griffin, so we see more of the Zook family, but in my opinion, not enough!
Also, this is another story of mystery and intrigue rather than just romance, as many Amish books are, but it still maintains a focus on Christian values as both Todd & Cara are Christian.
I liked the book, I absolutely did, and I was glad to win an autographed copy from Gayle Roper, but it just did not speak to me nearly as much as most other Amish fiction books. It was so predictable, and I am horrible at predicting book endings, and I never bonded as much with these characters as I did with those in the first book in the series. I found myself wanting to know more about other characters, rather than the main ones, and I just couldn't understand Cara's inexplicable desire to find her "real" family. But, that being said it was very readable, a quick, easy, entertaining read. Worth the time, but not the most amazing book ever. I will, however, be sure to catch the third book in the series when it is published later this year!
3 out of 5 stars.
A Secret Identity by Gayle Roper
This is the second book in Gayle Roper's The Amish Farm trilogy.
You can read my review of A Stranger's Wish, here!
The story follows Cara Bentley who discovers after her beloved Grandfather's death that he was not, in fact, a Bentley, but rather he had been adopted.
Immediately an inexplicably Cara feels the need to go on a search to find her Grandfather's family. All she knows is the area he was adopted from, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
So, with the help of a very handsome attorney, Todd Reasoner, Cara begins the search to find her Grandfather's and her true family.
Cara struggles to figure out where her Grandfather came from, why he was given up for adoption, and why some people involved in her search are very hesitant about her finding her past. With everyone, including her own brother & sister-in-law trying to convince her that the Bentley family should be enough, Cara continues the search on her own, at times putting herself in peril.
Will Cara be able to find her "real" family, or will the Bentley family have to be enough? Why is someone sending her a clear message that she must stop researching her family history and leave well enough alone? Will the underhanded threats like chickens with throats slit, and blown-up mailboxes send Cara running away? Or will she stick around making the threats escalate further.
Will the handsome attorney end up helping her or hindering her in her search to find her "real" family? And why did her grandfather, who clearly knew of his own adoption, never tell her or search for his own family? Is there a secret buried deep he never wanted her to know? Or is there another reason that Cara was meant to go on this search?
A Secret Identity is similar to A Stranger's Wish in that the main characters it follows are not Amish, but are Englischers. There are also ties back to the main characters in A Stranger's Wish because we see Kristie again, now happily married to John Clarke Griffin, and we learn much more about Kristie's ex, Todd Reasoner as he moves from being a minor character to becoming a main character in this second book. Also, Cara moves onto the Zook farm where Kristie had lived before she married John Clarke Griffin, so we see more of the Zook family, but in my opinion, not enough!
Also, this is another story of mystery and intrigue rather than just romance, as many Amish books are, but it still maintains a focus on Christian values as both Todd & Cara are Christian.
I liked the book, I absolutely did, and I was glad to win an autographed copy from Gayle Roper, but it just did not speak to me nearly as much as most other Amish fiction books. It was so predictable, and I am horrible at predicting book endings, and I never bonded as much with these characters as I did with those in the first book in the series. I found myself wanting to know more about other characters, rather than the main ones, and I just couldn't understand Cara's inexplicable desire to find her "real" family. But, that being said it was very readable, a quick, easy, entertaining read. Worth the time, but not the most amazing book ever. I will, however, be sure to catch the third book in the series when it is published later this year!
3 out of 5 stars.
May 11, 2018
The book was easy to read, but not really what I’d consider Amish fiction. The Amish family (hence the series title) from book one was included in this book as well, but there wasn’t a lot of content featuring them.
I like the mystery element but parts of t were easy to solve.
I like the mystery element but parts of t were easy to solve.
July 7, 2019
I love a good Amish story. I think it’s usually just the simplicity and innocence of them that I enjoy. This was no exception, but the adoption in this case made for such a satisfying story-line and (I won’t spoil it) the end was enjoyable too.
February 3, 2018
Great book.
February 15, 2018
I love the characters and how you get drawn into their lives with the novels
November 23, 2019
I learned a lot about the "Amish community" and "adoption department".
November 15, 2020
Cara wants to learn more about her grandfather. She travels to Pennsylvania; where strange activity happens and police have never been involved in this community. what's going on?
July 7, 2012
A Secret identity is the second book in The Amish Farm Trilogy.
Cara Bentley, a romance writer, is looking for her family.
After her Grandfather, Pop, dies she finds adoption papers in a box of pictures. The adoption papers indicate that her grandfather was adopted as a baby in 1918. Finding these papers sends Cara on a mission to find out where she and her family come from.
During her search, Cara moves to Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania to board with the Zooks, an Amish family, who takes in boarders to supplement their income. To aid her in her search she hires local attorney, Todd Reasoner. As Cara and Todd begin their search, the Zook family farm begins to experience vandalism, which Cara suspects is directed at her, a warning, perhaps, for her to end her search.
I read, and enjoyed A Strangers Wish, the first book in The Amish Farm Trilogy and looked forward to reading A Secret Identity. Mrs. Roper didn't disappoint with this, the second book in the series. Cara, Todd, and the Zooks become very real to the reader. You want Cara to find her family, and feel bad when hateful things are directed toward her. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, suspense, and/or Amish stories. I will be looking forward to reading the third book A Rose Revealed when it is released this winter.
**A Secret Identity by Gayle Roper was provided for me free by Harvest House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
Cara Bentley, a romance writer, is looking for her family.
After her Grandfather, Pop, dies she finds adoption papers in a box of pictures. The adoption papers indicate that her grandfather was adopted as a baby in 1918. Finding these papers sends Cara on a mission to find out where she and her family come from.
During her search, Cara moves to Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania to board with the Zooks, an Amish family, who takes in boarders to supplement their income. To aid her in her search she hires local attorney, Todd Reasoner. As Cara and Todd begin their search, the Zook family farm begins to experience vandalism, which Cara suspects is directed at her, a warning, perhaps, for her to end her search.
I read, and enjoyed A Strangers Wish, the first book in The Amish Farm Trilogy and looked forward to reading A Secret Identity. Mrs. Roper didn't disappoint with this, the second book in the series. Cara, Todd, and the Zooks become very real to the reader. You want Cara to find her family, and feel bad when hateful things are directed toward her. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, suspense, and/or Amish stories. I will be looking forward to reading the third book A Rose Revealed when it is released this winter.
**A Secret Identity by Gayle Roper was provided for me free by Harvest House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
November 7, 2011
I actually really enjoyed this one. The character is lovable, and I can rather identify with her early on. (The reclusive writer type who'd rather stay indoors with her characters than 'go find a life' like other people try to push one into).
The whole book is written well, and with enough humour to keep me snickering. It is well expressed and has plenty of interesting ways of putting things. I also enjoy the 'touch' of Amish, without it being smothering - and the questions it brought up about the whole Amish thing.
I did find the ending a little odd. As in the 'culprit/villian' seemed to come out of nowhere, not really giving the reader a chance to 'solve' the mystery. However. . .the characters didn't know either, and it gets revealed to readers and characters simultaneously, so in the end it still works.
All in all, a fun read and very well done.
The whole book is written well, and with enough humour to keep me snickering. It is well expressed and has plenty of interesting ways of putting things. I also enjoy the 'touch' of Amish, without it being smothering - and the questions it brought up about the whole Amish thing.
I did find the ending a little odd. As in the 'culprit/villian' seemed to come out of nowhere, not really giving the reader a chance to 'solve' the mystery. However. . .the characters didn't know either, and it gets revealed to readers and characters simultaneously, so in the end it still works.
All in all, a fun read and very well done.
November 8, 2010
If you’re one of those readers who just can’t get enough Amish fiction, A Secret Identity will be another title to add to your collection. What makes this book different is that while it does take place in an Amish setting, it involves more of the English world than some other Amish fiction stories. The main character, Cara Bentley travels back to Pennsylvania to dig into her family roots after she discovers by accident that her grandfather who raised her, was adopted. Unsettled about who she “really” is – Cara soon discovers that not everyone supports her search for the truth.
Make sure you take the time to read the author’s note in the back of this book – it adds to the meaning of this story and I found it very touching to read.
Make sure you take the time to read the author’s note in the back of this book – it adds to the meaning of this story and I found it very touching to read.
September 30, 2013
An unusual approach to an "Amish" book. Nicely done and an enjoyable read. Some of the characters (Jake, Rose, Jake's parents, et al) are found in other Gayle Roper book(s), but gives nothing away re plot.
Be aware though that this book is more about the "English" than it is about the Amish although the latter is absolutely essential to the book.
I enjoyed A Secret Identity & found the approach to be refreshing.
Be aware though that this book is more about the "English" than it is about the Amish although the latter is absolutely essential to the book.
I enjoyed A Secret Identity & found the approach to be refreshing.
April 21, 2011
Well, this book definitely kept me more engaged than the first book, but it still isn’t my favorite kind of book. It was a good book, but I wasn’t wowed by it and I didn’t fall in love with it. I cannot pinpoint anything that I disliked; it just didn’t hold my interest in an I-can’t-put-this-down kind of way. I wouldn’t really recommend this, since I don’t know what type of reader this book appeals to. (I’m sure some people will enjoy it, but I can’t say specifically who would.) All I can say is, sweet romance, sweet characters, but just an okay book in my opinion.
May 14, 2016
Roper continues her Amish Farm Trilogy with the second book with one woman, Cara Bentley, tracing her ancestral root. Cara ends up boarding with the Zook family and lawyer Todd Reasoner, familiar characters from the first book. However, not all is what it seems on the surface as money and greed test family relationships. This is book fits well within the religious romance genre. Although the setting and some characters appeared in book one of the series, reading the first book in not a prerequisite to understanding Cara’s conflicts and relationship.
August 7, 2011
This is not a typical Amish book. The story takes place in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but two of the main characters are not Amish. Cara and Todd are well-rounded, believable, likeable people. The story is interesting, but I had a hard time understanding why Cara wanted to search for her grandfathers roots so badly when she had a very stable, happy childhood. This is the second volume of a trilogy. It was even more enjoyable than the first one, and I look forward to reading the third one.
September 24, 2011
After reading the first book in the Amish Farm Trilogy I rushed out and bough the second and third and read them both back to back. Roper has spun magic throughout this series and it makes for obsessive reading. She excels at characterization -- developing relationships that are fraught with complication and angst but somehow still laced with hope. And there's always an emphasis on spiritual truths that make me pause and take stock of my own life.
October 17, 2011
This is the second book in the trilogy. I actually enjoyed this book a bit more than the first book, which is seldom the case. In this book a girl is trying to find information about her grandfather's adoption. She ends up staying with an Amish family (yes the same family from the original book) while looking for the information, unfortunately not all in the community are welcoming.
This book did leave lots of loose ends which I assume with be addressed in the last book.
This book did leave lots of loose ends which I assume with be addressed in the last book.
August 28, 2016
I read this on the Kindle
This was a nice story which makes you think what is family blood or ties blood in that you are from that line ties you may come in as an adopted child but still very much loved
This is the 2nd book of the trilogy one main thing that is common in them is the Amish Farm that the main Girl had stayed in each book which is the same
The story is slow but nice there is one more book in this trilogy which i will be starting
This was a nice story which makes you think what is family blood or ties blood in that you are from that line ties you may come in as an adopted child but still very much loved
This is the 2nd book of the trilogy one main thing that is common in them is the Amish Farm that the main Girl had stayed in each book which is the same
The story is slow but nice there is one more book in this trilogy which i will be starting
August 31, 2012
I always love these novels set in the Amish culture. although this one is nice blend of amish and outsider culture and how they interact. worthy read. Will look for more books by this author as she tells a good story.
January 13, 2011
I always enjoy Gayle's books. Lovely story with endearing characters.
Loved the banter between Cara & Todd. An Amish story with a totally
different flavor...
Loved the banter between Cara & Todd. An Amish story with a totally
different flavor...
March 5, 2011
Not as good as the first. Didn't get into it as quickly, plus it ended rather suddenly.
April 6, 2011
THis boo made me realize never give up with what your searching for even if others dont like.never give up on your family
May 10, 2011
I actually liked this book. It kept me on my toes and wanting more.
April 27, 2012
it's a nice read for a fun, relaxing novel.
December 8, 2014
i enjoyed it totally need toread book 3
March 4, 2016
I couldn't get past page 30.....I thought the story was long winded. I lost interest in the book.
November 13, 2016
This was defintely better than the first in this triology.
March 22, 2021
Second in the trilogy. Cara tries to find her grandfather's birth family, 90 years later. She moves to the same farm as the setting of the first book.
January 18, 2013
Interesting book about the Amish
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews