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Summary
Summary
In Shelley Shepard Gray's fourth book in her Charmed Amish Life series, an unlikely Amish romance reveals that Christmas is a time for family, miracles--and love.
Ever since his father died in a tragic fire, Levi Kinsinger has felt adrift. Newly returned to Charm, Ohio, Levi is trying to fit into his old life, only to discover he seems to have outgrown it.
But when Julia, his young widowed neighbor, asks for his help with a Christmas project, Levi finds a sense of purpose for the first time in months. She and her daughter are new to Charm and could use a friend, a job Levi takes personally. Soon enough, friendship grows into attraction, but Levi can't help having doubts. There's something about Julia that doesn't ring quite true...
Like Levi, Julia Kemps has survived her fair share of hardships--but only by hiding the truth of her past. Being an unmarried mother in an Amish community was unthinkable. Feeling hopeless, Julia did the only thing she could do: she moved to a new town and pretended to be a widow. But meeting Levi, she's hopeful for the first time. Little by little, she begins to imagine telling him her darkest secret, and eventually...perhaps even sharing her life with him.
Christmas is a time for family, and as the holiday draws closer, Julia and Levi will have to face their pasts together...in order to find the healing, support and love they so desperately desire.
Author Notes
Shelley Shephard Gray earned a bachelor's and master's degree in education. Before becoming a full time writer, she taught elementary school in Texas, Arizona, and Colorado. She started writing about the Amish because their way of life appealed to her and she wanted to write stories about regular people in extraordinary situations. Her works include the Sisters of the Heart series, Seasons of Sugarcreek series, The Families of Honor series, Heart of a Hero series, and Secrets of Crittenden County series.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Gray's fourth Charmed Amish Life novel succeeds as a simple, heartwarming tale of opening up and starting anew during the Christmas season. After Julia discovered she was pregnant with an abusive, manipulative man's child, she fled to the Amish community where she grew up. Six years later, she has crafted a simple life for herself and her daughter, claiming to be a young widow. Julia's hardened independence begins to thaw when her neighbor Levi, son of the richest family in town, suggests she could clean his house to earn the extra money she needs for her daughter's Christmas gift. As the two grow closer, Levi's lingering grief over his father's death also slowly evaporates. But romance between the two faces serious challenges when Julia's past unexpectedly catches up with her. Alongside the main romance, Gray shows a former Amish woman returning to the area to set up a battered woman's shelter, and some of the family dynamics among Levi and his siblings. Julia's daughter, Penny, is particularly well drawn, and her relationship with Levi is touchingly tender. Gray lightly applies the Amish setting to provide texture without bogging down the pace, letting some inaccuracies pass unremarked for the sake of the story. Agent: Mary Sue Seymour, Seymour Agency. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
When Julia met Luther Schrock, she fell hopelessly in love, and since they planned on getting married, she allowed him certain liberties. However, once Julia realized Luther was an abusive control freak, she knew she could never marry him. For her own safety and that of her unborn child, Julia left her family and reinvented herself as the recently widowed Julia Kemp. Settling in Charm with her young daughter, Penny, Julia plans on keeping to herself to avoid any questions. But when she locks herself out of her home one cold winter's night, she is forced to accept some help from her neighbor, Levi Kinsinger. Although Julia has pretty much given up on the idea of romance, being with Levi somehow gives her hope. But can she trust him with her secret? In the fourth title in her Charmed Amish Life series, Gray (A Sister's Wish, 2016) presents a cast of realistically flawed characters and an emotionally engaging story line that beautifully celebrates the power of faith, hope, family, and love.--Charles, John Copyright 2016 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Levi Kinsinger, still reeling from his father's death in a fire, returns home to Charm, OH, and has no idea what to do with himself until his widowed neighbor Julia Kemps asks him for help with her Christmas project. Julia and her daughter are newcomers in need of friendship. In agreeing to assist Julia, Levi finds a renewed purpose-and a growing attraction. Yet a stumbling block to the couple's blossoming romance is Julia's secret: she is a single mom posing as a widow so the Amish community will not shun her. The holidays are coming, and the couple hopes for a miracle that will erase their pasts and bring them the love they deserve. VERDICT Gray's fourth series entry (after A Sister's Wish) is a touching holiday tale of love and forgiveness that will please her many fans. [See Prepub Alert, 4/18/16.] © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.