Her Secret (The Amish of Hart County #1) by Shelley Shepard Gray

Blurb

After a stalker went too far, Hannah Hilty and her family had no choice but to leave the bustling Amish community where she grew up. Now she’s getting a fresh start in Hart County, Kentucky…if only she wasn’t too scared to take it. Hannah has become afraid to trust anyone—even Isaac, the friendly Amish man who lives next door. She wonders if she'll ever return to the trusting, easy-going woman she once was.

For Isaac Troyer, the beautiful girl he teasingly called “The Recluse” confuses him like no other. When he learns of her past, he knows he's misjudged her. However, he also understands the importance of being grateful for God’s gifts, and wonders if they will ever have anything in common. But as Hannah and Isaac slowly grow closer, they realize that there’s always more to someone than meets the eye.

Just as Hannah is finally settling into her new life, and perhaps finding a new love, more secrets are revealed and tragedy strikes. Now Hannah must decide if she should run again or dare to fight for the future she has found in Hart County.

Shelley Shepard Gray writes the sweetest Amish/Christian romances, and with this first installment of the Amish of Hart County series she's added an element of suspense to the story, too.

In the beginning, our heroine Hannah seemed to be a bit skittish, and who can blame her? It didn't take long, however, for her to find her inner strength and bravely move on. Of course Isaac was a big help with that! His patience and compassion and willingness to 'go slow' made me love him for Hannah, and I hope to see more of them in future installments of the series!

I've read several of Ms. Gray's Amish romances and have enjoyed every one of them. The characters are such awesome people who are easy to relate to. Whether going through a "crisis of faith" or suffering loss that makes their faith stronger, I always find myself invested in the people and their journey down whatever path life has put them on. So, if you find yourself in the mood for a charming Christian read, be sure to take a peek at Shelley Shepard Gray's stories. You'll be glad you did!

An ARC was provided by Avon Inspire. In appreciation I'm giving them an honest review.

Shades of Honor by Wendy Lindstrom, Narrated by Julia Motyka

Former Union soldier Radford Grayson returns to his small hometown, looking for a stable and comforting place to raise his young, motherless daughter. Despite his troubled past, his hopes are to reconcile with his family and put his dark secrets behind him. But he doesn't count on falling in love with Evelyn--his brother's financee...

When Evelyn Tucker accepted her childhood friend Kyle Grayson's marriage proposal, she thought it was the best way to make her ailing father happy. But after Radford arrives home, the fiery and independent Evelyn realizes that the comfort and friendship Kyle gives her will never hold a candle to the instant, undeniable passion she feels for Radford. Now their forbidden desire threatens to shatter family ties and destroy newfound dreams--unless their love has the power to overcome all obstacles...

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Fredonia, New York, August 1870

He always knew he’d come back. Everything he’d ever wanted was here.

Shades of Honor is the first book in the Grayson Brothers series. It’s a post Civil War romance, this first book being the eldest brother’s story. Radford is tired of running from the nightmares of death, pain, and destruction, and returns home to work with his brothers at the family’s lumber mill. But he arrives to find that running kept him away too long and he may no longer be welcomed home.

I’ve seen these books popping up here and there in friends reviews and had been planning to read them one day. When the author contacted me and asked if I’d review her audio book, I was more than a little excited! I’m going to break my review down by the actual story, and then the audio book.

The Book:

The Grayson world in Freedonia is lovely. Such a peaceful post war time when things and families are returning to normal again. The characters Ms. Lindstrom has given us are honorable, hard working, passionate people. They've known great loss but they have hopes and dreams and refuse to give up. They keep going, heads held high, always striving to do the right thing.

Pre-, Post-, and current Civil War is one of my favorite time periods to read about in my historical romance novels. There’s something about the era – the plantations, the gentility of the South… it’s such a romantic setting. However, Shades of Honor is not set in the South, there’s nothing to speak of money, no balls or Scarlet O’Hara dramas - overmuch, but I did enjoy it. It’s a very sweet, slow paced, day-in-the-life kind of story about finding that yes, you can go home again, but it might not be on your own terms.

The Audio:

The Grayson Brothers series is being narrated by Julia Motyka, and I’ll say this right up front: She has a beautiful voice! It’s clear, passionate, and captures perfectly the deeply emotional side to the story. The only problem I have with Ms. Motyka’s narration is that sometimes I felt there was too much of a dramatic voice given to certain scenes. There were poignant moments brilliantly read where Ms. Motyka had me fighting back the tears, but for the most part I think she could have taken it down a notch without taking away from the overall emotional depth of the story.

The Bottom Line:

Though not without some flaws, Shades of Honor is an uplifting, entertaining read. If you enjoy charming, romantic, passionate stories with emotionally scarred heroes looking to find ‘home’ again, this might be right up your alley.

My sincerest thanks to Wendy Lindstrom for providing me with a copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

The ebook format of Shades of Honor is currently free for Kindle at Amazon: