A Hopeful Heart by Amy Clipston
Published: 2013
Publisher: Zondervan
Series: Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel(Book 1)
Goodreads Summary: Hannah finds herself at a crossroads in her life. Her community offers her love and support after the untimely death of her husband, but an Englisher offers her the chance of a new life after her unexpected tragedy. Wealthy businessman Trey Peterson is surprised by his attraction to the gentle Amish woman who works as a housekeeper in the Lancaster Grand Hotel. They share a common bond of loss and are able to offer each other comfort and support as they journey through their grief. Joshua Glick wants nothing more than to offer his friendship and love to Hannah and her family. Not only is he her late husband’s brother and business partner, he has always been in love with Hannah. A Hopeful Heart is filled with surprising twists as Hannah tries to balance her life in the Amish community and her growing love for an outsider.
This is the first book in a new series by the author. Hannah is a widow with three kids and she is working at a hotel to help keep her horse farm running. Her brother-in-law runs the horse farm which had been her husbands dream. While working at the hotel she meets a man named Trey and they both have lost a spouse and they soon become friends. This does not sit well with her community or family. Could this friendship blossom into something more and put Hannah in jeopardy of losing everything she holds dear?
This book was okay. Not quite what I was expecting but still a well written story.
What I liked: I found the storyline interesting and I really liked the characters. Hannah’s husband had been dead for some time yet she still really missed him and I felt for her. She just did not feel like she quite fit in anymore. Hannah has twin daughters. One has a strong Amish faith and the other one has dreams that could lead her away from her community. It was kind of nice to read about the other side of the coin when it comes to the Amish.
What I did not like: **SPOILER ALERT(skip this if you don’t want to know the main story line)** Even though I liked the idea of the story and the characters I had a real problem with Hannah and that she seemed to almost act like a teenager in love instead of an adult. She barely knew Trey and spent very little time with him but fell in love enough to be with him and leave her family and friends. Honestly I thought she was a little crazy for such a quick decision. That is just my opinion of course but this book left me shaking my head a little.
Overall this was an okay book. I am actually looking forward to the next book in this series and how things work out for Hannah and the other people in her family and community. It was well written just not my cup of tea when it came to the plot.
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DISCLOSURE: I was provided a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley to review it. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own.