A Daughter's Dream by Shelley Shepard Gray

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Now that summer is here, I look forward to evenings relaxing on the porch or deck and reading, when my schedule allows. As luck would have it, our Memorial Day weekend was plan free - so I had a couple of times between the things we did to relax and read. The book I read was the new book from Shelley Shepard Gray, A Daughter's Dream. A Daughter's Dream is the second in a series called The Charmed Amish Life, conveniently set in the community of Charm.

I had read A Son's Vow, the first book, but A Daughter's Dream can be read as a stand alone book. The story focuses on Rebecca, a sister of Lukas from the first story, and a new to town man and niece, Jacob and Lilly. Darla and Lukas and several other characters from the first book make appearances in the story, but it is not about them. Rebecca is still trying to discover what her dreams are. She has longed to be a school teacher and fortunately, her friend Rachel has offered to allow her to help in the school and her brother offers support to allow her to spend time in the school. It is while volunteering at the school that she comes to meet Jacob and Lilly, when Jacob comes to enroll Lilly in the school. As both Rebecca and Jacob learn about themselves and the future that will make them happy and successful, they grow individually and find themselves growing together.

I enjoy how Shelley Shepard Gray has the ability to write a book about the Amish with a plot that transcends the setting and the faith of the characters. She develops such a captivating set of characters and as you join them on their journey of discovering themselves, it is hard to not feel a connection with the characters. As with the first book in this series, much time is taken in developing the characters and allowing the story to unfold, and yet again, the book seems to end with a flourish of activity to tie together the loose ends. Despite this, I found the overall story an easy, enjoyable read.

I look forward to the next book in this series, as I know it will likely be about some of the other shadow characters in this story and that it will allow me to follow the progress of the stories of those characters that I came to love in this story.

About the book:

A Daughter's Dream (Avon Inspire, May 2016)

A young teacher and farmer discover they have much in common, especially when it comes to healing old wounds from the past . . . and finding love in one another.

Rebecca Kinsinger has always dreamed of being a teacher. But when she's given the opportunity she's been waiting for at Charm Amish School, she's dismayed to discover that teaching is hard work---work she's afraid she's not very good at.

That is, until Lilly Yoder joins the class. A thirteen-year old who's just lost her parents, Lilly is in need of someone like Rebecca. For the first time since starting her new job, Rebecca feels a sense of purpose. But when she meets Lilly's uncle, Jacob, his good looks and sweet, easy-going temperament are hard to ignore. How can she even entertain romantic thoughts of Jacob when his niece is her student?

Suddenly becoming Lily's sole caregiver, Jacob Yoder never thought he'd be a single parent---or a farmer. Having been living in Florida as a carpenter, Jacob feels more at home wielding a hammer than a backhoe. The only bright spot in his life is Rebecca Kinsinger. As Lily and Rebecca develop a bond, Jacob's fondness for the pretty teacher grows, too.

But when a fateful accident brings them together, Rebecca and Jacob must choose between duty and desire. Will they follow the path before them? Or set out to find true happiness . . . and true love?

Purchase a copy here.

About the author:

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

Connect with Shelley: website, Twitter, and Facebook

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

Learn more about the book and find more reviews on the Blog Tour Landing Page.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.