I have always been a fan of Amish fiction, which is why I am shocked that I have never read any books from Amy Clipston, and was anxious to read Room on the Porch Swing. This is the second and final book in the Amish Homestead series and though I have not read the first book, A Place at Our Table, I was in no way lost when I started reading. Room on the Porch Swing had my attention from the beginning.
I cannot imagine being a widow, much less a widower with a two-month-old baby to care for, but that is exactly where Allen Lambert finds himself after tragically losing his wife, Savella. They have only been married for a little over a year and Allen is still a newcomer in a lot of ways in the small Amish community in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania.
Allen is lucky to have wonderful in-laws who share the pain of this tragic loss and his mother-in-law, Irma Mae, offers to help with baby Mollie while Allen goes back to work repairing and reselling buggies, his own business, which just happens to be booming at the moment. When Irma Mae has a nasty fall that ends up requiring surgery she can no longer care for Mollie which leaves Allen once again struggling to get by.
It seems as if everything in Laura Riehl's life is dramatically changing as well. It's only been a few months since she's lost her mother that she loses her best friend, Savella. Her and her boyfriend, Rudy, were close friends to both Allen and Savella, and Laura wants to do everything she can to help her best friends husband. When Irma Mae becomes unable to care for baby Mollie Laura seizes the opportunity to help, much to the disapproval of her long-time boyfriend. Allen is more than grateful for the help and before long their relationship grows into a close and caring friendship and then all the feelings start to confuse their once clear intentions with each other.
Though this book is predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Room on the Porch Swing. The character development and depth is wonderful and you truly feel the emotions coming through the pages. There is quite a bit of "will they won't they" which did start to get a little old but I am so glad I persevered until the end. There were a few nail-biting parts that were real page turners, which I appreciated, and the story does pick up at the end. It is a sweet and easy read and only took me a few days to get through it all.
Wonderful and sweet story of loss, faith, and love! Highly recommend!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan and NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
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