Title: Mending Hearts by Janice Kay Johnson
Tompkins Mill Series Book Two
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Amish, Romance
Length: 318 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
In this emotional Amish romance, a young couple will discover that healing from heartbreak takes two.
Miriam Bowman was devastated when her fiance was killed in a logging incident. In the years since the tragedy, she finds it impossible to enter into a new relationship for fear of it coming to a disastrous end. So she works at her quilt shop in town and stays away from anything that would risk her heart. As least until David Miller comes back home to take a second chance at the Amish way of life.
David feels responsible for the logging incident that killed his friend and Miriam’s betrothed, and his life has been corrupted by guilt. That guilt only worsens when he and Miriam begin to spend time together after his return, and they begin to have feelings for each other. David might just be the man Miriam has been afraid of finding, one she could fall in love with. And Miriam is the only one who can truly forgive David for his perceived misdeeds. In order to risk their hearts and find the love they’ve been missing, David and Miriam will have to open them to each other.
Review:
Mending Hearts by Janice Kay Johnson is an endearing Amish romance that deals with true to life issues. Although this newest release is the second installment in the Tompkins Mill series, it can be read as a standalone.
After several years living Englisch, David Miller is ready to return to his family and faith. He has recently inherited a farm and he has decided on a career path that is very different than the one he had before leaving. David’s maam and daad welcome him home with open arms, but David knows the steps he must take to be part of their church community. His neighbors, the Bowman family, eagerly invite him into their home. David is grateful for the opportunity to spend time with them, but how will he feel when he sees Miriam Bowman again?
Having lost the man she hoped to one day marry, Miriam has yet to find another man to love so she is resigned to spinsterhood. She loves her job at the local quilting shop and she continues living with her parents. With David now a part of her life, she begins to view him much differently than when she was younger. Realizing her feelings for him are deepening, Miriam cannot help but wonder if love and marriage might not be as far out of reach as she believes. But will their shared past and Levi’s death prevent them from sharing a future together?
David’s life with the Englisch was not without its fair share of problems. But he is ready to put that life behind him and embrace his Amish faith and community. David begins working with the Bishop right away in order to seek forgiveness for his mistakes. But he is reluctant to confess the one thing that troubles him the most. Will David be able to truly move on since he has not completely forgiven himself?
Mending Hearts is an emotionally compelling novel of forgiveness and love. Miriam is a kind-hearted and loving young woman. David is a compassionate man who struggles to let go of lingering guilt. Both are devoutly faithful but Miriam is better at accepting God’s will. Miriam and David are a wonderful couple but their path to happiness is not assured. With some late in the story conflict, Janice Kay Johnson brings this charming romance to a heartfelt conclusion. Old and new fans of the Tompkins Mill series are going to love this newest installment.
