Category Archives: Shelley Shepard Gray

February 11, 2019 · 11:56 pm

Review: All In by Shelley Shepard Gray

Title: All In by Shelley Shepard Gray
The Bridgeport Social Club Series Book Two
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Meredith Hunt is content with her solo life. She owns and runs a successful Pilates studio, volunteers at the high school every week, and recently bought a house. She can take care of herself, which is good because she has a hard time relying on other people. When she’s mugged and a handsome man comes to her rescue, she doesn’t know how to accept his help-or how to stop staring into his chocolate-brown eyes.

Ace Vance moved to Bridgeport to offer his fifteen-year-old son, Finn, a better life. Here, Finn has a chance to play football for a good team and maybe even earn a college scholarship. And Ace scored a job at a top-notch garage, where he gets to fix up classic cars. Plus, they could both use some distance from Finn’s toxic mom. The last thing on his mind is falling in love, but he can’t help offering assistance to a gorgeous redhead in need.

Thrown together by a careless criminal, Meredith and Ace can’t deny their attraction. But can they open their hearts-and their lives-to make room for love?

Shelley Shepard Gray’s Bridgeport Social Club series explores how communities can come together to support each other, whether it’s around a poker table, in a Pilates studio, or anywhere in between. Get ready to fall in love with a group of men and women who, even when they feel lost, refuse to lose hope.

Review:

All In by Shelley Shepard Gray is a sweet contemporary romance. Although this latest release is the second installment in The Bridgeport Social Club series, it can be read as a standalone.

Meredith Hunt is a successful business owner who finds it difficult to ask for help or trust other people. Her childhood is at the root of her issues but she is still in contact with her mother . Their relationship suffers because of her mom’s continued disappointment over her daughter’s life choices. Meredith has not been in a relationship for over a year and she is in no hurry to meet anyone.  However, when she is mugged, her chance encounter with Ace Vance and his son, Finn, has the potential to be life altering.

Ace and Finn have recently relocated to Bridgeport in an attempt to escape his son’s indifferent mother, Liz. Ace plans to concentrate on rebuilding his career working on classic cars and improving his relationship with Finn.  Although he has always been involved in Finn’s life, he has never been his son’s primary caregiver.  Despite his son’s somewhat dysfunctional relationship with Liz, he is a good kid who does not get into any trouble. Since Finn does not object to his father dating, Ace is willing to let their fledgling relationship develop its full potential.

The romance between Ace and Meredith is low-key and without conflict. Meredith already knows Finn a little through her volunteering at the high school so he is more than happy to support his dad’s unexpected relationship. Finn has a fairly extensive support network in place so he fully understands the importance of asking for and accepting help when he needs it.  Meredith, on the other hand, has never had anyone she can count on, so she is working to lower her defenses and let people in.  She feels somewhat alone despite the fact that she has more friends than she realizes. Recognizing she has a strong circle of friends in turn leads to Meredith becoming more open to her burgeoning relationship with Ace.

All In is a heartwarming novel of love, friendship and family. The characters are multi-dimensional and easy to like. The dialogue is realistic and the heartfelt discussions between Ace and Finn are quite endearing.   Ace and Meredith take the time to get to know each other which makes their romance more believable. The Bridgeport Social Club series is a pleasant change of pace from Shelley Shepard Gray’s faith-based fiction that old and new fans are sure to enjoy.

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Filed under All In, Blackstone Publishing, Contemporary, Rated B, Review, Romance, Shelley Shepard Gray, The Bridgeport Social Club Series

February 10, 2019 · 11:57 pm

Review: Friends to the End by Shelley Shepard Gray

Title:Friends to the End by Shelley Shepard Gray
Walnut Creek Series Book .5
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary, Amish, Romance
Length: 113 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Discover the charming first enovella in a new Amish romance series from the New York Times bestselling author of Love Held Captive and The Gift. 

When Andy’s baby sister Trish gets stranded at the family cabin during a massive blizzard, he calls upon his best friends—the Magnificent Eight—to go to his sister’s rescue.

Andy knows that several members of the Eight will drop everything to help, and they’re the perfect solution because the Amish aren’t hindered by stalled cars—they can travel just fine in their buggies.

But when Logan, Trish’s secret crush, is the first to volunteer to save her, she can’t help but worry that, despite the freezing temperatures, being alone with Logan might mean that things heat up pretty fast. Filled with Shelley Shepard Gray’s signature “heart-warming, heart-stopping” (Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Friends to the End is an evocative and endearing romance.

Review:

Friends to the End is an engaging introduction to the characters in Shelley Shepard Gray’s upcoming Walnut Creek series.

Andy Warner is on vacation with his parents in Florida when his younger sister, Tricia, calls him for help. She is stranded at the family’s cabin during a heavy snowstorm so Andy calls his best friend, Logan Clark, to come to her assistance. Logan is Amish so he should have no trouble reaching her in his sleigh. After the storm worsens, Tricia and Logan are forced to remain at the cabin on their own.  Although neither are concerned about the impropriety of spending the night alone, Andy calls on another friend in the “Magnificent Eight” to join them at the cabin.

Although Tricia knows all of the Magnificent Eight, she considers them Andy’s friends. She is much shyer than her gregarious older brother so she is uncomfortable around his friends.  Tricia has also had an long time crush on Logan but since he is Amish and she is not, she knows there is no future for them. Will their unexpected time together at the cabin give her hope a relationship between them might be possible?

Friends to the End is a quick read that offers a fascinating peek into the characters who will feature in upcoming installments of the Walnut Creek series.  The longstanding friendship between Tricia and Logan provides a firm foundation for a possible romance between them and it will be interesting to see how their relationship progresses. The intriguing glimpses of a few members of the Magnificent Eight will leave readers eager to dive into the next poignant installment in Shelley Shepard Gray’s Walnut Creek series.

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Filed under Amish, Contemporary, Friends to the End, Gallery Books, Rated B, Review, Romance, Shelley Shepard Gray, Walnut Creek Series

July 23, 2018 · 11:58 pm

Review: Her Fear by Shelley Shepard Gray

Title: Her Fear by Shelley Shepard Gray
The Amish of Hart County Series Book Five
Publisher: Avon Inspire
Genre: Contemporary, Amish, Romance, Suspense
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray’s latest novel of suspense in her Amish of Hart County series, an EMT falls for a woman with ties to an Amish community where people are dying similar, suspicious deaths.

Sadie Detweiler never imagined she’d move to Kentucky, yet here she is: a pregnant, unmarried Amish girl banished by unforgiving parents to live with kin she barely knows. The men are gruff and her cousins are secretive. Worst of all, elderly matriarch Verba becomes mysteriously ill shortly after Sadie moves in. When EMT Noah Freeman arrives, Sadie immediately notices he’s unlike any other Amish man she’s met. Noah is warm, confident, and has an easy way with practically everyone in the community, both Amish and English. Though Sadie is drawn to him, she has little hope he will reciprocate her feelings once he learns she’s with child.

Noah can’t understand how a girl as sweet and lovely as Sadie ended up sleeping on a cot in Verba Stauffer’s kitchen. He also senses Sadie is terrified of something. Concerned, he checks up on her. Eventually they strike up a friendship and soon their attraction is undeniable. When Verba later dies at the hospital and her death is followed by two others, Noah’s boss wants him to dig around the Amish community for clues. He agrees—for Sadie’s sake—because only the truth will keep her safe and by his side.

Review:

Her Fear by Shelley Shepard Gray is an engrossing and touching Amish romance that also features a suspenseful element. Although this newest release is the fifth installment in The Amish of Hart County series, it can be read as a standalone.

Sadie Detweiler’s unexpected pregnancy throws her life into turmoil when her suitor refuses to marry her and her parents shun her in order to maintain their standing in the community. Sent to live with relatives in Kentucky, Sadie is uncertain of her new role in the household. This uneasiness increases when soon after her arrival matriarch Verba Stauffer dies of a mysterious illness. Amish EMT Noah Freeman is one of the paramedics who responds to Verba’s emergency and he is immediately smitten with Sadie. However, the Stauffer clan is closed off and secretive with outsiders and they urge Sadie to ignore Noah. Noah’s concern that Sadie is not safe with her relatives increases in the wake of several other deaths that might linked to the Stauffer’s.  Will the discovery of Sadie’s pregnancy coupled with the Stauffer’s reputation ruin her chance for a future with Noah?

Sadie’s family is part of a very strict Amish community and her father rules the household with an iron fist. Nevertheless, she is stunned when their believe her suitor’s lies when she reveals her pregnancy. Unable to reject her father’s plan for her to move to Kentucky, Sadie finds herself on a bus with little money. She quickly senses the tension in the Stauffer home, but she is naively unaware of their secret business dealings. Sadie walks on eggshells around the members of the household and she has no idea why her uncle and cousins are wary of her burgeoning relationship with Noah.

Noah’s family is loving and supportive of his decision to become an EMT. In his mid-twenties, he has devoted himself to his new career so he is taken aback by his unexpected interested in Sadie. Despite her efforts to hold him at arms’ length, Noah continues to gently court her. Unaware that there is more to her hesitation to become involved with him than her current living arrangement, he is stunned when he learns she is pregnant. Will this unexpected revelation alter Noah’s growing affection for her?

Her Fear  is a fast-paced and engaging romance that highlights the hidden and unusual aspects of Amish life. The story arc with Noah provides an intriguing glimpse into the “non-traditional” career choices that allow Amish to give back to both their immediate and Englisch communities. The Stauffer’s career choice is a very unusual for an Amish family and this aspect of the storyline shows that greed can lead people to make horrible decisions they find difficult to undo. Sadie’s plight exposes the abuse that goes on behind closed doors even within tight-knight communities. This newest addition to Shelley Shepard Gray’s The Amish of Hart County series is sure to be a hit with old and new fans of this wonderful series.

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Filed under Amish, Avon Inspire, Contemporary, Her Fear, Rated B, Review, Romance, Shelley Shepard Gray, The Amish of Hart County Series

July 3, 2017 · 11:57 pm

Review: His Guilt by Shelley Shepard Gray

Title: His Guilt by Shelley Shepard Gray
The Amish of Hart County Series Book Two
Publisher: Avon Inspire
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational, Amish, Romance
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray delivers the next novel in her Amish of Hart County series—a suspenseful tale of an Amish man who will risk all to protect the woman he loves.

Mark Fisher has returned home to Hart County, determined to put the past behind him. Two years ago, after being wrongly accused of assault, he left the Amish community, though never forgot his home. When the one person who had helped him through his rough times asks for help, Mark returns. But it is pretty Waneta Cain who makes him want to stay…

Neeta is one of the few people in Hart County who doesn’t believe Mark is guilty of hurting anyone. However, his worldliness and tough exterior do make her uneasy. As she begins to see the real man behind all the gossip and prejudice, she wonders if he is the man for her.

Just when Mark starts to believe a new life is possible, a close friend of Neeta’s is attacked. Once again, everyone in the community seems to believe he is guilty.  But what hurts most is Neeta’s sudden wariness around him. When another woman is hurt, a woman who is close to both Neeta and himself, Mark fears he knows the real culprit. And time is running out. Will Mark be able to find him before Neeta becomes his next victim?

Review:

In His Guilt, Shelley Shepard Gray’s insightful storyline about the effects of gossip and judgmental attitudes will give readers a lot to think about. Although this latest thought-provoking release is the second installment in the The Amish of Hart County series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

Two years earlier, Mark Fisher was questioned by the Sheriff about a brutal assault on a young woman in the community. He was ultimately cleared of any involvement in the case and he moved away soon after. He has recently returned to Hart County in order to work with Henry Lehman, the one person who has always supported and believed in him. His co-worker, Waneta “Neeta” Cain is initially a little anxious in his presence, but once she gets to know Mark, will she realize everyone’s fears about him are unfounded?

Although they grew up in the same Amish community, Mark and Neeta’s life experiences are very different.Mark’s childhood was extremely dysfunctional and his parents were abusive and neglected both him and his younger brother Calvin. Unlike Mark, Neeta’s parents were nothing but loving and the three of them are still quite close. As an adult, she remains devoted to them but will their relationship withstand their quick judgment against Mark?

When another young woman in the community is attacked, Mark is once again indicted in the court of public opinion. However, gifted preacher Eli delivers a powerful sermon about the dangers of gossip and judging others, but will his flock take his lessons to heart? Fortunately there are some members who are willing to admit they are wrong but when the Sheriff fails to make an arrest and the perpetrator strikes again, will Mark be able to prove his innocence?

His Guilt is a heartwarming romance with a hard-hitting storyline that is not typically found in Amish fiction.Shelley Shepard Gray broaches difficult subject matter with sensitivity and deftly highlights the fact that not even peaceful, religious communities are exempt from violence, child abuse and malicious gossip. Mark carries a terrible burden as he tries to overcome his dysfunctional past and he struggles to feel worthy of the unconditional love and support of the people in his life. Despite her strong conviction in her faith, Neeta must face her own shortcomings as the events unfold within the close-knit community. This latest addition to The Amish of Hart County series is a beautifully delivered lesson in forgiveness that also carries a timely reminder to avoid gossip and harsh judgment of others.

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Filed under Amish, Avon Inspire, Contemporary, His Guilt, Inspirational, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Shelley Shepard Gray, The Amish of Hart County Series