Kelly Irvin books always leave you with a warm heart. Thank you for this book and opportunity to read. I look forward to more from this series.

What a delightful start to the series. This came out in 2017 and I didn't get it read. So I finally picked it up and it was very enjoyable. I look forward to the rest of the series.

I enjoyed this book It was a fun read.

Bess is pregnant with her 1st child when her husband Caleb is killed.

Aidan is Caleb's best friend. Aiden feels guilty for Caleb's death because he was the one to send him o the errand.

Bess thinks she will never love again but rather that moved back with her parents she stays with Caleb's family.

I recommend this book. IT is a very good read.

Characters come alive in this book. One of the best books I have read this year.

This was a DNF for me personally. I'm sure that there are a lot of people out there who would love this book, but for me I just couldn't get past 25 percent.

I was given an ARC from the publisher/author/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect anyone else's.

Bess is a young woman who is happy and carefree until a tragedy strikes. I thought the author did a great job of walking Bess through grief and allowing readers to feel her pain and sorrow. My heart went out to Bess immediately because she had so much to deal with. Can you imagine being twenty and your life shattered before your eyes? Bess is a strong character with burdens that can be overwhelming at times.

Aidan is a very humble man who wants nothing more than to care for Bess and her child. I am a bit perplexed at why he blamed himself for the accident. It's funny how we let a decision we make turn into such a big obstacle in our life. Aidan has a lot to get past and that could hinder him from finding happiness. The times he spent with Bess were very nice and I loved how much he respected her.

Bess wants to do her part to support herself, but there are some harsh words spoken when it is discovered that she is working away from home. I liked how the author gave us a glimpse into the rules the Amish go by. They seem to believe a woman is to stay at home and take care of the house and children. In Bess's heart she didn't want to go against the Bishop, but I think she needed something to feel good about. What I really liked was how strong the women were who surrounded themselves around Bess. The story is emotional at times and does touch on a subject that some women face after giving birth. I found that to be well written and helpful .

I found the book to be very well written and loved the different emotions and hard decisions that characters made. I want to mention about the English man that Bess met . I thought he brought a lot to the story because he was a temptation that could have had very dramatic affects on Bess. Even though she denied any attraction, I wonder if deep down she may have had feelings because he seemed to make her smile? I loved how the author gave Bess a chance to see what it could be like if she chose to go against her beliefs. The author gives readers a story that is filled with forgiveness, changes, family and a young woman who discovers that there is happiness after a tragedy.

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild and NetgalleyThe review is my own opinion.

But you believe. It doesn't mean one has all the answers. No one as all the answers. Otherwise, we wouldn't need faith. Faith is believing despite not having all the answers.

When tragedy strikes, you want the answer of why. Bess after losing her husband Caleb in a terrible accident struggles with the why. Their young marriage was solid and so full of hope and with the a baby on the way, full of promise. This sweet story is placed in my own state of Missouri and in the town of Jamesport which a couple of weeks ago my husband and I visited. Visiting and speaking with the Amish brought this particular story more personal. However, don't we all struggle with faith and that God has something better?

Bess has the support of her husband family and Aidan who was Caleb's best friend. Aidan has always had feelings for Bess but stepped aside when his friend pursued Bess. Now with Caleb gone, Aidan struggles with guilt on the death of his friend and how he can support Bess and the baby that is on its way.

When the baby does come, he reminds Bess so much of Caleb that she needs to find some type of purpose and finds a job with a local bed and breakfast. A attraction between the owners son and Bess blooms and her feelings for Aidan starts to be confusing. Each of these characters are being refined in where God would have them. I so appreciated the reminder for my own life.

A Special Thank You to Thomas Nelson, Zondervan and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

The higher power has lead another author to send me a message through their writing; this time it was Kelly Irvin and her new book "Upon a Spring Breeze". Kelly Irvin wrote exactly how a person can react when experiencing grief of a partner.

There is a purpose for every season that happens in a year AND that is true with our lives too; we go through seasons ourselves. Lessons and trials both good and bad that happen in our lives and are to be a learning point for us.

Like the main character Bess Weaver, I too am a young widow. However, I got to spend more married years with my husband than Bess. Also different between Bess and myself is that my son from a previous relationship was a young adult at the time of the passing of my husband (July 2016). I do not know how I would've felt towards my newborn, if I had in Bess' shoes during "Upon a Spring Breeze".
One thing that is the same between the main character Bess and myself is that we so-called ran away from our grief. We both ran away from our households -- so-to-speak --, kept ourselves busy with our work, and had friends to help us through our emotions and struggles.

The most important messages that I when I finished "Upon a Spring Breeze" with was there is hope in our lives. We just have to be patient. We have to experience every season in our lives.

I can't wait to read the second book "Beneath the Summer Sun" releasing next year by Kelly Irvin.

I received a free kindle copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. No money was exchanged. This is my honest review in my own words.

Upon a Spring Breeze by Kelly Irvin is a beautiful, emotional Amish book. At 20 years old Bess is newly married and pregnant, life couldn't get better. Then, as she's making stew for her husband one evening she get's the news of his death. After her son is born he looks just like her late husband and coupled with her exhaustion and her babies colic she has a very hard time dealing with it. Her hormones are out of whack because she has postpartum depression and doesn't realize it. She feels like a total failure with things. Her mother-in law has dementia and thinks Bess's baby is her son who passed away and tries to care for him which just adds to Bess's stress. Bess takes a job at a Bed and Breakfast Inn close by and the son of the owner falls for her. he is an Englisher. She now has two men that have fallen for her, Dusty the Englisher and Aidan, who was her husbands best friend since childhood. Aidan has been in love with her since childhood but she married his best friend. He still carries the strong feelings for her.

Aidan, Caleb and Bess’ best friend since childhood, does his best to repress his guilt over Caleb’s passing. Try as he might, he blames himself for sending him into town that tragic day. He promises on Caleb’s dying breath to watch over Bess and their unborn child. He tries to make that a reality but his long standing feelings for Bess start to get in the way.
Bess tries to find her way working in a B and B in town. When the rumor mill runs wild with stories of her and the English owner’s son, she has to begin to face reality instead of living in her own world of grief. She soon learns to rely on a group of widows in her community. The guidance and love that they giver her along with Aiden’s unyielding support soon give Bess hope that there might be a future for her and young Joshua after all.

Kelly really has a way with bringing her characters to life. The reader is quickly drawn in as the characters are so easy to identify with and root for in their quest for happiness. I really enjoyed the many strong female voices in the book. The group of supporting widows that reached out to young Bess was easy to connect with and understand their loss and struggle with their own stories. Even though at first I was not a Mattie fan, my heart began to ache for her and the fact that Soloman left his wife’s dementia untreated for so long. The author did an excellent job delicately working Mattie’s tale into the story, although I hoped that in the epilogue she would have found treatment and possibly have recovered.

Kelly Irvin's writing is easy to follow. Intriguing, clean, and charming. The charcaters are believable. Their life situations are realistic. I was able to connect with both characters. Loss, grief, love, and faith are themes commonly found on every page.

I received an ARC from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story is tender, amusing, endearing, and GOD Blessing. This is a story of Bess who was truly Blessed. she was married and pregnant when a serious surprise ruined things in her life - I mean it was a shocker. She had to fit things back together and when she did she met some other people named Dusty - who is an Englisher and Aiden who is a friend of hers from childhood - they are friends that want to help her with her mother in law who has taken her new baby and treats it like it is her son, and her husband - well that is a long story. One that I shall not tell you - one you will have to read it - This book touches your heart

From the very beginning the story had my attention. I had a feeling it wouldn't be a "perfect life" amish story. Crisis from the beginning. Even though I've never experienced the things Bess did I could imagine how she must be feeling because of the way the author wrote about her character. Tons of detail in character development. However, there were so many people I had a hard time keeping track of them all. I felt like the story jumped from situation to situation so rapidly; I had a hard time keeping up! I felt like the author spent a whole lot of time on minor elements of the story and I kept wanting to jump ahead. It seemed to slow down towards the middle/end which I was thankful for. The last 25% of the book was one I couldn't put down. I stayed up way too late at night to finish it. Great story. Love the depth of development of characters and their relationships with others. They dealt with a lot of really hard life issues.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A heart breaking story of loss and recovery. This story shows the deep sorrow one goes through when losing a husband. Bess is only twenty, married a year and expecting a baby when she learns of her husband's traffic death. Most of her family and friends expect her to move through her grief quickly and get on with life. When this doesn't happen, Bess fights to find her way. Very encouraging book.

Did not enjoy this book at first, because of the sadness. After I got into it, it was hard to put down.
Kelly Irvin must have a vivid imagination, as this book takes some different twists and turns! lol
I enjoy her style, and stories. Recommend this one for all of you, out there.
Interesting and endearing characters make this book come alive, and I am hoping there will be more ....

.4 1/2 stars!

Ive never read a Kelly Irvin book, but am glad I decided to start with this one! Irvin starts out the story with a bang, bringing the main character, Bess, some horrid news. Everything from then on is written with such clear emotion, you can honestly feel yourself in Bess' shoes. From the smells of the surroundings to the emotional struggles each character faces, I found myself getting emotional quite a few times, and struggling right along with them.

I also liked the use of flowers in the book, something Bess adores, because they seemed to be interwoven into the story in a way that connected so many characters involved.

The story itself is a difficult one, a predicament no woman would want to find herself in, but especially Bess. Although she is Amish and they are expected to 'carry on in faith' when someone passes, she finds it especially hard - something that makes her character much more human. When Ive read about widowed women in other Amish fiction stories, they often seem to get over the death a little too quickly. Irvin made Bess seem like someone who could be living down the road from you - a real woman with real struggles.

All in all I loved the story. It didn't have the usual focus of writing about all the work being done in detail by the people - describing the cooking, gardening and cleaning, etc., but I believe that suited the story well.

A highly recommended book!

Great book by Kelly Irvin. This is the first one I have read of hers, and I was impressed. It was easy to read, and a great story. I enjoyed the fact that this book explored deeper feelings surrounding deaths of loved ones and tragic events, and accurately portrayed depression in these hard moments. I enjoyed reading about Bess and her pathway back to recovery and love after the sudden death of her husband, and struggle to raise their only child alone. It was raw at moments and sweet and tender. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Upon A Spring Breeze by Kelly Irvin is first book in An Every Amish Season Novel series. Bess Weaver is twenty years old and has been married for a year to Caleb. Bess is pregnant with their first child. They have been living with Caleb’s parents while Caleb builds their home. Bess is waiting for Caleb to return home after spending the day helping his best friend, Aidan Graber. Bess hears the door and expects Caleb to come walking through it. Instead, it is Aidan with a troubled, distraught expression on his face. A truck hit Caleb’s buggy on the slick roads and Caleb died in Aidan’s arms. Bess cannot believe she lost her husband so soon and is struck down with grief. Bess’ parents arrive from Haven, Kansas for the funeral. They want Bess to return with them, but Bess does not wish to leave Jamesport, Missouri. Aidan feels that the accident is his fault because Caleb had run an errand for him. Aidan cares for Bess (has for many years), and he promised Caleb he would watch out for her. Bess gives birth to a boy that she names Joshua. Weeks later Bess is at the local nursery purchasing flowers when she meets Dusty Lake. He is a friendly, knowledgeable employee, and he actually makes Bess laugh (first time since Caleb’s death). Bess decides to get a job. A few days later, Bess is applying for a position at the Heartland Bed and Breakfast. The new owners are Minerva and Gavin Lake, Dusty’s parents. But some people do not approve of Bess’ job or her new friend. Bess’ fate is no longer her own thanks to Bishop Freeman. Bess will be leaving town unless someone finds a good reason for her to stay in Jamesport!

Upon A Spring Breeze is nicely written, has a good pace, and a good storyline. The religious aspect is light to medium. Emphasis is placed on having faith and the power of prayer. The setting of Jamesport, Missouri sounds lovely, and I did appreciate the main characters (especially Bess). I could understand Bess’ grief having lost my own father recently. The overwhelming feeling of grief does not go away overnight. On top of that, Bess had a new and very fussy baby. Her hormones and emotions are all over the place. I felt that her family and friends should have been more understanding and patient (instead of critical). I give Upon a Spring Breeze 3 out of 5 stars. I had trouble with the male authority figures in the story. I could never live in such a male dominated society. I could not believe that Bess did not get to decide the fate of the farmland she owned with Caleb. When she made a male friend, it was considered inappropriate. She was forced to give up her job (a woman’s place is in the home and not near eligible Englisch men). I could not believe that the Bishop wrote to her father regarding her “behavior” (Bess is a widow with a child). The Bishop would not allow Aidan to accept the government assistance allowed for the loss of his chickens. How is he supposed to restart his business? I cannot help but wonder if this is how it truly is in the Amish culture. I sincerely hope not (can you tell this book riled me up). The ending was sweet, but it was expected. I did not enjoy Upon A Spring Breeze as much as other books I have read by Kelly Irvin.

Kelly Irvin writes a story that keeps your attention from page one!

Kelly writes a story of friendship, love, loss, despair, finding your way again and loving again.

Bess and Caleb Weaver had only been married a year. She was expecting their first child but, before the child was born, Caleb was killed in a terrible buggy accident. His best friend Aiden Graber, also friends with Bess since childhood, made Caleb a promise to care for his wife and child.

Bess is so heartbroken over the loss of her husband she can’t seem to bond with her son and finds ways to avoid caring for him. Caleb’s mother Mattie falls into a state of total despair.

What happens to Bess? Will she finally be a mother to little Joshua? Will she let Aiden into her heart…. a place he’s longed for all his life? What of Mattie? God can bring her back from the deep pit she’s fallen into but does she let him?

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

First, the disclaimer. "I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own." That done, UPON A SPRING BREEZE is Ms. Irvin's latest release. Ms. Irvin wrote a heart-rendering story as both Bess and Aidan suffer through loss after loss after loss. I was beginning to wonder if there was any hope in this story at all as both main characters struggled through the terrible valley of the shadow of death. But about the time I decided the grief was too deep to bear, the story turned and things began to look up. Of course, there is still the black moment to get through, and that was edge of your seat as you wondered what would happen next.

A great Amish romance set around a young widow and her husband's best friend, with lots of drama, heart-ache, and loss. Readers will devour this latest story by Kelly Irvin. I absolutely fell in love with both main characters, especially Aidan. 3.5

If you're a fan of Amish fiction, this one is top notch! Bess is left a pregnant widow after only one year of marriage when a sudden accident takes her husband, Caleb's life. They have been living with Caleb's family as Caleb worked on building them a home of their own. Bess is expected to be stoic and get on with life. She is grieving terribly and questioning God. The birth of her son one month later only brings more pain as it is difficult for her to gaze at her son as he looks so much like his dad and the grief starts anew.
Bess feels she could never love again and take the risk of losing someone once again. She has members of her community who help her heal. There are other widow's who understand her grief and pain. There is also, Caleb's best friend, Aiden.
A lovely story of loss, pain, grief and hope.
I was given an ecopy of this to read from the publisher, Zondervan and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Plans, dreams, memories, Bess and Caleb had so many plans, dreams, and happy memories together in their short married life. Plans and dreams for their precious bopli to arrive soon. There would be cuddles and snuggles with their darling bopli together. Then those plans and dreams were shattered in a flash. Caleb would not be snuggling and cuddling their precious bopli with Bess. He would not be holding her close in their bed or brushing her long, glorious hair ever again. Never. Never. Never. Bess wonders how a good and loving Gott could do such a horrible thing as to take her mann just before their bopli was to arrive. But he did take him.
Bess needs love, support and encouragement now and Aidan promised his best friend, Caleb, who asked with his last breath for him to take care of his bopli. He works to keep his promise to Caleb. But poor Bess is sad and angry and grieving. Can she come around and learn to love and have joy and laughter again? Or will she drown in her sorrow?
My heart went out to Bess and to Aidan. I grieved along with them as they dealt with the loss of their dearest friend. I don't know how I would have been able to handle life or to get out of the bed every day and walk around as though nothing had happened. I don't agree with the Amish way of handling grief with never mentioning the name of the deceased. I feel that people need to express their grief and talk about their loved one. Kelly Irvin tells the story of love and loss in a way that is gut-wrenching and raw with emotion. She tugs on the heartstrings of her readers as she tells their story. I am so excited that this is the first book in the Every Amish Season series. I am looking forward to hearing more about Bess, Aidan and their friends and family.
I simply had to give this book a star rating of five! because it's just.that.good!
I received a copy of this book from netgalley and the publishers. While netgalley would like for me to review the book if I choose to do so, I was not required to review this book and all opinions expressed are my own.