I love Amish fiction so when I seen this title I knew I had to read it.
This is a quick read that you can finish in one afternoon or evening depending on when you want to read it.
I hate when people can't get along. It totally breaks my heart and I can most certainly relate to this book.
My father and I weren't speaking when he passed away. In fact, we haven't spoken in 7 years. Do I regret it? Yes, in some ways I do very much. It was over my stepmother whom I absolutely can't stand.
I know this book brought home some of my emotions and I was really hoping that this family would make amends.
I think what I really liked about the book was the mystery that was woven in and kept it pretty interesting.
Lillian is an excellent teacher and I could tell that she really loves her job. I wouldn't really be too crazy about having to give that up if I got married. Makes me glad I'm an Englisher.
I enjoyed this story so much that I hated to say goodbye to Lillian, Timothy and the others. It was great to live in an Amish community for awhile.
I highly recommend this book.
My thanks to Netgalley. NO compensations were received and all opinions are my own.

Sensational, but not Salacious

Patricia Davis has been writing in the Amish genre for a while now, but this is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to read one of her novels. When I first saw the title, I had my doubts, but His Amish Teacher (third in her Amish Bachelor series) was absolutely fantastic! What took me so long to discover this author?

His Amish Teacher tells the story of lifelong friends, Lillian Keim and Timothy Bowman. Lillian is the community’s school teacher and Timothy is her faithful-‘til-the-end friend. But when their feelings start to grow to more than a casual friendship, Lillian turns away – she harbors a secret that only a few know of.

Timothy has his hands full helping with the family business and being a volunteer firefighter. When arson is suspected in their community, people are on alert – and trust no one.

I was given His Amish Teacher in exchange for my honest review. I found it to be a fantastic read. I love the fact that Davids has done her homework regarding the Amish and their way of life. If you are not familiar with the ins and outs of the Amish, this novel is spot-on. I also sincerely appreciated the way she approached the topic of little people – very well done! Be sure to grab your copy of His Amish Teacher; you won’t be disappointed. And now that I’m sold on Patricia Davids, I’ve got to catch up on some reading!

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=62941>

This was a quick, pleasant read that had a touch of mystery. My biggest gripe was that there was too much telling, instead of showing, especially when it came to the Amish way of life and Amish philosophy. The dry, matter of fact dialog during these infodumps did not hold my attention. Otherwise, the characters were likeable enough, and while the story won’t stick with me for long, it did keep me entertained for a few hours.

Lillian is a teacher at the small school in her Amish community. She and Timothy have been friends forever. After her family moved away for several years so her father could work with his uncle, they unexpectedly moved back after her father and her uncle had a falling out. Timothy worked hard to reestablish their friendship, and despite not feeling ready to settle down, he is extremely attracted to Lilian. The trick for him now is to get her to see that their friendship could be so much more.

Lillian is reluctant to give in to her feelings for Timothy. She wants to make teaching her career, and Amish women don’t work outside of the home after marriage. Besides, she knows how important a big family is to Timothy, but she can’t have children. Instead, she rebuffs his advances time and again, telling him he will eventually find the perfect woman to marry, even though she longs to be that woman. Alas, she won’t let him settle for someone who will make him unhappy, and so she hardens her heart and concentrates on her students.

Timothy and Lillian’s path to love is a rocky one. There is an arsonist taking advantage of the unusually hot and dry weather, setting farms and fields on fire. The fire scenes were very well done; they were exciting, fraught with danger, and the near death experience brings the couple closer together. When Lillian suspects that her brother might have something to do with the fires, she is alarmed and distraught. She is afraid to voice her suspicions, terrified that they might be true, or that her brother will be unjustly blamed for the destruction. The search for the arsonist was a steady undercurrent woven through the story. While the resolution seemed abrupt, it did keep a sense of suspense through the entire book.

The courtship had its starts and stops, mainly because Lillian is torn about what she should do. Confess to Timothy that she can’t make his dreams of a large family a reality? Confide her fears that her brother has something to do with the fires to him? I did have a sense that Timothy and Lillian had a strong and deep friendship, and I wondered how they would both get what they wanted. Lillian her teaching career, and Timothy his large family. I think the compromise worked well, and while the story didn’t knock my socks off, I found it a pleasant diversion.

Grade: 3.25 stars

This is the latest book in the Bowman Brothers series of Amish stories. It had my emotions running the gamut from fear, to happiness, tears and joy that my heart felt like it would beat out of my chest. Lillian is probably one of my favorite ever Amish female characters to read about. The things going on in the community that are threatening jobs and lives had me fearful that someone would die. I won't say if they do or do not, because then you would not need to read the book! There are plenty of ups and downs, some angst, and some realization on the parts of both the English and the Amish on how to live and work and deal with each other. It was a great read. I am not going to tell you how it ends, as I said before, you'll have to read it.

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

This lovely, sweet novel covers so many issues, such as being barren, romantic relationships beginning as lifelong friends, and the Amish rule of teachers being unmarried. Lillian teaches and doesn't ever want to give up what is more than a job to her. Lillian loves children and longs to have them, but she can't and never will. Timothy wants a wife and large family. Timothy wants his Amish wife to remain at home to raise their large brood of children as all Amish mothers do. Lillian and Timothy have been friends since they were very very young and now, they find themselves falling in love. How can these two ever form a lasting relationship when their plans and desires differ so completely?
This is a really sweet novel. I immediately felt a positive vibe from Lillian and Timothy. They were such loving, caring young people. Their loyalty to their families was admirable. Their loyalty to their Amish faith almost tears them apart. I greatly admire the Amish but I don't agree with many of their practices. I was a mother of three and wife and taught school for many y ears. So I don't agree with not allowing married women to teach, although I did remain home with all of mine until my youngest was four. I can imagine it being difficult with a baby or two or three at a time as the Amish do. But the Amish are so close-knit that family members always help each other out. They wouldn't have the expense of a child-care giver. I also wanted a large family like Timothy and Lillian. But, through no fault of her own, Lillian is unable to bear children. I would also have felt devastated to be unable to have children, but fostering or adopting children would have been a wonderful option for my husband and I. We even discussed it in case we found we weren't able to reproduce our own children. So it is not hard for me to imagine the heartache an Amish couple would feel since large families are almost expected among them. They feel that children are a blessing from God. But I have never experienced it, so I know that I do not know the full despair that many barren women feel.
I am a rating this novel 5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from netgalley. A positive review was not expected.

Lillian and Timothy were childhood friends, and their love of reading brought them together as children until Lillian and her family moved away from Bowman's Crossing. But now Lillian is back as the new school teacher and her friendship with Timothy remains strong.

Timothy is a volunteer firefighter and he gives the school children a fire safety demonstration, but are soon called to a fire very nearby. As he sees Lillian's quick thinking in action he realizes that Lillian is more than a friend to him, but does she want the same?

Timothy is outgoing and naturally curious, he has a hunger for learning and loves to read, he always is full of questions, so when the school board decides to hire an additional teacher, his brother suggests that Timothy apply.

I like the relationship between Timothy and Lillian, they can talk about anything, joking and laughing or discussing something serious. As well as the good natured ribbing between the brothers, which brings their bond to life.

I loved the full plot into this book that brings Bowman's Crossing to life and the interaction between Lillian and Timothy, who show that together they work well together. Lillian works hard to be the best teacher that she can to help the children to learn and excel. A quick, thoroughly enjoyable read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Found myself quickly absorbed in this fast pace story, and when it was over, I wanted more, and can’t wait for the next one.
There is an arsonist loose in this Amish Community, and you can imagine the horror as teacher Lillian sees the fire headed towards her school. Now why would anyone want to hurt these kind people? Will the school be destroyed along with the occupants? This is the kind of danger that is posed though out this book.
I could sympathize with Lillian and her dilemma as far as Timothy and her secret, so very sad, and yet I kept the hope that they would be able to find a solution and end up together.
This is a story that is going to pull your heartstrings, and make you keep page turning to get to the end.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Love Inspired, and was not required to give a positive review