It took a very long time for ole girl to figure out that dude was amish. She is also incredibly childish. I think if I was 14, desperate for love or attention, I would have enjoyed it more, but I'm not. I think if you are looking for cutesy YA, there are better novels out there.

This book was cute! Not always super well written or super nuanced, but a cute summer romance. This is an excellent book to take to the beach or when you just need to remember that love is real and people will fight for you. The parental characters felt stereotyped and character growth was stilted. But for a fluffy romance, this hit the spot.

Really enjoyed this book! I'm not usually a huge fan of YA but requested this on Netgalley because it seemed a bit different and intriguing. Amish Guys Don't Call gives an interesting insight into Amish culture, which I've always had an interest in, so I was hooked on this right from the start. It also covers topics such as cyber-bullying and teenage life among very different cultures. It's a great novel and different from the usual teen romances that I read a lot of in the past.

I have to DNF this book because it is not for me. I didn't hate or like it but I couldn't connect with the characters. I thought this book is cute and funny but I couldn't enjoy it. This book is not for me. I tried my best to get back my interest in this book but totally lose it.

This was a simple book that captured the emotions of a simple girl really well..

Don't Bother

As a self-proclaimed amishaholic, I scoured around, looking for any titles with “Amish” in it. When I came across Amish Guys Don’t Call by Debby Dodds, it piqued my curiosity. Just how “Amish” was this novel? Would it stay true to Amish values and ideals? The answer to that would be no. If you like horror films, the movie Mean Girls, and the not-very-Amish reality show Breaking Amish, then this might – might – appeal to you.

Amish Guys Don’t Call tells the story of 16-year-old Sam. Sam has a past she’s trying to get away from. When she and her single mom land in Pennsylvania, drama ensues. She becomes part of an elite clique at her school (see Mean Girls reference), is completely obsessed with horror flicks (this is not a passing theme; it’s throughout the novel – and is completely over the top), and meets a cute guy named Zac, who is (you guessed it) ex-Amish. The novel drips with teen angst.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest review. It’s most certainly not my favorite. Perhaps that’s because the premise of the entire book is off. Yes, I suppose an occasional ex-Amish guy wouldn’t call due to no phone. But most teens in their rumspringa not only have phones, but they even text. And if they do not have one readily available, they find one. The horror references were insane and many were just uncalled for. Was the author trying to be “hip” using references such as “AF”? If so, she fails. This novel does more harm than good in representing the Amish. For GOOD young adult fiction that address the Amish, try Kathleen Fuller’s Mysteries of Middlefield series, or Beverly Lewis’s SummerHill Secrets series. Both are classics, and still speak of teens in torment without going overboard.

This was a cute read made all the better by referencing some tv shows and movies I really adore. I lost track of the Buffy/Angel and horror movie references. That definitely got points with me! It's based in Pennsylvania, and I'm from PA myself, but a very different part. I knew as much about the Amish as Sam does in the beginning, which is not much at all. It's a little pet peeve of mine when people assume PA is mostly Amish, so it was nice that the author addresses that a lot of us are so far removed from it that we don't understand it at all.

This is definitely, absolutely YA. Cute little romances, hot guys, mean girls, drama, issues with parents... it pretty much checks every box. The slang was pretty overblown at times in my opinion, but maybe I'm just getting old! Sometimes I had a hard time understanding Sam's motivations. She is written as a bit nerdy, kind, and very intelligent, so why care about fitting in with the girls that are mean to everyone? She abandoned other friends to do so and I just didn't think it fit her persona. Maybe if she hadn't began ignoring older friends I would have bought that she simply wanted to belong.

Sam is almost seventeen and has never had a boyfriend. Her wild friend Madison has made it her pet project to find her one. Sam is interested, but she's a little awkward and has no experience. When they meet Zach, it seems perfect. He's cute and sweet... and a little awkward too. They converse easily and seem to genuinely like each other, but Sam senses something a bit different about him... his speech is a little unusual, he doesn't have a cell phone, and he hasn't seen any of the movies or tv shows she talks about. Well, you read the title. Even though it takes awhile to come out in the story, Zach was raised Amish. He chose to leave his family and live an "English" life.

Sam becomes wrapped up in Zach and ignores her other issues. She's frustrated with her mom, her new friends are being distant and catty at best, she misses her estranged father, and she still hasn't dealt with the dormant shoplifting compulsion that might not be gone forever. Zach is the bandaid over her wounds, holding her together. When he's called away over trouble of his own, her whole life implodes. Can she deal with him being gone, and will he even come back?

Sweet, easy read suitable for teenagers. I enjoyed it as a nice light read, an escape on a late summer day. Great first novel from the author.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Blue Moon Publishers, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

Okay, let me just start with this statement: I have the utmost respect for all authors. I could NEVER write a book. I don’t have the creativity necessary to come up with an idea and I refuse to stop ending sentences in prepositions. I did not love this book. I feel bad even writing that, but it was just not my taste at all. I found that for me the story did not flow in a way that made it easy to read. There was a lot of slang and cultural references that just seemed unnecessary and to be honest, already outdated. Is anyone still saying “on fleek”? Another thing that was distracting was the overall vocabulary of the story. I would never proclaim myself to be a walking dictionary, but I feel like I have a decent vocabulary and ability to figure words out using context clues. Even so, I found myself looking up several words via Kindle. If I had a hard copy of this book, I probably would have given up on trying to understand some parts. I think it was to recognize the fact that the main character is intelligent, but I can’t imagine a lot of teens understanding and persevering through some of the vocabulary. I’m not saying this book was terrible, I am more just saying it wasn’t really my cup of tea and there were some aspects that made it more challenging for me to get into.

I didn't finish this because i really wasn't liking the MC or her friends. Not for me.

Sometimes, I pick up books because their title is so witty that I can't stop myself from wanting to read what else is tucked away within its pages, and this is what happened with this novel. I was very pleased with the content; I have to admit that it took me more time to write the review than it did reading the novel! So, Amish Guys Don't Call is a fast-paced book that's part romance, part intrigue, part good old high school (and general) drama. It raises interesting points about who we are versus who we want to be, or who we want others to see when they glance our way. I have to admit that I love when books urge you into a little bit of introspection.

My love for secondary characters really got treated in this novel. While the main character is your "quirky, foot-in-mouth, trying to be cool" type of high school girl (that you can actually relate to!), the love interest, Zach, is a real gem. I even slightly wished that the book had been written in alternating point of views so the readers would get more insight on his life, his feelings, and how he experienced our dear awkward Sam... I definitely would not say no to a novella about his life. The author touched on his Amish past quite tastefully, in my opinion, and I was glad to see that it wasn't the main focus of their relationship. Please, Debby Dodds - we want more!

Ironically, my only disappointment with this book was the summary. I'd say that the blurb summarizes approximately 70% of the book, with little amount of information left to surprise the reader. The second part of the summary (the cyber bullying and Zach's return to the Amish and Sam reverting to the illegal habits) could have easily been left out in order to keep some mystery alive. But then again, what is summarized is what you get. Therefore, if the summary interested you, then the book will definitely deliver, and yes, I would recommend this book!

I'd like to thank Blue Moon Publishers for the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars! This was definitely a unique read - its not often you find the Amish culture explored in young adult literature, and especially not an Amish love interest. I definitely enjoyed reading about that. Amish Guys Don't Call really draws upon how hard we work to try and fit in, to make friends, to keep our lives on track and i really liked that. At times the flow of the story felt a little bit off, some bits seemed to go quite slow, while others went by a bit too fast. But overall I did enjoy reading this, a great, cute read that definitely put an interesting spin on first love and YA contemporaries..

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sam's finally starting to get her life under control in her junior year of high school, after all she's finally been accepted to join the Sherpas, the most popular girls in school. Her best friend, Madison, who put in a good word to get her into the Sherpas in the first place, has made it her mission to find a boyfriend for Sam. Things get complicated when Sam realizes that her new boyfriend, Zach, grew up Amish has chosen not to end his Rumspringa possibly bringing complete shunning from his family. Of course, Sam's friends can't help but torment her about all of this. Sam's carefully constructed world begins to collapse due to cyberbullying, never coming to terms with her parents' divorce, and Zach's apparent return to the Amish community. As a result she return to her old shoplifting habits. I mean, does she even want friends like the Sherpas anymore and will Zach find his way back to her?

As soon as I saw this YA Contemporary, I knew I wanted to try it. I mean, when's the last time you saw a mainstream YA Contemporary featuring the Amish? I live in rural central Ohio, not too far from Amish country, and it's always interesting to visit the area. I have to admit that I particularly liked how the Dodds explores Amish culture and religion in Amish Guys Don't Call. In fact, Zach is easily my favorite character in the novel and I really enjoyed following his journey over the course of the story. However, I just wish Sam didn't have to spend 49% of the novel wondering what Zach's deal was since she didn't realize he's Amish until half of the book has gone by. Personally, I thought that made her kind of foolish since there are so many hints aside from the fact that the story is set in Lancaster, PA. Actually, I think the summary and the title give a way a little too much, and I wasn't surprised by any of the turns in the novel. I may have preferred to see this story told from both the perspectives of Sam and Zach. My favorite thing about Sam is just how big of a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel she is. Now, if only her mother and friends weren't so terrible and useless.

I have always been fascinated with Amish culture and religion. One of my favorite shows was Amish in the City. Anytime I hear about updates about those people, I still tune in. This book didn't disappoint. You have Sam who is an introvert with problems, the biggest one being that she has no one in her corner. You have Zack who is in a similar situation after leaving his Amish home after Rumspringer. The character were believable, and the plot line was romantic. Girls will swoon over Zack with his funny dialect and curiosity of the modern world.

There is something intriguing about a culture that lives among us, yet is different in so many ways. Amish Guys Don’t Call is a powerful story that explores the Amish way of life, however, it also shows the reader that deep down there is a similar desire in all of us to be accepted by our friends and family. As well, the characters are well-developed and relatable, making this book an enjoyable read.

Having lived near a Mennonite community my whole life, I have an idea of the small town setting of this book from my own experiences. Dodds really takes the time to educate her readers on many aspects of the Amish and their beliefs. The differences between the Amish and Mennonites that are also described surprised me, and I have a new appreciation for the people that I see in horse and buggy on a daily basis.

The budding relationship between Sam and Zach is so sweet. Zach is quite old-fashioned and treats Sam with so much respect. Both of these characters are dealing with feelings of not being accepted by their friends and family. It is so interesting how Dodds shows two different worlds and how they both have this similar issue. It is the forgiveness that is so important in the Amish culture that seems to pulse throughout the novel, and makes it one to learn from.

Sam is a character that is easy to identify with. She has some flaws, yet is also a head strong and intelligent teen that simply wants to fit into this new town she is living in. When things start to go wrong, she discovers that there are many people that she can lean on. This book is truly inspiring for anyone who has dealt with any form of bullying.

Amish Guys Don’t Call is a unique book that explores different cultures and shares it similarities. There are interesting and relatable characters that make the book enjoyable to read. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone wanting to read a contemporary that is a little bit different in concept.

In all honesty, i DNFd this book. I could not connect at all to it. I typically try to give it to 100 pages but I didn't even make it that far. I found that I just did not enjoy the authors writing style and found it to be a bit disjointed.

Amish Guys Don’t Call is funny, absorbing, and ultimately lifting. Dodds has a great heart for teenagers, and this title is one that should grace every high school and middle school library, and will also attract parents and teachers of adolescents. I read it free and early thanks to Net Galley and Blue Moon Publishers. This book will be available to everyone June 13, 2017.

Samantha is still smarting from her parents’ divorce and her father’s inattention when her mother moves them to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which is the heart of Amish country. Samantha has been in trouble for shoplifting, and the urge increases when she is in stressful situations. To her surprise and delight, she strikes up a friendship with Madison, who in turn pulls her into the most popular circle at school. The one thing that gets in Sam’s way is her wholesomeness. She doesn’t drink, smoke, or use street drugs; not only is she still a virgin, but she’s never had a boyfriend. Madison tells Sam that all of this can end, with some careful time and grooming. Thus is “Project P” launched.

Despite the name of the boyfriend project, this book is free of explicit sexual situations. We see drug use, and sexual situations arise, so those considering whether this title is right for your teen or group of teens should bear this in mind. If in doubt, buy a copy for yourself and read it first.

At a big party held at night in a cornfield by Amish boys during their Rumspringa, a period in which some Amish groups permit their adolescents a taste of what the outside world is like and tolerate sometimes-extreme behaviors as a rite of passage, Samantha meets a young man named Zach. He’s handsome, and he’s drawn to her. We can tell from his behaviors (as well as the book’s title) that he is Amish, but it takes quite awhile for Sam to catch on. She is obsessed with his failure to provide her with his cell number. Is there another girl in the picture?

This story was a fun read, but I don’t recommend it to general audiences apart from those that really enjoy a wide variety of YA novels. Every nuance is explained thoroughly, and so whereas the text is accessible to students—with vocabulary at about the 9th grade level—most adults will want something more nuanced. That said, if I were still in the classroom, I would purchase this title. Because the subject matter might provoke conservative parents, I would not use it as assigned reading or use it as a classroom read-aloud, but I know that a lot of students will want to read it.

Recommended for teens that are not from highly conservative backgrounds.

I thought the plot of this novel sounded like a refreshing mash up of YA with a twist of Amish fiction. It's been a while since I have read any Amish fiction because at this point I feel like I have read every possible storyline, but this was different. I have never thought of the possibility of an Amish teenager dating someone outside of their faith while on their Rumspringa, but it did make for an interesting story! I found the majority of Samanatha's relationships with the girls she is trying to be "in" with annoying though. Maybe because even at that age that wasn't my main goal and she seems smarter than that. Also, it took her an extremely long time to figure out Zach is Amish which bothered me throughout the book. Still, I enjoyed this refreshing love story and really liked the personalities of both Sam and Zach and how well they meshed together. It was a good first novel and I look forward to seeing what Ms. Dodds comes up with next.

I have to say when I first saw the cover and read the synopsis, I was intrigued, but I wasn't thinking this story was going to be anything special. I was pleasantly surprised. Although, it had serious Mean Girl vibes, I really enjoyed Sam, Madison, Hillary and Zach. I loved that Sam and Zach got to know each other some before the whole Amish thing came out. And when I say Amish thing, that is not a spoiler. It is clear in the title that the love interest is going to be Amish.

My only downfall is I wish this showed more of Zach's family and life. We know everything about Sam and her drama, but I really feel like we know nothing about Zach. I loved the references to Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I live about 45 minutes from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and I think that it is so funny when Intercourse (a town) was mentioned. I've been there and I've purchased things from Amish stores. I don't know much about Amish culture or their beliefs, but after reading this, I am now intrigued. Definitely worth the 4 out of 5 stars or A- that I gave it.

Following her parents divorce and a scape with the law, Samantha and her mother relocate from Philadelphia to Lancaster AKA Dutch Country. While she is attempting to navigate a complicated social structure, she meets Zach, who may be “the guy” she needs to accomplish Plan P — the search for her first boyfriend. While everything else in her world appears to be unravelling, Samantha also begins to worry that Zach may return to his Amish life. Will yet another person leave her behind?

When I saw this title, I was very intrigued. As a kid, I visited Dutch Country often, have quite a love for shoofly pie, and been interested in the ways of the Amish. This was an interesting portrayal, because Dodd opted to show all sides of the Amish. She shared the good things and the bad things. I thought she did a good job weaving these info bites throughout the story.

In fact, Dodd tries to show multiple perspectives on many of the issues in the book. I appreciate that approach, because it gives me something to consider and think about by presenting multiple angles. I really enjoyed Dodd’s afterword, where explained some of the choices she made in the book, as well as her inspiration. It confirmed things I thought, and also cleared up other things.

I really liked both Samantha and Zach. I found that they complemented each other quite well, and shared a lot of common issues. I honestly felt Zach brought a little more to the table, as his different experiences often helped Samantha see things with in a different light. It was pretty great how he could share parts of his culture with her in order to help give her clarity.

The romance between those two was very sweet and endearing. I loved seeing it slowly unfold, and the more time they spent together, the more each of them healed from their pasts.

I love a good redemption arc, and Dodd allowed so many characters to redeem themselves. There were a lot of character behaving badly in this book. Sam’s father left without a trace, while her mother was playing some kind of part-time role. Her friend was divulging her secrets and allowing them to be used against her, while another so-called friend was cyberbullying Sam. Sam also had her moments of bad behavior, but then someone stepped in, and set the redemption ball in motion. So, although there is the poor parenting and mean girls stuff, these characters all grew and changed for the better over the course of this book, and I am always glad to see that.

I found this to be a sweet and charming story of first love, friendship, and family.

I’ve always been fascinated by the Amish culture for some reason and it’s always cool learning about other cultures as well. My first impression of Amish Guys Don’t Call was that it was going to be a fun and cute read. It ended up being a pretty weird book, to be honest. It still had it’s fun and cute moments though, don’t get me wrong. I even laughed out loud quite a bit.

Samantha was struggling a lot through this book, she had so many things going on in her life. Her parents divorce, her mother not always home, trying to fit in with the popular girls at school, and she also had a problem with shoplifting. This girl had a lot going on in her life! I felt like she did the best she could though and it helped having Zach in her life. Things with their relationship was a little awkward though, but I guess it was understandable since it was her first relationship and Zach had just left the Amish and was learning how the English (non-Amish) people lived. There were times though that I felt like Sam didn’t always act her age (16-17). I got a younger age vibe from her.

Zach’s dialogue was a bit strange for me. He talked really “proper” like instead of saying “don’t” he would say “do not” or instead of “can’t” he would say “cannot”. It was hard to get used to the way they he talked and worded things. He also threw in some Pennsylvania Dutch at times too since that was the language the Amish talked. That took a bit to get used to, but it was interesting. I wasn’t a huge fan of Samantha’s friends. They were basically the mean girls and they really bugged me. They all had their own things they were dealing with too though.

There were a lot of things going on in this book and there was one scene that was like a “WTF” moment and I had no clue what was happening and I was kind of shocked. It had to do with a haunted house, but I don’t want to go further into it because it could be a spoiler. But it was just so weird and I had no idea what was going on and after reading the authors note at the end of the book, it’s a real thing that happens now and that the author herself experienced. There are a lot of things in this book that the author herself experienced, actually. It’s hard to really point out exactly why I felt a certain way about some things without saying exactly what happened in the book and I hate spoilers. Knowing that a lot of things that happened in the book, happened in real life helped put it in better perspective and took away some of the weirdness that I got from it though.

Overall, I liked the story even if at times it was a bit strange for me. There was just so much happening and sometimes I was like “wait, what?”. Sometimes it felt like too many things happening in such a short amount of time (pages), so it felt a little rushed or things weren’t explained as well and came out of nowhere. Once I got used to Zach’s dialogue, it was easy to read and I was flying through the book in about a day and a half. It was hard to put down, because I was still really into the story and wanted to see how it ended. I was still rooting for Sam and Zach.