Oh goodness this is such a heartwarming read. Clipston shows that through tragedy, God can make something beautiful. Second chances are sometimes more sweet then we ever imagined. While there are tissues needed when reading, it doesn't last long for the reader to see how much hope Clipston is going to bring to the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Laura is such a sweetheart, and loves taking care of baby Mollie. She and Allen grieve Savilla together and focus on the care of Mollie, who requires extra comfort as she is going through teething. Contrary to the book synopsis, Laura is not thinking about breaking up with Rudy, and they make extra attempts throughout the book to stay connected despite Rudy's frustrations that she is spending too much time at Allen's home. They have all been friends for years, and Laura finds comfort in her friendships.

Laura finds joy and purpose in her job caring for Mollie and making sure Allen takes care of himself. It's a natural progression as they begin to be attracted to one another, connecting on a deeper level and understanding the changes in each other. I didn't understand why she kept trying to make things work with Rudy when she knew that they didn't have anything in common anymore and didn't act like a caring couple. After some conflict and drama, it was good to see them finally come to terms with the inevitable.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

As always Amy Clipston tells a fantastic story. Allen and Laura have each suffered a devastating loss and help each other learn to cope with this loss. I love how the author has these two characters learn how to get through this loss. I laughed and cried through this book. I always look forward to reading these Amish stories. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I loved this book! Once I started reading, I could not put it down. This book gives a great background on the Amish lifestyle. How a community will pull together to help one of their own. When Allen loses his wife and is left to care for their baby daughter, Mollie, I could feel how devastated he was. When Savilla's best friend offers to come and help him with the baby, their friendship becomes deeper. Allen realizes that Laurie is a person that he can confide in and Laurie starts to realized that Allen is her "go to" person also. No spoilers...just that this is a great book to read and I am planning on reading other books from this author!!

I liked this book very much. Story was well developed and moved along at a good pace. There are times I would like to try to live like this story represents.

When would her world right itself? And how could she cope until it did?

Laura Reihl has lost her mom and now her best friend Savilla. Savilla had only been married over a year and is now a mother of a young baby girl Mollie. Her husband Allen is broken with the loss of his young wife. With only his wife's family and the community, he must go on for the sake of his young daughter.

Laura knowing the pain of losing her mother, feels the call to help her best friend baby. She loves Molly as her own and wants to help Allen any way possible. With all the changes in Laura's life, she has lost her purpose and her relationship with her beau has been at a disconnect. With a loss, Laura's disconnect becomes a heartfelt emotion to this reader. Without realizing, she is looking for a connection and in taking care of Mollie, seeing Allen grief, she begins to connect. There is a tension with Laura and her beau Rudy and a rediscovering of emotions that have never been experienced.

Laura and Allen develop a deep friendship on the porch swing as they learn about each other and grief. Their friendship becomes a big support to the other and a support that feeds their souls. Both desire to do the right thing and doing the right thing sometimes means letting go. A heart felt love story. I really enjoyed it.

A Special Thank you to Zondervan and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

ROOM ON THE PORCH SWING is the second book in the Amish Homestead series by Amy Clipston and I enjoyed it more than the first. It is the story of Laura Reihl, and how she is dealing with grief. She lost her mother at the end of the last book, and her best friend, Savilla, dies tragically with a virus that caused her heart to stop. Savilla had been married for a short time and left behind her young husband, Alan and months old daughter, Mollie. When Savilla's mother, who is taking care of Mollie and the house has an accident and ends up in the hospital, Laura steps in to help her friend's widower. Laura's boyfriend of four years, Rudy, is not happy about the situation and doesn't like how it will look to others. Will Laura and Rudy ever get married? How will Laura fight the feelings towards Alan that are budding in her heart?

Amy Clipston does a wonderful job of making you feel present in the story. The emotions and struggles are so real, in fact, many readers have probably experienced similar situations. As I read the book, I felt my emotions going up and down. I wanted things to turn out for Laura and kept telling her that Rudy was not ready for a commitment. Alan seemed like the perfect man. He loved and was devoted to his daughter, he was caring and did not want anyone to get the wrong idea about Laura. He was very astute about other's feelings and tried to help when he could. The rest of Laura's family was present and again, I felt like I was meeting up with old friends. They are also dealing with things and they seem to be working out. The power of prayer and their beliefs came through strongly, but did not overpower the story. Room on a Porch Swing is a heart tugging story filled with grief, loneliness, heartbreak, and love that will grip you right from the first page. I am so looking forward to the next book in this series.

I cherished every word as I read this book. The author is such an eloquent writer and brings the characters to life with her words. I loved the significance of the porch swing in the story. My grandfather had a porch swing and every summer I couldn't wait to visit him. We would sit for hours just talking and the wisdom he shared with me I will never forget.

When certain characters would sit on the porch swing, I knew it was going to be a time of memories and unconditional love. It was a place for people to sit and share their worries and be comforted. I loved Laura right away and admired her compassion to help out when her best friend passes away. It was difficult for Laura to adjust to not having her friend around, but she was blessed to be able to help take care of the baby that was missing her mother. Laura is still grieving the loss of her own mother and the loss of her best friend is a bit much for her.

Allen is a very humble man and tries his best to take care of Mollie and still run his business. The arrangement he makes with Laura to be his nanny seems like a great idea. Laura has a lot to deal with and I wondered if she took on too much too soon. Her devotion to Mollie is special and maybe being around Mollie helped her to deal with losing her best friend. I have to say I was quite surprised that Laura stayed overnight at Allen's house. Is this something that the bishop would be alright with? It was sure to cause problems with her boyfriend and I loved the way Laura prayed and asked for guidance.

The story is wonderful and really made me think how important it is to be happy in a relationship. Rumors and gossip can cause misunderstandings and draw people apart. The author does a great job of exploring a relationship between Allen and Laura. Is Allen ready to love again? Will Laura decide if her boyfriend is right for her? Don't miss this beautiful story of letting go and listening to God .

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

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I am a big fan of Amish novels. This is the first book by Amy Clipston that I have read and it definitely won’t be the last. It is well-written and the characters come alive as you get into the story.

Laura is a young Amish woman who is grieving the loss of her mother when she also loses her best friend, Savilla, less than a year later. Savilla leaves behind her husband, Allen, and her infant daughter, Mollie. Laura steps in to become Mollie’s nanny and help Allen any way she can. Their friendship helps both of them through the grieving process. Rudy, Laura’s boyfriend, adds an element of conflict to the story.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by Ms. Clipston. I highly recommend Room on the Porch Swing to anyone who loves Amish novels. If you haven’t read any Amish novels, Room on the Porch Swing is a great place to start. It is one of the best Amish novels that I have read.

Amy Clipston is one of my favorite Amish Romance authors. This talented lady consistently releases well written and intriguing stories and she is well worth a try to anyone and everyone.

ROOM ON THE PORCH SWING is a prime example of Amy Clipston's talent. In this heartwarming tale, Laura Riehl has not only lost her mother, but her best friend, Savilla, passes away, leaving Laura bereft and adrift. She feels so alone, even though she is in a relationship with Rudy.

When Laura offers to help Allen, Savilla's widower, take care of the baby, left motherless, her life begins to change. But are the changes for the better? Laura begins to see things in a much different light while taking care of the little one. She starts to become a part of Allen's household and feelings for the widower spark as well. Time heals all wounds, but will time be on Laura and Allen's side? Read ROOM ON THE PORCH SWING by Amy Clipston to find out.

I always enjoy books that are written about the Amish community. I liked the characters but did not find the situation of Laura staying at Allen’s house very believable, I felt the Bishop would have found out much sooner than he did and put a stop to it.

Excellent story by Amy Clipston. She had my attention on every page with wanting to know what was going to happen next. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I received an advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and no money exchanged.

Although this was the second book in the series, I have not read the first book, but it was easy to follow. I would like to go back and read book one and see if it would make a difference.

This is the story of Allen. Mollie and Laura.

Laura offers to help Allen take care of his daughter Mollie when her best friend, Mollie's mom dies, and the mother is law has an accident.

Laura takes over the running of the house and draws them into a close friendship, who some feel is too close.

A touching story of support and finding yourself and possibly a new relationship along the way. Such a relatable story with great values and message behind the story.

I loved this book! It was so well written and the characters are so endearing that you just want them to heal and see that love is possible when God is in control.

Laura Reihl's best friend has died leaving behind a grieving husband, Allen, and their infant daughter. When Laura innocently begins to help Allen care for his daughter so that he can work, the two are surprised when they begin to have feelings for one another. Each denies their feelings and continue to go about caring for little Mollie. Laura soon realizes she has feelings for Allen that she never had for her boyfriend of four years. When Laura and Rudy break up, Allen has to decide if he can put his grief aside and explore the feelings he has for Laura. Laura also has to decide if she can have a future with her best friend's widow.

Allen's wife, Savilla, passed away suddenly and he is totally bereft. Savilla's best friend, Laura is just as bereft as Allen. When Savilla's mother, Irma Mae, falls and breaks her leg and hip, Laura comes to Allen's rescue by taking care of his daughter. It takes several months for Irma Mae to completely recover and Laura begins to have feelings for Allen in spite of being Rudy's girlfriend.

When I started reading this book by Amy Clipston, I felt like I'd read it before. It was comfortable, like wearing an old t-shirt. It seemed that I knew the characters from before. (As a matter of fact, I did, and I reviewed it here.) There is nothing like starting a book and getting the feeling that you are visiting with old friends you haven't seen for a while.

There are hiccups along the way for Laura and Allen, but they choose to listen to the advice of their elders. The spirit of this book shines with biblical values that all of us should take to heart. I love books that help me grow through the stories they tell.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a porch swing for two.

My thanks to Zondervan for providing the galley for me to read and review. The opinions expressed here are mine alone.

A really good, undemanding but very well done book with interesting characters and a good concentration on the details of male friendships as well as female friendships and romance.

Full review available on the link to my blog below.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

ROOM ON THE PORCH SWING is the second book in the Amish Homestead series by Amy Clipston. It is the story of Laura Reihl and how she is dealing with the death of her mother. Soon after that, her best friend, Savilla passes away and Laura is crushed. She is immediately worried about Savilla's husband, Allen and her baby girl, Mollie. Allen's mother in law steps in to care for Mollie as well as taking care of the house but soon she has a bad fall and winds up in the hospital.


Laura quickly steps in to help Allen even though her boyfriend Rudy is very unhappy with this. How can Laura turn her back on Allen and Mollie? They need her and soon she finds out that she needs them. Amy Clipston sure knows how to make the reader feel as if they are right there at the kitchen table with the family dealing with all their troubles and ROOM ON THE PORCH SWING is exactly that! She made me sad, then the next moment I was smiling and giggling out loud! You can never go wrong with a Amy Clipston book if you are a fan of the Amish genre. All of her characters feel genuine and relatable and put your emotions on one heck of a roller coaster ride. As you are reading, you will find yourself cheering for all of them, praying they can work out their problems and be happy once again. You will also wonder how much heartache a family can stand before it completely breaks down and splits.


ROOM ON THE PORCH SWING is a heart tugging story filled with grief, loneliness, heartbreak, and love that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once I started this heartwarming story, it was very hard to put down! Amy Clipston isn't afraid to write about subjects out of the norm as far as the Amish genre goes. When the community starts to question why Laura is sleeping over at Allen's house, Amy handled it perfectly! Oh, as a warning to the reader, keep the tissues handy and do not read the ending in a public place unless you don't mind crying in front of strangers! I'm so excited to continue with this series.

Oh, my! Amy Clipston gets the waterworks going in the first chapter, and it continues into the second chapter, so be sure to have your Kleenex ready. However, DON’T let this stop you from reading Room on the Porch Swing!

Clipston writes a story of tragedy with keen insights and observations. She brings just the right notes of loss, despair and healing to the novel.

I felt for each of the characters and their struggles; my heart especially broke for little baby Mollie. I cheered for some people, who exhibited kindness and compassion, and booed at others while wondering how they could be so blind, indifferent and callous.

I also relished seeing more of the individuals from A Place at Our Table, and even though Room on the Porch Swing is the second in the series, it works well as a standalone.

I have always enjoyed the books Amy Clipston writes. She doesn’t shy away from difficult, stressful situations and weaves wondrous tales of love, redemption and Biblical values without being didactic.

Room on the Porch Swing is Amy Clipston’s second novel in the Amish Homestead series.

I received this book from NetGalley. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.

The second book in the Amish Homestead series. I really enjoyed reading Laura and Allen's story. Less than a year after her mother's death Laura finds herself faced with the loss of another loved one. This time it's her best friend, Savilla. Savilla and Allen are a newly married couple with a newborn baby. When Savilla passes away Allen is devastated, this is where Laura comes in. Newborn baby Mollie really misses her mamm and Allen is lost without his new fraa. Allen's mother inlaw will take over caring for the baby and and do the housework but then she has a bad fall and is unable to care for the baby and house. Laura sees the need and being that the Amish all help one another when the need arises she jumps in while Allen's motherinlaw recovers. Laura and Syvilla were best friends so she's happy to help out. Laura has been in a relationship with Ruby but no marriage proposal so far. Why not? When confronted Ruby says he doesn't feel ready for marriage. When people in the community comment Laura seems like Mollie's mamm and Allen's wife she must step back and examine her relationship with Allen and his daughter. Has she overstepped her bounds and committed herself to the family too deeply ? Will Ruby get his act together and propose or are they just in the relationship because of habit not love? This can be read as a stand alone even though it'she second in a series.
Pub Date 08 May 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan Fiction through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.