Classifying a Ruth Reid book as 'Amish Fiction' or 'Amish Romance' doesn't begin to scratch the surface of what this woman brings to the pages. I mean, yes it is about the Amish. Yes, it is fiction. Yes, it's got romance. But, but, but. . . There are so many more layers of depth and sub-genres and even sub-sub-sub genres of plot in each of her books. She gives me intrigue without suspense or mystery. She brings subtle spiritual depth that if you don't know what that is you will miss it entirely and still have read an amazing book. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you can see behind the 'mysterious' ways God works in our lives. Reid simply takes that sometimes and weaves it into amazing 'Amish Romance Fiction'.

As the second book in the Amish Mercies series, 'Arms of Mercy' takes us back to the Amish Table in Michigan. Same setting, new community thread, and completely stand alone (but do read 'Abiding Mercy' because Ruth Reid!). Let's get really honest here. The only, I mean ONLY, thing I didn't love about this book? The purple cover. Well, there was a bit of a pacing issue the late middle part of the story where time suddenly stopped and drug on for a bit before finding it's grove. Nope, gotta go purple. I am probably the only person on the planet that doesn't like purple. I don't mean it's not my favorite color, I mean I just don't like it. Period. Done. I do not own nor plan to own so don't bring me something purple. It's not my thing. My style. It doesn't fit on my color palette. Sorry for the fiddy-badillon people out there who claim it as their favorite color. You can have it. All of it. No strings attached.

OK, now that I have effectively alienated myself from every single other inhabitant of this planet (and possibly beyond - do aliens like purple?) let me tell you why I loved this book. Remember how I always complain about books that give me a too perfect jumbo oversized neat little bow? Well. . . Remember just a little scroll up where I mentioned that sometimes, if you are lucky, you get a glimpse of God's 'mysterious' ways? Yeah, so um. This book gives me both of those things, I get the glitter sparkle bow because of the mysterious ways. Parts of the book feel unbelievable and almost trite but for those 'mysterious' ways. I would love to give an example or twenty but well, spoilers. This book is grounded in authentic faith that feels natural and embracing. I could gush on or I could just tell you to hurry up and read the book yourself. I mean it came out on Tuesday already!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Oh, how I loved this book, from beginning to end it didn’t disappoint, and just kept getting better.
We journey from our Amish Community in Michigan on our way to an Amish settlement in Florida. What a trip we embark on and it sure isn’t what you expect, one bombshell after another, and you never know where you are going to end up, or if all will survive.
This is a love story, but includes many people to get to the end, and you will keep guessing who the couple is and how it is going to conclude.
Answers will come, and how rumors started become known, forces against and who is the mysterious stranger, yes, we find out, but wow!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

Arms of Mercy is amazing! I cannot say enough good things about this book. What I love about Reid is how she incorporates angels in her books. They come when least expected and are so real. They point out directions and provide for needs. It makes her books so good.

In Arms of Mercy, Catherine Glick, is content in her Amish community. She has been courting Zach and expects a proposal from him. Everyone is surprised when her old boyfriend, Elijah, returns to her community. Elijah devastated Catherine six years ago when he failed to honor their engagement and married another woman in another district. Catherine struggles with her anger for him and the love that she still feels for him.

Elijah has returned to the community with one mission, to tell Catherine how he feels about her. He has not stopped loving her and is determined to explain his actions to her. When Catherine and Elijah find themselves on the same bus and the unthinkable happens, they have their eyes opened and their path directed by God. But will that path lead them to one another?

I loved this book from start to finish, I was hooked from the first sentence. Catherine is from an Amish community in Michigan. She has been courting Zach for several years. She wants to be a wife and she is tired of waiting. She decides to go to Florida to help her cousin at her bakery. Catherine's ex Elijah decides to go on the bus to Florida also. Along the way something serious happens. Will Elijah be able to find Catherine? You will have to read the book to find out what happens. Once you start you won't want to put the book down. It's definitely a page turner for sure.
I was given a copy from the publisher and Net Galley. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

If it can go wrong it did in this story. Author Ruth Reid keeps the reader in suspense and even includes…..an angel? You’ll have to read it to figure that out.

It was interesting to see the courting of this couple after five years. Why in the world isn’t he proposing? And then Catherine reconnects with an old friend who she thought was long gone. Reid leaves us wondering what will happen and with whom.

The characters are believable and the descriptions throughout the story helped me to see what was happening. The trauma from the accident is so realistic you can tell the author did a lot of research.

If you enjoy a sweet romance with suspense written in, then you will enjoy Arms of Mercy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

This was one book that was hard to put down. With all the things that Catherine and Elijah went through, God was with them. The red haired man was such an encouragement. The author pieced everything together to create a wonderful story. Highly recommended!

This is an unusual Amish romance with just a small touch of the supernatural added. The story took several unexpected turns and I was very interested in seeing what happened to Catherine and Elijah. I felt as if there were two parts to this book, although the author did not designate it that way. There was one small section that I thought slowed the story down just a bit too much, but I’m glad that I kept reading to the conclusion. I did not realize that this was the second in a series until I had finished the book, so not having read the first one did not hinder my enjoyment of this one in any way. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will read more from this author.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Arms of Mercy is the second installment from Ruth Reid’s Amish Mercies series. I had no problem getting through the first 2/3 of the book, but the storyline slowed way down for me. I lost interest for a little while until I was closer to the end. So glad I pushed through to find out what happened in the end.

Though I did enjoy Arms of Mercy, I did not enjoy it as much as the first in the series, Abiding Mercy. I give this one 3 1/2 stars. I look forward to see what happens next in the next Amish Mercies series.

This was an interesting book....you were able to read what happens when an Amish couple are courting for a long time and marriage does not happen. I liked that the author wrote about the frustration that Catherine experienced in waiting for Zach to decide if he was going to propose. As well as the jealousy and worry that Catherine felt as she watched her friends marry off.

My heart broke for Elijah even though at first you really want to hate him for the way he left Catherine so suddenly. The selfless decision he made for his wife and then the fall out of what happened afterwards was heart breaking.

The second half of the story though seemed...a little far fetched. The same issue occurs twice on the same trip? What's the likelihood of that happening? I won't go into what happened as to not give it away, but it made that part of the story difficult to believe. It was cute though to read how those events affected Catherine especially her return home and ultimate meeting with Zach again.

The ending felt abrumpt. I think we needed a chapter or two before the epilogue.

Catherine has loved Elijah for a long time, but he moved away and married someone else. Since then, she's been dating Zach, but she senses something wrong. When she finally gets the gumption to ask Zach to marry her, he puts her off for financial reasons. Her emotions get truly mixed up when Elijah comes back to town.

The store she works in closes for the winter at the same time her cousin asks her for help in the bakery in Florida. She decides to go to Florida, buys her bus ticket, and waits for her departure date.

When the time comes, Elijah shows up to go to Florida too. That's when the adventure starts. On the way, the bus driver has a heart attack. When they get a new bus, the new driver got them into a wreck that left Elijah searching for Catherine for months.

Ruth Reid writes unusual Amish Fiction, using God's special messengers (angels) guiding her characters through the rough parts of life. Arms of Mercy utilizes this trope in its plot development. It doesn't override the plot, but gives the reader just enough to understand what the angel character is doing, and that is drawing his receivers closer to God. Catherine is always aware of his presence by the scent of lilacs around him.

This is a wonderful book, hard to put down, with a fast moving plot that can guide the reader closer to God, if the reader allows it.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and some lilacs to scent your day.

My thanks to Zondervan Fiction for allowing me to read and review this book.

I loved this book. It kept you interested from page one to the end. Lots of things happening. I have read many books of this Author and always enjoyed them. I got to read through net galley and was very thankful. It was a story about love and patience. Catherine Glick and Elijah Graber went through a lot but will there love be another to get them together or will her new boyfriend steal her heart?

Enjoyed this book. I found the plot very interesting and different from typical Amish stories. There was also a feeling of mystery from the beginning and it added to the layers of the novel. I will be purchsing this for our library.

Arms of Mercy is a beautifully written inspirational romance with a bit of mystery. Loved the plot and the well developed characters. Ruth Reid always delivers a good read and this book was no exception. I highly recommend this book.

Arms of Mercy by Ruth Reid is a beautiful story of mercy and forgiveness.
We find Catherine Glick awaiting a proposal from Zach, her boyfriend of five years. While she is anticipating the sleigh ride later that night where she hopes he will finally propose, her first love, Elijah walks back into her life. Zach seems content with their relationship as it is and instead is focusing more on building up his clock repair business. After Catherine makes a rash decision out of desperation, she and Zach begin to wonder if their relationship is repairable. Meanwhile, Elijah has all intentions of repairing the relationship he ran out on six years earlier.
Upon discovering that her long time job at her cousin’s restaurant is on hold during winter, she decides to travel to Florida to visit with family and work in their bakery. Little does she know, that Elijah has plans to accompany her and try to repair the damage he caused and win back her heart.
As Catherine begins to open up to him, the bus ride becomes tragic. Elijah can’t find Catherine and friends, family, and rescue teams try to prepare him for the worst. But Elijah hold onto the hope that God will protect her and bring her back into his arms.
With help from a mysterious man, Elijah finds himself in an unknown Amish community in Ohio while he recuperates and waits to hear word about Catherine.
I found myself reading most of the book in one setting. I honestly couldn’t put it down until I knew what had happened to Catherine. Reid writes in such a way that the reader gets caught up and lost in the characters’ lives with little effort.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves Amish or Inspiration fiction.
I received a copy of from the netgalley and Harper Collins Publishing in return for my honest review.

Did I love this book? Yes, I did. I am not going to write the details of it, because the synopsis was really well written and tells what you need to know.

As I was reading through some of the trials Elijah and Catharine went through, the tender mercies that they received, reminded me that we are not alone in what we have to go through in life. It was a sweet reminder that there is a higher Being that knows everything we need to make it through our trials.

It was a very sweet read and I really was happy that I had a chance to read this very good book!

I received an ebook copy from the author. All thoughts are my own.

Catherine has been hoping that Zach was going to ask her to marry him, when her old flame Elijah shows up. When Zach doesn't ask, and she gets embarrassed by her own impatience, she decides to take up her cousin's offer to come to Florida and help in her bakery. As an Amish woman, she cannot fly, but takes the bus from Michigan to Florida. Elijah shows up and goes along too, and lucky for her he does. A series of major events lead to a tragic accident, where she loses her memory and he is also badly injured. A red haired angel pops in and out too, plus all the wonderful and helpful people around them, that offer help and guidance. Truly a sweet story. Wasn't sure how I would like it, but ended up having a hard time to put it down. At first it was a little frustrating, the memory lose and his seeking to find her, but at the end it felt right that it took so long, and made the ending all the more fitting. Would highly recommend this sweet romance.

I stayed up all night reading Arms of Mercy, and would gladly do so again! This is a book that I will definitely re read- it is that compelling, and beautifully written.
In Arms of Mercy, Catherine has been dating Zach for 5 years, and starts to despair that she will ever marry. Zach seems content to drift in their relationship while focusing on his career in building furniture. When her first boyfriend, Elijah, returns to their Michigan town to make amends after leaving her 6 years earlier, Catherine is reluctant to trust Elijah again.
Catherine feels lost when the diner her relatives own temporarily closes, leaving her out of a job. With her and Zach's relationship floundering, she decides to travel lo Florida to help a friend in a bakery. Catherine hopes distance and time will help her find happiness in Florida. Unbeknownst to her, Elijah decides to accompany her on t he bus trip. As the trip progresses, events occur that make Catherine grateful for his company and support. They form an uneasy truce. When a horrific bus crash takes place, Elijah and Catherine are both seriously injured and become separated in the rescue efforts.
As Elijah slowly heals, first in the hospital, and then in a friends' cottage, he desperately seeks information on Catherine's whereabouts and injuries, and whether she survived even. Meanwhile, nurses care for a young woman who is unidentifiable after the crash. This young woman has lost all memory and quite a bit of vision. When she eventually leaves the hospital, she finds a job on a horse ranch for troubled children. Will Elijah find Catherine still alive? Will this "young woman" regain her memory of who she is, and will these two connect? To find out, I highly recommend readers pick up a copy or download Arms of Mercy. It's a "must read"!

Arms of Mercy was wonderful. This is book 2 in the Amish Mercies series. Abiding Mercy was book 1. Great series, I found it to be a great mystery as well as Amish romance. Characters are well written. Catherine is tired of not being a wife. Ready to settle down so she takes matters into her own hands. Something that is not done in the Amish community. But it doesn't go well at all. a old beau is back in town. How could he come back after what he did to her? Can he explain it to her in what little time they have ? Then there is a accident. Where is Catherine? You will want to read this it is a page turner. Loved it.

I've never read an Amish book quite like this one, and was really fascinated at how it unfolded. You've got a girl, two boys, and a tragic accident that we wouldn't typically see in an Amish community. Everyone's running away from something, unless they've forgotten what they're running from, and eventually they come full circle to where they're supposed to be...albeit a bit changed. Themes of survivor guilt, forgiveness, and acceptance are featured in the book. The love triangle isn't as prominent as it appears to be at the very beginning; rather it's the tragedy that takes center stage and changes everyone involved. And the very very end? Beautiful; just beautiful.

Arms of Mercy was an unexpected love story to which I can say threw me in a fit of upset and a distraught state. Ruth took heart break to its fullest when it comes to an Amish romance book and it took miles and miles to get to the happiest place. Ruth Reid you seriously have a way with words and know how to put a not in my stomach and pray up above that the end will turn out okay!