Shellely Shepard Gray is one of my favorite authors whether she is writing Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, or Amish Love stories, her stories are page burners. The Loyal One is part of a series called Walnut Creek. Each book in the series covers the relationship of one of a group of eight friends. In this one, Katie Steury finds herself struggling to follow her dream of turning her childhood home into a bed and breakfast. She finds herself needing to ask her friend Harley Lambright to help; but they have a history of misunderstandings and Harley may not want to help. However, Harley is willing to help but finds Katie is hiding a secret, one she doesn't want anyone to know, her mother's hoarding. He needs more help to do the job and she needs to learn to trust him.

Their relationship needs a second chance. No one is perfect and we all struggle with hurts and tragedies. This one is worth your time. In fact, I would get the whole series. Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read the ebook. The opinions expressed are my own.

Another wonderfully written book by Shelley Shepard Gray. Story teaches us that even though we are embarrassed by something that we have tried to hide that our friends are there for us no matter what. We need to lean on them for support and help.

Enjoyed catching up with the Eight! I love the relationship this group has with each other and I am looking forward to the next book.

Shelley Shepard Gray did not disappoint with this amazing book! "The Eight" were wonderful! I can see this actually happening and picture myself in this wonderful plot! This book is full of relatable events and I am certain that any reader would glean from the experiences in this book! This book is full of things that happen in real life and some of them are hard to deal with and talk about, but she has harnessed these important situations and given a wonderful perspective of sharing and love and shelflessness. This book is also filled with deep love and devotion. Shelley's characters are brilliant examples of both. I love that it has the love involved in a true friendship, as well as, the love that can conspire from those life long friendships! Shepard Gray has done a wonderful job writing a book that has intrigue all the way through it! I cannot wait to read the next book in this series! Thanks to the publisher and Shelley for letting me read this book!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review of the book.

Now in their late 20s, Katie Steury and high school friend Harley Lambright find themselves working together on the development of Katie's family home as a bed and breakfast. Katie has a secret, though, and is reluctant for her mother's hoarding to be made known. Steadfast Harley vows to help without giving away the story, though he believes sharing might help. Katie and Harley are part of a once-again tightknit team of 8 young adults living in the Amish area of Ohio.

Harley's brother enters the story as a construction worker for the project. His story and blossoming relationship with an Englisher also figure into the story. Harley, Katie and the brother are all Amish. The Englisher, though, might spell trouble for their Amish ways.

I found the story to be a big ho-hum. I didn't find an interesting conflict in the story. I read book 1 of the series, so I was familiar with the characters. I just wanted more and this story was a bit dull, to me.

Thanks to Gallery, Pocket Books for providing me an ARC for a review in my own words.

I have been a fan of the authors work for many years and one of the reasons I am is simply because of the unique way she crafts a storyline. Especially in her Walnut Creek series by taking the tried and true Amish novels that we are all too familiar and truthfully I find tiresome after awhile, by adding some harsh realities which I enjoy.

It was easy to imagine what Katie must have been going through as she works to turn her family home into a B&B, she has to grapple with the past and how difficult it will be to get on with her future. It was sad at first but opening up to her friend, Harley was just what she needed to cleanse her soul and move forward. Sharing a shameful secret is what is needed sometimes, especially for Katie and Harley.

If you haven't read the first book in the series, you should to familiarize yourself with the characters and their strong friendship. So far I have enjoyed both books in the series and look forward to reading the next one.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Gray creates a strong story dealing with the complications of a longtime friendship having the waters tested for a possible romantic relationship.
A longtime group of friends, as they mature learn they need to support each other as they stick together through life's bumpy paths.
Fans of Amish fiction will enjoy reading how these characters grow in God's wisdom.
I enjoyed reading about and reflecting on the theme Loyalty as I read this!

Published August 13th 2019 by Gallery Books
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

While different from her other books and while I enjoyed it fair enough this series is certainly different from her other Amish books.
Andy's friends are still learning in how to deal with his death. They're still in shock.
I couldn't imagine that I would have dealt with this either very well.
Then we have Katie. She's the most kind and caring soul that a person can have for a best friend. From Katie's experience with her mom it makes me look at things differently. I couldn't imagine being a hoarder. But I have seen people who are. I know 2 of them.
I don't blame Katie for being embarrassed. I was for her because I've experienced with those ppl.
I wouldn't know where to begin with clean up.
Harley wants to help. He's Kyle's older brother. I like him well enough.
I found myself wanting to reach through the book and wanting to give each person a hug and tell them that God is with them and that He will help them through this.
I recommend this book if you are a fan of SSG. You won't want to put this book down.
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. NO compensations were received and all opinions are my own!

The Loyal One is my favorite of The Walnut Creem series. Katie's story is filled with love and caring for others.

You cannot help but be moved by Katie's story. I could not imagine having to live the way she did since her father died. Knowing you could not invite friends over afraid of what they would think and say to others. Even as an adult she had a hard time sharing with her closet friends what had been going on with her mother's hoarding. The Eight showed us what it means to love someone unconditionally and when together there is nothing you cannot overcome.

The Loyal One had made me look at the "things" in my life and say, "Can I live without that?" There are many things that I can.

Each book in The Walnut Creek series can be read as a standalone but I would hope you would read from the beginning to get the feel of the characters.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and the publisher, Gallery Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

THE LOYAL ONE is the second book in the series by Shelley Shepard Gray called Walnut Creek.

THE LOYAL ONE starts off increasing the reader’s heart rate right away. Katie Steury has decided to turn her family home into a bed and breakfast inn. She enlists the help of Harley Lambright, one of the Eight. They were eight friends who are Amish, Mennonite, and Englisch. Everyone is shocked to learn that Andy, one of The Eight, has committed suicide. The Eight have been friends since they were kids and have always looked to Andy as their leader of their group. The seven remaining members are still coming to terms with Andy’s death, grieving for their friend, and struggling to heal.

Katie is extremely embarrassed by the condition her mom left the house. Harley wonders how Katie can live in such chaos. My heart immediately goes out to Katie and I just want to hug her. Will she ever be able to make peace with what has happened? While she is struggling with all of this, Harley, who has always bickered back and forth with Katie, finds himself wanting to protect her. The rest of The Eight want to help her as well, but Katie is mortified that they will find out what her house is really like.

Shelley Shepard Gray sure knows how to make the reader feel as if they are right there at the kitchen table with this gang of friends, with all their troubles and THE LOYAL ONE 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 Shelley Shepard Gray book if you are a fan of the Christian fiction 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 group of friends can stand before it completely breaks down and splits.

THE LOYAL ONE is a heart tugging story filled with patience, 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! I really prayed that Harley would be able to convince Katie that he was ready to move forward with his feelings for her and that she deserved to be loved and cherished. Shelley Shepard Gray isn’t afraid to write about subjects out of the norm as far as the Christian Fiction genre goes. 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 catching up on all of Shelley Shepard Gray’s previous books. Now I have to patiently wait for the next book in this wonderful series!

Everyone of the main characters is trying to move on from the tragedy concerning Andy, but they are trying to do it alone and it just isn’t working. Someone needs to pull them all together and remind them of their faith. THE LOYAL ONE teaches us that all religions need to rely on others, no matter how we are raised. The remaining Eight are a group of tight knit loyal friends who always have each other’s backs. My emotions were all over the place as they always are reading a Shelley Shepard Gray story. I loved how she made me feel all of the anxiety and tension that the characters were dealing with. Besides all of that, there is also romance, forgiveness, and healing. A perfect way to spend the day on the couch with your favorite beverage, lost in the pages of a heart tugging but beautiful story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Loyal One is the second installment in The Walnut Creek Series. It can be read alone if you have not read Friends to the End (prequel to series) and The Patient One. However, I recommend reading this heartwarming Amish series in order. Shelley Shepard Gray has a lovely writing style. With her words, she captures my attention and holds it. The book has an ease to it that allows for an enjoyable reading experience. The story has such wonderful, realistic characters. I like how this group of close knit friends are there for each other during the good times and the bad. They provide encouragement and emotional support. The Loyal One features Katie Steury and Harley Lambright as they mend their friendship and then explore taking their relationship to the next level. We also get to get know Kyle Lambright, Harley’s brother, as he explores a relationship with Englisher, Gabby Ferrara. Kyle was a hoot. He provided levity and humor. It was sweet watching him mature as the story progressed. Since Kyle’s story was not completed, I hope it continues in the next book. I want to know what happens with Kyle and Gabby. I enjoy how Katie and Harley’s relationship progressed a leisurely pace as they got to know each other. Relationships take time and require hard work. They are built on trust, love, loyalty and respect as we see in The Loyal One. Every relationship is different, but they are all worthwhile. Loyalty is the recurring theme in The Loyal One along with prayer, trust, forgiveness and relying on God. We also get to catch up with John B., Marie, Tricia, Logan, Elizabeth Anne (E.A.), Kendra, and Will. The group has grown closer since Andy’s death. We also see how hoarding affects everyone in a family. It colors their past, their memories and family relationships. The story that began in the prologue continues before each chapter and I found it to be amusing. I thought The Loyal One was an inspiring story. The Loyal One is an endearing novel with cluttered rooms, a missing sister, budding romances, transformations, nosy siblings, and loyal friends.

The Loyal One, book two from Shelley Shepard Gray's series, Walnut Creek. I thought it was a good and sweet read. I give it four stars.

The Loyal One by Shelley Shepard Gray is the 2nd book in her Walnut Creek series. The Loyal One returns to Walnut Creek and the group of 8 friends that we got to know in the first book, who all have decided to stay in town and be there for each other. This is a mixed group of men and women, who are Amish, Mennonite and English.

This story revolves around Harley Lambright and Katie Steury, who have always been friends, but neither of them thought of any thing beyond. Katie is in the midst of trying to fix up her run-down house, and hires Harley to remodel the house into a bed and breakfast. Katie has always been outspoken, and at times this used to rattle Harley, but now he is sympathetic to her concern for anyone to see the condition of the house where her mother hoarded things. Katie does not want her friends to see how she lives now, and is trusting Harley to keep her secrets. But this is a group of friends that stay together no matter what, and when they accidently see the house, they will bond together to help Katie, especially to allow them to help her and not be embarrassed.

Slowly the relationship between Katie and Harley grow beyond friendship, as both change their ways and begin to understand each other, not to mention their new feelings. The Loyal One is a sweet story about romance, friendship, family and bringing everyone together. It was really nice to see everyone again, but most importantly it was wonderful to see despite their different backgrounds and personalities, they will always be friends and help each other. There was also a side story showing the friendship building between Harley’s brother Kyle and Gabby, who is English. This was a nice feature to see Kyle bring out Gabby and her brother to spend time with his family. Very nicely done.

The Loyal One was a simple story of friendship, family, love and a sweet slow built romance, with a great group of secondary characters. I look forward to the next book in this series, which well written by Shelley Shepard Gray.

Though usually a fan of SSG, I had a difficult time getting into this novel. It's written from a different perspective than normal, which makes it hard to read at times. There are two stories in one....the story of the fateful night and the story of the couple, each of whom has to grow past some hard issues.