Set in Montana, this is the story of Amish lady, Mercy Yoder. She is a teacher and loves her students. John purposes marriage, but she turns him down so that she may continue to teach.

Juliette Knowles is her Englisch friend. Travis Cooper is a fire jumper that takes an interest in Mercy. She fascinates Travis. Mercy is friendly and sweet. Her community does not think her friendship with another Englischer is a good thing, especially a male one.

I enjoyed the way the author tells her story. She writes with a nice, smooth style. The characters are well rounded and relatable. There are many life and faith lessons woven throughout this lovely tale.

I recommend this to all Amish fiction lovers. Contemporary fiction readers will enjoy it, too. I received a copy through NetGalley but these are my own words.

Mountains of Grace by Kelly Irvin was a well written novel. It was a little difficult for me to follow all the story-lines that were taking place simultaneously. I found it to be an interesting read thought as it focused on how the Amish responded to the devastating fire that left them with nothing. I love how the Amish communities help each other to rebuild and grow after tragedy.
I received a free digital version of this book from netgalley and Zondervan in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Kelly Irvin writes a good solid story and this one will keep you entertained from cover to cover.
This is the first in the Amish of Big Sky Country series.
Taking place in the Amish communities of Montana with the author's vivid descriptions you can clearly envision the vast wilderness.
Now I've never been to Montana but such a beautiful place it sounds to be.
Along with this wilderness comes dangers in the form of wildfires .
There are many characters in the book and I'll admit I did have trouble keeping them all straight. There is a chart in the front of the book to help with this and I did find it became easier to piece it all together the more I read.
Forced evacuation from your home because of a fire is something no one wants but how do the Amish men act ? Stubborn as us Englishers they are, they don't want to leave their property either there's still more to do, to save.
The Amish and the Englishers come to realize what their priorities are as they face tough subjects head on. The Englishers and Amish rally around each other as they start to rebuild.
A heartwarming conclusion I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Published August 6th 2019 by Zondervan.
I was given a complimentary copy. Thank you
All opinions expressed are my own.

4 Stars: 4/5 star rating
While this book is well written, I found it a little difficult to get into it. There were a number of different storylines taking place at the same time which became confusing.
I find the Amish fascinating people and it certainly was interesting to read about how they respond to losing everything they own to a fire. They definitely rally around each other and pitch in as a community to rebuild when this similar situation occurs in the church district. I wish we English did the same thing!
I received a free digital version of this book from netgalley and Zondervan in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

" Mountains of Grace" by Kelly Irvin is an Amish fiction story. Mercy Yoder lives in the mountains of Montana. She has to follow the strict rules of her Amish Community. She ends up having to decide if she will follow the Amish boyfriend or follow the Englisher who lives in Eureka . Mercy has a kind and caring heart. She wants to go out of her way for those near to her. She often extends herself in a way that hurts her in the end. What will happen to the people when the fires hit them in a strong way and hurt their safety? This book compares the challenges of the Amish life vs. the English life. I was given this book by the publisher , netgalley to read and review. I am not obligated to give a positive review. I hope the book is very successful.

The West Kootenai region of Montana suffers a destructive fire season. Many of the Amish and English residents lose their homes and are pushed to the town of Eureka for a couple of months. Amish teacher, Mercy Yoder, questions her role and her feelings for Amish man Caleb. Mercy turned down Caleb's proposal, but he continues to try and win her heart. Mercy, though, finds Caleb distant and doesn't want to have a loveless marriage. A new friendship with Englisher and smoke jumper Spencer finds Mercy in trouble with the Amish leaders.
Another main character is Juliette Knowles, a long-time friend and neighbor to Mercy. Juliette was assaulted at summer camp as a teen and it turned her outlook inside out. She has a friend and fan in Tim, who Juliette pursues and Tim, a Christian trying to remain true to God's rules, turns down her advances. He is trying to remember that Juliette's salvation is more important that his feelings for her.
There are LOTS of characters in this story which is something that sometimes happens in a new series. It can be confusing as you follow 5 young adults, their parents, a couple other friends and counselors. Whew.

Travesty had a way of stripping the veneer from a person until normally hidden emotion escaped through the wounds, through the sweat, through the blood that seeped out...and it is only the Mountains of Grace that can heal.

I have read my share of Amish romance novels but this is the first in the setting of Montana. A mountain community that is share by the Amish and English. It is the threat of a forest fire that brings them together and the grace that makes them a community.

Mercy Yoder finds God's purpose in teaching. She loves her scholars as she knows that she has been entrusted with their education and care. When John Hostetler purposes to her for her hand in marriage, she turns him down in place of scholars, however, there is a deeper longing that she has. John seems to lack emotion and she cannot foresee a loving relationship with him if he is unable to share his emotions with her. When the fire comes to their community, her English friend Juliette Knowles sees trouble when a fire jumper Travis Cooper takes an interest in Mercy. He sees something in her that is lacking in his own life. His family background and a past relationship that was put on hold, leaves him attracted to her. Mercy on the other hand sees a friend in need in Travis and feels God's calling on that friendship. However, her community sees trouble and she is conflicted in what she needs to do.

There are several stories of conflict going as faith is the moving factor in the main characters. Juliette is running from God but seeks comfort in Deputy Tim Trudeau. Tim a strong Christian man has fallen hard for Juliette but knows that she needs the healing of grace before he can pursue her. Each of these characters have baggage with the backdrop of a fire that threatens their lively hood and their very lives. It is in this context that grace begins to look clearer and faith is drawn from. Loved how this romance was pulled together.

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

I really enjoyed this book which started up quickly in a fire situation. Fires, although they can "clean" the environment, also cause much devastation and heartache. The way the author writes about the cleaning or purification of hearts and souls is heartwarming. The story was one of faith and trials.

In the area where I live, fires are an always big worry. So I felt the feelings of the characters.

Enjoyed it very much.

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

After a devastating wildfire that spares lives but destroys the homes of their neighbors both Amish and English characters face a crisis of faith that leaves them feeling frightened and unmoored in a time of anguish and need. For Amish school teacher Mercy Yoder losing the only home she has ever known on the heels of turning down an offer of marriage without love just compounds her feeling of disillusion. When she befriends a young English firefighter she quickly finds herself being scrutinized by Caleb, her parents and her church leaders leaving her feeling even more unsettled and alone. For injured and broken hearted Spencer McDonald, sitting on the sidelines and recovering at his mother’s house is the last place he wants to be. Feeling the need to escape the memories of another devastating fire and a childhood filled with pain he turns to Mercy for friendship while he struggles to understand and forgive. And for Juliette Knowles her painful past has led her far from the bubbly and carefree teen she used to be. She suffers both physically and emotionally becoming more and more estranged from her family, her God, and the man she loves because of something that happened years ago. The pain and confusion of the entire community is skillfully told through the lives of each of these compelling characters and their struggle to believe in God when bad things happen is both heartwarming and inspiring. I highly recommend this book to readers who love a skillfully written and emotionally compelling read. I read an early copy of this book from Zondervan Fiction through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

Kelly Irvin's Mountains of Grace is a powerful novel. Her characters are so well-developed that you really feel like you know them and I really hated to say good-bye when the book ended. There are several stories in one but yet they interconnect. There is a wildfire in their area and the people who live there are forced to evacuate. Spencer is the smoke jumper who has a lot of baggage. Mercy and Caleb are a couple who formerly courted, but broke up when Mercy turned down his proposal. She wasn't sure of his love. Juliette is angry at God and claims she no longer believes. She is also carrying a terrible secret. I loved how the author intertwined Amish and English characters. There were parts that brought me to tears. I can't recommend this book enough and am eagerly awaiting book 2 in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and Zondervan for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

The people of West Kooteni are being evacuated because of a out of control forest fire threatening their homes. Mercy is the Amish school teacher for the area . She is teaching when Caleb comes in and tells her they need to evacuate. Caleb is concerned with her taking to long get home and leave with her family and encourages her to leave with the children. Mercy and Caleb have broken up because Mercy rejected Caleb's marriage proposal.
Juliette is also being stubborn about leaving with her family. Tim a local deputy that she has been seeing is trying his best to make sure she leaves her family. He wants things to work with her but she has turned away from God and isn't willing to change that right now.
Spencer is a smoke jumper with issues of his own. He has family issues with his mom from his child hood. He gets hurt jumping and goes home to heal. What he doesn't realize it will be more than his bodily injuries.
Amish and Englisch find a way to help each other in this time. The fire has Mercy and Juliette's families without homes. All the community is there to help each other regardless of religious back grounds. Each person will find their way to heal and have happiness.
I enjoyed the stories behind each characters way of faith and each one finding their way back to each other and God.

This story takes place in Montana, in the small village of West Kootenai. Mercy Yoder is a young adult, single Amish woman who still lives with her parents and teaches school. She dearly loves her job. She recently declined a marriage proposal from Caleb. She thought they were only good friends. They loved fishing together, talking about books they'd read, and spending time together. He had never kissed her, nor held her hand, so she was quite surprised when the marriage proposal came. She had no idea he felt anything like that for her. She blurted out, 'No' without thinking, hurting his feelings. He didn't give her a chance to explain. Mercy felt there should have been something more to indicate how he felt about her. He didn't even say 'I love you' when he proposed. Shouldn't he have at least kissed her? Held her hand? She has no one to question about these things, as her people do not discuss such things. She also questions God who allows people to lose their homes. Couldn't He stop these things? She dare not discuss her unbelief with anyone.
Then, there is Mercy's Englisch friend, Juliette, whom she has played with since they were little girls. Tim Trudeau is in love with Juliette. But...Juliette turned her back on God long ago, and won't tell anyone why. Tim will no longer pursue her, but instead, pray for her salvation. Tim believes what the Scriptures teach about being 'unevenly yoked.' Juliette loves Tim, but pretends she doesn't. She does her best to hide her pain and hurt, while popping antacids constantly in an effort to abate the pain in her stomach.
Then there is a horrendous wildfire that forces Mercy, her family, and community to all evacuate and seek safety elsewhere until it's safe to go back home. Mercy and her family went to Eureka, a town nearby. While there, she meets Spencer, a smoke jumper, who has been injured and has came there to recover. Mercy finds his company enjoyable. Her family and church leaders have grave concern regarding her relationship with an Englischer.
It was enjoyable to me to learn about the fire jumpers, and the work of others who battle these wildfires.
The Amish have no insurance, instead they have a fund. It's amazing how they all pull together to help one another rebuild. They are a close-knit people.
I love Kelly Irvin's writing! This one is definitely another hit for Amish fiction lovers. I was thrilled to realize it's Book 1. So...more to come! I definitely recommend this one if you, like myself, love Amish Christian fiction.
I was given a free ecopy to read by the publisher, Zondervan and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book has a dual storyline that centers on two young women. The potential love triangle involving Caleb, Mercy, and Spencer is one focus, but Tim and Juliette’s story seems as significant. Readers will be drawn into the devastation of the spreading fire while the heartbreak is tempered by the romance and humorous dialogue between the friends and neighbors. There is a trigger warning for memories of sexual violence and the tough issues of mental illness and addiction are incorporated. As with many books about present-day Amish and their contemporaries, the differences of the tradition and the modern are there, but the very human feelings are felt by all. An example is how the friendship between Mercy and Juliette is so sweet and real. This is the first in a series.

Thanks to the publisher for an e-galley to read and review. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wonderful story by Kelly Irvin. I loved the setting for the story and the plot. It was definitely a different spin and look at the Amish. The whole mountain wildfire theme was new and intriguing to me. Also learning about those who are fire jumpers was something I had little knowledge of. And of course the couples who were involved made for a nice romance.

Loss and forgiveness

I liked this book, perhaps for some of the reasons that others didn't like it. I found the mix of Amish and 'English' characters very interesting, and the mix of religious and non-religious characters brought real depth to the emotional tensions in the book. The basic premise of wildfires causing such loss of property and upheaval of lives is quite relevant to today's world. And, the backstory of the characters reveals so many losses and questions as to God's purpose. This is much more than an Amish romance. Highly recommended.

I received a time-constrained e-ARC of the book from the publisher via Netgalley. I am under no obligations to post a review.

Reviewed on Amazon.com, pending their vetting process

Mountains of Grace by Kelly Irvin – Mixed feeling but worth hanging in for the themes of grace and forgiveness

I had never read Kelly Irvin’s books until about a year ago. After reading one of her Amish themed books I loved how she developed the characters and how they grew and changed through the story. That’s why I was eager to read Kelly’s newest book Mountains of Grace.

Mountains of Grace is different from the other Amish themed books that Kelly Irvin has written. This novel is set in NW Montana in a community called West Kootenai. I never knew that there were Amish communities in Montana. From Mountains of Grace I got the impression that this Amish community, though they lived separate and different lives than the English people, the community seemed to be more closely allied with their English neighbors.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. It wasn’t until about halfway through that something changed and captured my interest.

I struggled with the two main characters, Mercy, a 22-year-old single Amish school teacher, and Juliette Knowles, her English friend and neighbor. The two young women couldn’t be any different from one another. Mercy seemed quite immature especially in the scene when they were fleeing their homes because of a fast-approaching wildfire. Mercy’s response and that of her younger siblings seemed childish and didn’t demonstrate that they comprehended the seriousness of the situation. Juliette, on the other hand, seemed to be a vapid, shallow, mouthy gal who wanted attention and would flirt with any male who came nearby. I didn’t like either Mercy or Juliette.

It wasn’t until about halfway through this book I found someone I liked, Spencer, who was a smoke jumper that was injured at the beginning of the book. It was his interaction with Mercy that made me pause. Something about Spencer was honest and he took a liking to Mercy. It was interesting how their very different characters interacted with one another.

There were a lot of characters to keep track of in this book, family, friends, and neighbors of Mercy and Juliette. I liked Tim, the man who was in love with Juliette. Why he like her I didn’t understand because Juliette was such a pill. I appreciated his integrity and his willingness to obey God’s command that he should not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever. There some good examples of strong Christian faith. I loved some of the prayers offered by different characters.

I had a hard time imagining Mercy as a school teacher because of her immaturity and poor decisions that resulted in her being disciplined by the Amish elders. While it wasn’t made known, I wondered who it was that told on Mercy. What I did like about Mercy was her boldness and desire to befriend Spencer who was so different the Amish men she knew.

I liked the themes of forgiveness that were lived out by several characters, like Angie, Spencer, Tim. While it may not be easy, God does command us as believers to forgive those who have hurt and wronged us.

I never fully came to appreciate Juliette. Her character was very off-putting. I was glad that she finally disclosed what had happened to her and what caused her to turn from being a nice young lady to someone who was not so nice. I appreciated that she was a good friend to Mercy and even tried to protect her.

I’m glad I read this book to the end. It contains some good examples of forgiveness and mercy and God’s abundant mercy towards us as sinners. It also showed the importance of communicating with one another, even when it’s hard. It was almost like there were two lines of stories with the Amish and the English characters and a lot going on with multiple characters.

Would I recommend this Mountains of Grace, yes, especially if you are a Kelly Irvin fan or like Amish-themed novels. It was interesting to learn about the men that put their lives on the line to help protect life and property and put out wildfires in treacherous terrain.

I would like to thank Zondervan Publishers and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of Mountains of Grace by Kelly Irvin. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Rating 3.5

Mountains of Grace is the first novel in Amish of Big Sky Country series. The story is set in West Kootenai area of Montana where a devastating forest fire is sweeping through the area despite the efforts of fire firefighters. It was interesting to learn about smoke jumpers and their role. There is a large cast of characters in this novel (there is a helpful list at the front of the book), and I admit that I found it difficult to keep them all straight. It did become easier the further I progressed into the book (past the halfway mark). Caleb Hostetler has been courting Mercy Yoder for eight months when he proposed which took Mercy by surprise. Spencer McDonald, a smoke jumper, had a lousy childhood with an alcoholic mother who has recently changed her ways. Spencer had been dating a bank teller, Patty until the issue of religion came between them. Juliette Knowles comes from a Christian family, but she quit attending church after a youth event in high school. She wears revealing clothing and is plain spoken. Deputy Tim Trudeau has fallen for Juliette, but he cannot be unequally yoked. Family, friendship, relationships, forgiveness and faith are the central themes of Mountains of Grace. Individuals dealing with past trauma and how it is presently affecting their lives. They all must work towards forgiveness and healing with God’s help. The individuals are going through a rough time after being evacuated and then losing their homes, belongings, and way to make a living. Mountains of Grace is an emotional novel. The characters experience grief, loss, heartache, pain, and confusion which can be felt by the reader. I like Pastor Matt from First Church of God. He was there for his parishioners (and those who were not) when they needed him. He gave good advice and encouragement along with Pepsi. One of the phrases from the story that I liked was “Make plans and watch God laugh.” While religion is prevalent, it is not in your face or over-the-top. It was beautifully incorporated into the story. I did feel that the storylines in Mountains of Grace followed an expected path. I could tell you how it would end after learning each of the main characters stories. Of course, I have read dozens of Amish novels since I discovered them over twenty years ago. I did enjoy how things played out for our characters and the ending left me smiling. Mountains of Grace is a thoughtful novel with a destructive fire, a confused Caleb, spunky Juliette, faithful Tim, wounded Spencer, and a book loving schoolteacher named Mercy.

An amazing story !
I think that this book was just the change of pace I needed. Such a refreshing story line and some great characters that wouldn't let me put the book down. Mercy and Caleb really have to learn the concept of communication, they learn that even when you are unsure of what reaction you might get you have to talk. They are a great example of everyday couples. We also see glimpses into how a communities deals with massive fires, I love Kelly Irvin's descriptions of emotions here through all the different characters. This book can be read as a stand alone, however, I think that there will be more books in this series (Or at least I hope so !). I can not wait to read what comes after this one.

I volunteered to read this book from Zondervan Fiction in return for my honest opinion. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.

Spencer was a smoke jumper. The team was heading to a fire near a backwards town that was almost untouched by civilization that had Amish families mixed in with English families living there. Spencer did good with nature but not so much with people. He jumped the wind changed and he broke his legs as well as some ribs. He was now unable to work for the rest of the season. Mercy was a twenty two year old teacher at the Amish school.It was recess time but the smoke was thick outside and she didn’t know if she should let the children go outside. There was already a pre-evacuation since yesterday . They had been told to be ready to leave at any time. As long as Mercy could remember it had been her job to take care of children. That’s what Plain woman did. Than Caleb came into the school house and told Mercy it was time to evacuate. Mercy told the kids go home their parents were waiting for them. Mercy and Caleb had been courting but hadn’t spoken in almost two months when she turned down his marriage proposal. Mercy thought about all the feelings she had inside her yet Caleb hadn’t touched her, not even a kiss or a hug. He was a good man but she still said no. When they got to Eureka they had a place to stay at Granma Knowles. But her father and brothers hadn’t left with them still packing things up. Mercy knew her mother was worried. So Mercy and her sister Leesa had walked to the church to see if they could find anything out. Caleb came forward and said yes her father and brothers had left when he had but it took longer to pull a wagon filled with their things. He also had their cat -Lola who actually was her moms. Than a new man on crutches came in-Spencer to see his sister and explained the wind could change and the fire could go back through the area. His eyes landed on Mercy. Spencer said he was a smoke jumper and Tim who was generally nice to everyone said he had always been crazy. Mercy spoke up without thinking sayong “ that's not very nice.”
I liked this book a lot. It showed so much of the Amish beliefs and their way of life. But it also showed how very human they can be as in Mercy’s anger at God when she knew she wasn’t supposed to be angry at God. I loved how the community came together to rebuild. I loved the belief in God and refinding him that flowed through this book. For the English as well as the Amish. I did find this dragged for me at times. But I didn’t give up on the book I had to see how everyone ended up and when I did get to the ending I was so happy and loved it. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.

Mountains of Grace is the first title of a new series by Kelly Irvin. This is a story of both Amish and English looking to God after a devastatingly fire in the mountains of Montana. I liked the story and the characters. The plot kept my interest and I will definitely read the book that follow. Thank you netgalley for the arc. The review is my own personal opinion