Eh… it was okay. The romance seemed more forced than natural in this story. I struggled feeling the connection between the characters

Jen’s Wife by author Patricia Johns is a poignant Amish romance. I was immediately invested in the characters and their stories. This is the tale of Leah Riehl. Her engagement ended when she told her fiancé she was unable to have children. Broken-hearted she took an out-of-town teaching position. She comes for the summer and learns that her younger brother Simon has a large gambling debt to some dangerous Englishers. It is also the tale of Jeb King. Tragedy has made him keep to himself. He wants nothing to do with his community because it didn’t help or support him.

This is a page turning marriage of convenience Amish novel. The author has a beautiful way of storytelling. She immediately drew me into her book. There were twists and surprises. It tackles redemption, faith, hope, and love. I highly recommend it. It would make a nice book club selection. It gets 5 stars from me. A copy was provided by NetGalley, but these are my honest words.

Jebediah King thought he would never married. This was in large part due to the scars that marred his appearance. Meanwhile, Jeb finds himself in a difficult situation. He could lose his family farm unless he marries. As things turn out, the woman he chooses is in a difficult situation herself. Her brother has become addicted to gambling and Leah agrees to marry Jeb in order to help settle her brother's debts.

In the Amish community, Leah was like most women, one who wanted children. However, this was not possible for her and the man she thought she would marry could not accept that. Agreeing to a marriage of convenience appears to be Leah's only option. It might be slow at first but Leah and Jeb start to grow fond of one another. In fact, feelings neither ever expected soon grow to love.

Patricia Johns is one of my favorite inspirational authors. Her stories always inspire love, hope and comfort.

Many thanks to Zebra Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book. I love reading Amish fiction and Patricia Johns does a fantastic job of it! These characters are so well written that you feel that you actually know them and they could be your neighbors.

This is a true beauty and the beast story. I really didn't want the book to end!

Jeb’s Wife by Patricia Johns is a sweet Amish romance novel. I thought Jeb’s Wife was well-written with developed characters and steady pacing. I liked that Rosmanda and Levi from Thursday’s Bride are included in this story, so we get to catch up with them. Jeb’s Wife can be read as a standalone. Leah Riehl is trying to recover from the loss of Matthew. She loved him and he broke her heart. She cannot believe how quickly Matthew moved on and that he picked an eighteen-year-old as his bride. Leah raised her younger brother, Simon after their parents died when she was sixteen. She feels responsible for his behavior that has caused concern in their community. Leah is shocked when she discovers that Simon has been playing cards and owes an exorbitant amount of money. Jebadiah King is a widower who had a less than ideal first marriage. Jeb lost his wife in a barn fire and became badly scarred while trying to save her. He has become reclusive with only his uncle, Peter for company. Peter has died and put an unexpected clause in his will. A marriage of convenience would solve Leah, Simon, and Jeb’s problems. We soon see that a marriage of convenience is easier said than done. Jeb’s Wife is an emotional story. It touches on some unique situations for an Amish novel which I liked. There are some issues that the feminist in me rebelled at. That a woman’s worth is measured by whether or not she has a husband and children is one of them. I liked Jeb with his no-nonsense outlook and introverted ways (being an introvert myself, I could relate). Leah was the perfect counterpart for Jeb. We see that being part of a community as well as a family can have its ups and downs. We see that whether you are Amish or English, you have the same types of problems. Jeb’s Wife is a special story that I enjoyed reading. I am looking forward to Patricia Johns next Amish novel. Jeb’s Wife is a poignant tale that will linger with you long after you finish the last page.

Leah Riehl's engagement ended when she told her fiancé she was unable to have children. To escape her heartbreak, she took an out-of-town teaching position. Now she's back for the summer and is horrified to learn that her younger brother Simon has been gambling and owes a lot of money to some dangerous Englishers.
Jebadiah King has kept to himself since a barn fire that killed his wife and left him badly scarred. He wants nothing to do with the community that has never supported him and is content to spend the rest of his life alone. However, his uncle left an unexpected clause in his will - Jeb needs to marry again if he wants to get his inheritance. A marriage of convenience will solve both his and Leah's problems. Except their straightforward arrangement turns out to be much more complicated than they imagined.

A sweet and touching Amish love story with two tropes that I enjoy very much: marriage of convenience and beauty and the beast inspired. Leah and Jeb were lovable and realistic characters, and I was rooting for them. I enjoyed seeing their romance develop. You know that they'll eventually fall in love but the when kept me on the edge of my seat. Props to the author, she did a phenomenal job of creating romantic tension between them. Loved the emphasis on what it means to be in a happy marriage and the ups and downs of being a part of a tightly knitted community. These two topics really resonated with me.
Overall, this is one of the best Amish romances I think I've ever read. I love this author's writing style and storylines. I look forward to reading more books by her. Highly recommend this story of love, forgiveness, second chances, and finding your place in a community.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Patricia Johns wrote a beautiful love story between Jeb and Leah. I loved how they had to overcome personal obstacles, so that they would be able to love each other. It was a great story about forgiveness towards onself.

I was asked by NetGalley to review this book and here are my thoughts. How many of us have deep deep hurts that we refuse to share with anyone and it makes us bitter. Then how many of us also just look at the outer covering of someone and decide what that person is like on appearances only. Patricia Johns has done a wonderful job of having us look within ourselves while dealing with Jeb's problems as he deals with his new wife Leah and still has all the old memories of his late wife.
Everyone thought his late wife was so wonderful but she was not at all. Jeb though never let anyone else know taking on all the responsibility himself. Because of that he pulls away from the Amish Community as they in a way shun him.
Leah lives in the rented house next door with her brother Simon and is only there during the summer when she has time off from being a school teacher in another community. Her brother Simon has been raised by Leah since her parents died and he has a problem that she just doesn't know how to deal with. Jeb offers a solution but Leah is not sure she can fulfill her promises and worried about her brother.
She finally agrees and they work together to make a life they both would like but with all the hurts, lies and memories is this marriage doomed from the start and what about the farm, because they helped Simon they may loose that. Will they be able to come to terms with their past and move on into the future they both dream of. Such a great book and a total recommend to read it.

My heart broke for Leah. We became kin in heart and struggles. Her pains jumped of the pages of the book.
Jeb's sorrows were very touching and sometimes during the book I felt like I could actually touch them.
The both of them had gone through too much pain and loss and even though the circumstances which they met was not conventional, I loved that they found each other. They both knew what it means to be unloved and rejected so they were the best people to love each other well and right.

This story tugged at all my heart strings. It captivated me with its beautiful message of love, redemption and second chance.

It was unlike any Amish book I have read.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

Jeb's Wife is probably my favorite book I have read by Patricia Johns to date. I am giving this one five stars.

"Jeb's Wife" fits into the category of Amish romance, but Leah and Jeb find the road to romance to be rocky indeed. A marriage of convenience solves several problems for both Leah and Jeb. Leah acquires security and some community status as a married woman. Jeb retains ownership of his farm in accordance with his uncle's final will and testament. However, both of them carry scars from previous relationships, some physical scars and some emotional ones. When gossip in the Amish community threatens to break their marriage, Jeb and Leah must come to grips with what marriage and love really mean to them.

This book deals with realistic situations, including addictions, physical disability, the evil of gossip, and the true meaning of marriage. The characters are described well, and demonstrate qualities of strength and courage in the face of adversity. While there were a few threads left hanging at the end of the novel, for the most part the ending is satisfactory. Emotions I experienced when reading this novel ran the gamut from sadness to joy; I wanted to cry and also to cheer!

Although part of a series, the novel can be read as a standalone. Readers of the previous novels in the series will be reunited with old friends. This is a clean read, without strong language, violence, or explicit sexual descriptions.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Rejection had a way of eating away at a person's heart.

Leah lives with her brother in her Amish community. Healing a broken heart from a broken engagement, she only has her brother to care for. However, when her brother gets into some financial problems due to gambling, she and her landlord Jeb come to a mutual agreement. Jeb could lose his farm if he does not marry by the end of the year. If he marries, he will keep his working farm and inherit $50,000.00 He knows Leah is a good woman and the hurt that she is facing is as hurtful as his own rejection. Two outcast of sorts that come to marriage as a convenience.

The character development of Leah and Jeb is deep and endearing as they both work thru rejections that they have faced. Jeb would rather be alone and be distant from his community. Leah knows how loving a healthy community can be. The marriage turns from a convenience to something that they both long for. It is picture of sacrifice and what marriage can be when it is in partnership. I was rooting for this couple to find faith in their marriage.

A special thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Leah Riehl prayed for a husband. However, her chosen husband chose another. He wanted the children that Leah could never give him. Making peace that she would be alone, Leah is caught by surprise when their neighbor, Jebadiah King, offers marriage. While only a marriage of convenience, could it become more? I love how these characters were developed. This story is of second chance love and finding your way in a community. I love how these characters spoke to me. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Wonderful book! Had me on my edge of my set throughout the whole book. I knew they were going to eventually fall in love but how it would happen or what would cause it was such an anticipation I could not put this book down it is truly amazing how two lives thinking you would lead one way could actually turn out to be something totally different and make them both very happy in the end.

Pleasant story of forgiveness and redemption. An enjoyable read and I will look for this author in the future

Loved this story. It was a great story about 2 people who come together to help eachother out and try to turn it into something real. I loved the characters and just how well the author put the story together. A sweet clean read!

I received an ARC from Netgalley but this review is my own opinion.

This is a beautiful story of two hurting people who feel as if they do not fit into their Amish community. They decided to enter into a marriage of convenience to help provide a home and financial stability for Leah and her brother. I liked both Leah and Jeb. I felt compassion for both of them and the things they had suffered in the past. This book has a compelling storyline, and I kept wanting to “read one more chapter” to see how if they would find their happily-ever-after. The themes of faith and love run throughout this whole story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This was not the typical fall in love Amish read. Leah was teaching in a near by community only to come home and discover her younger brother Simon had involved himself in unfavorable behavior that could end his life. Jeb King bringing Simon home gave way to them actually talking since she had primarily communicated with his Uncle Peter. Simon made a proposal as he needed to save his life from his addiction. Jeb and Leah married out of convenience to enable Jeb to have a farm and to remove the huge obligation Simon had. The unexpected twists and turns gave way to longing for love since they both had found rejection before but Leah wanted involvement in the Amish community that Jeb had forsaken after being used and accused in the past.

This is a beautiful story of forgiveness, new beginnings, truth being revealed, trust, faith and romance for not only the hero and heroine but others in the community as they realized their past behavior were erroneous.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zebra publishing for an early copy of this book. I was under no obligation to write and positive review but would be honored to read more books by this author in the future. I’ve read several of them in the past and I’m never disappointed.

I received this book from netgalley loved it great story. I am starting to get in to this author's book's.

What a wonderful story. Leah and her brother lived together, but her brother had gambling problems and got into a lot of trouble. Leah had problems of her own as well. But God sent her neighbor, Jebadiah to the rescue. Jeb also needed help, so together they formed a deal to help everyone. Little did Jeb and Leah know, God had even more for them to ponder.. Great story of how God brings peace to our souls.