This is an Amish Fiction, and this is the second book in the Berlin Bookmobile series. I read and review the first book in this series, and I have to say I liked the first book in this series more then this one. I just did not connected with the main characters in this book. I did enjoy learning more about some of the characters that was in the first book. This book like the other book in this series as a lot of side characters. I did think the storyline was good in this book. I did like and enjoy this book. I also wanted to say this book is mainly about foster care, adoption, and having trouble getting pregnant. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Gallery Books) or author (Shelley Shepard Gray) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

"An Amish Surprise" by Shelley Shepard Gray
Release Date: 5.18.2021

Miriam and Calvin Gingerich have been married, but they are still childless. Although Calvin tells Miriam he is fine with it, she is not, and she notices he spends more time on the farm and less time at home. She's concerned he found someone else. When Miriam realizes she has another miscarriage, she talks to bookmobile librarian Sarah Anne Miller, asking for reference books about childbirth and pregnancy.

Calvin isn't spending much time on the farm. He met a 10-year old, Miles, who lives in a foster family. Miles' foster family doesn't intend on adopting him, and he wants to adopt the little boy, but he doesn't know how to tell his wife.

What a sweet story. I just couldn't wait to find out if Calvin ever talked to Miriam about adopting Miles.



Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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The second installment of the Berlin Bookmobile Series, An Amish Surprise tells the story of Miriam and Calvin Gingerich. Not being able to have children of their own, each one lives with a secret longing. When the secrets become real secrets, unfortunately, things become complicated. While there are several storylines, the way they are written is easy to follow. It makes the reader turn the pages in order to find out what happens next. Ms. Gray always creates her characters to be so life like. The reader can really relate to the story as well as the characters. I look forward to another book in this series. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

This book is amazing! This is the second book in the Berlin Bookmobile series. It would be helpful to read the first in the series, A Perfect Amish Romance, to get an idea of the characters and setting.

Sarah Anne is the librarian and person in charge of driving around the bookmobile. She is familiar with the people that come to her stops and soon realizes that there is connection growing between Miles, a foster child who is living with an Amish family, and Calvin, an Amish farmer who has been trying for many years to have children with his wife, Miriam. Calvin and Miriam have discussed adoption in the past but Miriam is adamant about having children of their own even though they have been told that she will most likely never be pregnant or if she does, she will not be able to carry it to term. Will Sarah Anne be able to help Miriam see the connection that has been made and help her realize that adoption or fostering a child would be a good option?

Meanwhile, Sarah Anne is realizing for herself that even though she is a widow and misses her husband, she doesn't have to be alone for the rest of her life. She befriends a gentleman named Pete and though things are somewhat awkward in the beginning, they seem to fit together really well. Can she put her past behind her and begin to care for Pete as more than a friend?

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book in The Berlin Bookmobile Series. We meet Miriam and Calvin Gingerich, a young couple who are trying to have a baby. They meet Miles, a ten year old boy in foster care, who is looking for his “forever’ home. Sarah Anne Miller, the driver of the Book Mobile, is not only there to lend guidance, but she has her own dating storyline. This can be read as a stand alone book, but I always like reading books in order.
This book deals with sensitive subjects- adoption, miscarriage, sickness, but is done so in an uplifting way. You will leave this book filled with hope and appreciation.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Gallery Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Sarah Anne Miller is a librarian but she doesn't always work in a building. Instead, she offers books, and so much more, when she drives her bookmobile around Berlin County. An Amish Surprise is the second book of The Berlin Bookmobile Series, and Sarah Anne is still taking books to her patrons who live in rural areas. She's played matchmaker before, but now, Sarah Anne gets a chance to experience romance herself, and it's a charming look at a 60-something widow getting back into the dating game. As she tries to determine if she's ready for a second chance at love, Sarah Anne continues to interact with the Amish community, and it's apparent that her weekly visits are bright spots in their lives. It's especially touching to witness the special relationship that she develops with a ten year boy who dearly loves the bookmobile. Miles is in foster care, and she realizes that he is especially taken with a young Amish farmer who also frequents the bookmobile. Her intuition recognizes that young Miles and Calvin Gingerich share a special bond, but is the bond strong enough for them to become a family? Calvin's wife Miriam is against adoption...can Sarah Anne work her magic?

I love this book because it centers around a bookmobile, and this was a part of my life as a public librarian. Many people have never seen a bookmobile, so they are are unaware of the importance that a library on wheels can really be, but author Shelley Shepard Gray shines a special spotlight on this valuable service. She has an unique talent for entertaining readers, touching their hearts, and pulling on their heartstrings, and it's very clear in this book. Her sensitive and tender portrayal of a young boy shuffled around in the foster care system is beautiful to read, but she also also shares some fun, because each chapter begins with a tip from Sarah Anne Miller's Guide to Dating After Age Sixty. If you enjoy Amish fiction, and you're looking for an enjoyable read, An Amish Surprise is the book for you!

I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. I was never obligated to write a favorable review. These are my own thoughts.

Shelley Shepard Gray has been one of my must-read authors for more years than I can remember, she never disappoints and her novels keep getting better. I love this new series, the characters are warm, sweet and pretty amusing, and the bookmobile is a clever, fun setting to meet the residents of the community. I have grown so fond of librarian, Sara Anne Miller, she keeps the community in books, offers her friendship and will give advice to those who need it.

I loved the story of Calvin and Miriam Gingerich and Miles, the sweet little boy who is in foster care with another Amish family in the community. There are several recurring characters we’ve come to know, too which added to my overall enjoyment.

I have loved spending time in this community and look forward to the next book in the series. I’m quite sure that Ms. Gray will pen another heartwarming, charming story in the third book.

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

An Amish Surprise is Shelley Shepard Gray's second book in her Berlin Bookmobile series and it was just as great as the first one! I love Gray's books, because they always make me laugh. They are so much fun. However, they also have an important message in each of them. An Amish Surprise was no different. The resounding message of trusting in the Lord and having faith really resonated with me. I actually even took a screenshot of one page because I need to remember what it says about faith. If you haven't read any of her books, then I suggest you get started! You won't be disappointed. #AnAmishSurprise is about Miriam and her husband Calvin. They have been married four years and have struggled with the fact that they aren't parents yet. When Calvin meets Miles, a ten year old Amish foster child, he is drawn to him and wants to bring him home, but Miriam is hiding her own secret about a new pregnancy from her husband, afraid she will miscarry and cause him pain. With some help from their friendly bookmobile librarian, Sarah Anne, can the two of them create a family for themselves and Miles? A great read! Five stars! Check it out! Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review the story. #bookstagram #all_the_pages

Shelley Shepard Gray is one of my fave authors – no matter what genre she’s writing. Contemporary Romance. Women’s Fiction. Historical Mystery. Western Romance. Amish Romantic Suspense. Amish Romance. If she writes it, I’ll read it & love it. Which brings me to today’s book, An Amish Surprise. Part women’s fiction, part romance, this latest book in the Berlin Bookmobile series is wholly delightful.

One of the things I love about this series is that we follow a couple of different story threads that weave together at various points in each book. In An Amish Surprise, we continue spending time with bookmobile librarian Sarah Anne Miller as she visits the various communities around Berlin, Ohio. She’s a very engaging character right from book one, and readers will enjoy just hanging out with her in the bookmobile (on the page, of course). I also loved watching her budding romance develop more with Pete in this second book, proving it’s never too late to find true love (even for the second time around).

While we also spend time with Sarah Anne in her life outside the bookmobile, the scenes in the little traveling library are my favorite. She’s the perfect character to go to for advice, the kind of person who likes to solve problems and truly cares about the people God places in her path. Enter three key players in this story: Amish couple Miriam & Calvin Gingerich and Miles, a sweet 10-year-old boy being fostered by another Amish family in the area. Many couples will be able to relate to Miriam & Calvin’s struggles, and while I ached to sit them both down for a talk about not assuming you know what your spouse is thinking or feeling, I very much loved their characters’ growth through the story. And then there’s Miles who completely captured my heart. I can’t wait for you to meet this precious child in An Amish Surprise, and the way in which Gray wrote his story both warms and challenges the heart.

Bottom Line: An Amish Surprise is another winning read by Shelley Shepard Gray! While the story addresses topics such as infertility, foster care and adoption with authenticity, it also does so gently and with a lot of heart. Any story set in a bookmobile instantly has a reader’s attention, and the layered characters and engaging plot hold that interest through to the end – where we find more than one kind of happily ever after. I can’t wait to read about more of the people that cross Sarah Anne’s path in this sweet & entertaining series!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

A nice addition to this series. Always enjoy reading about the Amish way of life. I will be looking forward to the next book in this series.

Sarah Anne has the best job I can imagine, a bookmobile driver in Ohio Amish country. She not only gets to ply people with books she also gets to travel through beautiful country and meet interesting people, Amish and English alike.

In this addition to the series, Sarah Anne gets to see into the lives of Miriam and Calvin as they navigate their way through infertility. She also meets a little boy who will change the lives of everyone he meets. Sarah Anne also finds herself navigating the dating scene as a later in life dater. Lots of laughs with some tears thrown in for good measure.

A clean read for the romance reader in your life.

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

An Amish Surprise by Shelley Shepard Gray is the 2nd book in The Berlin Bookmobile Series. This story can be read as a standalone if you have not read A Perfect Amish Romance. This is such a sweet story with multiple storylines. Calvin and Miriam Gingerich have been married four years. Miriam has conceived before, but she has not been able to carry a child to term. The doctor gives them a slim chance of Miriam conceiving a child. The couple has decided to leave it in God’s hands. Miriam is a worrier who feels she has disappointed her husband and she wonders if he is straying. Calvin meets Miles, an Amish foster child, at the bookmobile and they bond. Calvin tries to meet the bookmobile as often as he can so he can spend time with Miles. Calvin would like to adopt Miles, but he knows how Miriam feels about adoption. Sarah Ann Miller finds herself attracted to one of the bookmobile patrons. She is not sure if she is ready to date nor does she know how dating works after all these years. Miles is ten years old and has been in a number of foster homes since his grandparents passed away. His current home is chaotic and Miles wonders how long he will there. Miles also wonders why no one ever picked him to adopt. The point-of-view alternates between the characters (Sarah Ann, Miles, Calvin, Miriam, and Pete). An Amish Surprise is well-written with charming characters. I just loved Miles and felt bad for this sweet boy. I also adored Miriam and Calvin’s dog (such a cutie). Faith, compassion, a second chance at love, patience, God’s timing, and all children deserve love are some of the themes in the book. An Amish Surprise is a touching story. I like how the author addressed the issues of infertility, foster children, and late in life dating. There is a good blend of Englisch and Amish. Sarah Ann Miller is a fun character and I like how the bookmobile fits into the story. One of my favorite phrases is, Faith is what happens when the Lord gets tired of you making silly plans.” I am eager to read the next book in The Berlin Bookmobile Series. An Amish Surprise is a heartening tale with rowdy youngsters, the rambling bookmobile, late in life romance, a surprising secret, a quiet foster child, and a bounding hound.

An Amish Surprise by Shelley Shepard Gray was such a sweet read in the Berlin Bookmobile series. This time we have a couple who wants a child and have not been able to conceive. Mariam and Calvin love each other, but what will it mean if they can never have children? What is Calvin hiding and how can Mariam make their dream come true? They love each other, but they need to communicate to each other more. I also loved revisiting Sarah and her bookmobile. This can be read as a standalone and is a sweet journey about love and family.

Happy reading!

Such a cute, charming story! I'm definitely finding myself enjoying the "clean" romance novels instead of the "erotica" here lately. More story and character development, ya know? It's just... Better 😉😁💕 4 stars!!

Thanks netgalley for giving me the pdf so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 🧡

I loved all the characters in this book, but ten-year-old Miles’ story captured my heart. He had been through too much heartache for a young man of his age, and I was cheering him on through every page to find a place to belong. Calvin and Miriam were lovely, caring people; but they desperately needed to find a way to communicate their hopes and wishes clearly to each other. Much of this storyline builds around finding faith to trust God for the next step and turning to Him in times of distress. I also enjoyed following Sarah Anne Miller as she drove her bookmobile to different parts of the community and seeing her own relationship with Pete grow into a sweet romance.

It’s easy to read this book as a stand-alone story. But once you’ve read this one, you’ll want to go back and read the first book in the series. I think the next “Bookmobile” story will be set during the Christmas season, and I’m eagerly looking forward to reading that one.

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

The bookmobile is back!!! I loved the first book in the series and couldn't wait to read this one. It did not disappoint! While this is the second book in the series it can be read as a stand-alone novel. You would miss a little of the backstory of Sarah Anne and Pete, but not so much that you would be lost in the second book. However, I recommend reading the first book in the series before this one, as it does help to recall who Sarah Anne is and how she met Pete.

There are three different storylines in this novel. You have Sarah Anne and her friendship with Pete, which carried over from the first book, and grew as this story developed. Next, you have Calvin and Mariam's story. Finally, you have Miles, the foster child's story. There are other supporting characters, but the story revolves around these three storylines.

I love books about books! I relish the idea of bookmobiles, and I am enjoying this series. I also have a heart for foster children and Shelley captures the emotions of both the adults and Miles perfectly. The storyline is unique because most Amish families do not take in foster children, and foster care doesn't exist among them. Add in the bookmobile, and this story is extremely original. I love the uniqueness of it. There were some humorous parts in the story. There were also some tender moments, one scene brought tears to my eyes. Such an exceptional moment and I love that I FELT I was there in the moment.

I was a bit annoyed with Miriam jumping to conclusions at the beginning of the book, but enjoyed seeing her grow and overcome some of her trust issues. Calvin and Miriam are both keeping secrets and that is not good or healthy for a marriage. Thankfully they come clean, and the whole book is not dealing with the secrets.

I did not feel that the last part of the synopsis fit the book. Sarah Anne does not do a lot to aid Calvin, Miriam, and Miles become a family. It would be more accurate to say that Amanda, Miles' social worker, brought them together.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the third one! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about the Amish and clean romance stories. Fans of Denise Hunter, Pepper Basham, Amy Clipston, and Leslie Gould will also enjoy this story.

Special thanks to Net Galley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Miriam and Calvin Gingerich have the perfect marriage and the perfect little farm, but they haven't been able to have a baby. Calvin would like to adopt but Miriam wants her own baby. When Calvin meets an Amish boy from a local foster home at the Bookmobile he wants desperately to give the little guy a home but he has to convince Miriam. When he finally gets her to consider it she finds out she is pregnant. But the boy really needs a home.

This was a great story. The little farm sounded picture perfect and did not sound like any of the other Amish farms I've read about -- it sounded like a fantasy, dream setting. Other than that, I really enjoyed the whole story and read it in one day.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expresssed are only my honest opinion.

Love this book. I am very much into the clean Amish Romance books right now. This definitely hit the spot so to speak.

OH.MY.WORD. This is one of my favorite series that I have read!!! Amish Surprise is Book 2, and I think it enriches the content of the story if you have read Book 1. It's so hard to pick a particular point to talk about because it's got so much depth. And again, I come away with the fact that I want to be Sarah Anne, the bookmobile driver. Maybe, except that the bus is big. And I don't like driving. Maybe I could drive a horse and cart, now that would be different!!! Just kidding. Maybe.
I did get an advance e-copy of this book but I was under no obligation to review it, nor to review it positively.
But. I want to be Sarah Anne. And I love Shelley's books. So there you have it

I really enjoyed reading this book filled with compassion and tenderness from the author as this story deals with true to life emotional issues. I fell in love with Miles, a 10 year old foster child. His disposition and attitude about life was faced with courage even though he had suffered multiple losses.
Miriam and Calvin faced infertility issues but Calvin made a connection with Miles at the bookmobile. I loved how Gray weaved the story with Calvin and Miles as all foster children need to know they truly matter in life. This really touched my heart, as foster children has a special place in my heart. I’m glad to see Shelley Shepard Gray including them in her stories.

An Amish Surprise is filled with several story-lines that are connected by compassion, faith, acceptance of God’s timing, love no matter the age and so much more. This is the second book in The Berlin Bookmobile but can easily be read as a standalone. I highly recommend reading book one to appreciate Sarah’s dedication to the bookmobile she drives and her gentleness in assisting her patrons. Shelley Shepard Gray never disappoint this reader with her tales.

I received an ARC e-book copy from NetGalley and the publisher without any obligation to write a positive review. I have shared my own thoughts.