Rich in the charms and simplicity of Amish life.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Always a fan of Amish themed fiction and this one did not disappoint. I loved how the characters were written to portray humanness - a lot of Amish fiction portrays the characters as almost flawless. I was able to relate to the humanness of the characters and found the book to touch on several emotions.


I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the Publisher for my honest review and opinion.

Sadie Beiler grew up next to her best friend's family, Essie Lapp. Spending many hours and days there to escape her home, she sees Essie and her brother Sam as family. Sam Lapp works the family farm while wondering if he will ever find love. However he begins to realize that Sadie has grown into quite the young woman. Only one problem, Sadie feels she has found love with another, Mark. When Sadie starts to realize that Mark has a dark side, she turns to Sam for help. Will they find love? Rosalind Lauer depicts aspects of Amish life that are not often seen. I enjoyed reading about real life. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Welcome back to Joyful River! This is the second book in the Joyful River series. Sadie Beiler is engaged to a well off Amish man. She’s hoping for a proposal, but Mark Miller isn’t ready to commit. She starts falling her her best friend's brother, Sam Lapp. This love triangle will keep you reading!
There is also a secondary storyline with Sam’s cousin, Meg. Meg is an Englisher. She becomes friendly with Sam’s other cousin Issac. I hope we see more of this couple in upcoming books!
I suggest reading the first book in this series first so you know the backstory of the characters. I want to thank the author, Kensington Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I had to DNF after 61% I just couldn’t find myself caring about the characters or what would happen to any of them. Too much jumping around. The pacing was weird. And the POV was a little trippy.

I received this book from NetGalley publishers.
I loved it I can't wait for more I loved the cover and characters in the titles and can't wait to read more from this author.

Who wouldn't want to live in a town called Joyful River, Pennsylvania?! That just sounds so idyllic.....NOT!!! There seems to be a love triangle, in the Amish community, that is surfacing!!
Rosalind Lauer has written an enjoyable story of friendship, lost opportunity and the consequences of secrets kept. Sadie Beiler is being courted by Mark Miller. Mark is not moving forward with the courtship, as he should be and Sadie is becoming worried. Why is he not proposing marriage? Where did he go away to and not tell her?
Sadie is starting to question her relationship with Mark and is unsure what to do.
When did Sadie become so much more than Sam Lapp's sisters friend? It seems like just yesterday that Sadie was like a sister to Sam, but that has changed for Sam. But he's too late, in the game, because Sadie has a suitor. But the more time Sadie spends at the Lapp's, the more Sam is attracted to her.
What to do, what to do.....grab a warm afghan, curl up in your favorite reading chair, light a candle and pour your drink of choice......sit back and enjoy a trip to Joyful River, PA.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher Kensington Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"An Amish Bride" continues the story begun in Book One of this Joyful River series. Sadie is the focus of this story, as she struggles to decide about her future. When her boyfriend Mark shows his dark side, Sadie fears she has made a mistake. Sadie seeks guidance and support from her friends the Lapp family, and rediscovers her feelings for elder son Sam. When Sadie tries to break things off with Mark, things go further awry for Sadie. She ends up bearing the responsibility of a relationship that has gone wrong, and the result of lies and cover-ups, though she did nothing wrong.

This book also features Megan, Serena, and Grace, the Englisher cousins who have come to live with the Lapps. They also seek guidance for their futures, as they find they no longer fit in with their friends in Philly.

The characters in this novel are realistic and endure struggles that are common to the human condition. The story demonstrates that the Amish communities must grapple with the same ills found in non-Amish society. I was both annoyed and astonished at the stance taken by the community leaders regarding violence against women and the result of their male dominance. The novel comes to a rather abrupt ending. I would have liked to see more development of the action in the final chapter.

Readers who enjoyed the first book in this series will reacquaint themselves with old friends. The book can also be read as a standalone.

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

An Amish Bride by Rosalind Lauer is the second novel in Joyful River series. While An Amish Bride could be read as a standalone, I believe it is best to read An Amish Homecoming first. I thought An Amish Bride was well-written with developed characters. Miriam Lapp is my favorite. She is such a sweet woman who will not hesitate to meddle if it helps those she loves. The story is engaging with a good flow and pacing. We get to know Sadie Beiler and Sam Lapp. Sadie is best friends with Essie Lapp, Sam’s younger sister. Sadie spent her spare time in the Lapp household and considers it her second home. Sam had always seen Sadie as a sister until she blossomed into a beautiful woman. He finds that she is kind, gentle, and compassionate. Sam would like to court Sadie, but he hesitated too long. Sadie is now going with Mark Miller, but Sam is worried because he knows that Mark has a dark side. When Mark goes out of town without telling Sadie, she begins to question their relationship. She spends more time at the Lapp home and finds something unexpected. An Amish Bride is a sweet story. We get to follow the day-to-day life of the Amish. It is amazing how rules differ between church districts. I would have a hard time letting men make decisions for me. The Amish are bound by the rules set forth by the Bishop and the elders. Sadie must follow a ruling of the elders and learns how difficult it is to obey yet remain faithful. We get to catch up with the characters from An Amish Homecoming. They three sisters have been staying with the Lapp family for a year now and have a different perspective than when they arrived. A trip home sheds light on the differences between the two homes. The girls need to make decisions about their future. Isaac, Sam’s cousin, is making some hard decisions. He likes using his medical knowledge to help people and wants to continue doing so in the future. Isaac will need to make a choice between a higher education and being baptized in the Amish faith. I did find the book a little long and I would have liked less repetition. Some details are repeated twice or more. I enjoyed reading An Amish Bride. It is a great diversion from reality. I hope there will be another tale in the Joyful River series. An Amish Bride is a tender tale with a weepy wedding, strep throat sadness, a boorish beau, a firm friend, a disappointing decision, a meddling mother, and a happy house.

Patricia Johns has done a fantastic job with this sweet Amish novel.
She's fast becoming one of my favorite authors because she doesn't beat around the bush with the tough subjects of life.
I loved this book for many reasons.
One; I loved the friendship/romance between Sam and Sadie
Two: are the subjects that aren't normally exposed in the life of the Amish.
Three: the simple lifestyle they lead whole also depending on others in the community to help when needed. This is my most favorite thing about the Amish.
My heart went out to these characters and the challenges that were thrown out to them.
Sadie and Sam are pretty awesome in my book.
I really didn't like Mark at all!
This book was definitely a can't put down book. I finished it in one day.
I highly recommend this book.
I would reread again.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book and look forward to reading others by the author. It differed from other Amish romances that I've read in that it didn't sugarcoat the difficulties of their way of life, while still showing the reader the upside of it - family, faith, community. The book opens with the marriage of Sadie's sister to her young man. The wedding customs and the dinner on the grounds that followed were a delight to read.

Among the neighbors, there is Sam Lapp, whose family has a dairy farm nearby. Sam has long been attracted to Sadie, but he has to make his own way in life, and can't support a wife and family for the foreseeable future. Anyway, she has another beau.

Sadie Beiler, sister to the bride, is very impatient to get married to Mark, her beau, a handsome young man who works as a very popular auctioneer. Sadie was enthralled by his good looks, confidence, and showmanship as an auctioneer which makes him a star compared to other young Amish men she knows. Sadie, however, discovers another side to Mark.

There were some parts I wasn't crazy about. Women seem to be treated as second-class citizens, and I noticed that particularly in the decisions that the bishop made about Mark's behavior. The downside of the Amish leaving school after finishing 8th grade was also made clear.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. These are my opinions of the book.

Can Sadie find true love? Sadie ponders this as the one she thinks she loves is not who she thought he was.
The story has some very deep, difficult moments that you normally do not hear about in reading a Amish story. The author does a wonderful job while addressing these topics.
Overall An Amish Bride is a heartwarming story full of love for ones family and trusting in God.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

3 stars
This is book two of this very sweet series. It drags a bit in the beginning and I had to push to get through it. But I am so glad I did. It is a very good story with lovely characters.

We're just moving along with the escapism January theme, and this book was another fun book that helped me mentally disconnect from *everything* around me. Excited to bring this to our academics who read romance novel book club when it's out!

I enjoyed this book very much, and I learned a lot about the Amish ways of life. It’s a story about two neighboring families whose children have grown up side-by-side, and some English cousins who come to stay after their mother has passed away. The characters in the book are delightful except for Mark who turns out to have a very dark side. I learned in this book that the bishop’s decision might not always be the best for everyone, and sometimes the innocent people are punished.
The only criticism I have about this book is that I felt that it was too long. While reading it on the Kindle, the time was seven hours and 30 minutes from beginning to end. I felt like several hours could’ve been cut out and that would not have taken away from the plot.

I loved my return visit Joyful River, and I sure wasn't disappointed, what a page-turner.

This book begins with the wedding, and the realization that you don't always see what is right before your eyes, but there is also something that we don't expect in an Amish Community.

There are some tough subjects that the author brings to light, and some hard times for those who want to be together, and we are along as we journey to the truth, and hope for the future.

Now with some still unanswered questions, I am hoping for future reads!

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

I enjoyed reading Rosalind Lauer's An Amish Bride, second book from her Joyful River series. I am giving it four stars and look forward to book three.

This is a challenging book. While there are a lot of lovely, good-hearted characters, the plot features some of the less savory aspects of Amish rules and culture that are hard for an outsider to swallow. Even if the issues are "resolved", it's difficult to see it as a happy ending, given that what feels like a grievous injustice is left unchallenged and truly problematic behavior is not adequately addressed. Personally, I couldn't get past this to find this a pleasant reading experience, but others may feel differently.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I read amish fiction for several reasons.
1. The family bond. The book has it
2. Sweet romance. The book had it
3. Strong characters. The book has it. So the book has all the things i want. But it is also about that not everyrhing is rose red in the amish society. They deal with abuse and mental health Just like "us". I highly recommend this book. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Wonderfully written book about faith and true love. We follow the love story of Sadie and Sam but we also see the budding romance of Issac and Megs. The book keeps you turning the pages to see how this can all work out for Sam and Sadie.