Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Anything but Plain is the story of the bishop's daughter Lydie Stoltzfus who can’t seem to please anyone. While she desires to leave her Amish life, obstacles stand in her way. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this well-written book about faith, family, and community.

I loved Lydie's story and learned a lot about adult ADHD in the process!

Lydie Stolzfus has always felt out of step with the life of an Amish woman. Where most are adept at organizing their large families, Lydie can't even keep her own room in order, let alone other people. She hasn't been able to hold a job for longer than a week, and is usually let go just days after starting. It doesn't help that her father is the bishop so his family is always under constant scrutiny. Thoroughly discouraged, she begins making plans to go English because she believes that there she won't be a disappointment to anyone else anymore,

Nathan Fisher has loved Lydie forever, it seems. She was his very best friend as a child but when they entered their rumspringa time, she placed a wall between them. He wants nothing more than to tear it down and convince her that she is the only one his heart desires. but is he competing against his brother for her affections?

When Lydie's aunt, Dok Ruth, offers her the receptionist position in her office, Lydie fully expects to mess something up, but Dok offers her hope that she really CAN do the job. She even helps her to see that she's not "broken" as she's always believed. Her brain just works differently from most every other Amish woman. As she gains confidence in her abilities, will she see that her place is with those who love her, in spite of her differences?

I loved Lydie, and maybe that's because I share many of the same challenges she has. I also loved that many of the characters in the book were familiar friends from her series set in Stoney Ridge. Adult ADHD isn't a joke, but in many ways, it made Lydie into one. I was so glad when Dok stepped in to help, even though her bishop father thought testing would make her stand out more than she already did. Lydie, herself, was just glad to know she wasn't alone and that help could be had.

I enjoyed this immensely! Some of Lydie's mishaps are funny, but all serve to emphasize how different she feels from the other Amish girls around her. Suzanne Woods Fisher makes the reader feel Lydie's pain, then she brings her great joy. Highly recommend!

This is an Amish romance book that deals with making difficult life choices. Lydie is Amish and ready to make some difficult life decisions. She can leave the community, her church, her boyfriend and her family to start new and a totally different life. While contemplating what she will do, she is offered a job. She would be working at the front desk of a local doctor. This would give her time to think about what choice she wants to make. Will she stay? Can she choose to stay and make a family with Nathan? What does the future hold and what will her future look like?

I would recommend this book to those that are a fan on Amish reads and the author Suzanne Woods Fisher. It is a comfortable read that deals with Amish life and choices they make growing up.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Books and Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

Another home run for Suzanne. I love how she always can pick topics outside the norm for the Amish genre. This time she takes on ADD, I have a grown son who has struggled with this his entire life, so a topic close to my heart.
Lydie, the main female character has always been different. She struggles to stay on task, can’t hold down jobs, disappoints her father. But when she goes to work for her aunt — things get better. She still messes up a lot, but her aunt is able to give constructive criticism.
Until this happens she had been wanting to leave the faith this is just a wonderful book. There is a romance as well. But since I broke my wrist I can’t write more and don’t want yo spoil the story.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity to review this ARC. All opinions are my own

A good Amish story by a wonderful author. I do not have ADHD, but was interested to see how others misunderstand and others try to live with it. At times, seeing the Amish with flaws instead of the romantic views some authors use is best. We are all people, we all have issues and we all have dreams. Enjoyed this one, and also the idea of less chemicals with farming too. Highly recommend this book and author.

I have quickly become a fan of Amish romance novels. This one by Suzanne Woods Fisher was more than just a romance, it was much more. I found this book to be so sweet, and so interesting to read. It was very hard to put this one down. The characters, especially Lydie, really has you rooting for her….even with all of her quirks! 🙂 I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

I don’t read alot of Amish fiction books any more, but I always read books by this author. I like that she writes Amish fiction and that the Amish characters are relatable and have real struggles-just like Englishers. Yes Amish life is very different and can be more simple; but they also struggle with alot of things that other people do- like estranged kids or family members, divorce, addictions, crime, abuse, etc.

I enjoyed reading this book and especially loved the character Lydie! Poor girl! She loved her amish family and community and tried so hard to fit in but never felt “normal” and was constantly frustrated and ridiculed. I liked that her Aunt took the time to look deeper and help her with her frustrations and root of the problem. There were other mini stories and characters throughout the book even though it focused on Lydie, her family and friend Nathan.

I enjoyed reading this heartwarming story and hope there will be other stories involving the Amish characters in this town. I really enjoyed it!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

A sweet Amish story like none I have read . It dealt with an Amish character having ADHD. The story was a good reminder to not give up on your dreams and keep following them, no matter what. You will truly root for the main character to be happy. Many thanks to the author, Revell and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

A beautiful story about a young Amish girl who feels like a square peg in a round hole, and how she learns to love who God created her to be.
The book was well written in that it stirred up all sorts of emotions while I was reading it and made me want to keep turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

While I don’t read a lot of Amish fiction, I found myself intrigued by the back cover blurb of Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Anything But Plain. And I’m very glad I acted on the interest.

The story centers around Bishop’s daughter Lydia Stolzfus who can’t seem to please anyone with her behavior and is desperate to leave Plain life, just so she can feel less like a failure. But her neighbor Nathan is in love with her. Nathan lives at odds with his father and twin brother, over his dreams to stop using pesticides and turn their farm fully organic.

If you’d told me when I picked the book up that I’d be fully invested in the fate of a fictional farm, I’d have raised an eyebrow. But, by chapter three, invested I was. Such is the talent of Woods Fisher. I cared about both main characters, their siblings and parents in short order.

Lydie goes to work with her aunt, who left the order under similar circumstances as Lydie faces. But to her surprise, her aunt, now a local doctor, suggests Lydia may have ADHD and offers her some techniques to manage the symptoms.

As a parent of a daughter with ADHD, I can honestly say this was a really moving plot thread. The subject was handled sensitively and a range of views on the condition presented. I especially like Lydie’s handling of everything, and how this discovery changed everything for her, from family relationships, success at work and romance.

All told, this is a lovely book, about more than ADHD, being Amish and farming. It’s about love, acceptance and working things out with patience and love. Highly recommended.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley. The gushing is all my own.

Since the first Suzanne Woods Fisher book, I have been hooked. And, yet again, she shows me why. Anything but Plain is the story of an Amish girl who has ADHD. It is not common among the Amish and Lydie often feels like she doesn’t fit in among her family and friends. She often finds herself considering leaving, but doesn’t want to. But how can she stay when she is always messing something up for those she loves. With some help from her aunt, her grandmother, and a special someone, maybe she can figure it out after all! Thanks to NetGalley for another excellent read!

In general, Amish fiction is my least favourite genre. However, I have read one or two of Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Amish fiction books and enjoyed them, so when I read reviews of Anything But Plain that made it sound like a book I would enjoy, I got hold of a copy. I can’t rank this as one of my top ten this year, but I would definitely say that, for Amish fiction, it’s very good.
Lydia Stoltzfus has a problem. She can’t seem to keep a job for very long at all. She starts out well, but quickly loses focus and makes big mistakes which get her fired. What can her father David, the bishop, do? When his sister, who left the Amish to become a doctor, asks for Lydia to be a temporary receptionist, David is worried. How will Lydia handle this? Then, Dok realises that Lydia shows symptoms of a problem that is either not common or not diagnosed among the Amish. Can she help?
Meanwhile, Nathan, Lydie’s neighbor, has become convinced that organic gardening is the way to go. His father and brother, however, are just as convinced that chemicals are the only way to go to make a profit, and the more the better. How can he follow his dream and still live in peace with his family?  Well Lydie’s help be a help? Or a hindrance?
The people are portrayed much more realistically then most of the books I have read in this genre, and there isn’t nearly as much of the “cutesy“ language that really irks me.  Instead of certain words always being “Dutchy“, this author used full sentences and then translated them. I like that a lot better. I really enjoyed watching Lydie learn to live with her ADHD, and it made me wonder if I have a touch of it myself!  I also love the part of the story about organic farming. That is a subject is close to my heart so I enjoyed it especially. There’s a lot more to Anything But Plain than romance, which I really liked. The main plot of the story revolves around Nathan trying to convert the family farm to organic, despite the opposition of other family members, and Lydie’s ADHD.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: Chapter 4: mention of men ogling indecent pictures in National Geographic. Chapter 8: mention of a kiss. Chapter 24: description of a kiss.

I was so wrong about this book! Originally, I just thought this would be a nice book to read, but it is so much more!
Lydia works so hard, but she is forgetful, distracted, and overwhelmed, in spite of her very hard work. She considers leaving her Amish family and community due to her failures. However, Lydia's aunt, "Dok" notices that Lydia displays signs of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Whan Lydia's father, the local bishop, is not eager for Lydia to be formally evaluated, Dok shares strategies to help Lydia. Lydia finds ways, such as to be 10 min. early to work, breathe deeply when overwhelmed, write a daily to-do-list with each step, stay with a task when she starts on, etc. It was eye-opening when Dok related the strategies with God's point of view, such as, "Be still, and know that I am God" and that Lydia was precious, created by God, who does not make mistakes in his creations. I consider this book a keeper and have someone in mind with whom I can share it and appreciate it, too.

This Amish based story was different from others I have read. It did take me a little while to get hooked into the story, but I was glad I stuck with it.

It takes a look at the turmoil within two Amish families and brings to light the effects of ADHD on the person suffering with it and their families struggle. The author did a wonderful job showing that no one is perfect and by giving others grace and tolerance, we can help be part of the change and not the problem.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Another great story by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I like how the author tackles topics that may be unusual for the typical Amish novel. Her portrayal of ADHD seems to be spot on and I learned a lot about the disorder and how it may manifest itself, how others view the disorder and how it can be managed. Loved the characters and the story too. Dok is amazing in her relationship w/ Lydie. Looking forward to more from this author. I read a copy of the book through NetGalley.

My thoughts: Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of my favorite authors. I fall totally in love with her quirky, but real characters. Getting reacquainted with some of Ms, Fisher's former characters and falling in love with Nathan and Lydie. This is laugh out loud funny at times and tear jerking sad at others plus whole other ranges of emotions. This book is not to be missed, but don't read it in a heated rush. nTake time to savor it. I was given a copy free and all opinions are my own.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of the few Amish fiction authors that I read and I always enjoy her books. Anything but Plain follows the character of Lydie who is trying to find her place in the world. She is a character that I can greatly relate to in regards to never feeling like you belong. This was a beautiful story of faith, family, and community.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of my favorite authors of Amish fiction, but I really struggled with this one. I don't think I was in the best place emotionally to read it, because I felt the hidden hopelessness and despair of Lydie keenly, and the injustice of Nathan's father's cruelty was too much. Nathan has commendable goals to improve the farm, but Mick and their father are persuaded by the easier way with empty promises, and Nathan is not given enough regard to present his plan or enough time to actually execute it. I will have to finish this book when I'm able to wade though the hardships they are sure to endure.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Lydie never feels like she really fits into her community. She wants to leave but is just not sure. She gets a chance to have a little more time to figure things out when she is offered a new job. While there she has to work out her feeling and decide what really matters.

Oh Lydie, I felt everything for you, It is so hard when she doesn't feel like she fits. I loved the way that she was depicted in this Amish community. She tries so hard and finds that it doesn't help.

The fact that this book looks at ADHD in the world of the Amish is illuminating. I was in awe as i read this. I work with people with disabilities and have a son with ADHD. This is a topic that is dear to me and something that I felt was treated respectfully and beautifully done.

Her relationships with her family, with the community, and in her employment showed that it is possible to find a way to help someone with ADHD find where they fit. The author did a beautiful job showing the challenges in the Amish community and with their neighbors, but still showing love, faith, and healing.

I would recommend this book to those that love to read Amish fiction or for those that want to understand more about how someone with ADHD feels and thinks.

I received an early copy through the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest review.