I love a good Amish romance with well-developed, complex characters, and Shelley Shepherd Gray did not disappoint. This series has been delightful! I love the setting of the Amish "resort town" in Florida, and the lighthearted take Gray has.

I loved the first book in this series so much I couldn’t wait to read the second one, Her Only Wish. I’m so glad I did. I’m back with characters I met and fell in love with from the first book and it’s like a family reunion. This book is wonderful for those who enjoy fun summer reads mixed with some real-life relationship issues and coming of age issues.

I was given this book as a complimentary copy but was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine. This may end up being one of my favorite series of this author after all!

I Love Being Back in Pinecraft!

Being back in Pinecraft, Florida is such a treat! Her Only Wish is the second novel in the A Season in Pinecraft series and it is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. The characters are so bright and magnetic, the setting is dreamy, and the overall vibe is easy to get lost in.

Sweet Betsy is the focus of this story, which I was excited about as she was one of my favorite characters from the first novel. Betsy has a life list and she is bound and determined to achieve as many goals as she can and not let her disability hinder her. With the help of some new friends as well as her own determination, she embarks on a journey that leads to a life she could’ve never imagined.

I love how Betsy’s life list not only inspired change in her own life, but also affected everyone that she surrounds herself with too. Seeing the ripple effect of positivity and seeing this from a different perspective is something to be admired, and something we need in our world right now. Watching all of the relationships grow and blossom is great, but the parts with Danielle, Annie, and Betsy were some of my favorites, most likely due to the sister dynamic and my love of swimming. I also loved all the golf talk, since that is something my husband and I are into. The selfishness of Austin’s missionary parents is astounding. Neither can see themselves and accuse poor Austin of the very thing they are doing. This part tore at my heart so much, as Austin is such an amazing guy and doesn’t deserve to get treated like this by his parents.

I felt like I was curled up in a sun-warmed blanket when I read this novel. There is tension, but really only coming from Austin’s nearsighted parents. Otherwise it was a very uplifting and positive reading experience that has me thinking of my own “life list.” I love this series so much!

This is book two in a series. While the book will make more sense if you read it after the first book you can read it as a stand-alone novel without feeling too lost. Not that I recommend that. I always recommend reading books in order and reading two instead of one is always a good idea.

Betsy has a lot of things she wants to do. But her parents have always treated her with kid gloves so she hasn’t done anything she wants to. So she decides to go spend some time with her friends in Pinecraft. And take her list with her.

One thing on her list is to learn to play golf. Not that she expects to enjoy it. But she’s going to do it. And when she chooses the place to do so she meets an amazing Amish man who has his own story to be shared. I loved meeting him!

Oh and don’t forget the sisters that teach her to swim!

Betsy has a lot going on and is learning how to pace herself and still be able to do what she wants without risking her health. It’s a wonderful book and I loved all of the characters. They’re precious and most of them learn and grow throughout the novel.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

Her only wish is a beautiful continuation of the group of three Amish girls that found themselves and friendship in Pinecraft, FL, a popular vacation spot for the Amish in this story.

This is Betsy's story. She reconnects with old friends and meets new friends as she faces her fears.

This was a beautiful story with Betsy and August having great chemistry, It is truly about the way we affect each other's lives and challenge each other to grow.

Betsy shows courage to emerge out of her wallflower cocoon and find the person she wants to be. She is able to learn how to live, even with the Asthma that her parents were scared of and kept her from doing many things. She is able to ultimately grow and become a more fulfilled person.

Shelley Shepard Gray writes a beautiful story full of characters and gives reason to care about them. I found myself turning the pages because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. The conflicts are organic and there are opportunities for growth and change.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Betsy, you inspired me to create a life list! Welcome back to Pinecraft. The “Wallflowers” are no longer just standing back and waiting for life to happen. She lived a sheltered childhood due to her asthma. She meets August who runs his uncle’s golf course who lived a different type of sheltered life, being shuffled over the globe with his missionary parents. There were also two secondary stories with Englishcher Annie and her sister and Nate, August’s best friend.
I love how Shelley Shepard Gray created R’eal and believable characters. I can’t wait for the next book! 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.

After spending a few weeks vacation with new friends in Florida, Betsy find herself returning to Florida to visit her new friends. Her pregnant friend Mary offers for Betsy to stay at their home instead in spending money at the Inn. She’s determined to work on what she calls her “life list.” On this life list, Betsy hopes to play a round of golf, ride a bicycle, and learn to swim.

She stumbles into a local golf course and meets a handsome August. She’s mentioned wanting to learn how to golf and August finds himself offering to teach her. She stops by weekly for lessons with the goal of playing an 18-hole round. Unfortunately, Betsy isn’t very coordinated but August finds himself taking Betsy out for lunch every time she stops in.

Annie meets Betsy on the bus when she first arrived. and overhears Betsy telling August about her life list while they’re out at lunch one day. Annie’s sister Danielle was a star swimmer who also taught children how to swim years ago. Annie and Danielle are renting a home with a swimming pool for their vacation and Annie offers for her sister teach Betsy to swim. Danielle wasn’t great about this agreement with a stranger, but the three ladies become great friends!

The bicycle riding is something August ends up doing with Betsy as well. Even in the heat of Florida summer, Betsy and August go on a bike ride after lunch. She enjoys being outside doing things that were activities her parents kept her from because of her medical concerns when she was younger. Even as an adult, her parents kept her from anything that may be physically exhausting.

Later one night, Mary heard commotion in Betsy’s room and finds Betsy unconscious. Meet and her husband call the EMTs and Betsy ends up in the hospital. Her parents arrive not long after. Betsy was experiencing medical trauma and her folks wanted to be near her. It was a reason for Betsy to return home and be under their care. She has other ideas.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Fleming H. Revell Company for access to this beautiful story! I give this book 5 out of 5 tiaras because it’s an easy read, a cute storyline, and has lovable characters. It even has me creating my own life list! What’s out there that you’ve always wanted to accomplish?

My thoughts: HER ONLY WISH is a charming love story about a girl who is tired of just being and wants to live. So she made a life list and started working on the first few things on her list. Learn to ride a bike, learn to swim, and learn how to play golf. A sweet romance, it is slow and heart-warming, and you will fall in love with these characters. There are two romances in this story and a dash of women's fiction. if you like Amish fiction you will love HER ONLY WISH. I was given a copy free and ll opinions are my own.

Betsy has asthma, and unfortunately, her parents (mainly her mother) see it as a death sentence and are overly protective. There are so many things Betsy has never been allowed to experience out of her parents' fear for her. Well...Betsy is feeling a bit adventurous, has a 'list' and decides to take a trip to see friends in Florida. A month long trip. Surely, she can do the things on her list in one month.
The first thing she wishes to mark off her list is to play a round of golf, so she goes to the golf course to sign up for lessons. There, she meets August Troyer who offers to give her lessons. Once August learns of her 'list,' they hang out more. He takes her to see and do new places and things.
She, also makes a friend (Anne) who is also vacationing there with her sister. The place they're renting has a swimming pool, and guess what else in on Betsy's list of things to do? She wishes to learn to swim! Anne and her sister offer to teach her, which also happens to be healing and therapeutic for them, as well.
Fun story to read! Betsy has such a fun and outgoing personality in spite of being sheltered her entire life.
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Revell through Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

Her Only Wish

by Shelley Shepard Gray

While the first book in this clean, sweet Amish series focuses on Mary and her relationship with Jayson, the reader is also introduced to Mary’s new friends Lilly and Betsy. These three young ladies consider themselves wallflowers because of events in their pasts. We also meet Esther, Mary’s nemesis, along with several young men. All of the characters are Amish, New Order Amish, or Christians who are former Amish.

In this second book in the series, we are back in Pinecraft. Mary and Jayson have welcomed Betsy to stay in their home on vacation for a month. This book centers around Betsy’s “life list.” Betsy explains that her list is not a bucket list—“a list of things to do before you die.” Her life list consists of “things to do to make me feel like I’m finally living.” She has been very sheltered most of her life so her list makes sense as she works at being more independent. As she works on her goals, her “life list” idea catches on and other characters make their own lists.

There are a number of interesting new characters in Her Only Wish. Some have romantic relationships and others are friends. The story also dives into the parent/child and sibling connections. Some of these characters show growth and others demonstrate a stubborn display of ego and selfishness. I found August’s story particularly interesting. He grew up as a missionary kid involved in many cultures and languages. For his parents, their mission work is more important than August. They use love or the withholding of love as a means of control, and they let everyone know how righteous they are because of their works. They put August in a difficult position on more than one occasion, and the reader gets to watch his struggle as he comes to grips with basic decisions about his future. I enjoyed Her Only Wish and look forward to reading more in the Pinecraft series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Christian, General Fiction, Romance

Notes: # 2 in A Season in Pinecraft Series. It could be read as a standalone, but the background from #1 in the series is helpful and the book is a good read.

Publication: June 6, 2023—Revell

Memorable Lines:

“That woman is a looker, ain’t so?” “She is.” “She’s as bright as a new penny too. Sweet but with a touch of vinegar.” August chuckled. “That’s a good way to describe her.”

Betsy seemed to be really enjoying herself. She smiled the entire time—kind of the way a puppy looks when it’s allowed to roam on the beach without a leash.

But a part of him was certain that the Lord hadn’t just been at work making golf balls sail through the air…He’d also been working on August’s life. Showing him that he hadn’t been making mistakes by working for his aunt and uncle. He hadn’t been wrong to try to go his own way. The Lord had a path for every person, no matter how important or forgettable.

Betsy returns to Siesta Key to stay with her newly married friend Mary. There she meets August on the golf course as part of her bucket list of fun things to do. Along the way she makes new friends like Brianna, Uncle Gideon, Aunt Diane, Danielle and Annie. There are a couple of side stories like sisters Danielle and Annie’s relationship and August’s friend Nate. There are also returning characters from book 1 like Esther, Betsy, Mary Margaret and Lilly. I loved reading about Betsy working on her wish list of activities and being bold and brave.

This series includes relatable characters, interesting fun story lines, all located in a beautiful Florida setting. I can’t wait to read more from this series!

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

As always Helley Shepard Gray delivers a beautiful story. A month of fun can bring heartache or a life long love. Can they let that happen? #2 in A Season in Pinecraft series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Shelley Shepard Gray and Fleming H Revell publishing company for allowing me this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Her Only Wish
A Season in Pinecraft #2
By Shelley Shepard Gray

Her Only Wish follows Betsy Detweiler, whom we were introduced to in Her Heart's Desire. Betsy has decided to return to Pinecraft, Florida, in an attempt to get out from under the excessive hovering of her family. As a young girl Betsy's asthma more than once led to her being hospitalized, and her parents have never gotten over the fear of nearly losing her. But Betsy needs to break out on her own, to convince her parents that she can handle life. She has a life list and has given herself a month to fulfill as much of it as possible.

First up on Betsy's list taking golf lessons so that she can play a round of golf. Her first foray into the world of golf finds her in the middle of the green at Snow Bird Golf Course, which isn't the safest place to be. Fortunately for her, she is spotted by August Troyer, who just so happens to be who she needs to talk to when it comes to playing golf and taking lessons. Meeting August just might be the best thing to happen to her as they both connect and quickly form a friendship that could become something more with time.

Soon Betsy meets Annie, who, with her sister Danielle has the means to help Betsy mark another item off her life list. Learning to swim is up next. But we are also given a chance to get to know Annie, who is rediscovering her sister. Where Annie and Danielle are concerned, it is interesting how Annie's observations about Danielle differed from what was taking place in her life.

This is an excellent read. There are emotional highs and lows as the various characters work through the issues they are each facing. I enjoyed getting to know each character, and revisiting some of the characters from the first book in the series was fun. This is a book that gently pulls one into it. There isn't a sudden drop into the life-shattering action, but rather a pleasant stroll onto the beach. If you want a pleasant read that will help you unwind, I would recommend this. Depending on the character, you will either love them or wish they would log out of Skype. (You'll need to read the book to get it, but yeah, just get off Skype.)

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Betsy has come to the Amish community of Pinecraft in Florida with a mission. She has a list of things she has never done, and she intends to do them. Because of health issues, she has led a sheltered life and now she wants some space. The first item on the list is to learn to play golf. It is at the golf course that she meets the manager, August, and from that day on their lives will never be the same. August's parents are missionaries, and he has lived in many different countries with them. The relationship was and is strained. A loving aunt and uncle have helped him make a life in Pinecraft- a life of his own.
Betsy and August are well developed characters. They come with personal baggage, and this well told story follows how they progress despite some setbacks. As August faces a moral dilemma, he struggles. Now that Betsy has experienced some freedom, she wonders how she can return to her former life. The secondary characters bring much to the narrative. A chance encounter on a bus introduces Betsy to a woman who will come to mean a great deal to her and in return perhaps a damaged relationship can be healed.
Easy to read and populated with likeable characters, Her Only Wish is well worth reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc. I really enjoyed the book! I did not read book 1 in the series, but it didn't change anything with Book 2. I would recommend it when it comes out.

I read the first book in this touching Amish series about four young women who meet and become lifelong friends on their trip to Pinecraft, Florida. This one picks up the storyline, but you don’t have to have read the first novel to enjoy this second in the Season in Pinecraft series. Focusing on Betsy Detweiler, who returns for a month with the goal to do some of the things she has never accomplished, such as playing golf and learning to swim. You can’t help but love her sweet disposition and determination, in spite of her stuttering and asthma limiting her. It shows how people can be overcomers and encourage readers in their own lives. This isn’t your typical Amish story, but set in a city and involves many non-Amish. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. #HerOnlyWish #NetGalley

Her Only Wish is book two in Shelley Shepard Gray’s Seasons in Pinecraft series. Betsy Detweiler returns to Pinecraft for a months vacation. She’s using this time away from her controlling parents to get the chance to do things on her Life List. Not to be confused with the bucket list, a Life List is things Betsy wants to learn to do like swimming or golfing. She never got much of an opportunity to do the kind of things that normal Amish teens did in their running around years. Health issues and Betsy’s controlling parents kept her away from her friends. Now that she has become a young adult Betsy hopes to grab the opportunity to try out things she missed when she was a kid. Being smitten by her handsome Amish Golf instructor wasn’t part of her plans.

I always enjoy Amish fiction that takes place in Pinecraft Florida. This is a popular vacation spot for the Amish and there’s an Amish saying about Pinecraft. “What goes on in Pinecraft stays in Pinecraft.” I throughly enjoyed every minute I spent reading this heart warming book. It was entertaining and romantic. I thought it was realistic because both good things and bad things happened to Betsy during her stay in Florida. The ending was a happy one and just the way I like to see a book end.

I have read just about every book this author has out. Shelley Shepard's books are automatic reads for me. I have never read one I haven't enjoyed. Her books are so realistic you can see all the scenarios happening.

Her Only Wish is an Amish book that is the second book in the, A Season in Pinecraft series. This is Betsy Detweiler and August Troyer's story.

In the first book, Betsy comes down to Pinecraft, Florida, on a bus with three other Amish women. The four women did not know each other before the bus trip. Before the bus could make it to Florida, the bus was delayed by an ice storm, and the women had to stay in a hotel room for the night, talking and giggling and sharing life stories. Before they left the room, they had become best friends. This story focuses on one of these women, Betsy.

Now that she has left Kentucky, Betsy is determined to leave her old life behind and her old attitude behind as well. Betsy is a shy, conservative girl, but with a new start in a new area, she also makes a "life-list," as she calls it. She is determined to become more outgoing and try new things not all Amish women may know how to do, such as learning to play golf, ride a horse, and swim.

On the golf course, she meets outgoing August, who happens to be the owner's nephew, and he offers to give her golf lessons. She is staying with one of the Amish women she met on the bus, who is now married.
Betsy has asthma and had a bad flare-up one evening, requiring medical attention. I know how scary this is, as we have a daughter with asthma.

The book is sweet and charming. I really liked August's character. He is so encouraging with Betsy, not once making her feel bad for being a terrible golf player and helping her to come out of her shell. He's there for her whenever she needs him, including during her medical emergency.

I just loved this book and look forward to reading the next one in this series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. All opinions expressed are my own.

HER ONLY WISH is the second book in the Season in Pinecraft Series by Shelley Shepard Gray. It is the story of Betsy. Betsy has a bucket list. The things on her bucket list are quite common. Learn how to play golf, learn how to swim. They might be common to you and me but they are not to an Amish woman. I have been reading Shelley’s books for years and HER ONLY WISH is now one of my very favorites by her.

Shelley Shepard Gray sure knows how to make the reader feel as if they are right there at Yoders with these caring group of friends, with all their troubles and HER ONLY WISH is exactly that! She made me sad, then the next moment I was smiling and giggling out loud! You can never go wrong with a Shelley Shepard Gray book if you are a fan of the Christian fiction genre. All of her characters feel genuine and relatable and put your emotions on one heck of a roller coaster ride. Betsy meets August at the golf course. She is there to take golf lessons and August, who isn’t a teacher, wants to teach her. Huh? There is an attraction right away. They both have misunderstandings with their parents and begin to have doubts if they will ever become more than friends.

HER ONLY WISH is a heart tugging story filled with patience, loneliness, heartbreak, and love that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once I started this heartwarming story, it was very hard to put down! Shelley Shepard Gray isn’t afraid to write about subjects out of the norm as far as the Christian Fiction genre goes. Oh, as a warning to the reader, keep the tissues handy and do not read the ending in a public place unless you don’t mind crying in front of strangers! I’m so excited to continue catching up on all of Shelley Shepard Gray’s previous books. Now I have to patiently wait for the next book in this wonderful new series! Lily’s story is next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"A bucket list is a list of things to do before you die. I have a list of things to do to make me feel like I'm finally living. It's my life list" (location 77). Little does Betsy know how her desire to experience life will affect people all around her. Her boldness in trying new things, difficult things, encourages those around her to do something they've been putting off doing...to take a step of courage. It was beautiful to see.

Betsy is delightful. She's been sheltered because of her health and doesn't want that to hold her back any longer. It made me think a bit about what I'd want to put on my own "life list." I enjoyed seeing her with her new friends and was glad to see her stand up for herself when her parents were tempted to take over again. It was a fun read.

Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.