A Search for Redemption

A Search for Redemption by Jo Ann Brown, book three in the Secrets of Bliss Valley series, is an emotional, tug at your heart strings, sweet Amish romance. In this sweet, heartwarming story which focuses on redemption, forgiveness and love as we discover what happened to Joel Beachy after leaving his Amish community. Returning to his Amish community after 6 years in jail, Joel is like the prodigal son, only without the loving father, as he has a very complicated relationship with his father. He has no prospects and doesn't expect anything but when he ends up in the Amish Quilt Emporium, sales clerk Grace takes him by surprise.

Grace Coffman is still mourning the loss of her fiancé and dreams of what could have been for them. She loves working at the quilt store but has a complicated relationship with her boss, English shop owner Tiffany. Grace is also the caregiver for her elderly parents. Although Joel is not cordially welcomed back into town, his willingness to help her opened the door for a friendship to begin. Grace learns of Joel's story and she is now thinking that his coming back to Bliss Valley was meant to be. Joel sees how much Grace loves her family, especially when she becomes a caregiver to her two orphaned nephews. Joel sees this as an opportunity to nurture the boys from a male perspective in hopes they don't make life mistakes as he did. Joel feels that his past might return, destroying whatever the future could hold for him. However, there are a few surprises for Joel, giving him a second chance, acceptance back into this Amish community and the possibility of a future with Grace.

Ms. Brown wrote a wonderfully sweet, uplifting and moving story about sacrifice, second chances, walking alongside others, and finding forgiveness. The story is a touching one, at times gut-wrenching, and brings forth lessons of forgiveness and redemption. It was interesting learning about the Asians, especially the Hmong, who settled among the Mennonites. I highly recommend A Search for Redemption to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

My blurb …
Grace Coffman’s life is not happy. Her fiancé died; her boss at the quilting shop is unethical. Grace is the sole supporter of her parents, both elderly and ill.

Joel Beachy is just out of prison and has returned to Bliss County; he didn’t know where else to go. In trouble as a child AND bigger trouble after leaving the Amish in his teens, he is now determined to avoid that deep water.

How will these two find each other? Does Joel’s parole officer really want him to mess up? And when two little boys need love and understanding, can they provide it?

My review …
Abundant and memorable characters along with a good plot and sub-plots make A Search for Redemption a book to put on your “to read” list.

Joel is introduced first and you’ll find him a sympathetic character. I loved how Grace first met Joel. Each key character is given the “time” to be known to the reader. Some may be familiar to those who have read the previous two books. However, A Search for Redemption can stand alone.

The plot(s) …
The plot with Joel and Grace evolves and deals with Joel’s innocence, his 'Daed' continued hatred toward him, his inability to find a job, Grace’s mean and corrupt boss, the death of a sibling, and … I don’t want to say more. The plots and subplots unfold so nicely.

The pacing …
Sometimes in a book with a lot of characters, the pacing is a bit slow so that each character gets introduced. So yes, the pacing in book three is a bit slow. But was it too slow? No, because the book has a multi-dimensional main plot as well as rich sub-plots. Pacing always feels slow when characters are flat which isn’t the case in this book.

The special moments …
Two little boys have had to deal with death up close and personal. But the littlest tells us what entering heaven is like. Such a beautiful, sweet element. I think this will be what I remember from this book long after the plot has slipped my memory.

The weaknesses …
Grace is Amish and a firm believer in God. She works for a woman described as unscrupulous for years and never takes her to task for cheating, no — call it was it is — stealing from her craft quilters. Granted Grace’s self-esteem is not the best. The excuse is she needs the job to support her parents. She does but I found it too weak. She lets people walk all over her in so many ways. In others, she is strong. I just can’t buy her saying anything for so many years.

I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of A Search for Redemption via NetGalley from the publisher, HARLEQUIN – Romance (U.S. & Canada), Love Inspired Trade. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded to five on sites using whole numbers.
#ASearchforRedemption #NetGalley #JoAnnBrown

Series Secrets of Bliss Valley, #3
Genre Amish
Pub. Date 23 Aug 2022
Pages 361
Publisher HARLEQUIN – Romance (U.S. & Canada), Love Inspired Trade
Cover Really perfect for this book.
Rating 4.5 stars

This is the third book in this series, and yes, it can be read alone. The author does a wonderful job of bringing everything up to date.
This is Grace and Joel's story, and it is very heartwarming, but so many obstacles are thrown in their path. Yes, there is a bit of sweet romance, but there is also some family drama, and a lot of needed forgiveness.
You can't get to comfortable, because there is always something happening around the next corner. Some sad, and others very heart warming. There is a strong theme of forgiveness, and some of it is so hard, especially when the secrets really start to fall, and there are a lot of surprises.
I have read all three books in this series and they are all good, you won't be disappointed with any of them, and I love how they all fit together, and there is one more to come!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review.

I seriously love this series so, so much and A Search for Redemption helped that love grow deeper and wider!

This novel focuses on Joel and Grace, two people that start out this story about as opposite as you can imagine. Joel has just gotten out of a six year prison sentence, and Grace is a mild-mannered Plain woman that is trying to do all she can to help her ailing parents, while also trying to hold down a job at a local quilt shop that is run by a woman that, crazy enough, reminds me of a nightmare boss that I had once upon a time. The parallels were so uncanny that I think I had a little PTSD while reading some of those scenes and that’s not the only place I felt a personal connection to this story.

Joel grappled with his past sins throughout the novel, and this is something I have first hand knowledge of, and can relate on so many levels, as I’m sure many of us can. Because I could sympathize, it made it hard for me to read his plight. I wanted to scream “forgive yourself!” and “accept God’s grace!” just like I do when I think about my own past. Getting trapped in your head like this, and not letting go, is utterly crippling, and the author does a wonderful job of showing this portrait of grace and forgiveness, not only accepting forgiveness from others but being able to forgive yourself as well.

I absolutely adored Joel and Grace together! Not only do they have a simmering chemistry that builds throughout the story, but each of them being able to be themselves with each other brings about personal growth and change in both of them for the better. Their relationship is able to elevate both of their lives in ways they’d only dreamt of and it was truly a beauty to behold this transformation.

Reading all the Amish fiction I’ve read in my lifetime I haven’t read much about the Asians that settled with the Mennonites, and really appreciated getting to learn more about the Hmong. It was just one more gem to make this read absolutely stellar. The majority of the novel was pretty predictable, but there were a few moments at the end that threw in quite the curveball. I had guessed part of it early on, but man when truths are revealed it changes everything!

Jo Ann Brown is such an immensely talented author that truly paints masterpieces with her words. Though there’s not a lot of drama, and heavily character driven, this was a novel that I could not put down, and hope that this will not be the end of this wonderful series.

**I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.

A Search for Redemption is an inspiring and inspirational Amish story with the main theme of forgiveness in its deepest form. Grace, a young woman who takes care of her parents while working at a quilt shop, suddenly finds her life changing in a most unexpected way. The loss of her betrothed, still a hurtful memory, haunts her days. Joel, an Englisher now, but with a past full of heartache and a time spent in prison, decides to return to his hometown. His life will never be the same.

The characters are well-developed and through the pages, I understood their heartache, but also the determination and strength they mustered to forgiveness. There are a lot of emotional parts to the story where I needed to reach for the tissues, but also joyful times where my heart soared with hope knowing God's will was leading them to where they needed to be.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and choose to review it. All opinions are my own.

A Search for Redemption is book three in the Secrets of Bliss Valley Series. The series is written by Jo Ann Brown. I have read all the books in the series, but they can also be read as stand alone books. This book is a Love Inspired Trade Book. I love that they have expanded the stories and you really feel that you get to know the characters on a deeper level.
This story brings us back to Bliss Valley. Grace is working in a tourist location. Her boss, Tiffany is not great to work for. She takes a lot of her frustration out on Grace. Grace feels like she is put in the middle when it comes to the quilters getting paid. Grace was born late in her parents lives. She is not married and has been the sole provider for her parents for a long time.

Joel Beachy is back in Bliss Valley after being released from jail. He hurt a lot of people in his youth and he is not sure that he will be welcomed back. He hopes to find a job at the construction site near Bliss Valley. I felt bad for Joel. He is a broken man that feels like he does not belong anywhere because of his pasts.

I loved the story of redemption. Joel finds friends where he never thought he would. The author has woven so many issues that one may face into this book. This would include: Running from our pasts, family issues, work issues and so much more. I really enjoyed this story. This is my favorite book in teh series.
Thank you to the author, publisher, JustRead publicity tours and Netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This series is heartwarming and has great lessons woven into them. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Joel Beachy has come back to Amish community after 6 years in jail. He is much like the prodigal son without the the loving father. The relationship with his father is complicated. He has no prospects and doesn't expect anything but when he ends up in the Amish Quilt Emporium, sales clerk Grace takes him by surprise.

Grace loves working at the quilt store and she has a complicated relationship with her boss English shop owner Tiffany. She is struck by Joel Beachy not knowing who he is but his willingness to help her opened the door for their friendship to begin. When she finds out Joel's past and who he is. Her good friend's brother, Grace begins the path for Joel's redemption and her own redemption.

This story had plot builders galore that shined a light on what redemption looks like. Grace had lost a loved one whom she was to marry and her parents where in poor health. Joel's family did not welcome him back with open arms but others in the community did. Relationships are complicated and filled with misunderstanding. Grace was the anchor for Joel and in being that anchor, Grace became more confident in the Lord. The lesson being how sacrifice, second chances, walking alongside others, can increase your faith. It is not easy and is usually with a cost but so worth it.

A special thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Another hit out of the park for Jo Ann Brown. A Search for Redemption is the third book in Jo Ann Brown's Secrets of Bliss Valley series. I have read one of the previous books (which was equally as amazing as this one), however these books can also be read as standalones. I throughly enjoyed getting to know these characters and walking alongside them in their lives journey. Forgiveness - grace and redemption are such tough things to learn and equally tough at times to live out. The characters in this story are flawed and at times broken - yet they continue to press on and press in - to God and to each other. I look forward to more books from this author as I am now her fan.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. Opinions are all my own.

Another book by this author that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Redemption, forgiveness and love is the theme of this story.
Wonderful plot and characters some of whom I could definitely relate to.
Grace is the main one that I could relate to the most. She's a kind non judgemental person and I loved her immensely.
I felt like she'd be a very good friend to me in real life.
Brown is a good author. I'm loving her stories a lot! I'm never disappointed.
I like that she makes the tough subjects come to life and we readers can feel their emotional rollercoasters so to speak.
I highly recommend this book. Such a sweet and wonderful book. While I realize that this is fictional I like it that the characters do have their flaws and I like reading about their journey through life.
5 stars as always for this author. I'll be looking for more.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

A Search for Redemption is Book Three in author Jo Ann Brown's Secrets of Bliss Valley series, Even though I did not read first two books in this series (yet), I was was able to follow the story just fine. I am eager to read the other two books now, because I loved this one. This is a beautiful Christian Amish Romance with touch of romance.

This is the story of Amish fence jumper Joel Beachy, who returns to his Amish community of Bliss Valley as a convicted felon.. Joel is searching for a way to make better life for himself. His previous life had gotten him falsely accused and sent to prison. He has lost hope, and then he meets Grace Coffman.

This lovely novel has so many intertwined stories woven into it. The author has skillfully crafted a poignant tale of redemption, family issues, friendships, forgiveness, grace, and second beginnings sewn together with a spiritual thread. At times the story is gritty. Situations are heart-wrenching and heart-warming. The characters are down-to-earth and believable. The author whisked me away to Amish Country with her vivid descriptions.

This book stole my attention immediately and had me turning pages quickly until the end. I highly recommend this Amish novel. It gets a 5 star rating from me. A copy was provided from NetGalley, but these are my honest words.

This book was fantastic. What a wonderful storyline. The book is about Grace who has lost her fiancé and is caring for her ill parents. She works in a Quilt shop with a very pushy boss. She meets Joel Beachy when a storm hits and everyone enters the store to get out of the rain. This is a beautiful story. It is about forgiveness and friendship. Its a story that has a storyline that keeps you reading and enjoying. How hardship and sadness can be overcome with caring people. When I started reading this book I could not put it down till I finished it. This belongs to a series which I will go back and read the others.