Kelly Irvin does it again! Such a sweet yet raw story of two families combating life threatening health issues and their journey of faith through their trials. These types of stories can be hard to accomplish because illness and death can be hard subjects to tackle without making the reader depressed. However, the author does an amazing job of bringing the real and hard aspects of health challenges to the reader while intertwining a love story for the ages. The narrator is amazing, as well. Five star read!

I loved this book. Two people struggling with their own illness issues fall in love and marry. Faith helps all.

A beautiful story of God’s love and resilience in the face of adversity. Many families in the Amish community are faced with various debilitating diseases. In this story they rely on God’s will to see them through. A wonderful audiobook.

Bethel has the grace and humility to put all others before her. It is not done for praise but rather a sense of duty. A duty that is entrenched in her Plain beliefs and love of family. As her younger sister receives a diagnosis of LGMD, Bethel realizes that her dreams of marriage,and motherhood may be just that…dreams. So when Declan, awkwardly tries to gain her attention, she appears aloft and distant. Declan is an auctioneer with a wonderful yet somewhat corny sense of humor. Bethel fears that Declan’s humor is a sign of immaturity. With the genetic marker for LGMD , she desires suitor who can shoulder this burden. Meanwhile Declan has burdens of his own. This story poignantly reveals the pains and joys that faith filled people experience. It also highlights that God’s will can be exciting and scary simultaneously. Uncertainty is par for the course. Learning to rest in the Lord is a journey and Matters of the Heart expertly weaves a tale of what this looks like. Beautifully written with endearing characters, it’s a must read faith filled romance. #MattersoftheHeart #NetGalley.

I had to read the first book before diving into 'Matter of the Heart' and I regret NOTHING!! I loved these books! I am looking forward to the series continuing. The way Kelly Irvin writes the story made it easy to feel a kinship with the characters. I am familiar with the auctioneer life (my dad having been an auctioneer) and that felt familiar/. I always enjoy Irvin's stories, the way she captures the warmth & love within the community ... even among struggles. I enjoyed this book, thank you.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book on so many levels. First of all, the characters are dealing with debilitating health issues. Most readers can relate with them on some level because who doesn't have a close relative, or for that matter, they themselves are dealing with some sort of illness. Secondly, the author did a great job of developing the characters as they were figuring life out throughout the book. Lastly, I felt it all came together at the end beautifully. And may I add, I listened to the book and the narrator did a phenomenal job, especially since she had to speak with a raspy voice for Declan.
*I was given a copy of the book by Thomas Nelson Audio , and this is my honest opinion.

Over the past several years I have read several books that were about the Amish community. Matters of the Heart by Kelly Irvin was unique to this genre. It focused on genetic disabilities that occurred when families intermarried within their own families. This was a common practice within the Amish communities. No other book that I had ever read addressed the consequences of these practices or the way the Amish communities accepted these children into their society. As a community, the Amish people tried to provide educational opportunities for these children as well as monetary assistance to their families when it was necessary. Matters of the Heart took place in Lee’s Gulch, Virginia. I listened to the audiobook that was very well narrated by Lauren Berst.

Declan Miller had grown up in a family where all the males were expected to become auctioneers. His father had taken over the auction business Declan’s grandfather had started. From a very young age, Declan had been groomed to be an auctioneer. Declan had auctioneering in his blood. It came naturally to him. Now that Declan was in his twenties, he had aspirations of starting his own auctioneer company. Declan was a good looking young man with a good sense of humor. He enjoyed making people smile and always had a joke ready to be told. Declan had feelings for Bethel King. They had grown up together. Declan wasn’t sure how Bethel felt about him. He knew if he established himself as a successful auctioneer, he would be able to provide for Bethel and would be able to ask for her hand in marriage. He was still nervous about expressing his feelings to Bethel. Declan had two older brothers and a younger sister, Sadie, who was born with Downs Syndrome.

Bethel King had assumed the role of caretaker for her younger brothers and sisters when she was not working at the local plant nursery. Her twin brothers had been diagnosed with a form of muscular dystrophy, a degenerative genetic disorder that affected their muscles and had taken their ability to walk away from them. Her younger sister Claire was also displaying symptoms of the disease. Bethel knew that the gene for this condition could be passed down from one generation to the next. She was determined never to marry and have children. Even though she had not been a victim of this terrible disease, she could well be a carrier. Therefore, Bethel tried very hard to ignore and discourage Declan’s attempts of trying to help her and spending time with her. Then the most unimaginable thing happened to Duncan. Will Declan and Bethel find their way to each other or will their own sorrows keep them apart?

Matters of the Heart was the first book that I had the pleasure of reading by Kelly Irvin. I liked how she embraced a feeling of faith throughout the book. Every one of my emotions was affected while reading Matters of the Heart. Declan’s and Bethel’s characters were my favorites but all the characters in this book were well developed, relatable and interesting. There were genuine feelings of belonging, fear, concerns, coming together as a community in the time of need and romance. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Matters of the Heart by Kelly Irvin and highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more books by Kelly Irvin.

Thank you to HarperCollins Christian Publishing for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Matters of the Heart by Kelly Irvin through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Can love hold up in the darkest of times? This is a beautiful story of friendship and support in rough times. I highly recommend this book!

I very much enjoyed this one. It instilled in me hope and encouraged my heart. I love how the characters had to search within themselves to persevere and how they were not able to do it on their own but with the help of God. I will be reading more by the author in the years to come.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced peek.

Declan Miller has always had feelings for Bethel King. Now that he is in his 20s, he is still attracted to her, but is afraid she will reject him. He is the jokester, telling corny jokes and wisecracking to cover his feelings. Bethe likes Declan, he's nice, funny, handsome and hardworking, but she can't get married. She is the caregiver for her younger siblings, 2 brothers with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and her sister Claire now showing signs of having it as well. There is a good chance that carries the gene that could pass it on to any children of her own, so she has convinced herself that marriage and family aren't in the cards for her. As much as they try, they can't ignore the chemistry and feelings they have for one another. Declan is just coming into his own as an auctioneer and is hoping to start his own business when he gets his own bad news. He doesn't want anyone to know, but Bethel is able to get him to share it with her and she is there for him. With compassion, understanding and a realistic outlook, they decide that it is God's will that they be together and face whatever comes their way together.

Wow, this was a book that seemed any luck, was bad luck. With a lot of health issues coming into play, it was interesting to see how the Plain people look at medical care. They are not averse to seeing doctors and getting the treatments they needed, at least not in this book. I didn't realize that muscular dystrophy could be inherited, but according to what I found online, it definitely can. They say opposites attract and that is the case here. Although Declan is in a position in the public with the auction business, in his personal life he is an introvert and covers that with his joking. Bethel is an extrovert, and although she is dealing with her siblings medical issues, she is upbeat and positive. Anyone dealing with a diagnosis of cancer knows how scary it can be and some people want to go through it alone, while others want lots of friends and family to support them. This story shows how that journey can go with some support and the power of prayer. I enjoyed this story, especially seeing how Bethel supported both her family and Declan, yet still worked and had a life she enjoyed. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lauren Berst. I enjoyed the narration, even though the narrator changed from the first book. She does a nice job with the story, the voices and the tone. If you are a fan of Amish Fiction and want to read a story that is more than just a romance, then I recommend Matters of the Heart.