A great book! It kept my attention from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend reading this book. ( )

I have always been a fan of Amish fiction, which is why I am shocked that I have never read any books from Amy Clipston, and was anxious to read Room on the Porch Swing. This is the second and final book in the Amish Homestead series and though I have not read the first book, A Place at Our Table, I was in no way lost when I started reading. Room on the Porch Swing had my attention from the beginning.

I cannot imagine being a widow, much less a widower with a two-month-old baby to care for, but that is exactly where Allen Lambert finds himself after tragically losing his wife, Savella. They have only been married for a little over a year and Allen is still a newcomer in a lot of ways in the small Amish community in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania.

Allen is lucky to have wonderful in-laws who share the pain of this tragic loss and his mother-in-law, Irma Mae, offers to help with baby Mollie while Allen goes back to work repairing and reselling buggies, his own business, which just happens to be booming at the moment. When Irma Mae has a nasty fall that ends up requiring surgery she can no longer care for Mollie which leaves Allen once again struggling to get by.

It seems as if everything in Laura Riehl's life is dramatically changing as well. It's only been a few months since she's lost her mother that she loses her best friend, Savella. Her and her boyfriend, Rudy, were close friends to both Allen and Savella, and Laura wants to do everything she can to help her best friends husband. When Irma Mae becomes unable to care for baby Mollie Laura seizes the opportunity to help, much to the disapproval of her long-time boyfriend. Allen is more than grateful for the help and before long their relationship grows into a close and caring friendship and then all the feelings start to confuse their once clear intentions with each other.

Though this book is predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Room on the Porch Swing. The character development and depth is wonderful and you truly feel the emotions coming through the pages. There is quite a bit of "will they won't they" which did start to get a little old but I am so glad I persevered until the end. There were a few nail-biting parts that were real page turners, which I appreciated, and the story does pick up at the end. It is a sweet and easy read and only took me a few days to get through it all.

Wonderful and sweet story of loss, faith, and love! Highly recommend!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan and NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own. ( )

As always Amy Clipston tells a fantastic story. Allen and Laura have each suffered a devastating loss and help each other learn to cope with this loss. I love how the author has these two characters learn how to get through this loss. I laughed and cried through this book. I always look forward to reading these Amish stories. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

When tragedy strikes a family in the Amish community, the people in that community gather round to support them. So, when Allen’s young wife, Sevilla, died, others stepped in to help. His mother-in-law cared for his young daughter and the household so he could continue to work. And when she fell and broke her leg and hip, his deceased wife’s best friend, Laura, offered her services as Molly’s caregiver. Thus begins this Amish story of dealing with loss and overcoming grief. Laura soon becomes attached to Molly, and finds herself becoming attracted to Allen. It’s too soon after his wife’s death, and somehow, it doesn’t seem right, since Savilla and Laura were as close as sisters. Author Amy Clipston does a good job of first portraying and then overcoming grief. The story is an interesting one, and the characters are endearing. ( )

ROOM ON THE PORCH SWING is the second book in the Amish Homestead series by Amy Clipston and I enjoyed it more than the first. It is the story of Laura Reihl, and how she is dealing with grief. She lost her mother at the end of the last book, and her best friend, Savilla, dies tragically with a virus that caused her heart to stop. Savilla had been married for a short time and left behind her young husband, Alan and months old daughter, Mollie. When Savilla's mother, who is taking care of Mollie and the house has an accident and ends up in the hospital, Laura steps in to help her friend's widower. Laura's boyfriend of four years, Rudy, is not happy about the situation and doesn't like how it will look to others. Will Laura and Rudy ever get married? How will Laura fight the feelings towards Alan that are budding in her heart?

Amy Clipston does a wonderful job of making you feel present in the story. The emotions and struggles are so real, in fact, many readers have probably experienced similar situations. As I read the book, I felt my emotions going up and down. I wanted things to turn out for Laura and kept telling her that Rudy was not ready for a commitment. Alan seemed like the perfect man. He loved and was devoted to his daughter, he was caring and did not want anyone to get the wrong idea about Laura. He was very astute about other's feelings and tried to help when he could. The rest of Laura's family was present and again, I felt like I was meeting up with old friends. They are also dealing with things and they seem to be working out. The power of prayer and their beliefs came through strongly, but did not overpower the story. Room on a Porch Swing is a heart tugging story filled with grief, loneliness, heartbreak, and love that will grip you right from the first page. I am so looking forward to the next book in this series. The publisher, Zondervan, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. ( )