Oh Amy, why must you pull at my heartstrings so??!!

Full review here: https://katiegreviews.wordpress.com/2019/04/22/review-room-on-the-porch-swing-by-amy-clipston/

(reviewed on Romantic Times Book Reviews, 4 stars: https://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/room-porch-swing)

This heartbreaking series continues to take a fearlessly honest look at grief, as hopelessness threatens to steal what happiness Allen has treasured within his marriage and recent fatherhood. Clipston takes these feelings seriously without sugarcoating any aspect of the mourning process, allowing her characters to make their painful but ultimately joyous journey back to love and faith. Readers who have made this tough and ongoing pilgrimage themselves will appreciate the author’s realistic portrayal of coming to terms with loss in order to continue living with hope and happiness.

Laura doesn’t know how to help her best friend’s widower, Allen, as they both struggle to accept Savilla’s untimely and shocking death, focusing instead on caring for the couple’s baby daughter, Mollie. Her boyfriend Rudy is suspicious of the time she spends with Allen and Mollie, as well as the concern Laura continues to express for Allen. Taking over a wife’s duties and spending the night to care for Mollie, Laura begins to realize her feelings for Allen have changed, but how is true love supposed to feel? The depth of her care for him exceeds her affection for Rudy, who still hasn’t made a commitment to her, but Allen has distanced himself, and Laura isn’t sure he will ever return her feelings. Can the two of them find a way to make a life together, honoring Savilla’s memory while accepting the happiness they deserve?

Room on the Porch Swing by Amy Clipston is An Amish Homestead Novel. Laura Riehl lives in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania where her best friend, Savilla Lambert has passed away. It has been less than a year since Laura’s mother died and now her best friend passes after a quick illness. Allen Lambert and Savilla were married such a short time and now he is a widower with a baby girl to raise. The following summer, Irma Mae falls in Allen’s kitchen and her injuries require surgery. Irma Mae, Savilla’s mother, has been Mollie’s caretaker and now Allen must find someone to watch her while he is working. Laura offers to care for Mollie until Irma Mae recovers. Allen and Laura soon discover that they can talk truthfully (open and honestly) to each other. They find their chats on the porch swing helpful and comforting. Rudy, Laura’s beau, is not happy with the time she is spending at Allen’s home and he becomes resentful. As time passes, Laura becomes comfortable with caring for Mollie and her feelings for Allen begin to change. But she has been dating Rudy for four years and is not sure she should give up on their relationship. The time is approaching when Laura will need to make a choice.

Room on the Porch Swing takes us back to Bird-in-Hand and the Riehl family. It was nice to catch up with Jamie and Kayla from A Place at Our Table along with Mark (Laura’s twin) and Cindy (the youngest Riehl). While Room on the Porch Swing is part of a series, it can be read alone (but why would you want to miss out on A Place at Our Table). Change is in the air and Laura is not ready for it. Room on the Porch Swing is an emotional book as Laura and Allen deal with their grief. Every person handles grief in a different way as we see in this novel. Their romance is sweet and progresses slowly. It is not something Laura or Allen are looking for or expect. I thought Room on the Porch Swing was well-written and engaging. My attention was captured from the very beginning and it was held throughout. Laura and Allen are great characters. I thought they were well-developed and perfect for this story. While Rudy was needed for the story, I had many unkind thoughts regarding him. I did not like how he was using Laura and then grew resentful of the time she spent at the Lambert home caring for Mollie (Rudy would go a week without contacting Laura). I like how the faith elements are woven into the story (especially the importance of prayer). We need to remember that things happen in God’s timing, not ours. There is a reason for the events that happen in our lives (tragedy, heartbreak). We must be open to change and be prepared (open/accepting) for what will happen next. Room on the Porch Swing contains hope, grief, joy, heartbreak, faith, and more. It is a heartwarming novel that will have you laughing, crying, and sighing (a happy one at the end). Sit down for a spell in a comfy chair and spend some time with Room on the Porch Swing.

Any book which moves me to tears or laughter earns five stars. This book brought me to tears at one point. The richness of the story just grabs you! Yes this is an Amish fiction book, but once you get in it, you realize Amish is just the environment, the setting. The story is about the people. Their emotions. Their lives. Their risks. Their success and their failure. Their love.

The theme of losing a beloved spouse early in a marriage should resonate with those who also have experienced this. The idea of rising a small child on your own. The all nighters due to a sobbing toddler. You don’t have to like Amish fiction to identify with this.

Amy Clipston continues to be my most favorite Amish fiction author because she makes you forget you are reading Amish fiction. ❤️

This is the second book in the Amish Homestead series. I would recommend reading book 1, BUT you don’t have to. This book focuses on characters from one of the same families, but not a lot of references to the characters or story of the previous book.

This book was so good. I believe it is one of the best Amy Clipston books I have read to date. The book was captivating from the beginning. It had a great blend of emotions and would be a great choice for anyone looking for a clean read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#NetGalleypartner

`Room on the Porch Swing` is an Amish romance novel by author Amy Clipston. Allen Lambert's wife has passed away, after being violently sick, and he is left with their new baby, Mollie, to raise by himself.

Laura Riehl is a friend of the Lambert's so she tries to help take care of Mollie. Laura's beau is jealous of Allen because Laura spends most of her time at Allen's house taking care of Mollie. Would jealous feelings break a good friendship?

This is a novel that pulled me in with its twists and turns. It is a novel of family and friendship. There were several Amish words, but if you read it in context they are easy to understand and don't take away from the novel.

I recommend this novel to fans of the Amish.

Disclaimer: "I was provided a free copy of this ebook from Net Galley. All opinions are my own."

FTC DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED AN E-ARC FROM THE PUBLISHER THROUGH NET GALLEY. I VOLUNTARILY OFFER MY HONEST REVIEW OF THE BOOK, THOUGH IT IS NOT EXPECTED OF ME! RECEIPT OF THIS BOOK IN THIS MANNER DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION OF THE BOOK OR THE CONTENT OF MY REVIEW!

I normally really enjoy reading an Amy Clipston novel, but this one just felt off to me. Don't get me wrong, it was well written and engaging, but it wasn't fully clicking for me either. I think too much time was devoted to trying to save the relationship between Rudy and Laura. It made the story drag and created some (to me) unnecessary conflict for Laura, especially with how selfish Rudy seemed to be. However, the slow build of the relationship between Allen and Laura worked very well for me! I also liked the themes of loss woven into this story and the more traditional "setting" of the story. It was a good story, but had some issues for me personally.

Yet another adorable Amish read from Amy Clipston. Her stories have so much heartbreak and sadness in them, but they also have a hopeful tone and a happy ending.

I liked both Allen and Laura. Little Mollie was really sweet as well. I could sympathize with both Laura and Rudy. They each had valid points about their relationship.

I also enjoyed seeing the couple from the first book together and happy.

Overall a cute and sweet romance. I can’t wait to read the next installment in November.

4.5 Stars

I started reading this book on my lunch break and the opening scene was so intense and I was so interested in it I was almost late going back to work. (That's not really a bad thing though, right?) I couldn't wait to get home to dive into the story again. However, once I was able to get back to the story I found that it had lost that spark I found it in earlier. I found the story to be predictable and nothing really surprised me on the journey to the end.

Laura was a caring character and I liked that she wanted to help out her deceased friend by taking care of her infant daughter. Taking care of the daughter leads to taking care of the baby's dad and it's easy to see where this story is headed. There isn't a lot of drama or dramatic events but just the day-in and day-out lives of the widower, the friend, and the baby. I feel like there should have been more interaction and conflict between Rudy and Laura. There never really seemed to be a bond between the two that made me care if they stayed together or not. A bright spot in the story is Laura's twin, Mark. He added charm and life to the story and I can't wait to read his story. It should be interesting as he is quite the charmer!

Even though I didn't love this story I still love Amy's writing. She has that ability to pull readers into a story and make them a part of it. Her descriptions made the story come alive and made it easy to picture things as they happened. Amy Clipston is one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read her next book.

I received a free copy from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.