Customer Reviews

A Harvest of Hearts (Amish of Seymour V2)

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Laura does a great job not only in details of the story line to bring a book to life, but in the characters relating to real life. We all want to follow our hearts in the gifts God has given to us, just like Shanna did in this book, but can she find a way to use her gifts in her Amish faith, or does she have to leave behind all she knows and her family?

I really loved this book! Shanna's feelings towards her family, Matthew and even her Amish faith will draw you in! I could not put this book down!

I was provided with a copy of this book for my review, but was not required to give a positive review.

I read this book so quickly because I couldn't put it down. This is book two of The Amish of Seymour series.

Matthew Yoder moves from Pennsylvania to Missouri in a swap of men to introduce new men into the community. He stays with a family who's daughter, Shanna left into the English world to pursue a nursing degree and career but returns home for the summer. Her father is stubborn and harsh and has doubts that Shanna will stay. Matthew works hard to give Shanna a reason to stay but she's worked too hard for her dream to just walk away and stay. She decides after an emergency she couldn't possibly stay and while trying to run away runs into Matthew and the bishop and is forced to make a decision between her two worlds that she thought she already made.

Normally, the bishops in the Amish books don't understand, won't tolerate, and are unmoving ,everything is either black or white. This bishop gave options and at first was the typical bishop I'm used to in these stories but he showed he was human which allowed Shanna to grow in her faith whether she stayed or left the community.

I so enjoyed Harvest of Hearts by Laura Hilton. I must say it was fresh Amish in the sense of the romance as well as refreshing and realistic. I can hardly wait for book 3 since I loved the first two. A very talented author indeed. Thanks so much Laura for the enjoyment your book brought me, BJ

Sitting in her driveway after just driving home from nursing college for the summer, Shanna Stoltzfus is shocked to have the most drop dead gorgeous Amish guy she's ever laid eyes on standing beside her car. But that's just the problem, he is Amish, and she is now Englisch. Too bad she hadn't seen him before, maybe she wouldn't have turned Englisch and gone to college, but it's too late to think about that now.

Matthew Yoder, part of at swap of Amish men left his family farm in Lancaster County and moved to Missouri to live with the Stoltzfus family until he can make it on his own. He has no idea who this beautiful young lady sitting here in the car is, but he's sure gonna find out. She must be here for a reason.

Both Matthew and Shanna were attracted to each other at first site. Living on the same farm gave them the opportunity to spend lots of time together, thus feeding that attraction. But Shanna had a problem with rules, she just didn't like someone telling her what to do, and this wasn't acceptable in the Amish faith. The Bishop made the rules and you following them. Matthew, on the other had believed the faith of the Amish, and wanted to live according to Ordnung. As the story unfolds, we see two very different young people as their lives are intertwined together to make this a most interesting and beautiful Amish story of love and faith.

Another Amish fiction by Laura V. Hilton that I truly love! Shanna is a young lady that knows what she wants, and is willing to go after her dreams, even though she has to leave her family lifestyle doing so. Always being so independent myself, I really enjoyed reading about the independent Shanna. She wasn't a bad girl, but was made to look bad because of the choices she made. And Matthew, well he is just a loveable good guy that doesn't want to look bad, but I love the way he saw the good in Shanna and wanted to love her, despite what she did. And though it looked like everything seemed to be against he and Shanna ever getting together, he believed in her, and he had faith that God would bring them together if it was His will. Matthew's faith and trust in the Lord was so awesome, it was almost overwhelming at times.

This is Laura's second book in The Amish of Seymour Series and will be in bookstores everywhere September 1st, 2011. If you haven't read the first book in the series, Patchwork Dreams, I encourage you to grab a copy and read it before you pick up your copy of The Harvest of Hearts. You will not be disappointed. I recommend this book to all Amish fiction fans, and to anyone that just wants a great read of a loving family and couple.

I want to thank Laura Hilton and the publisher Whitaker House for providing me a copy of this book. I was not required or expected to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are mine alone, they are my honest opinions.

just finished reading Harvest of Hearts by Laura V. Hilton and found it to be a fast-paced follow-up to her debut, Patchwork Dreams. In this delightful second of the series, kindhearted Matthew Yoder participates in a swap of Amish men. He leaves the farmland of Lancaster County behind for new opportunities awaiting him in Missouri. But meeting Shanna, a nursing student home on summer vacation, offers more complications than he bargained for. Shanna left her Old Order Amish community during rumschpringe, vowing never to return. Still strong-minded and independent, Shanna plans only to save money and return to college in the fall. But her love of family and faith in God inexorably draws her back into the fold. Laura Hilton has created characters that leap off the page. Her scenes offer vivid imagery, allowing us to escape into the wholesome world of the Amish. I thoroughly enjoyed Harvest of Hearts, and look forward to book three in Hilton's Amish of Seymour series.

Another winning book by Laura V. Hilton. I really like her fresh new look at the Amish. In her Amish stories it tells about some Amish that have went over to being English/thinking about it or have had babies out of wedlock {that was in book one of the Amish of Seymour series}.

In book two A Harvest of Hearts you read the story of Shannah {fantastic name by the way} how she ran away from the Amish to become a nurse and also about Matthew a very strict Amish man. How they meet and what becomes of their being together. I like how Laura doesn't hold to such strict standards that some writers do when they are writing Amish stories. I believe she really tells it like it is. Even through the Amish live with very strict rules they are still human.

I enjoyed this book because Shannah and Matthew had some very tough decisions to make and how they had many obstacles in the way. In A Harvest of Hearts you will see that the decisions you make affect everyone around you, not just yourself.

A Harvest of Hearts has much adventure, romance and best of all people who love the Lord and follow Him. I recommend this book for all of you Amish lovers out there, but also for everyone who truly loves a fantastic story. Laura V. Hilton has out done herself again. This book doesn't come out until September so put it on your to read list and you'll be extremely happy you did.

Thank you to Whitaker House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

In reading this story the reader gets to know two unique characters and their journey in finding themselves and what they want in life. The obstacles they go through seem real and make the ending even more gratifying.

I read Laura Hilton's first novel and endorsed it with these words: This first book in the Amish of Seymour series captured my interest from the start. It opens with raw emotions and doesn't let up. You know characters have come to life when you want to solve their problems and give advice, like "Communicate honestly and work things out!" But if that happened too quickly there'd be no story. Perhaps this lesson will help me better deal with miscommunication and misunderstandings in my own life. Patchwork Dreams should have no trouble finding its place among Amish "quilted" narratives. Readers will be saying, "Stitch faster! We want the next one."

Her second book does not disappoint. A Harvest of Hearts occurs in the same setting, near Seymour, Missouri, but the story also stands alone. Shanna Stoltsfus had left her strict Amish upbringing to study nursing in the city. She comes "home" for the summer to find her family has taken in one of the young men who came from Pennsylvania in a "man swap." Matthew Yoder and Shanna sense mutual attraction, but he has already joined the Amish church and she has no plans to return.

Shanna struggles with her relationship with her father in addition to her growing one with Matthew, who wants to marry her. Her former boyfriend Nate also interferes. Shanna feels tugs toward both the Amish life she once lived and the Englisch one she recently embraced. Misunderstandings add to the confusion.

Hilton's interesting twists add to the enjoyment of the tale. I'll be looking for the next in her "Amish of Seymour" series.

Love at first sight! Most people don't believe this can happen but it certainly does for Matthew Yoder in A Harvest of Hearts.

In this engaging novel we find Shanna Stoltzfus, having fled her Amish heritage to seek a college education in nursing, returning for the summer while waiting for her fall college term to begin. She meets Matthew, who has come from a PA amish community as part of a man swap, on her first day back home and immediately thinks he is "hot" for an Amish guy. Matthew, on the other hand, immediately feels that she "speaks to his heart". For an Amish story, this one moves rapidly through emotions and circumstances in a very short time. Days in fact. There's plenty of tension between Shanna and her Daed to keep it going, and lots of angst in both Shanna and Matthew's thoughts. Typical though it is, it captured my attention and kept me turning the pages until I was finished.

My favorite character would have to be Matthew. He is so patient when dealing with Shanna, showing a gentle and loving spirit toward her, despite her outrageous behavior and attire. He sees Shanna's heart, takes the time to find out why she left and seeks to bring her back into the fold. He really does know that she will one day be his wife. His heart tells him so. (I love that!)

The only thing I wish was different is the time frame. Everything happens so fast. It would be more believable to me if it took several weeks or months instead of days. That being said, I still liked the book and recommend it if you are a lover of Amish Fiction.

Special thanks to Cathy Hickling, Whitaker House, for sending me a review copy through FIRST Wild Card Tours. I was not required to write a positive review, just my opinion of the book.

Matthew Yoder came to Missouri from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in a swap of Amish men. His desire to come to Missouri is to start a fresh life. Matthew is taken in by the Stoltzfus family until he is able to acquire a place of his own. He works for Levi Stoltzfus in Levi's furniture business.

Shanna Stoltzfus's dream is to become a nurse. She knew that her Amish upbringing would not allow her to further her education so she left home during her rumschpringe to pursue her dream. Shanna knew that leaving home would devastate her family especially her Mom.

During Shanna's summer break from college she decides to go home for the summer hoping her Dad will allow her to stay. Shanna knows that her Mom will welcome her with open arms but will her Dad tell her to leave? Shanna's Dad allows her to stay letting her live in the apartment in the barn that belongs to her Uncle. Her Uncle and his wife are traveling and won't be back until the fall so it is a perfect set up for Shanna especially since the apartment has electricity.

Matthew and Shanna seem to be attracted to each other from the very first meeting. They both wish to be friends but nothing more.

Matthew soon discovers that he wants more than friendship from Shanna. He knows that can't be possible as long as Shanna continues to live Englisch. If only she were to come home for good and join the church then he could court her. His desire is to marry Shanna. Would he be able to leave the Amish faith for Shanna if she stayed Englisch?

Shanna too is wanting more than friendship from Matthew. Would she be able to give up her dream of becoming a nurse to settle down and join the church in hopes of becoming Matthew's wife?

There is a lot of raw emotion going on in this book. There are feelings of insecurity, feelings of not being loved and feelings of not being wanted. The Author does an excellent job of showing how "God's Will" comes through not only for Matthew and Shanna but for the Amish community as a whole.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was another page turner for me. I love getting lost in the pages of a good book. This was one of them! I am looking forward to reading the third book in this series, "Promised to Another". I know I will not be disappointed!