Love Still Stands (New Hope Amish Series #1)

Kelly Irvin's first book of the New Hope Amish series takes us o

Kelly Irvin's first book of the New Hope Amish series takes us on a journey of new beginnings. A group of families is about to embark on the exciting task of creating a settlement in a new state. From the moment they arrive they are beset with difficulty and unforeseen challenges. The group hasn't had to deal with many of these challenges before and it will stretch their faith in places they never expected.
I admire Irvin's ability to capture the reality of Amish life vs. Englisch, comparing the different belief sets in a way that is compassionate to both sides...
I read the first two books of this series out of order, and I didn't find it mattered. The books deal with different families. I definitely recommend this series, and plan to continue reading more of Kelly Irvin's books!

I had the privilege of reading Kelly Irvin¿s newest book, Love S

I had the privilege of reading Kelly Irvin’s newest book, Love Stands Still, in her new series, The New Hope Series. What a great introduction to a new community and yet a chance to reconnect with old friends. In one sense she picks up where we left off before which I love (I love being part of her communities); yet, she starts new adventures, meets new friends, and draws me even closer to God in the process.

Ms. Irvin has a gift of digging deeper, peeling back even more layers from the family I have grown to love and endearing them even closer to my heart. I absolutely love the men in the Shirack family. Luke has grown in maturity since book #1, To Love and to Cherish, that introduced me the Shirack family. I also love how she writes about the men that the Shirack women fall in love with. These are men filled with integrity, grace, and compassion - all traits that are very manly and very much admired. They aren’t perfect; yet they live a life of dedication to their faith, their families, and their community.

I certainly couldn’t put the story down once I started reading it. Not only do I love each person in the community but the storyline was so interesting it kept me turning the pages long after I should have been sleeping.

Ms. Irvin has a special gift of making me want more long after I’ve turned the last page; yet, satisfying my love of feeling as though the story has reached a conclusion. I absolutely love the authenticity Ms. Irvin gives her characters in their relationship with God. It’s a nice blending of respect for God’s laws borne out of a desire to have a close relationship with their Father.

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. As always, Ms. Irvin’s books linger in my mind long after I’ve turned the last page. I can’t wait to see what new adventure the Shirack family and their surrounding community will encounter next.

Bethel Graber has lost her greatest passion¿teaching¿and perhaps

Bethel Graber has lost her greatest passion—teaching—and perhaps her chance for romance with Elijah Christner in a terrible accident. Several families move to New Hope to start a new community where Bethel lives with her brother and his family. Because she’s unable to walk without using crutches, Bethel is unable to help the family. She wants no one’s pity or help, especially from Elijah. He wants to help her but doesn’t understand why she won’t let him. Kelly Irvin gives us a sweet love story that meets obstacles around every bend because of Bethel’s desire for independence and Elijah’s stubbornness. Will they lean on God’s love to help their situation before they argue and make up for the last time? A story and characters you’ll remember long after you turn the last page.

Good Book    Love Still Stands is the first book of the spin-of

Good Book

   Love Still Stands is the first book of the spin-off series following The Bliss Creek Amish. We follow Luke and his wife Leah as they move along with Bethel who is Leah’s sister to New Hope Missouri. A few other families have moved as well as they plan to start a new settlement. Bethel is still recovering from the tornado that left her badly injured. She now has to figure out what God wants for her as she is not married and can no longer be a school teacher due to her injuries. 




     Elijah has also moved to New Hope and after years of taking care of his parents he is now helping his brother farm and hoping to start a family of his own if he can find a wife.  Bethel fears she can’t be a whole wife and does not want Elijah to feel sorry for her. Can they over come the past to face a brighter tomorrow?




     In the Bliss Creek series we see and hear a lot from Luke and Leah but we don’t really get to know them. In this book as we follow Bethel and Elijah we also get to know Luke as he gets a voice in this book for the first time. Leah did not have a voice but through Luke we start to understand her and shed some light on her behavior. The first series was kind of dark and sad and this book starts out that way but by the end it feels happier over all.




What I liked: I really liked that we finally get to hear from Luke and learn more about Leah and why she is such an unhappy person. Both Bethel and Elijah are quite likable and I was cheering for Bethel to understand that even though her legs are not working right she still has a lot to offer and would make a good wife.




What I did not like: This was a good book but it’s still on the dark side. Not as bad as the first series so far but not a touchy-feely kind of read. Not a bad thing at all but not everyone likes books that feel so real to life.




     Overall this was a good book. It deals with a lot of hard issues such as prejudice and depression and the road of recovery after an accident. Even though there were some tough subjects the book did a good job of being upbeat and the ending left me happy with how it turned out. I would strongly suggest you read the Bliss Creek series first as they follow each other and it will make it easier to understand the characters and how they are related etc..

We join some of the folks from Bliss Creek as they start their n

We join some of the folks from Bliss Creek as they start their new life in The New Hope Amish community.  If you read the first series (Bliss Creek) you will recognize and remember many of the characters.  I enjoyed the book very much.  While I am not a huge fan of continuing novels, I do enjoy meeting up with familiar characters.  This is not a continuing novel, it will stand alone, but it does help to understand what is going on if you have read the Bliss Creek books.  
I did find myself having to go back and read sections over again, because there are so many characters it can get a bit confusing.  That being said, I enjoyed the book, and cried my way through it.  There should be a tissue warning at the beginning.  My heart broke as Leah dealt with the unknown issues and depression she was dealing with due to postpartum depression.  My heart broke for Luke, who tried to understand his wife and balance the responsibilities of being the new bishop for The New Hope community. I wanted to shake Bethel at times, and at times I cried as she tried to figure out what she wanted from life, and what she felt like God wanted from her.  This book will make you eager for the next installment of The New Hope Amish.  A great story, with a beautiful ending.  4 stars! This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review. 

I connected with Bethel immediately--a long car trip stuck betwe

I connected with Bethel immediately--a long car trip stuck between two car-seats equals discomfort for even the most able-bodied. From there on, it was easy to see and feel everything through her eyes.




Kelly Irvin made reading Love Still Stands so enjoyable, I just didn't want to put it down. I went so far as to get up more than an hour before my normal wake-up time because I couldn't get the story out of my head. :)




Bethel's struggle in a new place came to life on the pages, as did the other characters'.




To be honest, before reading this story, I was reluctant to read "another" Amish novel, but this one was so different and refreshing, it has encouraged me to continue reading in this genre.




***I received this book from the author/publisher for the purpose of review. The above is my honest opinion.***

Reviewed by Brenda Casto for Readers' Favorite With Love Still

Reviewed by Brenda Casto for Readers' Favorite

With Love Still Stands, seven Amish families from Bliss Creek, Kansas decide to leave their home and start a new community in New Hope, Missouri. Several people in New Hope aren't so open to outsiders and don't want the Amish to settle there. One of the people hoping for a new beginning is Bethel Graber. Bethel was injured in an accident, but hopes that physical therapy will help her so that she can assist her older sister Leah with her children and go back to the job that she loves, teaching! Elijah Christner has also made the move to New Hope. He has spent the last five years of his life taking care of his parents, but now longs for a wife and family of his own. He wonders if perhaps it might be too late. Will the town of New Hope allow their Amish neighbors to live in peace? What about Bethel and Elijah - will they get the new beginning they long for?

When Bethel and her sister's family arrive at their home in New Hope, only to find that it had been vandalized, I knew I was in for a unique "Amish" story. Unwelcome by several in the community, the Amish don't let it deter them, and really do practice their faith by showing kindness, hoping to eventually win the town over. Several interesting characters really make this story flow. Along with the interesting characters, it was neat to see an Amish community come together. 

Fans of Amish fiction are going to love this story, but there is so much more to this than just a typical Amish romance. It's a story that could really be about anyone because of the topics the author deals with, such as postpartum depression, starting over in a new town, discrimination, disability, physical therapy, and divorce to name a few. With Love Still Stands, Kelly Irvin provides a well written story with a few twists, and fascinating characters that share their faith as well as their struggles. I felt I became a part of the New Hope community for a few hours and look forward to the next book in this series!

This is a brand new series that Kelly Irvin wrote. It's a spinof

This is a brand new series that Kelly Irvin wrote. It's a spinoff of Bliss Creek Amish novels. Which I have not read. But I would like to read more books by Kelly on how much I liked Love Still Stands. Love Still Stands deals with some real issues of postpartum depression, also the struggle with physical therapy.

This group of Amish decided to settle in Missouri where they could buy lots of farm land. They get to their new homes and find that vandals were their first. In Luke and Leah's new home every window was broken and they tried to burn it down from inside, spray painted all over the walls. Made sure they were unwelcomed. The Sheriff when he got their was not helpful but warned them they were not welcomed.

Leah is not happy person. She has 5 children under 10 and did not want to leave Kansas. She is not happy with her sister's health problems. Won't let her do things that she can and is rude to her.

Bethel is a school teacher or was when she got hurt when a storm tore it apart. The doctor did not think she would be able to walk again. She walks with crutches only. She wants to go back to teaching but can't till she gets better. She needs physical therapy. Then maybe her dream of getting married someday and having her own family will happen.

Elijah is helping his family with the move and working on Luke's farm for now. He volunteers to take Bethel into her physical therapy and runs errands for supplies while he waits to drive her back. On the first day they almost get hit by a car. Elijah spent the last 5 years taking care of his parents. He wants his own family soon.

Their is a lot of unwelcome to the Amish moving into town. Some is quite dangerous. They forgive those that cause them ill. Their is a lot of work to do to get their community started. New leaders are chosen. Some are not happy with it but they are willing to do the work they are called to.

Their is a lot of drama, lots of relationships, Lots of characters. Good Plot. It's a clean read. Not preachy just part of the story. I look forward to seeing more books set in New Hope.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it by Netgalley.

09/01/2013 PUB Harvest House Publishers 352 pages ISBN:0736954937

No text was provided for this review.