Rochelle L. Sharpe

Publisher: Zondervan.

Release Date: January 28th, 2025.

Source: NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Series: Amish Calling #3.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Bonnie and Elijah each believe that marriage is not in their futures . . . but they hadn’t counted on God’s plans being bigger than their own imaginations.

Bonnie Yoder owns and operates a gift shop popular with tourists and local shoppers alike. She’s glad she’s found a way to be a productive member of her Plain community where all women aspire to marry and have children–something she’s sure she’ll never do because of her physical disability.

Elijah Miller has been acutely shy his entire life, which makes joining his brothers as auctioneers unthinkable. It also means he’s never courted a woman. Instead, he spends every spare moment creating wooden children’s toys and child-size furniture in a workshop he built behind his parents’ house, all the while dreaming of starting his own business.

It’s that dream that prompts Elijah to approach Bonnie about selling his wares in her store. He feels an immediate connection. So does Bonnie, but she’s afraid to believe he’ll ever see her as more than a shop owner kind enough to sell his toys. Elijah’s convinced that someone so sure of herself would never be interested in a man who’s too shy to put two sentences together around her.

What they can’t see, others can. Matchmaking mothers and caring friends conspire to bring the two together. After spending time with each other, Elijah and Bonnie learn that sometimes the most challenging obstacle is a lack of faith–in themselves and in God. Together, they will traverse a difficult road to find their way to the future they’ve never allowed themselves to dream of having.

My Thoughts:

5 stars.

This was a beautiful and heartwarming Amish romance!

Bonnie is content running her store, determined to not let her physical disability – spinal muscular atrophy – stop her. Except when it comes to love. She has resigned herself to the fact that love will never be in her future.

Elijah has always been shy, but Bonnie can bring out his words. For Elijah, there has never been anyone else besides Bonnie. He sees past her disability, right to her heart. Elijah wants to go on a different path to his family, and must decide if he is brave enough to go after what he really wants.

Elijah was such a quiet hero, which I loved seeing. Bonnie had real fight, but could also be a bit feisty, sometimes to her own detriment. Irvin has captured Bonnie’s character so well. Her struggles felt so real! I loved these two characters, they aren’t your standard fare and I found them more relatable because of it.

Not only was I invested in Bonnie and Elijah’s story, but Bonnie’s mother too. She is a widow and isn’t looking for love, but when the chance presents itself, she needs to decide if she is willing to take a second chance on love. As I get older, I am starting to appreciate ‘mature’ romances a lot more.

With All Her Heart is a story of love and of what it means to trust God, even if what He is giving you is more than you ever thought possible, and that the person standing in the way of your dreams may just be you.

Fans of Amish fiction and Christian romance, this is one not to be missed. I highly recommend it!

#This is the first book I’ve read in this series and it read fine as a standalone. After reading this, I do want to read the first two books in the series!