New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray’s latest Christmas novel in her Amish of Hart County series.It’s set to be a white Christmas in Hart County, and Grace King is pet-sitting in a beautiful home with only a difficult dachshund for company. Just as she starts to miss the bustle of her large Amish family, Grace runs into a familiar face. Living right next door is … a familiar face. Living right next door is John Michael Miller. He’s a fireman now, but five years ago, he had courted her older sister, then broke her heart. Seeing him again stirs Grace’s anger, but also reminds her of deeper feelings she’s done her best to deny.
The infatuation John Michael once saw in Grace’s eyes is long gone, though his complicated attraction to her remains. He had walked away all those years ago when he realized he was falling in love with the wrong sister. Now, as suspicious fires are set in their community, that’s not an option. Grace dismisses his warnings, and John Michael vows to keep an eye on her. But he can’t help wondering if he’s reconnected with Grace, only to risk losing her again.
Now all John Michael wants for Christmas is to keep Grace safe, in the hopes that they can one day have a future together.
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Christmas, a temperamental dachshund, mystery, and seeing a man you had a crush on five years ago, all comprise into a wonderful story that will keep you entertained until the last page. This author adds adventure and intrigue into her Amish stories that holds your attention. I love the relationship between Grace and Miss Dorma. The antics of Snooze had me laughing more than once. The characters are easy to identify with and you feel like you are transported into their lives. An enjoyable read to cuddle up with.
I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
Any time Shelley Shepard Gray writes her storylines in my home state of KY., it’s a win-win for me. She brings inspiration, suspense, amusement , faith and romance throughout the book. A perfect Christmas story to read any time of the year and I highly recommend this book whether you are familiar with the authors writing or she is a new to you author.
His Promise is a part of The Amish of Hart County series, but it can be read alone. I thought His Promise was well-written with steady pacing. Grace is a kind yet naïve woman who has a pet sitting service. She is the quietest member of her family and, while she loves her family, she needs some time alone now and then. Grace’s generosity comes pouring out of the pages as she goes out of her way to help someone in need. John Michael felt he at home with the King family, but he felt he needed to stay away after he broke things off with Beth. John Michael now realizes that he handled the breakup of his relationship with Beth incorrectly (he was too abrupt). John Michael is a firefighter which is a dangerous and unusual professional for someone who is Amish. Some of the Christian themes prevalent in His Promise are honoring God, prayer, have faith, helping others and all things are possible with God. The Christian elements are woven into the story seamlessly. His Promise has a lovely ending that readers will appreciate. I did not understand why John Michael nor Grace ever spoke with their parents, a deacon, or the Bishop when someone in their community needed assistance. I like that they were helping the individual, but it was not a long term solution. Part of the Amish culture is the sense of community so this seemed out of place. I am giving His Promise 4 out of 5 stars. There are recipes at the end of the book along with discussion questions. His Promise contains romance, suspense, mystery, faith, family, generosity, a cute dog, and the spirit of Christmas.
His Promise is about a Young Amish girl (Grace)
Who is a pet sitter. As she pet sits Snooze the couples dachshund everything is turned upside down!!! She is faced with fear, excitement, forgiveness, hope, and love. So very very good!!!
The whole series is great!
Let me educate you on why it is imperative to write a review as soon as you finish a book. It’s been a couple of weeks since I finished this book, like October when Ma was in the hospital and life was chaos. In trying to keep up with life and work and everything in between I’ve struggled to sit down and write this review. . . for a long time. I’ve partly struggled because all those initial ‘feels’ are vapor. I’m a ‘feels’ reviewer and now I have to try and become an cognitive reviewer. By that I mean that I’m not sharing out of the emotions of the book, which is where I write best from, but more from the lasting impressions, which are harder for me to write from. Think from, yes, write from oh no. I toyed for a moment with re-reading the book to get feels again, but it’s the holiday season and I’m still drowning over here. So here we go with a cognitive review of a book I absolutely loved, a month or more ago.
Imagine being in a strangers home for the holidays while your family also went out of town. Grace finds herself in just this situation while pet sitting a grump dachshund while an arsonist is on the lose in their community along with other nefarious menaces and she finds herself next door to her sister’s ex beau, the one who broke her heart. A person you hoped to never see again, for varying reasons not all related to said sister’s broken heart. Like the fact that maybe, she had a crush of her own on the young man. Meanwhile, John Michael has moved on with his life as a firefighter after calling things off with Grace’s sister. He’s close with his family and building a name for himself in the fire department. Yes, he has guilt about how things happened but he had his own secrets to hide. Namely a crush on Grace. Thrown together because of the dog, and an older lady from their community who is having some memory issues and serious neglect from her family they forge their way forward.
I appreciate the skirting of insta-love. Yes, they fell for each other pretty hard and pretty fast, but they had history. Not their history, really a stolen history, but a history all the same. I loved how they came to the same ideas and decisions without having to hash it all out. I like that they built their relationship on a solid foundation of what is now instead of letting themselves get sucked into the past, though Grace struggled more so there. At the end of the day this quote sums so much of their relationship up perfectly, and really any relationship across the board. ‘I’d rather live with consequences from something that I chose to do instead of something I was forced to do.’ If John Michael hadn’t have called things off with Grace’s sister then they would never had been provided an opportunity to explore their own feelings for each other. Had that relationship gone forward it might have even caused bigger issues down the road. Even the sister eventually saw that John and Grace were better suited for each other than she had ever been with him. At the end of the day, the mayhem was caught, the romance was on solid footing and this was the perfect conclusion to the Amish of Hart County series. Perfect as a stand alone I highly recommend the entire series.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Edelweiss+. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Revisiting Hart County during Christmastime feels like being snugly wrapped in a favorite fluffy blanket. Gray combines the perfect touch of intrigue and romance. I enjoyed a few hours of simpler days during this time of year with the focus on family and community and charitable actions rather than the standard hustle and bustle and consumerism of the “Englisher” life. His Promise is a refreshing cozy mystery read.
I received a copy from the author and publisher. No review was required. No compensation was received.
Loved this story and the characters.
Shelly shepherd Gray has always been one of my most favorite authors. She did Not dissappoint me !!
This is the sixth book that Shelley Shepard Gray has set in Hart County, Kentucky but it isn’t necessary to read the other five books first. In “His Promise” we meet Grace King and the young Amish man that she secretly liked five years ago. She believed that he was interested in her sister Beth and even though John Michael Miller did “court” Beth he ended their relationship because his heart told him that it was Grace that he wanted. Fast forward five years and, after meeting again, it is apparent that there is definitely still a spark between Grace and John Michael.
This story has the sweet beginnings of romance but the relationship is beset with strained feelings between John Michael, Beth and some of the other members of the King family. There is also danger and mystery because it appears that someone may be lurking around the house where Grace is pet-sitting during the Christmas holidays and John Michael fears for her safety. The occurence of several robberies in the area and fires that appear to have been deliberately set cause alarm and fear among the citizens of Hart County. There is a moving scene between Grace and a lady who has lost her home to one of these fires when they both realize that their various trials don’t mean that God hasn’t been there with them. The two of them find comfort in these words from Isaiah 43:2. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flame will not set you ablaze.”
Author Shelley Shepard Gray has written a faith-based story that places her Amish characters in unusual circumstances even as they stay true to the beliefs that are the foundation of their Amish faith. Grace’s job as a pet sitter isn’t the norm for a nineteen year old Amish woman and John Michael is employed as a Hart County fireman. There are other interesting characters such as Jennifer and Dorma but the one that almost steals the book is an adorable but cantankerous little dachshund named Snooze that Grace is in charge of. He puts Grace in several unpredictable situations and he provides readers with many laughs!
I enjoyed “His Promise: An Amish Christmas in Hart County” and I recommend it to anyone who likes Christmas stories mixed with Christian romance and Amish fiction. I believe that readers of the previous books in this series will especially like that Gray briefly mentions some of those prior storylines as she concludes The Amish of Hart County series.
I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher but a review was not required.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading His Promise. I especially liked how caring and sensitive Grace was with the people in her life. The romance between Grace and John was sweet. It was interesting to read about John’s career as a firefighter.
Grace has made her niche in life by pet sitting for Englishers who go out of town. This year for Christmas while she is pet sitting a very cantankerous dachshund her family has to go to her grandparents to take care of them. When the dachshund gets into a little trouble Grace runs into John Michael Miller, her sister’s ex-boyfriend and the boy she had a crush on when she was younger.
John Michael regrets hurting Grace’s sister several years ago but he had a good reason, he was falling for Grace. John Michael is now a firefighter and this season has been busy with arson fires being set to cover local burglaries.
Can Grace forgive John Michael for hurting her sister and let their feelings grow? Can John Michael keep Grace safe even when he is not around?
Let me start with the end, the last forty pages had me in tears. Why? The beauty of the story coming together and the action happening. See if you don’t have a glimmer of tears in your eyes as you read.
Shelley Shepard Gray has a way to make the love come through in a beautiful, clean way. I would feel very comfortable giving any of her Amish books to any young teenage girl to read.
I loved that Gray included helpful fire safety tips especially during the Christmas season in the story. A few things I learned and have started looking around to make sure my parents and family are as safe as I can make them.
Gray’s Amish of Hart County is a six book series that can be read any in order and each as a stand alone book. Once you take a visit you will want to keep visiting.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Excellent read that will leave you feeling good and remembering what it is to be able to depend on someone’s word!! Doesn’t burn a lot of brain cells, but it sure does leave you with a smile on your face and at this point….it is exactly what I want!!1
Heartwarming, sweet and inspiring, full of compassion, love, and faith. The care for people and animals is shown on each page. This one made me smile. I enjoyed the story very much. I received a copy of this book from the author. This is my personal honest opinion. No review was required.
His Promise was a nice addition to the Amish of Hart County series. This story is book six in the series, but can be read as a stand alone novel, too. I really enjoyed this Christmas story that included not only Amish characters, but also firefighting, romance, and some danger.
Both of the main characters were very likable. Grace was so sweet and caring, often putting others before herself and looking to find a way to care for someone who had all but been forgotten by her family. John Michael was a great character. He was brave and loyal and a concerned, caring member of his community.
I definitely enoyed this book and recommend it to fans of Amish fiction and to those who enjoy Christmas stories.
(4.5 stars)
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
How I love this series from Shelley Shepard Gray! Even if you miss a book or 2 you can jump right in like you haven’t missed a thing. I’ve been lucky to only miss the first two in the series and read the rest to date. I have fallen in love with Hart County and the resident’s I’ve grown to know. Once again Shelley Shepard Gray does not disappoint. Grace and John Michael were meant to be. They jump hurdles that seem impossible in their world to be together. Their story is unique, fast paced and a bit suspenseful.
If you love Amish romantic suspense I highly recommend His Promise and the rest of the Hart County Series.
I loved how the characters here had compassion for those less fortunate in their community, and how the two main individuals come to basically the same conclusion at the same time from different places.
How can a couple have a romance when the girl’s family really dislikes the fellow? Answers are about to come and maybe they are right about him, but you will need to find out for yourself.
We also get to spend some time with a cute, maybe, little pup.
Throughout the challenges that seem to be happening, fires, robberies etc. we get to find out what is really important, and it is not the Christmas tree with the dog bones!
This is a quick read, and I loved being back in Hart County and with the people that I have a fondness for.
I received this book through Edelweiss and the Publisher HarperCollins, and was not required to give a positive review.
As Author Shelley Shepard Gray takes us back to the Amish of Hart County, Kentucky, it’s Christmas time. Grace King’s business of pet-sitting involves taking care of a rambunctious dachshund named Snooze in a beautiful, quiet roomy house for two weeks over the Christmas holiday. She believes it will be a lonely Christmas without her family, but when Grace finds herself face-to-face with John Michael Miller, a man who broke her sister’s heart years ago, will her feelings for him bubble back to the surface? When alarming and suspicious things begin to occur in their community, will John Michael succeed in protecting Grace without her realizing the depth of feelings he has for her? Woven throughout the story is a thread of suspense and romance. You will enjoy the characters especially little Snooze. Treat yourself to a copy, plus it would make a charming gift!
I was given a complimentary copy from the publisher. The opinions are my own.
Shelley Shepard Gray has such a wonderful way of creating these realistic characters! It’s hard not to love them! Each one of the books in the Hart County series is excellent! This story is so original! Each book gets better and better! I love that the story comes to life. I highly recommend this book!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
His Promise is the sixth installment from Shelley Shepard Gray’s The Amish of Hart County series. I believe this one is probably my favorite I have read of the series so date. I enjoyed Grace’s story. Especially, when John Michael came into the picture. There is a little mystery that needs to be solved that keeps reader interested, as well.
I give His Promise four stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy Christmas time and Amish stories.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.