All she wants for Christmas is the truth. A struggling Amish woman. Her mysterious new neighbor. And a secret that could change everything… Becca Schwartz’s curiosity is going to be a problem. When Amish secret millionaire Daniel Glick moves to Shipshewana for seclusion, he doesn’t expect his pretty new neighbor to ask so many questions. Or to be so generous, despite her family’s poverty. As … despite her family’s poverty. As Daniel falls for Becca, his secret looms between them. This Christmas, can he finally give her the truth…and his heart?
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First, I have to say this: I almost always refuse to read a book that has anything to do with a “millionaire” in either the storyline or title. However, I knew that if Vannetta Chapman wrote this book it would be an entertaining one, so I made an exception to my rule.
And I’m glad I did! I absolutely loved the character of Becca Schwartz in this book. Becca is spunky; cares deeply for her family and friends; is a generous person and always ready to share what she has—-but she’s also filled with curiosity. If there’s a mystery to be solved, she’s going to solve it. So when Daniel, their new neighbor, seems to be hiding something, Becca’s doing everything she can to find out what he’s hiding. Daniel does not want anyone in this Amish community to know he’s a millionaire, so he buys the worst farm in the area. Daniel, however, has underestimated Becca. As circumstances keep bringing them together, Daniel and Becca both have much to learn about how they view themselves and allowing God to direct their paths.
This sweet Amish romance will make you smile. As you finish, you may find yourself looking around to see how you, like Becca, can share the blessings that God has given you. This is the perfect book to read during the Christmas season, but it has a message for us to remember all throughout the year.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
The Amish Christmas Secret by Vannetta Chapman has Daniel Glick moving to Shipshewana, Indiana for a fresh start. He has a secret that he does not wish to share with the people in his new community. Daniel wants seclusion and peace which is why he purchased a property far from town. The house and barn need an extensive amount of work (a stiff wind could knock them over), but Daniel is looking forward to the challenge. He did not count on his neighbor’s second eldest child, Becca Schwartz. Daniel shares a barn with the Schwartz family and Becca uses their half for her projects. She is curious about Daniel who tends to avoid answering her questions. He hopes that Becca will take a hint. Daniel is unprepared for Becca’s determination, insatiable curiosity, and her desire to protect her family. When Daniel begins to fall for Becca, will his secret come between them? The Amis Christmas Secret is a fun story. The author created great characters. They are interesting and realistic. I enjoyed getting to know Becca and Daniel. They made this a humorous story (especially Becca). Becca is a woman with an abundance of ideas. She wants to earn money to help her family, but she is a little naïve (more than a little). I laughed often while reading this entertaining Amish tale. Carl, the rooster, will have you in stitches. There are good life lessons in this story. We get to see that it does not matter if you are poor or wealthy, we all have our problems. You do not need money to make you happy. Happiness is found within us and with those we love. I was thankful for the epilogue that nicely wrapped up Becca and Daniel’s tale. I was sorry for this sweet story to end. I would love a story featuring each of Becca’s siblings (there are eight siblings). While The Amish Christmas Secret is the 6th Indiana Amish Brides Novel, it can be read as a standalone. I have enjoyed each book in the series. The Amish Christmas Secret is an amusing Amish tale with a new neighbor, a raging rooster, a happy horse, a ramshackle house, money making machinates, rowdy relations, and a caring community.
I loved the story plot and the characters of this book. The story flowed smoothly and I enjoyed the dialog and easy banter that went on between the two main characters. The theme of the book as I saw it would be make the best of where God plants you in your life. Be content and love and respect your family . In this book the characters had good and happy times but they also suffered setbacks and hard times too. The people of their community never missed the opportunity to help each other when needed.
Daniel Glick is a young unmarried Amish man. He comes from a dysfunctional family in Pennsylvania. Daniel and his family were Amish millionaires. Tired of being used for his money Daniel decided to embrace the life of a poor man and move to Indiana. Wanting to look the part of a poor farmer he bought a rundown house and half a barn that was ready to collapse . All he really wanted was peace and quietness and to be left alone. What he didn’t count on was the large family who owned the other side of the barn or their beautiful daughter who had a curious mind and made it her business to find out who the stranger that owned the other side of the barn really was.
Becca Schuartz came from a very poor Amish family. Her main goal was to find ways to earn money to help her family have a better life. She was naive and would often find that instead of earning money she would be on the losing end of the deal. She had a driving sense of curiosity that often kept her from minding her own business when it came to her new neighbor Daniel Glick. Life was anything but peaceful for him as Becca would constantly question him about his life. She was determined he was hiding something and she would do whatever she could to find out what it was.
I would recommend this book to readers of Amish Fiction . Fans of Vannetta Chapman won’t want to miss this book.
I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. A favorable review was not requested. All opinions expressed here are my own.
I loved this book! It was one that I didn’t want to put down, but I didn’t want it to end. I wasn’t sure I was going to like Becca at the beginning because she was somewhat pushy, however that trait quickly became an issue and was addressed and I really liked her after that. I thought it was admirable that she was trying to find ways to earn money to help her family.
I thought Daniel being a secret millionaire was a creative twist to an Amish story! I enjoyed watching him transform from wanting to be a loner to bonding with Becca’s family and opening up to the bishop.
Both Becca and Daniel had issues that they needed to work out and it was enjoyable to watch that happen. Carl-the-bad-tempered-rooster and Becca’s dad’s jokes made for some laugh out loud moments in the story.
This book is part of the Indiana Amish Brides series but can easily be read as a stand alone.
The Amish Christmas Secret by Vannetta Chapman
(Indiana Amish Brides Book 6)
All she wants for Christmas is the truth.
A struggling Amish woman. Her mysterious new neighbor.
And a secret that could change everything…
Becca Schwartz’s curiosity is going to be a problem. When Amish secret millionaire Daniel Glick moves to Shipshewana for seclusion, he doesn’t expect his pretty new neighbor to ask so many questions. Or to be so generous, despite her family’s poverty. As Daniel falls for Becca, his secret looms between them. This Christmas, can he finally give her the truth…and his heart?
This is Becca Schwartz and Daniel Glick’s story.
“Get back!”
Definitely a female voice, from the other side of the barn. Poisonous snakes were rare in Indiana, but it was possible that his neighbor had encountered a copperhead or timber rattler. He’d never forgive himself if she was bitten while he stood on his side of the barn enjoying his solitude.
He threw one glance back toward his home, then sighed and walked around the barn. If someone had asked him to guess what he might find there, he wouldn’t in a hundred years have guessed correctly.
A young Amish woman—Plain dress, apron, kapp—was holding a feed bucket in one hand and a rake in the other, attempting to fend off a rooster. The rooster was a beautiful Brahma, over two feet tall, with a red comb and golden cape. At the moment, the bird was strutting and crowing and occasionally jerking to the right and left, trying to peck the woman’s feet.
Daniel Glick moved into his new place on the first Tuesday in October. The next day, the local bishop—an old fellow named Saul Lapp who looked to be in his eighties—gave him a ride to Tim Beiler’s place. Tim was apparently the go-to guy in Shipshewana, Indiana, if one was looking to purchase a buggy horse.
Daniel didn’t even attempt to negotiate down the price of the mare. Constance was dark gray along her mane and from her hindquarters to her hooves. The rest of her coat was nearly silver. She was more muscled and longer bodied than the horse he’d owned in Pennsylvania, standing fifteen hands high and weighing in at 825 pounds. An American saddlebred, she was three years old and presented a nice gait. More important, her name perfectly matched her disposition.
He’d purchased the worst farm in Shipshewana.
I highly recommend reading.
The Amish Christmas Secret by Vannetta Chapman is a wonderful well written 5 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Vannetta Chapman.
Uplifting and Entertainment
A book that teaches me a lesson or leaves me thinking about it long after I’ve finished reading it are just two of the qualities I enjoy when I read a book. And those are just a few of the characteristics that made“The Amish Christmas Secret” so enjoyable for me.
The main characters, Becca Schwartz and Daniel Glick, each has their own ideas about limited finances and privacy. While Daniel works at embracing all that would indicate that he has very limited financial resources, Becca is always looking for ways to help her family’s limited financial situation. While Daniel desperately desires privacy, Becca desperately desires to know all there is about Daniel Glick, so much so that she eventually hatches a plan to find out all she can about Daniel.
I pause at this point, because this brings me to the first thing that I enjoyed about the book; it taught me a lesson. What lesson you ask? Well, I really did not like Becca very much. I found her annoying. She was consumed with the desire to know all there was about Daniel and just wouldn’t back down. What did I learn from this? Author Vannetta Chapman taught me that first impressions could be wrong and that we should not be judgmental especially when we don’t understand where the person is coming from. While I know this in real life, I forgot to apply it to the story. The author flawlessly helped me see Becca’s behavior through Daniel’s perspective, and that was the switch that turned off annoying Becca and let me see her as a sweet and loving young woman that just wants the best for her family.
Along with the lesson I learned, the story was very entertaining. Some of the entertainment came from Becca’s dad and his jokes. They put a smile on my face every time.
“Who was the smartest man in the Bible? Abraham. He knew a Lot.”
Along with her dad’s jokes, Becca and her creative efforts at entrepreneurism also kept me smiling. The story also has romance along with messages of forgiveness, encouragement, faith and new beginnings all of which make the story so uplifting.
“…even when we have trouble believing, even when our faith fails, Gotte is faithful…It’s a thing that pricks our hearts and eases the burden on our shoulders…so Gotte does for us…if we are willing to let Him carry that which troubles us.”
And that quote brings me to the other quality that I like in a book. It left me pondering many things long after I had finished reading it, so much so that I think I just may adopt Daniel’s habit of what to do with those ponderings. What habit is that you ask? Well, I guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out.
****I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All comments and opinions are my own.
What an enjoyable story! I liked the uniqueness of the situation between Daniel and Becca. They both felt burdened by financial situations. Becca struggled with coming from a poor family and Daniel believed that an abundance of wealth caused his family to splinter. I really enjoyed watching the awakening of both Becca and Daniel as they began to understand what was important in life and what was not.
Becca and Daniel seemed like complete opposites for the first portion of the book, however, it became clear that they were not so unlike each other as it first appeared. They had a sweet chemistry that built throughout the pages of this book. I also really liked seeing how well Daniel began to fit into the Schwartz family. I definitely enjoyed this addition to the Indiana Amish Brides series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.