Winter's Awakening

When a new family moves in next door, Joshua is caught off guard by his interest in the daughter, Lilly. His relationship with Gretta is not going well, and he feels hemmed in. This story covers the deep feelings and sorrows of Amish and English families. I would recommend it.

I have read many Amish books. Shelley Gray is comparable to Beverly Lewis and Wanda Brunstetter in covering the amish and writing true romance/mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Joshua thought he had his future all mapped out. He'd work in his father's store, marry Gretta, and they'd have babies... but then a new English family moves in next door, and their young daughter catches Josh's eye. Suddenly, Josh feels trapped. What if he isn't meant to marry Gretta? If he can look at another woman, then Gretta must not be the one for him. So, he breaks off the relationship. Gretta is shocked by the sudden changes in Joshua. When Josh breaks things off, another Amish man, Roland, is quick to move in. Roland is calm, quiet, and kind, but he is not the man that Gretta loves. Still, she needs to give Roland a chance. Lilly is new to Sugarcreek, but she is there in shame as her parents are hiding her away until after the birth of her baby. Lilly is fascinated by the Amish next door, and especially Joshua. He's like no boy she's ever met before. WINTER'S AWAKENING is the first book in Ms. Gray's newest series, Seasons of Sugarcreek. I enjoyed getting to know Joshua, Gretta, and Lilly, and even some of the secondary characters. At first I thought that Josh acted a bit immaturely, but he is only nineteen, and there aren't that many really mature nineteen year olds out there. Gretta is a sweet young lady, thrown into a tailspin by Josh's decision, and her subsequent meeting of "the other woman" but she still was kind and gentle with people, whether she wanted to be or not. I really appreciated her attitude. I enjoyed reading WINTER'S AWAKENING and the ending is completely sweet. I'm not one hundred percent certain Ms. Gray got all her Amish facts right, but it is a good story. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book as well as a sample chapter of the next book in the series, Spring's Renewal.

I have loved Shelley Shepard Gray books since I read her very first "Sister's of the Heart" book and was so disappointed to find out that it was her first published book and could not find any other books by her at that time! Fortunately since that time, she has been very busy and successful. I have to admit that hers was the very first Amish book, certainly not the last, that I read. Where I had been reading Christian romance for quite some time and absolutely adore it ... I had not read any Amish books previously and when I first read her first book ... I was hooked! I have read everything I can get my hands on since ... some I am not as thrilled with, but most I truly enjoy. This book definitely did not disappoint me either ... I felt it was excellent ... and am looking forward to the rest of this series now ... it shows the struggles one sometimes faces when one thinks things are expected of one .... Joshua feels that he was expected to marry Gretta, whom he has always loved. He feels in so many ways his life has become expected and boring ... until he decides it needs changing ... "the grass is always greener" how that so often looks until we are actually there ... this is one of those books and is excellent in showing ... 'tis not normally so! Life is great ... and fortunately, before Joshua got in too deep he realized what was right for him ... and made the right choices. Loved the book, love Shelley Sheppard Gray ... Excellent book and if you have not read her "Sister's of the Heart" series ... they are must reads too!

When an English family moves to the small Amish town of Sugarcreek, residents re-examine familiar patterns, routines and expectations. Until now, Joshua has had his life all planned out. He works at the family store. He will marry Gretta, the woman he has courted for years. The sudden changes in Joshua hurt Gretta. His sharpness and quietness feel all too much like the coldness of her parents. Gretta wants something more out of a marriage. With the changes in Joshua and his distancing, Gretta begins to consider a possible future with Roland. With him, she would feel safe, but is that enough for a fulfilling marriage? Is God answering her prayers in Roland? Does God call her into a more challenging future, a future less safe but one that will fill her heart and challenge it to grow? Lilly's family moved to Sugarcreek in order to protect her but her family does not listen to her desires. Instead they plan for her. When she meets Joshua, Lilly finds a neighbor and friend who listens, but can she truly trust him? Will her secret drive him away? When change threatens to disrupt all expectations and plans, will prayer and community together discover a fullness beyond the surface, a fullness that will both challenge and comfort the soul? WINTER'S AWAKENING brings unexpected new understandings and closeness to the new and old residents of Sugarcreek. In this, the first book of a second Amish inspirational series, WINTER'S AWAKENING takes readers into the heart of the Amish community of Sugarcreek through the characters of Joshua, Gretta and Lilly. Shelley Shepard Grey both sets the scene and creates a moving inspirational romantic conflict. Both Joshua and Gretta are admirable characters, but not so perfect that they lack depth and feeling. In fact, the beauty of Shelley Shepard Gray's inspirational romances emerges from the richness and humanity she gives to her characters. WINTER'S AWAKENING creates a wonderful portrait of a traditional religious community and the individual residents as they struggle to incorporate faith and the longings of their hearts in themselves as individuals, the community in which they live and their understanding of God's plan. Without preaching down to her audience, Shelley Shepard Gray creates a community through which God's presence can be seen in the events and hearts of her characters. Written in an easy-to-read style that flows naturally from page to page, WINTER'S AWAKENING is not simplistic. This inspirational romance will appeal on many levels from young to old, from those readers craving a light read to a more in-depth book study or church reading group discussion. Ten thoughtful questions (or groups of questions) are included at the end to guide reading and group discussions. In this reader's opinion, WINTER'S AWAKENING makes Shelley Shepard Gray one of the most stunning inspirational writers writing today. Not only will WINTER'S AWAKENING appeal to the traditional inspirational romance

I have been a big fan of Shelley Shepard Gray's Amish fiction. Her previous series, Sisters of the Heart, was really fun to read because I felt that they were comfort Amish reads. I never feel as if the Amish lifestyle is being pushed on me. Instead reading Gray's books are more of an introduction to the Amish as opposed of making me feel bad for not living like them. In this new series, we are shown what happens when the Amish and English world come together. I was really happy with how that was handled in this book. No one in the book wants to leave the Amish, no one wants to join the Amish. In fact there weren't very many cliches that are found in other Amish books which made me very happy. The main characters in this book are all in their late teens and early 20s so this book has cross over appeal with a young adult audience as well. Even though Gretta is totally Amish, I felt like I could relate to her and I really liked her character. To be honest, I was not a fan of Joshua and how he treated Gretta. I was actually rooting for her to get over him, maybe not with Roland but anyone else. Still though I really pleased with how the story fleshed out. I found myself sympathizing with Lilly due to the way her parents were treating her. I understand why they acted the way they did but I think they might have taken it too far. Therefore it was an interesting contrast at how Joshua's family reacted when they found out about her situation. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Even if you don't normally read Amish fiction, if you enjoy a light contemporary read, this is a good one for you. It's not preachy or trying to push any agenda. The story just gives a good look into the Amish lifestyle while being able to embrace the outside world as well. One huge plus for me was the talk of food, which I always greatly enjoy when I read about the Amish. This is another wonderful comfort read from Shelley and I know I'll be looking forward to to spending more seasons with this community.