Book Review (and a Giveaway!): The Amish Midwife’s Secret by Rachel J. Good

SERIES: Love and Promises #2
GENRE: Inspirational Amish Fiction
PUBLISHER: Forever
RELEASE DATE: November 27, 2018
PAGES: 384

“A beautiful story of forgiveness and second chances.” -Shelley Shepard Gray, New York Times bestselling author

They won’t see eye-to-eye until they meet heart-to-heart…

Kyle Miller never planned on becoming a country doctor. But when he’s offered a medical practice in his sleepy hometown, Kyle knows he must return… and face the painful past he left behind. Except the Amish community isn’t quite ready for Kyle. Especially the pretty midwife who refuses to compromise her herbal cures and Amish traditions with his modern medicine…

The more Leah Stoltzfus works with the handsome Englisch doctor, the more she finds herself caught between the expectations of her family and her own hopes for the future. It will take one surprising revelation and one helpless baby in need of love to show Leah and Kyle that their bond may be greater than their differences… if Leah can find the courage to follow her heart

Other Books In This Series

Some people may think I’m a huge fan of Amish fiction, but that’s not entirely true. I’m not a fan of the Amish utopia fiction, where the simpler life seems to equate with a life of no ‘real’ struggles. Perhaps the struggles are real to the utopic Amish communities but nothing I can relate to in my decidedly un-Amish life. (I do love my air conditioning. Just saying.) I am a fan, however, of good fiction written in an engaging way that sweeps me up into the story – with characters whose joys and struggles and sorrows are things I experience on some level too, no matter what time period or different-from-mine way of life they live in. As such, I have a handful of favorite Amish-fiction authors, and Rachel Good is one of them.

Her stories are warm and multi-dimensional and The Amish Midwife’s Secret is a prime example. The plot isn’t a typical one for Amish fiction (much like the first book in this series, as well), and I was fascinated with the unique insights I gleaned from the well-researched details and the events that unfolded. From midwifery to homeopathic remedies to other interesting tidbits that I won’t go into here lest I spoil anything for you, I was intrigued to see how it would all play out (the dwindling time left in my Kindle copy worried me for a bit there!) and what would happen next.

Leah and Kyle fight a strong mutual attraction in spite of their different backgrounds and beliefs, differences which make it seemingly impossible for them to be together. The important thing to their story, though, wasn’t the sparks that sizzled whenever they were in close proximity, but what God was doing in each of their hearts individually.

Bottom Line: Wonderfully written, emotional and sweet story about forgiving one’s self and adjusting to the unexpected twists of life. Layered characters who feel like old friends and intriguing details that bring a fresh take to the Amish fiction genre. Rachel J. Good’s Love and Promises series is a compelling peek into how Amish and non-Amish coexist in close-knit communities, and I’m very much looking forward to book #3!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4.5 stars / love it!

KissingBook Level: 3 / May forget to breathe on occasion

Inspirational author Rachel J. Good writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. The author of several Amish romance series, she grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for many of her stories. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family events.

Rachel’s Amish series include Sisters & Friends (Charisma House/Harlequin), Love & Promises (Grand Central), Hearts of Amish Country (Annie’s Book Club), and Surprised by Love as well as several anthologies—Springs of Love, Love’s Thankful Heart, Plain Everyday Heroes—and the Amish Quilts Coloring Books.

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The Amish and Herbal Remedies

As many of you know, my Amish novels are based on real life. I get ideas from hanging around Amish friends, hearing their stories and observing their lives. I’d never invade their privacy by telling their stories exactly as they happen, but the things I learn trigger plot ideas.

I’ve always been fascinated by the way the Amish approach healing. Once thing I’ve learned is that, although they’re usually willing to visit doctors, they don’t always take the medicines that are prescribed. Instead, they often substitute herbal remedies. That, and several visits to one of my favorite Amish natural products stores, gave me an idea for one of the conflicts in The Amish Midwife’s Secret.

Leah, an Amish midwife, prefers herbal remedies. Of course, that puts her in direct conflict with Kyle, the new Englisch doctor in town, who only believes in science and traditional medicine. Put the two together and lots of sparks fly. Of course, some of those sparks are also of a romantic nature.

Leah is not only a midwife, but her family owns a natural products store. She knows the best herbs for healing. Rather than sending a small boy to the hospital for pneumonia, Leah covers the baby’s chest with a warm mixture of onions and other herbs and spices (some Amish friends prefer raw onion for congestion), and she feds the baby fresh pineapple juice for his cough.

As a doctor, Kyle is horrified. He wants to admit the baby to a hospital at once. And he expects the old country doctor he’s replacing to back him up. Instead, Dr. Hess informs Kyle that many of the Amish go to doctors for a diagnosis, but then rely on herbal treatments rather than prescriptions.

Kyle, who’s been debating about whether to stay in Amish country or move to a big-city hospital, decides to remain in Lancaster and make it his mission to prevent the Amish midwife from harming newborns and their mothers. He certainly doesn’t expect to have his eyes opened to other ways to handle illnesses. But he has to admit, Leah’s methods do seem to work. When a crisis comes, they soon discover that it takes both of them to save a baby.

***

A extra little secret: Those of you who get my newsletter already know this, but Kyle in The Amish Midwife’s Secret appeared in two earlier books. The Midwife story stands alone, but if you want to know more about Kyle and Emma’s past, you can find it in the Sisters & Friends series, Book 1, Change of Heart, and Book 2, Buried Secrets.

Other Books by Rachel J. Good

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a grand prize package of two faceless Amish dolls and an autographed copy of The Amish Midwife’s Secret and Plain Everyday Heroes!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries! Click the link below to enter.

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This giveaway is hosted by Celebrate Lit, not RimSP
Follow along with the tour for more chances to win!

What about you? Do you use home remedies?