Indiana Amish Brides sounds irresistible to folks like me who want a relaxing romantic read. I enjoyed this unique but low-tension Amish romance.  THE BABY NEXT DOOR is a little girl belonging to Grace Troyer, an unmarried young woman. Naturally, many people assume she’s minding her cousin’s baby since she was off staying in her relatives’ community for a while and returned with the child Nicole but no husband.

Adrian Schrock lives next to Grace’s family, and he’s happily engaged in doing just what he loves – starting up a zoo and farm tour business. He’s exotic animal mad, and the barn expands to include a llama, sulky camel, goats and a blind donkey. The parrot, wild turkeys and three-legged dog round out the picture nicely. Grace thinks Adrian is obsessed with his animals, and partly he is, which is probably why it takes the young man so long to realise that Grace and Nicole look so alike.

Well, Grace isn’t accepted by all, even though nobody should cast the first stone. Adrian and his madcap idea to enlist Grace’s cookery skills for people taking the tour, seems like a bad idea to her at first. But a farmer has to put money in the jar to cover feed, vet bills and someday building a house. The older folks in the community are largely quiet during this story, and I think this indicates an acceptance of change, whether solar panels and pastel dresses, or more personal issues about living a good life in a new way. Whether Grace and Adrian can resolve their differences is another matter.

This adventure is full of character and movement, the scramble to round up escaped beasts or laughter with kids, and we read of hearty meals for the outdoor workers along with constant handcrafting by women indoors. This summer story by popular author Vannetta Chapman hits the right spot for me - THE BABY NEXT DOOR, Nicole, is a source of joy and fulfilment, but also of more than one kind of tension. Come along to Goshen, Indiana and get to know the good folks over ice cream, pies or home-made cheese. You’ll be kept busy and entertained, with this charming slice of Indiana Amish life.  

Book Summary