Sweetbrier Creek, Book 2
From the publisher:
One Amish man helps to revive a young widow’s struggling orchard—and heal her heart—in this light, warmhearted Amish romance perfect for fans of Jo Ann Brown and Jocelyn McClay.
Widow Miriam Esh has to find a fiancé, or her overbearing bruder-in-law will sell her familye apple orchard. He’s already taken it upon himself to hire someone—likely another man presuming he knows what’s best for her land. But if she’s going to save it, Miriam must focus on finding a suitable husband, not on the new orchardist or on how good he is with her son, and definitely not on how his smile scatters her thoughts . . .
By the looks of things at the Esh estate, Daniel Beiler knows Miriam could use a hand. Only the stubborn widow doesn’t want to take any of his advice. Yet as they spend their days working side-by-side and sharing warm meals, Daniel and Miriam can’t deny the growing comfort in each other’s company. So when Miriam begins receiving attention from eligible men seeking a wife, Daniel must admit his feelings for her before it’s too late. With the promise that he’ll be the partner she can trust, can Daniel convince Miriam that he should also be the mann in her life?
I can’t review this without saying that the characters’ names hit weirdly close to home. Daniel is my son, his wife is Miriam, and their son is Jonah, the same as these characters. I can’t recall ever reading a book where all the main characters’ names were also names of my family members, and I thought it especially interesting as these characters are Amish, and my family is decidedly not!
Miriam is a young widow left with a little boy, Jonah. Her husband left half of their apple orchard to their son, and the other half to his brother who has no interest in the orchard. In fact, he wants to sell it, but Miriam is adamant that it is her son’s legacy and fights her brother-in-law as best as she can. She doesn’t have any legal standing, but that doesn’t deter her. They agree on a compromise; he will hire someone to run the orchard for a period of time, but he is moving on to a new job in a new town, and doesn’t want the responsibility of the orchard. She will find a husband who will let her keep the orchard; easier said than done.
The hired orchardist is Daniel, who has been working at another orchard for years, in hopes of purchasing it one day. Instead, the owner brings in his own family, and Daniel is out of a job. He is now hopeful that he will be able to buy Miriam’s orchard, but she is unaware of the deal he made with her brother-in-law.
Miriam grew up in this place and has been working in the orchard for most of her life, and she truly loves it. But she resents all the men in her life ignoring her knowledge and making decisions for her, instead of with her, including her own husband before he passed. Daniel is knowledgeable about orchards, but she still wants a say in any work that is being done. There is some miscommunication there, and Miriam is none too pleased with him. But she can’t help but appreciate how good he is with her son, who needs a man to look up to, and Daniel is the kind and gentle man she hoped for.
Miriam and Daniel butt heads continuously, until he finally wears her down and she starts to trust him. But he is keeping a secret from her, and he knows things are going to go sideways when she finds out. I really liked the strength Miriam showed throughout, and how she stuck to her guns despite her growing feelings for Daniel. Eventually, they work their way to one another, and a happy ending for this sweet family is found.
I read the first book in this series, An Amish Christmas Match, and really enjoyed it, but it is not necessary to read them in order. This book stands alone beautifully.
5/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
AN AMISH WIDOW’S PROMISE by Winnie Griggs. Forever (April 29, 2025). ISBN: 978-1538766392. 320p.
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