Her Secret Hope by Shelley Shepard Gray ~ A Review

by Susan Roberts

"A Season in Pinecraft" series is about three Amish girls who meet when they are all headed to Pinecraft, Florida for vacation and become best friends.  They all have different backgrounds and reasons for their trip but their friendship strengthens each other to try new things in their lives. Her Secret Hope is Lilly's story.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

November 2023; Revell; 978-0800745097
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); Amish romance

Lilly has decided to make a fresh start in Pinecraft and live there.  She gets a job cleaning rooms, is able to spend time with her best friends, and quickly begins to feel accepted by her co-workers.  She meets Eddie, an Amish farmer who has brought his grandmother to Florida for vacation but is anxious to get back to his farm.  The sparks fly between Lilly and Eddie but she has left home for good searching for acceptance while he is anxious to return to his home.  Is there any hope of a future for them since they have totally different goals for their lives?  Is there any chance that she'll return to a home where she never felt accepted because she was adopted?  

I enjoyed all three books in this trilogy.  The author is able to write very realistic characters with real-life problems.  Lilly was so likable and it was easy to understand why she needed to leave her family and move somewhere totally different.  Neither Lilly nor Eddie were looking for love but life has a way of changing the best plans and their path to their happily ever after is full of problems and almost deal-breakers!

Background Information:

Pinecraft is a community sitting on the edge of the city of Sarasota, Florida. During the heat of the summer, Pinecraft is home to several hundred Amish people who call the place home. During the cooler winter months, Pinecraft comes alive with thousands of Amish visitors who are seeking a break from farming or building furniture in their northern communities. During December, January, and February, Amish from all over the United States and Canada, call Pinecraft home for a little while.

NOTE:  Her Secret Hope is Book 3 in "A Season in Pinecraft" series but can be read as a standalone with minimal confusion.  The trilogy is very good and it's always better to read a series in order.  Here are my reviews of the Books 1 and 2 in the series:

Her Heart's Desire - see review here

Her Only Wish - see review here

Buy Her Secret Hope at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is two hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.   

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Or Follow Girl Who Reads with Bloglovin. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.