Amy Lillard

I often describe suspense novels as "can't put it down" page-turners, but these are also the perfect words for The Amish Bachelor's Promise! This heartwarming romance kept me turning the pages to see if Evie and Freeman would recognize what everyone else already knew. Would these childhood friends realize that they were exactly what the other needed?

Author Amy Lillard perfectly captures their insecurities and doubts as Evie and Freeman contemplate a different relationship. The Amish show more Bachelor's Promise is a captivating romance with delightful characters, a lovely setting, and a touching resolution! I recommend it to all who enjoy clean romance.

I received a digital ARC from the author. There was no obligation for a positive review. show less

The biggest reason I return to read more books in a cozy mystery series is because of the characters, and Amy Lillard does a wonderful job with writing them in Can’t Judge a Book by Its Murder, the first book in the Main Street Book Club Mysteries.

Lillard really shines with Fern, Camille, and Helen, the elderly ladies in the book club that help Arlo investigate. Each one has a distinct personality with fun quirks. I love how Fern seems a bit mean, Camille is very resourceful and I could show more see her in a spy novel, and Helen is the perfect touch of caring that Arlo needs. And the two animals in the book, the store parrot and Chloe’s cat, add another layer of humor to the book.

The first book in a series can sometimes be awkward while the author works out the flow, and I did find that with Can’t Judge a Book by Its Murder. The first fourth of the book had Arlo and Chloe rehashing the same thoughts, but once Chloe got arrested things started to pick up.
I’m not a huge fan of love triangles in a cozy and there seems to be one brewing, but hopefully Arlo picks a beau quickly… we shall see. But this is just a personal preference, may be something you enjoy, and wouldn’t stop me from reading more in the series.
And there were really unbelievable things that happened when it came to Chloe’s treatment as a murder suspect, but since it’s a cozy I was able to overlook this and enjoy the story.

I am looking forward to book two, A Murder Between the Pages, and the further adventures of Arlo and the book club ladies! show less

Author Amy Lillard has a new notch in her writing belt! The title and cover of The Secrets We Keep immediately captured my attention, but it is the complex story inside that sealed the deal. It is layered with doubts, distrust, and an underlying question about the validity of secrets. We keep secrets with the hopes of avoiding hurt and embarrassment, but are they beneficial? Will they eventually harm the people we are trying to protect?

Lillard shares an engaging tale of a young Amish woman show more who seeks help from an ex-boyfriend visiting Cedar Creek, the Amish community where they both grew up. He broke her heart when he left, and time has changed them and the innocent lives they once shared! Suspicions relating to suicide, murder, and even bullying have invaded this seemingly peaceful Amish community, so their reunion is a bittersweet and poignant reminder of Thomas Wolfe's observations in his classic novel, "You Can't Go Home Again".

This isn't the usual Amish romance or cozy mystery that we've come to expect in an Amy Lillard novel. It's an Amish thriller that will keep you turning the pages to discover the truth!

I received an ARC from the publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. show less

Imogene Yoder is a widow who desperately needs help raising her twin sons, Matthew and Mahlon, and who better to help her find a husband than an Amish romance writer? Astrid Kauffman rejects this matchmaking idea until she realizes that finding a husband for Imogene might help her spin a perfect plot for her next book.

'She had a plot. 'A brand-new plot to take a young widow and a handsome business owner and make them fall in love.'

There are complications galore in The Amish Matchmaker. show more Astrid finds the perfect candidate so what could possibly go wrong? Could it be that Ira Oberholzer would also be a perfect match for Astrid herself? I thoroughly enjoyed her often inept efforts to create the perfect romance for Imogene and Ira, and the antics of the two young Yoder twins and their new puppies, Huck and Hoss, had me laughing out loud. Mixed signals and romantic feelings for the wrong people make this an Amish romance that you won't soon forget, and I can't wait to read Amy Lillard's next book in the Paradise Valley series!

I received a digital copy of this book from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. show less