Christine and her sisters Mattie and Rosetta sold their farms to but Promise Lodge and start a new community, a community that spousal abuse wasn’t tolerated and peace was the promise of living there.  Christine was at her sister Mattie’s wedding and Christine was happy for Maddie especially with getting a second chance at love with her husband. Christine was very attracted to Bishop Monroe Burkholder and she hoped he was just as attracted to her. Christine s a widow with two daughters who were young women. Christine was Amish as were all the people at Promise Lodge. Monroe asked Christine if he could spend the day with her and he had some important decisions he wanted to discuss with Christine. Monroe’s preachers for hsi people were Eli and Amos who was now Christine's brother in law. But Amos had some doubts about the new Bishop and after awhile Monroe would go to Amos about his doubts. Christine was a widow for two years and two daughters who were now young women- Laura and Phoebe.

I couldn’t really get into this book. I usually love a good Amish novel. I just couldn’t connect with the characters. This didn’t hold my interest like most Amish novels do. I am sure others will love this. It just wasn’t for me.

I am a huge Charlotte Hubbard fan, I have been reading her books for a few years now which is kind of shocking being as my go to genre is paranormal. Charlotte doesn't need any hosts or ghouls to bring her fascinating tales of Amish families to life. This book is the my favorite so far of all of her books I have read, and I have loved them all. As a Stepmom myself I can relate to some of this of this book, and enjoyed all of this book. Perfect book with Mother's Day just around the corner.

The book is about Leah Otto, a real Tomboy. Instead of learning to cook and sew like most Amish girls, Leah helped her father with the farm animals. When she was about 13 she goes with her father to auctions and she meets Jude Shetler who is calling the action.

Years later Jude is a widower with 3 children. He has twin 16 year old girls and a 5 year old boy. Jude and Leah fall in love and decide to marry. Both of their families do not believe this to be a good idea, and the night before the wedding tell each of them their thoughts on the marriage. But they go through with it anyway.

Once married the twins really test Leah to the point after just a few months Leah is just miserable. She has kept all the things the girls have done to her over the past few months to herself, but at her wits end tells Jude she cannot live with him anymore. Jude unlike a lot of men steps in to keep his family together.

This is not just a case of telling the girl to be nice to their new step mom. It goes way further then that. Already acting out and dating English men the girls over hear Jude tell Leah that he is not their biological father.

While trying to get their little family straightened out. One night they hear a car pull up then leave, then a cry of a baby. Someone has left a tiny baby on their porch. Leah now has to decide how she can make them all a family.

Rose’s mother Lydia was dying from cancer and Rose prayed all night for God to heal her. Gracie was Rose’s five year old precious daughter. Rose and her family were Amish. It had been very hard and sad this fall and winter as last summer there had been a fire at the sawmill that took Rose’s father and husbands- Nathan’s- lives. Rose’s mother had been in remission from breast cancer as a young woman for the last thirty years. After losing her husband Lydia’s cancer seem to come back with a vengeance. Lydia told Rise there was a stationary box in her drawer that would explain everything. Lydia also added not to try to find her they had promised Rose wouldn’t  After her mother passed away rose went and got the box and she found out Lydia and Myron were not her biological parents. She had been born of a sixteen year old girl during her rumspringa - Roseanne and a boy named Joel had left the Amish as he was an artist. Lydia had been crying when Roseanne’s great aunt seen her and found out because of the cancer Lydia would never be able to have her own child.  Afew hours after Rose was born it was set up for Lydia and Myron to adopt baby Rose. Roseanne stayed with Lydia and Myron for eight months  until Rose had been weaned. After she had left she went by Anne as she had left her Rose behind.  Rose went to the store owned by Sam. Rose and a man collided as he came into the shop. Sam told rose the man’s name was Matthias and he had a harness shop in Willow Ridge. Matthias asked what he could do for Rose Matthias thought about a date and he was shocked as he had not thought about another woman since Sadie his wife had died with their unborn first child  three years ago.  As Matthias was moving to Morning Star he realized this was the first time he had lived alone in his life’ He also thought how Gracie would bring this house to life. He also thought about Rose. Rose went around to neighboring time and left index cards on the message board at the plain stores  asking for work as she needed to support herself and Gracie. She got a call from the Senior Center in Morning Star to cook. They had a plain woman before and the people living there had loved her cooking. But the woman had to leave. Rose was offered the job and Gracie could be with her. After a rain storm Sherrie Rose an vacant apartment where her and Gracie could stay during the week instead of going back and forth every day. Gracie made friends with the people that lived at the center. Mathias said he would keep their horse and buggy. Rose also met her biological mother Anne and Anne’s mother in law Martha Meade.

I loved this book it showed a lot about the Amish way of life and how the Amish still sin and have to ask God to forgive them and to trust God to lead them in his will. I loved Rose and Matthias together and felt Gracie was the star of this book.  I loved Anne and her mother in law  and Sherrie also. This was just an enjoyable easy read. I couldn’t find anything to criticize in this book  and that was of course absolutely great!!!  At times I smiled and at times I choked up while reading this book. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

Loretta and her younger sister live with their amish father Cornelius Most of the time Cornelius is mean and grumpy especially to his daughters. Cornelius is keeping as secret from the community as well as his daughters. The community does wonder why Deacon Cornelius goes to Kansas City so often for clock parts. Drew is a former “ bad boy” and he wants to make up for his past mistakes and has changed his way. But he is a newcomer to the community and people are guarded in their regards to Drew He is t a twin to Loretta’s brother in law. Drew had tried to marry Loretta’s sister. Loretta wants some adventure in her life and has turned to Drew. Drew feels he and Loretta have a lot in common. Drew is respected for he had some talented upholstery skills.  Will had twin children from a previous relationship but leaves the twins with his brother. Loretta had been engaged to Will but her dad had broke it up. Will wanted Loretta back and to become engaged again  and marry but Loretta says no.Will is very upset with Loretta’s decision.  Loretta makes rugs for the Simple Gifts shop she also works there. Then there is Rebecca who is one of a set of triplets. Rebecca is interested in Wyatt who is a farm owner. Rebecca was brought up english and Wyatt was surprised when he seen Rebecca in Amish clothes.

I had mixed feelings about this book. There was a lot of drama in this book and I don’t think that is normal in Amish stories at least not in the ones I have read before.I also felt there were too many plots or stories going on to make this an enjoyable read. This was suppose to be able to be read as a stand alone novel but I felt I missed out on a lot and may have liked this a lot better if I had read the other book[s] first. I felt Drew and Loretta's romance was rushed but I did love Drew wanted Loretta to have her peaceful happy family and life. I did laugh at times while reading this. I liked the plot or at least one of them. As I said there was things I liked about this book then some not so much. I think someone else will love this book just wasn’t meant for me.

Weddings at Promise Lodge is the 3rd book in the Promise Lodge series. This is also the 3rd book I have read. Charlotte Hubbard has done an amazing job with this series. You feel like you at at Promise Lodge. The characters in the book feel like friends at this point. You take a deep look into the lives of this little group of people. It's hard to believe that this book and these people are fiction. Charlotte makes them seem so real. This is my favorite book so far in the series, but I also said that after I finished book 1 and again after book to so when book 4 comes along I am sure I will say it again. The strange part is this is not usually the type of story I read, but I am hooked.

In Weddings at Promise Lodge the book starts out with Mattie and Preacher Amos finally getting married. Christine and the new Bishop's relationship is really kicking into overdrive. Rosetta and Truman are still plugging along and talk to the Bishop about marrying them, even though she will be marrying out of their religion. Truman is a Mennonite.

All sounds good and happy until new people and problems show up at Promise Lodge. Preacher Amos is a bit skeptical about the new Bishop already but when a young woman Leola shows up pronouncing she is to marry him and that he has ruined her, the questions and doubts really start flying from Preacher Amos, but Christine stays steadfast in her loyalty to Bishop Monroe Burkholder and knows things will work out for them. There is something wrong with Leola though and everyone can see it but Amos. She has run away from home without her medication. So the Bender sisters band together to take care of Leola until her family can be reached and she be returned home.

Then a beautiful blond girl Maria shows up. She wants to rent one of the apartments and bring her bakery building to Promise Lodge. Immediately Rosetta gets a bad feeling, especially when she sees how chummy Truman is with her.

This book really runs the gambit of emotions, more so then with the other 2 books. There is love, loss, jealousy, happiness, sadness and so much more. It is a real rollercoaster, that I would love to ride again. I cannot wait for the 4th book.