Breaking New Ground - by Amy Clipston

Breaking New Ground by Amy Clipston has Korey Bontrager returning home to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I am glad that Korey is returning home and it seems his time away has matured him. Korey’s attitude toward his stepmother has also changed. He is still struggling with how he feels toward his brother, Tyler who is now married to Korey’s former girlfriend. Korey needs to find a way to heal the rift between him and his brother. He needs to find a way to forgive. Savannah Zook is the only one of her girlfriends who does not have a boyfriend. Her friends are determined to find Savannah a beau. Korey is having a similar problem. His family believes it is time for him to start dating. Savannah and Korey can help each other by having a pretend relationship. Breaking New Ground is a heartfelt tale. I enjoyed getting to know Savannah and her family. I admit that I was not a fan of Korey in the earlier books. I was happy to see that he is not the same angry, bitter fellow who departed for Ohio. I like the mature Korey. He still has some things to work out, but we are all works in progress. I can understand Korey’s struggle with forgiveness. It can be hard to forgive someone who has wronged you especially when it is a family member. Savannah finds herself going through an emotional time when someone from her past returns. She must make a tough decision. Savannah also finds herself grappling with forgiveness. She knows that she is supposed to forgive, but Savannah anger are getting in the way. I like that we get to catch up with the characters from Foundation of Love and Building a Future. There is some predictability to the story as well as repetitive details. However, those aspects are overshadowed by great characters, the touching moments, the humor, the close friendships, and the loving family members. I like how the author worked the title into the story. My favorite line from Breaking New Ground is, “We’re all different. I’m different from mei bruders, but God gives us all our own gifts.” I am looking forward to Jayden’s story in The Heart’s Shelter. It will be interesting to see who ends up being Jayden’s romantic partner. I find Jayden to be a mature and insightful young man. Breaking New Ground is a poignant tale that will tug at your heartstrings (keep the box of tissues nearby). While Breaking New Ground can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the series in order. It will allow you to get to know the characters along with their struggles and the community. Breaking New Ground is an uplifting tale with a returning brother, matchmaking chums, finding a friend, a dissatisfied sibling, an uninvited visitor, a difficult decision, and finding forgiveness.

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. Breaking New Ground is the third book in the Amish Legacy Novel series. I enjoyed reading the other books in this series, and was anxious to get to read Koreys story. Korey was a mess, he was emotionally hurt, and lashed out far too often. He was also devoted to his mama who passed away, and we all have a soft spot for boys who love their mamas. I couldn’t wait to see his attitude change and for him to finally make up with his family. Korey wasn’t afraid to let people know when he wasn’t happy. Especially if it was his dad or his brothers. His dad falling in love wasn’t part of his plan, and not being able to stand life at home anymore, he went away to another county to move on with his life. Little did he know, that wasn’t God’s plan for him. Korey being back with his family and working on being a changed man was fun to watch. But now that he’s back home, everyone is anxious for him to settle down and get married. Feeling pressure from all sides, Korey agrees to a plan to pretend like he is dating a girl he knew years ago. Savannah is also tired of the pressure and just wants her brother to be happy. Neither can imagine what life has in store for them, but it’s a worthwhile ride. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Amish Romance Fiction. I enjoyed every moment I spent reading this book, and can’t wait to see what Clipston comes up with next. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan Publishers and was in no way forced to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Finally, the true Korey Bontrager is being revealed! I must admit that I've mightily struggled with this character's actions in the first two books of the Amish Legacy novels. He displayed anger, resentment, and total silence toward his new stepmother, disrespected his father, and left home because of a disagreement with his brother Tyler. Is the person who's back home in Lancaster County the same bitter Korey, or has his time away given him a new perspective? Breaking New Ground has so many intriguing elements. There's a pretend romance, the middle-child syndrome, and a prodigal son longing to return home, along with the universal need for forgiveness and redemption. Yes, Korey Bontrager has finally been redeemed in my eyes but will his family and friends feel the same? Author Amy Clipston excels in heartwarming romance, happily-ever-afters, and Amish fiction. Breaking New Ground definitely fits the bill!! I received a complimentary copy from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.

I'm going to start out by saying, after reading the first two books in Amy Clipston's 'Amish Legacy' series, I did NOT like middle son, Korey Bontrager. He came across as just plain disagreeable. Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to reading his story, but Clipston is in the business of redemption both in her character's personal lives, and in their spiritual lives, and she definitely turned Korey around. When his father remarried, then his older brother 'stole' his girlfriend and married her, Korey Bontrager left his home in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania to work in a factory in Ohio. Yes, there was some door-slamming and stomping off involved, and he gave every indication that he was a champion grudge-holder. Fast-forward a little over a year, and Korey has returned home to make things right with his family. Influenced by an elderly Amishman in Ohio, he has realized that his family is important to him, and that the rift in the family is all his doing. Can he dial back his emotions enough to see everything from another viewpoint? While Savannah Zook's friends are all pairing off, she is actively avoiding dating. She has seen herself as her brother's main caregiver since she was 5 years old and he was an infant, when their mother died in childbirth, and their father abandoned them. Even though she's now 25 and he's 20, she still feels responsible for his happiness. When her friends start setting her up on blind dates, she can't convince them she's not interested, so she cooks up a scheme with Korey to fake date each other. His family believes that a relationship will cement his staying in the community, and her friends won't stop the blind date nonsense unless she's off the market. As Korey and Savannah spend time with each other, they discover a deep friendship. As they confide their deepest hurts, and their greatest joys, they also find out that fake dating can lead to not so fake feelings. Can they find a way out of their pretend courtship, to a place where they can share their real feelings with each other? This was the perfect way to tell Korey's story. Yes, he turns around, but it's not immediate, which would not have looked genuine, knowing his personality. I worked with a teacher once who said that there is a "miracle of maturity' that happens sometime between the 8th and 9th grade years, and I felt like Korey had his maturity miracle hit while he was in Ohio. He learned to bite his tongue and not spout off when his temper flared. He learned to think before he spoke, and to walk away before he said words he couldn't take back. He still had he emotional highs and lows, but he found a friend he could talk things out with when he found Savannah. I loved the way they helped each other. All in all, this was a wonderful read that - once I started it - I couldn't put it down. Readers who love Amish romance should pick up Breaking New Ground. While it can be read as a stand-alone story, it is far more satisfying to read it in sequence with the first two books. Korey's transformation is far more dramatic if you first see what he was like in the first two books. I definitely recommend!

I love finding out the title’s connection to the story and this one was not exactly what I thought it would be, but it fit perfectly. Korey and Savannah had differing family situations that they were working through. I’m a stubborn person sometimes but Savannah had me beat by miles! Korey and Savannah needed to give forgiveness to certain family members but especially to themselves. They had instigated a deception to their families and friends that seemed innocent to them at the time but was selfish on their part. The strong family bonds that formed and grew stronger as each page was turned was appreciated by this reader. Characters grew in their abilities and faith as each day came and went. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher but was not required to write a review positive or otherwise.

Amy Clipston has done it again with this 5 star read and the telling of Korey's story. We left Korey angry and disillusioned at the end of book 2 but in book 3 we see a whole different Korey. I was once asked the question, did I have a favorite Bontrager and I said definitely not Korey. Let's scrap that now. I don't have a favorite I love the three brothers and their "dat" equally. This is a mature, kind hearted, loving, giving and wonderful Korey and so many times he brought me tears with his humility. Thank you Amy for sharing his story with us. Each book in this series just gets better and better and pulls the reader in from the very first written word to the very lost. Be sure and have your tissues ready for this one. If you are a fan of Amy Clipston books then you will not miss this one. I am sure you have been waiting excitedly for the release. If you are new to Amy Clipston you could read this out of order but you will want to go back and read books one and two. Thank you so much Amy for all the wonderful books you write. Both your Amish fiction and contemporary books site with pride on my bookshelf. Thank you so much for the ARC and for the pleasure of being part of your street team. I am humbled and flattered. This review represents truly my own feelings and sentiments.