The Shop Down the Lane by Leslie Gould
Series: Letters from Lancaster County
Publisher:  Bethany House
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Genre:  Amish Romance

Leslie Gould delights in this sweet and humorous Amish romance reminiscent of The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail.

Lois Yoder has always found solace in the quiet life of Paradise, Pennsylvania, where she manages a gift shop that reflects her Amish community’s simple values. Her tranquil world is upended when Moses Lantz, a former Amishman turned Mennonite and the man who broke her heart, buys the shop with ambitious plans to transform it into a tourist hub–a move that Lois fiercely opposes.

Seeking a distraction, Lois joins a bird watchers’ circle letter under an alias. But unknown to her, Moses does the same at the urging of a friend. While their correspondence blossoms into a tender romance, the enmity between Lois and Moses in real life only intensifies. Can they overcome their animosity and embrace the love they’ve found through their letters, or will their stubborn hearts keep them apart forever?

This heartwarming Amish romance includes themes of bird watching, correspondence by letters, enemies to lovers, and family secrets for readers of Beverly Lewis, Wanda E. Brunstetter, and Shelley Shepard Gray.

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My Review and Reflections

The Shop Down the Lane is a slower-paced story in the best sort of way. The details are vivid and bright, and you can see yourself birdwatching in Paradise.

I love how Lois is both independent and vulnerable at the same time. She lives on her own, but at the same time has trouble standing up to the Bishop or her brother. I didn’t care for her brother, Randy, who held very outdated views (even within the Amish community). Although Lois’s Bishop did seem to be encouraging Randy in this thought pattern.

Moses is a man with a mission, a good one, but also one that is leading him to value obtaining businesses (and money) over other important things. He seems to have chosen to walk away from the Amish church, not due to his beliefs, but because he holds himself to such high expectations—expectations that don’t seem to be popular with the Amish community.

I enjoyed the circle letter aspect of the book—getting glimpses not only into what Lois and Moses were writing but also seeing what the circle letter manager was writing. And especially how the encouraging words from the circle letter leader impacted both Lois and Moses. Because the book was slower-paced, I kept reading and reading, and I’m thinking, when is he going to say something, when is she going to say something? When the ending came, it was so satisfying, but I was also screaming—I want more! Thank goodness this is the first in a series.

There are so many reasons to read this book besides the fact that it’s an Amish romance—troubled relationships (both romantic and familial), birdwatching, to see what a loving son looks like, and the great ending. And if you love a series that draws you in at book one, then you have to read this.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from the publisher and author. All opinions are my own.

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