Still Waters

Author: Patricia Johns
Genre: Amish Romance
Series: The Amish of Shepherd's Hill #2
Pages: 352
Release Date: November 4, 2025
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Their hidden past brings questions about their future . . . together.

Unsure of her future within the Amish community, Beth Peachy arrives in Lancaster County for the summer to care for her ailing grandmother. Yet with dementia threatening to steal away Mammi's memories, Beth's visit quickly evolves into an urgent search for answers to questions that her relatives seem determined to avoid. How can Beth possibly make a lifelong vow to the Amish church when her own family is concealing so much of the past from her?

Beth's childhood friend Danny Lapp faces his own dilemma as his ex-Amish older brother turns his back on their family upbringing, dishonoring his Plain heritage. Struggling to find some sort of connection with his brother despite their deep difference of opinion, Danny is determined to find a solution before church leadership becomes involved. As Beth and Danny reconnect and seek to help each other in their search for answers, they find themselves stirring up not only surprising revelations about the past, but questions about a possible future--together.

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Reviewer: Marta Aldrighetti

The story is set in a Pennsylvania Amish  church district called Shepherd’s Hill.

Beth Peachy is one of the main characters. She went to Shepard’s Hill to help her Grandma pack up and move with her parents. She is not yet baptized, so many doubts are in her mind.

“Was it here amongst the Amish who know her best, or out there with the freedom  to follow her passions?”

She dreams of her future, but she longed to know her past, about all her father’s past.

Nobody mentions it. It seems it is a mystery, and this intrigues Beth.

This story is about family: abuse and rescue, mystery and truth, silence and heavy souls, trust and help, sickness and support... so many topics that occur also in English families and something to think about. 

Recently (November 13) it was Kindness Day.

I think all the days of the year could be Kindness Day.

A supportive partner, family and village can help you live better.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews and NetGalley.

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Reviewer: Lori Parrish

A beautiful quote that I wish I could use for my review alone:

“When one person went Englisch, it broke a lot of hearts. It shook up a whole family, and it left people frustrated and aching. Roots mattered, because when you tore them up, a lot of damage was done. But when they continued to push deeper into the ground, they found everything they needed — nourishment, comfort, meaning, belonging. That choice for the church wasn’t a game. It was everything that mattered.”

Family matters, friendship and truth. Sometimes it is good to get the truth out, no matter how hurtful it is. It will give the body peace and comfort. Or supposed to.

This was an incredibly beautiful story. I just finished it. It made my afternoon go by fast because I really enjoyed it

Patricia Johns has done really well with this book. Especially with the heartbreaking subjects. I wanted to cry for Mammi. Changes can be difficult for people. I definitely understand that part. What Mammi’s going through really breaks my heart.

Beth is who I was worried about. I love her character. She’s grown up outward, but what about on the inside? I agree with her about her parents treating her a certain way because they think she’s still a kid, but is she really? Why send her to her Mammi if she’s not ready?

It’s not good to hold secrets, or is it? I don’t blame Beth for trying to figure things out.

Oh yes, I did NOT like Zac, Danny’s brother. I didn’t like the things he did or said to his family. Especially his Mamm. How awful.

Y’all just have to pick up this beautiful story to find out! This story had everything that I love about the Amish people. I enjoyed feeling lime a part of their community. I hated saying goodbye.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley.

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Reviewer: Elizabeth Eckmeyer

Beth is visiting her grandmother as she had in years past. This time she is helping her grandmother clean her house to sell. Due to her grandmother’s declining dementia, she is unable to live alone. Beth makes it her mission for the summer to find out family secrets before it’s too late.

Danny has spent his childhood summers with Beth. Now that he is an adult, he is trying to figure out his life. His brother Zach has left the Amish and is trying to take his siblings with him to the world. 

Jonas is a single man that is longing for more. He has been spending time with the town veterinarian. His parents are pushing him to settle down. 

Tabitha is the town veterinarian who came back after leaving the Amish. She isn’t able to get remarried due to her divorce from her worldly husband. As she has come back to the Amish, fitting in has been challenging. 

This is the second book in the series, and it is as good as the first! The continuation of the story goes deeper into the town of Shepherds Hill. We meet new characters, and secrets come to light in this small Amish community. I highly recommend this story! 

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.

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Reviewer: Trixi Oberembt

I really enjoyed this story by a new-to-me author! First of all, Amish is a favorite genre I like to read in, and secondly, I love the message of trying to find our place in the world but discovering the truth that wherever God has placed us is where we’ll find home.

Beth Peachy has a lot of unanswered questions that make her feel restless for something she thinks she longs for: freedom and opportunities in the English world she doesn’t have being Amish. Her family has never shared stories of her family, especially her Daet (dad), and she longs to know his history. She’s determined to find those answers when she stays with her Mammi (grandma) for the summer to help care for her. But will those answers satisfy her, especially when she begins to harbor feelings for a certain Amish man she’s known since childhood? Will love be enough to make her stay?

Danny Lapp is wholeheartedly Amish and content with Gott’s (God) lot in his life. He loves his family, his place within his community, and is firm in his faith. There’s only one thing he longs for; the love of a good woman and eventual kinner (children). That woman happens to be Beth—his childhood friend who visited with her family during the summer months. Can he convince her to commit to the Amish faith and his heart before it’s too late?

There’s also Danny’s brother Zach, who has left the Amish faith, and Tabitha, the Amish veterinarian, who came back to her Amish faith and life after her English husband died. These made great secondary characters who added so much to the story! I didn’t read the first book, but I had no trouble keeping up because the author gave enough backstory to Green Pastures. 

The ending was so surprising and satisfying that I can’t wait for the next installment! This certainly won’t be my last book by Patricia Johns. I already love her writing voice. She kept me engaged throughout the entire book and longing for more.

I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley. No favorable review was required, and all opinions here are mine alone.

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