While still wearing black clothes as a sign of grieving for the loss of her husband, Jesse, Miriam had found a good and satisfying way to take care of her twin daughters, Rachel and Rhoda. Doing what she does best, baking and cooking for others, she partnered with her good friend, Naomi Brenneman, and together they have made the Sweet Seasons Bakery Café a thriving success with its delicious and comforting food.

Naomi's handsome son and a gifted carpenter, Micah, also loves eating at the café. He loved the food almost as much as having the opportunity to be with his beloved Rachel. With a happy contentment, Rachel and Micah had promised each other to be together but had not as yet publicly announced their engagement as was customary in Amish communities.

As Rhoda and Rachel cheerfully served customers in the busy café, Rachel went to serve a young woman with dyed witch black hair dressed in tight black jeans and black tank top that left no doubt that her tattoos were real. But, when the gothic dressed woman raises her eyes to stare at her, Rachel was shocked to see that her eyes were exactly like her twin's. Feeling totally befuddled, she quickly runs to the kitchen. As she tells her mother about the woman, she is greatly surprised by mother's reaction as she immediately goes to the girl's side and seems to go in a stage daze when a small bit of pink cloth falls out of the stranger's bag.

Could this really be Rebecca? Caught off-guard by a flash flood in 1993, the young mother Miriam had to handle her three triplets to get them to safety. As wee Rebecca has wiggled out of her arms, she thought she had lost her forever. Was it possible that this stranger called Tiffany is her long lost daughter?

As intricately and uniquely developed as flowers opening in summer, the very talented Charlotte Hubbard (Naomi King) has crafted a fascinating tale of past secrets, romance and cultural clashes that instantly pulls you deep into this heart-warming story right from its startling beginning to its very moving and satisfying conclusion. As the first book in the "Seasons of the Heart" series, Hubbard sets out an inspiring and captivating tale that puts a fresh and realistic spin on Amish romance stories.

Readers who enjoy the works of Beverley Lewis and Jan Karon will be thrilled to find that Hubbard's work is of similar ilk. The storyline and characters are realistic and they grow on you as they work through what is happening in their lives, or where their actions and intentions sometimes don't always go as planned and more secrets get unearthed. The author deftly shows a path for understanding how to discern God's will from what people feel they want to do. This is best reflected in Marian's prayers for God's guidance as she struggles with the direction Bishop Hiram Knepp wants her to go and Micah's determination to restore a family and learn from outsiders while striving to be true to the values of his community.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this book as a standalone story, I am looking forward to September 2012 for the next in the series, "Autumn Winds" to find out more about what happens to Rachel. SUMMER OF SECRETS is a delicious reading treat, complete with mouth-watering recipes from the Sweet Seasons bakery, that you will not want to miss!

Book Summary

Read an Excerpt