The Heart's Frontier

The Amish of Apple Grove, No. 1

By: Virginia Smith, Lori Copeland

Narrated by: Cecily White

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

An exciting new Amish-meets-Wild West adventure from bestselling authors Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith weaves an entertaining and romantic tale for devoted fans and new readers.

Kansas,1881--On a trip to visit relatives, Emma Switzer's Amish family is robbed of all their possessions, leaving them destitute and stranded on the prairie. Walking into the nearest trading settlement, they pray to the Lord for someone to help. When a man lands in the dust at her feet, Emma looks down at him and thinks, The Lord might have cleaned him up first.

Luke Carson, heading up his first cattle drive, is not planning on being the answer to anyone's prayers, but it looks as though God has something else in mind for this kind and gentle man. Plain and rugged--do the two mix? And what happens when a dedicated Amish woman and a stubborn trail boss prove to be each other's match?

©2012 Copeland, Inc. and Virginia Smith (P)2017 Copeland, Inc. and Virginia Smith

Delightful!! 💕

This is such a delightful story. It has everything you would want in a wholesome story of faith, romance and love. Each character is written with very unique personalities while being respectful to both the Amish faith and cowboy culture. The narration was very well done and definitely added dimension to this story. I highly recommended this clean listen and am looking forward to more in this series. 💓

I received a copy of the audiobook at no cost at my request and I'm voluntarily leaving this review . My thanks to the author and narrator for this opportunity. 😊

Good Christian Cross-Cultural Romance Story.

What made the experience of listening to The Heart's Frontier the most enjoyable?

This is a clean, Christian romance story that portrays the Amish and other Christians accurately and respectfully. The story is well-written with a well-paced plot and intriguing characters. The story is rife with situational humor as the Amish family and the cowboys work together. This is the first book I have read by these authors. The action scenes are very good and the story is both creative and believable. The dialogue is a bit predictable, but overall this is an excellent book. It is well worth a listen especially if you are fond of Amish, cowboy or Christian romance books.

Who was your favorite character and why?

While the two main characters are incredibly likeable and well-written, my favorite characters were Momma (the fiesty Amish grandmother with a proverb for every situation) and Griff (the stubborn, cranky old trail cook with a heart of gold). Their interactions are hilarious.

What does Cecily White bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Cecily White is a perfect narrator for this story. She nails the German parts as well as the cowboy and Amish accents. This adds immensely to the story. She also gives each character a distinct personality. I will look for more titles from this narrator.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

God works in mysterious ways. After an Amish family is robbed on the way to another Amish community, they pray to God for help. They did not expect to have that help be thrown out of a bar to land at their feet. This is one of many humorous examples of how God provides in this story. The others are just as humorous and unexpected.

Any additional comments?

I recieved a free review copy of this book from the author or publisher. I voluntarily left this review. Great book and family appropriate.

loved it

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! After listening to this story,. I totally enjoyed reading this book. It’s well written and the characters were uniquely fantastic. I would suggest this book to my friends that like this sort of genera. this was a good book. The narration was great.

Great book

This was a great book. It was exciting and had some romance and laughter as well. I thourgly enjoyed reading it. Thanks to audiobooks unleashed!

Loved it!

I loved this story! I listened to the audiobook and I so enjoyed the narrator too. Imagine an Amish woman and cowboy falling in love. This was the best of both worlds and I wondered how the author was going to keep these two together long enough to fall in love. But you know the authors did just that. And....kept it interesting and things happening all the time. Luke and Emma’s story was actually a fun read. Adding little sister, Mammi, Dad and the other cowboys to the mix was even better. I can’t wait to listen to the next two books in this series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Fascinating Adventure

Emma and her Amish family are robbed of all their belongings as they travel to move to a new location. After miles on foot, they finally arrive at a small town. Tired, unfamiliar with the ways of Englishers, and out of funds, they pray for God to help them. The answer literally falls at their feet when Luke is tossed out of a saloon and lands in front of them.

Luke is the trail boss of his first cattle drive. He is following in his father's footsteps and has every intention of arriving early at his destination. He was going to prove he could do this as well as his father had done for years and years. So when this Amish family views him as the answer to their prayers, he has to let them down. He makes certain they have a place to rest their heads, but that's the best he can do.

Will Luke leave this family stranded when he has the ability to help them? Will he risk arriving late at the destination of his first cattle drive? And why does Emma's disappointment and disgust bother him? As he rides off, he can't stop thinking of her.

The Heart's Frontier is the third Amish novel I've read, but the first historical Amish novel. I enjoyed it very much. Emma is a daring and decisive young lady. She is devoted to her Amish beliefs. But she cannot stop thinking about Luke. If he became Amish, she could marry him. But would he be willing to do that? Luke is devoted to God and he respects Emma's father's beliefs. But he's certain he could never live that lifestyle. Her father would never approve of him for his daughter. He must forget her. Will these two ever find a way to be together?

This is a well-written and adventurous story. It has great side characters which adds depth to the story. The main characters are especially well developed. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Great story

I couldn't stop listening! This story was very good, sweet and clean. I recommend it.

I LOVED it!

I really enjoyed both the story as well as the narration of this book. It's a bit of a different story than Lori's normal books but I enjoyed it every bit as much as her other books!

Enjoyed book

Never read a book that took place in the 1700. With the Amish and cowboys. Interesting take in like then. Enjoyed the grandmother in the book she so much fun.

WESTERN DAYS IN 1881

El Paso,Texas 1880’s.cattle drives, rustlers, robbers,Amish, and the Western day’s at that time. Nice blend when the rough and the plain meet. Their possessions are gone, when Luke comes upon them, wanting to help. Nice story full of laughs, and tears.
Given ARC audio.with the narration by Cecilia White was good, and added to the story.

Sweet Romance

Any additional comments?

I really liked this book more then I expected. I have read books in this genre before and some are better then others.

I believe the author did really well in portraing the characters, in that she made them more 3D, so they felt real in how they acted. Also the author did a great job in showing us the characters personality without being told. It was easy for me to picture them in my head by how they acted.
All the characters behaved in the way that I thought they would behave but it was not all black and white. It was actually an interesting read and made you think about your own personality and if you could have done what they did.

This is a clean read so it suitable for all and I would highly recommend it.
The narrator did a great job in voicing all the characters out and giving them there own personality.