The Christmas House by Beverly Lewis

Book Details: 

Title: The Christmas House 

Author: Beverly Lewis

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Release Date: September 2, 2025

Pages: 146 

Genre: Amish Romance

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Book Description:

With the holidays approaching, Liz Lantz is dedicated to using her Hickory Hollow buggy tour business to share God's love with the Englisher tourists who visit her Lancaster County community. But when her father and brother are called away for a while, Dat finds a young Amishman to assist her on the tours in her brother's place, much to Liz's dismay. Regardless, the popularity of her Christmas House Buggy Tour means she could use the help, so as the countdown to Christmas begins, she works alongside Matthew Yoder, who quickly takes a genuine interest in the tour customers--and Liz.

As an Englisher family in Hickory Hollow expresses their festive spirit with a lavishly decorated house for the second year running, Liz's Amish community becomes increasingly concerned about attracting unwanted traffic and attention, and Liz wonders if there is any way to bridge the gap to help the new neighbors feel welcome. At the same time, she grapples with her growing feelings for Matt, whose position with her is only temporary. Can she find a way to bring harmony to Hickory Hollow in time for Christmas?

Beverly Lewis's homespun Amish romance will draw in readers who love family, small towns, and Christmas festivities. This charming holiday novella brings cheer and faith for the winter season.

My Thoughts: Heartfelt

Liz and Matthew get thrown together when a family situation causes her to need a new helper for her buggy tour business. At first, Liz doesn't know what to expect and isn't sure that Matthew is a good fit. However, as he rises to the occasion, Liz's reservations get replaced with different feelings about Matthew. And while the addition of Matthew doesn't affect the buggy tours, a new addition to the community does. 

This beautiful and heartwarming story of romance is accompanied by lessons on following God's example of love, especially when we have different views on things, and how that impacts our treatment of each other. It makes for a very beautiful and heartfelt story. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and voluntary.

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About the Author:  Beverly Lewis 

Beverly Marie Jones (Lewis) was born in the heart of Amish country—Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At the tender age of nine, she began writing short stories and poetry. Prior to that, she made up lyrics to the "little fingers" piano pieces she learned, at the age of five.

"My mother saved everything I wrote, even the stories I dreamed up during my grade school years," Beverly says. One such tale is semi-autobiographical, about a young girl whose parents can no longer afford to give her piano lessons. The manuscript was 77 pages long and titled "She Shall Have Music," penned under the shade of a lone willow tree. "Reading, writing, and playing piano have been top three on my list of favorite things," she says.

Not until her own children were well into middle school did Beverly seek to publish her work, first in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Dolphin Log, and Guideposts for Kids. Her first book followed in 1993—Mountain Bikes and Garbanzo Beans—presently retitled Big Bad Beans (book #22 in the popular Cul-de-Sac Kids series of chapter books—see list of Bev's children's books).