Romance is a massively expansive genre that encompasses a massive range of different topics, from the pages and halls of historical period romances to the mystery and suspense of Gothic romance.
However, perhaps one of the most underrated subgenres in romance might just be the Amish romance genre.
This mainstay might not be the genre that is the first on everyone’s lips when they think of romance, but it is an incredibly successful pillar of this genre that has hundreds of books released every year.
If you’re looking for some of the best entries in this genre to move onto after you have finished your current reading obsession, then you’re in luck!
In this guide, we are going to show you some of the best works of Amish romance fiction that you can buy and read for yourself today!
What Is Amish Romance?
There may be some people that are wondering what exactly an Amish romance novel is, exactly, so allow us to give a brief overview to catch everyone up.
Amish romance is exactly what it sounds like; A subgenre of romance that primarily focuses on Amish women as the main protagonists of these stories.
Generally speaking, these protagonists tend to have more socially conservative views that are in line with those that are typically found in the Amish community. Romance plots and storylines will also tend to unfold in ways that are culturally and religiously acceptable amongst most Amish communities.
This leads to some interesting knock-on effects, as there are very few portrayals of sexual interactions and other acts of intimacy if any. Values such as chastity and purity are often core themes that are explored in Amish romance, which themselves are mainstays of many parts of the wider genre.
As for the audience that this subgenre is often aimed for, Amish romance is often written and read by Evangelical Christians of all ages, with YA Amish romance novels being a particularly notable market.
Temptation, By Karen Ann Hopkins
Starting this list with perhaps one of the most popular book series that you’ll find in this subgenre, we have Temptation, the first book in the novel series of the same name, and Karen Ann Hopkins.
(Remember that name: She’s going to appear a few times in this guide!)
This particular story focuses on the relationship that blossoms between Rose, an English girl whose family has moved to a sleepy farmer’s town in Ohio, and Noah, an Amish boy who is forbidden to be with her by his community’s customs.
It’s a classic tale as old as time, and one that unfolds fascinatingly and satisfyingly across not just the book, but the rest of the Temptation series as a whole. This series is a great example of what an exceptional piece of YA fiction looks like in this subgenre, and is a must-read for virtually all romance fans, at least to see if it is to their tastes.
If you’re interested in buying this book for yourself or as a gift for that romance lover in your life, you can find the first book in the series here.
The Captive Heart, By Michelle Griep
If forbidden love is an angle of romance that you love in a novel, then you’re going to love this next entry!
The Captive Heart, written by Michelle Griep, is a gripping tale of two starkly different, yet undeniably similar worlds colliding, as English governess Eleanor Morgan is forced to leave the service of her old abusive employer in England, and find new work with the Charles Town family as an indentured servant.
At the same time, woodcutter Samuel Heath, in a bid to make sure that his daughter has a future beyond him, so decides to marry again. But a dark secret from his past may make that decision just a little bit tougher…
What follows is a story of betrayal, intrigue, the threat of war, and, of course, blossoming love through all this, in a novel that combines classic historical drama with the Amish romance subgenre into a fascinating piece that you’ll struggle to put down once you’ve started.
If this premise sounds like an enthralling read to you, then you owe it to yourself to check out this book, in any of the formats that you can find it in.
Courting Emily, By Amy Lillard
Who doesn’t love a good love triangle in their romance novel? It’s a staple of the genre. And it’s a story beat that you’ll find plenty of great examples of Amish romance too, like this one!
Courting Emily focuses on the titular character Emily Ebersol who wants nothing more than to find the love of her life in her Amish community. The only problem with that dream is that her childhood sweetheart, Luke Lambright, has since left the community to pursue his passion for racing cars.
Emily starts to develop feelings of love and affection for another young man, Elam Rhiel, who might not be the flashy and exciting figure that Luke was, but has a warm and caring personality that she can’t help but fall for.
However, just when this love begins to blossom, oh snap, Luke returns to Well’s Landing, and has to complicate those feelings! This novel has everything in it that you could want from a romance novel, while also being a contemporary-set Amish setting, something that can be quite difficult to pull off convincingly.
While Courting Emily is technically the second entry in the Wells Landing series, each novel follows a different protagonist and their storyline, making for a series that can be jumped into at pretty much any point without any difficulty on your part as a reader.
(Plus, once you’ve finished this book, you might just want to go back and check out book 1. It’s also a pretty neat Amish romance story!!)
If this story sounds like one that you think you’d enjoy, then make sure to check out this story for yourself. It comes in a variety of formats for you to enjoy in, from e-book to hardcover!
Belonging, By Karen Ann Hopkins
Karen Ann Hopkins makes her second appearance on this list with this next entry, the second book in the Temptation series!
Belonging picks up right where Temptation left off, so we don’t exactly want to spoil too much of this novel’s story that might give away the ending of the previous one.
However, we will say that this story does an incredible job not only continuing to flesh out the relationship between Rose and Noah, whilst also exploring Rose’s motivations and struggles as she adapts to the new life around here, away from what she has known.
Again, because this is the second entry into the series, we would recommend reading Temptation book 1 before stepping into this next book.
However, considering that long-running Amish romance books are quite hard to find, and this one manages to nail the second landing in this series well, this is absolutely a story that we would recommend reading if you’re into long-form storytelling, and want to see where these characters continue to go.
This book is currently available in both e-books and physical copies here.
Lilly’s Wedding Quilt, By Kelly Long
If you love longing in your romance works, then this next entry will be the one for you!
The titular character of Lilly’s Wedding Quilt, Lilly Lapp, has only had eyes for one man for most of her life, Jacob, but she has been forced to play second fiddle to Sarah King.
Now, Jacob seems dead set on marrying Lilly, but between her looking after the local Amish kids and her depressed and widowed mother, Lily has both reservations about the sincerity of Jacob’s feelings, as well as where her commitment and faith lies, including who is making her wedding quilt!
Needless to say, intrigue abounds in this story!
Lilly’s Wedding Quilt is a phenomenal example of everything that the Amish romance subgenre has to offer, from the themes of chastity, purity, and faithfulness, to the gentle hand of God’s guidance helping the characters navigate their lives.
If this sounds like a story that you want to follow for yourself, then you need to check out this book for yourself!
The Amish Widow, By Samantha Price
Finally, in this guide, we have a great entry from one of the most prolific authors in this subgenre.
No, it’s not Karen Ann Hopkins this time, but Samantha Price, with The Amish Widow!
Emma Kurtzler recently made a widow and has no chance to properly grieve her deceased husband, as someone is looking to purchase her farm, a situation that is only further complicated and worsened when one of her friends is killed.
It seems that her luck may be turning when a group of other widowed Amish women comes to her comfort, but the plot only thickens as Emma discovers more about these other widows, as well as her new neighbor.
If this setup sounds interesting, check out the book here.
Final Thoughts
So, as you can see, there are plenty of Amish romance stories for you to enjoy and enthrall yourself with!