The Shop Down the Lane

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Shop Down the Lane by Leslie Gould, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book

Title: The Shop Down the Lane
Series: Letters from Lancaster County
Author: Leslie Gould
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Genre: Amish Romance
Leslie Gould delights in this sweet and humorous Amish romance reminiscent of The Shop Around the Corner and You've Got Mail.
Lois Yoder has always found solace in the quiet life of Paradise, Pennsylvania, where she manages a gift shop that reflects her Amish community's simple values. Her tranquil world is upended when Moses Lantz, a former Amishman turned Mennonite and the man who broke her heart, buys the shop with ambitious plans to transform it into a tourist hub--a move that Lois fiercely opposes.
Seeking a distraction, Lois joins a bird watchers' circle letter under an alias. But unknown to her, Moses does the same at the urging of a friend. While their correspondence blossoms into a tender romance, the enmity between Lois and Moses in real life only intensifies. Can they overcome their animosity and embrace the love they've found through their letters, or will their stubborn hearts keep them apart forever?
This heartwarming Amish romance includes themes of bird watching, correspondence by letters, enemies to lovers, and family secrets for readers of Beverly Lewis, Wanda E. Brunstetter, and Shelley Shepard Gray.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Bethany House | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub
Also Available:

About the Author

Leslie Gould is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of more than 48 novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds a bachelor's degree in history and an MFA in creative writing. She enjoys church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and have four adult children and two grandchildren.
Connect with Leslie by visiting lesliegould.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
My Thoughts
The Shop Down the Lane by Leslie Gould is a charming story. I thought the
book was well written with developed main characters. The characters are
complex, realistic, and likeable. I
enjoyed getting to know Lois Yoder and Moses Lantz. Paradise Found, the gift shop where Lois
worked, and that Moses purchased sounded like a delightful place thanks to Lois
(a shop that I would love to visit). I
especially loved the special tree display with the crocheted birds and the
birdhouses hanging from the branches. I liked the bird watching aspect. I have bird feeders in my yard, and I enjoy
seeing the different types of birds that visit (we also have a pond in our
village, and we get some unique aquatic birds).

The bird descriptions were striking which allowed me to visualize
them. It was interesting learning about
circle letters. It made curious about how many different types of circle
letters there are for the Amish. I can
tell that the author did her research for this book. The Shop Down the Lane is a story full of
emotion. The author’s vivid descriptions
allowed me to envision the scenes. I
could picture Lois zipping along on her scooter. I am looking forward to the next book in the
Letters from Lancaster County series.
The Shop Down the Lane is a special Amish story with a blast from the
past, a sold shop, circle letters, a soaring scooter, observing birds, courting
troubles, and a hopeful future.
Excerpt
“How’s the birding going?”
“Gut.” She clasped her hands together. “How did you know I bird?”
“I saw you at the park last week with your bins.”
That was birding slang for binoculars. She tilted her head. “Do you bird?”
He laughed. “Oh no.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t taken John for a birder, although it was common among the Amish.
Personally, she tried not to be obvious about her bird obsession. In fact, she did her best to
hide it, not taking her binoculars from her backpack until she was at her birding destination.
Her brother didn’t think it an appealing look for someone who needed to find a husband.
Thankfully, the bird-themed items in the shop were top sellers. She ordered them not because
she liked them but because they brought in money, which ensured she had a job. “I don’t bird
much,” Lois said. At least not as much as she wished she could.
“That’s good to hear.”
Her heart fell. Not only did he not bird, but he wasn’t positive about it either.
John cleared his throat, wiped his palms on his pants, and asked, “Would you go to the
singing on Sunday at our place with me? Mark and a girl he’s dating plan to go too.” He
spoke quickly. “We can double date. We’ll pick you up at five after we pick up Evelyn.”
Lois tilted her head again. Was John Miller actually asking her out? She stepped to the
counter and repositioned a stack of gift bags. Jah, she was stalling. Just for a moment.
Lois raised her head and met John’s gaze. “Denki,” she said. “May I tell you Sunday at
church?”
He frowned. “I guess so.” Perhaps she should tell him no now, so he could invite someone
else. But what if he intended to court her? Could she be interested in John? She wasn’t sure.
She needed more time to decide before she went on a date with him.
He took a step backward, raised his hat a little, and waved with his free hand. “See you at
church.”
She nodded. “See you then.”
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a print copy of The Shop Down the Lane!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 13, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 20, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Enter Giveaway
The Shop Down the Lane is available from Amazon. You can find Leslie Gould's other novels here. If you follow Leslie Gould on Amazon, they will send you an email when she has a new book release. Thank you for joining me today. On Wednesday, May 14, I will be sharing my thoughts on Shot Through the Book by Eva Gates. It is the twelfth A Lighthouse Library Mystery. Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Good Luck! I hope that you have a lovely spring day. I am off to take down my windchimes (and the inflatables, move the golf cart, etc.). The roofers are coming on Saturday (hooray!) and the people rebuilding my carport will be here on Monday. I am looking forward to the new screen porch. I bet my cat, Dickens will enjoy it as well. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The
Avid Reader
*I
voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.
I am not required to leave a review.
The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.
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