Jake Miller started out building buggies with his daed for the farmers in Lancaster County, but he loved horses best and apprenticed with THE AMISH BLACKSMITH. He understands the flighty nature of horses and occasionally helps to train them. He even gets asked to work with Warmblood Show Horses by the English owners. Now living with the smith's family as he learns to be a farrier, Jake enjoys the Kinsingers' good-natured home life, but he's walking out with a young woman called Amanda Shetler.

Priscilla, who Jake remembers as a tomboyish youngster, moved away to relatives in Indiana after her mother died, so when she comes to visit the Kinsingers Jake hasn't seen her in six years. He's startled by how beautiful and dignified she has grown. Her cousins are delighted that she's staying for the summer, although she intends to look for work. Jake is told privately that the family want to keep her away from Indiana because she's received an offer of marriage from a widower with eight children. He's a good man, but this isn't in a young maid's best interests. Priscilla doesn't have friends here now, and doesn't know how to go about making them. Jake agrees to help her socialise, with Amanda of course.

The first thing Priscilla does is to buy a horse which is considered unsuitable as a work horse; she's saving him from the meat buyers who, sadly, throng the Amish country auctions. I liked Priscilla right away. She and Jake are clearly going to get along... will this endanger Jake's relationship or, since Amanda hasn't joined the church yet, will she lead quiet Priscilla into frivolity and wickedness?

The calmer life among the Amish seems to be just what nervy horses need, and I enjoyed reading about Jake's gentle approach to retraining horses with behavioural issues. A horse isn't much use in this area if he's scared of hats, while a contrast is shown by a show horse's rider needing thousand-dollar boots. Horse lovers will fall for THE AMISH BLACKSMITH by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner. Romance fans who want an unusual gentle tale of learning to trust and forgive oneself won't be disappointed. In fact this is one of the nicest romance tales of the summer, more original for being told all from the young man's point of view.