JOYFUL is the third book in the Return To Sugarcreek series.

Elizabeth Nolt has been courting Randall Beiler for over two years. Imagine her surprise when Randall tells her he can no longer see her. Randall and his seven brothers and sisters have been on their own since losing both of their parents. Their mom died nine years ago after giving birth to Kaylene, and their Dad died four years later. Now three of the older siblings have married and moved to their own houses leaving Randall to take care of the four younger ones. How is he going to be able to take of them, the house, the farm, and keep his full time job working in construction? He has no time for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is crushed and heartbroken as to be expected. She can't understand why Randall wouldn't marry her and bring her home so she could help with his family and their house. There is plenty of room in their house for Elizabeth and her grandmother, who she lives with since her mother has remarried and moved away, leaving them all alone. Elizabeth is struggling to make ends meet so you can imagine her surprise when Randall's younger brother comes to her with an offer of a job. Would she be willing to come and work for at their house, cooking and cleaning and spending time with Kaylene? Kaylene needs a female ear to listen to her concerns. Can Elizabeth be in the same house as Randall and not feel the love she had for him? Read JOYFUL to find out. You won't be sorry you dedicated the day to read all about the Beilers and the wonderful people of Sugarcreek.

Shelley Shepard Gray has the ability to make you feel the emotions her characters are feeling. I laughed with them, cried with them, and even celebrated with them. I think that everyone who reads JOYFUL will do the same. I spent the afternoon getting reacquainted with the wonderful people of Sugarcreek and hadn't realized how much I missed all of them. The secondary characters are just as strong as the main characters. You can't help but feel the emotions of Elizabeth and Randall, and it feels like you are sitting at their table having supper with them while they discuss their days with each other. Once again, Shelley has written a five star story you won't be able to put down until the very end. JOYFUL is a page turner and will pull at your heart strings the entire time you're reading this wonderful story.