Serenity’s Secret

Baker’s shaky latest in the Heart of the Amish series (after The Quilt Room Secret) finds a mysterious break-in wreaking havoc on a sleepy Illinois town. Serenity Miller is trying to get back on her feet after criminals invaded her barn and left her bound and gagged until she was rescued by handsome neighbor Stephen Lantz. Afterward, the police are certain they’ve caught the suspects—bank robbers seeking shelter from a storm—but Serenity has her doubts, especially because the men in question don’t have the hoarse, raspy voices she remembers from that night (she didn’t see their faces). As her anxiety mounts, she and Stephen scour the town for possible culprits. Though he tries to court her, Serenity is standoffish and cagey, dodging his professions of love despite the obvious spark building between them. It may be that a secret about her health—one that “only Gott” knows—is preventing her from pursuing the romance. While the bond between Stephen and Serenity has some appeal, clumsy exposition and wooden prose sap the sweetest moments of life (“As they studied each other, he yearned to be her husband. He longed for love”). Despite a promising premise, this fails to live up to its potential. (Oct.)