Book Title: WHEN THEY MET AGAIN
Character Name: Joanna Grebel
How would you describe your childhood?
There were certainly positive things about my childhood, but overall, my experience wasn’t the idyllic one you may have read about in other Amish stories. I’m the second born and only daughter in a family with an impulsive father, a depressed mother, and seven children born in eleven years, including two sets of twins. There was a lot of chaos in our household, that I often tried to control. Thankfully my oldest brother, Leon, was a shining light in my childhood – he taught me how to swim, took me kayaking, and convinced me I was both brave and could meet any challenge I faced with thoughtfulness and determination.
What was your greatest talent?
Trying to minimize risks and ensure our home was safe. But that talent didn’t keep our house from nearly burning down.
Significant other?
I courted Jacob Byer off and on for three years. Ironically, I met Jacob two days after I met Adam Slaybaugh, who asked me to court him even though we’d just met. I said no, that we had to be friends first. As it turned out, I thought I was friends with Jacob before we started courting, but I never really knew him. He ended up breaking my heart – twice.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
Trust. My parents didn’t know each for long before they married and are incompatible in many ways, which wasn’t good modeling of a relationship for me. And I could never trust my father to make decisions that were best for our family or to even prioritize his children’s safety as we all worked on our farm. Observing my parents’ marriage was one of the reasons I wanted to truly know a man as a friend before I agreed to court them, but as things turned out that wasn’t a guarantee that I’d have a successful relationship after all.
Where do you live?
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in Amish country, and more specifically now with my maternal grandmother, Mammi Lu, on her beautiful farm.
How do you feel about the place where you are now?
Living with Mammi Lu is the safest I’ve ever felt. There’s no chaos. There’s no uncertainty (except for my future). I’m in charge of the flower garden and sell bouquets for tourists, as a side job. Her home is lovely and well cared for. She hangs lavender and herbs from the kitchen ceiling to dry, which fills the house with sweet scents, and her shelves are lined with books. We share our meals and our lives.
What do you do for a living?
I work for Ike and Becky Slaybaugh, who happen to be Adam’s grandparents, in their home renovation business. I do everything from cleaning their vacation rentals to decorating homes they’ve renovated before they go on the market. I love my work – but it’s complicated now. Both Jacob Byer and Adam Slaybaugh, Ike and Becky’s grandson, work for them too. I’m good at my job and really love it, but at the moment I don’t like working with Jacob or Adam.
Who are your best friends?
Mandy, the bishop’s granddaughter, is my most obvious best friend because she’s my age. But my Mammi Lu is actually my very best friend. And Becky Slaybaugh, my boss and Mammi Lu’s best friend, is a really good friend too. I love seeing the relationships between my Mammi Lu’s circle of friends, that includes Mandy’s grandmother and my paternal grandmother too. They share stories from their Rumspringa in the 1970s. They wore jeans and miniskirts and drove cars and were much wilder than I ever dreamed of being when I was on my short-lived Rumspringa. I long for a group of friends like these beautiful older women have.
Do you have any enemies?
For years I thought of Miriam Troyer, my friend Mandy’s twin, as an enemy. She and Jacob courted for a short time, and I felt threatened by her. But as it turned out, she wasn’t my enemy at all. In fact, I hope she’s becoming as good of a friend as Mandy.
What keeps you awake at night?
Possible catastrophes like fires and medical emergencies. And a broken heart.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
How to deal with Adam Slaybaugh. He says women and men can’t be “just” friends – but somehow he’s become a friend to me, which annoys me. He’s getting harder and harder to ignore.
One of your greatest sources of joy?
As much as Adam annoys me, one of my greatest joys is when I share a book with him – and when he shares one with me. It started with him reading LITTLE WOMEN when we first met, because I was reading it. Then I passed on SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, by Jane Austen, to him when we met again. Then, later, he read Jane Eyre because I was reading it. Just recently he read PERSUASION, another book by Jane Austen, and then passed it on to me. To say I’m conflicted when it comes to Adam is an understatement. Only time – or more accurately God – knows what our future holds.
WHEN THEY MET AGAIN by Leslie Gould
Letters from Lancaster County
An Amish Friends to Lovers Contemporary Romance Set in Lancaster County
A gently humorous just friends romance from Leslie Gould, threaded with heart-deep characters and the timeless traditions of simple Amish life.
It’s love at first sight for Adam Slaybaugh, yet while Joanna Grebel finds him attractive and is intrigued when he declares his interest, she’s less certain of the potential for a romantic future together. Instead, she proposes they be “just friends,” but Adam’s not willing to settle for anything less than a romantic relationship. In response, he leaves Lancaster County for Florida, and soon after, Joanna begins courting Jacob Byer—someone she deems a much more suitable match.
When Adam returns to Lancaster County years later to pursue a career in his grandparents’ successful home renovation business, he finds Joanna suffering from a broken heart. Misunderstandings and matchmaking schemes begin a tender journey of healing and romance—but is Adam’s love enough to finally win Joanna over?
Amish | Romance [ Baker Publishing Group, On Sale: March 17, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780764244230 / eISBN: 9781493452514 ]
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About Leslie Gould
Leslie Gould is the award-winning and best-selling author of over 45 novels. A varied work history, from curating a historical museum to editing a bridal magazine, preceded her fiction-writing career. Leslie received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Portland State University and has taught writing as an adjunct professor at Multnomah University and Warner Pacific University while writing fulltime over the past 20 years.
She and her husband, Peter, love traveling together for research trips and to author events. Leslie supported Peter through 30 years as an Army reservist, including a deployment to Afghanistan as the commander of a field hospital. Peter in return, has supported Leslie through every step of her writing career. They live in Oregon and are the parents of four adult children and one grandchild.
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