An Amish Market by Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, Kelly Irvin, and Vannetta Chapman

I really enjoy reading these Amish fiction books that include some of my top authors in this genre. It's so wonderful to have four novellas written by each author included in the same book. Each author has a slightly different writing style and it brings such a variation to the book that I simply enjoy.

Love Birds by Amy Clipston is a beautiful love story between Ellie and Lloyd. It was sad to see Ellie and her mom have to struggle so much due to the loss of both Ellie's dad and brother. Now Ellie takes it upon herself to provide for her mother, especially since the man she has dreamed about doesn't seem interested in her.

A Bid for Love by Kathleen Fuller focuses on Hannah Lynne and Ezra. Ezra thinks he's too old and is set in his ways, although he can't deny that he has noticed Hannah and has even gone out of his way once a week to visit her for a tiny amount of time.

Sweeter Than Honey by Kelly Irvin introduces Isabella and Will Glick. I found this story interesting because the location is different from the other stories. It focuses on a southern state.... Texas! I will admit to laughing when Isabella broke a jar, but then I wasn't too fond of Will and his response afterwards. However, as the story continued, I understood more of why he gave that particular response.

Love in Store by Vannetta Chapman brings in Stella Schrock and David.Stoltzfus. This novella is different because David is a widower and is definitely not looking for love at all. In fact, that's the farthest thing from his mind. To be honest, Stella is more focused on the mill and figuring out why someone would want the mill closed and who it could possibly be. However, more is in store for these two who are focused on anything but each other.

Each of these novellas are obviously romance novellas. I wouldn't necessarily say there was a huge element of surprise because you ultimately know the main characters and who will probably end up together. However, I never felt that knowing where the plot was headed ever took away from the enjoyment I had in reading the stories. They have each been different, yet complemented each other in a way that does not leave the reader feeling like a completely different book is being written halfway through.

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I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

A Dream of Home by Amy Clipston

Amy Clipston has been an author that I always enjoy. I keep track of when she has her new books coming out because I certainly don't want to miss a single one. She does a wonderful job moving the story along at a good pace, engaging the reader with just the right amount of detail, and using characters that are real and easy to relate to.

Madeline and Emma's relationship are probably one of my favorites. I understand why Saul might be a little cautious in letting Emma develop a close relationship with Madeline, but I'm glad that he finally relented. After all, she had so much that she could share with her. Both Madeline and Saul have faced major heartbreak and have had to grieve in their own ways. Moving on isn't easy for either of them, nor should it be. Despite never having been in their shoes, I felt like I was walking through these difficult trials with them.

Having read the previous books, I appreciated seeing some old faces and getting new updates on how they are doing. However, don't be deterred if you've missed the first two books in this series. You will easily be able to read this book and not feel as though you are missing out on anything.

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I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

A Mother's Secret by Amy Clipston

I have some favorite Amish authors that I tend to read almost all of their books.  Amy Clipston is one of them.  I absolutely love her style of writing, the covers on her books, and the settings and plot lines in her books.  I have never been disappointed by any of them so far!

My heart just hurt for Carolyn. I hated how despite her mistake which led to the blessing of a child, could not and would not be forgiven. I think, sadly, many people can relate to that.  We try so hard to please our families and the pain cuts deep when we disappoint family members.  Carolyn had to have been exhausted trying to please so many people and working so hard to have them forgive her and perhaps try to understand her.

The pressure becomes so much more when her brother has found someone that could fill the role of her husband.  As any girl does, Carolyn wants to be loved and accepted and not forced into a marriage.  She wants to be wanted and cherished.  Joshua might could be the man except he causes a lot of frustration because he doesn't give Benjamin, Carolyn's son, the benefit of the doubt. He accuses Benjamin of something and wants to teach him a lesson.  I could feel Carolyn's frustration and her mother's heart for her son in this situation.

I liked how his book was different than the typical Amish fiction books.  It was a good storyline and kept me engaged from the very first page.  I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

Read more reviews at http://litfusegroup.com/author/aclipston.

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A Mother’s Secret
Book two in the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series.
Carolyn Lapp dreams of marrying for love. But will the errors of her past destroy this dream forever?
Carolyn Lapp longs to have a traditional Amish family. But she lives on her brother’s farm with her parents and her 15-year old son, Benjamin. Carolyn has never revealed the identity of Benjamin’s father and lives daily with the guilt and shame of her youthful indiscretion. Her brother simply will not forgive her.
His answer is to arrange a practical marriage for Carolyn to Saul, a widower with a little girl. But Carolyn isn’t convinced that Saul really loves her and believes he is simply looking for someone to help raise his daughter.
When Benjamin causes trouble at a local horse auction, horse breeder Joshua Glick decides that he must be taught a lesson. Carolyn and Joshua are unmistakably drawn to each other, but Joshua mistakenly assumes that Benjamin is Carolyn’s brother. Carolyn fears that if he discovers the truth, her past will destroy their budding romance.
After years of shame and loneliness, Carolyn suddenly has two men vying for her attention. But which of them will give her the family-and the unconditional love-she’s longed for?
Learn more and purchase a copy at Amy’s site.

 

Amy Clipston

Amy Clipston holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan College and works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, and two sons and four spoiled rotten cats.

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Zondervan in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.