An Amish Christmas Wedding

GIVEAWAY

CLIPSTON, AMY

FULLER, KATHLEEN

IRVIN, KELLY

CHAPMAN, VANNETTA

AN AMISH CHRISTMAS WEDDING

From bestselling authors of Amish fiction comes four delightful stories perfect for celebrating love, joy, and the everyday miracles Christmas brings.

Evergreen Love by Amy Clipston -- Ryan Lapp had promised to marry Lorene Bontrager as soon as he was able to build them a house, but the day never came. Ryan moved away. Five years later, Lorene has settled in to her old mail role, and she's shocked when her younger sister announces her quick engagement to Ryan's younger brother. As they rush to plan the wedding, Lorene is constantly around the family she almost joined. Worse, she's forced to face Ryan himself, who has returned to town. As both Ryand and Lorene examine their own feelings, they must decided if they can find grace with each other -- and the young people they once were -- this Christmas season. There just might still be love in their future.

Wreathed in Joy by Kathleen Fuller -- Mary Wengerd and Jakob Mullet have been best friends since childhood. Pressured by friends and family, they decided to date -- with disastrous results. When they break up, their friendship is ruined. A year later, Mary is baking her Englisch friend's wedding and groom cakes for a Christmas Eve wedding. Mary loves the Christmas season, and had always dreamed of marrying during that time. Now she wonders if she'll ever marry. After she and Jakob form a tenuous new friendship, Mary breaks her arm. As he steps in to help her with the cakes, Mary is inexplicably and suddenly falling for him. But they've already dated, and that ended so horribly. Could it be better this time?

Holiday of Hope by Kelly Irvin -- Henry Lufkin is one of four bachelors who lived in the West Kootenai, Montana cabins that were destroyed by wildfires. He's the only one of them who hasn't since married, but he likes his solitude. Then an old friend asks him to care for his son, and Henry has to share his small cabin and his life with bewildered and rebellious ten-year-old Tommy. When the child encounters trouble at school, Henry reaches out to Tommy's teacher. Leesa Yoder never expected to find herself single and teaching sixteen young scholars, and she certainly didn't anticipate an inexperienced bachelor telling her how to do her job. Amid the flying sparks, can Henry and Leesa see that there might be hope and love in this unexpected situation?

A Christmas Prayer by Vannetta Chapman -- Widower Micah Miller runs the Amish Tour Company, offering Englischers a glimpse of a simpler life as well as tea at Rachel King's. Rachel has never married and has recently lost her parents. When Micah comes across an abandoned and injured dog, he gives it to Rachel for company. As Rachel is charmed by the dog and shocked by news of the existence of family she never expected, her heart and mind bend toward the possibilities of change in her life -- even toward the possibility of love.

My Review:

What a fantastic collection! How could it not be, given the authors who contributed to it. All four novellas are expertly developed so that they deliver all the heart-stirring, angst-anxious romance you'd find in a full-length novel. 

Amy Clipston's Evergreen Love bears all the mixed emotions that come with a reunion romance. I could feel both Lorene and Ryan's confusion and hurt. A classic case of how not talking things out resulted in a five year estrangement and now they are thrown together amidst the flurry of wedding preparations for their younger siblings. Loved the way they warily mended fences and then finally had that long overdue discussion. Clipston draws out the mystery behind their rift with page-turning perfection. A sigh-worthy holiday romance.

In Holiday of Hope by Kelly Irvin, a troubled orphan becomes the unlikely catalyst that draws widower and now confirmed bachelor Henry to disappointed-in-love teacher Leesa. There's a beautiful message about trusting God even in the hard times that resonates with all three characters. A second chance love story with lots of heart and few toe-curls!

I do so love a friends-to-lovers romance but in Kathleen Fuller's Wreath of Joy, things go terribly awry. Besties since childhood, Mary and Jakob allowed themselves to be swayed by friends and family into pursing something more. Six months of courting proved they were better friends than romantic partners. A year later and they still haven't managed to recapture that besties mojo...or shake the feeling that something more might still be a possibility. Their confusion and longing is palpable and creates the kind of angsty/tender ambiance that's perfect for a holiday romance.

Vannetta Chapman delivers a sweet and heartwarming later-in-life romance between Micah and Rachel in A Christmas Prayer. I'm still grinning over the surprise star of their story -- an injured stray dog that teaches Rachel something about love and acceptance and living fully in each moment. There's even a bit of a family history mystery to add to the festive holiday spirit. A timeless love story filled with the magic of Christmas.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy An Amish Christmas Wedding, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 7 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!