An Amish Christmas Kitchen : Three Novellas Celebrating the warmth of the Holiday Season

GIVEAWAY

GOULD, LESLIE
DREXLER, JAN
LLOYD, KATE
AN AMISH CHRISTMAS KITCHEN 

As the weather grows cold and the nights grow long, the cheer and warmth of the Christmas season is one thing all readers can find comfort in. This collection from bestselling Amish fiction novelists Leslie Gould, Jan Drexler, and Kate Lloyd finds the beating heart at the center of the holiday and offers three novellas that celebrate family, faith, and especially the sights and smells of a bustling holiday kitchen.

Leslie Gould tells the story of how, in the wake of a heartbreaking loss, a young Amish woman finds unexpected comfort and hope in a yearly baking tradition surrounding the local Lancaster Christmas market. Jan Drexler offers a sweet tale of a shy Amish woman who decides to her gift for sweets to woo a local Amish boy with her beloved Christmas cookies. And Kate Lloyd offers a heartwarming tale of a woman unexpected discovery about the truth of her past, and the warm and welcoming Amish family table she finds herself invited to on Christmas.

My Review:

Clearly my carefully stashed Christmas-to-be-reads aren't going to make it unread until Christmas 2020. This one accosted me as I was working on organizing one of my suspense shelves. She clocked me in the eye, screeching "Forget that lot. Read me!" So I did. :-) If you win this giveaway you can try to set it by for the proper season or play it safe and give in and read it right away. Your choice. Bwahahaha!

A lovely Christmas collection by some much loved authors. I love the way each novella showcases the warmth and love of family at Christmas. Life isn't simple but faith can be and these authors have illustrated that with heartwarming stories that set a gentle holiday mood.

An Amish Family Christmas by Leslie Gould -- Has all the feels I need in a Christmas story. A young woman struggling with meeting the expectations of her large extended family while nursing a wounded heart. Plenty of characters to love on and a few to hold grudges against just to spice things up. And a betrayed love that might have a chance at mending. Love the way the author weaves in the advent tradition of counting down to Christmas.

An Amish Christmas Recipe Box by Jan Drexler -- Christmas baking is definitely the way to a man's heart...at least that's what Ada is hoping. Only what if her culinary magic strikes the wrong man? A heart-tugging romance about mistaken expectations and the wisdom of looking beyond the surface to assess the measure of a man...or woman.

An Unexpected Christmas Gift by Kate Lloyd -- An unexpected plot tugged at my heartstrings. Maria's world has been shattered and an impulsive journey into Amish country has her poised on the brink of self-discovery...and the possibility of romance.  The first person narrative brought a sense of urgency to her story and kept me on edge right to the very end.


GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  An Amish Christmas Kitchen, 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 February 15 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Forever Amish

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LLOYD, KATE
FOREVER AMISH

It’s the Last Thing She Expects to Find

 

Sally Bingham needs some time away to sort through the changes in her life and to rethink her upcoming marriage. Despite her ailing father’s hesitations, she takes off for a bed and breakfast in Lancaster County for a weekend away. But her best-laid plans leave her in a near collision with a bishop’s buggy and in the home of a mysterious Amish woman named Lizzie. Lizzie introduces her to a different perspective on life, a charming farmhand named Armin— and opens a Pandora’s box that will forever change Sally’s life.

 

The latest book in the Legacy of Lancaster trilogy, Forever Amish introduces us to a young woman about to uncover a shocking secret and find an invitation to a new way of living. This is a story of forgiveness, legacies, and the ties that bind through generations.

 

My Review:

 

What a compelling read! Packed with emotion from the very first page, Sally's distress is palpable. Her world is unraveling, exposing raw wounds she didn't realize were festering. Her journey of discovery makes for a spellbinding story. I was as anxious and she was to put the puzzle pieces together. But oh how complicated her life becomes once she has the answers she is seeking. What a lovely, complicated mess!

 

Armin is a stalwart hero. Once he makes up his mind, he's pretty much immovable. And he makes up his mind about Sally pretty quickly. Makes for a lovely, tender romance.

 

Oh, and I can't not mention Ginger, the corgi. I mean, seriously, how can you not want to read a book with a corgi in it?!

 

All in all, a winning combination that makes this an enthralling read.

 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Forever Amish please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 22 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

 

*My thanks to the publisher and LitFuse for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
 Also, there is an author sponsored giveaway -- check out the details below and follow the links: 

The latest book in Kate Lloyd's Legacy of Lancaster trilogy, Forever Amish, introduces us to a young woman about to uncover a shocking secret and find an invitation to a new way of living. This is a story of forgiveness, legacies, and the ties that bind through generations.

Kate is celebrating by giving away an Amish-made prize pack!

One winner will receive:
A brand new Kindle Fire

• A Qillow (A pillow with a lovely surprise inside! It opens to a 40” X 60” quilt ideal for traveling, sports events, and home.)
•  A Center Diamond wall hanging (Hand-stitched by Old Order Amish quilter Emma Stoltzfus of E.S. Quilts in Lancaster, PA. It measures 42” x 42” and is a traditional Old Order Amish design.)
• Darling Amish-made faceless dolls (Hand-crafted in Lancaster County, PA. Each measures 12 inches and is individually named. Meet Martha and Henry!)
• Forever Amish and the rest of the Legacy of Lancaster trilogy by Kate Lloyd

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 29th. Winner will be announced at Kate's blog on July 1st.




Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning and be sure to stop by Kate's blog on July 1st to see if you won!

Leaving Lancaster

GIVEAWAY!

LLOYD, KATE
LEAVING LANCASTER

Can a splintered Amish family reconcile?

More than anything else, thirty-something Holly Fisher longs for family. Growing up in Seattle without a dad or grandparents, she wonders what it would be like to have a heritage, a place of belonging. Holly is furious when her mother, Esther, reveals a long-kept secret: Holly’s grandmother and uncles are still alive and begging Esther to return. And Holly is shocked when she learns that the family she’s never known lives on a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, farm—as part of an Amish community her mother once abandoned.

Guilt-ridden Esther, terrified to see her mother and siblings, begs Holly to accompany her on a visit to Esther’s mother before she dies. But can their journey to a conflicting world heal their emotional wounds and finally bring them home?

Set in the heart of contemporary Lancaster County, Leaving Lancaster explores the power of forgiveness, family reconciliation, and love where least expected.

My Review:

Lloyd's writing is infused with strong emotion as she takes her readers on a journey towards one family's redemption. So many things struck me as I read! How the Amish, who preach non-judgement and forgiveness...don't always abide by those precepts. How difficult it is to undo a wrong the longer you wait to make amends. That old adage -- pride goeth before a fall...you'll find it in spades in this book. And while most mother/daughter relationships are complicated, Esther's and Holly's goes way beyond the norm.

Leaving Lancaster is an emotional study in relationships and forgiveness. Surprisingly I felt more empathy for Esther than I did Holly. Sometimes I just wanted to shake some sense into that girl! Of course, I wasn't the one raised in utter darkness about my relatives. Nor was I the one who always yearned to belong only to find she could have all along. Holly has reasons for the way she reacts, but I still felt dreadful for poor Esther every step of the way...right up until the explosive family reunion.

But Lloyd has managed to wrap the drama up in humour and warmth and even spread a little love along the way. A delicious mix that results in a spell-binding read!

Giveaway Opportunity:


If you would like a chance to win a copy of this book, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 8 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!