As y’all may remember, I reviewed books professionally for RT Book Reviews (aka Romantic Times) for three years until it shut its doors. Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to share these reviews with you here on the blog as long as they still belonged to the magazine. However, now that it has closed its doors and deleted its website (including my reviews) from its corner of cyberspace, I’m free to share my reviews for those books here too! Today I’m featuring An Amish Home novella collection!
AN AMISH HOME
GENRE: Amish Fiction/Novella Collection
PUBLISHER: Thomas Nelson
RELEASE DATE: February 7, 2017
PAGES: 400
A Cup Half Full by Beth Wiseman—Sarah Lantz always dreamed of the perfect home, the perfect husband, the perfect family. When she married Abram, she knew she was on her way to securing her perfect life. All of that changes in one moment when an accident leaves her unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair, dashing all of her dreams. As Abram starts to transform their home, Sarah begins a transformation in her spirit, and she begins, once again, to see her cup as half full.
Home Sweet Home by Amy Clipston—Down on their luck and desperate after they are evicted from their small apartment, Chace and Mia O’Conner reluctantly take Chace’s Amish boss up on his offer to rent them the daadihaus located on his property. They are certain they will never feel at home in the rustic cabin without any modern conveniences, and they start to blame each other for their seemingly hopeless situation. But with the help of their new Amish friends, Chace and Mia begin to enjoy their cozy cabin and realize that home really is where the heart is.
Building Faith by Kathleen Fuller—Faith Miller knows that carpentry is an unlikely hobby for a young Amish woman, but she loves the work and it keeps the memory of her grandfather alive. So when her cousin asks Faith to build the cabinets in her new home, Faith is only too happy to take on the job, even if it is the most ambitious project she has ever taken on. The only catch is that she has to work with her ex-fiance, Silas. As they work to build Martha’s kitchen, can they put the past behind them and start to build faith in one another again?
A Flicker of Hope by Ruth Reid—Fifteen years ago, Thomas and Noreen King were blissful newlyweds. Young, naive, and in love, life was rosy . . . for a while. Then trials and tribulations rocked their foundation, shattering them emotionally, and soon, their marriage was in shards. All hope for restoring their previously unshakable union seems lost. When fire destroys their home, Thomas and Noreen are left to sift through the rubble. As uncovered items from the remains of the house shake loose memories of the past, Thomas and Noreen begin to draw closer and a flicker of hope—and love—is re-ignited.
In Wiseman’s “A Cup Half Full”, two young Amish newlyweds must learn to deal with staggering life change together rather than apart. Clipston brings readers the tale of an Englisch family whose lives are forever touched by their Amish friends in “Home Sweet Home.” Fuller’s “Building Faith” tells the story of two former flames forced to work together who find their hearts haven’t quite let go. In Reid’s “A Flicker of Hope”, a troubled couple sifts through the rubble of their home and tries to rekindle their own romance.
These four novellas centered on the meaning of home and family highlight Amish life with heart and grace. The focus on a house in each story ties all four together and adds dimension to the entire collection. Wiseman’s and Reid’s novellas are the most touching, while Clipston’s is perhaps the most unique. Fuller’s story rounds out the mix with the most romance, though each novella is sweetly romantic in its own way. The different styles of all four authors complement each other well.
(I was paid to write a review for RT Book Reviews. All views expressed are nevertheless only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 4 stars / Loved it!
KissingBook Level: 3 / May forget to breathe on occasion
Amy Clipston is the award-winning and bestselling author of the Kauffman Amish Bakery, Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel, Amish Heirloom, Amish Homestead, and Amish Marketplace series. Her novels have hit multiple bestseller lists including CBD, CBA, and ECPA. Amy holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan University and works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and four spoiled rotten cats. Visit her online at AmyClipston.com
Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA bestselling author of the Heaven on Earth, the Amish Wonders, and the Amish Mercies series. She’s a full-time pharmacist who lives in Florida with her husband and three children. When attending Ferris State University School of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, Michigan, she lived on the outskirts of an Amish community and had several occasions to visit the Amish farms. Her interest grew into love as she saw the beauty in living a simple life. Visit Ruth online at RuthReid.com
With over a million copies sold, Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including the Hearts of Middlefield novels, the Middlefield Family novels, the Amish of Birch Creek series, and the Amish Letters series as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. Visit her online at KathleenFuller.com
What about you? Have you read this collection? What interests you most about the novellas? (Or, what did you love most about them if you’ve read them?)
Love the Amish genre and can’t wait for the opportunity to read “An Amish Home” by Wiseman, Clipston, Reid & Fuller.