"an amish wedding" by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller & kelly long

About the book: As Priscilla prepares for her wedding to Chester, her best friend Rose and older sister Naomi do their best to help her. But when things begin to go wrong, Priscilla doubts whether God really intends for her to marry Chester.

Meanwhile, Rose finds herself engaged to her longtime friend, Luke—a good man, but not one who ignites feelings of passion within her. And Naomi, whose heart was badly broken in the past, meets a man who just might be worth trusting her heart to.

In these intertwining stories, three Amish women learn what it means to trust their futures to God.

My take: As with any anthology, I enjoyed each of these stories to varying degrees. The first story, "A Perfect Secret" by Kelly Long, was my favorite. Rose and Luke's journey intrigued me, and the story contained some good mystery elements along with the romance.

I also enjoyed Kathleen Fuller's "A Perfect Match." I've read several Fuller books, and I've liked each of them.  This is the most "straight up romance" of the three, and Naomi's matchmaking ways made me chuckle.

The final story, "A Perfect Plan," was my least favorite. The plot just didn't interest me, though the story was written well. Chester and Priscilla faced obstacles as they prepared for marriage, but none of those obstacles seemed like they might actually drive them apart. And since the story takes place after the two have already fallen in love, I just didn't care too much about what happened.

If rating these separately, I'd give "A Perfect Secret" 5 stars, "A Perfect Match" 4 stars, and "A Perfect Plan" 3 stars. So that averages out to a 4-star book. I do think that Amish fiction fans—especially fans of any of the authors—will really like this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product free for review from Amazon.com through its Vine reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"an amish love" by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller, and kelly long

An Amish Love is a collection of three romance novellas set in an Amish community in Pennsylvania.

A Marriage of the Heart by Kelly Long: Abigail sees marriage to Joseph as a way to escape her disapproving father. Joseph sees marriage to Abby as an entryway into the community his family abandoned years before. After they marry, they learn what it means to truly love someone.

What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller: Five years ago, a tragic accident caused Ellie to lose her sight and Christopher to lose his fiancée. When Christopher returns to Pennsylvania, he finds himself drawn to Ellie. But will the truth about the accident keep them apart?

Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman: Naaman left his wife and family to “find himself.” When he returns home, his wife Levina has a hard time trusting him. As Naaman seeks to reconcile with his wife and his community, a mysterious man threatens to destroy the progress Namaan has made.

Of the three stories, I expected Long’s to be my favorite (I am, after all, a sucker for the “first comes marriage, then comes love” plot line) and Wiseman’s to be my least favorite. I should quit making predictions because the reverse was true! Though I enjoyed Wiseman's the most (largely due to the mystery surrounding Naaman's return), all were well-written and entertaining. I read each novella in approximately one hour … a great way to unwind after a long day! If you like Amish romance, I'm sure you'll enjoy An Amish Love.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"sarah's garden" by kelly long

Sarah King is a reserved Amish girl who loves nothing more than spending time tending her garden. When she begins running her family's produce stand, she is apprehensive about dealing with the Englisch. Then she meets the new veterinarian, Grant Williams. As their friendship grows, Sarah emerges from her shell ... and a forbidden love begins to blossom.

Honestly, I'm torn when I reflect on this book. It is incredibly well written. Long has a way with words, and she drew me into the story. So my complaint comes from the plotline itself. I've read a lot of Amish fiction over the years--both the Beverly Lewis variety, where characters struggle with their faith, are shunned on occasion, and sometimes choose to leave the Amish church, and the more recent variety, which seems to idealize the Amish lifestyle. Out of all those books, this is the first that made me think, "Oh, please don't let that happen!" I won't spoil anything; I'll just say I didn't like how the conflict resolved.

Who should read it? Anyone who enjoys Amish romance should give it a shot ... just because I didn't like it doesn't mean you won't enjoy it.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.