An Amish Christmas Gift: Three Amish Novellas by Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, and Kelly Irvin

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 6, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0718039653
• ISBN-13: 978-0718039653

Synopsis

Naomi s Gift by Amy Clipston

Naomi has started to think that she isn t meant to find love, but she might receive more than she ever hoped for this Christmas.

Twenty-four-year-old Naomi King, who has been burned twice by love, has all but given up on marriage and children. As Christmas approaches a time of family, faith, and hope for many others Naomi is more certain than ever her life will be spent as an old maid, helping with the family s quilting business and taking care of her eight siblings. Then she meets Caleb, a young widower with a 7-year-old daughter, and her world is once again turned upside-down.

An Unexpected Joy by Ruth Reid

Abigail has driven other suitors away, but can Micah find a way to show her he cares?

Abigail Kemp has managed to frighten off every bu who s ever driven her home from a singing. Sure she will live to be an old maid, Abigail starts saving her money to buy a horse so she can at least have some independence.

Micah Zook is looking for a caregiver for his grandmother, and Abigail needs a new job. He never expected that Abigail would talk so much . . . or that his grandmother would keep finding ways to set the two of them up.

Despite Abigail s constant chatter, she and Micah become friends until Micah makes a decision that leaves Abigail feeling betrayed. With Christmas in their midst, can Micah find a way to reconcile with Abigail and to reveal what s on his heart?

A Christmas Visitor by Kelly Irvin

Frannie Mast returns to Bee County for Christmas, but her heart stays back in Missouri with an Englisch farm boy.

Frannie knows her parents have the best of intentions when they send her back to Bee County, Texas, to live with her aunt Abigail and her husband Mordecai. After all, she knows nothing can come of a relationship with Rocky, the handsome but Englisch farmer boy back in Missouri. It s best to put those feelings aside, no matter how hard it is. But all bets are off when Rocky follows Frannie to Texas to plead his case. Could he be the Christmas gift to end all gifts?" 

Review

I love Amish fiction, and I love stories about Christmas, so this book was a perfect fit for me. All three stories are full of love, and of people finding the true meaning of Christmas. 

While all three stories are well written and enjoyable, my favorite was the one by Amy Clipston. I have a soft spot for stories which feature a young child, and seven-year-old Susie is so sweet and precious I fell in love with her in the first chapter. Watching her relationship with Naomi grow was so much fun, and as Caleb and Naomi also grew closer, it was good to know that Susie truly loves the woman who will, hopefully, be her new mother.

Ruth Reid's story was a touching one as well. Abby and Micah are a very likable couple, even though they are so different. Abby is extremely talkative, and she has a different way of looking at certain things, while Micah is quiet and very much "by the book." The impact they have on one another is well worth the read.

Kelly Irvin writes about the Amish in Texas, which is not an Amish locale I am familiar with at all. However, that didn't stop me from enjoying this story. The relationship between Frannie and Rocky is an interesting one.  And Frannie's aunt, who keeps trying to push her together with Joseph, definitely adds to the tension in the story.

**I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Rating

Five stars

About the authors

Hi, I’m Amy Clipston. I am an author of Amish and Christian fiction with Zondervan Publishing. Most of my books focus on the Amish community, faith, and love. I also write romance novels and young adult inspirational stories. 

Please check out my bestselling Kauffman Amish Bakery book Series, including the following books:

A Gift of Grace, April 2009
A Promise of Hope, April 2010
A Plain & Simple Christmas, September 2010
A Place of Peace, December 2010
Naomi's Gift, September 2011
A Life of Joy, February 2012
A Season of Love, June 2012
Kauffman Amish Christmas, October 2012

A Hopeful Heart, Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel Series #1, June 2013
A Mother's Secret, Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel Series #2, June 2014
A Dream of Home, Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel #3, December 2014
A Simple Prayer, Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel Book #4, June 2015.


My young adult books include:
Roadside Assistance, April 2011
Destination Unknown, sequel to Roadside Assistance, February 2014
Miles to Nowhere, April 2015
A Reckless Heart, May 2012

A Gift of Love (A Memoir), March 2014

I enjoy spending time with my family, including my hubby, my two wonderful sons, my mom, and my four spoiled-rotten cats. I love reading. 

I'm an advocate for organ and blood donation. I donated a kidney on June 14, 2011, at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Through my donation, my husband received a second kidney transplant. My husband and I matched another couple and we swapped kidneys with them. I gave a kidney to my husband's donor's wife. Feel free to email me and ask me what it was like to be a kidney donor. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. If you're healthy, please donate blood! Also, become an organ donor.

Visit me atwww.facebook.com/AmyClipstonBooks,Twi... at @AmyClipston or www.AmyClipston.com

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Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA bestselling author of the Heaven on Earth 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, 

Facebook: Author-Ruth-Reid, 

Twitter: @authorruthreid.

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Kelly Irvin's latest book in the New Hope Amish series, A Plain Love Song, releases in July 2014. She is the author of the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Amish Amish series. The first series includes To Love and To Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home, published by Harvest House. Love Still Stands, the first book in her spin-off series New Hope Amish, released in September 2013, followed by Love Redeemed in March 2014.

Kelly is now working on a three-book series for Zondervan set in Bee County, Texas. The first book in The Amish of Bee County series, The Beekeeper's Son, is set to release in January 2015.

Kelly has also penned two romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine, published by Five Star Gale in 2010 and 2011.

The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime. She also serves as secretary of the ACFW San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers. 

A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly has been writing nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso.

She has worked in public relations for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department for 19 years.Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-six years, and they have two young adult children. They recently became grandparents for the first time. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories, read books by her favorite authors, and play with her new granddaughter.

An Amish Cradle: Four Novellas by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller and Vanetta Chapman

Synopsis: Tiny fingers,

Tiny toes,

And lives that will never be the same.

Journey with four families as their lives are about to change forever.

"In His Father's Arms" by Beth Wiseman

Ruth Anne has been dreaming about motherhood her entire life. Now she is doubly excited that she and her best friend are due with their children the same week. But when Ruth Anne's baby is born with Down's syndrome, she and her husband struggle to understand God's plan.

"A Son for Always" by Amy Clipston

Carolyn and Joshua are thrilled to be pregnant with their first child together. Carolyn was just a teenager when she had her son, Benjamin, and she still feels solely responsible to secure his future. As Joshua watches Carolyn struggle to accept his support, he knows he has to find some way to convince her that she--and Ben--will always be taken care of.

"A Heart Full of Love" by Kathleen Fuller

Ellie's mother hasn't stopped meddling in her personal life since Ellie lost her sight--and she's taken it up a notch now that Ellie's pregnant. When Ellie gives birth to twins, her mother insists on moving in to care for them. But when her mother's behavior becomes unbearable, Ellie is forced to take a stand . . . and finally find out why "Mamm" can't let go.

"An Unexpected Blessing" by Vannetta Chapman

At 42, Etta thought she was finished having children, but she's pregnant again. After a frightening labor, Etta finally gives birth, but her constant worry over her estranged grown son, David, haunts her still. As a new mother again, Etta must hold tightly to the promise that God will watch over her children--and that one day David will return.

Thoughts: "In His Father's Arms" by Beth Wiseman

Ruth Ann and Levi's newborn son is diagnosed with Down's Syndrome. Ruth Ann, in typical maternal fashion, is ready to deal with whatever comes with her child, but Levi seems to be avoiding both of them. As you read, you feel for both of them and hope they will find their way back to each other, and to be the best of parents for their son.

"A Son For Always" by Amy Clipston
Carolyn gave birth to her son, Ben, before she married Joshua. Even though Joshua adopted Ben and says he thinks of him as his own child, Carolyn worries that feeling will dwindle after the birth of the baby she is carrying. In order to provide for Ben's future., Carolyn works at the local hotel as well as keeping up with all her responsibilities at home. After her daughter is born, will she return to her job, or will she trust Joshua to provide for their entire family?

"A Heart Full Of Love" by Kathleen Fuller
Ellie and Chris are parents of newborn twin girls, and Ellie's mother has decided that she needs to care for them, as Ellie is blind. When the "help" gets too much to bear, how will Chris and Ellie handle it,and what will Ellie learn about her mother--and herself--in the process?

"An Unexpected Blessing" by Vanetta Chapman
Etta and Mose thought their days of having babies were past, as they were both in their 40s, but God had other plans. As she cared for her new child, Etta longed for news from her oldest son, David. When he shows up unexpectedly, is he there to stay, or will Etta face heartbreak yet again? And will the family find a way to make the mortgage payments on the farm, or will they be forced to move away?

These four writers of Amish fiction provided wonderful stories as usual. I would highly recommend it to everyone, particularly if you are a fan of Amish fiction. 

**I received a copy of this book from Booklookbloggers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

My rating: Five stars