The Amish Twins Next Door: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance (Indiana Amish Brides Book 9) by Vannetta Chapman

 Book Details: 

Title:  The Amish Twins Next Door 

Series:  Indiana Amish Brides Book 9

Author:  Vannetta Chapman

Publisher:  Love Inspired

Pages:  231

Release Date:  April 26, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

Two little matchmakers could change everything…in this novel by USA TODAY bestselling author Vannetta Chapman.

Falling for a pretend suitor

could cause real complications… 

Amish single mom Deborah Mast is determined to raise her seven-year-old twin sons her way. But when neighbor Nicholas Stoltzfus takes the rambunctious boys on as apprentices on his farm, she’ll learn the value of his help with more than just the children. And when the two little matchmakers hatch a plan of their own, Deborah could also discover how to reopen her heart…

About the Author:  Vannetta Chapman

Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She is the author of over twenty novels, including the Pebble Creek Amish series, Shipshewana Amish Mystery Series, and Plain and Simple Miracle series. Vannetta is a Carol award winner, a Christy finalist, and she also received more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She currently writes Christian suspense, Amish romance, and Amish mystery. She was a teacher for 15 years and resides in the Texas hill country. For more information, visit her at: 

webpage -- www.VannettaChapman.com 

blog -- http://vannettachapman.com/blog

facebook -- www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks

pinterest -- http://pinterest.com/vannettachapman

instagram -- https://instagram.com/vannettachapman

twitter -- https://twitter.com/VannettaChapman

My Thoughts:  A Wonderful and Endearing Story

Deborah Mast's twin boys are the center of her world, and there isn't anything she wouldn't do for them.  Yes, the almost seven year olds can be a little active and curious, but Deborah has her way of raising them and no one can tell her otherwise. However, Nicholas (Nick) Stolzfus did not get that memo.  He thrives on structure and planning both of which go out the window when he finds out that working with his neighbor will include Deborah and her energetic twins.  However, Nick comes up with a plan which involves a structured way of keeping the twins under control while helping them funnel their energy.  Nick is convinced that Deborah will agree with his plan, which she does, but not until he agrees to a surprising plan of her own. And that is the beginning of a series of events which will take Deborah and Nick on an unexpected and interesting journey. 

There is so much that makes this such a wonderful and endearing story. It piqued my curiosity and drew me in right from the start kept me there all the way to the end. The characters were absolutely delightful and charming. Their interactions kept me laughing and smiling, especially the banter between Deborah and Nick and the well-meaning antics of the twins. The story pacing was perfect and was key in Deborah and Nick getting to know each other which included how their pasts played a part in their growing relationship.  I also enjoyed how the elements of humor, romance, faith and trust flowed flawlessly throughout the story and kept me completely connected to the characters.  

The Amish Twins Next Door is an awesome fun and endearing story. It is a definite must read that you will want to check out for yourself. And although it's a standalone in Chapman's Indiana Amish Brides series, I highly recommend you read the rest of the series as well.  You won't be disappointed.

****I received a complimentary copy of the book.  All comments in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.

The Amish Farmer's Proposal by Barbara Cameron

Book Details: 

Title:  The Amish Farmer's Proposal 

Author:  Barbara Cameron

Publisher:  Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

Pages:  352

Release Date:  April 26, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

A sweet and heartwarming Amish romance where no disaster can conquer true love. 

Dairy farmer Abe Stoltzfus wants to propose to Lavinia Fisher, the beautiful young woman he’s been dating, but being a traditional Amish man, he worries about how he can provide for her. Farming can be uncertain enough with weather conditions, crops not doing well, all manner of uncertainties. And after a bad summer storm and a serious injury from a rooftop tumble, Abe wants to wait until both he and his farm are back on their feet.

Lavinia is relieved when Abe survives the fall, yet it seems like it’s only the start of events that threaten their future together. But Lavinia is not only a talented Amish crafter, she’s also the daughter of a farmer. She knows what the life of a farm wife is like and remains optimistic things will turn around. And when Abe continues to drag his feet, Lavinia makes him an interesting proposal. Will Abe be able to resist it—and her?

About the Author:  Barbara Cameron

Barbara Cameron has a heart for writing about the spiritual values and simple

joys of the Amish. She is the best-selling author of more than 40 fiction and

nonfiction books, three nationally televised movies, and the winner of the first

Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Her books have been

nominated for Carol Awards and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award from

RWA's Faith, Hope, and Love chapter. Barbara resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

https://www.facebook.com/barbara.cameron1

My Thoughts:  A Lovely and Moving Story

Abe Stolzfus wants to ask Lavinia Fisher to marry him, but with all of the challenges that can affect farming, Abe worries about being able to provide for her. The situation is further complicated when Abe suffers a fall which puts him in the hospital and severely limits his mobility and ability to care for himself or the farm.  This convinces him even more that he and Lavinia won't be able to marry for quite some time.  Sticking to that plan will be easier said than done if Lavinia has any say in the matter.  

I was deeply moved by the story right from the start. Part of that was due to Abe's feelings and frustrations associated with his limited mobility. (I know someone that suffered a similar situation and saw first hand how this can affect a person.) Although his stubbornness of resisting marriage to Lavinia frustrated me more than once, his pain and challenges drew my heart to him and helped me understand him more. 

Lavinia's deep devotion and love for Abe was the other element that drew me into the story right from the start.  From the moment Abe suffered his accident and throughout the story, she demonstrated how deeply she cared for him. Even when Abe had his down times, difficulties, and wasn't exactly the nicest person, Lavinia didn't waver.  But, would this be enough for Abe to change his mind about Lavinia and marriage? 

Abe and Lavinia's relationship isn't without its challenges, and they most surely have their work cut out for them. Their path had some bumps in the road that caused me to hold my breath as I waited and wondered how it would all turn out. However, following them as they faced the good along with their ups and downs is exactly what I loved about this lovely and moving story.  In order for you to see just how their story unfolds, you'll have to read it for yourself.  And I highly recommend you do just that.

***I received a copy of the book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley.  All opinions and comments are completely my own.

The Gift of Joy (Unexpected Gifts Book 2) by Kristen McKanagh

 Book Details:

Title:  The Gift of Joy

Series:  Unexpected Gifts Book 2

Author:  Kristen McKanagh

Publisher:  Berkley

Pages:  302

Release Date:  April 26, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

Life is full of joy when it's least expected in this sweet Amish romance from the author of The Gift of Hope.

Joshua Kanagy’s older brother has left the family gift shop business, which is wonderful gute for Aaron, but not for Joshua. Horses are his talent—raising and training them. But how can Joshua step away from the shop when his parents have already had to give up the dream of leaving their legacy to all three of their sons?

Enter Joy Yoder, a determined, if sometimes misguided, helper who always manages to drag Joshua into her schemes and promises. Only now her focus turns to finding a solution to his problem, partly to distract from her own. Her mamm has her heart set on Joy marrying the minister’s son, and she’s not sure she wants to.

Joy gets the grand idea to propose to Joshua, offering a partnership of convenience rather than love. But as the wedding approaches, Joy starts to develop feelings for Joshua. Is it possible Gotte’s plan for Joy includes faith, friendship, and love?

About the Author:  Kristen McKanagh

Romance author Kristen McKanagh writes sweet contemporary romance & Amish romance. She loves plots that warm the soul, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of HEAs! Other titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, eMBA, organizational guru, Texan, Aggie, and chocoholic.

Kristen attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing) and an MBA. However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

Kristen currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their amazing kids, who are growing up way too fast, and 2 adorable fur babies.

kristenmckanagh.com

My Thoughts:  A True Gift of Joy

Joy Yoder's childhood friend, Joshua Kanagy, loves working with horses and helping out at her father's horse business. While that arrangement has been working out just fine, it runs into a snag when Joshua's family needs him to work at their shop.  This poses a challenge for Joshua, because he wants to keep working with horses, but he also knows his family is depending on him.  Meanwhile, Joy is facing challenges of her own. She's trying to find a way to do more with her quilting while doing her best to keep her mother's attempts of marrying her off to the minister's son from becoming a reality.  

Through the years, Joshua has been pulled into being an unwilling, and sometimes willing,  participant in Joy's well-meaning schemes. Joy knows how much Joshua would love to continue working with horses rather than work at his family's shop, and she knows that he needs a solution for his dilemma. Joy also knows that she needs a solution for her own situations, which of course gives Joy a grand idea that she's sure will solve everything for Joshua and and for her. However, what she doesn't know is that her plan may just turn out in a way she never would have imagined.

The Gift of Joy is a wonderful story!  I was completely drawn in from the first page, and I didn't put it down until I had read the entire book. It was fun, entertaining, heartwarming and just simply delightful. Joy truly is a joy.  She has such a huge heart and really just genuinely wants to help people and her grand schemes, which can be somewhat impulsive at times, are just her way of helping. Even though Joshua is a little grounded, Joy manages to pull him into her schemes one way or another.  And that is just part of what makes this story such a joy, pun intended, to read.  Joy and Joshua's interactions, as well as the interactions with the other characters, had me smiling, sighing, hold my breath, laughing out loud, and even pushed me to frustration a time or two. Yes, it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride for me, but those elements combined are what made this such a wonderful and delightful story that in the end left me smiling and saying, "That story was a true gift of joy!"

***I received a copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.  All comments and opinions are strictly my own.

The Bookseller’s Promise (The Amish Bookstore Novels Book 1) by Beth Wiseman

Book Details:

Title:  The Bookseller's Promise

Series:  An Amish Bookstore Novels Book 1

Author:  Beth Wiseman

Publisher:  Zondervan

Pages:  336

Release Date:  April 19, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

An unrequited romance and a rare book . . .

Yvonne Wilson makes the trek from Texas to Indiana with just one goal in mind: to convince Amishman Jake Lantz to sell her client a rare book from his collection. But Jake is as strong-willed as Yvonne. On the eve of his grandfather’s death, Jake vowed never to sell the book, and he intends to keep that promise. But he can’t say more than that, having never read it and not knowing why it was so dear to his grossdaadi.

Eva Graber has loved Jake since he hired her to work in his bookstore years ago, but he doesn’t seem to notice she’s blossomed into a beautiful woman. When Yvonne shows up and seems like she might turn Jake’s eye, Eva suggests she and Jake should read the book together.

What happens after that surprises them all, and the book leads the trio deep into mysterious questions about life and death, love and loss, and the impenetrable purposes of God.

About the Author:  Beth Wiseman

Bestselling and award-winning author Beth Wiseman has sold over two million books. She is the recipient of the coveted Holt Medallion, a two-time Carol Award winner, and has won the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award three times. Her books have been on various bestseller lists, including CBD, CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly. Beth and her husband are empty nesters enjoying country life in south central Texas. Visit her online at: https://bethwiseman.com/; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBethWiseman; 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethwiseman; 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethwisemanauthor

My Thoughts:  An unrequited romance and a rare book . . .

That phrase is a perfectly fitting description of The Bookseller's Promise.  But if you think that description sums up the whole story, I'm here to tell you that it's not even close.  

Yvonne Wilson is on a mission to acquire an extremely rare book, and she finds out that an Amish bookstore actually has the book. However, when Yvonne contacts Jake Lantz, the bookstore owner, she is shocked when he informs  her that the book is not for sale.  Because Yvonne is not one to give up, especially where a large payout is involved, she decides to travel to Indiana so that she can speak directly to Jake and get him to change his mind.  

Jake owns the bookstore that had been his grandfather's, and Eva Graber has worked with him ever since she was fifteen years old.  While Eva would like Jake to see her as more than just his employee, he seems a tad bit slow in the romance department and doesn't quite get the message.  And that is where a story about an unrequited romance and a rare book begins.  It's also the beginning of how Yvonne, Jake and Eva's paths cross and merge together, which create a beautiful story.

While I loved Jake and Eva right from the start, I struggled with feeling the same way about Yvonne. However, as I got to know the three of them better, I completely changed my mind about Yvonne.   Then when a curve ball was thrown into the story, the three characters took over my heart completely.

The Bookseller's Promise is a true gem of a story.  Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop.  I wanted Jake and Eva to find each other, but I really wanted to know what was in that special book.  Author Beth Wiseman flawlessly blended the themes of romance, intrigue, and faith throughout the story, and she did so in a way where the themes perfectly complement each other and do not overshadowed one another.  It was a perfect combination as is, but it became even more perfect with some unexpected events that added so much more depth to the story and made me say, "Wow! I did not see that coming!"  I highly recommend you read it for yourself and when you do, you'll understand why.

****I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.