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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
An Amish Christmas Gift (various authors) is a lovely book to read. It contains three Christmas stories that will put you in the mood for Christmas (makes me want snow too)! The first story is Naomi’s Gift by Amy Clipston. Caleb Schmucker is a widower with a little girl named Susie. They are visiting his family in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania from Middlefield, Ohio. They stop to pick up a pie (because Susie was told that you should always take a gift to the hostess when visiting). Susie stops to look at quilts on display and meets Naomi King. Susie is instantly taken with Naomi and so is her father. The two continue to meet while Caleb is on vacation. But will Sadie, his interfering sister, get in the way of his happiness?
An Unexpected Joy by Ruth Reid is the second story. Abigail Kemp is twenty-three and not married. She earns money by baking but has found it difficult using the family horse to deliver her items to town (five miles away). Abigail has decided to save up for a horse and is getting close to her goal. When Abigail goes to deliver her latest items, the store is unable to take them. Abigail was seen talking to her cousin, Malinda Lambright. Malinda’s family is close to being shunned and the community is to avoid them. Then Abigail hears Micah Zook needs a caregiver for his grandmother. Abigail believes it is the perfect solution. Micah was looking to hire Abigail’s sister, Elizabeth to watch his grandmother, Edith while he works on his glassblowing orders. Abigail is something of a chatterbox (as well as pushy and determined). Micah ends up hiring her and has no idea what is in store for him! Micah’s quiet life is about to be turned upside down!
Kelly Irvin’s A Christmas Visitor is set in Bee County, Texas. Frannie Mast has been sent to live with Abigail and Mordecai. Her parents wanted her to get away from an Englisch influence. Then one night Richard “Rocky” Sanders shows up. He is the Englisch influence. Abigail and Rocky are in love with each other, but Frannie will not leave the Amish faith. Rocky does love Frannie, but he is also needing a change. He feels that something is missing in his life. Can Rocky find what is missing in Bee County, Texas? Will there be a happy ending for Frannie and Rocky?
I enjoyed all three stories in An Amish Christmas Gift. They can be read as part of their series (like Kelly Irvin’s The Amish of Bee County) or by themselves. All three are very well written with quaint settings and charming characters. The first story, Naomi’s Gift is the longest and takes up most of the book. The other two stories are shorter but just as good. A Christmas Visitor will have you laughing throughout the story. I give An Amish Christmas Gift 5 out of 5 stars. I like reading stories that are heartwarming and contain no foul language or sex. An Amish Christmas Gift contains some good messages and will definitely put you in the mood for Christmas.
I received a complimentary copy of An Amish Christmas Gift from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check out my blog for more information: http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/10/an-amish-christmas-gift.html
An Unexpected Joy by Ruth Reid is the second story. Abigail Kemp is twenty-three and not married. She earns money by baking but has found it difficult using the family horse to deliver her items to town (five miles away). Abigail has decided to save up for a horse and is getting close to her goal. When Abigail goes to deliver her latest items, the store is unable to take them. Abigail was seen talking to her cousin, Malinda Lambright. Malinda’s family is close to being shunned and the community is to avoid them. Then Abigail hears Micah Zook needs a caregiver for his grandmother. Abigail believes it is the perfect solution. Micah was looking to hire Abigail’s sister, Elizabeth to watch his grandmother, Edith while he works on his glassblowing orders. Abigail is something of a chatterbox (as well as pushy and determined). Micah ends up hiring her and has no idea what is in store for him! Micah’s quiet life is about to be turned upside down!
Kelly Irvin’s A Christmas Visitor is set in Bee County, Texas. Frannie Mast has been sent to live with Abigail and Mordecai. Her parents wanted her to get away from an Englisch influence. Then one night Richard “Rocky” Sanders shows up. He is the Englisch influence. Abigail and Rocky are in love with each other, but Frannie will not leave the Amish faith. Rocky does love Frannie, but he is also needing a change. He feels that something is missing in his life. Can Rocky find what is missing in Bee County, Texas? Will there be a happy ending for Frannie and Rocky?
I enjoyed all three stories in An Amish Christmas Gift. They can be read as part of their series (like Kelly Irvin’s The Amish of Bee County) or by themselves. All three are very well written with quaint settings and charming characters. The first story, Naomi’s Gift is the longest and takes up most of the book. The other two stories are shorter but just as good. A Christmas Visitor will have you laughing throughout the story. I give An Amish Christmas Gift 5 out of 5 stars. I like reading stories that are heartwarming and contain no foul language or sex. An Amish Christmas Gift contains some good messages and will definitely put you in the mood for Christmas.
I received a complimentary copy of An Amish Christmas Gift from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check out my blog for more information: http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/10/an-amish-christmas-gift.html
quiltedquill's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
diamondc's review against another edition
4.0
4 1/2 Stars
I love when my Favorite Amish authors combine their novelies into one book. I decided to Rate each story individually. Naomi's Gift I gave 4 stars. In this story I took a liking to Naomi after so much struggle with love she endured in the other Kauffman Amish Bakery stories. Unexpected Gift I gave 4 1/2 Stars. Abigail and Micah's story ended up being my favorite out of the three. A Christmas Visitor didn't capture me right away like the other two, but I still enjoyed the story enough for 4 stars. This book is a great book to read any time of the year and can be read individually.
I love when my Favorite Amish authors combine their novelies into one book. I decided to Rate each story individually. Naomi's Gift I gave 4 stars. In this story I took a liking to Naomi after so much struggle with love she endured in the other Kauffman Amish Bakery stories. Unexpected Gift I gave 4 1/2 Stars. Abigail and Micah's story ended up being my favorite out of the three. A Christmas Visitor didn't capture me right away like the other two, but I still enjoyed the story enough for 4 stars. This book is a great book to read any time of the year and can be read individually.
dnyameke's review against another edition
3.0
Of the three stories in this book, the second one "An unexpected Joy" was my favorite. It was cute and fun and I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. The first was my least favorite. Unfortunately, I found it to be a bit corny (for lack of a better word) at times. The third story was okay but I just wasn't drawn to the main character.
Overall, the stories were a little cliche but interesting enough to listen to on my drives to and from work. Lighthearted and simple.
Overall, the stories were a little cliche but interesting enough to listen to on my drives to and from work. Lighthearted and simple.
z523's review against another edition
3.0
Averaged out, my scores come to 9.5/3=3.167
The first two stories were decent, the last one had me annoyed with Amish people in general, and I realized that I saw the same problems in the second story as well.
The more Amish stories I read, the more I think it seems that while religious, they are very against people who aren’t Amish. It causes me to lose some respect.
In the second story, one of their members left and joined the army, but when he came back he had PTSD and brain trauma. As such, he wasn’t the same as he was, and the community had basically excommunicated his family because he couldn’t follow their way of life.
In the third story, one of the main characters was an outsider who loved the other main character, and to be with her he was abandoning his entire previous life to be with her. Everyone was prejudiced against him, and it wasn’t until he was basically completely Amish that they accepted him.
And aside from all that there is the whole patriarchal bit with women should be subservient to men vibe that sits sour with me.
Anyway, the stories are fine, but I’m not sure if Amish stories are the right thing for me.
The first two stories were decent, the last one had me annoyed with Amish people in general, and I realized that I saw the same problems in the second story as well.
The more Amish stories I read, the more I think it seems that while religious, they are very against people who aren’t Amish. It causes me to lose some respect.
In the second story, one of their members left and joined the army, but when he came back he had PTSD and brain trauma. As such, he wasn’t the same as he was, and the community had basically excommunicated his family because he couldn’t follow their way of life.
In the third story, one of the main characters was an outsider who loved the other main character, and to be with her he was abandoning his entire previous life to be with her. Everyone was prejudiced against him, and it wasn’t until he was basically completely Amish that they accepted him.
And aside from all that there is the whole patriarchal bit with women should be subservient to men vibe that sits sour with me.
Anyway, the stories are fine, but I’m not sure if Amish stories are the right thing for me.
janjanjukebox's review against another edition
3.0
An Amish Christmas Gift by Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, & Kelly Irvin 399 (409) pages
Naomi's Gift by Amy Clipston 184 pages
(Kauffman Amish Bakery -- Christmas Stories #2)
Naomi's Gift by Amy Clipston 184 pages
(Kauffman Amish Bakery -- Christmas Stories #2)
nataliesboooks's review against another edition
3.0
Overall thoughts - the Amy Clipston story was my favorite in the collection. Naomi and Caleb were so cute together. The Ruth Reid story was pretty good, but Micah went from finding Abigail annoying to being head over heels in love at the drop of a hat. The Kelly Irvin story I didn’t care for. It wasn’t very Christmassy, and I didn’t see much of a connection between the two characters.
kristi518's review against another edition
4.0
Christmas and romance go hand in hand in this collection of Amish novellas by three well-known Amish fiction authors. While familiar with the works of Amy Clipston, the other two authors were new to me.
Namoni's Gift--I always enjoy Amy's stories and this novella was no different. Good storyline and realistic characters made this story easy to read. I enjoyed the way that even though this was a novella the story progressed naturally and nothing seemed rushed.
An Unexpected Joy--Having never read anything by this author I wasn't sure what to expect. The story held my interest from beginning to end and I must admit I think I may have swooned just a tad at the ending. This was a sweet romance that left me smiling at the end of the story. I really enjoyed Abagail and Micah and would like to read more about them.
A Christmas Visitor--I had a hard time staying interested in this story. It didn't have the same Christmas-y feel as the other two stories in the collection. It could have been the Texas setting; I'm not sure. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and never really felt like I was a part of the story. This was the shortest of the stories and I just really would have liked to have seen this as a full-length novel with more conflict and buildup to the ending. The author's writing style was nice though and the story was easy to read.
If you are a fan of Amish fiction, romance, or Christmas you will enjoy these three stories of love, second chances, and starting over.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and the Fiction Guild in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.
Namoni's Gift--I always enjoy Amy's stories and this novella was no different. Good storyline and realistic characters made this story easy to read. I enjoyed the way that even though this was a novella the story progressed naturally and nothing seemed rushed.
An Unexpected Joy--Having never read anything by this author I wasn't sure what to expect. The story held my interest from beginning to end and I must admit I think I may have swooned just a tad at the ending. This was a sweet romance that left me smiling at the end of the story. I really enjoyed Abagail and Micah and would like to read more about them.
A Christmas Visitor--I had a hard time staying interested in this story. It didn't have the same Christmas-y feel as the other two stories in the collection. It could have been the Texas setting; I'm not sure. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and never really felt like I was a part of the story. This was the shortest of the stories and I just really would have liked to have seen this as a full-length novel with more conflict and buildup to the ending. The author's writing style was nice though and the story was easy to read.
If you are a fan of Amish fiction, romance, or Christmas you will enjoy these three stories of love, second chances, and starting over.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and the Fiction Guild in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.
booksforchristiangirls's review against another edition
3.0
{{It’s December and that means Christmas book reviews here on BFCG! Unlike how we did last year with every review day being a Christmas book, this year just Monday & Friday will be reviews of Christmas books. Wednesdays will be reserved for new releases. :) A couple giveaways are also scheduled this month, so keep an eye out!}}
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“Naomi’s Gift” by Amy Clipston
About this book:
“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.”
Series: This novella is connected to the "Kauffman Amish Bakery" series and is the second book is the Christmas Stories line. I’ll be reviewing the first book in this Christmas line later this month.
Spiritual Content- Scriptures are quoted; Church going & singing; Prayers & Blessings over food; Many Talks about God & His plans; ‘H’s when talking about God are capital; Christmas & a Christmas program; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of Heaven.
Negative Content- A bit of sarcasm; Pain (up to semi-detailed); A mention of a buggy & car crash (border-line semi-detailed); Mentions of gossips.
Sexual Content- a semi-detailed kiss; Noticing & Smelling; Blushes; Touches (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of being boy crazy; Love, falling in love, and the emotions.
-Naomi King
-Caleb Schmucker
P.O.V. switches between them
145 pages
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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
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“An Unexpected Joy” by Ruth Reid
About this book:
“Abigail has driven other suitors away, but can Micah find a way to show her he cares?
Being a caregiver for Micah Zook’s grandmother is the answer to Abigail’s prayers. In fact, the elderly lady keeps finding ways to set Abigail up with her grandson. Despite Abigail’s constant chatter, Micah realizes he’s beginning to care for her—until he makes a decision that leaves her feeling betrayed. With Christmas in their midst, can Micah find a way to reconcile with Abigail and to reveal the true feelings of his heart?”
Series: I can’t find that this novella is connected to any of the author’s other books. {If anyone knows that it is, please do let me know! :) }
Spiritual Content- Prayers; A few Scriptures are mentioned & quoted; Talks about God, Jesus, gifts, & godly examples; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Church & Christmas; Many mentions of shunning; Mentions of Prayers & Blessing over food.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three ‘stupid’s; Mentions of many curses that are said but not written; A mention of black magic; A couple mentions of tattoos; Mentions of a bomb & fighting.
Sexual Content- a forehead kiss, an almost kiss, a semi-detailed kiss, & two detailed kisses; Staring at lips & wanting to kiss; Noticing (up to semi-detailed); Touches & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Love, falling in love & the emotions.
-Abigail Kemp, age 22
-Micah Zook, age 24
P.O.V. switches between them
136 pages
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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Two Stars
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“A Christmas Visitor” by Kelly Irvin
About this book:
“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?”
Series: Mentions of characters from the author’s “The Amish of Bee County” series. {I have not read (or reviewed) any books in that series.}
Spiritual Content- Prayers; Talks about God & His plans; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of Church; Rocky didn’t have a good earthly father, so he isn’t sold on a Heavenly Father (he does start thinking about Him, though); Church, Christmas & a Christmas program.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’ and a ‘stupid’; A hunting trip, shooting & mentions of it (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of boxers & hitting people; A mention of vomit.
Sexual Content- A very-detailed kiss; Touches & Embraces (semi-detailed); Noticing & Smelling (semi-detailed); Mentions of kissing; Mentions of modesty; A mention of an English girl wearing tight clothes; Rocky’s father left his family for another woman; Love, falling in love & the emotions.
-Frannie Mast
-Rocky Sanders
P.O.V. switches between them
122 pages
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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Two Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
In case you can’t tell, the first one was the best. I actually reviewed “Naomi’s Gift” last year for Christmas. ;) Let’s break down my thoughts on each novella:
“Naomi’s Gift” by Amy Clipston is the best one, in my opinion. Still just as cute as the first time I read it. :)
“An Unexpected Joy” by Ruth Reid was okay. While I liked Abigail’s heart for others, I did find her chatting very over the top. The falling in love seemed a little off….he was annoyed with her talking and then the next chapter he was in love with her…a little rushed to say the least. I’ve also never read an Amish book set in Michigan, so that was different.
“A Christmas Visitor” by Kelly Irvin was the smallest and most rushed out of the three novellas in this collection. While I had to laugh at the Amish eating Tex-Mex food (being from Texas and all) and while I liked Rocky, I felt like I was jumping in the middle of their story. It was very rushed and I was not a fan of that very detailed kiss! :(
So, I personally would just go out and buy a hardback copy of “Naomi’s Gift” by Amy Clipston by itself. ;)
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspot.com/2015/12/an-amish-christmas-gift-by-amy-clipston.html
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review.
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“Naomi’s Gift” by Amy Clipston
About this book:
“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.”
Series: This novella is connected to the "Kauffman Amish Bakery" series and is the second book is the Christmas Stories line. I’ll be reviewing the first book in this Christmas line later this month.
Spiritual Content- Scriptures are quoted; Church going & singing; Prayers & Blessings over food; Many Talks about God & His plans; ‘H’s when talking about God are capital; Christmas & a Christmas program; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of Heaven.
Negative Content- A bit of sarcasm; Pain (up to semi-detailed); A mention of a buggy & car crash (border-line semi-detailed); Mentions of gossips.
Sexual Content- a semi-detailed kiss; Noticing & Smelling; Blushes; Touches (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of being boy crazy; Love, falling in love, and the emotions.
-Naomi King
-Caleb Schmucker
P.O.V. switches between them
145 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
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“An Unexpected Joy” by Ruth Reid
About this book:
“Abigail has driven other suitors away, but can Micah find a way to show her he cares?
Being a caregiver for Micah Zook’s grandmother is the answer to Abigail’s prayers. In fact, the elderly lady keeps finding ways to set Abigail up with her grandson. Despite Abigail’s constant chatter, Micah realizes he’s beginning to care for her—until he makes a decision that leaves her feeling betrayed. With Christmas in their midst, can Micah find a way to reconcile with Abigail and to reveal the true feelings of his heart?”
Series: I can’t find that this novella is connected to any of the author’s other books. {If anyone knows that it is, please do let me know! :) }
Spiritual Content- Prayers; A few Scriptures are mentioned & quoted; Talks about God, Jesus, gifts, & godly examples; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Church & Christmas; Many mentions of shunning; Mentions of Prayers & Blessing over food.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three ‘stupid’s; Mentions of many curses that are said but not written; A mention of black magic; A couple mentions of tattoos; Mentions of a bomb & fighting.
Sexual Content- a forehead kiss, an almost kiss, a semi-detailed kiss, & two detailed kisses; Staring at lips & wanting to kiss; Noticing (up to semi-detailed); Touches & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Love, falling in love & the emotions.
-Abigail Kemp, age 22
-Micah Zook, age 24
P.O.V. switches between them
136 pages
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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Two Stars
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“A Christmas Visitor” by Kelly Irvin
About this book:
“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?”
Series: Mentions of characters from the author’s “The Amish of Bee County” series. {I have not read (or reviewed) any books in that series.}
Spiritual Content- Prayers; Talks about God & His plans; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of Church; Rocky didn’t have a good earthly father, so he isn’t sold on a Heavenly Father (he does start thinking about Him, though); Church, Christmas & a Christmas program.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’ and a ‘stupid’; A hunting trip, shooting & mentions of it (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of boxers & hitting people; A mention of vomit.
Sexual Content- A very-detailed kiss; Touches & Embraces (semi-detailed); Noticing & Smelling (semi-detailed); Mentions of kissing; Mentions of modesty; A mention of an English girl wearing tight clothes; Rocky’s father left his family for another woman; Love, falling in love & the emotions.
-Frannie Mast
-Rocky Sanders
P.O.V. switches between them
122 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Two Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
In case you can’t tell, the first one was the best. I actually reviewed “Naomi’s Gift” last year for Christmas. ;) Let’s break down my thoughts on each novella:
“Naomi’s Gift” by Amy Clipston is the best one, in my opinion. Still just as cute as the first time I read it. :)
“An Unexpected Joy” by Ruth Reid was okay. While I liked Abigail’s heart for others, I did find her chatting very over the top. The falling in love seemed a little off….he was annoyed with her talking and then the next chapter he was in love with her…a little rushed to say the least. I’ve also never read an Amish book set in Michigan, so that was different.
“A Christmas Visitor” by Kelly Irvin was the smallest and most rushed out of the three novellas in this collection. While I had to laugh at the Amish eating Tex-Mex food (being from Texas and all) and while I liked Rocky, I felt like I was jumping in the middle of their story. It was very rushed and I was not a fan of that very detailed kiss! :(
So, I personally would just go out and buy a hardback copy of “Naomi’s Gift” by Amy Clipston by itself. ;)
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspot.com/2015/12/an-amish-christmas-gift-by-amy-clipston.html
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review.
rachel92886's review
4.0
Naomi's Gift-- Such a sweet story about second chances. Naomi is what those in the Amish community would call an old maid. She is also known as the girl who chases after the boys, which is a no-no in the Amish community. She meets sweet little Sadie at the farmer's market where she is selling her handmade quilts and she is immediately drawn to the young girl. After finding out that Sadie and her father are visiting for Christmas, they become friends and a wonderful story develops. This was my first read by Amy. I enjoyed it very much. The storyline is sweet with good romance. Nothing overly mushy, and for a novella, a full story that moved just fast enough without seaming too rushed. I most definitely will be reading more from Amy. This one was my favorite of the three novellas in the book.
An Unexpected Joy-- This story was a little different, than the Amish books I am used to. For starters Abigail is a very talkative woman which I'm not sure is common is Amish communities. This was overall a great story. I was very much interested the whole time and couldn't wait to finish so I would know what happens. I have come to enjoy the Amish stories I have read recently where the woman is above what is considered to be a marrying age. This one was no different. Abigail has made peace with the fact that she probably won't get married (probably because she can't seem to stop talking). When circumstances make it difficult for her to buy the horse she has been saving for, she jumps at the chance to sit with Micah Zook's Grandmother to finish earning the money she needs. Needless to say this story has all sorts of little hiccups in it for both characters. This was a great read and I could see myself possibly reading something else by Ruth.
A Christmas Visitor-- Another good story by Kelly Irvin. This is my second read by Kelly and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Kelly has such a unique style when it comes to Amish fiction. They speak about things I have never thought about in an Amish book before. This book deals with the struggles of loving an Englischer and knowing that you can never leave your faith. Kelly does a great job with this story. Rocky and Frannie were great characters. I also enjoyed that she took me back to Bee County, where I previously visited in the Bishop's Son. This is a stand alone novella, but I enjoyed reading about some of the characters I read about in that book as well.
A great finish to a great set of novellas. I was blessed with this book for review, through the Fiction Guild. A positive review was not required.
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