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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
4.0
The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma by Patricia Johns is a sweet story. I enjoyed getting to know Mose and Naomi. They are two people who are opposites, but they enjoy each other’s company. They were friends as children and are getting a chance to reconnect. Mose Klassen is in town to fill in for his uncle who takes tourists on tours of Amish businesses in a buggy. He is also hoping that the matchmaker, Adel can find him a wife. The only problem is that Mose stutters. He has had the problem his whole life. Naomi is the one person he is able to talk to without as much difficulty. Adel is hoping Naomi can help Mose become more comfortable talking to women. Naomi is an outspoken individual with a liberal viewpoint while Mose is quiet and conservative. Despite their differences, they are drawn to each other. I thought the story moved along at a gentle pace. The book takes place over the two weeks that Mose is in town. The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma is the first book in the Amish Country Matches series. I like that we get to catch up with Adel and Jake from The Amish Matchmaker’s Choice (you do not need to read this book first). I enjoyed reading this uplifting story. We get to see that despite a person’s “flaws” there is a match for them. Naomi tends to speak before she thinks, has curly red hair that does not like to be tamed, has liberal views, an excellent cook, and is a full-figured woman. Mose is a smart, quiet man who is conservative. Mose’s stutter makes his difficult for him to voice his thoughts, but he can express them in written form. I like that the story is not rushed. If it moved too quickly, we would not understand the couple’s differences and see the challenges that Naomi and Mose face. There is repetition of details (like Mose’s stutter, Naomi’s red hair). I thought the ending was sweet. The faith element was well-done. We see that Naomi and Mose are people of deep faith. They believe that God will direct or guide them. The author shows us Amish values and how their faith is shown in everything they do. I enjoyed The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma. I am looking forward to reading the next Amish Country Matches novel. The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma is a satisfying story with a stutter snag, a chatty Kathy, a teen trouble, delectable delights, tourist trips, and a matchmaking conundrum.
libby1776's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lifeasmrsbaker's review
3.0
I normally love Patricia Johns books, but I did not connect with this story as much. I did not like the undertones of politics throughout the book when that is not an issue typically in amish fiction.
Read if you love: amish fiction
Thank you to HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada), Love Inspired and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you love: amish fiction
Thank you to HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada), Love Inspired and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
rosemaryandrue's review
3.0
When Mose comes to town in search of a wife, the local matchmaker sets him up with his childhood friend Naomi – but only as his speaking tutor, for Mose has a severe stutter. Though the pair feel drawn to each other, they seem too different in their outlooks to ever make a match of it.
I’m not religious. I’m certainly not Christian. But I do enjoy reading a wide variety of books, and considering the popularity of Amish romances, I thought it was a genre worth checking out, though it’s not exactly in my wheelhouse.
I thought this was a good first pick. It was a short and sweet romance, gently paced. I thought that Naomi and Mose were very well-suited, and enjoyed how they renewed their friendship and came to understand that their differences would only help the other person grow. I also enjoyed reading about the close-knit community, and how the characters approach the idea of involving themselves in the Englischer community while still holding fast to the insular nature of the Amish.
However, I did feel that some points were harped upon excessively. For example, there’s a lot of discussion of how Naomi is too liberal in her views (but still a good cook!), how she and Mose are afraid that if they embark on a relationship that it will turn out like the difficult marriage of their friends Leah and Daniel, etc. in a way that felt repetitive. I found myself somewhat annoyed with Mose on occasion too, especially in his impulsive behavior toward Trevor, but I suppose it fit with what we know of his character and he did at least repent of it.
And my ultimate take on Amish romance? I think the jury’s still out. While I enjoyed this book, I’m not sure the setting exerted any particular pull on me. I might try another book or two in the genre, but I don’t know how soon that’ll be.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I’m not religious. I’m certainly not Christian. But I do enjoy reading a wide variety of books, and considering the popularity of Amish romances, I thought it was a genre worth checking out, though it’s not exactly in my wheelhouse.
I thought this was a good first pick. It was a short and sweet romance, gently paced. I thought that Naomi and Mose were very well-suited, and enjoyed how they renewed their friendship and came to understand that their differences would only help the other person grow. I also enjoyed reading about the close-knit community, and how the characters approach the idea of involving themselves in the Englischer community while still holding fast to the insular nature of the Amish.
However, I did feel that some points were harped upon excessively. For example, there’s a lot of discussion of how Naomi is too liberal in her views (but still a good cook!), how she and Mose are afraid that if they embark on a relationship that it will turn out like the difficult marriage of their friends Leah and Daniel, etc. in a way that felt repetitive. I found myself somewhat annoyed with Mose on occasion too, especially in his impulsive behavior toward Trevor, but I suppose it fit with what we know of his character and he did at least repent of it.
And my ultimate take on Amish romance? I think the jury’s still out. While I enjoyed this book, I’m not sure the setting exerted any particular pull on me. I might try another book or two in the genre, but I don’t know how soon that’ll be.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
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