I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kathleen Fuller and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Published by Thomas Nelson on June 6th 2017
Source: Kathleen Fuller
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian Fiction
Pages: 400
A Reunion in Pinecraft by Shelley Shepard Gray
When sisters Sharon and Sherilyn Kramer attend a wedding in Shipshewana, one of them returns with a new penpal while the other returns to her job at the bakery. After sending weekly letters back and forth, Sherry and Graham Holland arrange a reunion in Pinecraft. Upon Graham s arrival, however, he realizes he s been writing to the wrong sister. He decides to use the reunion as a way to get to know both sisters, but can he sort through the confusion in time to turn the worst vacation ever into something truly wonderful?
Summer Storm by Amy Clipston
Arianna is counting down the days until her wedding to Jesse. They have been friends longer than Arianna can remember, and that friendship turned into love over the past couple of years. But when Arianna's brother Isaac, who happens to be Jesse s best friend, gets them both into trouble, Arianna s father puts an end to her engagement to Jesse. Some summer storms pass quickly, but Arianna is afraid the damage from this one may be too much to repair.
Lakeside Love by Kathleen Fuller
Esther has always lived in the shadow of her beautiful younger sister Sarah. Even the boy she has known and loved her entire life, Judah, only has eyes for Sarah. But when a handsome young Englischer comes to live with the family for a summer, everything begins to change.
One Sweet Kiss by Kelly Irvin
Everybody in little Bee County, Texas, can see the obvious: Jacob King and Martha Byler are meant to be together. Everyone, that is, but Martha. Ever since her mother died when Martha was a young girl, she has taken over the role of caregiver to her large family. And reckless Jacob, who has had a little too much fun on his rumspringa, only seems to add to the list of people to manage. But one summer changes everything, and these two may just find a way to meet in the middle and share one sweet kiss.
A Reunion in Pinecraft by Shelley Shepard Gray
I liked the premise of this story. There is something romantic about falling in love while exchanging letters. I liked both the girls and Toby. I just felt that I didn’t bond with Graham as much as I should have. I wanted to love and trust him for Sherry but I found that difficult to do.
I’m going to be perfectly frank, one of my other issues was with similarly named sisters. I know that this is a silly nitpicky thing for me. But, I struggle with remembering which sister is which. Especially when I’m looking back on things and discussing with friends who are also reading this story at the same time.
Summer Storm by Amy Clipston
Amy Clipston really knocked it out of the park with this one! It’s really difficult to write complex characters into a novella without falling short. Somehow, Amy managed to pull it off. These characters were so well-developed. My heart went out to Ariana, Isaac, and Jesse. And though she has a small role in this book; I also felt for Ariana and Isaac’s mom. Why? Because I cannot imagine being married to Marvin Smucker. He is one of those people who it’s their way or the highway.
I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone by revealing too much. But, I want to say how much I appreciate Amy’s realistic approach for healing for this family. Sometimes a person needs more help than love and friendship can give. In those instances, a person truly needs to seek professional help. I loved that love didn’t just make all the bad stuff go away. That’s not real life. Sometimes you have to accept you’re broken before things can get better.
Lakeside Love by Kathleen Fuller
Okay, first off, I just want to say how amazing Kathleen Fuller is for having told a pretty sister/plain sister plot without dropping the, “She didn’t know how beautiful she was” cliché. Seriously, this girl deserves a medal! Esther is absolutely adorable. I just loved that girl and I loved how she had resigned herself to being happy—with or without the man she longed for. I truly feel that Esther could have pulled it off and been happy if Judah hadn’t ever woken up and smelled the roses.
I do wish that I’d had more time to spend with them as a couple. I felt a little rushed but I often feel this way after reading a novella. I do appreciate that a little extra time developing Sarah and exploring her feelings though. Even though it probably took away from time that could have been spent with Esther and Judah.
One Sweet Kiss by Kelly Irvin
I have to say, alligator wranglin’ in an Amish book is new to me. I appreciate quirky things like that in an Amish book. But, I just couldn’t bond with these characters. It’s really hard to fully develop a love story in a novella. Trying to develop three love stories in one novella is just too much. I felt that this story told more of Dwayne and Rory’s story—a Non-Amish couple—than it did of Martha and Jacob’s. I also felt that these characters must be from one of the author’s pre-existing series and I was missing a lot of the back story. Such as, I’m guessing that Jacob’s sister had left the Amish and became a counselor’s wife? Maybe a preacher’s wife? I’m not entirely certain. I was definitely missing some of this story.
About Amy Clipston
Amy Clipston has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her fiction writing “career” began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan College and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. She is the author of the bestselling Kauffman Amish Bakery series with Zondervan, which is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and four spoiled rotten cats.
About Kathleen Fuller
Kathleen Fuller is an American writer, specializing in Christian and Amish romantic fiction. She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas and currently resides in Geneva, Ohio with her husband, James Fuller, and three children.
About Kelly Irvin
Kelly Irvin is the author of more than a dozen Amish books. Her latest release is The Saddle Maker’s Son, the third novel in the Amish of Bee County series from Zondervan/HarperCollins, released in June 2016. It follows The Bishop’s Son and The Beekeeper’s Son, which received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, calling it “a delicately woven masterpiece.” The Beekeeper’s Son is a finalist in the national ACFW Carol Awards Contest in the romance category. She is also the author of the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Hope Amish series, both from Harvest Housing. She has also penned two romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine.
About Shelley Shepard Gray
Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.
Hi Kristin, I sent a pingback here as a test.
Jo-Ann
I got your reply here. Still not showing the actual pingback. Bummer. Hrmm.