18 December 2019

An Amish Christmas Bakery | Book Review + Excerpt


ABOUT THE BOOK


From bestselling authors in the Amish genre come four delicious novellas perfect for celebrating love, joy, and the holiday season.

Cookies and Cheer by Amy Clipston: As Christmas draws near, Alyssa Byler dreams of a window display for the bakery where she works. When she decides to design and build a sugar cookie nativity scene, all she needs is the right cookie cuttersand handsome blacksmith Kyle Smoker is the one she asks for help. Using Kyle’s handmade cutters, Alyssa creates a striking display that brings more tourists to the bakery than she can handle.

And when shoppers request handmade cookie cutters of their own, Kyle finds himself overwhelmed by the demand. As Christmas approaches, Alyssa realizes she’s been too caught up in work to focus on the true meaning of Christmasand too distracted to explore the feelings she has for Kyle. Together, they put aside the holiday rush and spend their time celebrating the season that has brought them together.

Loaves of Love by Beth Wiseman: As the only girl in a family of eight, Katie Swartzentruber has been left in charge of her family’s bakery while her mother recuperates from surgery. At first, Katie doesn’t think tending to the bakery alone will be difficult. She’s worked alongside her mother for years. But Christmas is coming, and with the holiday comes a flood of patrons, both regulars and tourists. When Katie becomes overwhelmed with the orders she is receiving, she is tempted to move her Old Order family into the modern world by purchasing propane ovens to help with the workload. She finds help from an unexpected sourcechildhood friend Henry Hershberger, who has harbored a secret crush on Katie for years. He’s been afraid to tell her how he feels, but he’s sure that this Christmas is his moment. As the demands of the bakery only get more intense, both Katie and Henry have to decide what really matters... and find the courage within themselves to go after it.

Melting Hearts by Kathleen Fuller: Mattie Shetler is an expert baker, so when her aunt Carolyn begs for help during the busy Christmas rush, Mattie eagerly packs her bags and heads to Birch Creek. What she doesn’t know is that her uncle has also asked for help with the bakery’s new expansion, and he’s asked none other than Peter Kaufman, Mattie’s sworn enemy. As the two work side by side, though, Mattie discovers not all is as it seems. With Christmas just around the corner, Mattie and Peter open their hearts for the greatest gifts of the season: forgiveness and maybe even love.

Cakes and Kisses by Kelly Irvin: Martha Ropp works hard at her family’s bakery, making cakes and pies in preparation not only for Christmas but the many community weddings, including her sister’s. To help during this busy season, Martha’s mother hires Ambrose Hershberger to make deliveries. Martha remembers Ambrose as a gentle giant from her school days, but soon discovers that still waters run deep. The more they work together, the more they want to spend time together outside of the bakery, but both Martha and Ambrose are too timid to make the first move. That’s when the town matchmakers step in.

Publisher: Zondervan
Release Date: October 1, 2019


MY REVIEW

This holiday season, join four authors in Amish-set stories featuring heartwarming romance and delicious baked treats.

-In Amy Clipston’s Cookies and Cheer, Alyssa Byler learns an important lesson about making time for the people she loves.
-In Beth Wiseman’s Loaves of Love, Katie Swartzentruber and Henry Hershberger confront feelings they have harbored for years amidst the bakery’s busiest season.
-In Kathleen Fuller’s Melting Hearts, Peter Kaufman is the last person Maddie Shetler expected (or wanted) to see in Birch Creek, but working together allows her the opportunity to understand the truth behind her animosity.
-In Kelly Irvin’s Cakes and Kisses, Ambrose Hershberger does not expect Martha Ropp to give him a chance, but love surprises them both anyway.

Reading An Amish Christmas Bakery, I enjoyed all but Clipston’s novella. Cookies and Cheer tried too hard to convey its specific message that its characterizations and emotion fell a little flat. But after that rocky start, the next novellas wrapped me in the warmth of their romance, community, and holiday spirit. I don’t read Amish fiction often nowadays, but this collection proved just as fun and uplifting as I expected. For any lovers of Amish fiction (or just readers in need of a few quick Christmas stories), take a trip to An Amish Christmas Bakery.

★.5

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

EXCERPT

Read the first few chapters now.

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