Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman Three generations of Stoltzfus women are all living under the same roof. At twenty-five, Naomi has never been married, and both her mother, Barbara, and her grandmother, Ruth, have recently been widowed. Each nursing broken or lonely hearts, they also each have potential suitors. When a storm on Christmas Eve forces the three couples to take shelter in the basement … basement of the Stotlzfus homestead, secrets are revealed, hearts are opened, and all three potential grooms drop to their knees for very different reasons–a proposal, a prayer, and an epiphany.
The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston
Emma Bontrager is spending her first Christmas alone after her husband of 45 years, Henry, passed away in July. Although the Amish don’t normally allow animals in their homes, a big, fat, orange barn cat keeps coming into Emma’s house. She shoos the cat away, but it continues to appear in her house, settling on Henry’s favorite wingchair. But the cat isn’t the only Christmas visitor: a group of young people help bring the Christmas spirit to Emma, reminding her that love and hope abide.
Snow Angels by Kelly Irvin
As a young man enjoying his rumspringa, David Byler gave his heart to an Englisch girl, but he eventually realized he couldn’t give up his Plain faith and family for her, so he let her go. He’s found a new love in his Bee County Plain community, Molly Shrock. Molly has been patient, waiting for the man she loves to love her back. Just as he is ready to propose, David makes a startling discovery: Bobbie McGregor, his Englisch love, is back. Will Molly’s prayers for a Christmas love be answered?
Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid
When a misdirected GPS sends Ellie Whetstone to the wrong address, she inadvertently finds herself breaking into the home of Amish man, Ezra Mast. Ellie hopes to fix up the house left by her aenti and sell it quickly, but a series of run-ins with Ezra and his young daughter have her questioning whether a hasty sale is the right move. Could this new place with its slower pace be the right home for Ellie?
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This is a lovely collection of novellas featuring a variety of themes, including love at all ages, grief, friendship, the comfort of fellowship, old flame returned, and legacies. The characters really came to life and the plot of each was unique from the others in the collection. I especially enjoy reading Christmas novellas during the busy holiday season since I can squeeze in a story at the end of a long day and they help me feel the spirit of Christmas, often reminding me of the true meaning. I’m a fan of the first two authors, Beth Wiseman and Amy Clipston, but haven’t read much by the other two, Kelly Irvin and Ruth Reid. I was happy to discover that I like their writing style and am excited to read some full-length novels by both.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
Four short stories each beautiful.Winter Kisses Three generations of Stoltzfus women are all living under the same roof. Each looking for love. Ruth and Barbara are both widowed. Ruth looking for love and Barbara still morning her husband. Ruth’s daughter never married. Cute story of Christmas and finding love Christmas cat is a cute story Emma Bontrager has lost her husband and this will be her fist Christmas alone. She finds a cat which she names it Henry after her husband. She chases it away but it keeps coming back. She then allows the cat in the house. Cute story of real love.Snow Angels Is a story about David Byler. On his rumspringa he meets a English girl that he falls in love with. He struggles because he does not want to leave the plain life. He meets Molly a plain girl and falls in love with her. Then the English girl comes back. Will he choose to leave his faith or make a life with Molly. The last story is Home for Christmas. Ellie Whetstone is willed her Grandmothers home after she dies. Ellie’s parents were Amish but left the faith. When she comes back for the house she makes a mistake and ends up in someone else’s home. Erza Mast comes home to find her in his home. Erza’s daughter falls in love with Ellie;s dog. Wills she fix her Grandmothers home and sell it or will she find love and come back to the plain life her Grandmother hoped for. A enjoyable book of short stories.
Amish Christmas Of A Lifetime (Amish Love Of A Lifetime #4) my third read from Christian author Sadie Palmer. Samantha Schuster & her boyfriend’s story continues. Perhaps even better than her first 2 Amish Love Of A Lifetime books I read. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. Julie Lancelot’s narration was not as enjoyable as it was in the first 2 books, still it adds to the book’s enjoyment. I need to get An Amish Love Of A Lifetime Book 1. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
A great collection of enjoyable Christmas stories that enthusiasts of Amish fiction will thoroughly love!
Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman
Such a sweet, fun story of romance for three generations of women! With some cute comedy thrown in for enjoyment, this entertaining Christmas story about healing and love after heart break is worth the read. As always, Beth Wiseman does a great job writing wonderful characters that you’ll love!
The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston
Amy Clipston can always be depended on to give us a great story, and this one is no different. The endearing characters in this book will give you that warm Christmas feeling, as Emma deals with her loss and discovers that friendship comes in all shapes and forms.
Snow Angels by Kelly Irvin
We can’t always run from our past, and author Kelly Irvin does a wonderful job of showing us that, as well as showing us that the past can be forgiven and we can move on. You’ll find yourself rooting for Molly and shaking your head at David. But hang in there. The ending is worth it!
Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid
This incredible story has a lot of substance and includes the tough subject of a child prone to seizures. Author Ruth Reid doesn’t try to “hide” that subject but faces it squarely. A series of mix ups as well as twists and turns gives this story a “what next” quality that made it hard to put down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
An Amish Christmas Love contains four novellas centered around Christmas by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid and Kelly Irvin. Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman is set in December in a snowy Lancaster County. Naomi Stoltz lives with her mother, Barbara and grandmother, Ruth in the main house on their farm. They have just rented out the daadi haus to Amish construction workers who will be in the area for a month. When Ruth notices that the three gentlemen are in similar age to the three women, she is hoping cupid’s arrow will strike. Barbara has been a widow for three years and it is time for her to move on (at least in Ruth’s opinion). Ruth has been looking for the right man since she lost her husband and it is past time for Naomi to marry (according to Ruth). Will these three women get their happily ever after this Christmas?
The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston takes us to Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. Emma Bontrager is a sad this Christmas as it is the first one she has experienced alone in forty-five years. Her husband, Henry passed away during the summer. Emma was invited to the Blank house for dinner, but, with the heavy snow, she feels it would not be safe to venture out. Emma is heading inside when she notices an orange tabby cat on her porch. She tries to shoo the fellow away, but instead he ends up inside and resting comfortably in Henry’s chair. Katie Ann Blank is worried when Emma does not arrive for dinner and did not leave a message. Ephraim, Katie Ann’s brother, and Katie Ann (along with two friends) decide to visit Emma and bring her some Christmas cheer.
Kelly Irvin’s Snow Angels returns readers to her Bee County Amish series. David Byler has been courting Molly Shrock for the last year. Molly is hoping that David will soon become baptized and then propose to her. David and Molly are at a local auction when David sees his old Englisch girlfriend, Bobbie McGregor. Bobbie’s father has become ill and she is needed to help run their ranch. David has been in love with Bobbie, but he could not leave his community and his faith. Seeing her now brings back his feeling for Bobbie. She has not stopped loving him. David needs to make a choice about his future. Will David jump the fence or become baptized and propose to Molly this Christmas?
Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid takes us to Posen, Michigan. Ellie Whetstone is a dog handler who travels the country visiting dog shows in her RV. She is visiting Posen to visit the house she inherited from her aunt, Bonnie Whetstone and get it ready to sell. Ellie follow the directions from the GPS and finds a small farmhouse. She soon discovers that she is at the wrong property when Ezra Mast returns home with his daughter, Allison. Allison instantly falls in love with Lulu, a three-year-old Standard Poodle, much to her father’s consternation. A series of unfortunate events keep putting Ellie and Ezra in each other’s path. When an accident takes Ellie away, Ezra fears he has seen the last of her. Is there a chance for love between the Englischer and the Amish gentleman?
An Amish Christmas Love contains four lovely, heartwarming stories. They are about love, faith, hope, trust, power of prayer, friendship, trusting in God’s path for our lives, and the magic of Christmas. My favorite story is The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston. It is such a sweet story and I enjoyed the antics of the orange tabby that Emma names Hank. I like how the author reveals Emma’s history with her husband and how much they loved each other. Winter Kisses is humorous thanks to Ruth (she is a lively character). Snow Angels had a slower pace than the others and it ties into Kelly Irvin’s existing Bee County Amish series (can be standalone). I am rating An Amish Christmas Love 4 out of 5 stars. The four stories are well-written and enjoyable to read. I liked the life lessons presented in each story. An Amish Christmas Love is the perfect escape novel.