With Christmas around the corner, it’s time for Amish families to include holiday greetings in their circle letters, each writer adding to a growing collection as it travels on to the next. In this delightful trio of stories, three cousins scattered across the country share their blessings—and reveal news of romantic surprises . . . To win a friendly annual competition, matchmaker Marybeth … matchmaker Marybeth Martin must bring one more couple together by Christmas. Her only prospect is a man more interested in a nanny than a wife—until his little girl shows him the light. . . . Struggling farmer’s daughter Katie Mae Kauffman discovers that she and a local widower and father of four can harvest more crops—and profits—together than separately. But she’ll have to put pride aside to make room for unexpected love. . . . Corralling an unruly brood of seven is not babysitter Carolyn Yutzy’s first choice for celebrating the season—but the sparks between her and their unsentimental yet irresistible uncle may be a gift neither was counting on . . .
Now, one by one, each resourceful young woman will have a holiday to remember—and to write home about . . .
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The Amish Christmas Letters by Patricia Davids, Sarah Price and Jennifer Beckstrand contains three intertwined Amish stories. Marybeth’s Circle Letter by Patricia Davids takes us to Sugarcreek, Ohio in late November. Marybeth Martin and her cousin, Wilma Martin have a matchmaking contest every year for the last ten years. The loser of the contest must host Great Aunt Ingrid for her annual two week Christmas visit. Marybeth has until Christmas Eve to make a match and win the contest. She has decided to find a wife for newcomer, Josiah Weaver, a widower with a four year old daughter, Simone. Unfortunately, Josiah is only interested in a caregiver for his daughter and not a wife. Will Marybeth win her contest or get a great gift for Christmas?
Love Delivered by Sarah Price which takes readers to Shipshewana, Indiana. Katie Mae Kauffman has been caring for her ill father for the last eighteen months, but she cannot handle the farm as well. Nathanial Miller is a widower with four children and is losing his farm to the bank. Bishop Brenneman has come up with the perfect solution. Katie Mae and her father will occupy the Dawdi Haus while Nathanial and his brood move into the farmhouse and work the farm. Katie Mae’s peaceful life is soon full of noise and disruptions, but she notices that her father loves seeing the farm full of life and spending time with Nathanial’s daughter, Becky. The seeds have been sown, but will they blossom into love?
Sealed with a Kiss by Jennifer Beckstrand sends readers to Greenwood, Wisconsin. Carolyn Yutzy is currently caring for Abraham and Mary’s large brood of seven children while they manage their popular cookie shop. Amid chaos, Abraham’s brother, Aaron arrives who is quick to criticize Carolyn. The pair need to find a way to work together and help the children who desperately miss their parents. Anna Helmuth is hoping her latest matchmaking efforts will results in a marriage between this unlikely pair. Christmas is a time for miracles.
The Amish Christmas Letters contains three heartwarming and entertaining stories. I found them to be well-written and engaging. My favorite story is Sealed with a Kiss by Jennifer Beckstrand. This humorous tale will have you giggling, and Anna’s famous potholders make an appearance. All three stories start out with a circle letter as each cousin updates the others on what is happening in their lives. It is a unique form of communication in this digital age, but a wonderful way to write one letter to multiple people. I am giving The Amish Christmas Letters 4 out of 5 stars. All three stories have romance, humor and holiday charm. Cuddle up in a chair with a warm blanket and read the three uplifting stories The Amish Christmas Letters.
The Amish Christmas Letters is a wonderful collection of novellas by Patricia Davis, Sarah Price and Jennifer Beckstrand. This is a wunderbar collection of novellas that grabbed my attention. These are stories that will warm your heart. These stories are packed with love, faith, hope, and much, much more.
THE AMISH CHRISTMAS LETTERS consists of three wonderful novellas –MARYBETH’S CIRCLE LETTER by Patricia Davids, LOVE DELIVERED by Sarah Price, and SEALED WITH A KISS by Jennifer Bechstrand. All three have the common thread of the Amish circle letters written between cousins as a way to updated with events in each other’s life.
MARYBETH’S CIRCLE LETTER is the story of Marybeth Martin, 32 and unwed, who considers herself well on the way to being an old maid which she is at peace with.
Who is the better matchmaker – Marybeth or her cousin Wilma? Their friendly competition is how they decide who “entertains” Great Aunt Ingrid during her holidays visit to Sugarcreek enduring her dreadful fruitcakes.
Marybeth takes notice of Josiah Weaver, a widow still recovering from an accident with a young daughter, Simone, to tend to, in the grocery store. She thinks he could be the one to save her from Great Aunt Ingrid. However, she finds Josiah closed to the idea of a new wife, but he does need a nanny for three weeks to enable him to start a new job. A bargain is struck – free nanny service for three weeks provided he goes out once with a woman of her choice for the evening. They shake hands and the deal is sealed.
Are they both going to get more than they bargained for in this deal? Can Marybeth find just the right woman for Josiah or will she be her own competition? Can Josiah welcome another woman into his life or finally see the true woman in front of him? Can farm animals help make a piece of property a farm and heal a little girl’s heart in the process? Can one little girl be the glue that intertwines three hearts into one happy family? Where will Great Aunt Ingrid spend her time in Sugarcreek?
LOVE DELIVERED is the story of Katie Mae Kauffman although young she has had her share of hardships. She helped care for her ailing mother until her death. Then it was up to just her father to keep the farm going. After her father suffers a stroke and is confined to a wheelchair unable to communicate, it’s all on Marybeth’s shoulders – caregiver, maintaining a home and trying to keep the farm up. As much as she tried, she seemed to be slipping further behind with each passing day.
In steps Bishop Brenneman with his solution for not only her problems but those of another church member who is having a hard financial time. Katie and her father are to move into the dawdihause and rent out the main house to Nathanial Miller and his seven children while he does maintenance around the place and works the farm. In his opinion, a win/win for everyone. Katie is devastated, both for the move out of her family home but also because she doesn’t think highly of her neighbor. However, she knows there is no going against the Bishops request.
Katie Mae is determine to stay detached and she’s sure not going to be watching his children. Little Becky’s sweet lisp and enduring ways of bringing Abraham out of his shell works to melt her resolve and wiggle into her heart.
Can Katie Mae and Nathanial get past their preconceived notions of the other and learn about the true person? Will Abraham get the physical therapy he needs when the church says they don’t have the funds at present? Will Becky’s Christmas prayer come true?
SEALED WITH A KISS is the story of Carolyn Yutzy who goes to Greenwood, Wisconsin for six months at the request of Anna Helmuth to be the babysitter for her grandson’s seven children while the parents work trying to establish their new cookie business here at Christmas time.
The problem is the kids feel neglected by their parents, don’t want a babysitter and will do just about anything to bring attention to themselves. After all bad attention is better than no attention right? Carolyn has the patience of an angel determined to not let their antics get to her and try to show them that she’s there to help them and not to replace their parents.
In steps Aaron, a confirmed bachelor and the kid’s uncle, who thinks Carolyn is the worst choice in the world to be taking care of his little relatives. She messy and undisciplined allowing the kids to be unruly. No wonder she’s not married. In turn, Carolyn can hardly stand to be in the same room with Mr. Know It All Aaron who is so full of himself that there’s no wonder there’s no room for a Mrs. in Aaron’s life.
Will time and events show the true facts of who Carolyn and Aaron are to each other? Can Carolyn make Aaron laugh, realize that a little dirt never hurt anyone and what he’s missing in his life? Can Carolyn see Aaron through new eyes for the dependable, gentle, caring man he really is? Will a near tragedy bring them even closer together or will a misunderstanding drive them further apart?
The three authors that contributed to THE AMISH CHRISTMAS LETTERS managed to write three completely different stories but at the same time made one story morph into the next so smoothly you didn’t notice it wasn’t all the same writer. I loved learning about circle letters and how they work and loved how they worked into the three novellas. I would highly recommend this Christmas story for any time of the year reading to anyone that loves not only the Amish genre, but loves well written stories with heart.
A wonderful story without all the bad language and unwanted despcriptions. Loved the story.
The Amish Christmas Letters is a trio of novellas by Patricia Davids, Sarah Price, and Jennifer Beckstrand.
All three are heartwarming stories set just before Christmas and sure to get you in the Christmas spirit. They all touch on problems not only English face, but also the Amish. From having a handicapped family member to working parents, then throw in a matchmaker. And you think only you have that one family member you want to avoid, think again, so do the Amish.
All three are tied together by a circle letter. You will want to continue on what the future holds for all of the families.
Netgalley and Kensington Publishers provided a copy of this book for an honest review.
THE AMISH CHRISTMAS LETTERS
Patricia David’s. “Marybeth’s. Circle Letters ”
Circle letters was a nice way of staying in touch, but also that they each got the same news, was so important. Marybeth feels it was a God given talent to be a matchmaker. A contest till Christmas Eve between her and Wilma who would win. Surprising of who the match turned out to be, delightful.
Sarah Price. “Love Delivered”
Bishop telling Katie she can’t continue caring for her invalid Dad. The land would take care of a family, that is now in despair. To Nathaniel with four children, and Katie and her Dad would be living in the grandparents house. Drastic measure for both, they can’t seem to say anything to one another without it seeming like insults. What was the Bishop thinking, a terrible. arrangement, and with the children, in a new place.
Jennifer Beckstrand. Sealed With A Kiss
Carolyn offered to stay for six months, what was she thinking of. Those nine year old twin boys were a natural disaster. Uncle Aaron, comes in, and saying she doesn’t know how to babysit. Was Anna thinking something else when she suggest that she go and help Abraham and Mary’s kids. Natural disaster, were funny, but the clean up wasn’t.
A delightful, heartwarming set of three stories readers will want to read.
Given ARC. by Net Galley and Kensington for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.
What a great combination of Amish authors, and loved these novella, just the right length to pull me in, and keep my attention.
With a general theme and relationship between each of these authors tell their own story, and with enjoyable results.
What they have in common is a circle letter, before the phone was affordable families and friends used these, and I remember my Mother-In-Law looking for hers to come from her college friends.
By the time I finished this book I wanted to continue with these now mutual friends, and hope to reconnect with these characters in future books.
Of course, I wondered if Felty Jr with be with us again, miss my Annie Bananie.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review.
Three great Christmas novels in one. I loved all three of them.Great clean Amish stories. All three authors did a great job entertaining me with their books. It was a delightful book to read.
I enjoyed reading each novella in this book! It certainly put me into the Christmas spirit. Marybeth, Katie Mae and Carolyn, cousins who live in different parts of the country, each have their own love story, and they share their experiences through each story by writing letters to one another and their friends as well. I love how family and children are important parts of each story, and how each woman, in her own way, discover the struggles and triumphs of taking care of someone else’s children. Each woman discovers love along the way, though the journey to their happily ever after was full of many obstacles, through their faith in God, they were able to over come the trials and find happiness. I love the idea of Amish Circle Letters, in that you always get news from home or wherever your family lives. With my family spread throughout the country and other countries, it would be a wonderful way to keep in touch, especially with love ones who don’t use social media. This book would make a very nice Christmas gift!
Three lovely Amish novellas about love! First it’s a comical matchmaking rivalry that backfires when one of the matchmakers falls for her client. The second novella features a child who helps an ill man recover from a stroke, while the third is a hilarious tale of a pack of devilish children whose nanny falls for their disapproving single onkel. I laughed until I cried when one of the children puts his brother’s flame retardant jammies in the oven to see if they catch fire, chasing everyone out of the house from the smoke. All three stories are absolutely delightful! I read a complimentary copy of this book provided by Kensington-Christian Books through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.
In this collection of three stories from three wonderful writers of the Amish romance genre we meet Marybeth Martin in Marybeth’s Circle Letter. In order not to host her Great Aunt Ingrid she must match one more couple before Christmas. Her target is Josiah Weaver, a widower who is in need of a nanny but can that person also be his next love? In Love Delivered by Sarah Price we meet Katie Mae and her father who is wheelchair bound. Due to the unfortunate circumstances their farm is suffering. The bishop has a plan but will Katie Mae accept the help? In Sealed with a Kiss by Jennifer Beckstrand we get to catch up with Anna and Felty from her Huckleberry Hill series. Anna has sent Carolyn to be a babysitter for a large family that is too busy to see to the needs of their children. Will Carolyn fall in love with their uncle or will she run away in frustration?
All three stories start out with a letter known as a circle letter. Person A writes a letter to all and mails it to person B. Person B reads letter A, writes letter B and sends letters A and B to person C. The letters continue until it gets back to the original person who takes out the old letter of theirs and repeats. What an interesting way to communicate not involving electronic communication. I still believe old fashioned letters are the best kind.
This is the perfect book for a cold winter’s night of reading in anticipation to Christmas. The stories are romantic and sometimes full of laughter. You will find yourself immersed in the beauty of the Amish and cheering each woman on in her quest for fulfillment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.