I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
An Amish Family by Kathleen Fuller Published by Zondervan on June 12, 2018
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 368
Source: NetGalley
Amazon|Barnes&Noble|Goodreads
In An Amish Family, beloved author of Amish romance, Kathleen Fuller, invites readers into the lives of four Amish families.
Building Trust
Grace Miller and Joel King are in love. They've dated secretly for the past year and when he proposes marriage, Grace eagerly agrees. But when she tells her parents about the wedding, she's shocked when her father tells her she can't marry Joel. Can Grace get to the bottom of her father's animosity toward Joel so they can have the happily ever after she's always dreamed of?
A Heart Full of Love (also in An Amish Cradle)
Ellie's mother hasn't stopped meddling in her personal life since Ellie lost her sight--and she's taken it up a notch now that Ellie's pregnant. When Ellie gives birth to twins, her mother insists on moving in to care for them. But when her mother's behavior becomes unbearable, Ellie is forced to take a stand . . . and finally find out why Mamm can't let go.
Surprised by Love
In a desperate move to evade her match-making mother, Emily Shwartz announces that she's already seeing someone: Reuban Coblentz. The trouble is, Reuban is barely even a friend. Seeing how desperate she is, Reuban plays along. But when the past sneaks up on them, will this temporary arrangement turn into everlasting love?
A Gift for Anne Marie (also in An Amish Second Christmas)
Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie's new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins.
Building Trust
Grace Miller and Joel King are in love. They’ve dated secretly for the past year and when he proposes marriage, Grace eagerly agrees. But when she tells her parents about the wedding, she’s shocked when her father tells her she can’t marry Joel. Can Grace get to the bottom of her father’s animosity toward Joel so they can have the happily ever after she’s always dreamed of?
Grace and Joel gave me such a solid story in just a short span of pages. I felt like certain elements were a little too easy and pat (yet pretty outlandish in their happening – I mean seriously lightening strike?!? sorry spoiler, oops) and wrapped up too neatly with little actual reasons played out on the page. Yes, that tends to bother me. However, in this book it was just an annoyance and not something that set my teeth on edge. I just fell in love with their story.
Surprised by Love
In a desperate move to evade her match-making mother, Emily Shwartz announces that she’s already seeing someone: Reuban Coblentz. The trouble is, Reuban is barely even a friend. Seeing how desperate she is, Reuban plays along. But when the past sneaks up on them, will this temporary arrangement turn into everlasting love?
I loved Emily and Reuban. In very few words Kathleen was able to draw out beautiful complex characters in them, and Emily’s Mamm, while not feeling forced or rushed. I feel like their romance was a bit too whirlwind and felt rushed but I also loved that it wasn’t perfectly tied up at the end. If was left open for things to grow and change without the need for that forever commitment. I would love to see these two brought back with more depth in their story with less need for things to progress so quickly and more of those realizations truly being played out on stage. The old novel vs novella debate I find myself in frequently.
A Gift for Anne Marie
Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins.
I know a few people feel like Anne Marie was the girl who protested too much. I didn’t see it that way. She was the girl who didn’t make assumptions. She also hadn’t yet started to view her friendships and relationships, despite being an adult woman of 20, as adult instead of the youth she was leaving behind. She just wasn’t in touch with her own feelings. Nathaniel really wasn’t either. Therefore I don’t feel like they were purposely obtuse or even protesting their burgeoning feelings overly much as a lack of total self awareness. There’s so much more than just a couple of new adults actually figuring out they are adults. And lifelong best friends. And that sometimes that makes for perfect couples. There’s family and friendship and changing lives and well for a mere 89 pages it’s got a lot going on in it’s snapshot.
A Heart Full of Love
Ellie’s mother hasn’t stopped meddling in her personal life since Ellie lost her sight—and she’s taken it up a notch now that Ellie’s pregnant. When Ellie gives birth to twins, her mother insists on moving in to care for them. But when her mother’s behavior becomes unbearable, Ellie is forced to take a stand . . . and finally find out why Mamm can’t let go.
Oh. My. Gravy. This book packs a LOT of emotion into a few short pages. I almost feel like saved the best for last, so to speak. I felt like I had read an entire novel full of amazing characters in an amazing story line and family. I would love to have gone back in time through Ellie’s accident and courtship with Chris but I didn’t need to in order to understand their situation. I felt Ellie’s frustration and honestly couldn’t stand her mother, Edna. Like, I didn’t like anything about this woman and felt like Ellie’s dad didn’t do a thing to try and help curb her behavior. She was beyond Gibbs’ smacking even, I mean she’s that bad. By the end I understood her better but gah I still didn’t trust her not to go off the deep again.
About Kathleen Fuller
Kathleen Fuller is the best-selling author of over thirty books, including the Hearts of Middlefield series.
1. I started writing January 1, 2000. New year, new millenium, new career.
2. I’m a former special education teacher, specializing in teaching the blind and visually impaired.
3. I was born in New Orleans, LA, raised in Little Rock, AR, and call Geneva, OH my home.
4. On June 12, 2013, my husband and I will celebrate twenty years of marriage.
5. We have three awesome kids.
6. I love chocolate. ‘Nuff said.
7. I’ve written and published over twenty-five novels and novellas.
8. I also write nonfiction–interviews, devotionals, Bible studies, essays, blog posts…
9. We have three dogs–Biscuit, Mollie, and Chief. And one cat, creatively named Kitty.
10. If I could go anywhere in the world I would go to Ireland.
Wanna share your thoughts? Leave a comment!