A Season of Love

Kauffman Amish Bakery #5

by Amy Clipston

In the fifth and final novel of the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series, three young women are about to change their lives. Lizzie Anne and Samuel have decided to get married, and Lindsay is about to be baptized in the Amish faith and is courting Matthew. While Katie Kauffman is happy for her friends who seem to have settled their futures, she is also finding herself something of a fifth wheel. When Lindsay's sister Jessica returns to Bird-in-Hand, she finds that Jake Miller has moved on with his life. He lost hope that Jessica would ever be satisfied to settle in rural Pennsylvania and takes comfort in becoming close friends with Katie. However, it's not an easy road as Jake is Mennonite and Katie has just been baptized in the Amish faith. Her father forbids them to see each other, adamant that his daughter marry an Amish man. A Season of Love is filled with surprising twists that will grip you to the very last words. As the stories of your favorite Amish community draw to a close, join Lindsay, her friends, and all the people of Bird-In-Hand for one last volume.

Genres: Amish, Christian Fiction, Amish Fiction, Romance, Christian, Fiction, Inspirational

302 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2012

About the author

Hi! I'm a bestselling author of heartwarming romance and happily ever after.

Contemporary Romance (Non-Amish)
The Heart of Splendid Lake (2021)
The View from Coral Cove (2022)
On the Way to Christmas (Anthology) (2022)
Something Old, Something New (2023)
Starstruck (2023)
Finding You (2024)
With This Ring (2025)
Second Chance at Sunshine Inn (7/2025)
The Lighthouse at the Cove (12/2025)

Stand Alone Amish Fiction
Caring for the Amish Family (4/2025)

Guideposts Amish Suspense
A Heart Set Free (9/2025)


An Amish Legacy
1. Foundation of Love (2022)
2. Building a Future (2022)
3. Breaking New Ground (2023)
4. The Hearts of Shelter (2023)

An Amish Marketplace
1. The Bake Shop (2019)
2. The Farm Stand (2020)
3. The Coffee Corner (2020)
4. The Jam and Jelly Nook (2021)

An Amish Homestead
1. A Place at our Table (2017)
2. Room on the Porch Swing (2018)
3. Seat by the Hearth (2018)
4. A Welcome at Our Door (2019)

An Amish Heirloom
1. The Forgotten Recipe (2015)
2. The Courtship Basket (2016)
3. The Cherished Quilt (2017)
4. The Beloved Hope Chest (2017)

Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel
1. A Hopeful Heart (2013)
2. A Mother’s Secret (2014)
3. A Dream of Home (2015)
4. A Simple Prayer (2015)

Kauffman Amish Bakery
1. A Gift of Grace (2009)
2. A Promise of Hope (2010)
3. A Place of Peace (2011)
4. A Life of Joy (2012)
5. A Season of Love (2012)

Amish Anthologies
• An Amish Kitchen (2012) – Spoonful of Love (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Cradle (2015) – A Son for Always (This story complements A Mother’s Secret)
• An Amish Market (2016) – Love Birds (This story complements The Forgotten Recipe)
• An Amish Harvest (2016) – Love & Buggy Rides (This complements The Courtship Basket)
• An Amish Home (2017) – Home Sweet Home (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Summer (2017) – Summer Storms (Stand-alone story)
• Amish Sweethearts (2018) –Complements The Kauffman Amish Bakery Series and also has a sequel to my story in An Amish Summer
• An Amish Heirloom (2018) – Complements A Place at our Table
• An Amish Homecoming (2018) – Complements A Place at our Table
• Seasons of an Amish Garden (2019) – Complements The Christmas Cat, novella included in An Amish Christmas Love
• An Amish Reunion (2019) – Complements Room on the Porch Swing
• An Amish Christmas Bakery (2019) – Cookies and Cheer (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Singing (2021) (Collection of four stories by Amy Clipston)
• An Amish Christmas Wedding (2020) –Evergreen Love (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Barn Raising (2021)
• An Amish Schoolroom (2021)
• An Amish Quilting Bee (2021)

Young Adult
1. Roadside Assistance (2011)
2. Reckless Heart (2012) (Kauffman Amish Bakery young adult book)
3. Destination Unknown (2014)
4. Miles from Nowhere (2015)

Non-Fiction
A Gift of Love (2014)

Seasonal
• A Plain and Simple Christmas (2010) Naomi’s Gift (2011)
• Kauffman Amish Christmas Collection (2012)
• An Amish Christmas Gift (2015) includes Naomi’s Gift
• An Amish Christmas Love (2017) –The Christmas Cat
• An Amish Christmas Bakery (2019)
• An Amish Christmas Wedding (2020)
• On the Way to Christmas (2022)

Reviews

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the final book in the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series, and how time has flown. It is hard to say goodbye to old friends, but love being updated on everyone.
Major life changes abound here for three close friends, Lindsay, Katie, and Lizzie Anne, and then there will be no turning back. These girls are no longer little ones, and have somehow before our eyes grown up. They are now deciding to join the church and taking a life partner, they are moving on.
Two of these friends seem to have found that perfect one for them, but Katie sees no one in her future. When we see how Katie’s dad treats her, no wonder she is having problems. I wanted to smack him when he wouldn’t listen to her about those men that were accosting her.
Her father has concerns for her faith, and sees a budding relationship between her and Jake a Mennonite, they are Amish and she is baptized. As this story unfolds, you will see how extreme her father goes to keep her Amish.
While I hate for this series to end, I loved this book, and wish there was more.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

.
This author has a way with combining a sensible plot and believable characters.

Each book has its own story line that captivates the audience. This one stars Katie and Jake and their forbidden love, unless he bows to the Amish faith. The struggles they endure on the path they have chosen spills out in this last book of the series.

This book is able to stand on its own, clean and wholesome, and concludes with an HEA. These are important attributes for my reading pleasure.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“Three young friends enter the most important season of their lives. But relationships have changed, and only time will tell if Lindsay, Katie, and Lizzie Anne have made the right choices.
Three young women are about to change their lives: Lizzie Anne and Samuel have decided to get married, and Lindsay is about to be baptized into the Amish faith and is being courted by Matthew. While Katie Kauffman is happy for her friends who seem to have settled their futures, she is also finding herself something of a fifth wheel.
When Lindsay’s sister Jessica returns to Bird-in-Hand, she finds that Jake Miller has moved on with his life. He lost hope that Jessica would ever be satisfied to settle in rural Pennsylvania and takes comfort in becoming close friends with Katie. However, it’s not an easy road as Jake is Mennonite and Katie has just been baptized. Her father forbids them to see each other, adamant that his daughter marry an Amish man.”


Series: Book #5 (of five) in “Kaufman Amish Bakery” series. (Review of Book #1 Here!, #2 Here!, #3 Here!, & #4 Here!) (Has two bonus Christmas novella connecting to the series. Review of #1 Here! and #2 Here!)


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are quoted, referenced, & talked about; Prayers; Church going & Youth gatherings; Being baptized; Many talks about God, praying, baptism, & faiths; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Many mentions of joining the Amish church, Amish beliefs, baptism, those leaving the church or who have already left, & shunning; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of thanking, praising, & worshiping God; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of churches, church going, services, sermons, hymns, youth gatherings, & bishops/ministers; Mentions of Christmas & the first Christmas; Mentions of faiths & Christians; Mentions of Mennonites & their beliefs; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; Mentions of Christian novels; Mentions of miracles; Mentions of sins.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three ‘stupid’s; A bit of eye rolling; Mentions of car accidents & deaths; Mentions of a father who walked out on his family; Mentions of drinking & beer bottles; Mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of smoking; A few mentions of gossip; A mention of wild parties; A mention of vomiting; A mention of spankings.


Sexual Content- a (married couple) cheek kiss; Touches & Embraces; Noticing (x2); Three drunk young men accost/attack Katie (not so much in a sexual sense, but she says that they groped her waist (they ripped her dress, but they were stopped before anything else happened)); three ‘babe’s; Mentions of when Katie was accosted/attacked; Mentions of dating/courting, couples, girlfriends, boyfriends, & cute boys; Mentions of reputations & being alone with the opposite gender (nothing happens, but it’s looked at as inappropriate); Mentions of touches & embraces; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of tempting another; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions (x2);
*Note: A couple mentions of the possibility of a miscarriage.

-Katie Kauffman
-Lindsay Bedford
-Jake Miller
P.O.V. switches between them, Matthew (2x), Jessica (2x), & Rebecca (1x)
290 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
Aww. I’ve dragged on reading this series for a few years now because I didn’t want it to end.
I’m sad now. This book was so bittersweet to me. Seeing these young girls from the first book (which, actually, they all were around my age when I first started this series in 2013) now grown and falling in love (which, actually, we’re all still around the same age….just now realizing this fact…) was so fun to me, but I also don’t want to say goodbye! Haha! I’m just going to need a catch-up book where we all catch-up with these characters—but I won’t wait years to read that one!
For the plot and character wise, I really liked how main group (Katie’s parents were infuriating, however) and would definitely classify this novel as a Amish YA book more than just an Amish book. Lots of faith and discussion parts, which it always nice as well. :)


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Ana Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this final book in the series and I thought it was a good way to end things, with everyone getting the happy endings.
I thought this book was only going to focus on Katie but it still focused a lot on Lindsay too which I did not mind at all but it was interesting.
I really liked Jake since the first book in the series so I was looking forward to seeing him get his happy ending specially after everything that Jessica put him through.
Although I will say that I felt that Jake’s relationship with Katie felt rushed, like one minute they barely knew each other and the next they were in love with each other, it just felt a little sudden but it’s okay.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Katie, Lindsey, and Lizzie Ann are three Amish friends on the verge of womanhood and wondering about their lives as wives.

This seemed more soap operatic with three stories happening at once highlighting Katie's the most. I found her parents were so unreasonable, prejudice, and blamed her for events. Definitely getting a vibe of keeping them "barefoot and pregnant" and communal but yet private.

All characters were rounded up in this one for the fifth and final conclusion to the Kauffman Bakery Series. I found this series interesting if this is your only experience with the Amish culture through the author. I think I'll stick to Clipston's contemporary novels.

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second time around for reading this story, but first time reviewing it. The story follows 3 friends as they pass into Amish Womanhood. It really felt more like 3 short stories with a common thread in it, more so than anything else. Katie's story was by far my favorite, but I liked the closure that we got with Lindsay's story too. I liked seeing the different paths converge as well. All things considered, a good read, if you can set aside the 3 short story feeling, and a fitting end to the series.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Amish family and romance book....last in the series.

[Rachel Brand · Rating 5 out of 5]

GENRE: AMISH ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: ZONDERVAN
PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 15, 2012
RATING: 4.5 OUT OF 5 – EXCELLENT

PROS: Good conclusion to the series; ties up loose ends from previous books; relatable characters make you invest emotionally in the story

CONS: Katie’s father is over-bearing and can be difficult to read about

Newly baptised into the Amish church, Katie Kauffman longs for the love that her two best friends have found. When everyone around her seems to be growing up and getting married, Katie is staying the same. As much as she enjoys working for the family bakery alongside her grandmother and her cousins, she’s the fifth wheel to Lindsay and Lizzie Anne and their boyfriends whenever they attend youth gatherings, and she’s known for a long time that none of the boys in their district are going to interest her. But her loneliness starts to dissipate when she meets Jake Miller, a Mennonite carpenter who is helping her grandfather build new cabinets for the bakery. Jake’s mother was once Amish and left the community to marry someone outside their fold, but Jake has always felt a kinship to his grandparents’ faith. As innocent as their friendship is, Katie’s father forbids her to spend time with Jake and warns her of the consequences of forming a relationship with someone outside their faith. Katie doesn’t want to be shunned, but she can’t help but feel a connection to Jake, and a series of situations conspire to bring them together. Misunderstandings about the circumstances of her relationship with Jake cause Katie’s relationships with her parents to disintegrate, and Katie isn’t sure if she can ever find happiness. She knows that she cannot be with Jake, but she can’t help but care for him. Can she learn to let go and love someone of the same faith, or will something drastic have to occur in order for her and Jake to finally be together?

The conclusion to a popular series is always tricky. Do you choose to go out with a bang, or to quietly wrap up all of the storylines with a happy ending? I often find that while I enjoy the final book in a series, I don’t love it as much as the others, often just because tying up all of the loose ends doesn’t always make for a terribly compelling story. When it comes to the conclusion of the Kauffuman Amish Bakery series, Katie’s story wasn’t quite as complex as some of the other Kauffman books, but I was impressed with the way that A Season of Love managed to conclude several ongoing plot-threads without detracting from Katie’s story. I appreciated being able to learn more about Rebecca’s pregnancy, Lindsay’s blossoming relationship with Matthew, and Jessica’s non-relationship with Jake, as well as the details about Lizzie Anne and Samuel.

While Katie’s story occasionally takes the backseat so that we can catch up Lindsay and Matthew or other members of the Kauffman family, I never lost interest in her storyline. Like Lindsay, the protagonist of A Life of Joy, Katie is one of Amy’s younger heroines and is barely out of her teen years. To some of the more mature Amish readers, reading about such a young protagonist might not be so appealing. Even I was surprised to read about an eighteen-year-old contemplating marriage and planning her future...until I remembered that I got engaged at nineteen and will be married before my twenty-first birthday, so I have no right to complain about Katie. Although my upbringing and life experiences are very different to Katie’s, I could relate to the position she was at in her life and her desire to get married and start a family and be done with her dating years. I could even slightly relate to her father’s disapproval of her boyfriend, Jake. While my dad never forbade me to see Simon, he didn’t pay him a lot of attention when we first began dating. No boy is going to be good enough for daddy’s little girl, although Katie’s father definitely took a more extreme approach to this idea.

For me, Katie’s father was the biggest stumbling block in A Season of Love. On the one hand, his treatment of Katie made me really angry and I rooted for her to stand up to her father and call him out on how unfair he was being. A fictional character that can get me this riled up is definitely a sign of a talented author. But I can also see why a character like Robert Kauffman can be discouraging to read about. Stubborn father-figures are pretty prevalent in Amish fiction, and Robert is at least the second I’ve come across in Amy’s books alone. In fact, when I try to recall books containing supportive, caring Amish fathers, the only one I can think of is Laura Hilton’s Patchwork Dreams. Considering how many Amish books I’ve read in my lifetime, this is evidence that fathers like Robert Kauffman are unfortunately more common than they are not.

Considering how unrelenting and stubborn Robert was throughout the whole of A Season of Love, his turn-around towards the end didn’t seem entirely convincing, and he didn’t apologise for everything he’d said and done to Katie. I was glad that Katie reconciled with her father, but I did struggle to read about a girl, almost the same age as myself, who was under her parents’ rule and unable to speak up and defend herself even though she was a legal adult. I know that this is the way that the Amish community works, but I did wish that Katie had had more of a backbone and stuck up for herself rather than running off to cry in her room whenever her father shouted at her. To put it simply, I have mixed feelings about the conflict between Katie and her father. I loved that it got me so emotionally invested in the story, but I also felt uncomfortable reading about such an overbearing and narrow-minded father figure.

The end of a series has to have a happy ending, but thankfully A Season of Love didn’t overdo the happiness. I loved the way that Amy managed to get all of the principal characters from previous books into the final scene together without it seeming too contrived. The final chapter of A Season of Love was a brilliant conclusion to the Kauffman Amish Bakery series, and as much as I’m looking forward to whatever Amy’s writes about next, it’s a little sad to say goodbye to these characters who were one of my first introductions to Amish fiction. Even if you only pick up A Season of Love to find out how the cliff-hangers at the end of A Life of Joy are concluded, you can’t help but care about Katie Kauffman and sympathise with her desire to find the love and her frustrations over her family situation. Despite my struggles with Katie’s father I did really enjoy reading this book, and I will be anxiously awaiting the arrival of Amy’s next Amish novel in winter 2013.

Review title provided by Zondervan.

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fifth book nicely wraps up the series. Katie’s life is a roller coaster of ups and downs. She loves working in the bakery, and she is soon to be baptized into the Amish faith. But every day she discovers that she is more and more attracted to Jake, a Mennonite. At first, Kate thinks she just wants to be his friend, but soon, her feelings run deeper. But there is no hope for an Amish girl and a Mennonite boy to have any kind of committed relationship; her father has made that clear. In fact, he has forbidden her to even talk to Jake. Katie is much troubled by her strict father’s edicts, and as much as she wants to obey him, she just can’t do it. This tale is filled with wonderful characters in an intriguing story that is entertaining and interesting. The whole series is highly recommended to readers who enjoy Amish fiction.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last book in the Kauffman Amish Bakery series was enjoyable, but left me wanting more.

I wasn't wild about the romance with Katie and Jake, and I couldn't stand Katie's parents. They seemed quite unreasonable - and they wouldn't even listen to her half the time!

I also wanted the series to have more closure with Jessica. She has grown a lot as a character but it just seemed so open ended.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! Great story!! Loved this series!!love this author's books!!

[Julie Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, we get a glimpse into young love among the Amish. Lizzie and Lindsay seem to have it so easy, especially Lindsay, who wasn't even born in the community, but yet she found love. Katie had been friends with Lizzie for years, and she was now friends with Lindsay, but she felt like a fifth wheel all the time now. She was the only one who hadn't found someone.
When she finally does, he's a Mennonite. There's no way she can have a relationship with him unless she wants to be shunned...or unless he somehow joins the community, which isn't likely to happen.
Katie is accosted on the street by three men and Jake comes to her assistance. The bishop sees him comforting her and takes it to mean she was in the middle of a public display of affection for someone with whom she shouldn't have a relationship. Every time she finds herself with Jake, it's an innocent encounter, but someone always sees the tail end of the deal and thinks more is involved.
Her father is furious every time something happens with her, and eventually, he decides to send her to relatives in another community...relatives she doesn't know and has never met. She sees no way out of this mess.
n the middle of all the romance, Rebecca is having pregnancy complications and is on complete bed rest. Lindsay is caring for Daniel Jr. And Emma, as well as waiting on Rebecca. Jessica comes for a visit over the holidays, and while she's there, Rebecca goes into labor, so Jessica is able to be there to see her cousin born. It's a special time for all of them.
It was nice to see Lindsay and Jessica's relationship develop into something more than Jessica trying to lord it over Lindsay, making her feel stupid for her choices and that she somehow was selling herself short by choosing to live with the Amish. By the time the story ends, they have a mutual love and respect for each other, even if they may not totally understand why each does what she does.Of course, the happily-ever-after ending is nice too. I love this series and this was a nice addition.
I can't help but get emotionally involved in series like these. I used to not read them in order and didn't really care, but now, I've been trying to get things in order as much as I can, and I'm finding I'm getting a lot more out of the series than I otherwise would. I'm getting to know the characters better and am able to watch their development through multiple books, and I love that. It was nice in this one to see Lindsay grow into a well-adjusted young Amish woman, after being a lost and lonely 14-year-old after her parents' death at the beginning of the series. It was nice to see Rebecca and Daniel having their own children, after Rebecca thinking for so many years she couldn't have any. I feel like I know these people and love when a story can make me feel that way.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: A Season of Love by Amy Clipstone
4 STARS I liked this book. Now I would like to read the other books that Amy Clipston has written. A Season of Love is the 5th and final book of the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series. In this book starts with Lizzie Anne and Samuel have decided to get married. Lindsey has decided that she does belong in the Amish church and she is going to be baptised. Katie Kauffman is feeling left out with her friends new life starting. None of the Amish guys are right for her. Katie runs into Jake Miller and enjoyed thier talk. Jake is a Mennonite and after Katie been baptised its not right for her to be alone with Jake. Jake and Katie's grandfather are building new cabinates for the Kauffman Amish bakery that Katie works in. Katie,Jake and a couple of the bakers are eating lunch together outside of the bakery. The next day Katie makes Jake something for lunch and her mother tells her she can't just make something for him. One after work Katie comes out from the closet and finds everyone has left work. They all travel together by hired car service. Jake offers her a ride home because its raining so hard. Katie is forbidden to talk to him. Her parents don;t believe that it wasn't an accident that she was left behind at work. Katie and Jake both watch each other and try to stay away because they know what happens if Katie gets in more trouble. Lindsey now that she is baptised a member of the Amish church dates Mathew. So both her friends are always talking about thier boyfriends. Katie is more alone then ever. The story lines are good. I wanted to shake Katies family sometimes. Other times I could see thier point. They had a lot of reciepes in the book as you go. That if I wanted to make them would have to search this ebook. I should have saved them. I like the book club questions in the back make me think of things that I did not pay attention to at the time. I don't think I could live without my electric appilances.phones or car. That would be hard to change. But is you feel thats what Heavenly Father is leading you then thats the path to take. Thier was bible verse to help the girls when they were facing hard times and talk of prayer helping. It fit the storyline. Thier is nothing that should offend anyone from reading this novel. I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley. 07/01/2012 PUB Zondervan 304 pages

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Product Details"A Season of Love"
By Amy Clipston

Amy has written another winning novel from the Kauffman Bakery Series. This story continues with the two sisters, who were left as orphans when their parents were tragically killed, as secondary characters, while the rest of the community take front stage. The setting is Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania, right in the heart of Amish country. A lovely spot for a love story to take place- Lindsay, the sister who has become Amish, is in love with Matthew, Lizzie Anne is planning her marriage to Samuel, leaving the third best friend, Lizzie ( who just happens to be Samuel's sister) , in back field , feeling lonely and unwanted. She is a dedicated baker at her Mammi's bakery and takes care of her family, however you can feel her great desire for something more. She so wants to be a wife and mother. She is secretly hurting, as she does not want to tell her two best friends how she really feels and spoil their happiness.

Throughout the book, you feel Katie's confusion, hurt and challenges, trying to please her rather harsh father, but also desiring to fulfill her lifelong dreams. To complicate matters, with her daad, a young carpenter , Jake, enters the scene. He is suffering as well, but from a broken heart. He is trying to rebuild his life but is rather aloft to people, afraid of being hurt more. Then comes the challenge- Jake begins to do a project at the bakery. He and Katie spend some time together and find that they have a lot in common. Katie is confronted by a huge challenge, she is Amish, Jake is Mennonite- a definite problem. Katie's father is furious. It is totally unheard of for the two to mix, let alone date, and they dare not be seen together. What will Katie do? Try to please her dad or follow her heart's desire???? What will Jake do?? What is God's plan for these two wonderful young people?

This is a wonderful love story that exhibits God's love for all of His people. Amy has concluded her series with a true work of art!! I am definitely looking forward to more books by this very talented author.

This book was provided for review purposes by Zondervan and Net Galley.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

OHH wow, all good things must come to an end, but I am so sad to see the end of this series. I really feel like I know Elizabeth and Eli Kauffman and their very large family. I have to say, and I know I say it every time, but this book was the best. Each book in this series improved with each story. I love Amy's writing style and this story had me hooked from page one to the end.

Lindsay comes home from visiting her friends in the Englisch world, people who are like family to her. However upon finding out her Aunt Rebecca was on total bed rest for her third pregnancy, Lindsay rushes home, and knows that this is where her heart is and decides to be baptized with her best friends Lizzie Ann and Katie Kauffman. Life is changing for them all as they are growing up into young adult women. Matthew waits for her baptism and then he starts courting Lindsay. Lizzie Ann and Samuel Kauffman announce their intentions to get married. But Katie feels left out, like a fifth wheel, she has no boyfriend and no real interests in the boys of their congregation. A budding friendship with Jake Miller will lead to trouble, and lots of it.

This story made me laugh and cry, it was hard watching as Katie struggled to find her way. Again this was my favorite of the entire series. I cannot wait for the next series!!

Many thanks to Amy Clipston and Zondervan for allowing me to review this book. No payment was received for this review. 5 stars 304 pages USD $12.99

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A SEASON OF HOPE was loaned to me by a friend since she is a huge fan of Amy Clipston and I have only read and liked a few of her novellas and one of her young adult books. My friend says this is Ms. Clipston’s best book. We both are fans of Amish fiction, so I asked to borrow my friend’s book.

I am no judge on whether or not this is her best book, but I wasn’t impressed with it. The characters were flat, and the reader was held at a distance. I couldn’t connect with them, even though I wanted to. Plus, they had the same conversation multiple times, even in the same chapter. Repetition is good in some things such as learning the multiplication table, not so good in others, such as getting lost in a book.

The story is clean, with nothing a conservative reader would find shocking, and I do like the way it is centered around a bakery in Lancaster County and everyone even remotely connected to it. Fans of Ms. Clipston might find this “her best book yet” as my friend did. Fans of Amish fiction and series related to one family (bakery) saga might like it.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Season of Love, the final book in Amy Clipston's Kauffman Amish Bakery series, was a heartwarming read I couldn't stop reading till the last word. Katie, Lizzie Ann and Lindsay friendship is strong and special until Lizzie Ann and Lindsay are engaged or seriously dating. What will happen to Katie when her father doesn't believe her about Jake Miller, a Mennonite boy, who rescued her from some mean young men? After all Jake had a connection to the Amish community in Bird-in-Hand, PA since his mother grew up Amish.

A Season of Love was a wonderful conclusion to the charming characters in the Kauffman Amish Bakery series. There are plenty of twists and turns along with laughter, love, disappointments, faith, hurt, sorrow and healing among family members. Readers of Amish genre will enjoy the entire series.

5 stars for A Season of Love. Amy Clipston is one talented and gifted author.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lindsay cuts her visit short, when news of Rebecca needed bed rest, till baby is born. Matthew picked her up, was he glad to see her, they had written a few letters. She is home to stay and be baptised now. She knows that this is the life she wants, and maybe marriage with Matthew, if he asks.
Rebecca is delighted, that she has returned.

[Lanette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read all 5 books in the series now, mainly because they are quick and easy reads. This final book was predictable and unrealistic. My general perception of these characters is that they are adults acting like a bunch of middle-schoolers.

[Kimmie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would love to read more in the series, but alas, it's over.

[Carol Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Clipston does a magnificent job of introducing us to the Kaufman family and the entire Amish community of Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania. Not only do we have a unique look into the family, but also the way that Amish communities seem to work. She introduces us to Lindsey and Jessica, both English girls that have suddenly became a part of a world that is foreign to them as they struggle to deal with their parents deaths and why their mother wants them to live with an aunt here in such a strange new lifestyle. We are also introduced to the entire Kaufman family who is trying to accept these young girls into their lives and keep the family unit that is under scrutiny from the bishop from being torn apart. Rebecca, the girls' aunt, wants them to live in the Amish world and reminds her so much of her sister, their mother.

One sister may fit in well, but the other one seems to not understand the way things look in the Amish society that might be acceptable in the English World. Uncle Daniel, as head of the house, simply can't have the bishop thinking that his family is doing wrong or raising children who are disobeying the laws of the Amish. Can he and Rebecca manage their own lives while raising these children or is it best that the children return to the English world?

[Danielle Turko · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the last four years Lindsay, Lizzie Anne, and Katie have been best friends. Now that they're all baptized, Lindsay is courting Matthew, Lizzie Anne and Samuel are engaged, and Katie.... Well, Katie has her dreams of a happy family one day. None of the boys in their district has ever caught her eye, and going into another district doesn't interest her either. Then she gets closer to Jake. Jake, the boy who was interested in Lindsay's older sister Jessica. Jake, who Katie has known her whole life but never really took notice of before. Jake, a Mennonite, strictly forbidden for an Amish person to date. She can't say for certain that he feels the same, but he seems to. When Katie's dad learns she has been spending time with Jake, he forbids her from ever seeing him again, but can her heart listen as well as her head?
This was the final book in the series, but it didn't feel like it. It seemed like they were setting it up for more. The end of the book alludes to something that won't be finished for another year, and Jessica's story is barely touched. All in all, I enjoyed the series and would recommend it to others

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katie Kauffman has spent her teen years with friends Lizzie Ann and Lindsay, who came to live with the Amish family four years ago when her parents were killed in a car accident. But now Lizzie Ann and Lindsay have boyfriends and Katie feels like a fifth wheel at singings. She is sweet on Jake Miller, a Mennonite who works in her grandfather’s furniture shop, and he wants to spend time with her also. However, her father forbids her to see Jake, because she is now baptized and may only marry an Amish man. When circumstances throw them together one last time, her father decided to send her to another town to live with relatives, rather than shun her. There seems to be no way she and Jake can be together. Or is there?

This is the last of five books in a series. I liked that the characters in the first few novels reappeared in the others and the reader was updated on their lives. I had purchased the first at a flea market and liked it so much that I ordered the rest so I could finish them.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT
The story of the growing love between Katie and Jake is sweet. I do have a problem with Katie's Dad though - he seems to jump to conclusions without hearing the full story. I was also doubtful about Jake converting from being Mennonite to being Amish. Everyone seemed to accept that it was okay for him to convert to be Amish because he was in love with Katie and saw it as a way for them to be together. Although I am not Amish, and the only experience I have of this way of life is through novels, I would have thought that the two bishops would have refused to let him convert as his main reason for converting was loving a woman. I thought they would have questioned him more about his faith and the other reasons for him converting.
Apart from that though, I enjoyed this book. Another gentle love story from Amy Clipston.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend brings me a sack of Amish paperbacks now and then, and I find them refreshing. And interesting. I’d like to take a buggy whip to a father in this book for his stubbornness and narrowmindedness, so it is isn’t all sweetness and light by any stretch. The mom made me cheer when she stood up to him. I enjoy following these fictional families through their days. I respect their beliefs and understand them. I enjoy this group of books from the Kauffman Bakery Series in particular. The matriarch of the family runs a thriving business while her husband runs his furniture shop. Pre-conceived notions about the Amish are often wrong. They are as modern thinking as we are in many ways. Good books for stressful times.

[Jackie Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final book in series and my favorite. Lyndsay and friends have joined the Amish church and vowed to follow Amish ways. Loved these books as they did not glorify the Amish. Showed there flaws as we all have them. Found myself angry at the judgement and condemnation shown due to one father and the bishop believing wrong things about one of their own. The end finished the character development of those followed in all books. You will like this seriesif you decide to partake of it.

[Diana C. Kobylak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story about two Amish young women who both pine for a specific beau. However, Lindsay’s shy beau is Amish and therefore the relationship less complicated than her friend Katie’s. Katie falls for a Mennonite young man she is forbidden to see. Appearances are everything to her father and the bishop and Katie suffers as a result. Jake defends Katie and works as a team with Katie’s relatives and finds a solution to be with Katie.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to finish this quickly once I got it downloaded for a second time.
These books have been a welcome break from the typical "how to manuals" that other romance novels have a tendency to become. This particular title was a little more dramatic than the others have been & I did enjoy the edge. The Amish are unique people & I am often curious about their internal struggles. Clipston's book give you that insight & in a believable way.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved getting into the heads of these three young Amish ladies. Each story was exciting and romantic, and kept me turning the pages.
Lindsey was one of my favourite characters in this series so it was good to be back in her point of view.
My heart was breaking for Katie and Jake, as forbidden love started blossoming between them.
Overall this was a great ending to a highly enjoyable series.

[Aquilla Higgins · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Amy Clipston book and I found the characters and their Amish way of life very endearing. They are respectful of their elders and their families, and are devoted to their faith. They also show tremendous understanding towards those that do not know the Amish way yet their human frailties show when the character, Katie, is in a predicament. Her friends, Lindsay and Lizzie Anne, find love and happiness whilst love is slow to find its way. When will she have what they have?