A Spoonful of Love

An Amish Kitchen

by Amy Clipston

The Amish Kitchen is the heart of the home—and the ideal setting for stories of love and hope.

Hannah King runs her parents' bed and breakfast, Paradise Inn—but her life feels nothing like Paradise. She longs for a man of integrity to enter her life, but never expected him to knock on the front door looking for a room. Will she be able trust Stephen with her future once she discovers his mysterious past?

Genres: Amish, Christian

113 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

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

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Judy Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quick read about an Amish man who leaves his community after a terrible accident. He is hoping to start over again in a new community, little did he know that Paradise Inn would offer him just what he needed

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of self-healing, beautifully written.

[Hannah Beth (Hannah's Book Cafe) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good for a light hearted story, but oh so unrealistic. Family relationships aren't so easily mended especially when your Mom has been controlling your whole life. 😂

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story of forgiveness and new love.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Product Details"An Amish Kitchen"
A fabulous book by Beth Wiseman, Kelly Long and Amy Clipston


What more could you ask for ??? Three fantabulous ( that isn't a word, but I couldn't think of a better one!) Amish writers collaborate to write another novella!! This is a VERY special book that includes a huge collection of Amish recipes at the end- from Herbal Medicinal Treatments to delicious treats and main dishes. These recipes have all been tested and are fantastic!!
Fits with the title , doesn't it???

BUT, not only do you have a wonderful mini recipe book, you have three short stories that each has its own story of love, family and faith, taking place in a tight knit community. In the Amish home, where do you think the family gathers and chats ? The kitchen really is the heart of the home.

All of the stories have a connection and take place in Paradise , PA. They involve three women who strive to find love and renewed hope, while dealing with life's daily challenges and often surprise events.
Kelly's story, "A Taste of Faith", begins the book, with the main character, Fern, who is known for her talent for growing healing herbs and flowers. The community seeks her out when they have an ill family member. She is indeed a success in this area, however, her greatest wish is for love to come her way. Through crises galore, Fern discovers there is a hope, until , suddenly, an incident threatens to end the attraction, even before it gets a steady start. Kelly's female characters exhibit such warmth and loving natures. You really want them for your best friend!! Confronted with an upset, they have the same feelings as you and I- they need encouragement and the love of God to carry them through. Fern needs this badly, but is so busy serving others, will she be able to listen to that still voice and follow God's plan?

The next part of the book, entitled, "A Spoonful of Love" is written by Amy Clipston. Her main character , Hannah, lives nearby in Paradise, running her parents' Bed and Breakfast, Paradise Inn. She has something in common with Fern. She longs for a loving relationship , looking for a future filled with happiness with a husband and children. Surprisingly, a knock on the door brings about the possibility that she has dreamed of. A young man is hunting for a room. However, there is an air of mystery about him. Is Stephen, this kind, handsome man hiding something? The complications , totally unexpected, then arise. This wonderful man who has been renting a room, then becoming an employee does have a mysterious past.Can she trust someone who has kept a secret from her? Will she still want to be part of his life? Amy keeps us guessing throughout the story. Her talent in plot development is so clear when the reader encounters twists and turns, totally unexpected. Hannah is such a dear girl who deserves only the best and Amy describes her to a T!! You just want to reach out and give her a big hug.
Again, as in Kelly's story, God has a plan, but does Hannah want to follow it?

The third story , by Beth Wiseman, is entitled "A Recipe for Hope" and that is truly what it is. We ALL have to have hope in our lives to be happy, and Beth reinforces this. The main character, Eve, her husband and three teenage boys are experiencing a challenge in their family life. During a storm, a tree has come down on their home and they must vacate it while it is being repaired. For three boys going through rumschpringe, this is indeed a tragedy, especially when told they must stay at their grandmother's. Eve and her Mam had never seen eye to eye, so the time could not possibly go quickly enough.

What Eve is unaware of, is that her Mam has a health problem that she is attempting to keep secret, for reasons , that are important only to her. When Eve moves in, it will be difficult to keep these problems a secret.
It is apparent to the family upon their move, that Mam has changed- moreso than anyone was aware. Eve's challenge then changes , not to get along with Mam but to help her in some way, even though help is not desired.
Beth , as usual, makes this characters real and alive in our souls. We feel their struggles, battles and successes. My greatest desire was to step into that story and help Eve- THEN , I had to stop and realize- this is a book, these people are imaginary, not real!! Will Rosemary (Mam) get the help she needs??
The plot is complicated and full of suspense and surprises . At times, you hold your breath, waiting for the next event, wondering what on earth could possibly happen next. It is a story filled with hope- God has a plan and we have to accept it and then deal with what He has decided to bestow on us, whether it be good or bad. Beth's title tells it all, "A Recipe for Hope" is just that. We can never give up hope and must mix the proper ingredients given to us by God to maintain that hope!

Well done, ladies!! Another 5 star book!! Loved it and highly recommend it.
The MANY recipes in the back of the book is just the "icing on the cake".

[Lori Wilen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When looking through Amy Clipston booklists I found this little novella. It was originally part of An Amish Kitchen including this story and one by Beth Wiseman and Kelly Long. As a huge Amy Clipston fan I absolutely loved this adorable little novella. It was so beautifully written in Amy's wonderfully unique style and I felt like I was sitting drinking tea with Amy and she was telling me something that had happened to a friend of hers. Her characters are that real. She paints amazing pictures with words and keeps me riveted from the very first word to the very last. If you are an Amy fan and have not read this, I suggest that you put it on your list and you wouldn't be disappointed if you read the anthology and read the other two stories. If you never have had the pleasure of reading an Amy book, I think this is a short, sweet, charming and lovely introduction to her Amish fiction writing.

[DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Clipston consented to write a novella for An Amish Kitchen; she joins Beth Wiseman and Kelly Long – both well-known authors – in this endeavor.

This is such a great story… I have to admit, I totally identified with Hannah’s mother, who was worried about Hannah and Stephen being alone together – in the Inn, as well as anywhere else.

And when Jason shows interest and asks her if he can take her to the next singing, it seemed to me that Jason’s and Hannah’s mothers had probably had a hand in it; although it was fun to watch Jason and Stephen’s reactions to one another.

I really liked Stephen from the start. And it was so refreshing to see that Hannah, although she didn’t agree with her mother, was duly respectful and thoughtful of her.

Amy Clipston writes such great stories! I’m never bored – usually I can’t put them down until I’m done! And she has done an amazing job on this novella… in such a short time, she puts everything together perfectly and I was delighted with it (especially the end, with Stephen’s being able to let go of the past).

Now – there! I hope I haven’t given away too much, but you really should read this – especially if you’re an Amy Clipston fan (as I am), you will NOT be disappointed!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading anything from Amy Clipston, though I've seen her name quite often here on Goodreads and in conjunction with Amish fiction. I really liked Hannah and Stephen, was not crazy about her mom until later in the novella. Overall, the story was very well-written but the ending was abrupt..I say that because I wanted more, but I got closure, I just wanted to keep hanging out with Hannah at the inn.

Also, this book has Hannah making soft pretzels..I so hope that recipe is at the end of the book..

[Rhonda Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh no it's over

more more. I'm really enjoying the characters in this series. Each focuses on one family and primarily takes place around the home especially the kitchen..

[Cheryl Cavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice collection of stories.