Rebecca's Bouquet

Hope Chest of Dreams #1

by Lisa Jones Baker

“Written with tenderness and simplicity.” —Joan Wester Anderson, New York Times bestselling author

First in a new series

Three young Amish women, gifted with hand-carved hope chests to hold their treasures and their dreams for the future, find the inspiration they need to help them reconcile love and faith in the most unexpected ways…

The last thing Rebecca Sommer dreamed her plan to wed would bring is a heart-wrenching choice. She thought she and her betrothed, William, would spend the rest of their lives in Illinois’ heartland, raising a family in their close-knit Amish hometown. But when he must travel far out of state to save his ailing father's business, Rebecca braves her relatives' disapproval—and her own fears—to go work by his side. And though she finds herself ever more in love with the dedicated, resourceful man he proves to be, William’s growing interest in English ways may be the one challenge even her steadfast faith can't meet…

William knows he couldn't ask for a more loyal wife-to-be. And the bravery that helps Rebecca tackle every obstacle makes her even more admirable. He simply won't ask her to sacrifice her deepest beliefs, no matter how right they are for each other. But the patience and care that crafted Rebecca's hope chest is somehow showing them there's more than one way prayers can be answered—and hearts brought together forever...

Genres: Amish, Romance, Christian Fiction, Fiction

275 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published September 27, 2016

About the author

Lisa Jones Baker grew up near a small Amish town in Illinois that she frequented with her family on weekends. She's also a dog lover and a fan of Scottsdale, Arizona, where she spent nearly two decades. Lisa graduated from Illinois State University with a French major, has been on 5 out of 7 continents, and considers her parents the best in the world. Raised in a Christian home, Lisa has always been blessed with love and support.

Reviews

[Diamond Jones-Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca's Bouquet is the 1st book in a new Amish Series. I instantly liked Rebecca from the very beginning of the book. Even though she didn't want to leave her home or her family, she followed her heart to be by her Future Husbands side. Being with him at his Parent's house was both stressed and a new experienced. Being Amish living in a englisher's home, feeling your life is in danger, second thoughts about if you future husband will stay and having an English female openly flirt with him. All of these things were stressful on her. Keeping her faith things change quickly. I recommend this book.

Can't wait to read Rebecca's friends story and learn about their Hope Chest!

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rebecca’s Bouquet by Lisa Jones Baker is the first book in Hope Chest of Dreams. Rebecca Sommer is eighteen years old and engaged. Her fiancé, William Conrad needs to leave town. His father has suffered a heart attack and needs William to run the cabinet business while he is out. Rebecca does not wish to be away from her fiancé for several months and decides to go with him (despite objections). Rebecca’s family object because Williams father’s, Daniel is Englisch. Daniel left the faith when he married his second wife, Beth. Rebecca understands their concerns, but she refuses to leave her fiancé for that length of time. The Bishop gives Rebecca an assignment to complete while she is away (three tasks). William and Rebecca are in for some new experiences. Daniel has a modern household. They have contemporary appliances, air conditioning, a car, and, of course, a television. William takes to these modern inventions quickly (especially likes ESPN). Their short visit gets extended when Daniel has a setback. Then Rebecca’s starts receiving threatening notes. Someone is not happy that Rebecca is visiting and wants her to leave. But Rebecca refuses to be frightened away. She is determined to help Daniel and Beth (William’s stepmother). Then Daniel offers William a partnership in the cabinet business. William is tempted by this better way of life, but Rebecca would never give up her Old Order Amish roots. Will William and Rebecca return to their community or will they be lured away by the Englisch lifestyle?

Rebecca’s Bouquet was lacking. Rebecca came across as a “goody two shoes”! She was too perfect and, after a while, really got on my nerves. The same issues are rehashed over and over throughout the book. It made the story tiring and boring. It is basically about the choice that William and Rebecca have to make (well, really just William’s because Rebecca will not change). There was too much of Rebecca and William thinking, contemplating, and deciding instead of the story moving forward (having some substance). The ending is abrupt and predictable. I was very disappointed. The book needed more substance to bring it alive. I give Rebecca’s Bouquet 3 out of 5 stars. This will not stop me from trying a Lisa Jones Baker book in the future. This was just a first book. I am hoping there will be significant improvement in the next book in Hope Chest of Dreams series.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new series about a carved hope chest given by Sam, an Amish wood carver with a lot of wisdom, and the first box goes to Rebecca as she begins her journey.
Rebecca is sure of one thing and that is that William Conrad are meant for each other, so when a call comes for William that his father has had a heart attack and needs him to come to Indiana, she know she must go with him.
Leaving their Amish community and support and heading into the English world has to be a very big shock and eye opener for them. Turn on a TV and sit back in air conditioning, and William seems to be accepting of these great comforts, while Rebecca loves the modern laundry room, and adores the kitchen with all its conveniences and gadgets.
Then a number of threats against Rebecca’s life are received, and she is going back home, will William stay and embrace the English comfortable life, or will he go back to Arthur Illinois and his Community.
The answers are here, and you are going to be page turning to get to all the answers. There are two more books to come and I’m looking forward to reading each of them.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to my library, I discovered this wonderful debut novel -- and a new-to-me inspirational imprint -- Zebra Inspirational Romance -- from Kensington Books. Double win heading for a triple because the next book in the series comes out in the spring. And I love the premise of this series -- the handcrafted hope chests that will hold special treasures unique to each heroine.

Rebecca is anchored in her faith as an Amish woman which gives her wisdom beyond her years. If I had to describe Rebecca in one word it would be 'steadfast'. She's immovable in her faith and in her love for William...but can she have both? That's what this story explores as Rebecca is thrust out of her comfort zone, far from home in an English world.

Love the continuous faith threads woven throughout this novel. So many gems to cherish. Like this one that comes from Old Sam: "Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you're not willing to move your feet." (p 12)

Sweet, tender and rife with strife -- a great blend for an Amish romance.

[ANNETTE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story and the plot had a little mystery involved.
Seeking God for a greater purpose.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca’s Bouquet (Hope Chest Dreams -Book 1 )
By: Lisa Jones Baker
Rebecca’s Bouquet is book one in Hope Chest Dreams series by Lisa jones Baker. This was my first to read of Ms Baker, and hopefully it will not be my last. I Plan on reading the others in this series. I really did enjoy Rebecca’s Bouquet. The author captured me right at the start and I was hooked. This was one of those page turners and I could not read fast enough to see what was going to happen next, I did not want to put it down. The story and the characters both were well written and well developed. I loved Rebecca and though that she was very wise for her years. Rebecca knows that she and Williams are meant to be together. Their faith is truly tested in this story. William’s father had a heart attack and he wants to go and help him and his wife out. Rebecca goes with him. They leave their Amish homes to go into the English home. William loved the fancy car and TV. There is some other mystery in this story that will keep you guessing . Ms Baker weaves a story filled with hurt, love, forgiveness, and second chances. I love that Rebecca’s faith was strong . Sometimes what we want is not what God has planned for us. I love the spiritual threads that are throughout the story.
I was given a complimentary copy off this book , but was not told that I had to give a positive review.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insomnia? or is it just that this book was so good, so compelling and interesting that I simply HAD to stay awake and keep reading to the very last word? I love finding a book that is draws me in so quickly that I want to read it so badly. Like Rebecca, I remember being 18 and so in love that I simply couldn't imagine the thought of being away from the man that I loved and planned to marry. It just feels heartbreaking and unbearable.
Loyalty to the father William feels deserted him over 10 years ago leads him to move to Indiana to help his father after he becomes ill and can't operate the cabinet shop he owns and runs. Rebecca decides that she must go with William and help his father and stepmother as well. This loyalty and their subsequent move will threaten the life they have planned in their Illinois' Amish community. Readers will be anxious to read to discover what happens with William and Rebecca. There will be surprises for readers along the way, for sure and certain.
I am rating this book 5 ***** stars. I highly recommend it to readers. This book would be appropriate for teenagers as well as adults. There is no sexual content in this romance.
I received an ebook of this selection from netgalley and Zebra Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to post a positive review.

[Pamela Pavkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca's Bouquet is the first book written by Lisa Jones Baker in her new series, Hope Chest of Dreams. This book has an amazing storyline and really delivers the fact that second chances can happen.

The characters are so well described you can picture them in your mind as you read the story. Rebecca is a kind, intelligent, loving young Amish woman who follows her instincts to help others in need. Her future husbands is called unexpectedly to Indiana to help his estranged father after he has suffered a heart attack. There is a big rift between father and son since the father left the son at a young age to be raised by his Aunt and Uncle. This journey for healing is a long one and William is not sure he can forgive his father for abandoning him. Rebecca and William have many heart to heart talks but aren't sure if they will remain in Indiana or return to Arthur, Illinois. This is a wonderful story full of love and faith.

I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable review. I have rated this story with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that I can highly recommend to others.

Congratulations to Lisa Jones Baker for delivering such a beautiful story for her readers to enjoy. I look forward to more books from this author.

[Meg Kayleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 but Goodreads doesn't do half stars :( So I rounded up because there were some parts that were interesting, and it was a fast read. I picked this up as a joke (because I was curious as to what an Amish romance novel would entail) and then was shocked at how much I enjoyed the first 100-150 pages!! However, after that it just gets really boring and repetitive.

I saw someone else say in their review that Rebecca is far too perfect - that is absolutely true. She's a saint and it gets boring after a while. Also, everything works out in the end in a way that makes ZERO sense, and the characters thought patterns get SO circular after like 100 pages of internal monologue with the same three questions over and over again.

It was fun for a bit but probably 100 pages too long. Probably a good read for somebody who is Amish? But I have no idea, this is so out of the league of something I'd normally read that I can't really say.

[Connie Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa jones Baker has given us a wonderful book about Faith, Trust and True Love. Rebecca and William have been Amish sweethearts since childhood, but is that enough to stand the test of the English world and forging a relationship with Williams father who is now English? Rebecca pledges to stand by William and trust his decision to go to the aid of his father who is ill and his stepmother, she is permitted to go with William, however will the temptations be too great. William wants nothing more in the world than the love of his father, he thinks, but is it worth the lose of his beloved Rebecca. Ms. Baker has given us a story that test the strength of William and Rebecca's Faith in God, she shows us that we must Trust our heart and one another, and that True Love will overcome many barriers. Do not miss this wonderful book of love and wishes.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story. I loved the plot, the characters, and character development. There were a lot of quotes I liked too.

I liked the messages in the book such as faith and being Amish vs English, and if there is a right way to live between the two.

I did think the writing could have been better. There were scenes that I wish were added to the book. I thought it would have brought more. And it tend to drone on with the characters inner monologues. There was a part where Rebecca got a threat and then nothing happened with it until much later in the book when she got another one. I understand that after everything, it was a lesson on forgiveness for moving the plot forward. But it made it seem there might be some mystery element and it wasn't really touched upon until much later.

[Vicky Sluiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book in the Hope Chest of Dreams series, Author Lisa Jones Baker does a great job of showing that adults can stay true to their beliefs, even when helping people who believe differently than they do. We see the human side of William and Rebecca as they struggle with decisions that will affect the rest of their lives.

A clean romance with a bit of a mystery thrown into the story, the outcome was not at all what I expected. You’ll keep turning the pages to find out who done it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did enjoy this book, it didn't seem to hold my attention. It took me a while to get through it. I wanted to finish it, and it had a twist I didn't expect, but even that wasn't enough to keep me coming back for more. I do want to try another book and see if it was just me, or if it really is this series. This it the first book I have read by this author. I liked the style of writing and the characters were nice enough. Overall, if you want a nice, simple read, this one will do just fine.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok- very predictable, to say the least. The main character is very boring, and perfect, and makes no progression at all throughout the book. It's rather distasteful (even for an Amish romance) when the only response that a character has to anything at all is to pray. I'm not discounting the love of prayer for Christians- it just seems that some reasoning ability complements praying rather well.

Too bad- I thought that an Amish couple going to live amongst the "English" had a lot of promise.

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly?

For my first read of the year I was pretty disappointed. The writing style seemed a little abrupt and would cut off in places I expected more to happen several times. There was a lot of telling and not showing. (IE: He asked what was going on. Then she told him).

I just couldn't get invested in the characters very much, you just KNEW full well she'd never truly want him to move, and everything tied up at the end in a neat little bow seemed a little cliche.

[Sarah A · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*
Loved Rebecca at the beginning and end. Got too cross with her in the middle!!
Rebecca and William have grown up together and are as engaged as an Amish couple get when William’s estranged and shunned father has a heart attack and they both rush to the rescue to help his business and his new Mennonite wife.
Both explore the amazing wonderful parts of English life that help save time and energy and meet some negative energy too.

[Marie Mccormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

True love never fails

I always have believed that God has a plan for everyone's life especially those who believe in the cross this story was full of love hate compassion Rebecca was a wonderful character so loyal to all but bit was her belief that God would answer her prayers and he sure did and Daniel came to his senses at the end can't wait for next book

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up while on vacation with my family in upstate NY. So glad I did. I liked Rebeeca more and more throughout the book and her faith is inspiring. I look forward to reading more books by Lisa Jones Baker

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca moves with her fiancé William to help after his father’s heart attack. William starts enjoying the English life and wants to be closer with his father. Rebecca wants to go back to their Amish home town and is having a hard time deciding which she can give up.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book, but some aspects just didn't seem to flow with the rest of the story. Still looking forward to reading the next book.

[Marg · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyed this book

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rebecca and William face many challenging decisions about their future.

[Julie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a good read. Slow going at first but picked up fast. Left you hanging until the very end of the book as to what is going to happen. Will definitely recommend it.

[Amanda McKinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found myself enjoying it very much! Great book!

[Laura Bandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, this was okay, but was really boring and didn't have much of a plot.

[Debra Czekalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful and heartwarming

I love how Rebecca brought God into all of her decisions, forgiving Katie and praying for answers and in the end God brought them all together!

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐️

[ErinMickC · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the blurb for (i>Rebecca’s Bouquet I was immediately interested in reading the book. Not only was the book first in a new series but it also mentioned that the hero and heroine were already in a relationship. I was hoping the book would be a deep dive into their growing love and that it would show a sharp contrast between Amish and English ways. I was not disappointed.

In Rebecca’s Bouquet the hero and heroine, William and Rebecca, travel out of state to care for William’s dad and his dad’s business. William’s mother died when he was a small child and his father remarried and lives in the English world. So, basically, when William and Rebecca travel to keep up the woodworking business they are joining the English world with dishwashers, cars, saws and pretty gals in blue jeans. William is certainly tempted by the English ways though Rebecca is steadfast in her faith and way of life.

I liked a few things about this book a whole lot. First, Rebecca and William’s love was so deep and true that it was hard to not imagine them together. Even though a major conflict of the book was them working through their different feelings about the English way of life I never questioned their HEA. Second, William’s dad’s wife, Beth, was a really interesting character that added to book’s richness. Although Beth isn’t Amish, her eloquence and her ability to articulate her (non-Amish) faith made for an interesting contrast to our heroine’s strict values. Last, I enjoyed the pace of this book. Let’s be honest, there wasn’t a ton of action in this story but the author was able to make each interaction and each small scene interesting by adding in new feelings, new angles, and new dialogue. This book made me slow down and think things through. I enjoyed savoring each and every word.

There were a few things that bothered me about this book, though. Since I adored Beth I found it a little strange that I just could not stand her husband, William’s father. For the vast majority of the book, he was simply unlikable and incredibly selfish. It was hard for me to find any redeeming qualities in him. Also at times I found our heroine, Rebecca, to be a little preachy. I didn’t bother me enough to stop reading the book, but it did annoy me enough that I had to put the book down at times and read something else. The last thing about the book that I didn’t enjoy that much was the character of Old Sam. Sam is a character back in William and Rebecca’s small community that has connected with three girls after his wife had passed. It sounds like Rebecca and the two other gals take care of Sam by keeping him company, baking him treats and visiting him. Not gonna lie, for some reason the relationship made my skin crawl. I’m sure the character wasn’t written to be creepy but it didn’t sit well with me at all.

All in all, I liked Rebecca’s Bouquet. Although I wouldn’t recommend the book for just any romance fan, readers who enjoy reading inspirational and Amish romances will enjoy William and Rebecca’s story. I’m going to give this book three stars and put the next two Hope Chest of Dreams books on my TBR list.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca Sommer and William Conrad had grown up together in Arthur, Illinois and were planning to marry.

Daniel Conrad, William’s father, married outside the faith and left the community but, because his deceased wife wanted their son to remain Amish, he left William to be raised by an Aunt and Uncle. Many years later when a heart attack kept Daniel from finishing his orders at his cabinet shop, he needed William’s help.

Rebecca decided her place was working in the cabinet shop alongside William so she made the trip to Indiana with him. It was temporary right? Just until Daniel got on his feet? They’d go, get the orders finished, Daniel would be back to work, and they would go home….right?

Read about the obstacles that fell in their path. Daniel and his wife Beth were English. William liked the air conditioning, television and other things in the house and Beth’s BMW. One of Daniel’s best customers was English. He had a daughter that seemed to like William, Rebecca feared. Daniel wanted William to become his business partner. Rebecca became friends with an Amish girl that delivered eggs to the house. Katie seemed a good friend at first.

Do William and Rebecca go home to Arthur or does he talk her into living English and remaining in Indiana?

Rebecca’s Bouquet is the first book I’ve read by Lisa Jones Baker. I enjoyed this story and plan to read more of this author’s books.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little book of faith with a little bit of mystery. A friendly read. Great use of scriptures without being preachy. Insightful. I liked how she used the word "darted" as a verb, but felt like she OVERused it.