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Christmas Twins #1

Amish Christmas Twins

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The Widower’s Christmas Wish

With Christmas just around the corner, widow Willa Chase will do anything to retain custody of her twin girls and unborn baby—even if it means escaping to her childhood Amish home. After her grandfather turns her away, Willa finds herself stranded at the home of blacksmith John Miller. A widower, John buries himself in work—until Willa’s vibrant twins become impossible to ignore. And before long, John is smitten with their beautiful mother, too. But when Willa’s past secrets are revealed, will they prevent John’s Christmas wish for a happily-ever-after from coming true?

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published September 19, 2017

144 people are currently reading
544 people want to read

About the author

Patricia Davids

142 books404 followers
I was born and raised in Northcentral Kansas. I'm a farmer's daughter, but I now make my home in the city of Wichita. I'm an RN. Neonatal nursing has been the main focus of my career. What can I say? I love babies. I was invited to the highschool graduation of a baby I took care of. Talk about making me feel old!

In June of 2011 I became a widow after my husband of 36 years and 11 months died from multiple brain tumors. It was a very sad time, but thanks to the three f's, my faith, my family and my friends, life is moving forward. I have four brothers, one daughter and two grandchildren who all work at making me feel loved.

I'm the author of more than 30 books and I'm currently writing a series called The Brides of Amish Country for Love Inspired.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
Profile Image for Sheri.
1,356 reviews133 followers
June 13, 2020
A tender and heartwarming romance where love blooms in a playful and gentle fashion for two who thought they would never love again. As Willa and John see hope and find faith, they find their way and let their hearts lead them right where they belong.

Patricia Davids has certainly done her research into Amish culture and weaves factual information skillfully into the storyline. A pleasant read that left me with renewed hope and faith too. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
Profile Image for Carmen.
2,025 reviews2,429 followers
October 16, 2018
He placed a hand beneath her chin and lifted her face to his. Slowly, he bent low and kissed her.

Willa had time to move away, but her feet wouldn't listen to her brain. The tenderness of his lips against hers made her respond in kind. Her mind stopped shouting that it was a mistake and her heart took over. She cupped his face with her hands and lost herself in the sensations his touch brought to life.
177

This was a pretty entertaining Amish romance. Willa is homeless after her husband's death. She is on the run because her in-laws are trying to get custody of her children (two 3-year-old twin girls). She is also pregnant.

She used to be Amish before she was 15 and her parents left the Amish community. So she goes back. But her grandfather rejects her and refuses to take her in.

Enter our hero, John. He's a grumpy, reclusive widower who is in seemingly never-ending mourning for his wife who died four years ago. But he's also kind. He and his mother, Vera, take Willa and her girls in.

ANALYSIS

1.) The Evil Patriarchy It always hurts my heart a little bit to read these Amish books because it's such a woman-hating culture you are plunged into. Men make the decisions. A man makes the decisions for his mother, for example. Women do all the cooking and all the cleaning. Men eat first. Men run the church.

It's very disgusting. And it makes me very sad.

It's even more sad because the born-again Christians who are writing these book see this as the ideal that should be aspired to. Really gross IMO.


2.) A Kind Hero and Gentle Teasing. Despite his stern and gruff exterior, John turns out to be a kind and gentle man. He even develops a sense of humor.

This starts off early when Willa and John meet on the road and she tries to tease him.

"You'll be safe with me, frau, if that is what worries you."

"That's exactly what a serial killer would say."

He scowled at her but noticed the twinkle in her eyes as she tried to hide a smile. "Are you teasing me?"

She grinned. "I was trying to, but I fear I have offended you."

The Englisch were a strange lot.
12

He initially doesn't get it, but as he spends more and more time with her and the children, he develops his own brand of humor.

"I don't see how you have any room left for food after the way you ate last night. I've never seen a woman eat so many biscuits. You had six after eating half a chicken."

Her mouth dropped open. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm eating for two!"

"Are you sure there aren't more? Like five or six?"

"That's an awful thing to say."

"What are you two quarreling about at this hour of the morning?" Vera asked as she came into the room.

John gestured toward Willa. "She's determined to eat us out of house and home. Lock the cellar and hide the key so she can't get to the canned produce."

Willa finished her eggs and pushed back from the table. "Do you have canned peaches? Oh, that sounds so good."

Vera chuckled. "I do, and John will fetch them for you."

He headed for the cellar door. "Shall I bring up a dozen jars, or do you think you'll need more?"

"A dozen will do for a start," she said with a chuckle.
86

Now, first I was upset. I think, basically, that you shouldn't bring up eating or eating habits with a person, I think it's very hurtful. But after close consideration and also finishing the book, I was able to determine that John was a good and loving man and that he was genuinely teasing her in what he thought was a gentle manner. She could have taken offense at this and been completely justified IMO, but she rolls with it, and we can all see by the end that he loves her and doesn't intend for his teasing to have any negative effects on her.

I'm glad they start to tease each other, it's not the kind of teasing I'd engage in but they seem to enjoy it, and it's funny when Willa starts calling him Johnjohn as an imitation of what her daughters call him.

John is kind and gently persistent, I liked him.


3.) Postpartum Psychosis. This is the rare, rare, rare romance novel that features a heroine who has suffered from postpartum psychosis. One of the reasons Willa's in-laws are trying to get custody of the girls is because after they were born, Willa tried walking them into a river.

Now she's pregnant again, being chased by her in-laws, and of course terrified that she is going to possibly hurt her new baby after it is born.

You just don't SEE issues like this being dealt with by romance novels, and I enjoyed Davids bringing this up. Willa thinks no one will love her once they learn the 'unspeakable' thing she did after the twins were born, and she suffers hiding it from John, whom she is falling in love with.


HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?

No sex. Four kisses.


TL;DR - Overall an enjoyable novel in the Amish Christian sub-genre. If you like that sort of thing, I think this is one of the better ones. I liked both the hero and heroine, although it's hard for me to tolerate the 'patriarchal cult' atmosphere presented here. Good to read around Christmas, since it is Christmas-y and winter-y.


MENTIONS OF GOD: 124


ROMANCE CATEGORIES
Contemporary Romance
Holiday/Christmas Romance
Inspirational Romance
Non-Virgin Heroine
Widower Hero
Widow Heroine
Pregnant Heroine
He is a Blacksmith, She Works Retail - Until they get married, then she's not allowed to work for pay

NAMES IN THIS BOOK
3,922 reviews1,763 followers
October 12, 2017
First things first -- adorable cover or what? If that doesn't melt your heart and make you want to read this book I don't know what will! I scooped it up without even reading the book blurb based on this cover and I'm glad I did because if I had read the blurb I might not have chanced the read. And that's because I'm not particularly fond of romances where the heroine is pregnant. It seems such a stretch for a woman who is clearly very recently out of a relationship to leap into another one so quickly. But, guess what? Patricia Davids does an amazing job with that aspect of the story and I totally enjoyed Amish Christmas Twins.

John is such a grump when Willa first meets him and I loved watching little Megan and Lucy slowly melt his heart, leaving it wide open to become smitten by their mother. Some of the funniest scenes are the interactions with John and the twins. And Vera, his mother -- such a hoot! I laughed out loud at her antics too. Willa learns that God has been guiding her steps when she lands on the Miller doorstep. They are the perfect friends to help her ease back into Amish life and when she finally trusts John completely a whole new future suddenly opens up. A tender Christmas love story that will make your smile.
Profile Image for Maureen Timerman.
3,229 reviews490 followers
January 5, 2018
From beginning to end I was drawn into this sweet story, enjoying antics of the three-year-old twin girls, and loving how they go from one world to an Amish life.
Your heart will break for a woman who had endured so much in her young life, from a fifteen year old to a young widow with two plus children, and see how she melds right into her old roots.
Two grieving young adults with so much in common, and what can we do to bring them together? The author has put these two in the same place, but they are like magnets turned toward each other and are trying to repel.
This is a quick and enjoyable read as we find out the truth, and find family for all.
I received this book through Net Galley and Harlequin Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.
95 reviews5 followers
March 7, 2019
Willa was running from a lot of things without all the facts. When she arrived at her grandfather's house seeking help and understanding he turned her away. She was trying to make it to her great aunt's home she became disoriented and passed out. If it had not been for John Miller her and her children could have died. John has closed himself off from the world after he lost his wife and unborn child. But Willa and her twin daughters help him to realize all that he was missing. Wonderful story. Superb Christmas story!
Profile Image for Lisa Richards.
298 reviews105 followers
October 13, 2017
A super sweet Christmas story that combines several of my loves- kids (twins no less), Christmas and the Amish. I love getting that peek behind the Amish curtain and seeing a fair amount of the Amish culture.
There's just enough of a mystery here that combined with the typical Scrooge to set the book above the average Christmas stories that are being released right now. A very quick read that I easily finished in one seating.
Profile Image for Clare O'Beara.
Author 25 books371 followers
March 2, 2018
This is a well-written slightly suspenseful romance. A young woman who has been widowed is struggling along to return to her Amish roots, with her little twin girls. She is also expecting again but her grandfather isn't Christian enough despite his faith, to take them into his house. No, she left the society, so despite the fact that she was not baptised (an adult choice) he won't accept her back.

A hard-working man who lives with his mother and gives the little family shelter, hadn't expected to find romance and takes a while to see that an opportunity lies in front of him. His mum however is delighted to see children around the farm! But the young mother's difficult background threatens to make trouble for them all.

Enjoy and get some tips on staying warm during snow, as well as learning about the restrictions on the Amish people.
I downloaded an e-ARC from Fresh Fiction and Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.
Profile Image for Marilyn.
1,268 reviews
December 3, 2017
Amish Christmas Twins is another beautiful story by Patricia Davids. Widowed Willa Chase is striving to keep her young twin in her custody. Returning to her Amish roots was not the answer as her grandfather continued his shunning of her, despite the fact she had not been baptized into the church when her parents left their Amish community. A story of healing relationships after discovering deceit, second chances, finding forgiveness, faith and a new love all in time for Christmas.
Profile Image for Books and Spoons.
1,612 reviews32 followers
October 2, 2017
This was a sweet story about coming home - finding your place, your faith, your family of heart, and making that your forever-home, a place to build your future in.
The story had a lot interesting, intriguing information about the Amish culture, their rules and regulations, and the guidelines what they live by. The material about the culture was well embedded into the tale and a smooth part of the events Will and John were going through.
Willa Chase has been on a run ever since her twins were born. She carries a heavy burden of guilt and chilling fear of losing her children to her former in-laws. She is broke, she is pregnant, and in desperate need of help. Yet she has spunk, she is willing to go lengths for her children, she has skills she can use to provide for her family, she is not helpless or hopeless, she has a strong faith in God, but in acute need of people who care enough to make an effort and help her over the bump life has thrown in her way.
Several years ago John Miller lost his pregnant wife and has been withdrawn from emotions and living ever since to his work. He is a good man, with a solid character and an unwavering faith in the Lord. Twice gets he a chance to help Willa and the twins, and then open up his home to shelter them in a storm.
With a little matchmaking help from John's mom, Willa and the girls make a home with the Millers. I loved to watch John build up a bond with the twins, to play with them, and teach them the Amish way. The closer he is to the girls, the more room he gets in Willa's heart.
An adorable and delightful story that made me smile and look forward to the upcoming season and holidays.
~ Four Spoons
Profile Image for Pamela Pavkov.
1,263 reviews25 followers
December 3, 2017
Amish Christmas Twins is a very heartwarming story written by Patricia Davids. The author has once again delivered a wonderful story to her readers. I enjoyed this book immensely and if you need to feel some Christmas joy and love this is the book for you.

The characters are so amazing I felt like we were old friends. They a very likeable. The storyline is powerful filled with suspense, laughter, and love. This story teaches us to reach out to others in the time of need and trust in God.

I don't want to give out any spoilers so I won't tell you about the story, just know that I could not stop reading because it is such an amazing story to follow. I loved the cover of this book and really felt like the twins in the sled are really included in this story.

I was not given an advanced complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I am posting my honest review and all opinions and statements expressed are strictly my own based on a wonderful story that I can highly recommend to others. I have rated this book with five stars but wish I could have given it more.

Congratulations to Patricia Davids on once again writing another outstanding book for all readers to enjoy. I will be anticipating more wonderful books by this author in the future.
Profile Image for C Janet .
430 reviews
February 10, 2018
A Good Story

WIlla Chase is running. Her English husband died in an accident and his parents want custody of her children. They feel she is unfit due to post partum depression. No one knows she was Amish as a youth so she flees to her Amish grandfather. HE rejects her and the twins since her parents had been shunned. WIlla tries to find another Amish relative and ends up stranded a the John Miller and his mother Vera. John is a widower and has grown bitter after the loss of his wife. Vera decides her and John will help Willa and offer a place for WIlla to stay until she can connect with her family. Willa is fearful she will be found and tells no one about her past. JOhn has a tough time adjusting to the chaos of 3 y/o twins and simply wants them on their way. Very quickly John's heart melts and now he wants to marry Willa even though she pushes him away. As Wllia's heart develops love for John , will she share her secrets with John.? WIll she decide to embrace her Amish roots again? WIll her in laws find her? THis was a quick read . IT had a well developed plot and strong characters.
102 reviews3 followers
November 18, 2017
This was a beautiful story. I enjoyed it very much. Willa had to go on the run with her twin daughters and she encounters John Miller an Amish man who offers his assistance. Willas husband was tragically killed and she is pretty far in her pregnancy. She is turned away from her old order Amish grandfather and once again she encounters John. He is widowed and living with his mother. His heart begins to open up to the twins and he starts to fall for Willa. She is afraid to share her past because she is afraid of losing John's friendship. The twins antics and the mother's antics were quite humorous . I only wish that the story could have a sequel and get Wills back in her grandfather's good graces .
516 reviews5 followers
August 27, 2017
Such a sweet, caring read. Pulled me in from the beginning. A great story line with equally interesting characters.
Profile Image for Tasha.
552 reviews
October 1, 2017
This book brings the struggle of Postpartum depression into the light. Very moving and well written.
8 reviews
December 13, 2017
Enjoyable read! A bit predictable but also some nice twists and turns that make you want to keep reading. Not
Interesting inclusion p.s. post partum psychosis made this a believable plot
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Billie Jauss.
Author 7 books17 followers
December 27, 2017
I love a good Christmas story filled with family, faith and love. Nice book to sit by the Christmas tree and read with a cup of tea.
Profile Image for Autumn IceFlower.
3 reviews
February 12, 2018
Absolutely loved this adorable book and could hardly put it down. Loved how the story had a happy ending after all the tragedy this woman and her daughters had to endure.
Profile Image for Anna Marie.
1,389 reviews2 followers
August 9, 2022
I'm not one to throw five-star reviews around, but this book deserved it.

Willa's mother had mental illness (manic depression). Her parents were of the strictest sect of Amish, and weren't allowed medications to help her, so her parents left the church, were shunned, and went Englisch to get the medicines they needed. Then they died... and Willa had no one. Except a young man who was kind to her and made her his wife...

Willa has been on the run for years. She had a bout of mental illness as a result of hormonal changes after having her twins, and nearly killed her babies (unbeknowst to her - she wasn't in her right mind). Whilst in the hospital, her husband tells her that the result is that his wealthy and affluential parents have hired a PI to find them and take their children away (unfit parents). She's strung out, pregnant, and then her husband dies.

Terrified, she goes back to her grandfather at the Amish town, but he turns her away. When she collapses of hunger, fatigue, and stress, John Miller finds her and takes her and her children in. John is *AMAZING* - one of the best 'Love, Inspired' heroes ever written. He's gruff and uncomfortable, but when the twins and Willa start to melt his heart, he becomes this romantic hero who makes every reader's heart flutter. He's determined to help Willa... and to make her his own.

I can't TELL you how much I loved this book.
Definitely recommended!
Profile Image for Kelly Knapp.
948 reviews20 followers
December 13, 2017
Willa is oddly strong and vulnerable at the same time. She has little or no control over anything in her life. She is 7 months pregnant, recently widowed, and on the run from her in-laws who have been seeking custody of her twin daughters since their birth. There appears to be no place she can hide...or is there? She grew up in an Amish community and still has family there. Will they take her in?

John is an Amish man who has grieved the loss of his wife and unborn child for 4 years. He has hidden himself in his work as a smithy. Taking finished work to its owner, he meets Willa and the girls when they are dropped off a bus in the middle of no where. He offers them a lift to their destination. After dropping them off, he drops his cargo and returns home. But God isn't letting John off that easily. He sends a runaway horse and buggy right past his home and when John catches the horse, he finds Willa unconscious and the girls terrified. He brings them home and his mother helps Willa recover from her injuries. Will Willa and the girls find a refuge and a family with John, his mother, and their Amish community?
Profile Image for Jess O. (From Jess to You).
1,368 reviews38 followers
August 29, 2019
"4.5 out of 5 stars!!! This novel has a setup that I had never seen before, at least not in this way. I got to see a woman who had grown up Amish but had lived in the English world for about ten years while she tried to keep her family together the best way she could. In doing so she decided to return to her roots and her Amish faith, from there she falls in love with a man who keeps on saving her ...

This moving tale kept me so riveted that I had a hard time walking away from it without completing the novel. I was glued to Willa’s story..."

Read more of this review and TWO TEASERS here: https://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2019/08/feasted-on-christmas-twins-series-book.html
Profile Image for Charlene.
1,209 reviews69 followers
April 7, 2018
This Harlequin "Love Inspired" volume requires that the story be told in shorter form than most books I read. I still didn't quite believe the events could have happened in a week or two, as told.

There was a little suspense or mystery: what kind of guy was the widow's husband? and what kind of people were his parents, whom the heroine had never met?

I did like the characters, mostly, although the widow seemed very immature in some ways and quite mature in others; I didn't think the two halves fit together.

I liked the blacksmith and his mother. I also felt the Amish community was given a sympathetic view, which I like.
Profile Image for Nancy Horton.
18 reviews1 follower
May 24, 2019
A fine story how two people that lost their spouses met fall in love and marry. So glad that Willa was helped by John when she first got off the bus near her. And then to find her in a run away buggy with the twins right at his house so exciting for them. To bad that Willa husband lied to her about why they had to move so many times and that his parents wanted to take the twins away from them. John and his mother was so glad that Willa decided to stay with them until after the baby she was expecting was born. I liked how Patricia ended the book. That Willa found out the truth about why her in-laws wanted to see her. And they were able to spend Christmas with their grandchildren.
Profile Image for Sunnie.
1,002 reviews46 followers
August 23, 2020
I really enjoyed the Amish Christmas Twins, 3 novellas in a "twin" theme. I am very familiar with two of the author's works, but was new to Loree Lough. I enjoyed all three. It was fun to read about twins and all that surrounds them, especially the mischief!

The stories deal with loss, Christmas Spirit and are all heartwarming and enjoyable. Christmas is a joyful time, and these stories all included happy endings. I love Amish fiction and these stories were definitely good examples of this. I especially liked the second story.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
Profile Image for Diane.
2,821 reviews22 followers
January 12, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed John and Willa’s romance because of the transformation each character goes through when they’re brought together by circumstances that quickly spiral out of control. I was drawn to Hannah’s courage and vulnerability, her devotion to her twin daughters and her determination to keep them hidden from her manipulative former in-laws. John is a sympathetic character because he’s lost all the joy in life and buried himself in work, guilt and grief after the loss of his wife. 3 year old twins Lucy and Megan are adorable as they melt the ice around John’s heart aided by the matchmaking skills of John’s mother Vera. It’s a delightful holiday story I won’t soon forget.
1,546 reviews12 followers
November 10, 2017
Loved It

Willa was running from a lot of things without all the facts. When she arrived at her grandfather's house seeking help and understanding he turned her away. She was trying to make it to her great aunt's home she became disoriented and passed out. If it had not been for John Miller her and her children could have died. John has closed himself off from the world after he lost his wife and unborn child. But Willa and her twin daughters help him to realize all that he was missing. Wonderful story.
753 reviews5 followers
December 7, 2017
When I first heard the title I envisioned someone having surprise twins for Christmas but then I see the cover and know that can't be the case as these little girls are much older.
I was drawn in by the mystery surrounding the young mother and her little girls. I cried as she got bad news and wasn't sure if I was ready for her to fall in love.
Profile Image for Janice .
691 reviews8 followers
October 2, 2017
I Read this on the kindle


This was a really good story which I enjoyed

Only downside is that I had a feeling that I read this or a story so very much like it but as of the time of reading it the book had only been released a day
Profile Image for Nancy Luebke.
1,466 reviews66 followers
October 22, 2018
I really enjoyed this Amish Mystery and Romance. I bought this at a church book sale. I laughed and I teared up a few times. Those twins could really stir things up. It just touched my heart. Wonderful Story.
Profile Image for Anita.
1,497 reviews4 followers
December 3, 2018
I read this book to fulfill the goal read a book with characters that are twins. I thought this book was rather silly. all throught the book i just kept saying i can't stand stupid characters. really wasnt that impressed with it. the best part about it was that i read it in december. not a fan.
Profile Image for Lydia Rose.
179 reviews
August 26, 2022
This was an extremely good read! John Miller is incredibly sweet, to both her and her daughters. It's also almost a suspense novel, which makes it pretty hard to put the book down. I really enjoyed this one. :)
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