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An Amish Family
In An Amish Family , beloved author of Amish romance, Kathleen Fuller, invites readers into the lives of four Amish families. Building Trust Grace Miller and Joel King are in love. They’ve dated secretly for the past year and when he proposes marriage, Grace eagerly agrees. But when she tells her parents about the wedding, she’s shocked when her father tells her she can’t marry Joel. Can Grace get to the bottom of her father’s animosity toward Joel so they can have the happily ever after she’s always dreamed of? A Heart Full of Love (also in An Amish Cradle ) Ellie’s mother hasn’t stopped meddling in her personal life since Ellie lost her sight—and she’s taken it up a notch now that Ellie’s pregnant. When Ellie gives birth to twins, her mother insists on moving in to care for them. But when her mother’s behavior becomes unbearable, Ellie is forced to take a stand . . . and finally find out why Mamm can’t let go. Surprised by Love In a desperate move to evade her match-making mother, Emily Schwartz announces that she’s already seeing Reuben Coblentz. The trouble is, Reuben is barely even a friend. Seeing how desperate she is, Reuben plays along. But when the past sneaks up on them, will this temporary arrangement turn into everlasting love? A Gift for Anne Marie (also in An Amish Second Christmas) Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins.
368 pages, Paperback
Published June 12, 2018
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793 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Fuller
119 books1,114 followersBest-selling author of Amish fiction. Also a wife, mother, crafter, coffee addict, football fan, and chocolate aficionado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
June 24, 2018
An Amish Family is 4 novellas by Kathleen Fuller. Sweet respectful romantic love is what these young couples find. I enjoyed all 4 stories equally and when done with one story eagerly turned the pages to read the next story.
In Building Trust, Grace and Joel do not have the permission of her father to marry. Her father is not acting like himself and it's not only affecting Grace and the family but his work relationships as well. Will her father come around to her way of thinking and what is causing his dislike of Joel?
In Heart Full of Love, Ellie and Chris are so excited to start their family but is her mother taking over and not letting the young couple do things their way? This was a fun story to read.
Surprised by Love had me laughing out loud at some points. What happens when you tell your Mamm you are seeing someone just so she won't match make for you any more and said person happens to hear you? Great story!
A Gift For Anne Marie was a sweet story too. Lifelong friends Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been friends since childhood. Anne Marie tries to set him up with her best friend but he's not interested. Before it's too late and Anne Marie has to move away since her widowed mother has a new husband will they see themselves as more than childhood friends?
Pub Date 12 Jun 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan Fiction through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
See my review on my blog here https://cnnamongirl.wixsite.com/website
In Building Trust, Grace and Joel do not have the permission of her father to marry. Her father is not acting like himself and it's not only affecting Grace and the family but his work relationships as well. Will her father come around to her way of thinking and what is causing his dislike of Joel?
In Heart Full of Love, Ellie and Chris are so excited to start their family but is her mother taking over and not letting the young couple do things their way? This was a fun story to read.
Surprised by Love had me laughing out loud at some points. What happens when you tell your Mamm you are seeing someone just so she won't match make for you any more and said person happens to hear you? Great story!
A Gift For Anne Marie was a sweet story too. Lifelong friends Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been friends since childhood. Anne Marie tries to set him up with her best friend but he's not interested. Before it's too late and Anne Marie has to move away since her widowed mother has a new husband will they see themselves as more than childhood friends?
Pub Date 12 Jun 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan Fiction through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
See my review on my blog here https://cnnamongirl.wixsite.com/website
June 14, 2018
An Amish Family is a very nice collection of four novellas by Kathleen Fuller. I enjoyed all four stories. These were sweet, easy stories to sit down and enjoy, yet I felt engaged in every one of the tales.
In Building Trust, I really felt for Grace and Joel. Their hearts were broken when Grace’s father refused to allow them to get married. I loved watching how things progressed through this tension filled story!
In A Heart Full of Love, I had so much fun getting to read about Ellie and Chris starting a family. They are the main characters in a previous novella, so it was really nice to visit them again. Poor Ellie had a lot of extra stress in her life when her mother came to “help out”! You can easily read this novella without having ever met Ellie and Chris before.
Surprised by Love was a sweet story. I enjoyed seeing how these two main characters really did get surprised by the feelings that grew between them. It was a story of love happening when you least expect it.
I had already read A Gift for Anne Marie in a different novella collection. I did enjoy reading it again and watching as two friends suddenly realized that their feelings were much more than just friendship.
(4.5 stars)
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...
In Building Trust, I really felt for Grace and Joel. Their hearts were broken when Grace’s father refused to allow them to get married. I loved watching how things progressed through this tension filled story!
In A Heart Full of Love, I had so much fun getting to read about Ellie and Chris starting a family. They are the main characters in a previous novella, so it was really nice to visit them again. Poor Ellie had a lot of extra stress in her life when her mother came to “help out”! You can easily read this novella without having ever met Ellie and Chris before.
Surprised by Love was a sweet story. I enjoyed seeing how these two main characters really did get surprised by the feelings that grew between them. It was a story of love happening when you least expect it.
I had already read A Gift for Anne Marie in a different novella collection. I did enjoy reading it again and watching as two friends suddenly realized that their feelings were much more than just friendship.
(4.5 stars)
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...
June 6, 2018
I really enjoyed this collection of four Novellas, and no you can’t read just one. Once I finished a read, I was quickly turning to the next, and yes, they are all equally good.
Whether there are long deeply held grudges, over protecting mothers, surprising an unexpected beau, or pretending to court to stop the matchmaking.
Something for everyone, and they sure kept my attention, I couldn’t wait to read the next one, they are that good.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.
Whether there are long deeply held grudges, over protecting mothers, surprising an unexpected beau, or pretending to court to stop the matchmaking.
Something for everyone, and they sure kept my attention, I couldn’t wait to read the next one, they are that good.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.
June 23, 2018
Building Trust
This is a story with themes of forgiveness and compassion. When Grace realizes that her father is holding a secret grudge, she expects quick forgiveness so she can marry Joel, but it takes compassion on both sides to heal the hurt from long ago. I liked Joel's contrition and patience with Grace's father as he seeks to prove himself worthy of Grace.
A Heart Full of Love
Ellie is a fascinating character, blind and pregnant with twins with a husband who has to work long hours. She has adjusted to her lost eyesight and enjoys her independence and marriage, so accepting help with her new babies is a struggle. Compounding the difficulty is her overprotective and controlling mother. As frustrating as Edna was, I appreciated that the author delved deeper into the mother/daughter relationship and we learned why Edna had her own struggles with trust and letting go.
Surprised by Love
This was my favorite of the collection. Emily is clumsy, wears thick glasses, and is more interested in astronomy than dating. What I loved about her is that she accepts herself and is cheerful and friendly. Rueben is also a friendly guy, and the circumstances they find themselves in give him the chance to get to know Emily better and their friendship quickly deepens even though they both try to ignore the attraction that flares between them. A sweet and lovely romance!
A Gift for Anne Marie
I loved this sweet story of friends who become more when they realize they will be separated. There are other conflicts besides the impending move, including a friend of Anne Marie's who decides to pursue Nathaniel. The friendship they share is lovely, but when new feelings begin to develop confusion and hesitation enters in and disrupts the harmony they had enjoyed. I love when friends fall in love since they have a great foundation and know each other so well. It was funny to see just how well Nathaniel knew Anne Marie and her moods ;)
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
This is a story with themes of forgiveness and compassion. When Grace realizes that her father is holding a secret grudge, she expects quick forgiveness so she can marry Joel, but it takes compassion on both sides to heal the hurt from long ago. I liked Joel's contrition and patience with Grace's father as he seeks to prove himself worthy of Grace.
A Heart Full of Love
Ellie is a fascinating character, blind and pregnant with twins with a husband who has to work long hours. She has adjusted to her lost eyesight and enjoys her independence and marriage, so accepting help with her new babies is a struggle. Compounding the difficulty is her overprotective and controlling mother. As frustrating as Edna was, I appreciated that the author delved deeper into the mother/daughter relationship and we learned why Edna had her own struggles with trust and letting go.
Surprised by Love
This was my favorite of the collection. Emily is clumsy, wears thick glasses, and is more interested in astronomy than dating. What I loved about her is that she accepts herself and is cheerful and friendly. Rueben is also a friendly guy, and the circumstances they find themselves in give him the chance to get to know Emily better and their friendship quickly deepens even though they both try to ignore the attraction that flares between them. A sweet and lovely romance!
A Gift for Anne Marie
I loved this sweet story of friends who become more when they realize they will be separated. There are other conflicts besides the impending move, including a friend of Anne Marie's who decides to pursue Nathaniel. The friendship they share is lovely, but when new feelings begin to develop confusion and hesitation enters in and disrupts the harmony they had enjoyed. I love when friends fall in love since they have a great foundation and know each other so well. It was funny to see just how well Nathaniel knew Anne Marie and her moods ;)
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
May 31, 2019
Kathleen does herself well with her writing. I do not know if she can out do herself anymore with her stories. Each one that I have read has been good enough for me to want to read more. I have yet to to come across any that is not good.
These stories show the stuggles and faith though out the book. Each story is different and yet endearing to read. You will not know the ending until you get to the last page of that story. Then you will want to know know more about that family and how they are doing.
Building Trust:
In Building Trust, Grace and Joel are eager to marry. Though Grace does not know why her father or anyone else in her family can figure out why her father is acting so angry at Joel King? Joel can not recall why Grace Miller father is upset or recall the reason. Though as you read we find out. Will Joel be able to build trust with Grace father? Grace is told she can not marry Joel King.
Joel King is determined to find out why he can not marry Grace. Will it he get to marry Grace? Will Vernon be able to forgive Joel?
A Heart Full of Love:l(In An Amish Cradle)
Ellie is expecting her first child with her husband. Though when she gives birth to twins. Her mother decides that will take care of the twins and keep them safe. In doing so, she will not let Ellie bond with her daughters.
What is Ellie's mother dealing with that she won't let Ellie take care of her own daughters. Ellie knows she will need help with her daughters. Ellie wants time with her daughters and takes care of them.
Ellie starts to have questions about what happen with a girl named Rachel. She goes over to her parents house and to find the answers. What a sweet ending his story has.
Surprised by Love
Emily feels the need to be seen with a boy. Out of nowhere she chooses Reuban. Will her ploy work with her mother? Emily finds out that Reuban's mother is pressuring him to marry as well.Reuban play along.
Will it be really a match by god, Both do not know it until the past seeks up on them. Do they even know that love is being created by them both seeing each other. Or will they find that they were surprised by love, that they may have started an everlasting love?
A Gift For Anne Marie: (In An Amish Second Christmas)
In A Gift for Anne Marie, Anne Marie wondering about the changes that are coming. She finds out about her mothers letters. When she does she finds out that her mother is getting re-married and they are moving. Anne Marie does not like it at all. She start to feel the changes between her and Nathaniel. Nathaniel does not like the fact that Annie Marie may be moving. Is there anything either can do about it?
These stories show the stuggles and faith though out the book. Each story is different and yet endearing to read. You will not know the ending until you get to the last page of that story. Then you will want to know know more about that family and how they are doing.
Building Trust:
In Building Trust, Grace and Joel are eager to marry. Though Grace does not know why her father or anyone else in her family can figure out why her father is acting so angry at Joel King? Joel can not recall why Grace Miller father is upset or recall the reason. Though as you read we find out. Will Joel be able to build trust with Grace father? Grace is told she can not marry Joel King.
Joel King is determined to find out why he can not marry Grace. Will it he get to marry Grace? Will Vernon be able to forgive Joel?
A Heart Full of Love:l(In An Amish Cradle)
Ellie is expecting her first child with her husband. Though when she gives birth to twins. Her mother decides that will take care of the twins and keep them safe. In doing so, she will not let Ellie bond with her daughters.
What is Ellie's mother dealing with that she won't let Ellie take care of her own daughters. Ellie knows she will need help with her daughters. Ellie wants time with her daughters and takes care of them.
Ellie starts to have questions about what happen with a girl named Rachel. She goes over to her parents house and to find the answers. What a sweet ending his story has.
Surprised by Love
Emily feels the need to be seen with a boy. Out of nowhere she chooses Reuban. Will her ploy work with her mother? Emily finds out that Reuban's mother is pressuring him to marry as well.Reuban play along.
Will it be really a match by god, Both do not know it until the past seeks up on them. Do they even know that love is being created by them both seeing each other. Or will they find that they were surprised by love, that they may have started an everlasting love?
A Gift For Anne Marie: (In An Amish Second Christmas)
In A Gift for Anne Marie, Anne Marie wondering about the changes that are coming. She finds out about her mothers letters. When she does she finds out that her mother is getting re-married and they are moving. Anne Marie does not like it at all. She start to feel the changes between her and Nathaniel. Nathaniel does not like the fact that Annie Marie may be moving. Is there anything either can do about it?
February 19, 2022
An Amish Family is actually an anthology, made up of four Amish Romances that also deal with family issues. Building Trust centers on Grace Miller and Joel King. They are in love and plan to get married. For some reason her father is totally against it. Joel needs to figure out why Mr. Miller is against him as well as win him over. A Heart Full of Love is the story of a young mother, Ellie. She gives birth to twins and her mother tries to take over raising the girls. You see, Ellie is blind and her mother won't believe that she can take care of her twins. Surprised by Love is a fake dating story that goes through some angst until both Emily and Reuban realize they have feelings toward one another. The final story, A Gift for Anne Marie is about a pair of BFFs. Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Things are evolving slowly, but when Anne Marie's mother announces that she is getting remarried and moving out of state, time is running out. Will Nathaniel finally tell Anne Marie that he loves her and wants her to stay? Four sweet, romances that all deal with love as well as their families.
I enjoyed all of these stories, but probably liked A Heart Full of Love the least. It angered me that Ellie's mother treated her the way she did. Although it all works out in the end, there are too many people in the world that think someone is less due to a disability. Because these are novellas, there is not a lot of character development, but enough to get to know the characters. A good book to read over a few days, with a story a day. I love happily ever after endings and these stories all left me smiling.
I enjoyed all of these stories, but probably liked A Heart Full of Love the least. It angered me that Ellie's mother treated her the way she did. Although it all works out in the end, there are too many people in the world that think someone is less due to a disability. Because these are novellas, there is not a lot of character development, but enough to get to know the characters. A good book to read over a few days, with a story a day. I love happily ever after endings and these stories all left me smiling.
April 26, 2018
An Amish Family is a collection of four novellas by Kathleen Fuller. These novellas include:
Building Trust
Surprised by Love
A Gift for Anne Marie
Heart Full of Love
I enjoyed this collection. My favorite was A Gift for Anne Marie. I give it 4 stars.
Building Trust
Surprised by Love
A Gift for Anne Marie
Heart Full of Love
I enjoyed this collection. My favorite was A Gift for Anne Marie. I give it 4 stars.
June 19, 2018
Overall, this anthology is full of sweet stories and realistic characters. Each of the four novellas has a loveable cast of characters and page-turning drama.
The first story, "Building Trust", is about Grace and Joel, a young couple who wish to be engaged, and about her father, Vernon, who holds a grudge against Joel and is dead-set against the marriage from the moment Joel enters his house for dinner with the family. For some time, no one can fathom Vernon's anger, but Joel soon discovers what has gone wrong and sets out to prove he can be a reliable and trustworthy husband for Grace. Aside from these three characters, there are a number of others who come vividly to life in their relationships and influences on the others throughout the transformative journey as everyone learns more about both understanding and forgiving others.
The second story, "A Heart Full of Love" is primarily about Ellie and Chris, as they become new parents to twins, and Ellie's mother, Edna, who has trouble letting the couple raise the new twins on their own. Ellie has been blind for sometime, but her hard work and stubborn tenacity have won her independence, and she is happily married to Chris and running a business of her own up until the twins are born. She looks forward to the day of their birth with excitement, but her mother can't seem to trust her to handle anything with the babies. Edna moves in with the young family and quickly takes over the care of the twins to the point that Ellie has no opportunity to bond with her children. At last, Ellie and Chris feel they need to do something to change the tense situation, but it seems to only make things worse, especially when Chris needs to leave town for an extended period of time. Then they are left wondering if Edna will be willing to help them at all and if she will try to take over again, but there is more to her overprotectiveness then they could ever dream, and Ellie begins to wonder about a mysterious name her mother keeps whispering near the twins. While it is immediately easy for the reader to side with Ellie in all the drama, it is clear Edna is no villain, and there is much learning and growing and rebuilding of relationships for everyone in this story.
While I very much enjoyed the other novellas in this book, my personal favorite is "Surprised by Love" in which quirky, stargazing Emily desperately tries to put off her mother's matchmaking by claiming to be dating already. When pressed to say who she's dating, Emily blurts the name of Reuben, a young man whom she's barely friends with. However, Reuben happens to be within earshot of her declaration, and he kindly agrees to play along. However, as the pair go out on pretend dates, they begin to grow closer, yet neither believes the other could want more.
Both Emily and Reuben are believable and flawed characters who learn and grow from their mistakes and from each other.
The final story, "A Gift for Anne Marie" is about Anne Marie and Nathaniel, two young friends who never imagine being more until Anne Marie's mother plans to remarry and relocate her family to a town a full day's drive away. Anne Marie reacts bitterly to her mother's announcement but soon begins to realize that her mother's happiness is what's most important to her, even if it means leaving behind her closest friends, including Nathaniel who day by day becomes more than just a childhood friend in her eyes. Faced with the thought of losing Anne Marie, Nathaniel, too, begins to look at her differently, but both wonder if they should do the kind thing and let each other go or be a little braver and hope to move beyond their childhood friendship to something more. In this story, like all the others, the two protagonists are enjoyable and grow and learn, but so do the other characters with whom they share the stage, especially Anne Marie's family members as they deal with the idea of the move and her mother's upcoming marriage.
Every story in this anthology is sweet and transformative with a vivid and believable cast of likable characters.
The first story, "Building Trust", is about Grace and Joel, a young couple who wish to be engaged, and about her father, Vernon, who holds a grudge against Joel and is dead-set against the marriage from the moment Joel enters his house for dinner with the family. For some time, no one can fathom Vernon's anger, but Joel soon discovers what has gone wrong and sets out to prove he can be a reliable and trustworthy husband for Grace. Aside from these three characters, there are a number of others who come vividly to life in their relationships and influences on the others throughout the transformative journey as everyone learns more about both understanding and forgiving others.
The second story, "A Heart Full of Love" is primarily about Ellie and Chris, as they become new parents to twins, and Ellie's mother, Edna, who has trouble letting the couple raise the new twins on their own. Ellie has been blind for sometime, but her hard work and stubborn tenacity have won her independence, and she is happily married to Chris and running a business of her own up until the twins are born. She looks forward to the day of their birth with excitement, but her mother can't seem to trust her to handle anything with the babies. Edna moves in with the young family and quickly takes over the care of the twins to the point that Ellie has no opportunity to bond with her children. At last, Ellie and Chris feel they need to do something to change the tense situation, but it seems to only make things worse, especially when Chris needs to leave town for an extended period of time. Then they are left wondering if Edna will be willing to help them at all and if she will try to take over again, but there is more to her overprotectiveness then they could ever dream, and Ellie begins to wonder about a mysterious name her mother keeps whispering near the twins. While it is immediately easy for the reader to side with Ellie in all the drama, it is clear Edna is no villain, and there is much learning and growing and rebuilding of relationships for everyone in this story.
While I very much enjoyed the other novellas in this book, my personal favorite is "Surprised by Love" in which quirky, stargazing Emily desperately tries to put off her mother's matchmaking by claiming to be dating already. When pressed to say who she's dating, Emily blurts the name of Reuben, a young man whom she's barely friends with. However, Reuben happens to be within earshot of her declaration, and he kindly agrees to play along. However, as the pair go out on pretend dates, they begin to grow closer, yet neither believes the other could want more.
Both Emily and Reuben are believable and flawed characters who learn and grow from their mistakes and from each other.
The final story, "A Gift for Anne Marie" is about Anne Marie and Nathaniel, two young friends who never imagine being more until Anne Marie's mother plans to remarry and relocate her family to a town a full day's drive away. Anne Marie reacts bitterly to her mother's announcement but soon begins to realize that her mother's happiness is what's most important to her, even if it means leaving behind her closest friends, including Nathaniel who day by day becomes more than just a childhood friend in her eyes. Faced with the thought of losing Anne Marie, Nathaniel, too, begins to look at her differently, but both wonder if they should do the kind thing and let each other go or be a little braver and hope to move beyond their childhood friendship to something more. In this story, like all the others, the two protagonists are enjoyable and grow and learn, but so do the other characters with whom they share the stage, especially Anne Marie's family members as they deal with the idea of the move and her mother's upcoming marriage.
Every story in this anthology is sweet and transformative with a vivid and believable cast of likable characters.
August 8, 2018
Building Trust - 5 stars
What a fantastic read. Full of love, understanding, and forgiveness. Love how it was said in the book that forgiveness is from God. Afterall, without God, nothing is possible. He is the one that can truly melt our harden hearts and bring forgiveness into our lives. Definitely a story that is worth reading. Highly recommended!
A Heart Full of Love - 5 stars
Another amazing read! This story is incredibly heart ranching and beautiful. The relationship between all the family members was just written so well, especially between the mother and the daughter. And to find out the truth behind Ellie's mother's decision, that was just, wow. Definitely recommend!
Suprised by Love - 5 stars
Definitely, totally, whole hearty in love with this short story! It is just so sweet and cute! The entire situation was just so adorable. Really enjoyed the characters too. Love the fact that Emily loves astronomy. It is just so unusual and totally unexpected, which makes it even more amazing. And Reuben is just such a nice, humble young man. Despite what the rest of the village says about him, I personally thinks that he is just someone who is misunderstood. Definitely a 5 stars read! (And all age appropriate!)
A Gift for Anne Marie - 5 stars
Such a cute love story! Everything about it is just so sweet. I have always have a soft spot for childhood friends turning into something more, and this book is a perfect example of it. Though the waiting process for them to realize their feelings for each other was hard, it was definitely worth it. Totally recommend!
He smiled, then took a sip of his coffee and looked out into his tidy backyard. He was more than fine. He was truly at peace. He hadn't realized until now that the bitterness from his failed business had always been there over the years, humming in the background, keeping him from fully trusting God. Now he felt light, as of a burden he hadn't realized he was carrying had been lifted.
What a fantastic read. Full of love, understanding, and forgiveness. Love how it was said in the book that forgiveness is from God. Afterall, without God, nothing is possible. He is the one that can truly melt our harden hearts and bring forgiveness into our lives. Definitely a story that is worth reading. Highly recommended!
A Heart Full of Love - 5 stars
It's God who's in control. Even when we think we are, God's will is always done. We have to do our parr, but we also have to accept when God's decisions aren't ours.
Another amazing read! This story is incredibly heart ranching and beautiful. The relationship between all the family members was just written so well, especially between the mother and the daughter. And to find out the truth behind Ellie's mother's decision, that was just, wow. Definitely recommend!
Suprised by Love - 5 stars
Then she smiled, completely at peace. She knew she could trust this man with her heart and her future. Reuben Coblentz never committed to anything unless he was absolutely sure. God will provide. And it looked like he had, in the most unexpected way.
Definitely, totally, whole hearty in love with this short story! It is just so sweet and cute! The entire situation was just so adorable. Really enjoyed the characters too. Love the fact that Emily loves astronomy. It is just so unusual and totally unexpected, which makes it even more amazing. And Reuben is just such a nice, humble young man. Despite what the rest of the village says about him, I personally thinks that he is just someone who is misunderstood. Definitely a 5 stars read! (And all age appropriate!)
A Gift for Anne Marie - 5 stars
Such a cute love story! Everything about it is just so sweet. I have always have a soft spot for childhood friends turning into something more, and this book is a perfect example of it. Though the waiting process for them to realize their feelings for each other was hard, it was definitely worth it. Totally recommend!
June 11, 2018
Building Trust~ Grace and Joel are madly in love. So when Joel proposes to Grace, she excitedly tells her parents that she will be marrying Joel. She gets an unexpected response from her father. Her father is against her marrying Joel.
Grace is heartbroken but is determined to get to the bottom of her father's animosity towards Joel.
An interesting story that shows that Amish father's are so much like English fathers.
A Heart Full of Love~ This story was also in An Amish Cradle. Ellie is blind, she lost her sight and now she is pregnant. Not only is it difficult being pregnant but her mother is meddling in all of Ellie and her husband's business.
When Ellie gives birth to twins her mother insists on coming to stay.
This short story is humorous because it shows how Amish mothers are just as concerned for their offspring as English mothers.
Surprised by Love~ This is quite a funny short story. Poor Emily is hounded by her mother who is constantly trying to match her up with a man.
In a desperate attempt to have some sanity and try to find her own love, Emily tells her mom that she is seeing Reuban Coblentz. The funny part is that Reuban is already seeing someone but seeing how desperate Emily is, he decides to play the part of her boyfriend.
Oh, my!
Such a fun story.
A Gift for Anne Marie~ This short story was also in An Amish Second Christmas. Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were children. And now it seems that their relationship is growing towards love but lo and behold, Anne Marie's mother up and marries someone from another state.
It seems that Anne Marie and Nathaniel's love story may end before it has a beginning.
*This book was provided for review by BookLook*
Grace is heartbroken but is determined to get to the bottom of her father's animosity towards Joel.
An interesting story that shows that Amish father's are so much like English fathers.
A Heart Full of Love~ This story was also in An Amish Cradle. Ellie is blind, she lost her sight and now she is pregnant. Not only is it difficult being pregnant but her mother is meddling in all of Ellie and her husband's business.
When Ellie gives birth to twins her mother insists on coming to stay.
This short story is humorous because it shows how Amish mothers are just as concerned for their offspring as English mothers.
Surprised by Love~ This is quite a funny short story. Poor Emily is hounded by her mother who is constantly trying to match her up with a man.
In a desperate attempt to have some sanity and try to find her own love, Emily tells her mom that she is seeing Reuban Coblentz. The funny part is that Reuban is already seeing someone but seeing how desperate Emily is, he decides to play the part of her boyfriend.
Oh, my!
Such a fun story.
A Gift for Anne Marie~ This short story was also in An Amish Second Christmas. Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were children. And now it seems that their relationship is growing towards love but lo and behold, Anne Marie's mother up and marries someone from another state.
It seems that Anne Marie and Nathaniel's love story may end before it has a beginning.
*This book was provided for review by BookLook*
October 7, 2018
Sweet surprise
Emily is tired of her mother trying to set het up and have her get married so in a moment of desperation she says that she is dating Rueben Coblentz. Unbeknownst to Emily, Rueben hears the whole thing and comes back to tell her mom that yes, they are dating. The ruse will help him out also because his mom is doing the same thing. Over the course of the ruse, this serial dater Rueben and Emily realize that they actually have feelings for each other but are afraid to tell each other. Read this sweet novella to see what happens next. Another great story by Kathleen Fuller
Emily is tired of her mother trying to set het up and have her get married so in a moment of desperation she says that she is dating Rueben Coblentz. Unbeknownst to Emily, Rueben hears the whole thing and comes back to tell her mom that yes, they are dating. The ruse will help him out also because his mom is doing the same thing. Over the course of the ruse, this serial dater Rueben and Emily realize that they actually have feelings for each other but are afraid to tell each other. Read this sweet novella to see what happens next. Another great story by Kathleen Fuller
June 1, 2018
Building Trust : Grace Miller and Joel King are in love. They’ve dated secretly for the past year and when he proposes marriage, Grace eagerly agrees. But when she tells her parents about the wedding, she’s shocked when her father tells her she can’t marry Joel. Can Grace get to the bottom of her father’s animosity toward Joel so they can have the happily ever after she’s always dreamed of?
A Heart Full of Love (also in An Amish Cradle) : Ellie’s mother hasn’t stopped meddling in her personal life since Ellie lost her sight—and she’s taken it up a notch now that Ellie’s pregnant. When Ellie gives birth to twins, her mother insists on moving in to care for them. But when her mother’s behavior becomes unbearable, Ellie is forced to take a stand . . . and finally find out why Mamm can’t let go.
Surprised by Love : In a desperate move to evade her match-making mother, Emily Shwartz announces that she’s already seeing someone: Reuban Coblentz. The trouble is, Reuban is barely even a friend. Seeing how desperate she is, Reuban plays along. But when the past sneaks up on them, will this temporary arrangement turn into everlasting love?
A Gift for Anne Marie (also in An Amish Second Christmas) : Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins.
I've read several of these Amish collections, but it's rare that I've thoroughly enjoyed every single story included in them. I loved all of the stories in this collection....each brought a unique flavor to the table, and they all centered around the theme of family. Family doesn't always look like we picture - mom, dad, kids - even within the Amish community. (No, there is no LGBT or transgenderism...that's not what I was getting at.) Sometimes your family is your friends, or you have mixed families because of past grief, or you have family members who are carrying deep, hidden burdens that affect those around them. You will enjoy these stories of coming together as a whole and healing as a family!
A Heart Full of Love (also in An Amish Cradle) : Ellie’s mother hasn’t stopped meddling in her personal life since Ellie lost her sight—and she’s taken it up a notch now that Ellie’s pregnant. When Ellie gives birth to twins, her mother insists on moving in to care for them. But when her mother’s behavior becomes unbearable, Ellie is forced to take a stand . . . and finally find out why Mamm can’t let go.
Surprised by Love : In a desperate move to evade her match-making mother, Emily Shwartz announces that she’s already seeing someone: Reuban Coblentz. The trouble is, Reuban is barely even a friend. Seeing how desperate she is, Reuban plays along. But when the past sneaks up on them, will this temporary arrangement turn into everlasting love?
A Gift for Anne Marie (also in An Amish Second Christmas) : Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins.
I've read several of these Amish collections, but it's rare that I've thoroughly enjoyed every single story included in them. I loved all of the stories in this collection....each brought a unique flavor to the table, and they all centered around the theme of family. Family doesn't always look like we picture - mom, dad, kids - even within the Amish community. (No, there is no LGBT or transgenderism...that's not what I was getting at.) Sometimes your family is your friends, or you have mixed families because of past grief, or you have family members who are carrying deep, hidden burdens that affect those around them. You will enjoy these stories of coming together as a whole and healing as a family!
June 15, 2018
An Amish Family Wow what a beginning. Imagine this - you have been secretly meeting your significant other when something extra special happens - you want to tell your parents before your spying little sibling tells them - then when the two of you are sitting down to eat and tell the parents and Daed (Dad) comes in - sits - throws a fit about your significant other - he then throws them out - no explanation - just get out - now wouldn't that be enough to get you to read? Well there is oh so much more to this story. More intense - so very interesting I can tell you. GOD is in charge - what happens? Do they get together? What does GOD have in store for them? Can Daed get over his anger and unforgiveness in his heart?
July 16, 2018
An Amish Family is a wonderful collection of four novellas by Kathleen Fuller. Stories of love, faith, hope, heartache, pain and forgiveness. If you love Amish fiction than this is a great collection of novellas for you. Be sure to get your copy of An Amish Family today.
June 1, 2018
An Amish Family by Kathleen Fuller is a wonderful anthology full of good Christian stories. Each story focuses on a lesson and they're based on faith, love, and hope. Two of these short stories were previously published in other volumes. I enjoyed reading them all. They had a common theme and shared similar troubles. Love came in all many ways through each piece. Sweet, tender, and heartfelt...I felt a connection to all the of the characters.
What I found most interesting what that in each new story, the focus on a female protagonist. Yes, there were strong male characters but it centered on the leading females. Everything they thought to what they did...moved the pages along. Overall, I found this collection engaging to read. I would recommend it to other readers.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
What I found most interesting what that in each new story, the focus on a female protagonist. Yes, there were strong male characters but it centered on the leading females. Everything they thought to what they did...moved the pages along. Overall, I found this collection engaging to read. I would recommend it to other readers.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
June 7, 2018
Grace Miller and Joel King are in love. They’ve dated secretly for the past year and when he proposes marriage, Grace eagerly agrees. But when she tells her parents about the wedding, she’s shocked when her father tells her she
June 29, 2018
Kathleen Fuller fans will love this set of novella's in An Amish Family. Two of the four have been previously published, but I still loved re-reading them. Each story has strong . characters with deep Amish values and a sense of community. You'll love the sense of family, hope and sweet romance in each of these stories. I loved that I could read a novella each nice before I went to bed and finish it. They are such light heart reads and a great collection. My favorite story is a Heart Full of Love. It is great read! This collection is one that I will read again and again.
June 18, 2018
Building Trust
Grace and Joel gave me such a solid story in just a short span of pages. I felt like certain elements were a little too easy and pat (yet pretty outlandish in their happening - I mean seriously lightening strike?!? sorry spoiler, oops) and wrapped up too neatly with little actual reasons played out on the page. Yes, that tends to bother me. However, in this book it was just an annoyance and not something that set my teeth on edge. I just fell in love with their story.
Surprised by Love
I loved Emily and Reuban. In very few words Kathleen was able to draw out beautiful complex characters in them, and Emily's Mamm, while not feeling forced or rushed. I feel like their romance was a bit too whirlwind and felt rushed but I also loved that it wasn't perfectly tied up at the end. If was left open for things to grow and change without the need for that forever commitment. I would love to see these two brought back with more depth in their story with less need for things to progress so quickly and more of those realizations truly being played out on stage. The old novel vs novella debate I find myself in frequently.
A Gift for Anne Marie
I know a few people feel like Anne Marie was the girl who protested too much. I didn’t see it that way. She was the girl who didn’t make assumptions. She also hadn’t yet started to view her friendships and relationships, despite being an adult woman of 20, as adult instead of the youth she was leaving behind. She just wasn’t in touch with her own feelings. Nathaniel really wasn’t either. Therefore I don’t feel like they were purposely obtuse or even protesting their burgeoning feelings overly much as a lack of total self awareness. There’s so much more than just a couple of new adults actually figuring out they are adults. And lifelong best friends. And that sometimes that makes for perfect couples. There’s family and friendship and changing lives and well for a mere 89 pages it’s got a lot going on in it’s snapshot.
A Heart Full of Love
Oh. My. Gravy. This book packs a LOT of emotion into a few short pages. I almost feel like saved the best for last, so to speak. I felt like I had read an entire novel full of amazing characters in an amazing story line and family. I would love to have gone back in time through Ellie's accident and courtship with Chris but I didn't need to in order to understand their situation. I felt Ellie's frustration and honestly couldn't stand her mother, Edna. Like, I didn't like anything about this woman and felt like Ellie's dad didn't do a thing to try and help curb her behavior. She was beyond Gibbs' smacking even, I mean she's that bad. By the end I understood her better but gah I still didn't trust her not to go off the deep again.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Originally posted at https://fizzypopcollection.com/an-ami....
Grace and Joel gave me such a solid story in just a short span of pages. I felt like certain elements were a little too easy and pat (yet pretty outlandish in their happening - I mean seriously lightening strike?!? sorry spoiler, oops) and wrapped up too neatly with little actual reasons played out on the page. Yes, that tends to bother me. However, in this book it was just an annoyance and not something that set my teeth on edge. I just fell in love with their story.
Surprised by Love
I loved Emily and Reuban. In very few words Kathleen was able to draw out beautiful complex characters in them, and Emily's Mamm, while not feeling forced or rushed. I feel like their romance was a bit too whirlwind and felt rushed but I also loved that it wasn't perfectly tied up at the end. If was left open for things to grow and change without the need for that forever commitment. I would love to see these two brought back with more depth in their story with less need for things to progress so quickly and more of those realizations truly being played out on stage. The old novel vs novella debate I find myself in frequently.
A Gift for Anne Marie
I know a few people feel like Anne Marie was the girl who protested too much. I didn’t see it that way. She was the girl who didn’t make assumptions. She also hadn’t yet started to view her friendships and relationships, despite being an adult woman of 20, as adult instead of the youth she was leaving behind. She just wasn’t in touch with her own feelings. Nathaniel really wasn’t either. Therefore I don’t feel like they were purposely obtuse or even protesting their burgeoning feelings overly much as a lack of total self awareness. There’s so much more than just a couple of new adults actually figuring out they are adults. And lifelong best friends. And that sometimes that makes for perfect couples. There’s family and friendship and changing lives and well for a mere 89 pages it’s got a lot going on in it’s snapshot.
A Heart Full of Love
Oh. My. Gravy. This book packs a LOT of emotion into a few short pages. I almost feel like saved the best for last, so to speak. I felt like I had read an entire novel full of amazing characters in an amazing story line and family. I would love to have gone back in time through Ellie's accident and courtship with Chris but I didn't need to in order to understand their situation. I felt Ellie's frustration and honestly couldn't stand her mother, Edna. Like, I didn't like anything about this woman and felt like Ellie's dad didn't do a thing to try and help curb her behavior. She was beyond Gibbs' smacking even, I mean she's that bad. By the end I understood her better but gah I still didn't trust her not to go off the deep again.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Originally posted at https://fizzypopcollection.com/an-ami....
April 4, 2018
In this collection of short stories from Kathleen Fuller, we get four times the fun and love! Fuller brings us romance and excitement in her stories about finding love in the Amish community.
The first story is Building Trust. Grace and Joel are in love and can’t wait to marry. When Joel proposes, Grace doesn’t think she can be any happier. However, when she tells her parents, she is shocked that her father doesn’t want them to marry! She is determined however and she and Joel work hard to convince her father that they would be a good match. I really enjoyed this story, especially as it was told from all three viewpoints. We got Grace’s, Joel’s, and her father’s thoughts, which made for great reading.
The second story, Surprised by Love, brings us Emily and Rueben. Both of them have overbearing mothers who are worried that the two of them are not married yet. In an attempt to get their mothers to quit matchmaking, the two pretend to date. Little do they know that pretending will only lead to wanting the real thing. This story was so great. I laughed and smiled and really enjoyed it. I wouldn’t mind reading more about their adventures when the story ends!
In the next story, A Gift for Anne Marie, Anne Marie and Nathaniel are best friends. When Anne Marie’s friend Ruth asks her to set her up with Nathaniel, she gives it a try. But does she really want him to date her friend? When she realizes that maybe she wants to be with him instead, it may be too later. Her mother wants her to move away with her because she is planning to remarry and will be living in another town. Will she and Nathaniel have a chance to even discover what love has in store for them? This story was also fun and engaging. I really enjoyed it!
The final story is A Heart Full of Love. Ellie and Chris Miller are expecting twins. However, Ellie is blind and her mother doesn’t think she is ready for the challenge of motherhood. Rather than being supportive and excited, she is anxious and decides she needs to move in with the couple in order to assist them once the babies are born. Her assistance soon takes on a manic level though and Ellie is frustrated. Will this strain ruin her relationship with her mother or will it lead to a closeness they never expected? This story is especially heartwarming and I really liked it!
I am so thankful to Kathleen Fuller for sharing her stories with us. I truly enjoy reading them and am so grateful for the glimpses into the Amish world that we get. I look forward to her next set of stories! I received a free copy of this story from Zondervan through Net Galley for my honest review. All opinions in it are expressly my own.
The first story is Building Trust. Grace and Joel are in love and can’t wait to marry. When Joel proposes, Grace doesn’t think she can be any happier. However, when she tells her parents, she is shocked that her father doesn’t want them to marry! She is determined however and she and Joel work hard to convince her father that they would be a good match. I really enjoyed this story, especially as it was told from all three viewpoints. We got Grace’s, Joel’s, and her father’s thoughts, which made for great reading.
The second story, Surprised by Love, brings us Emily and Rueben. Both of them have overbearing mothers who are worried that the two of them are not married yet. In an attempt to get their mothers to quit matchmaking, the two pretend to date. Little do they know that pretending will only lead to wanting the real thing. This story was so great. I laughed and smiled and really enjoyed it. I wouldn’t mind reading more about their adventures when the story ends!
In the next story, A Gift for Anne Marie, Anne Marie and Nathaniel are best friends. When Anne Marie’s friend Ruth asks her to set her up with Nathaniel, she gives it a try. But does she really want him to date her friend? When she realizes that maybe she wants to be with him instead, it may be too later. Her mother wants her to move away with her because she is planning to remarry and will be living in another town. Will she and Nathaniel have a chance to even discover what love has in store for them? This story was also fun and engaging. I really enjoyed it!
The final story is A Heart Full of Love. Ellie and Chris Miller are expecting twins. However, Ellie is blind and her mother doesn’t think she is ready for the challenge of motherhood. Rather than being supportive and excited, she is anxious and decides she needs to move in with the couple in order to assist them once the babies are born. Her assistance soon takes on a manic level though and Ellie is frustrated. Will this strain ruin her relationship with her mother or will it lead to a closeness they never expected? This story is especially heartwarming and I really liked it!
I am so thankful to Kathleen Fuller for sharing her stories with us. I truly enjoy reading them and am so grateful for the glimpses into the Amish world that we get. I look forward to her next set of stories! I received a free copy of this story from Zondervan through Net Galley for my honest review. All opinions in it are expressly my own.
April 17, 2018
An Amish Family by Kathleen Fuller is a collection of novellas about love in an Amish community.
In Building Trust, Grace and Joel are in love and can’t wait to share with their families about their upcoming marriage. However, when they tell her parents, her father quickly puts a stop to the engagement and forbids Grace for even seeing Joel! They are determined to fix whatever the issues may be and work to convince her father that their union is God’s plan. I loved how the writer wrote this novella from the viewpoints of all three main characters.
In Surprised by Love we meet Emily and Rueben, who find common ground with the pressure of mothers who just want their child to find that perfect match and marry. In an attempt to get their mothers to stop with the match matching, they develop a plan to pretend to date. Without realizing it, each soon discovers they aren’t pretending any longer. This was a delightful little story and it left me wanting to learn more about their story.
In A Gift for Anne Marie we read about two best friends, Anne Marie and Nathaniel. When Ruth asks Anne Marie to play matchmaker between her and Nathaniel, she is torn between helping her friend and the realization that she has developed deeper feelings for Nathaniel without knowing it. When Anne Marie’s mother shares that she is re-marrying and moving the family away, it may be just too much for Anne Marie and Nathaniel to handle. This was a sweet story of friendship and love.
In A Heart Full of Love, Ellie and Chris Miller are expecting twins. Ellie’s mother, however, does not think Ellie can handle motherhood due to her blindness. When her mother volunteers to help, she quickly becomes overbearing and takes charge instead of letting Ellie and Chris run their household and bond with their children. This was a great tell of acceptance and faith.
I received a free copy of this story from Zondervan and Net Galley in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
In Building Trust, Grace and Joel are in love and can’t wait to share with their families about their upcoming marriage. However, when they tell her parents, her father quickly puts a stop to the engagement and forbids Grace for even seeing Joel! They are determined to fix whatever the issues may be and work to convince her father that their union is God’s plan. I loved how the writer wrote this novella from the viewpoints of all three main characters.
In Surprised by Love we meet Emily and Rueben, who find common ground with the pressure of mothers who just want their child to find that perfect match and marry. In an attempt to get their mothers to stop with the match matching, they develop a plan to pretend to date. Without realizing it, each soon discovers they aren’t pretending any longer. This was a delightful little story and it left me wanting to learn more about their story.
In A Gift for Anne Marie we read about two best friends, Anne Marie and Nathaniel. When Ruth asks Anne Marie to play matchmaker between her and Nathaniel, she is torn between helping her friend and the realization that she has developed deeper feelings for Nathaniel without knowing it. When Anne Marie’s mother shares that she is re-marrying and moving the family away, it may be just too much for Anne Marie and Nathaniel to handle. This was a sweet story of friendship and love.
In A Heart Full of Love, Ellie and Chris Miller are expecting twins. Ellie’s mother, however, does not think Ellie can handle motherhood due to her blindness. When her mother volunteers to help, she quickly becomes overbearing and takes charge instead of letting Ellie and Chris run their household and bond with their children. This was a great tell of acceptance and faith.
I received a free copy of this story from Zondervan and Net Galley in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
May 13, 2018
Fans of Kathleen Fuller will not be disappointed in this collection of clean, sweet Amish stories. Each story has loveable characters; honor the strong Amish family and community; and centers on a sweet romance that works out just the way you hoped. Each storyline is interesting and kept me turning pages to see what happened next. A lovely book for those times when you want light, heartwarming reading.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.
June 27, 2018
(reviewed on Romantic Times Book Reviews, 4 stars: https://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-re...)
These four sweet stories are full of hope and promise along with misunderstandings and reconciliation. Two have been published before, two are new, and all are refreshingly honest with believable conflict that takes time and careful thought to resolve. True love does prevail, but not without prayer, introspection and humility. A must-read for fans of Amish romance.
In “Building Trust,” Grace and Joel have been courting in secret, but Grace’s father is furious when they reveal their engagement. Can Joel find a way to make amends to Vernon for a mistake he made years ago, or is his future with Grace doomed? In “Surprised by Love,” stargazer Emily wants nothing to do with dating in spite of her mother’s matchmaking efforts, choosing instead to spend her time watching the stars and taking life as it comes. When her mother pushes her too far, Emily pulls handsome heartbreaker Reuben into a false dating scenario, unaware that love will blossom amidst the pretension. Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since childhood in “A Gift for Anne Marie,” but when her friend Ruth wants to date Nathaniel, Anne Marie is surprised by jealousy. Will she and Nathaniel admit their love for each other, or will their friendship come to an end? In “A Heart Full of Love,” Ellie and Chris are thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents, but Ellie’s mother is as overprotective as ever. Ellie is tired of her mother’s hovering and is sure that her blindness won’t keep her from being a good mother, but the practical aspects of life with newborn babies is daunting. Can she and her mother find a way to reconcile her mother’s fears and Ellie’s desire for independence?
These four sweet stories are full of hope and promise along with misunderstandings and reconciliation. Two have been published before, two are new, and all are refreshingly honest with believable conflict that takes time and careful thought to resolve. True love does prevail, but not without prayer, introspection and humility. A must-read for fans of Amish romance.
In “Building Trust,” Grace and Joel have been courting in secret, but Grace’s father is furious when they reveal their engagement. Can Joel find a way to make amends to Vernon for a mistake he made years ago, or is his future with Grace doomed? In “Surprised by Love,” stargazer Emily wants nothing to do with dating in spite of her mother’s matchmaking efforts, choosing instead to spend her time watching the stars and taking life as it comes. When her mother pushes her too far, Emily pulls handsome heartbreaker Reuben into a false dating scenario, unaware that love will blossom amidst the pretension. Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since childhood in “A Gift for Anne Marie,” but when her friend Ruth wants to date Nathaniel, Anne Marie is surprised by jealousy. Will she and Nathaniel admit their love for each other, or will their friendship come to an end? In “A Heart Full of Love,” Ellie and Chris are thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents, but Ellie’s mother is as overprotective as ever. Ellie is tired of her mother’s hovering and is sure that her blindness won’t keep her from being a good mother, but the practical aspects of life with newborn babies is daunting. Can she and her mother find a way to reconcile her mother’s fears and Ellie’s desire for independence?
May 16, 2018
A well written collection of Amish stories. I enjoyed each story and recommend this book to fans of Amish fiction.
May 7, 2018
An Amish Family 4 novellas by Kathleen Fuller is a quick, easy read.
The four stories are all different families and each has their own problems from blindness, trust, match making mothers and being a new mother.
Fuller does a great job making all four stories have great flow and characters that are real and relatable. The stories show that the Amish have the same insecurities and problems that the English deal with. She takes you to Amish country in every story. I didn't want to put it down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NatGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The four stories are all different families and each has their own problems from blindness, trust, match making mothers and being a new mother.
Fuller does a great job making all four stories have great flow and characters that are real and relatable. The stories show that the Amish have the same insecurities and problems that the English deal with. She takes you to Amish country in every story. I didn't want to put it down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NatGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 20, 2018
An Amish Family by Kathleen Fuller is a unexpected take on an Amish romance novellas. I was very fond of A Heart Full of Love it was a beautiful take on a mother daughter relationship in which tests there faith. Each novella is a wonderful book which in tales faith and deep family relationships. Kathleen Fuller knows how to sway my heart right into gods path.
August 22, 2018
This is a great collection of shorter amish romance stories. I have not read many amish stories, but I think I will start trying to read more of them if they are all this good. I liked the addition of the words spoken the way they would say them. I understood some of the words right away, but others took a bit more pondering. Of course I didn't realize until I finished the first story that there was a very helpful glossary at the front that explains all of the words and what they mean haha. I am definitely interested in checking out more of this author's work.
Building Trust - Wonderful short story of a sweet couple (Grace & Joel) who want to get married and are heartbroken that Grace's father does not give his blessing. I really enjoyed this story and thought that it was very lovely and that everything was handled very respectfully. I could absolutely understand both sides of the situation and truly felt for all of those involved. I am so glad that things were resolved in the end and that the couple got to have their happily ever after. It was a very wholesome feeling story with a message of forgiveness and compassion.
A Heart Full of Love - Ellie and Chris are expecting. Which should be a wonderful thing, but Ellie's mother Edna is convinced that Ellie can't manage since she is blind. Especially when she finds out that Ellie is having twins. Edna insists on moving in and taking care of the babies. I liked this story okay but Edna really got on my nerves and made me mad. She took the joy out of Ellie giving birth to her babies and later when she overreacted to Chris asking for her to let them bond with their babies and stop taking everything over, she did something downright mean spirited. I mean if she was so worried about the babies getting hurt why would she try to set Ellie up for failure by moving things that she would need for the babies when she left in a hissy fit? I found that inexcusable even after I found out her reasoning. I did feel sympathy for what happened to her, but that should be even more reason for her to know better than to do something like she did.
Surprised by Love - Emily and Reuben both have meddling mothers who are pressuring them to marry. So when they agree to a fake relationship to get them off their back, I knew that this story was going to be fun! I absolutely love fake relationship stories. I think it may be my favorite romance trope. Emily and Reuben have wonderful chemistry and I smiled so much while reading their story. Reuben thinking Emily's quirks were cute made me like him from the start but when he defended her against her mother I knew right away I was team Reuben! This was probably my favorite of the collection. Such a cute read!
A Gift for Anne Marie - Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been the best of friends forever. They have game night every week and other traditions they hold dear. So I was ecstatic when they realised that there was more to their feelings for one another than just friendship. Of course they did not realise this until faced with losing one another and both had to be a bit stubborn at first. I do love how well Nathaniel knows Anne Marie. It's just so beautiful to have such a strong bond turn into a relationship. It really gives you hope for them to have a very happy future together. The present he gives her in the end is so amazing and lovely. I was overjoyed and may have got a bit misty eyed. This one ties with Surprised by Love as my favorites!
Overall this is such a lovely collection of stories by Kathleen Fuller and I am sure to check out more of her work because of them. I just love the whole vibe of her writing and look forward to reading more by her. I highly recommend An Amish Family to sweet romance fans (even those who may not have tried out amish romance before).
** I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. **
Building Trust - Wonderful short story of a sweet couple (Grace & Joel) who want to get married and are heartbroken that Grace's father does not give his blessing. I really enjoyed this story and thought that it was very lovely and that everything was handled very respectfully. I could absolutely understand both sides of the situation and truly felt for all of those involved. I am so glad that things were resolved in the end and that the couple got to have their happily ever after. It was a very wholesome feeling story with a message of forgiveness and compassion.
A Heart Full of Love - Ellie and Chris are expecting. Which should be a wonderful thing, but Ellie's mother Edna is convinced that Ellie can't manage since she is blind. Especially when she finds out that Ellie is having twins. Edna insists on moving in and taking care of the babies. I liked this story okay but Edna really got on my nerves and made me mad. She took the joy out of Ellie giving birth to her babies and later when she overreacted to Chris asking for her to let them bond with their babies and stop taking everything over, she did something downright mean spirited. I mean if she was so worried about the babies getting hurt why would she try to set Ellie up for failure by moving things that she would need for the babies when she left in a hissy fit? I found that inexcusable even after I found out her reasoning. I did feel sympathy for what happened to her, but that should be even more reason for her to know better than to do something like she did.
Surprised by Love - Emily and Reuben both have meddling mothers who are pressuring them to marry. So when they agree to a fake relationship to get them off their back, I knew that this story was going to be fun! I absolutely love fake relationship stories. I think it may be my favorite romance trope. Emily and Reuben have wonderful chemistry and I smiled so much while reading their story. Reuben thinking Emily's quirks were cute made me like him from the start but when he defended her against her mother I knew right away I was team Reuben! This was probably my favorite of the collection. Such a cute read!
A Gift for Anne Marie - Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been the best of friends forever. They have game night every week and other traditions they hold dear. So I was ecstatic when they realised that there was more to their feelings for one another than just friendship. Of course they did not realise this until faced with losing one another and both had to be a bit stubborn at first. I do love how well Nathaniel knows Anne Marie. It's just so beautiful to have such a strong bond turn into a relationship. It really gives you hope for them to have a very happy future together. The present he gives her in the end is so amazing and lovely. I was overjoyed and may have got a bit misty eyed. This one ties with Surprised by Love as my favorites!
Overall this is such a lovely collection of stories by Kathleen Fuller and I am sure to check out more of her work because of them. I just love the whole vibe of her writing and look forward to reading more by her. I highly recommend An Amish Family to sweet romance fans (even those who may not have tried out amish romance before).
** I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. **
September 5, 2018
Thanks to my relationship with The Fiction Guild's Elite Reader Program, my mother and I have been lucky enough to be a part of reading and reviewing so many of Kathleen Fuller books! Today's post is about her latest book, An Amish Family. Gloria (my mom) agreed to read and review this book for us, and here's what she had to say:
"An Amish Family is a lovely collection of 4 novellas written by one of my favorite authors Kathleen Fuller. When I see a book written by Kathleen I know I will enjoy reading it. I've broken down each story below.
♥ Building Trust: For over a year Grace Miller and Joel King have been dating and are very much in love. When Joel asks Grace to marry him she eagerly agrees. When Grace tells her parents she learns that her father, Vernon is holding a grudge against Joel from a hurt that occurred a long time ago. Her father tells her she cannot marry her beloved Joel.
Grace wants to get to the bottom of this so she can marry Joel and have the wonderful life she has always dreamed of. Joel discovers what has gone wrong and sets out to prove to Vernon that he will make a good husband for his daughter.
Following the journey of Grace and Joel’s lives everyone learns about forgiving others.
♥ A Heart Full of Love: This story is about Ellie and Chris who are about to become new parents to twins. Ellie is blind and her mother, Edna, is having difficulty allowing them raise the twins on their own. Ellie has been blind for sometime and has learned to be independent. She is happily married to Chris and ran a business of her own up until the twins were born.
Edna moves in with the young couple and takes over the care of the twins. Ellie feels that she has no chance to bond with her children and this has a lot of added stress. Edna is being overprotective and she's whispering a mysterious name near the twins. Why is Edna behaving this way? Ellie thinks it’s because of her blindness. Will Ellie ever be able to care for the twins on her own?
(AS AN SIDE NOTE: Grace from the first novella and Chris from the second novella were the main characters in a previous novella [An Amish Cradle] and it was nice to visit them again.)
♥ Surprised By Love: Emily Shwartz is a happy 20 year old who is stargazing and not looking for dates. Her mother, Louwanda is busy matchmaking and says that Emily needs to be dating at her age. When Emily is pressed by her mother, she says she's dating Reuben Coblentz, a young man with whom she is barely friends.
Reuben overhears what Emily told her mother and realizes how desperate she is, so he is willing to help by playing along. As Emily and Reuben go on "pretend dates", it turns out that their relationship grows as they become closer. Will these pretend dates turn into love?
♥ A Gift for Anne Marie: This story was in a previous novella (An Amish Second Christmas). Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been friends since they were children and they do everything together. He comes over once a week to play board games. Anne Marie’s widowed mother, Lydia has a business where Anne Marie makes candles while her mother makes cookbooks.
Lydia has met Thomas and fallen in love. She wants to marry him and move to his hometown of Walnut Creek, Ohio. Anne Marie does not want to leave her friends, especially Nathaniel. Will Anne Marie realize how much she cares for him? Will she go with the family or stay behind? You must read this story to learn the wonderful ending. It is a surprise!!
I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to Kathleen’s next book!"
I received a paperback copy of this book without cost from the publisher through The Fiction Guild, a Thomas Nelson/Zondervan Elite Reader book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own, or in this case, my mom's.
"An Amish Family is a lovely collection of 4 novellas written by one of my favorite authors Kathleen Fuller. When I see a book written by Kathleen I know I will enjoy reading it. I've broken down each story below.
♥ Building Trust: For over a year Grace Miller and Joel King have been dating and are very much in love. When Joel asks Grace to marry him she eagerly agrees. When Grace tells her parents she learns that her father, Vernon is holding a grudge against Joel from a hurt that occurred a long time ago. Her father tells her she cannot marry her beloved Joel.
Grace wants to get to the bottom of this so she can marry Joel and have the wonderful life she has always dreamed of. Joel discovers what has gone wrong and sets out to prove to Vernon that he will make a good husband for his daughter.
Following the journey of Grace and Joel’s lives everyone learns about forgiving others.
♥ A Heart Full of Love: This story is about Ellie and Chris who are about to become new parents to twins. Ellie is blind and her mother, Edna, is having difficulty allowing them raise the twins on their own. Ellie has been blind for sometime and has learned to be independent. She is happily married to Chris and ran a business of her own up until the twins were born.
Edna moves in with the young couple and takes over the care of the twins. Ellie feels that she has no chance to bond with her children and this has a lot of added stress. Edna is being overprotective and she's whispering a mysterious name near the twins. Why is Edna behaving this way? Ellie thinks it’s because of her blindness. Will Ellie ever be able to care for the twins on her own?
(AS AN SIDE NOTE: Grace from the first novella and Chris from the second novella were the main characters in a previous novella [An Amish Cradle] and it was nice to visit them again.)
♥ Surprised By Love: Emily Shwartz is a happy 20 year old who is stargazing and not looking for dates. Her mother, Louwanda is busy matchmaking and says that Emily needs to be dating at her age. When Emily is pressed by her mother, she says she's dating Reuben Coblentz, a young man with whom she is barely friends.
Reuben overhears what Emily told her mother and realizes how desperate she is, so he is willing to help by playing along. As Emily and Reuben go on "pretend dates", it turns out that their relationship grows as they become closer. Will these pretend dates turn into love?
♥ A Gift for Anne Marie: This story was in a previous novella (An Amish Second Christmas). Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been friends since they were children and they do everything together. He comes over once a week to play board games. Anne Marie’s widowed mother, Lydia has a business where Anne Marie makes candles while her mother makes cookbooks.
Lydia has met Thomas and fallen in love. She wants to marry him and move to his hometown of Walnut Creek, Ohio. Anne Marie does not want to leave her friends, especially Nathaniel. Will Anne Marie realize how much she cares for him? Will she go with the family or stay behind? You must read this story to learn the wonderful ending. It is a surprise!!
I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to Kathleen’s next book!"
I received a paperback copy of this book without cost from the publisher through The Fiction Guild, a Thomas Nelson/Zondervan Elite Reader book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own, or in this case, my mom's.
November 4, 2018
Building Trust is such a foundational life skill. Grace and Joel having been secretly dating. For Grace, having something all to herself was a treasure. For Joel, dating in secret was tiring. Marriage, the sooner the better was preferred by Joel. Devoted to his faith, Joel will, no must, get to the bottom of Grace's fathers anger towards him. What possible explanation could there be that would keep them from being married? Integrity, it is a blessing in which strongholds can tumble.
A Heart Full of Love is a novella about a mother's secret and a daughter's need for less mothering. Ellie has just given birth to twins, and of course a mother wants to be there to support her daughter. Yet, for Ellie, being a mother of twins, blind, and very ready to do life without her mother's meddling can be overwhelming even to the point of smothering. Chris can see the effects of Edna's fears on his wife. What avenue could God open for him to protect Ellie from Edna's plans?
Edna hasn't completely adjusted to her daughter's blindness. It took so long to adjust to the blindness and now, her daughter has given birth to twins. For Edna, these sweet babies will be her chance to protect them, history would not be repeated! Can Edna accept that there is only "One" in whom she can trust to watch over her loved ones? Ephraim, will need wisdom to help Ellie, the babies, and Edna. Supporting your wife through her fear can be difficult, but with faith comes a trust that will see all things through the darkness of pain.
In Surprised by Love, a sudden decision becomes a tangled web. Emily is finished with her mother's "match-making." Her move, her job, and her hobby brought satisfaction to the youngest of six children. Unattached meant time for her own life. Would an impromptu statement become a life she wasn't expecting?
Reuben knew Emily from the market where his family brought their harvest of natural herbs and foods for distribution. On that day, during one of his deliveries, Emily and her mother were in a heated discussion about her availability. Reuben just wasn't prepared for Emily's final statement to her mother, "Reuben and I are... we're going out tonight." Could he have heard her right? Will an untruth lead to a prophetic blessing?
A Gift for Anne Marie creates an avenue of uncertainty. The type of life-changing decisions that you have no control over. Anne Marie and Nathaniel have always been best friends. Every one in the community knew they would one day get married. Yet, life can take a turn and then you realize how little control you have. Would a move for her mother's happiness create a distance that could bring an unwanted change in Anne Marie and Nathaniel's friendship? Will quiet Christmas contemplation bring forth an answer of love?
Love for the holidays,
MrsK https://mrskbookstogo.blogspot.com/
A Heart Full of Love is a novella about a mother's secret and a daughter's need for less mothering. Ellie has just given birth to twins, and of course a mother wants to be there to support her daughter. Yet, for Ellie, being a mother of twins, blind, and very ready to do life without her mother's meddling can be overwhelming even to the point of smothering. Chris can see the effects of Edna's fears on his wife. What avenue could God open for him to protect Ellie from Edna's plans?
Edna hasn't completely adjusted to her daughter's blindness. It took so long to adjust to the blindness and now, her daughter has given birth to twins. For Edna, these sweet babies will be her chance to protect them, history would not be repeated! Can Edna accept that there is only "One" in whom she can trust to watch over her loved ones? Ephraim, will need wisdom to help Ellie, the babies, and Edna. Supporting your wife through her fear can be difficult, but with faith comes a trust that will see all things through the darkness of pain.
In Surprised by Love, a sudden decision becomes a tangled web. Emily is finished with her mother's "match-making." Her move, her job, and her hobby brought satisfaction to the youngest of six children. Unattached meant time for her own life. Would an impromptu statement become a life she wasn't expecting?
Reuben knew Emily from the market where his family brought their harvest of natural herbs and foods for distribution. On that day, during one of his deliveries, Emily and her mother were in a heated discussion about her availability. Reuben just wasn't prepared for Emily's final statement to her mother, "Reuben and I are... we're going out tonight." Could he have heard her right? Will an untruth lead to a prophetic blessing?
A Gift for Anne Marie creates an avenue of uncertainty. The type of life-changing decisions that you have no control over. Anne Marie and Nathaniel have always been best friends. Every one in the community knew they would one day get married. Yet, life can take a turn and then you realize how little control you have. Would a move for her mother's happiness create a distance that could bring an unwanted change in Anne Marie and Nathaniel's friendship? Will quiet Christmas contemplation bring forth an answer of love?
Love for the holidays,
MrsK https://mrskbookstogo.blogspot.com/
September 19, 2018
Sometimes when you least expect it, a friendship blossoms into love
A Gift for Anne Marie-A romance of friendship. Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been friends since they were four years old. They have a friendship that has been faithful and true. Now in their 20's, they still have game night every Saturday night. Annie Marie is gifted in candle making while Nathaniel works on clocks. They admire each other as a good friend would. However, when Annie Marie friend Ruth confines in her about her feelings for Nathaniel, Anne Marie knows she must let Nathaniel go. Why is it so hard? When an unsuspected move comes to her family, her feelings become more confused.
A Heart Full of Love Ellie has overcome so many obstacles. Now blind, she and her husband will have their handful with their new baby twin girls. Ellie's mother Edna has offered to help however, tension rises when Edna has a fear for the safety of her granddaughters. Ellie and her mother must overcome that fear in love. Love cast out all fear.
Building Trust Grace and Joel have been secretly dating for months and they are both ready to start their new life together. After asking Grace for her hand in marriage, Joel must ask Grace's father for her hand. At the family dinner, Grace's father is terribly angry at Joel and forbids the marriage. Joel is determined to find the cause of the anger and is willing to do anything to build that trust. A story on reconciliation and the healing it provides.
Surprised by Love Emily Schwartz is in no hurry to get married. However, it is a different story with her mother. Always pushing Emily to socialize, Emily feels the pressure. All she wants to do is study the stars. She knows God will take care of the rest. While running the family store, Rueben who would be considered an Amish player of sorts makes a delivery to the Schwartz store. It is there he saves Emily from her mother's constant nagging. Feeling the pressure from his own family to find a frau, he and Emily agree to have the appearance of dating. A charming romance as they begin to learn about each other and find that their feelings run deep.
Each of these stories give a sweet reminder of love, hope and grace. Loved each one.
A Special Thank You to Zondervan and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
A Gift for Anne Marie-A romance of friendship. Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been friends since they were four years old. They have a friendship that has been faithful and true. Now in their 20's, they still have game night every Saturday night. Annie Marie is gifted in candle making while Nathaniel works on clocks. They admire each other as a good friend would. However, when Annie Marie friend Ruth confines in her about her feelings for Nathaniel, Anne Marie knows she must let Nathaniel go. Why is it so hard? When an unsuspected move comes to her family, her feelings become more confused.
A Heart Full of Love Ellie has overcome so many obstacles. Now blind, she and her husband will have their handful with their new baby twin girls. Ellie's mother Edna has offered to help however, tension rises when Edna has a fear for the safety of her granddaughters. Ellie and her mother must overcome that fear in love. Love cast out all fear.
Building Trust Grace and Joel have been secretly dating for months and they are both ready to start their new life together. After asking Grace for her hand in marriage, Joel must ask Grace's father for her hand. At the family dinner, Grace's father is terribly angry at Joel and forbids the marriage. Joel is determined to find the cause of the anger and is willing to do anything to build that trust. A story on reconciliation and the healing it provides.
Surprised by Love Emily Schwartz is in no hurry to get married. However, it is a different story with her mother. Always pushing Emily to socialize, Emily feels the pressure. All she wants to do is study the stars. She knows God will take care of the rest. While running the family store, Rueben who would be considered an Amish player of sorts makes a delivery to the Schwartz store. It is there he saves Emily from her mother's constant nagging. Feeling the pressure from his own family to find a frau, he and Emily agree to have the appearance of dating. A charming romance as they begin to learn about each other and find that their feelings run deep.
Each of these stories give a sweet reminder of love, hope and grace. Loved each one.
A Special Thank You to Zondervan and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
July 28, 2018
A book of several Amish fiction novellas. I enjoyed all of them.
Building Trust is the story of Grace Miller and Joel King. After dating in secret (as the Amish often do), they announce their plans to wed. Imagine their dismay when Grace's father blows up and says he will not allow a marriage between the two. He refuses to give a reason and tells Joel is he not to come on their property again. Joel is determined to prove himself worthy of his daughter's hand in marriage. A sweet story of forgiveness and second chances.
Surprised by Love is a cute and quirky story of Emily, who is quite happy with her life. But...she has a meddling mother who wishes to see her daughter wed. When Emily learns of her mother attempting to pair her up with someone from her past, who hurt her heart, she and her friend, Reuben pretend to have a relationship. I imagine you can guess where this leads. A bit predictable, but a cute, cute story!
A Heart Full of Love is the story of Ellie, a young married, pregnant Amish woman. Did I mention she is also blind? Her meddling and worrisome mother fears Ellie cannot care for her child--which happens to be twins! Ellie, herself, feels quite competent, but twins are a challenge for anyone. Her mother moves in and takes over, which causes problems. Why is her mother so fearful? Why is she so possessive of the infants? Read to find out!
A Gift for Anne Marie: Anne Marie's widowed mother has met a man and fallen in love and wishes to marry and move the family away. Anne Marie and her best friend, Nathaniel, have done everything together. He comes over weekly to play games with Anne Marie and she can't bear the thought of not having him nearby anymore. But, they are only friends, right? Then, why is she upset when her friend wants to pursue Nathaniel? It's all so confusing for Anne Marie. A must read to find out how their story ends.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NatGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Building Trust is the story of Grace Miller and Joel King. After dating in secret (as the Amish often do), they announce their plans to wed. Imagine their dismay when Grace's father blows up and says he will not allow a marriage between the two. He refuses to give a reason and tells Joel is he not to come on their property again. Joel is determined to prove himself worthy of his daughter's hand in marriage. A sweet story of forgiveness and second chances.
Surprised by Love is a cute and quirky story of Emily, who is quite happy with her life. But...she has a meddling mother who wishes to see her daughter wed. When Emily learns of her mother attempting to pair her up with someone from her past, who hurt her heart, she and her friend, Reuben pretend to have a relationship. I imagine you can guess where this leads. A bit predictable, but a cute, cute story!
A Heart Full of Love is the story of Ellie, a young married, pregnant Amish woman. Did I mention she is also blind? Her meddling and worrisome mother fears Ellie cannot care for her child--which happens to be twins! Ellie, herself, feels quite competent, but twins are a challenge for anyone. Her mother moves in and takes over, which causes problems. Why is her mother so fearful? Why is she so possessive of the infants? Read to find out!
A Gift for Anne Marie: Anne Marie's widowed mother has met a man and fallen in love and wishes to marry and move the family away. Anne Marie and her best friend, Nathaniel, have done everything together. He comes over weekly to play games with Anne Marie and she can't bear the thought of not having him nearby anymore. But, they are only friends, right? Then, why is she upset when her friend wants to pursue Nathaniel? It's all so confusing for Anne Marie. A must read to find out how their story ends.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NatGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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