Bestselling Amish novelist Linda Byler spins a sweet tale of heartache, disappointment, and ultimately hopes fulfilled at Christmastime. Liz had been in love once, had even been engaged. In fact, the wedding had been planned, the barn cleaned, and the celery was set to be harvested to make the traditional wedding soup. Just two weeks before the day she was to exchange vows with her beloved, he changed his mind, and that was that. The humiliation was almost as bad as the heartbreak. The whole community had celebrated her engagement, had participated in the wedding planning, had started giving her advice on keeping a home and raising children. When the wedding was canceled, no one knew what to say. She had to bear the pitying looks and awkward glances for many months. She vowed never to be such a fool again, never to trust her heart to a man who could just up and leave her with hardly an explanation. She'd rather be an old maid than go through that again. Years pass, and Liz has made peace with her life as a single woman, a "leftover blessing" as the Amish say. She can admit to herself that Matthew, the owner of the Amish restaurant at the market where she works, is handsome. And she is aware that he is single. But she reminds herself over and over that it's not worth feeling anything for the man. He's her boss and that's it. So why does she look forward to work so much every day? And why can't she make her heart beat at a normal pace when he comes near? Linda Byler is beloved for her skillful story telling and true-to-life descriptions of Amish food, faith, and culture. As an Amish woman herself, she can share details of Amish life that few can replicate. In this charming novel, Byler shares intimate details of day-to-day life in an Amish community while spinning a sweet tale of love and hopes fulfilled at Christmastime.
Linda Byler grew up Amish and is an active member of the Amish church today. Growing up, Linda Byler loved to read and write. In fact, she still does. She is well known within the Amish community as a columnist for a weekly Amish newspaper. Linda and her husband, their children and grandchildren live in central Pennsylvania.
This is an Amish Christmas Romance. I found parts of this book really good, but I did not like parts of this book. I found the story to be very slow moving. I found the characters to be ok but none of the characters shined or made me care about them. I found the storyline to be good. Overall, It was an ok story with ok characters. I also did not find a lot of Christmas in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author (Linda Byler) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
This is an Amish Fiction book that is actually written by an Amish author. By that I mean she is still living in the Amish faith. I have always been very curious about the Amish and their lifestyle. Linda Byler had added nuggets of gold to this story about the Amish lifestyle, for readers like me. I have read the first book that introduced readers to a very young Lizzie so I enjoyed this book that bought me up to date on an older Liz. I thought the characters were realistic and the author is truthful in this book when she gives her characters good and bad personalities. I was drawn into the story and loved it. Liz Byler was engaged to be married to Ray three years ago but he broke her heart when he called off the engagement one month before the wedding date. He wasted no time in dating Liz's best friend and then marrying her. Liz has guarded her heart for the past three years to protect herself from being hurt again. When her new boss Matthew Zook shows interest and wants to spend time with her Liz struggles with trusting him or any man for that matter. Matthew Zook is very handsome but Liz is very insecure and doesn't want to open her heart only to be hurt again. All the women at work flirt with Matthew and he seems to enjoy it. Wouldn't it be best to just stop seeing him and go back to being just single Liz? I recommend this book to readers of Amish Fiction. It can be read as a stand alone. I received a complimentary arc copy of this book from the Author and Publisher through Netgalley. A favorable review was not requested. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I found this book fascinating in the sense it was written with an authenticity of day to day Amish life because it is written by a woman who is Amish. She writes her stories in a notebook and sends it to the publisher. This is an enjoyable,quick read. I liked some of the characters more than others. Some of the characters seemed immature and jealous. Even though we hardly spend much time with the grandmother, I liked her character a lot. Liz and Matthew each are trying to heal from a bad relationship in the past they had with other people. It's welcoming reading how they make such a strong connection with each other and are willing to help each other heal. Though there are bumps in the road, just like there are in all relationships they are steadfast in their faith and in the conviction that their partner is the right one for them.
Pub Date: 21 Sep 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Liz is seen as a bit past prime marrying age in her community. She was burned when her former fiance broke the engagement and then married Liz's close friend.
To help mend her broken heart, Liz is committed to a job which aligns with her joy of cooking. Her boss and business owner Michael disagrees with most of Liz's ideas for success.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the details included about the Amish life, especially as it relates to marriage and weddings. The first date of Liz and Michael seemed unrealistic to this Englisher, but perhaps it wasn't unusual in the Amish culture.
Liz and Michael were both good characters and overall, I enjoyed this novella. It was satisfying to read their happy ending.
My gratitude to publisher Skyhorse Publishing for a complimentary NetGalley copy of the novella. I was not required to post a review and all opinions expressed are my own.
A sweet story about Liz, an Amish woman left right before her wedding. Thinking she would never marry. Little did she know he was right in front of her.
A Christmas Engagement by Linda Byler has Liz planning on staying single the rest of her life after being disappointed in love. She cannot handle going through the heartbreak again. The restaurant where Liz works is purchased by Matthew who exasperates Liz. At the same time, Liz finds him handsome and attractive. When Matthew asks Liz out, will she say yes and risk her heart once again? A Christmas Engagement contains good writing, and we get to see inside Amish life. I like that there are comparisons between how the Amish have done things and how the current generation prefers to do them. I did feel that the characters lacked development. We are introduced to Liz with only a first name. The book is of the length (240 pages) that I wanted to know more about the characters and the setting. The books pacing fluctuated. I found it slow going at times especially when Liz was thinking about how she was betrayed by Ray, whether she can love again, and other such thoughts. There is also a repetition of information and predictable nature to the tale. A Christmas Engagement is a sweet story, but it needed a more depth. The Christmas element is not as expansive as I had hoped for a book with Christmas in the title. I did enjoy the Christian elements in the story. My favorite message is that we are never alone as long as we have God in our life. If you are looking to escape from everyday life, then The Christmas Engagement fits the bill. The Christmas Engagement is a subdued Amish novel with an energetic eatery, a hurt heart, a massive wedding, a profusion of food, and the magic of Christmas.
An Amish romance that takes place during the Christmas season, written by a practicing Amish author, “A Christmas Miracle” is a novella that can stand alone.
Main character, Liz, has been introduced in other books by author, Linda Byler. In this story, she is the focal point and has had a rough few years in the love department. For me, Byler belabors that message too long and too often by having Liz “think out loud”. It slowed the pace and kept me from wanting to finish the book. That’s the first time I had that experience with one of her books.
Because Byler is active in the Amish community, she provides excellent information on culture, both contemporary and historical. She also provides translations for phrases right in line with the text, rather than having to look them up in an index; convenient.
Thankfully, the ending includes an entire chapter about Liz and Matthew - AFTER the wedding. We get to see them as a newlywed couple in their own home. So many authors of short form fiction have taken to minimizing the endings so that they’re unsatisfying or trite. This was a treat📚
Years have passed since Liz had a broken engagement and has now come to terms with being a single woman. She loves her work in the restaurant at the Flea Market. Her new boss, Matthew, is single and handsome, and Liz can not believe that she finds herself attracted to him, as she reminds herself that she does not want to go through hurt and pain she suffered before with her ex-fiance.
This is a sweet Amish romance taking place at Christmastime. The story is rather slow moving, yet still a good read. I recommend it to those who enjoy holiday, Amish romances.
I received a copy of this book from Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
A wonderful story of hope, love and many other things. This book will definitely get you in the Christmas mood if you're not already! Christmas is my favorite time of the year! I hope it's yours too! 5 stars for a well written novel that I thoroughly enjoyed! I totally forgot where u was for awhile. I especially enjoyed the Amish Christmas traditions! A cup of celery soup sounds amazing! I highly recommend this book for anyone who love to read stories like this! Ms. Byler is awesome! My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
This is a beautifully written Amish romance about Liz and Matthew set in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Unfortunately it was not my type of read and it was pretty slow going, but if you love novels about Amish life and enjoy Christian romance, then this book is perfect for you. My thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
It is important for you to understand that this book recap is not the correction. I've posted the correct one just after my review!
This book is exactly what I've come to expect from Amish romances. Sweet, religious but not overly religious, and with this book letting us Englishers know that even the Amish are trying to understand why some things can't stay the same! found that although I understood Liz's predicament, she was having too difficult of a time trusting. I guess that even for some religious people, "turn the other cheek" must mean something different than it means to me. Yes, Lix got dumped in a most spectacular way, and yes, her esteem suffered a huge hit. But, I just didn't enjoy totally the fact that she thought so little of herself. That she couldn't seem to trust Matthew.
This book made for a good traditional romance in that it exhibited some behavior that I thought was forbidden to the Amish. Well, like it was pointed out, everything changes!
I recommend this book to those that love clean (nonsexual) romance and a well-written story. However, if you are like me and have no true Deity, there should be no issues with this book because the author doesn't overly dwell on God.
*ARC supplied by the publisher, the author, and Edelweiss/ATTL.
Until Goodreads fixes this, I would like you to know that the book synopsis that you read HERE is incorrect. THIS IS THE TRUE SYNOPSIS:"Liz had been in love once, had even been engaged. In fact, the wedding had been planned, the barn cleaned, and the celery was set to be harvested to make the traditional wedding soup. Just two weeks before the day she was to exchange vows with her beloved, he changed his mind, and that was that.
The humiliation was almost as bad as the heartbreak. The whole community had celebrated her engagement, had participated in the wedding planning, had started giving her advice on keeping a home and raising children. When the wedding was canceled, no one knew what to say. She had to bear the pitying looks and awkward glances for many months. She vowed never to be such a fool again, never to trust her heart to a man who could just up and leave her with hardly an explanation. She'd rather be an old maid than go through that again.
Years pass, and Liz has made peace with her life as a single woman, a "leftover blessing" as the Amish say. She can admit to herself that Matthew, the owner of the Amish restaurant at the market where she works, is handsome. And she is aware that he is single. But she reminds herself over and over that it's not worth feeling anything for the man. He's her boss and that's it. So why does she look forward to work so much every day? And why can't she make her heart beat at a normal pace when he comes near?
Linda Byler is beloved for her skillful story telling and true-to-life descriptions of Amish food, faith, and culture. As an Amish woman herself, she can share details of Amish life that few can replicate. In this charming novel, Byler shares intimate details of day-to-day life in an Amish community while spinning a sweet tale of love and hopes fulfilled at Christmastime."
Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing, Good Books for allowing me to to read Linda Byler’s new book, A Christmas Engagement. Release day is September 21, 2021.
I first learned of Linda Byler while visiting Lancaster sever years ago. I met a Mrs Kauffman that told me about Linda. She had just published her Lancaster Burning series that was based on true events. What makes her unique is that Linda is an active member of the Amish church. This gives her a unique insight into the Amish like no other.
A Christmas Engagement is a story of Liz and Matthew, each fighting memories of lost loves and harboring trust issues. As the story unfolds we see Liz and Matthew turning to God for help in making a very important decision concerning their future together.
Besides giving us an insight into Amish customs, Linda shows how God should be a part of every decision one makes.
I encourage you to read this 5-star book from Linda Byler. Although I was given an ARC by Skyhorse, I was not required to give a positive review. Opinions are my own. I suggest pre-ordering yours today.
A sweet but short story of Liz, a young lady that is afraid to fall in love since her ex boyfriend dumped her shortly before their wedding to marry her best friend. Now she works for Matthew, the very handsome owner of the restaurant where she works. They become friends, but she isn't very trusting of him, but he is crazy for her. Very sweet and clean story!
The description doesn't go with this title (here on Goodreads). Either that's the case, or there's another book by this title.
At any rate, I have to admit that I couldn't finish this book. It just wasn't for me, though I'm certain that someone else would enjoy it. If you're looking for a very low-key book to pass away a few hours, this would be a good book for you. It's a very "quiet" book.
That being said, it couldn't really hold my attention. There wasn't enough going on and, despite the fact that it seemed like it was meant to be a Christmas book, it didn't have the normal "Christmas cheer/ambience" that I normally seek or expect in books that I read with Christmas themes. I cannot speak for the end of the book because, honestly, I simply didn't finish it. It wasn't holding my attention well enough to keep going.
As I said, though, I could see this being a very good book for someone who wanted a very quiet and low-key read.
I truly enjoy Linda Byler’s writing style. But I was torn between giving this book 4 or 5 stars. The way Mrs. Byler talks about Amish customs and traditions is amazing. I wanted a cup of celery soup while I was reading. Liz is an “old maid” having been left at the altar by her fiancée. She works at the Amish Marketplace and becomes friends with her boss Matthew. Can Liz put the pain of heartbreak behind her? Mrs. Byler weaves real Amish landmarks in her beautiful story. Her description of Amish life is so accurate. I am settling on a 4.5 rating. I love Liz and her story, but I wished she was more developed. Liz’s friend Esther is off to Mexico and the end of the story. A sequel featuring Esther would be great! I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Matthew Zook is the 24 yr old new owner of the Dutch Eatery at the Amish Market in Lancaster, PA.
Liz has worked at the restaurant in the kitchen for 8 years. Lizzy was one of the oldest workers there and was in charge of the kitchen. She was dedicated to her job. Liz had thought she had found her love but after several years it was not to be. She finds Matthew attractive but doesn't always like his actions as the boss. If he asks her out, will she say yes?
Included in the book is a telling of the process in an Amish wedding.
I really liked the book but was wishing for a little something more.
I received this ebook from NetGally for my honest review, no pressure!
The author is an actual member of the Amish church so that adds authenticity to it. I'm not saying non-Amish authors don't do their research or anything like that.
I would like to buy a copy of this and reread it again to highlight the quotes I really liked. At this time in my life I am working on trusting God, which is what the main character is working on too.
I thought the romance was too fast. I didn't get to fall into their romance as much as I was hoping.
Christmas is probably only one third of the book.
The book is very descriptive. To the point where I stopped caring about some scenes because it just went on and on.
The storyline became wishy-washy for me and hard to follow. It seems like it went to a speed up mode then slow down mode and the characters Liz and Matthew couldn’t stand each other, then they were crazy about each other and then doubted their relationship. Nothing against the author because I have read other books written by her and enjoyed them. I may try reading it again later. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my review and honest opinion.
Liz is a young woman, she works as a cook in a restaurant in the market, she is single. "All was not lost, not at all, neither was anything promised. The realization that nothing is over promised, but the fact that we live by faith was the most astoonding thing." Sometimes the future deserves good news to people, you must pray, hope and think well. Amish books, like this, to the readers have the power to relax, feel good and loved by God. thanks.
22 is old and over the hill? Well maybe if you are Amish. Liz had her heart broken when her first love broke off the engagement. She thought she would never love again. She is bitter and depressed. But she has a job cooking at the Amish market and she loves her job. Then a new person buys the cafe. Matthew hides his feelings well. Liz doesn't hide hers at all. She seems grumpy to me. But it is a nice story with a good ending. I liked the story.
This was a good book, I found that the first date was surprising for the girls to stay overnight. So many misunderstandings and assumptions that keep them away from one another. It was good, and I feel that I get an inside glance at the Amish life when the author is explaining what goes on as she still lives the Amish faith.
A Christmas Engagement: An Amish Romance by Linda Byler is a quick, easy to read Amish Christmas romance. It has family, friendship, second chances, forgiveness, and romance. I do think the story had quite a few stretched out portions. I was given an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
I was invited by the publisher to review this book for netgalley.com. I have come to seek out books with Amish characters as I find that I benefit from their faith and determination. Liz and Matthew are two characters that grow and develop through the story. I liked the festive feel and quite faith of both characters. This is a lovely story.
This is the first Amish novel I've read, and I thought it was really interesting to learn about them! I realized I didn't actually know too much about the Amish.
I did want to love this book, but the characters didn't really pull me in. Maybe it's meant for an easier reading level, but I felt there could have been more development. But, it wasn't bad, and I enjoyed it!
A Christmas Engagement has elaborated on many Amish customs during marriage. The story line is very simple. There are no twists or turns. But one good aspect is that the Christian values are very well infused in the story. This reader is prompted to imbibe this value too.
This was a sweet read, but a little slow in parts with a few minor typos. The magic of this book was the wonderful descriptions of Amish life and especially Amish weddings. Once Liz and Matthew got their romance sorted out and the book focused on their wedding, it was a pure delight to read.