I loved this book!! Loved all the stores in the books!! Love these author's books!! Read this book from netgally!!

I have to admit that one of my favorite genres to read is Amish fiction. So ... whenever I get the chance to read a brand new book being released, I am excited and can hardly wait to get started.

As one of my recent reads was Jennifer Beckstrand's book, Return to Huckleberry Hill, I was delighted to once again meet my good friends, Felty and Annie, a quirky, dear old couple who greatest wish is to have everyone of their grandchildren, as well as great grandchildren, to find a love like they have themselves had for years and years. Jennifer's unique style of writing enables the reader to truly love these humorous characters and giggle along with them as they achieve their goal. It is a sweet love story that engages you from beginning to end.
Molly Jebber's novella, "Joshua's Bride", was also an enjoyable read. This author has the underlying theme of the importance of friendship , love within the family and community and the hardest battle of all, forgiveness. The characters were well described in a realistic way that made them easy to identify with. They may live a peaceful community , however they are humans and like you and I have daily challenges. The plot moved slowly but steadily towards a goal. I did feel , at times, that it was a bit lengthier than necessary, but at the same time, I had time to think about what I was reading.

Amy Lillard's novella, "A Summer Wedding in Paradise", drew my attention immediately , as we have an annual vacation in this tiny town in PA. Amy's storyline was quick paced and not only had a main plot but a few minor subplots to keep the reader's attention. The characters were so well described that you find yourself walking alongside them as they encounter their problems and find ways to solve them . The addition of the three nieces was clearly a great idea. Their adorable and somewhat unconventional matchmaking ideas just had to make you smile, as well as feel some of Reba's frustration.

This collection of novellas was so much fun to read. Each author used their special talents to draw you into the stories within an Amish Community.
A great book to take along to the beach!!!

I really enjoyed the first story in this collection, but I had a hard time getting into the next two. For me, however, it was worth it to get another installment of Jennifer Beckstrand's Huckleberry Hill characters!

3 delightful stores by very talented authors. You will find humor, faith and love in these story lines.

Amish Brides is a 3 in one book written by 3 very talented authors, and I have to say I really enjoyed these nuggets, that warmed my heart.

In the Reluctant Groom, we had Aaron struggling to get over the death of his beloved wife, and Suvie who wants Aaron to love her!

In Joshua's Bride, we see Joshua's family tar Madeline with the same brush as her sister, after her sister Catherine jilted Joshua's brother!

And finally in A Summer Wedding in Paradise, we meet Abe, who came to Paradise for a fresh new start, but ends up meeting the school teacher Reba in a ditch! Sparks fly between them Abe and Reba until Abe's ex-fiancé shows up.

Amish Brides are 3 uniquely different books, but all three are well written, with good plots that span many years, giving a little something to the historical fiction crowd.

I give Amish Brides 4 stars

I enjoyed this set of novellas.
They were sassy, sweet and wonderfully fun light-hearted reads.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book that I probably would not have otherwise picked up to read. I will read these authors in future.

The Reluctant Groom by Jennifer Breckstand: Anna and Felty Helmuth are up to their usual trick of matchmaking for their grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) This story had a bit of a twist because it wasn't their idea in the first place. Suvie is perky and I loved watching her get Aaron to open up. I really like how Felty comes through with his quiet wisdom at exactly the right time.
Joshua's Bride by Molly Jebber: This story made me very frustrated with Joshua's family not accepting Madeline and I wanted to shake them. I was anxious for the two of them that they wouldn't ever get their approval. I found this story a little choppy to read, but it could be that I wasn't used to her writing style after having read a Jennifer Beckstrand book and novella back to back. I look forward to reading more books by Molly Jebber. It is interesting that this is the only story in the book that is historical.

A Summer Wedding in Paradise by Amy Lillard: I enjoyed reading this book and thought it was well written. As I read, it seemed like there had to be a story about Jess and Bernice. I checked and sure enough, their story was featured in the "Amish Christmas Sleigh" another book of novellas. I actually have that book but haven’t read it yet! I think reading it first would give a better understanding of Reba’s nieces. They were cute in their attempts to get Reba and Abel together.

I got a free copy of this book for the tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received.

Read my review here
https://splashesofjoy.wordpress.com/2017/06/09/10326/

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=63651>

"Amish Brides" by Jennifer Beckstrand, Molly Jebber, & Amy Lillard was a delightful and inspirational reading on my summer vacation. All three authors wrote wonderful stories based on the topic of 'Amish Brides' given the chance at romance that seemed like it was not going to happen at all.

"Amish Brides" is a collection of three novellas; each novella was written by a different author; with each novella having the same topic - 'Amish brides' - to be added together to make up the collection.

I look forward to reading more books by Jennifer Beckstrand, Molly Jebber & Amy Lillard in the future.

I received this book through Net Galley and Kensington Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

This three-novella collection by popular authors of Amish fiction offers unique stories to touch your soul and maybe make you think about how you relate to others. Each story tells of how characters help others.

In The Reluctant Groom, Felty and Anna return to their matchmaking ways—this time “helping” their widowed great-grandson find his new love, and he learns to knit too. Another humorous selection with serious undertones from Jennifer Beckstrand.

Molly Jebber’s Joshua’s Bride offers an endearing tale about an engaged couple where the groom’s parents reject the bride because of her sister’s rebellion. The trials shared help bring transformation.

In Amy Lillard’s A Summer Wedding in Paradise, a substitute schoolteacher finds herself in a quandary as her young nieces try to help her find a husband so she’ll be happy. This fun piece can’t help but make you smile.

The characters in all the novellas seemed alive and interesting to get to know. The plots may be a bit out of the everyday, but are made believable by the skillful writers. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.

In my opinion, you can’t go wrong by have a set of novellas about weddings and Amish people – two things I love! I have enjoyed reading books by all three of these lovely authors for quite some time now, and this book was a wonderful way to combine their talents! And while it is difficult for some authors to make a good storyline into a novella, these three ladies are pros at it! I didn’t feel cheated out of information, time frames, or character development.

First, I have to say how much I love Huckleberry Hill. Jennifer Beckstrand takes me back to the land of Anna and Felty – my all time favorite Amish grandparents. Sweet, innocent, manipulating Anna. She is such a hoot! I really get a kick of her trying to set up all the young people she seems to come in contact with. I think there should be an Anna in every community! I mean, if I wasn’t married, I’d book looking for her to help me out! Although they were the stars in this book (as I feel in every Huckleberry Hill book), Suvie and Aaron have a sweet story. We all know people like Aaron. Maybe not because of being a widow, but just stuck in their ways and thinking they will remain alone. They just need someone (enter Suvie) to remind them of what life is about, and that’s it’s okay to be happy!

Molly Jebber wrote a story that will tug at your heart. My emotions were all over the place reading this. It was extremely touching seeing someone act so unselfishly, and putting the needs of a young child in front of their own. More than that, this story was about the power of family and the power of forgiveness. I connected easily with Madeline, a girl who just wanted to do what was right. Sometimes it baffles me when others don’t have similar reactions, but we’re only human after all. What impressed me even more was the way Molly could easily include relying on the Lord in this storyline. There was prayer, there was discussion about prayer and God, and it really lifted my spirits.

What can I say about Amy Lillard? Um….she’s a rockstar when it comes to amish fiction. She always has such creative storylines, and this is no exception. What really spoke to me though was the way Reba and Abel interacted. To be honest, it kind of reminded me and myself and my husband, and I think that’s why I connected to the story so much. It seemed like both of them were afraid to take that first step into the “dating” realm. Instead they kept reminding themselves they were only friends and nothing more. Well, until they got sick of hearing me tell them to go for it! lol. But truth be told, I liked seeing this progression for them. Some couples just need to take it slow and see how they are as friends before trying to go any further. Just like in the real world!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Each story well written and enjoyed the characters with their journeys to find a future. Good authors that I will be looking for more books .
Ebook from Netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

A wonderful group of novellas. You'll read about patience, loyalty, love, forgiveness, healed hearts all among the heart of the Amish.

Joshua's Bride is a beautiful story of being patient and trusting God when the future seems bleak. Waiting for God's will is tough most of the time. Will Joshua and Madeline ever be able to wed?
The Reluctant Groom will move your heart as Aaron struggles through years of grief over the loss of his wife. Can Suvie being him out of his depression? Perhaps, with God's help and maybe Anna and Felty, known for their matchmaking skills. With those two you know there will be humor.

A Summer Wedding in Paradise will introduce you to three of the sweetest girls who are set in matchmaking for their aunt and the handyman. But he loves another, can they pull it off?

I enjoyed this book and you will too.

Blessings,
Karen Hadley
Rating: 5
I received this book as a gift and all opinions are my own.

This is a sweet collection of Amish Weddings written by three popular Amish fiction authors. They stories are fast and easy to read.

I have to admit that The Reluctant Groom by Jennifer Beckstrand was my favorite since I love the matchmakers, Anna and Felty. It was nice seeing them up to their old tricks of seeing everyone in their family well fed and happily married.

In Joshua's Bride by Molly Jebber, I found myself drawn to both the story and the characters and look forward to reading more of her work.

A Summer Wedding by Amy Lillard was a nice ending to the collection with her fun characters.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and have given my honest opinion.

JUNE 13, 2017 BY KRISTIN

AMISH BRIDES|BOOK REVIEW

Amish Brides|Book Review

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.

Amish Brides|Book ReviewAmish Brides by Jennifer Beckstrand, Amy Lillard
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation on May 30th 2017
Genres: Amish
Pages: 352
Source: Celebrate Lit
Purchase: Amazon|Barnes&Noble|Goodreads
One StarOne Star
Under bright blue skies, wedding bells ring--fulfilling sweet dreams, impossible wishes, and joyous new beginnings . . .

THE RELUCTANT GROOM by Jennifer Beckstrand
Spirited Suvie Newswenger has three marriage proposals--but not from the man she truly loves. No matter how lonely widower Aaron Beachy is, he seems determined to stay that way forever. Now, with help from his matchmaking great-grandparents, Suvie will do whatever it takes to rekindle Aaron's hope--and spark happiness for a lifetime.

JOSHUA'S BRIDE by Molly Jebber
Madeline Lehman fears her fiance's family will never accept her because of her rebellious sister. She's postponed her wedding to Joshua Stutzman until they see the truth. But when Maddie adopts her sister's abandoned baby, can she and Joshua find a way to unite their families through forgiveness as well as love?

A SUMMER WEDDING IN PARADISE by Amy Lillard
Reba Schmucker longs to be a bride. And she knows her mischievous nieces just wanted to help when they "chose" Abel Weaver for her. But he's the last man in the world she'd ever marry. There's no way her independence and his stubbornness could ever get along--unless a sudden crisis somehow leads to understanding . . . and love.

Ahhhh, what do I say about this book? I’m torn. I’ve sat on writing this review for three full days and I still can’t formulate what I’m thinking and feeling. Amish Brides is a collection of three Amish novellas written by Jennifer Beckstrand, Molly Jebber and Amy Lillard.

I wanted to like this book. I truly did. In fact, in the first few pages, there are some quirky jokes made that made me laugh. It gave me high hopes but unfortunately, the stories fell flat for me.

Let me explain, I feel that in a novella collection, the stories should complement one another. They need to feel as if they belong together. Bound together forever in printed word. This book just didn’t deliver that for me. The first story, while quirky, felt more appropriate for contemporary fiction.

With the second story, we suddenly time warp to the 1800’s. Again, the story felt slightly out-of-place with the addition of an Amish girl turned saloon girl. Now, I’m not saying that didn’t happen back then. Maybe it did. It just didn’t feel organic to the story. Neither did the casual mention of threatened miscarriage and bleeding. That stuff is barely talked about now. Miscarriage is still fairly taboo. I had a hard time accepting that an unmarried couple would be discussing their mutual friend’s trouble with bleeding during pregnancy. I just wasn’t sold on it. I had a hard time accepting that two men (Amish, at that) had these discussions. That was women talk, if at all.

Amy Lillard’s addition to the book was the saving grace for this collection. Though the romance felt rushed, that’s the norm for a novella. I enjoyed the quirk of the characters. Especially the meddling nieces. They were totally adorbs. Yes, I just said adorbs in a review. Deal with it.

This is a wonderful group of 3 novellas. The authors are Jennifer Beckstrand, Molly Jebber and Amy Lillard. Each story has great romance. There is a lot of matchmaking in these stories. I always love Anna and Felty. They are my favorite. These are all well written and they all made me laugh and cry a little. These novellas make me want to read many full length novels by these stories. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I enjoyed this novella collection about three Amish girls finding love. In the first, book, The Reluctant Bride by Jennifer Beckstrand, I loved how Suvie is determined to try to cheer up and get noticed by Aaron, a widower who thinks he is honoring his late wife by not moving on from her death. I loved Suvie's bright character, friendly disposition and her determination. Aaron's grandparents matchmaking interference was sooo funny! LOL

In the second book, Joshua's Bride by Molly Jebber, I felt for Joshua and Madeline as they faced his family's resistance to Madeline. She was sweet as can be and I admired Joshua for standing by his love for her. When Madeline's sister leaves her out of wedlock child with Madeline, it changes everything. A great story about love and forgiveness.

The third book, A Summer Wedding in Paradise by Amy Lillard, made me laugh with the antics of Reba's three nieces and their determination to get the new man about town, Abel, to fall in love with Reba. They were determined little matchmakers after their success in getting a new wife for their father. :) Reba quickly falls under the spell of Abel dimples (mentioned several times...lol) but she fights it for awhile. Then she decides she needs to change herself in order to appeal to Abel. She must learn that not staying true to herself is not how she should live her life.

All in all, this is a great collection of Amish novellas that will keep you interested and warm your heart. :)

*Thanks to Celebrate Lit for a complimentary copy of this book. I was not paid or required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are my own.*

This was a great collection of Amish novellas. I really enjoyed reading each little story and their settings were very different that it felt refreshing to feel as though I was visiting different areas. I thought that that research and details were superb, the authors put lots of love into their works.

This is a very delightful collection of novellas!

I found one commonality among them. In each story I found someone wallowing in a negative emotion. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how each author handled the need to work through the negativity and move on with life.


The Reluctant Groom
by Jennifer Beckstrand

The characters are incredibly well developed. When you talk about opposites attracting, Suvie Newswenger and Aaron Beachy definitely fit the bill. It was a joy to see what ideas Anna and Felty came up with to help in their matchmaking endeavors this time. I love Felty’s down to earth wisdom and how he lays it out at just the right time. This was a very humorous romance.


Joshua’s Bride
by Molly Jebber

The main characters, Madeline Lehman and Joshua Stutzman, are fantastic. They are both strong believers and steadfast in doing what they believe to be the right thing. They have enormous obstacles thrown in their path. They face them with their faith in God guiding them.


A Summer Wedding in Paradise
by Amy Lillard

Reba Schmucker is definitely an unusual Amish woman. I was caught up in her struggle with trying to figure out how to be more like others when she isn’t. The romance is sweet and helped along by the darling girls who adore their Aunt Reba. The shenanigans that they pulled were my favorite part of this story.

I received a free eBook copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.