I unfortunately read this series out of order, and this first book is the one I read last! I already knew from the later books one of the major plot points in this story, but I still wasn't prepared for the emotion of the scene. I loved the way Kayla kept reaching out to Jamie and his family during their difficult times. The book description isn't correct- Kayla doesn't have an issue with Jamie being a firefighter, she has difficulty trusting men who keep letting her down and not following through with promises. Jamie never wanted to "extinguish their flame" as described, he was begging for another chance when he let Kayla down. The angst between the two of them was a bit immature and premature- I think their relationship needed to develop more for the type of expectations Kayla had for Jamie. I love Jamie's family and it was great to see the earlier days of those characters that have their own stories in the other books in the series.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

This is a wonderful book written by Amy Clipston. She writes stories that speak to my heart and hold my interest from the first page to the last....
In "A Place at Our Table", she gives us, readers, a look into how the stress of any situation can pull you so far apart or it can draw you together as a stronger family. God's perfect plan will work out if we have faith and believe in it.
I highly recommend this book.


I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley with no money exchange. The only agreement was an honest review. This is my review in my words.

Another great book by Amy! Her writing never disappoints and I get excited when I see new books coming out from her. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Amish fiction.

This story was about Jamie, a firefighter and Kayla, a young woman who recently lost her brother, who was also a firefighter.

Kayla meets Jamie when her family barn catches on fire and he is on call to put the fire out. They become friends and soon, Kayla is fighting her feelings for Jamie because she is afraid of having her heart broken again and she worries for Jamie's safety while firefighting.

Jamie realizes that he has feelings for Kayla but believes he does not have time to have a girlfriend. His friends and brother talk him into asking Kayla out but their relationship becomes a train wreck.

Will Kayla and Jamie be able to work on their relationship so they stay together or is it just a lost cause?

I received an ARC in return for an honest review.

Book #1 in The Amish Homestead series was a good read. I tried to understand what Jamie was going through. But, for some reason I kept yelling at him in my head doing this book. I know he was mourning and tried to have good intentions for Kayla. But his heart was in the wrong place. Jamie couldn't focus on what should have been important when starting a new relationship. I was hopeful that the two would figure out how to make things work when they both had experienced lost in their family. The setting, plot and characters were all great. Learning about the Amish volunteering for a fire department was so uplifting and nerve wrecking at the same time. Looking for to reading book #2.

This was one of my favorite books I have read by Amy Clipston. This had romance and a little bit of tragedy. Both Kayla and Jamie must overcome some tough obstacles to make it together. This will have you laughing and crying. I believe that this will make a great beach read or anytime read.

This is a must read, But be prepared once you pick it up you won;t be able to put it back down.
Kayla is still mourning the loss of her firefighter brother and is busy working in her families diner and keeping her younger brother out of the Volunteer fire department.
Jamie a volunteer firefighter knew of Kayla's brother but was not close friends,. He is busy volunteering and helping on his families farm. He doesn't have time to date.

Do Kayla and Jamie find time to date and fall in love? Is Kayla able to keep her brother from joining the fire department. Can she live with it if he does. I highly recommend this book it is an excellent read.

Thank you Netgalley and Zondervan Fiction for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

I received a copy of this title from NetGalley.
Amy Clipston delivers!
The story of Jamie Riehl and Kayla Dienner begins with a fire. Kayla wants nothing to do with a firefighter. Jamie believes he has no time for romance. Jamie blames himself when his mother falls to her death. Nothing can change his mind until Kayla shares her thoughts. It's an exciting story of life, death and love.

I usually stay away from love stories, as they seem so predictable. This also had a predictable plot, but I enjoyed the characters and the relationships between them. It was easy to connect to the characters and I felt I was part of the story. I got to know more about the Amish community. I loved both Jamie and Kayla

Loved this story. I cried in several parts, shocked and scared in others. I love the strong-willed characters in this book and they learn that sometimes they just need to believe in each other and let the pain of the past not determine the future. Thank you Amy.

Amy Clipston has done it again with her first book in her Amish Homestead series...she nailed it! The emotions felt between the Riehl and Dienner families, you feel too. You are put right into the story and feel the pain, hope, and love shared by all. This story made you realize as well what volunteer firefighters experience all in a day's work. Amy's story is definitely a must read, and I cannot wait to read Book 2 in this series.

Amish fiction royalty - that is how a describe a book from Amy Clipston. This story is a wonderful story of Faith and Family. If you are a fan of Amish Fiction - this is a must read. Amy delivers a great heart warming story in A Place at Our Table.

I liked the family togetherness and the interesting happenings that always seemed to be going on. I liked reading and wondering if there would be a place at the table for Jamie with Kayla. Watch how love burns brightly no matter the cost!

I was gifted a copy through NetGalley, my review was not required and is voluntary.

Jamie Riehl is a Firefighter in an Amish Community in Lancaster County. He is attending a barn fire on the property of the Dienner when he has to rescue the youngest child, Nathan. He meets Kayla, Nathan's sister and something clicks, that is until Jamie encourages Nathan to sign up for firefighter training. Simeon, Kayla's older brother was killed in a firefighting accident and they are still getting over it. Kayla just can't allow her heart and her family to go through anymore heartache. What if she were to lose another brother to a fire as well? What if she lets Jaimie into her heart and he is killed? She is not able to resist Jamie and she becomes more attached to him as the story progresses. The romance between Kayla and jamie seems to on again off again throughout the book. When a situation occurs that rocks Jamie's world, he is not sure if he will ever have time to devote to a girlfriend.

I really liked Jamie and Kayla and my heart went out to both of them. Kayla did aggravate me at times, not willing to give Jamie the benefit of the doubt, but then again, she was dealing with her past situations as well. As Jamie dealt with his guilt by working himself ragged at both the farm and firehouse, I wanted to give him a hug and a slap at the same time. It was nice to see how these two families became entwined in each other's lives so quickly, just like you would expect in a small community. I enjoyed this story and look forward to the next one in this series. This is the first book I have read by Amy Clipston and it seems that her previous books are even better than this one based on reviews. It looks like I may have found another wonderful author to follow.

A PLACE AT OUR TABLE is the first book in the Amish Homestead series by Amy Clipston. It is the story of Jamie Riehl who is an Amish firefighter and also a dairy farmer. He is running ragged between both jobs and feels he never has enough time to get things done on the farm. After a tragedy strikes his family, Jamie blames himself and struggles to leave the guilt behind. Just before this happened, he met Kayla Dienner, when her families barn caught fire and he is instantly taken with her. At first Jamie doesn't entertain making her his girlfriend because he doesn't believe he has time in his life for dating plus his family needs him too much.


A PLACE AT OUR TABLE is about Kayla learning to trust her heart and Jamie and letting go of the past. Amy Clipston sure knows how to make the reader feel as if they are right there at the kitchen table with the family dealing with all their troubles. She made me sad, then the next moment I was smiling and giggling out loud! You can never go wrong with a Amy Clipston book if you are a fan of the Amish genre. All of her characters feel genuine and relatable and put your emotions on one heck of a roller coaster ride. As you are reading, you will find yourself cheering for all of them, praying they can work out their problems and be happy once again. You will also wonder how much heartache a family can stand before it completely breaks down and splits.


A PLACE AT OUR TABLE is a heart tugging story that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once I started this heartwarming story, it was very hard to put down! All of the Amish value their family time at the kitchen table. It is where they come together after a long, hard day of work. Is there a place at the table for Kayla and Jamie? A PLACE AT OUR TABLE brought back many memories of my own family dinners at our kitchen table and I found myself smiling while reading. Will these two families ever overcome their grief of losing a loved one? I couldn't wait to finish this wonderful story to see if Jamie was able to find balance in his life or would he just keep working while life passed him by. I'm so excited to continue with this series.

A night of tragedy brings together Kayla & Jamie and while she would rather pretend her heart is not leading her in that direction a change of circumstance, for lack of a better description, changes everything for both of them.
I really LOVED this book, you could feel the love, the pain, the way families can deal with picking up the pieces after everything falls apart.
I wish that their relationship had been a little more stable but I can understand that sometimes like makes it hard for us to focus on personal relationships when we are dealing with other things, such as a personal family tragedy. I very much look forward to the next book in the series & getting to know this Amish family better.

Amy Clipston, as usual, has done extensive research into the Amish faith and firefighters among the Amish and the Englisch for this first book in the Amish Homestead series. After reading this first book, I am eager to read the remaining books in series. The book begins with action and thrill as the firefighters receive a call to a fire in an Amish barn . There are animals and people to rescue and care for. Past trauma for Kayla as she lost her brother in a fire cause her to resist her attraction to Jamie because he's a firefighter too. Further developments for Jamie will put their relationship to the test.
Readers will be anxious to read and find out if Kayla and Jamie can move past their pain and grief to a relationship together or will they turn to others for their future partners? The Amish place great value in family and the thought of sitting around the kitchen table figure heavily into the Amish home. Is there a place at the table for Jamie? for Kayla?
I am rating this book 5 ***** stars. I highly recommend it to both adult and teenage readers.
I received an ebook of this selection from netgalley and Zondervan in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to post a positive review.

Good relationships are not based on perfection but on humility.

I enjoyed getting to know the families of Kayla Dienner and Jamie Riehl . The two families met as Jamie a volunteer firemen was called to Kayla's family farm to put out a barn fire. The Dienner's know the life of a volunteer fireman as their son and brother Simon was killed putting out a fire. Simon's death left much heartache for the family. A baby on the way and a young wife. It left a void that only faith in God's will could fill.

When Kayla's younger brother becomes interested in Jamie's work as a volunteer fireman, his sister becomes unglued and the sparks begin to fly. Kayla does not want to loose another loved one. Her heart is tender not only with the loss of her brother but a broken engagement.

When Jamie's family suffers their own loss, Kayla and Jamie become anchored together with the same insecurities and find their way to become secure in their faith. It becomes tension filled as misunderstandings within themselves become unraveled. A story of romance and faith as each find their own place.

A Special Thank You to Zondervan Fiction and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I usually enjoy this author, and I love to give positive reviews, but I had a hard time picking this up after putting it down. It just didn't grab my attention as I had hoped. I think it was a bit slow moving for me in between the major scenes. It wasn't my favorite, but it was OK.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my review. All thoughts are my own.

Not My Favorite

Amy Clipston has written some of my favorite Amish-genre novels. Her Kauffman Bakery series was so very entertaining! When I had the opportunity to read her newest release, A Place at Our Table (first in her Amish Homestead series), I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, it was not all I hoped it would be – and I’ll tell you why.

I was so thrilled to see a series that followed an Amish volunteer firefighter – I had even recommended it to an author because it is an area that has not been written about much (and sometimes, the information has been downright wrong.) While A Place at Our Table starts off strong and engaging, the entire plot and subplots begin to dwindle. I could see where the author was taking the reader, but it was painstakingly slow. Details of every day life were explained to the nth degree. And I mentioned this of her last book: There are too many “gasps” and jaws dropping. Word choice (or lack thereof) is everything.

I was given A Place at Our Table in exchange for my honest review. While I like Amy Clipston, and most of her writings, this was not my favorite. Although the relationship between the main characters is sweet, there just isn’t enough substance. I also would have liked to see the firefighter’s life more fully fleshed out. Again, love Clipston and most of her writings, but I was disappointed with this one. That being said, I know others
that have loved it – so read it and see what you think.

Having started out with the author's entire Kauffman Amish Bakery series, I have to say, this was not my favorite read by this author! It took me a while to read it, and I felt that I was really forcing myself to do so.

Part of my problem with this story was that I hated the on again/off again nature of the relationship between Jamie and Kayla. I hated how Kayla couldn't make up her mind if she would accept Jamie's volunteer firefighting or not. I also hated Jamie's almost "selfish" nature, when it came to balancing Kayla into his life.

Speaking of the volunteer firefighting, it seemed very out of place for an Amish community to center around firefighting! It seemed so atypical for the Amish, that it was difficult to actually believe in the concept!

Although I really struggled with the story, I am still looking forward to the next book in the series!