Kayla Dienner meets Jamie Riehl the night her families barn is on fire. Jamie is an Amish firefighter. I've never heard of Amish firefighters before. Do the Amish even allow this? Kayla's younger brother Nathan, along with the rest of her family is having a hard time coping with the death of the oldest brother who died as a firefighter battling a blaze. Nathan needs someone to look up to since his brother is gone and latches onto Jamie and now wants to train as a firefighter as well. 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? As we all know though the heart and brain aren't always in agreement and she can't seem to get her brain to not fall in love with Jamie. Is she willing to risk her heart on a firefighting man. When a tragedy happens in Jamie's family Kayla's family is there in full support. There is no set timetable when we are grieving it has to be a natural process and supported by those close around you. The romance between Kayla and jamie seems to on again off again throughout the book. I do wish it had been more consistent because I thought it would have shown better character development if it had. Both of the couple's families where there for each other throughout the story which was good. This was different than any Amish book I've read before, while it was good it wasn't bad but not a favorite of mine.
Pub Date 14 Nov 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Zondervan Fiction for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

ABOUT

After all the heartache Kayla Dienner had suffered, she vowed to protect her heart, she however, wasn't

expecting Jamie Riehl to come into her life.

Jamie Riehl is a young man devoted to his family and working hard on their farm. Between his family, farm work

and volunteering at the local fire department, Jamie is having a changllenging time finding balance in his life,

especially finding a relationship.


MY THOUGHTS

Within the turn of the first few pages, I was hooked. Before you continue make sure have some tissue with you

or at near you, because Amy Clipston is about to take you on a journey that will be sure to pull on your heart in

her first book of her new series A Place at Our Table Amish Homestead.

I am not sure how clips ton does it! Each story she writes, she developed a unique story that draws you in, and

makes the emotions of each character tangible.



It is, my opinion, this is one of Clipstos's greatest examples of her talented writing and storytelling skills. By the

time you have finished, you are bound to feel loved, and found new friends and know that you will always have

A Place at Our Table.


I was given an electronic copy of this book rom the author/publisher for my honest review.

Amy Clipston has served up a new set of Amish Fiction books to enjoy! A Place at Our Table is the first novel in her Amish Homestead Series. Like most stories in this genre, Faith, Family and Community play a blazing role in A Place at Our Table, which I appreciate. Jamie Riehl is one of the main characters and I liked him as soon as I started reading. All the characters reacted differently to situations which made them more real to me. They were dealing with tragedies in their lives that affected how their relationships played out. Giving one's heart away and figuring out priorities wasn't easy for the characters. Reading about Amish Volunteer Firefighters was new to me. The storyline is relatable to anyone, Amish or not, and I recommend checking out A Place at Our Table. I was provided a complimentary review copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

A place At Our Table is a sweet Christian love story. But it goes much deeper than that. Jamie and Kayla meet due to a fire in her families barn. They are attracted to each other but life seems to get in the way. Kayla has lost a brother in a fire fighting accident. Jamie is a firefighter/EMT when there is a tragedy in his own family. The couple must learn to be able to meet each others expectations, practice forgiveness and love each other through these troubling and painful times.

I am a huge fan of Amy Clipston, and have read many of her books, but let me just say, this book is my most favorite story to have read of hers thus far.
A Place At Our Table, the first in her new series, An Amish Homestead, literally caught me by the first page and I just couldn't put it down! The characters and their circumstances were so real and well written, I literally felt like I was there, seeing the story play out, sitting at "their table."
This story filled with firefighter's, fires, loss, grief, regret, heartache, and new love will have you wanting more after the turn of the last page! I am anxiously awaiting the next release in this series!
I received an ARC of this book from the author, but was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion of this book.

Kayla Dienner was devastated when her last boyfriend broke up with her, so she’s determined to protect her heart at all costs. Then, she meets Jamie Riehl. Jamie is so busy between helping run his family’s dairy farm and volunteering as a fireman that he barely has time to eat with his family, much less find someone to date. After meeting Kayla, Jamie is drawn to her and can’t help but think that she might be the one. Because her older brother died in a fire, Kayla isn’t sure she can handle risking her heart to a fireman, worrying every time the sirens wail. So, she tries to deny her feelings for Jamie. Can Jamie find the time to show Kayla how much she means to him or will he continue to let other things to take priority? Can Kayla put aside her fears to save their relationship?

I really enjoyed reading this sweet story and seeing both families trying to put their lives back together in the face of tragedies. Every single character was so well written and likeable. They all had to learn how to let their faith bring them through the hard times, while also being able to lean on each other for comfort. There was a lot going on in this story, but it all flowed smoothly and made sense. It was certainly thought provoking and brought up issues that most of us will face in our lives. This is the first book in Amy Clipston’s Amish Homestead series and I’m honestly looking forward to reading more about these two special families.

Amy Clipston has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her fiction writing “career” began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan College and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. She is the author of the bestselling Kauffman Amish Bakery series with Zondervan, which is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

Jamie and Leon are firefighters. They were called to go to a fire in Ronks. They were headed to the Diener farm where there was a barn fire. They went to the barn and found a fourteen-year-old boy Nathan on the ground with a beam on top of his legs. They lifted the beam off and got him to safety. Kayla is Nathan’s sister. She just met firefighter Jamie that evening. Jamie encouraged Nathan to be a firefighter. Kayla doesn’t want Nathan to be a firefighter as she knows someone who was killed while firefighting.

Join this story as Kayla and Jamie find a love interest in each other. Also, Jamie goes thru a family tragedy that he is struck by. A moving Amish story.

The first book in the Amish Homestead series, A Place at Our Table brings us to a quiet town in Lancaster County.

"Grief is tough. It has a way of sneaking up on you."

Grief. Such a heavy word. In A Place at Our Table, the first of a new series, Amish Homestead by Amy Clipston, grief lays claim as one of the major themes. It's not just the melancholic experience, but the premise of grieving, and finding the light of hope amidst the darkness that grief creates. And hope we will see.

I just love the author's writing. She has a way to bring readers into each of her story, at least in the ones I've read. In A Place at Our Table, readers will experience heartache as scenarios enfolds, just as our characters will. It's like Jamie, Kayla or each of their family and friends are personal friends of ours, at at least acquaintances that we know. The connection isn't just between our characters, but also with the readers as well. The community, and especially the support between the Riehl and Dienner families really brought out the kindness of neighbors, and it made me want to be a part of it.

Sadness from lost, stress when pulled too tight and guilt of what could've been all intertwined in the characters' lives, but how it played out, that's A Place at Our Table. The perfect articulation of dealing, of trusting and of forgiving, partnering with God's grace and mercy made for quite a insightful read. I love it and I look forward to the next books in the series.

"We always have a place at our table for our freinden."


Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.
Please note, all quotes are taken from ARC (essentially an uncorrected proof). Please do not share quote or if do, please make note that it is taken from an ARC.

A Place at Our Table a story of loss, grief, found Love, GODs good covering and everlasting love. You have one who was hurt with her heart so she haves an everlasting guard over it. When it came to guys on the other hand you have one who is selective in love and hasn't found it yet until he found Kayla. Kayla then decides to make open her heart and give him a chance. He was so taken with her until something disasterous happens and changes everything. There is broken hearts and GOD is there shining in the midst. So what happens to the two hearts? GOD knows, you will too if you read the book and find the exciting stories ending.

By far the best book from the author. It was soul moving and it shook my emotions with the way she grasped the characters and their stories. It was touching to see the spark grow into romance between our beloved characters. As far as the beginning to a new series, this is outstanding. Kayla has faced much in her young life and when she meets Jamie, she questions everything. A man that could easily take her heart up in smoke. Jamie is facing love and danger, but can he allow his heart to continue to bloom? I felt as though we as readers became instantly committed to this story and the characters.

This book is on my list for top picks for 2017. The emotions in the story were so real, I cried along with the characters. Two families each dealing with a tragedy come together with food and compassion to heal. I would love to sit at the table with these families and listen as they share their pain and encouragement.

Kayla was such a sweet character and I love how she tried to look after her younger brother. When you lose someone due to their job , it’s hard to watch another of your family members want to follow in their footsteps. Her family has gone through a devastating loss and are trying to move on. I really liked Nathan and wanted to give him a hug. He seemed so mature for his age and handled his grief very well. What I liked best about him was his eagerness to be a volunteer firefighter like his older brother. This did cause Kayla distress and made Nathan a bit upset. Her fear was real to her and something she will have to deal with. Have you ever been afraid something bad was going to happen and let fear take over?

Jamie is a hard worker and seems to keep himself going in circles with all his responsibilities. Can you remember a time you said “ I’ll fix that soon, or I’ll get to it as soon as I can?” Those words will become the focal point for Jamie when something happens that I didn’t see coming. I wept as I read what the family was going through and felt so sorry for Jamie. He carries guilt over the accident and that fuels him to take on more work. Being a volunteer firefighter gives him an outlet to try and save everyone. Will he be able to forgive himself for something he thinks is his fault?

When the two families meet, I loved how they touched each other’s lives by offering compassion and support. The author does a great job of allowing each character to heal in their own way. I loved how the characters learned to trust again and slowly bring two families together. The book is so touching that I didn’t want it to end. I felt like I was sitting at the table with each family watching them interact with each other. Very few authors can write a story that can make you feel like you are there with the characters. This author has done an amazing job of allowing readers to feel like part of the story. As I read the book, I forgot everything around me. I loved reading how Kayla and Jamie became friends and slowly allowed God to bring them closer together. The title of the book is powerful to me, because it represents to me that there is always a place at the table to find forgiveness, healing and love.

I purchased a copy of this book and the review is my own opinion.

This is the story of Kayla, a young adult Amish woman, whose older brother lost his life as a volunteer firefighter. He left behind his family, including a wife and child who will never know his father.
I learned a lot about emergency responders from this book.
Kayla meets Jamie, a volunteer firefighter when a neighbors barn burns. To Kayla's dismay, her younger brother is taken with Jamie and inquires about becoming a volunteer firefighter himself. At times, Kayla's reactions and responses to this is annoying and over the top. Kayla is developing her own feelings for Jamie which causes her some distress. Does she want a future with a firefighter after what happened to her brother? And, does Jamie even have the time to commit to a relationship with his duties to the fire department and his father? You'll have to read it for yourself to find out!
I was given a free copy of this to read by the publisher, Zondervan and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Plenty of tragedies and heartache in this start to the Amish Homestead series. Overall, an okay read for lovers of Amish fiction and plenty of room for the series to grow.

A Place at Our Table
By Amy Clipston
A Place at Our Table is the first story in Amy Clipston’s Amish Homestead Series.
The story centers on Jamie and Kayla and their journey to find trust in God and each other.
Jamie is a volunteer fire fighter and meets Kayla when he responds to a call at her home when her family’s barn catches fire. Kayla’s older brother, Simeon, was also a fire fighter, but he lost his life the year before. When Jamie encourages Kayla’s younger brother to train, she becomes very angry and insists that Jamie not talk to her brother about training. When Jamie discovers how her older brother died, he is instantly remorseful and attempts to make things right with Kayla. As they spend more time together, each discovers that the feelings they have are growing and developing. However, they are both worried about what a relationship might mean. Kayla doesn’t think she can handle being in a relationship with someone who continually puts his life on the line. And Jamie doesn’t think he has the time for a relationship, between work on the family farm and working at the fire station. When tragedy strikes Jamie’s family and grief consumes them, Kayla and her family try to help. They bring meals and offer comfort to the grieving family. Kayla and Jamie continue to try and grow their relationship, but it seems that one obstacle after another is always in the way. Will they be able to trust each other and trust God to show them the way? Or will they give up on love and their chance at happiness together?
I really enjoyed this story. The characters were well developed and it had a good mix of emotions. It made me laugh out loud and also brought tears to my eyes. I love Clipston’s books and am excited to see where this series will go next. I feel like I got to know both families and look forward to growing and bonding with them.
I received a free copy of this story from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

James/Jamie was an Amish volunteer firefighter as well as working on his father's dairy farm. After an hour of sleep the fire alarm went off again. The firefighters were being called to a barn fire. Jamie had met Leon nine years ago when they both had been training to be a volunteer firefighter. They were both sixteen and became fast friends. Then they met up again about a month ago when jamie was reassigned to station # 5. The firefighters got to the Dieners farm. Jamie went into the burning barn as the farmer’s fourteen year old son had went into the barn to try to get their horses out. A large wooden beam had fallen on Nathan but with Noah’s help they got nathan free and Jamie carried him out. Then Noah and Jamie went back in for the horses but Jamie lost his sense of direction but Noah found him and Jamie, Noah , and the horses got out okay. When Jamie mentioned to Nathan about training to become a volunteer fireman his older sister kayla got very upset and told jamie to stay away from Nathan. Jamie didn’t know that it was her brother Simeon who had lost his life as a volunteer firefighter about a year ago. Simeon had left behind a pregnant wife Eva at the time. Eva and Jr lived with Kayla’s family even now. Jamie tried to go up and apologize to Kayla but she didn’t really want to hear it. The whole family thanked Jamie for saving Nathan’s life and helping to get the horses out. Jamie didn’t know Kayla’s family owned the restaurant in town and Jamie didn't know it until he and his brother Mark stopped in one day when in town on errands. Kayla and Eva both waited tables in the family restaurant. Kayla’s mind wandered to thoughts of Jamie and she didn’t understand why. She found as she took Jamie and Mark’s order she was strangely affected by Jamie. And once again didn’t understand why this was true. Kayla had her heart broken by Abram. Who had taken her for granted and put his friends before her and then he broke up with her stating he wasn’t ready for a serious relationship. Jait thought about Kayla a lot also.
I loved this book. I loved the plot and pace. I also loved how it showed even though the Amish have a strong faith they're still very human. They make mistakes and don’t always fall back on the faith as they are raised to. This book has a lot of faith in it and I loved the way it was depicted. I loved Jamie and Kayla together they both helped each other heal. I felt Nathan added a lot to this book and I loved his character. I also loved Eva's character and how she show true love is real even with the death of someone you love. I also loved how she chose to stay with her husband's family and was an important part of the family. I loved the closeness of the family’s that is rare today as far as I can see. I happily couldn’t find anything to criticize in this book. A new favorite of mine. I loved the ins and outs of this book as well as all the characters and I highly recommend.

A Place at our Table is an amazing start to a new series by Amy Clipston. I liked this book, though I have a few complaints. First, I started off being annoyed with Kayla. She's an abrasive character from the start. Actually, I want to backtrack and say that Kayla is really my only complaint.

Let me tell you a little bit about Kayla. Her insecurity causes her to lash out at others—a trait that seems to grate on my nerves. This abrasiveness escalated throughout the book. Coupled with her insecurity, Kayla began to constantly nag at Jamie or even refuse to trust him—even when he explained that he missed a date to save a baby that was involved in a car accident. I can't imagine being angry at a man for being a hero. I can understand missing him and worrying about him. But holding a grudge for stopping to help people? I honestly feel like Kayla really needed more time alone to overcome her insecurity and honestly I worry about her constantly nagging her husband. Did I really just admit to worrying about a fictional couple?

Jamie was a darling and he really carried this book. I loved him oh so much! Was he a workaholic? Yes. Did he react poorly to grief? Yes. But, I felt for him and could empathize with his version of grief. But, I just can't agree with how Kayla treated him. Perhaps with time, I could have accepted them more but I felt she had much growing up to do.

Overall I loved this book and again, that was largely for Jamie. I want to like Kayla. I just hope she fully worked out her issues.

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

A Place at Our Table by Amy Clipston is the first An Amish Homestead Novel. Kayla Dienner lives in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania with her family. They are awakened in the middle of the night when lightning strikes their barn setting it on fire. James Riehl is one of the volunteer firefighters who responds and he is smitten with Kayla. Kayla, though, does not appreciate James encouraging her younger brother, Nathan in signing up for volunteer firefighting training. The Dienner family lost their oldest son, Simeon while he was serving as a volunteer. Kayla is attracted to James, but she is not sure she is willing to risk her heart again. After several chance encounters, James starts to court Kayla. Then a tragic accident happens upsetting James and his plans for his future. Kayla becomes frustrated and pushes James away. Is there a chance for these two to have their happily-ever-after?

A Place at Our Table is well-written and has a good pace. I thought the characters were well-constructed and realistic. I was immediately drawn into the story and it held my attention until the very last page. There is heartache, love, grief, anger, forgiveness, grace, fear, guilt and regret in A Place at Our Table. I also appreciated the messages regarding God’s will, power of prayer, and His has plans for each of us. It is lovely to see how an Amish community comes together to help their neighbors. It is a shame there is not more of this in our world. I enjoyed the Amish volunteer firefighter angle. This is my first Amish novel with this theme (very unique). A Place at Our Table is a heartwarming as well as heartbreaking story. I look forward to reading the next An Amish Homestead Novel (Room on the Porch Swing) when it comes out in the spring.

Amy Clipston writes powerful books. I have been a fan for years. This book though hit a nerve. I laughed and cried. I wanted to hug every character in this book. I received a copy through Netgalley. I was not able to put it down once I began reading. Her story drew me in and kept me turning the pages. Being able to relate to the characters" inner turmoil was what brought her story to life.
Kayla has been living in a nightmare for the last year. When her attraction for Jamie becomes apparent, she must decide if she can put her heart to the flame or will she let it fizzle out? Meanwhile when tragedy strikes Jamie's family, he must learn to fit the demons that threaten to consume him. Will he be able to walk through the fog back into the light? Each of these characters must overcome their fears before their future can become clear. I loved this story. I do hope their is another book.

A young Amish volunteer firefighter who lives and breathes his family dairy farm and the fire station. A young Amish woman who works in her family’s restaurant and lives and breaths her family life. Two broken families touched by grief. And two young people who find themselves falling in love with grief and baggage and an obnoxiously annoying inability to actually communicate with each other in a way that makes sense and helps them move forward through all that is life instead of moving them backward. I loved them, I cheered for them, I virtually smacked them and at times I simply despised them. They were both completely selfish and drowning in self-pity that manifested in different ways. They both had, and still have, a lot of growing up to do. Despite the conflicting emotions I’m still completing rooting for them.

‘A Place at Our Table’ tells the story of Jamie Riehl and Kayla Dienner. She lost her brother to a fire when he was a volunteer firefighter. He lost his mother to an accident that he feels responsible for. Let’s talk about Kayla first. She’s an annoying self-centered twit. She’s been hurt by an ex-boyfriend, like really hurt. She was has last priority in everything. She’s hurt by the loss of her brother. She’s bossy. She wants to be the center of Jamie’s world and she can’t handle it when she’s not his only priority. Let’s face it. She’s every single one of us, we just tend to keep it tucked inside and aren’t quite as outspoken about it. Jamie. He’s the oldest son of a dairy farmer. He feels as though the farm is his future and his priority. Farm and family. That extends to his work as a volunteer firefighter as well. His commitment to public safety is his priority. He doesn’t date, he is reeling from the death of his mother and he has Kayla that can’t leave his thoughts. He was an entire different display of self-centeredness with his martyr complex. Everything, literally everything, was his fault and his responsibility.

The truth is that neither one of them were in a position to consider a relationship. They had too much baggage to fall in love. But baggage doesn’t care about love does it? They were both annoyingly self-centered. But that doesn’t care about feelings does it? These two people irritated the dickens out of me. They grated on my nerves and I wanted to Gibbs’ smack them and yell at them. But you know what? I also kinda grew to adore them. I could see past their self-centered insecurity and martyr complexes and immaturity and the absolute idea that neither was emotionally steady enough nor mature enough to jump into a relationship. I’m rooting for their future. If they can just get themselves in check individually so that they can check as a couple. There’s hope there.

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.

As always, a great book by author Amy Clipston. This one dramatically shows the stress of responsibility that can be experienced by our first responders. Add grief to the mix and you have a family who needs God’s grace and mercy.

I found it very interesting the way that Clipston mixed the cultures of the English and the Amish worlds. Well-formed characters will pull you right into this story of love, loyalty and healing. I highly recommend it! I’m looking forward to Book 2!

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.