This is a lovely collection of Christmas-themed Amish novellas with a variety to offer different reading experiences (which is a good thing). I find this one of the best collections of Christian novellas I have read in a couple of years.

A personal favourite is "SNOW SHINE ON ICE MOUNTAIN by Kelly Long", because I love her take on sexuality and healing. Sexuality and Amish/Christian fiction? Yes. Ms Long's works are deeply sensual and she is, let's say, not shy to discuss - and describe - the subject. YET! Never have I recognized such a deep respect for a God's gift of sexuality. She writes about it with dignity, living faith and a need to add to the very much needed healing in this area, too (as we live in the fallen world).
Here, we do not have som many of her signature vulnerable and sensual scenes :) Yet, Handsome Gray considers himself to be good for "only one thing" after the accident what left his hand damaged. Naomi considers herself plain and homely. They both need to heal their broken hearts, and Christmas is the time for miracles.

"A HONEYBEE CHRISTMAS by Jennifer Beckstrand" is a double winner because of portraying an older couple (in their fifties) to encounter romance - and because Bitsy Kiem is such a hoot! Hilarious and as sassy as they make them, she turns the world of very proper Amish widower Yost Weaver upside down. After all, she colours her hair, listens to rock musdic and may have a tattoo, too!

"THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE by Lisa Jones Baker" represents the traditional choice of Amish reading. Yet, while it is simple and sweet - there is still a need for the Christmas miracle for Amish girl Lydia and Mennonite John King.

Loved this collection of stories and enjoyed reading from a few Amish fiction authors I had not read previously. I so enjoy reading short stories like this because they can be completed quickly and you still get to enjoy the story without some of the fluff I feel like some of the stand alone books can have to fill space. So, this collection was well done. Love the Christmas theme and would definitely recommend.

I loved all three novellas in this collection. Each author wrote one of the novellas based around a candle at Christmas time.

At the heart of winter's darkness is the joyous glow of the Christmas season. In this love-filled holiday collection, warm yourself with the peaceful light of Plain gifts.

I got a free copy from NetGalley.

Kelly Long, Jennifer and Lisa have written a wonderful Christmas story that will have you laughing and renew your spirit and love for the holiday season.

A lovely compilation of solid Amish romance tales from talented authors. This is a great book to sit down during a cold Winter night and enjoy the message of the holiday season

The Amish Christmas Candle
Kelly Long
Jennifer Beckstrand
Lisa Jones Baker

The Amish Christmas Candle is three stories of love and joy in the Christmas season. Each one will bring a smile to your face and make you wish for Christmas. I really enjoyed reading them and they were a lot of fun!
In the first story, Snow Shine on Ice Mountain, Kelly Long brings us the stories of Naomi Gish and Gray Fisher. Naomi lives with her father and they have a candle shop that she runs. She worries about her father though, because he likes to run moonshine and she is afraid he will get in trouble or hurt himself. When he hires Gray to work at the candle shop to assist Naomi, (and himself on the side with the moonshine business), she is flustered and unsure she wants his help. Gray has a reputation as being a lady’s man and she doesn’t believe love is for her. Can the two of them find their way to each other while making a special Christmas candle for someone?
In the second story, Jennifer Beckstrand brings us A Honeybee Christmas. This was my favorite of the three. I loved it and laughed out loud several times. The two characters are fun and bring a lot of smiles to each other and the reader. Betsy Kiem went English as soon as she was able, but the death of her sister brought her back to the Amish community to raise her three nieces. They are grown now and Betsy is ready to return to her English life. However, when a young man, Levi Weaver, breaks some of her honey bee catching materials, she decides to have him help her create a candle business to pay off his debts. The only catch is that his grandfather is widower Yost Weaver, the man who was supposed to run away with her all those years ago and didn’t. Can Betsy and Yost find their way through the past and make a future together?
In the last story, The Christmas Candle, by Lisa Jones Baker, Lydia is looking forward to blessing someone at Christmas time, a tradition she and her sister have done together for years. Sadly, her sister is married now and moved away and Lydia finds the task daunting. When she meets John King, a Mennonite baker, she discovers that he has a need she can help with. They work together to bring a blessing to many in their community with his family’s homemade cinnamon rolls. However, will they make more than desserts together?
All three stories are fun and sweet and will make you happy for Christmas. I highly recommend you take the time this holiday season to enjoy them!
I received a free copy of this story from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

This book offers three Christmas related stories: Snow Shine on Ice Mountain, A Honeybee Christmas, and The Christmas Candle.

Snow Shine on Ice Mountain is a story about an Amish man, named Gray, who learns that even though he has made some mistakes in his life and has had a few rough patches, he is still worthy and lovable. Candle maker Naomi hires Gray to help in her shop. She falls for Gray but has heard about his reputation and rethinks about how things are moving between the two of them. Gray works hard to prove himself to Naomi and Naomi comes to realize that some people do indeed change.

A Honeybee Christmas is a telling of Yost, a grandfather who is trying to teach his grandson a lesson, and Bitsy, a woman who is Amish, but doesn't follow the rules. Yost's grandson messed with Bitsy's honeybees and Yost makes sure that his grandson repays Bitsy, which ends in the grandson helping to make candles with Bitsy. As time goes on, Yost realizes that though Bitsy is a little bit different than him, that doesn't mean that he should avoid her at all costs. They eventually become friends and as their friendship grows, they learn more about each other and life, wanting to make each other happy.

In The Christmas Candle, Lydia worries about what her Christmas project. She meets John, who helps his family run a local bakery. He shares with her that his family is having some issues with how to handle the demand for Christmas outreach. Lydia decides that she is going to help John and his family. Their friendship blossoms during this time and learn that it does matter if each other are from different religions, as long as there is love.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For those readers who enjoy Amish stories, The Amish Christmas Candle will be a disappointment. Those who enjoy a strong romance theme might have a different opinion. This book is made up of three novellas. I almost stopped reading after the first one. However I did find myself smiling while reading the second novella in the series- A Honeybee Christmas. Each of the books had a decent message. But I wouldn’t label these Christian or Amish books.
Snow Shine on Ice Mountain is centered around the instant physical attraction of Naomi and Gray It is filled with sexual innuendos. While the language stays clean, most of the story line seems to center around their secret desire for each other. I didn’t find anything Amish about the book at all except for the Amish dialect. It might have been more appropriate to drop the dialect, lose the Christian tag, and label Snow Shine on Ice Mountain as a Harlequin. Mixed into the story was a theme of grace and forgiveness.
A Honeybee Christmas was more believable as an Amish story. But it was still quite a bit far-fetched. Honeybee Christmas was quite entertaining though and I couldn’t help laugh outloud. I really enjoyed this novella. The storyline had a strong theme of acceptance and loving one another for who we are. It also presented the concept of not judging a person by their appearance.
The Christmas Candle is the final novella. It just could not keep my attention enough to read it in its entirety. It was way too predictable.
Writing a book takes time and hard work. And often whether a book is enjoyed is just a matter of personal preference. I was expecting a Amish Christmas Christian novella and found none of that. But perhaps without those expectations, I may have had a different opinion. Those who enjoy a strong romance theme storyline might have a better appreciation for The Amish Christmas Candle. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Starts with a Bang, Ends with a Whimper

I was in the mood for something Amish and something Christmas. When I found The Amish Christmas Candle, a collection of novellas by Kelly Long, Jennifer Beckstrand, and Lisa Jones Baker, I thought perhaps I’d had my fix. Unfortunately it wasn’t all I hoped it to be. Here’s a brief synopsis of each and my take on them:

Snow Shine on Ice Mountain by Kelly Long tells the story of Naomi Gish, who is quite the talented candle maker on Ice Mountain. She’s thoughtful, kind – and feels extraordinarily plain and old. When her moonshine-running father decides to hand over the reins of his ill deeds to Grayson “Gray” Fisher, he uses the guise of Naomi needing help in her candle shop…and Naomi is none the wiser.

Gray is a player. He may be Amish, but he’s a lost soul. He knows that Naomi isn’t like the other girls – and that may just be a good thing.

My Take: As with most of the Ice Mountain books, this novella is rather overt when it comes to the physicality of a relationship. That being said, it delivers a good message about God’s grace. Additionally, the story really hold your interest ‘til the end. Definitely a well thought-out storyline.

A Honeybee Christmas by Jennifer Beckstrand takes readers to widower Yost Weaver and eccentric Bitsy Keim. They go back a long time – 35 years. Yost is set in his Amish ways, but when he forces grandson Levi to settle a misdeed with Bitsy, he comes along. After all, Bitsy has a reputation. Yost can’t stand her – until now!

Bitsy Keim returned from the Englisch world, after 20 years, to raise her three orphaned nieces. But she couldn’t leave many of her Englisch ways behind her – like her purple hair and dangly earrings. When sparks fly between Yost and Bitsy, who will bend? Yost is determined her can reform this wayward soul.

My Take: This was a fun novella, but a bit far-fetched as something credible that would happen in an Amish community. That being said, Bitsy in particular was an absolute hoot that I’d enjoy having as a quirky neighbor!

The Christmas Candle by Lisa Jones Baker introduces readers to Lydia Schultz who comes from a small family. Her only sister has recently married and she feels lost without her, especially at Christmas when they usually light a special candle for a special reason.

Mennonite John King happens upon Lydia who has just injured her ankle. He gives her a ride home and a friendship quickly develops. As providence would have it, John’s family’s bakery becomes part of Lydia’s reason for the special candle.

My Take: Unfortunately, Baker’s story leaves much to be desired. Strong editing is needed. For example: “The room seemed unusually quiet. Lydia realized that if she dropped a safety pin onto the dark oak that shone with wood polish, she would be able to hear it meet the floor.” Word choice is everything. And once the story IS edited for superfluous wording, you are left with nothing more than a very short, predictable narrative.

I was given The Amish Christmas Candle in exchange for my honest review. There are two unifying themes throughout each: a candle, and a less-than-traditional take on the Amish. It starts off with a victorious bang with Kelly Long’s Snow Shine, and ends with a whimper, with Lisa Jones Baker’s The Christmas Candle. Jennifer Beckstrand’s Honeybee Christmas is a close second after Long’s novella. But to end with Baker’s novella was not wise. When I finished the collection, I was left nonplussed. I truly would have liked to give this collection higher marks, and if I could rate each novella individually, the outcome would be much different. But to each his/her own. Read it and see what YOU think.

I was in the mood for a light, fast read when I read this book, and that's exactly what I got. I enjoyed the three novellas and found that each one had characters that I liked.
A Honeybee Christmas was my favorite because I'm a fan of The Honeybee Sisters series by Jennifer Beckstrand. Aunt Bitsy has sacrificed so much to raise her three nieces and now that they are all married, it's time for her to find happiness for herself. There are several laugh out loud moments in this book that made reading this one a pleasure.
This is the time of year when we all get busy and I think this book is perfect when you want to relax with a cup of tea and an enjoyable read.
I received a copy from Netgalley and have given my honest opinion.

I am of two minds about this book. I read the first novella by Kelly Long and did not like it at all. I read the second one by Jennifer Beckstrand and liked it better but not as much as I thought I would. I was discouraged enough that I just would not read the third one at all. This is at best a two star collection.

I am still very appreciative of Kensington Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

I absolutely adored this book! Every novella was unique and inspiring. I thought it was sweet and romantic and perfect for Christmas!

The Amish Christmas Candle contains three Amish stories written by Jennifer Beckstrand, Kelly Long and Lisa Jones Baker. Snow Shines on Ice Mountain by Kelly Long is set in Ice Mountain, Pennsylvania. Naomi Gish makes and sells candles in her shop. She has been trying to convince her father, Bud to give up running moonshine. Bud hires Grayson Fisher to work in Naomi’s shop during the day and run moonshine for him at night (sneaky). Gray is bitter from an accident when he was fourteen that lost him the use of his right arm. During the holiday season miracles can happen. Is it possible for these two to find love and happiness this Christmas season?

A Honeybee Christmas by Jennifer Beckstrand tells the story of Bitsy Kiem. Bitsy is on her own now that the three nieces she raised are happily married. One day, Yost Weaver stops by with his grandson, Levi. Levi “borrowed” some bee equipment from Bitsy and needs to make restitution. Bitsy wants to start a candle making business and Levi can be her apprentice. Yost will not allow his grandson to spend time alone with the unconventional Bitsy and insists upon accompanying him. Yost and Bitsy become reacquainted. Can these two very different people find a way to be together?

The Christmas Candle by Lisa Jones Baker revolves around Lydia Schultz. Lydia injures her ankle on the way home and John King (King’s Bakery) stops to assist her. King’s Bakery provides cinnamon rolls for Christmas treats for those in need every year. This year the list has doubled and they might not be able to provide them. Lydia misses her sister, Anna since she married and moved to Ohio. Every Christmas they would decide on a Christmas blessing and make it happen. Lydia and John team up to help each other and other this Christmas.

The Amish Christmas Candle has three heartwarming Amish stories. My favorite is A Honeybee Christmas. It is well-written, has delightful characters and plenty of humor. Bitsy is quite a character (I wish I had her gumption and zest for life). I am glad the author gave us Bitsy’s story (from the Honey Bee Sisters trilogy). All three novellas are easy to read and have good life lessons (honesty, truth, love, value of compromise, true meaning of Christmas). Snow Shine on Ice Mountain is heavy on romance (a little sappy), but the father was so mischievous. I liked the bayberry candle (it was interesting to find out they were made) and the Christmas miracle. There is a preview of An Amish Courtship on Ice Mountain at the end which tells the story of Bishop Umble. The Christmas Candle had a slower pace than the other stories, but it has a lovely ending. There is a recipe for the cinnamon rolls and an excerpt for Rachel’s Dream. I give The Amish Christmas Candle 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).

This novella has three wondeful Christmas stories all made possible by candles.
Kelly Long's story is of two very different people working together to bring light to others. Their greatest challenge ends up being a miracle in return.
Jennifer Beckstrand's short story finally gives us a love story for eccentric Aunt Bitsy! Old love never dies, it can be reignited by the flame of a candle.
Finally, Lisa Jones Baker rounds out the book with a sweet story of two people who desire to help others, especially those in need. Besides a candle, another silent "character" is a cinnamon roll! Its description and aroma pulls you into the story and leaves you craving the sweet fragrant treat at the end! Fortunately, Jones Baker has included a recipe so you can get busy baking after reading!
This is definitely a book to put on your Christmas list!

The Christmas Candle was a book like none that I have read of an Amish book. I started reading along and it was wonderful I was enjoying it and within the first few paragraphs it starts off rolling you with heavy kissing and then heavy other things let me just say. it that way but nothing specifically sexual. So I said well are not reading more than that it was very interesting and then all of a sudden he looks at her female anatomy and Compares them to Apples and I stop right there because they talked about how he wasn't a virgin anymore because how he was the one where all the girls go to when they want to lose their virginity and now they about Anatomy so at that point I stopped reading. I stopped because my word if they were going to go that far how much further are they going to go in this book so as a Christian I could not go any further in fact as a Christian I shouldn't have gone as far as that when I was shocked when I read that I was embarrassed when I read that the kissing made me embarrassed because of the way they described it I'm not embarrassed of a little kissing but that wasn't a little kissing but this went way too far to call it and Christian book so as for me I did not think they should call this a Christian book especially with little girls who like to read Amish Christian books they're going to be in for a major surprise.

I enjoy being able to read short story compilations by different authors as it allows me to see if I will enjoy reading the author's other works.

I did not enjoy the first story, Snow Shine on Ice Mountain by Kelly Long. First let me say, this is my own personal opinion on how the story spoke to me. Please make your own opinions when you read the story. Second, the author is a great writer and my opinion in no way reflects her great writing. I read Amish fiction as a change from novels with lots of sexual innuendos and such. For me this story was too sexually charged.

A Honeybee Christmas by Jennifer Beckstrand was my favorite. Bitsy is a real hoot. We all need a little bit of Bitsy in us. This story has sparked my interest in reading the Honeybee series.

The Christmas Candle by Lisa Jones Baker was exactly what you expect of a sweet Amish Christmas story. You will finish with a smile on your face.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for an advanced copy to read and provide a review based on my own honest opinion.

The Amish Christmas Candle is a collection of sweet Christmas novellas with an aspect of candle-making in each one. I enjoyed each novella in their own unique way.
Snow Shine on Ice Mountain by Kelly Long is an inspiring Amish romance. Gray, who feels he is a little less of a person due to an accident as a child, takes a job working in Naomi’s candle making shop as a cover to help her father run moonshine. Naomi has always admired Gray from afar because she has been teased by others for being plain and unlikable, but her loving heartis worthy of any man's love. Gray quickly comes to realize that Naomi offers a peace that no other girl has ever offered him. Naomi starts to envision a future with Gray. Long did a great job with these characters and is was heartwarming to see the healing that took place in each lead character’s heart.

A Honeybee Christmas by Jennifer Beckstrand was such a cute story. I really love her Huckleberry Hill stories and found this one to be just as entertaining. I loved how the love story was based around non-traditional matches, two people in their 50’s. Bitsy was such a feisty lady and I loved her big heart and the compassion and service that she shown her community. It was heartwarming to see how she put others first in so many situations. Yost and Bitsy make the best couple! Great job Jennifer, I loved the adventure and would like to see what the future holds for these two.

The Christmas Candle by Lisa Jones Baker is the final tale in the collection. It was a quick read and I enjoyed every minute of it. Lydia worries about what to choose for her Christmas project with her sister now married and moved away. She is facing loneliness over the loss of her sister and confidant. A chance encounter places John in her path to help her along on a cold December day. John feels comfortable enough with Lydia to confide in her about the woes of how his family will handle the extra demand for their Christmas outreach this year. A sweet story of connection and love.
It did not take me but a day to read through all three novels in this book. They were sweet stories of love, hope, and healing. I would highly recommend it to all.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from netgalley in return for my honest opinion of the book.

The Amish Christmas Candle is a collection of stories each involving a candle. Each story is unique as is the voices of the authors who wrote them.

Snow Shine of Ice Mountain is the tale of two sweet characters brought together by a loving but mischievous father. It pushes the proper life of the Amish just slightly but when each finds love and worth for themselves in the other, a sweet ending is foretold.
A Honeybee Christmas brings us back to Bitsy Kiem. She was an English woman who gave up her life to raise her nieces in the Amish faith. With her nieces married and happy, Bitsy decides to have a little fun. However, Yost Weaver has other ideas..
The Christmas Candle shows us that love and help may not come as we believe it will. Lydia loves to help people. However, without her sister's assistance, Lydia feels that she may not be able to cope this year. When Mennonite John King shows her different, will they find love and a middle road?
Each story was told in a sweet way. I love this time of year. I received a copy through Netgalley. The positive review was not required.

Three beautiful Amish Christmas stories. Short but very nice. Enjoyed each one. They are different than some Amish books. Very enjoyable.

Three stories that have a candle involved in the telling, and end up with a bit of romance and a life lesson too.
The first surprised me because I don’t think of the Amish and bullying, but that is what happens to the main character, both as a youth and as an adult. You are in for quite a surprise as to how things turn out here.
The second story will be a reminder if you have read Jennifer’s previous books about Betsy Kiem’s nieces, and if you remember, she kept telling them not to feed the young men, or they won’t be able to get rid of them. Well the girls are back and we are updated on their lives, but there is more, and heartwarming, along with a few chuckles, life happenings for Betsy.
The third and final novella shows the pressure of falling in love with someone outside of your plain faith; yes we have Mennonite and Amish. Each of our characters seems to have deep problems, but will the love of others bring these two together.
I received this book through Net Galley and the publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review.