The Amish Quilter is a beautifully written inspirational romance. I loved the plot and the setting. I have read Ms Clark’s book before but the other author was new to me and I enjoyed the writing. I highly recommend this book.

Rating: 4.5/5

This is a delightful Amish romance in which Linda, a gifted quilter, discovers that life just isn’t as perfect as she dreams of and has lots of surprises along her way to finding happiness.

Linda Mueller is the youngest daughter in the Mueller family but hates being referred to as “Little Sister” as some of her older siblings fondly refer to her. She’s very idealistic and struggles to accept anything - or anyone - who doesn’t meet the standards she aspires to. She is also quite quick to judge others but is in for some startling revelations concerning her own family in this enthralling story.

She hasn't been attracted to any of the local young men but when she meets Isaac, things start to change. However she is unaware of his past and her idealism may tear the two apart before their love stands any chance....

I really enjoyed this book which has great characters and gives an insight into the lives of this largely Amish community, including revelations from the past that shed light on the impact of the financial problems in the between war era on families. It was a real page turner and, although Linda’s immaturity showed through many of her initial attitudes and reactions, she grows as the story develops. It was great learning of the family secrets and relationships both of which are explored further making it an intriguing story which I have no hesitation in recommending to anyone who enjoys a lovely, ‘clean’ romance with a great characters and delightful plot.

I requested and was given a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.

The Amish Quilter is really good read. I enjoyed going on Linda's journey to learn her Grandmothers history. She is also trying to figure out her feelings for Isaac . He has a history she's not sure she can move past. He is helping on her sisters farm after her husband passes away. He helps with finding details they use to find the answers to family secrets. This book shows so many views of how family secrets can affects lives and the losses that happen when those secrets are kept for so long.

Linda may be the "Little Sister" of the family but she knows what she wants when it comes to a husband and family or so she thinks. As Linda explores her creativity in making quilts she learns of her grandmother's artistic painting ability that was frowned upon so many years ago.

Issac has moved the area to take care of an aging relative and build his home painting business. He has a talent of his own with a paintbrush and canvas. He agrees to help Linda look into her family's past but the closer they get to the past the more his past comes to the present.

Can Linda look beyond her rigid idea of the perfect husband to give love a chance?

I did not pay attention that this was the fifth book in a series until I got to the end. It read as a beautiful stand alone novel. This novel is not your typical Amish romance with more fluff than seriousness. The authors did not shy away from tackling heavy taboo topics such as autism, depression and family members growing apart. I found that the novel read quick even with such meaty topics. I would still feel comfortable giving this novel to a teenager to read as the romance was clean, no violent scenes and no foul language.

I cannot say that Linda is my favorite character of all time. I found her bit perturbing. She was a little whiney at times when it came to learning everyone but her knew something. She was not a good listener when she needed to be when others were trying to help her navigate her feelings for Isaac. I would get so frustrated with her that I wanted to throw the book. On a good note she kept my interest in the novel as I wanted to keep reading to see if she ever got off her high horse.

I am interested to read the other books in the series. The funny thing is I believe I have a few in my TBR pile. Maybe I should move those up closer to the top.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley from Harvest House Publishers. Any opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Amish Quilter is a beautifully and skillfully woven story about Linda, a young Amish woman who is passionate about quilting; it tells the story of her friendship with Isaac, a newcomer to her Lancaster county community, and of their shared passion for art and creativity within the confines allowed by their Ordnung. The Amish Quilter also tells the story of how Linda researches her family's history to find out more about her grandmothers' past, as Linda is quite curious regarding the reason her father's family has not been involved in her family's life during her growing up years. Linda also devotes time to her older sister and her sister's children, following her brother in law's passing due to illness. Isaac, her sisters' brother in law, and Linda, first discover each other in this setting. Isaac kindly offers to help her research her grandmother, and it is through this time together that they begin to bond.
The Amish Quilter includes many themes such as of course, forgiveness, understanding, and second chances. I very highly recommend this compelling story!

4 stars
“A gifted young quilter... a successful artist... the life-changing revelation that threatens to tear them apart.”
I have previously read many books by Mindy Starns Clark that I loved, so I was eagerly looking forward to this book! I really enjoyed the storytelling, the setting and the characters. The characters felt real and their struggles are understandable given the Amish setting. I enjoyed getting to know Isaac and Linda while on their journey for the true past of Linda’s grandma Nettie.
The only negative about the book is the Amish part of the story seemed a tad bit forced. I have read a number of Amish books through the years which all seemed to be thoroughly researched and true to the Old Order Amish community. This one seems like a few Amish words were thrown in for effect without a great deal of research about an Amish community. I did enjoy the friendships that developed between both the Amish and the “Englisch”.
The story was unexpected and satisfying. If you like books that are Christian based, interesting and a little bit unexpected, you will love this book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this story, and it is actually a few stories in one, and then it circles to include each one.
What does quilting and artistic painting have to do with one another, well that is what the author is about to show us as this story unfolds. There is a bit of sadness, a little romance, and an unfolding family mystery, that comes to light. Our main character Linda, seems to oblivious to a lot that goes on around her, especially concerning her family and community, and secrets that others have shared.
Once a hand painted picture is found, we are in for a treat as unknown family members are found.
A page-turner for sure!
I received this book through Net Galley and Harvest House Publishers, and was not required to give a positive review.

Another sweet edition to this series. Readers trying to overcome past relationships or hurts will benefit by this story. The characters are relatable and well developed. Linda's feelings of being invisible was heartbreaking but also hard to believe that she never spoke up. Highly recommended.

I requested this title because I love Amish stories. It's a less evasive way to get to know their culture without asking too many questions. As I continued reading, I found this identifiable and deep. I felt for the female lead. How she wanted to learn about her family. How she felt blindsided by the things her family kept from her, but also how it all made her grow. It's a good read for people who want something simple but absorbing enough to keep turning the page.

Linda has an artistic bent in her quilts, which makes her job at the quilt store the perfect fit for her. She is the youngest sister and one of a number of children her mom and dad have. The family is known for secrets and she accidentally stumbles on one that puts her on a quest to find the history of her family.

Isaac is a rarity in the Amish world--he's an artist and he helps Linda with her search. As the search continues, Isaac and Linda become closer and closer friends. There was a hitch in this relationship as well. Linda wanted to marry a man who was as innocent as she was. but Isaac had been married before. This sets up the most significant conflict in the book.

Some of the minor conflicts were between Linda and her sisters. Sister Sadie had autistic twins who needed more than what they were getting, but they didn't need the harsh treatment Sister Becky prescribed. Brother Thomas showed every sign of depression but Becky just thought he was being lazy. Sister Tabitha was called away to help Sister Izzy with her new baby right when Linda needed help with Sadie's farm.

Tabitha is portrayed as a flibberty-gibbet, Sadie is a recently widowed, overwhelmed mom with three children and another one on the way, Becky is a stern taskmaster married to a man who is just as stern, and Izzy jumped the fence with a Mennonite husband. She is the most helpful for Linda and later on for Tabitha.

Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould are a great pair of authors who meld well in presenting interesting Amish fiction that grabs the reader on the very first page.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a new Amish quilt for your home.

My thanks goes to Harvest House publishers for allowing me to read and review this book

Linda lives a very Plain life in her Amish county. She is the youngest of the girls in her family, with younger brothers, and a very talented Quilter. She has a busy family life, with helping her sister with a death of her husbands, new babies and children, as well as her family’s farm and her job in the local quilt shop.
She meets Isaac, a young Plain who comes back to the county from and English life. They become close friends, and with Isaac’s assistance, Linda researches into her Grandmothers life and history after finding her last painting. As Isaac is a very talented artist, they become involved with the mystery of quilts and the arts.
As they get closer, Linda discovers his past when he was living an English life, and feels compelled to not continue in anything but friendship. But their feelings grow for each other.
Can Linda put Isaac’s past behind her, as others in the community have done, and find love and happiness in the one who was meant for her.
A really lovely book. A first for me from these 2 authors and I look forward to reading many more in the future.

Linda Mueller lives an orderly, uneventful existence, content to divide her time between creating the beautiful quilts for which she is known and working at an Englisch fabric shop.
Idealistic to a fault, Linda has never found a man worth marrying—until she meets Isaac Mast, a newcomer to Lancaster County and a talented painter. As they bond over their respective crafts, Linda is drawn to Isaac's kind ways, humble spirit, and intriguing personality, and soon the seams of her carefully-constructed world begin to loosen.
With Isaac's help, she explores the story of her late grandmother, also a gifted artist. But when an astonishing truth comes to light, Linda faces a grave decision, one that could destroy any hope of a future with Isaac. Will their dreams of a life together completely unravel? Or can she find some way to stitch them back together again?

I really got caught up in this book about Linda and Isaac. It is a mystery/romance, which happens to be some of my favorites. I wanted to tell and shake her to get rid of her idealism about “the perfect man” for a husband. The Knight in Shining Armor is only in fairy tales. But it takes going through the mystery of finding her grandmother was a twin and getting to know the whole background of that side of the family that no-one knew about. Through that, everyone’s lives got changed - and for the better.

The Amish Quilter is a joint effort of two authors: Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould.

Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of more than 30 books, both fiction and nonfiction, and has received numerous literary honors, including two Christy Awards and RT Book Reviews 2012 Career Achievement Award. Mindy and her husband, John, have two adult children and live near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Leslie Gould is the best-selling and award-winning author of thirty novels. She loves traveling, research, Shakespeare's plays, and church history. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon and are the parents of four children.

I was given an ebook copy of this book by NetGalley for this review.

This is a lovely story - a sweet romance with a good ending. Based on this book, I will be looking out for the other tales about The Women of Lancaster County.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

In The Amish Quilter by Clark and Gould, we meet the youngest Mueller sister, Linda. Linda, is young, naïve, and set to live life in a neat little pattern that fits nicely into her lifestyle. Not only does she crave perfection in her life, she also strives for excellence in the quilts she makes. Issac, new to town, is a house painter by trade and a paints beautiful works of art in his spare time. What Linda craves in perfection, he does in faith, stepping into the unknown and letting God lead.
When Linda discovers family secrets, she sets about to solve the mystery surrounding her grandmother. Working on the mystery of her grandmother, brings Linda and Issac closer together, but another secret threatens to tear them apart.
I found the book a little hard to get into at first, but a wonderful read once the story really picked up.
I received a free copy of this story from Harvest House and Net Galley in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A return to the Women of Lancaster County series by Clark and Gould. In this installment we meet Linda—the little sister of several of the previous women in the series. Linda feels discounted and ignored. Linda is a quilter and likes things orderly and precise. She is gifted with her quilting and feels drawn to Isaac, a painter who moves to Lancaster County to help with his grandmother. The story involves a mystery as Linda searches for information about her grandmother, as well as a romance with Isaac. Linda is idealistic and naïve. The story was intriguing and kept my interest to the end. You could read this book without having read any of the previous installments in the series.

Light, patterns and textures of the landscape in Lancaster County Linda would love to make into quilts, the artistic and English quilts she makes. They say I am a perfectionist, that’s why I haven’t found a suitor yet. Issac new to the area, a painter, now doing houses, since his art work was new to people here, and selling was slow. Seeing his work and the passion and emotion that reflected from them. How do I tell him how good they are. Powerful story of family secrets of a young woman not being able to paint, and express what was part of her. To find out later that someone who had taken them and now worked with them in her work. Story of expectation, of what one should or shouldn’t do. Issac was living a life of faith, one step at a time, going where God led him. Was Linda missing out by not letting him court her, and he would once again relocate if he couldn’t. Life was like quilts, the twists and turns in the design, Given ARC by Net Galley and Zondervan for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.

When I saw that this book was available on Netgalley I knew I just had to read it. I love the team writing of Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould. I've yet to read a badly written book by this team. They work together to produce a well-written story. This book is 5th in the Women of Lancaster series. It's been over four years since the last novel in this series. Some of the characters from previous books make an appearance in this one such as Izzy Mueller and her husband Zed. Izzy is the sister of the main character Linda. Also Ezra has a minor role. He expresses an interest in one of the other Mueller girls. The story captured my attention because like Linda my hobby is quilting. I'm also interested in family history. Linda with the help of Issac does some research on Linda's grandmother who in her later years lived a bitter life but at one time was a gifted painter. As Linda spends more time with Issac her affections grow for him but finds out something disturbing about his past. She is rather idealist. Even her close family feels she is too idealist. I loved seeing how the character worked through her issues. I loved seeing how the mystery of her grandmother Nettie's past was unraveled.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harvest House Publishers NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book will be released on May 1, 2018.

The Amish Quilter is a delight to read. The struggle that Linda felt in her family and budding romance was heartfelt. I really enjoyed the genealogy research that was part of the storyline. We are doing some in our own family and I found it a personal interest. I also think readers will be interested in the storyline of depression and mental health in the family. It is something that is not often discussed in books. I totally recommend this book with five stars.

I almost gave up on this one. I was about 40% through the book before it really got interesting. The author spent a lot of time setting up the characters and the backstory, and it was disjointed and not very interesting at all. That said, I'm glad that I pushed through that part, because the last part of the book was considerably more interesting. There was a mystery to solve and the characters interweave in such a way that you're not sure how the whole thing will play out. I found the premise interesting - you don't see many Amish books where the family dynamics are like this one - and liked the themes of acceptance and letting go.

A sweet and thoughtful Amish story, with a touch of romance, a touch of mystery, and a touch of sadness and illness. The main character is Linda, who as the title implies is a quilter. She is so rigid in how everyone should fit into a tight box of right and wrong, and she has not time for the all the messy parts of life. Completely ignoring that the messy parts is what life is all about. At times I got frustrated with her, and her dismissal of Isaac, when she discovered his past. Obviously a HEA at the end, and when it was reached it felt right. I had to keep reminding myself how young she was, and a lot of her views reflected that well. Good story, and one I highly recommend. The mystery of her family's past was a great plot line, that added well with the romance.