This anthology includes four sweet novellas about picnics, summer, and romance by four bestselling authors: Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, Kathleen Fuller, and Vanetta Chapman. Baskets of Sunshine by Amy Clipston: Ever since Kevin Weaver's parents passed away when he was young, he has lived with his brother's family. He's always craved a family of his very own. Kevin accepts the job as Freeman Mason's apprentice in his brick mason business hoping to pursue his own financial independence. Phoebe Kurtze is helping her sister with her booth at the market when her father's employee, Kevin catches her eye. They quickly become friends and are drawn to each other, but Kevin is convinced that the difference in their ages makes a relationship between them impossible. Amidst summer outings, Kevin and Phoebe must decide if love is worth taking a chance on. As always, Amy has written a sweet, fun story to read full of relatable characters. It was fun reading how Kevin and Phoebe's relationship progresses from friendship and seeing how they overcome the obstacles in their way. Candlelight Sweethearts by Kelly Irvin: Esther Marie Shrock loves her job at Valley Grocery Store and has worked there for four years. Even though she has a stutter that has plagued her since childhood, she thrives filling orders for a steady stream of customers. But, she does long for more and at the age of 25, she and her family are beginning to wonder if romance is in her future. Jasper Cotter isn't very good with people but he finds himself having to take over the day-to-day operations despite not having the first clue how to run a grocery store. Esther Marie and Jasper find themselves thrown together on a consistent basis and they definitely don't see eye to eye on how the store should be run. One night, after the store loses power, they have to work together to overcome the obstacles this presents and they slowly realize that they have more in common than they originally thought. They're surprised to discover that love may be in their future. Kelly always writes such sweet love stories. I always enjoy the easy, fun reads. She's very good at telling relatable stories peopled with characters that you can't help but like. Reeling in Love by Kathleen Fuller: Nina Stoll and Ira Yoder are only friends and fishing buddies. Every Saturday afternoon, they have a picnic at their favorite fishing hole and see who can catch the most fish. Then, Nina begins to wonder if there could possibly be more than friendship between them. She makes a plan to tell Ira how she feels but everything goes awry as circumstances seem destined to keep them apart. With Ira and Nina both confused and hurt, it's going to take courage and some help from the community's matchmakers to help them realize they're each other's perfect catch. This is another sweet, fun story from Kathleen. I haven't read a lot of her books but I'm definitely enjoying what I've read. I'll be adding Kathleen Fuller to my favorite Christian writers. Picnics and Prospects by Vanetta Chapman: Faith Troyer is claustrophobic and David Lapp is a builder of tiny houses. They went on a date years ago and it didn't exactly go well. Now that they're in their late twenties, both of their families are beginning to wonder if either of them will ever find their special someone. When a picnic outing is diverted by the discovery of a package of letters that date back to the 1970's, they team together to solve a mystery and, in doing so, begin to rethink their past and consider a future together. I really enjoyed reading how Faith and David work together as they solve the mystery and become closer as they do. They definitely have some obvious differences in their personalities but that doesn't keep them from being the perfect match for each other. Vanetta did a great job developing their relationship and personalities.

I received a copy of An Amish Picnic in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review.

This is a collection where I equally enjoyed every story! I loved the way picnics were incorporated into such different plots. Some involved mishaps, some were the perfect setting for a declaration of love, and some were a simple way to get to know each other. I thought all the authors did an exceptional job of creating vibrant characters that really came to life as I read. I especially loved Reeling in Love since friends-to-more is one of my favorite tropes. In Picnics and Prospects it was so sweet how David and Faith reconciled the date that went wrong and started anew with each other. A must-read collection for fans of Amish romance!

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.

When fear drives your actions and misunderstandings build up walls.

Four stories centered around Amish picnics. Picnics and romances always go well together. It's getting them together in these stories that become a challenge. Loved how each story faced the challenges in faith! Highly recommend.

A special thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I love Amish fiction and this book didn’t fail to disappoint. A lot of love, twists, and surprises led to a satisfying end.

Baskets of Sunshine is the only story in this book that I knew about the characters already as this story contains characters from The Bake Shoppe which is book one in the Marketplace series. I enjoyed all of the stories in this book very much !!
I liked how that miscommunication played a factor in all these stories.

Baskets of Sunshine by Amy Clipston
Kevin misjudges Phoebe and realizes that that he is harboring a past hurt that will not let him fall in love with someone new. He must come to terms with this or be alone. I think we all sometimes deal with this issue in one way or another.
Candlelight Sweethearts by Kelly Irvin
Esther deals with stutter and feels no one will love her and has feelings for Jasper. Jasper loves Esther but being shy has caused him to not let her know. Until an unexpected storm keeps them together in a darken store do they realize the both feel the same way.
Reeling in Love by Kathleen Fuller
Nina and Ira enjoy each others company as friends and enjoy fishing. This story teaches us that sometimes we need help from others to get the relationship going.
Picnics and Prospects by Vannetta Chapman
Faith deals with past hurts and hiding her claustrophobia and with David's help and a box of mysterious letters she is able to overcome and fall in love with David.

A book with four short stories written by four separate authors who never seem to disappoint.

All are clean romance stories that deal with a picnic, hence the title.

This book was hard to put down and the stories were great. I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys Amish Fiction or is looking for something simple to read.

A comforting read during this time of fear and uncertainty. A read that provides a few hours of escapism.

For fans of Amy Clipston, we get to know more about Phoebe from The Bake Shop. A great story to gently show up how we can make things more difficult than we need to at times.

Kelly Irvin reminds us love and friendship can be found in the most obvious places, right in front of our face.

Kathleen Fuller lets us know that family and friends are always willing to give you that gentle or not so gentle push towards love.

My favorite is the story from Vannetta Chapman. We get two love stories wrapped in one. When love is meant to be it will find a way no matter how long it takes.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Zondervan, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

I like reading novellas occasionally because you get a sampling of different authors writing, but since I was familiar with each of the four authors work I knew this would be a pleasant read that I could enjoy at my leisure. That was another positive for me, reading the stories at my leisure because the stories are all complete in a hundred pages or so which is good to read during busy times,

A picnic is a way to enjoy fun, food and friendship and in each of the short stories there was plenty of that. That's not to imply that there isn't some friction, misunderstandings and hurt feelings along the way, but every picnic I've ever gone usually had something worrisome happen, bugs, wind or some other unforeseen circumstance but it was always fun and worth it in the end. Summer is fast approaching so grab a copy of this book and enjoy a lovely day.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

An Amish Picnic is four stories by four well-known authors of Amish fiction. It is sweet and heart-warming and if you like Amish fiction, then you will definitely want to read it! The first story is called Baskets of Sunshine by Amy Clipston. It centers on Phoebe, younger sister to Christiana Kurtz, who we met in The Bake Shop. Phoebe meets Kevin, who works for her dad, at a job site one day and finds herself thinking of him more and more. Kevin likes Phoebe too, but he thinks he is too old for her. He also worries that dating her will cause him problems at work, since he works for her father. Will they be able to make things work between them?
In Candlelight Sweethearts by Kelly Irvin, Esther Marie, who we met in A Long Bridge Home, has a stutter. She is sure that no man would ever want her for a wife, since even speaking is hard for her. Jasper works the family farm supplying their store with all the produce that it needs. He has secretly like Esther Marie for years, but has a hard time talking to people. When Jasper has to take over the running of the store,will the two of them finally find the courage to get to know each other?
In Reeling In Love by Kathleen Fuller, Ira and Nina spend their Saturdays fishing side by side, as best friends. But Nina has recently realized that she feels more than friendship. When she tries to take a picnic to their fishing hole one day and reveal her feelings, everything gets twisted. Can the two of them work things out? Maybe, with a little help from their resident match-maker!
The final story is Picnics and Prospects, by Vanetta Chapman. In it, Faith and David had one disastrous date four years prior. Now, though, they seem to end up together at different events. When one of those events leads them to find a stack of letters from 1970, they work together to solve the mystery of who they belong to. Will they also solve the mystery of their relationship?
I had fun reading these stories. They are always light-hearted and leave me with a feeling of contentment. I especially love how they incorporate God's word into their messages, while still bringing a good story. Five stars!
I received a free copy of this story from NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own!

When I saw this collection of stories by these four excellent Amish authors, I eagerly anticipated reading this book. Each story reflects the author’s distinctive style and creativity. Each story was the perfect length and the endings were not rushed. All the stories have a “picnic” that creates a setting for the story. It was fun following all four couples through the course of their stories. Each couple had their own unique set of circumstances and challenges. I loved the faith, hope, and love that the authors infused into their storylines. This is a terrific book to read when you need something fun and uplifting to boost your spirits.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

An Amish Picnic is a collection of four Amish stories by four of the most popular Amish authors. These stories include:
Baskets of Sunshine by Amy Clipston – Kevin seeks to find a way to take care of himself. He soon meets his boss’s daughter, Phoebe. The two become fast friends and fall in love. Only there are a few obstacles they need to get through to make it possible. Is it worth it to become a couple?
Candlelight Sweethearts by Kelly Irvin – Esther has had to deal with a stutter all her life and works for Jasper’s family business. The two do not get along. They soon find themselves in a situation where they have to deal with their differences and soon to find out how they really feel for one another.
Reeling in Love by Kathleen Fuller – Friends Nina and Ira love fishing together. Just when Nina discovers she has feelings for him and wants to let him know, things happen to keep her from doing so.
Picnics and Prospects by Vannetta Chapman – Faith and David decision years ago that they were not a match. However, after they team together to solve a mystery, they start to wonder if they should rethink about their past decisions.

I enjoyed all four of the stories from An Amish Picnic. They were all sweet and clean Amish reads. They were mostly predictable but still very much enjoyment. I am giving this collection four stars.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

An Amish Picnic by Amy Clipston, Vannetta Chapman, Kelly Irvin and Kathleen Fuller contains four heartwarming tales. The four stories are Baskets of Sunshine by Amy Clipston, Candlelight Sweethearts by Kelly Irvin, Reeling in Love by Kathleen Fuller, and Picnics and Prospects by Vannetta Chapman. The picnic theme is carried out through each sweet story. I like how the author’s tied romance and picnics together. We get to see a man and woman who are attracted to each other, but there is something standing in the way of them getting together. Fears, misconceptions and miscommunication abound in each delightful Amish tale. I enjoyed reading novella collections because it is an opportunity to sample each author’s work and a story from each of their series. While the novellas may be part of a series, each can be read on their own. I liked that Christiana’s sister, Phoebe from The Bake Shop by Amy Clipston got her own story. We get to catch up with Christiana and the rest of the Kurtz family as well. Baskets of Sunshine was a cute story that shows you that it takes time to truly get to know a person. In Picnics and Prospects there is an Amish tiny home builder which I thought was unique. Faith and David find a packet of letters from the 1970s along with a puppy. They set out to solve the mystery of the letters. I like it when Amish stories have mysteries in them. It adds another level of depth to this romantic novella. Candlelight Sweethearts features Esther Marie who suffers from a severe stutter. We get to see how people treat her and the comments they make. There is one person, though, to whom it does not matter. Reeling in Love shows that friendship can develop into something more. It is an appealing, humorous story. An Amish Picnic has four Amish love stories that share a common theme but reflect each author’s writing style. An Amish Picnic contains four charming novellas that feature sunshine, warm weather, good food, fun and couples falling in love.

All four of the authors of these novellas are among my favorite Amish fiction authors. They did not disappoint. All four stories had the common theme of picnics and all four couple started as friends first. While I enjoyed all four stories, I will admit that my very favorite was Kelly Irvin's. We met Esther Marie in A Long Bridge Home. She stutters and was worried that she would never find a husband. Enter Jasper, whom we also met in A Long Bridge Home. While he was a little unlikable in that story, I was rooting for him to find the courage to ask Esther Marie for a date. He was finally able to show an entirely different side of himself towards Esther Marie. I thoroughly enjoyed all four of the stories and I can't wait for their next books! Thank you to Netgalley and Zondervan for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book, four different stories by four different authors, all revolving around a picnic or two.
We find there are a lot of places to have a picnic and some of them here are disasters, and others turn out wonderful, or at least they are able to get the attention of the person they want to notice them.
The picnics tie these stories together, but each author has different people involved, and some of them are old friends from previous books that I’ve read.
I love when I novellas to read, sometimes just a few minutes and I’ll read one, but all two quickly this book disappeared and the last page was turned.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.

I loved all four novellas in the Amish Picnic collection. Each author has been a favorite of mine for years and I have read many of their books. The stories flow and are a wonderful compliment to each other . I am now ready for spring and picnics although it is January in Ohio. I highly recommend this collections of sweet inspirational bovellas

An Amish Picnic is a fantastic collection of Amish novellas. Each selection is well written with a good storyline. I highly recommend this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Am Amish Picnic gives four novellas which bring together picnics and romance. Each story tells the story of a couple who face difficulties getting together. However what is better than a picnic to bring out the feelings. I love how the characters come together. Each author developed their characters and storylines so that this reader kept turning the page to see what would happen next. I found some old friends as well as some new in these stories. I look forward to more from them. I received a copy through Netgalley. I review was not required.

Loosely based on outdoor events, such as fishing and picnics, each of these novellas follows a couple through their tumultuous journey to couple-hood. There are some unconventional recipes for romance in here, including many special needs situations, that bring a rawness and real quality to the stories. In each adventure, the main characters deepen their understanding of themselves, their partners, and their relationships with God. My favorite of the four also includes quite a bit of mystery!