A Christmas Cake for Rebecca - A sweet middle-age tale of second chance romance.

Best Christmas Present Ever - My favorite of the three stories. Guaranteed to warm the coldest heart.

The Christmas Cupcake - A story that shows us to always treat others with kindness. You never know what others are going through.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

A Cake for Rebecca

I really enjoyed reading about Rebecca and her bakeshop and her special Christmas cakes. Loved the characters in the book and the story line. Aden was her one and only love and now he has returned. Will they be able to have a second chance.

I think you will enjoy this book

Best Christmas Present Ever

Lizzie worked as a waitress and lived in an apartment above the restaurant that she worked at. Her boss was hard to get along with because Lizzie had problems sometimes. She dropped things, or spilled things and was very soft hearted. Her boss fired her. This meant that she would have to move soon.

Her Aunt's neighbor called Lizzie to tell her that her Aunt was having issues with being forgetful and shouldn't be living alone any longer. So Lizzie moved back to take care of her Aunt. Things started looking up for both of them.

This story draws you in and makes you feel like you are part of the story. Love the characters of this story and can't wait to go back to Rebecca's Porch.

Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop is three delightful stories that take place at or around a bakeshop called Rebecca’s Porch. Written by Shelley Shepard Gray, Rachel J. Good, and Loree Lough, each one will bring a smile to you. In the first, Rebecca is surprised when her first love returns and wants to spend time with her. Aden also helps her in her bakery, where she must make over a hundred Christmas cakes. Can they bake something more together? In the second story, two friends from childhood are reunited at the bakeshop and discover something more between them. And finally, a teacher who enjoys getting her students treats from the bakery discovers more than just cupcakes there! Lots of fun, I enjoyed the stories. I’m a sucker for happy endings! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity.

Shelley Shepard Gray, Rachel J. Good, and Loree Lough?!? In one book?!? A Christmas collection?!? Well… Nobody had to twist my arm to read Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop, that’s for sure! On the contrary, I jumped at the chance and thoroughly enjoyed it from cover to cover. Though the stories are connected by one bakeshop, each story highlights the respective author’s strengths and unique style and with these three authors you can’t go wrong!

Gray’s A Christmas Cake for Rebecca sets the stage for the collection, revolving around the popular bakeshop’s owner & her penchant for doing the work of five people by herself. Boy, I could relate to Rebecca – her tendency (read: stubbornness) to try & do it all and how that affects her emotional and physical health. I loved her bakery staff & how they would do anything to help Rebecca, if she’ll just let them. And oh yes I loved Aden – and his Christmas cake!! This swoony carpenter is the one who got away, and watching their still-there-after-20-years feelings resurface and deepen as adults (with all their life experiences that have shaped them since they were much younger and in love) was truly a pleasure. Gray’s signature warmth is ever-present, and her ability to create characters you adore is also firmly in place. Be prepared to smile (and crave Christmas cake haha).

In Good’s Best Christmas Present Ever, readers are treated to a heart-tugging story of a very sick little girl, her widower father, and the empathetic young woman who captures both their hearts. This novella gave me all the feels: I ached over Johanna’s illness and Lizzie’s aunt’s dementia; I chuckled at some of Lizzie’s mishaps; I melted over Christian & Lizzie’s shared backstory & their blossoming romance; and the underlying message of kindness and putting others first was especially heartwarming. I loved getting further insight into Rebecca’s own heart, as much of the novella is set in the bakeshop, and I loved even more watching Lizzie flourish there. The author did an excellent job with character development and crafting a layered story despite the shorter word count.

The Christmas Cupcake by Lough introduces us to caring teacher Tessa and local builder Asher. Each of these characters is harboring a rather sensitive (and separate) secret, and I appreciated the way the author handled these topics with grace – as well as how she allowed these layers to naturally peel back as the characters’ friendship (and then romance) grows. This novella was less connected to the other two, and we really only see Rebecca’s bakeshop in passing. But it’s a sweet story on its own merit, and there’s no denying Lough’s talent at creating dimensional characters.

Bottom Line: Three talented authors, three swoony romances, three sets of strong & likable main characters, and a common setting that ties them all together – add in a healthy dose of Christmas and how can you possibly go wrong? Rebecca, Lizzie, and Tessa are heroines who each embody the message of the holiday with their compassionate & gracious hearts, and their respective heroes perfectly complement them. Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop is the perfect collection for long-time fans of Gray, Good & Lough, as well as brand-new-to-them readers!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I love reading Amish books and Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop is no exception. The three novellas in this book were all written by different authors, but they were tied together by an Amish bakeshop that is named in the book and by several different characters throughout the stories.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters in these books and following along with their stories. These authors are very good at writing Amish fiction and keeping you interested in their stories.

I will be reading more by all of these authors.

Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop was a wonderful book! It was such a cozy read and I couldn't put it down. This was a book where I could connect with the characters, especially Tessa. I look forward to purchasing this book and recommending it to our patrons at the library.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC!

“A Christmas Cake for Rebecca” by Shelley Shepard Gray

The bakeshop is Rebecca’s and is very successful. She has found peace and happiness even though she never married. She also has created a one-of-a-kind delicious plus beautiful Christmas cake that people literally make orders for in June! She has always limited the number to 100 but a new hire unknowingly has increased that to 150. How will she get them all done? Add to that stress Aden is back. He broke her heart 20 years ago when he left. And he keeps showing up at her shop.

The story is sweet and was my favorite of the three. The novella is complete & completely enjoyable. I ended up liking Aden after all. And I would LOVE to have one of Rebecca’s special Christmas cakes.
Rating for “A Christmas Cake for Rebecca”: 5 stars.


“Best Christmas Present Ever” by Rachel J. Good

This story is nicely linked with “A Christmas Cake for Rebecca”. We find out the name of Rebecca’s shop and that Rebecca is the kind of boss you always wished for. Our female lead, Lizzie, seems to be extraordinarily clumsy. But she truly cares about people and a widower with a very sick little girl pulls her heart strings like nothing else. Oh … she is why Rebecca went from 100 to 150 cakes. There is a dog in this story too. I’m a sucker for cute puppies.

I liked this story a lot but it did have a major errors. At 43% of the trilogy, a major error … “X would stop by the hospital around ten…” Obviously X was placeholder while the writer was determining names. However, this error should have been caught multiple times. As this has a well-known publisher, I’m astonished it never was. At times too ‘Englisher’ words were used. For example, I can’t imagine an Amish man saying he was going to “park” the horse & buggy.
Rating for “Best Christmas Present Ever”: 3.5 stars.
--Minus 1 star for the “X” placeholder and .5 stars for the non-Amish wording utilized several times.


“The Christmas Cupcake” by Loree Lough

I was disappointed that this story had little to do with the characters from the bakeshop. For me, this story felt disconnected for the other two.

Builder Asher meets schoolteacher Tess at the bakeshop and eventually he asks her to help him learn to read and Tess shares her burden — a father who is never satisfied with anything she does. He finds fault with everything and is cruel. Yet away from home, she can be the person she really is.

I just couldn’t get into this story although it did have one statement about the bakeshop that resonated with me. “Because here at Rebecca’s Porch, whether my order is large or small, I get the same friendly treatment.” Rude treatment can drive customers away permanently and I have been such a customer.
Rating: 3 stars

A thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington Books, for the opportunity to read and review an ARC (advanced reader’s copy) of this book. The opinions expressed in my review are my own.

Trilogy rating: 4 stars (5 + 3.5 + 3 = 11.5 / 3 = 3.8)
Cover rating: Good. The bright yellow words are much harder to read on a small screen such as an iPhone or in a grid of a Kindle Fire.
Publish date: 28 Sep 2021

#ChristmasattheAmishBakeshop #NetGalley

This is a delightful collection of Amish Christmas stories revolving around the bakeshop that Rebecca owns. First, it is a second chance romance for Rebecca. The second story is about a woman with a big heart that starts to work at the bakeshop and connects with a customer. The third story is about one of their customers. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I really enjoyed reading these sweet romances. This is a great collection that I will revisit other Christmas seasons.

This novella collection was one I could hardly set down. These three stories really captured my attention and I connected with the characters in each story very quickly, wanting everything to work out well for all of them.

All three novellas have a connection to Rebecca’s Porch, a bakery that is owned by the main character, Rebecca, in the first novella. The first two novellas take place at the bakery for much of their stories and I really liked seeing characters from the first novella appear in the second one, too. The third novella had a scene at the bakery and the main character, Tessa, loved to pick up cupcakes from Rebecca’s Porch to share with her students for birthdays. Otherwise, there wasn’t much of a connection to the bakery. However, the third novella was still a good and impactful story.

The first and second novellas were wonderful second chance love stories that tugged at my heart and the third novella touched on the topic of abuse in a careful and caring manner. All three stories were sweet and clean and had good faith messages woven into them. Another thing that binds these stories together is that each one has a heroine who cares deeply for others and tries to do things for others that will bless them.

(4.5 stars)

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A feel good Christmas anthology that can be read year round. Sweet, cozy, and satisfying, this is a heartwarming read that will make you want some yummy baked goods and special someone to cozy up to.

Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop contains three Amish Christmas tales by Shelley Shepard Gray, Rachel J. Good, and Loree Lough. I enjoyed reading these three novellas that revolve around Rebecca’s Porch, a bakeshop in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I thought each story was well-written with friendly, relatable characters. I loved the characters in each story with my favorite being Rebecca and Aden in A Christmas Cake for Rebecca. This is a cute story that has friends helping each other in time of need, humor, and a man showing his love. Best Christmas Present Ever by Rachel J. Good is such a sweet story. We get to see that people and animals matter more than making money. It was wonderful to see Lizzie find her place and blossom. The Christmas Cupcake by Loree Lough is a little darker than the other two stories in the beginning. I like how Tess’s brother, Noah aids Asher is wooing Tess. There are many tasty treats mentioned in the three novellas. The delectable descriptions will have your mouth watering. Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop is a collection of stories that is perfect for fans of Amish fiction and those who enjoy wholesome Christmas stories. Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop has three heartwarming tales about a second chance romance, dropped dishes, wearisome walnuts, fretting over finances, a reading worry, Christmas cakes, a frustrating father, and God’s Grace.

This is a great collection of Christmas novellas. I love how Rebecca's Porch is used in all three stories, even though the novellas are written by three different authors. I appreciate the way that the authors collaborated to bring the stories together.

A Christmas Cake for Rebecca by Shelley Shepard Gray

A Christmas Cake for Rebecca is a sweet second chance story. Aden left Rebecca over twenty years ago and is back for the Christmas holiday. He is determined to help Rebecca and hopefully get to know her again. Rebecca has become a successful baker and does not hold a grudge toward Aden. This is a quick read and the story line comes full circle, just like a full-length novel would do.

★★★★★/5

Best Christmas Present Ever by Rachel J. Good

This is another second chance novella and I enjoyed the story line in this one as well. I liked Lizzie and Christian, and the unique story line with each of them taking care of their families. However, there were several glaring issues in this story. The biggest one is that in place of Christian's sister's name, there is an X as a placeholder. Another is that we are never told what Rebecca was sick with. Overall I enjoyed this one as well.

★★★.5/5

The Christmas Cupcake by Loree Lough

This story only mentioned Rebecca's Porch a few times, so it was not as connected as the others, and we don't encounter Rebecca at all, which was a bit of a disappointment. While I liked Asher and Tessa, I did not connect as much with this story. Things felt a bit forced and rushed at times.

★★★/5

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Publishers for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love when authors come together to create a book with novellas that contain the same characters and location. . While the shared connections are great, each authors own way of writing brings uniqueness to the storylines. Shelley Shepard Gray, Rachel Good, and Loree Lough are three of the most talented authors. Each author has a way of writing that makes one want to keep turning the pages. The characters were well developed and the storyline was written during my favorite time of the year, Christmas. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Three novella's all centered around a bake shop. Each story is about second chances in love. This is a great holiday book to get you in the mood for Christmas. Three well known Authors show their talent in these sweet stories. If you love Amish books this is a good one to read. Loved all the characters and liked how the novella's all were centered around the bake shop.

This book calls for a cozy read by the fire with a hot drink and something sweet!

A Christmas Cake for Rebecca
Rebecca is a hard-working woman who owns the local bakeshop. She is known far and wide for her specially decorated Christmas cakes. When an employer books far more cakes than she can make, Rebecca becomes stressed. How does she complete her orders in time after falling ill?

Best Christmas Present Ever
Lizzie is an empathetic person who is always giving and sharing. She leaves returns to her home town to care for an ailing aunt. She gets a job at Rebecca's bakery where she cares for all her customers, particularly a grieving widower, Christian. Her caring ways win a spot in his heart.

The Christmas Cupcake
Tessa is a schoolteacher who is the daughter of an abusive father. After meeting the Stuery family, she becomes friends with their son Asher. Will she open her heart after being hurt for so many years?

These three authors did an excellent job weaving a story around the same bakery, Rebecca's Porch.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

A Sweet Trio of Stories
"Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop" by Shelley Shepard Gray, Rachel J. Good, Loree Lough
What a treasure to read three stories of sweet clean love and how friendship and kindness can bring out the very best in people. Yes, I really did love these stories. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
This review expresses my honest opinion.

f you enjoy Amish fiction, this is a great book for the busy holiday season. All three short stories follow on the same small town, two centered around the local bakery, and have cameo appearance by several characters across the entire book.

A Christmas Cake for Rebecca by Shelley Shepard Gray follows the story of Rebecca and Aiden, two old friends who let love slip through their hands when they were younger. Now in his forties, Aiden returns to town for a construction job and seems to keep crossing paths with Rebecca. Can he find a way to win her heart once more?

Best Christmas Present Every by Rachel J. Good features the story of Lizzie, a young woman forced to move home to take care of a relative. While trying to balance work, caretaking, and life, she meets Christian whose young daughter is going through cancer treatments. But is this not their first meeting?

The Christmas Cupcake by Loree Lough was my personal favorite. Tessa, the local school teacher, and her brother, Noah, share a family secret. Their father's explosive anger makes home life a challenge. So when a Asher starts to show interest in Tessa, she watches him carefully, determined not to live in an abusive relationship. Will Asher be able to convince her that he's trustworthy?

All three novellas work together beautifully, creating an encouraging book centered around the upcoming holiday season. They are joyful, sweet, and carry a common theme of second chances. This is my favorite type of book for busy seasons as each novella can be read alone or together, and the stories are so full of light and hope. If you enjoy Amish fiction, you'll enjoy this collection.


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

I absolutely loved this wonderful collection! There were shared connections in each story which included the location, some characters , and the Christmas season. They also dealt with love, faith, caring, and God's will. The three stories were connected in these ways, and yet each story stood out by its uniqueness. Although these are novellas, none of them felt rushed. The pacing of each one was just right for getting to know the characters and being completely drawn in to each of their stories. You definitely won't want to miss this wonderful collection.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All comments and opinions are my own.

I loved each and every story.
I really love hearing about the old characters come in with the new.
I couldn't put the book down and I love each and every author's books. I hope to hear more like this book in the future.

This is an awesome read. Three stories in one. Each is a stand alone story. Cameo appearances made by various characters in each book. Each book deals with a different issue and combined together make for a wonderful read.