Member Reviews
Such a sweet read! You really don’t know where it is going to go until the end. I loved the bee references and the humor in the story.
This is a must read for anyone who enjoys reading about the amish. They are hard working people who take time to help one another. This is a book of hard times mixed with an unlikely romance. I don't want to give too much away but I even learned some things about bees! You will enjoy this book.
Belinda and Adam need each other for business reasons, but will that blossom into romance? I loved this book.
It's the oldest romance ever told. Bee's and flowers.
Belinda Graber suffers from extreme shyness and keeps herself from others. She enjoys growing different kinds of flowers and the peace and joy it brings. Her neighbor Adam Fisher as always admired Belinda but Belinda never says a word to anyone. It all changes when Adam responsibilities has grown. Taking care of his aging parents, the mill where he works and being a bee keeper. He asks Belinda brother for help but her brother suggests that Belinda would be a good fit. So the beekeeper and the flower girl are forced to work together. Their partnership blossoms into more and the growth of Belinda and Adam of being more to each other as well. I loved how their story progresses. It is sweet like honey and it brightened my day like a daisy. I wish their story would have gone on.
One of the spiritual insights of their story and there were several was what Belinda believed about herself. She was her own worst enemy. In some ways Adam was too but in a different way. The lesson is we all have that battle of being our worst enemy and how it relates to others. How we need others to see the best in ourselves and how others help us grow. God created us to be in community to share in our struggles and victories.
A special thank you to Hallmark Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
An Amish Flower Farm is such a wonderful and lovely book! I have read many Amish fiction books, but this is the first I have read of Mindy Steele. There is just something different about the way An Amish Flower Farm is written. A good different! I loved it! It was detailed very well, but not to where it was drawn out. Bees, honey, flowers, humor, and love. These are a few of my favorite things! I loved the character development of Belinda Graber and how I was able to connect with her and her past. A simply wonderful story that I think anyone would enjoy! I look forward to adding An Amish Flower Farm to our library.
Thank you Hallmark Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!
This was a very sweet story. Belinda is shy and happy to remain in the background where no one will look at her birthmark. However her previous experience with bees, makes her the only one who can help out neighbor Adam after his father is injured at the mill. Slowly, they get to know each other and trust each other. I was rooting for both Belinda and Adam as they move out of their comfort zones in life and love. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the village, the farms, the characters' homes, and felt like I had a great picture of all the scenery.
One caveat: the recipe at the end of the book needs some work and perhaps some more test baking before publication. The photo is a bundt cake but the recipe calls for a 9x13 pan. There are no instructions to flour/grease/spray the pan prior to baking. Also flour is listed twice in the ingredients. Finally, this cake isn't mentioned in the story unlike the honey cookies that Belinda makes several times. I would have preferred to have that recipe.
*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*
An Amish Flower Farm: An uplifting romance from Hallmark Publishing by Mindy Steele
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing
Genre: Religion & Spirituality | Romance
Publication Date: July 27, 2021
An Amish Flower Farm by Mindy Steele is a sweet Amish romance.
This heartwarming tale features shy Belinda, who is embarrassed about her birthmark and holds on to her fears of being taunted as a child. Belinda wants to have her own flower farm one day, but for now she grows her flowers on her parents' land. Belinda is volunteered by her brother to help their neighbor, Adam, with his beehives while he works two jobs to help him parents.
I absolutely loved this book! I couldn't get enough of it! I found this to be engaging with wonderful characters and a beautiful story! This is one book that I will read again and again!
I'm so grateful to Mindy Steele, Hallmark Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Heartwarming story! I loved learning about bee keeping. Belinda was very easy to relate with because most people have at least one thing about their appearance that they are unhappy with. Belinda's warm and giving heart made up for any insecurities she had. Adam's work ethic was commendable and his grumpiness made his character seem more real. Looking forward to reading more of this author's works. Highly recommended!
An Amish Flower Farm by Mindy Steele is a sweet Amish tale. I was quickly drawn into the story, and I was up late finishing this heartwarming novel. I thought An Amish Flower Farm was well-written with engaging, developed characters. Belinda Graber is a beautiful woman inside and out. She is a caring woman who is shy after being bullied as a child because of a port wine birthmark on her check. Belinda wants to sell the flowers she grows, but she is unable to approach people to accomplish her goal. Adam Hostetler has been working extra jobs since his father had a work accident. It leaves him little time to harvest his honey. Adam learns that Belinda helped her grandfather with his honey harvest in Kentucky. He approaches Belinda who suggests they help each other. Belinda will help Adam with his honey harvest if Adam finds buyers for her flowers. Adam has been attracted to Belinda since they were in school. He still finds her lovely, but, after a recent disastrous courtship, Adams is determined that they will just have a business relationship. I liked seeing the characters grow over the course of the novel. Mindy Steele created some great characters. My favorite was Belinda’s maternal grandmother, Mollie Bender. She is a hoot. I love the way she talks with God. Adam’s father, Atlee is another good character. Despite being laid up with a severe injury, he has an upbeat attitude. I like that the story is told from Belinda and Adam’s point-of-view. We get to see things from each of their perspectives (it is amazing how different their view can be on the same situation). There is humor scattered throughout the story. I love it when a book makes me laugh. The authors word imagery brings the scenes alive for me. I could visualize Belinda working among her flowers and charming the bees. There are some good life lessons in this charming story about fear, perceptions, wasting time, helping others, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like how the people in this community help each other out. They are there for each other in times of need. My favorite line in An Amish Flower Farm is, “Don’t ever compare yourself to others. There is only one you, and you were made special by Gott.” In An Amish Flower Farm, we see that bees and flowers are a great combination in more ways than one. I am looking forward to reading more books by this up-and-coming author. An Amish Flower Garden is a delightful Amish novel with fragrant flowers, busy bees, a meddling Mammi, mocking mates, shielding siblings, and a caring community.
I love finding a new to me author, especially this one because she has penned a beautifully written novel. Ms. Steel crafted charming characters who stole my heart as soon as I met them and I really did feel like I met them, that’s how real they seemed.
I loved Belinda Graber and could easily imagine her tending to her flowers, they brought so much joy into her otherwise lonely life. I felt so bad for all she had gone through because of a birthmark and the teasing she had dealt with since childhood. I didn’t think I could love her anymore until I met Adam Fisher. He was so sweet and kind to her just as she was to him. I loved them separately, but absolutely adored them together.
Belinda and Adam are both hardworking, they have so much they want to accomplish, they just have to learn that’s okay to ask for help from others and more than okay to let your true feelings be known to others. I loved seeing the growth in both of these characters and wanted them to live their best possible lives. If you like a clean well written book with charming characters, you will definitely want to pick up a copy of this one.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would like to read more books by this author. I appreciated that the author did not sugarcoat the challenges of Amish life, such as the lack of insurance to cover medical bills and their difficulties in making a living within the constraints of their religion.
Both of the main characters in this book are facing serious challenges. The heroine, Belinda Graber, is extremely shy and retiring as she was born with a birthmark on her face, to the point that she rarely socializes and almost never goes to the nearby town. Thankfully it has become less obvious as she grew older, but to Belinda, it is still the first thing that people see when they look at her. Belinda is a gifted flower grower and her family sells her flowers along with their other products at the marketplace in town. Belinda is also aware that no one can handle her business as well as she could, and that her shyness is causing her to miss opportunities to find new markets for her flowers and other products.
Meanwhile, a neighbor, Adam Fisher, has a problem that will require Belinda to step outside of her comfort zone, the largest challenge she has faced in her adult life. Adam helps his father run their family farm. However, his father has become seriously ill and is now hospitalized. To help pay the hospital bills, Adam has taken a job in a local mill as well as still doing his other work.
His own passion is his bees which produce honey. His land runs by Belinda's family's land and her flowers are a great source of nectar for his bees. His bees are also beneficial to her and her family since the bees also pollinate her flowers and her family's crops. Belinda agrees to help him with the bees and the honey harvest. Belinda was hesitant at first but she was the best one for the job. It didn't hurt that being around Adam was relatively easy, and that he didn't seem to really notice her birthmark. In return for her help with the bees, he offers to sell her flowers in town and help find her new markets. It turns out that Belinda is almost a bee 'whisperer' - the bees don't sting her. Helping Adam also ends up requiring her to visit the town and meet with some of the non-local Amish and to Belinda's great surprise ... it isn't awful.
I've completely skipped over the romance, but it is every bit as good as the bee and flower business parts and the getting-to-know-each-other part of the book. Adam and Belinda were made for each other. I highly recommend this book for every lover of Amish romance. It's one of the best in this genre that I've ever read.
I want to thank Hallmark Publishing and Netgalley for an advance reader copy of this book. It was my pleasure to read and review it. These are my honest opinions of the book.
99% of Amish books are a real good read and this one is in that 99%.Lovely story line with great characters.. I love learning about the Amish people and you can really feel as though you are living their life along with them. Well worth 5 stars, I recommend this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this EARC
This is my first book by author Mindy Steele, and I’m now frantically looking for her other books. Seriously, this is my favorite book this year. If you enjoy Amish fiction then this is a must read.
So, why is it my favorite? Steele writes in such a way that I was thoroughly captivated from page one. Her style flows so well, and it draws the reader in. I completely lost track of time and felt fully immersed in the story.
Characters Belinda and Adam are strong and well developed. Belinda doesn’t know she’s strong but she definitely is. Both have hurts that need healed, just as we do in real life. The descriptions of each of them make me feel I know them well. I’d love to walk through her flower garden, and check out his bee farm. To sit with them and have a cup of coffee would be so fulfilling because of course they’re real people, right? I know when I feel that way it’s an incredible book.
A story of courage, perseverance, and love I highly recommend.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
Belinda and Adam are meant to be. He keeps bees, and she grows flowers. What could be better? They're also neighbors who have avoided each other for years. Belinda has a birthmark that she's self-conscious about, so she avoids social settings because she feels everyone is looking at her. Circumstances bring the two of them to an arrangement that turns out better than they might have envisioned. Such a sweet romance with lots of information about flowers and raising bees which I found fascinating. Great read!
Thank you to Mindy Steel and Hallmark Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of AN AMISH FLOWER FARM and a special thank you to Mindy for allowing me to be on her street team. It is a pleasure.
I enjoyed Mindy's book TO CATCH A HUMMINGBIRD so much that I could not imagine this one being as good, but it is. Mindy just gets better and better.
Belinda Graber is a very shy girl who does not mix well with people and helps run her parent's greenhouse. She has a small birthmark on her face and always keeps her head and eyes down because she is embarrassed by it. Her neighbor, Adam Fisher is a beekeeper but has to work two jobs in order to help his family because his father was hurt in a mill accident. Adam really needs help with his honey harvest and he and Belinda make a deal. She will care for his bees and he will sell the flowers she grows for her in town.
They tell themselves that it is strictly business, but are feelings developing between these two? When Adam is hurt on the job and unable to work, what will become of Belinda's flower business? What will become of Adam's family?
I can't wait to read Mindy's next one. She writes an excellent story and tells it in such a natural, entertaining way that you just can't put it down.
This is a wonderful 5-star book to add to your Amish collection. I was not required to give a positive review of this work, but gladly recommend it and any of Mindy's books. I could not put this one down.
Release day is July 27. Pre-order yours today.
I rally enjoyed this book.
It had all my heart craved. Sweet strong characters, a sweet romance. And a chefs kiss ending. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion
This is a wonderful book! It's a sweet romance that holds your attention from the first page until the last. I can't say enough good things about this book. I hope Hallmark makes this into a movie. Thank you Hallmark Publishing via NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This book was very charming. I enjoyed the simplicity of the books and the plot. A cute read.
Belinda and very shy. She enjoys spending her day tending to the flowers in her garden. Adam is a Bee Farmer. He sells honey for a living. When Adams family becomes in need of help, Adam asks his neighbor Belinda for assistance with the hives. They strike up a partnership - Belinda helps with the hives and Adams sells his flowers for her. But what started as a simple partnership may become a little complicated as feelings and emotions play into their business life.
I not usually one to read a simple romance like this - usually they are too cliché for me. And I will admit, while I still found this cliché, it was still very cute.
And for whatever reason I have been very into honeybees lately so that's just added to my enjoyment of the story.
This is a sweet story!! Belinda raises flowers with her family. She is very shy due to a birthmark on her face. Adam is her neighbor and he raises bees. He needs help with his bees and Belinda agreed to assist him.
This is a great book for everyone, but especially teenagers. This book shows us that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and that the world isn’t staring at you making judgements.
I hope Mindy Steele will write a sequel featuring Belinda’s sister, Tabitha and her brother, Mica.
I want to thank Hallmark Publishing and NetGallery for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Belinda has a very noticeable birthmark on her face so she tends to shy away from people, knowing that she will never get married because of the mark on her face. She dreams of having her own flower farm and currently sells flowers from her garden to the local florist shops, but she is very self conscious about dealing with people face to face.
Adam, her neighbor, is working several jobs, doing chores at the family farm and trying to maintain his bee hives for additional income to help with his fathers medical bills. When he becomes overwhelmed with trying to get everything done, he asks Belinda to help him with his bees. She agrees, but only if he will in turn, deliver her flowers to the shops in town. Soon the two become dependent on each other in maintaining their businesses and perhaps that will mean their relationship will grow as well.
I love how the author has Adam overlook the birthmark on Belinda’s face and instead focus on the beauty within her heart. A lesson we can all learn from.
Mindy Steele is a new to me author and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review and opinion.