I loved this book. Poor Barbara is pushed out of her beloved Kentucky to go help her grossdaddi and grossmammi for the summer. She finds after arriving that she will be working in the quilt shop and improving her quilting skills. Barbara does not like or have a talent for quilting. After pricking her fingers, bleeding and bandaging her poor fingertips, her grossdaddi takes pity on her. He finds her a job working with an Amish landscaper. That is her cup of tea, digging in the dirt and creating something beautiful with flowers. Rocky moments are had as Barbara and Melvin learn to create beautiful outdoor quilts. A wonderful story of past hurts healed and new beginnings. I think you will love this book as much as I do.
At the start of this book, the author says there are real flower quilt gardens in northern Indiana, near Goshen. We just moved to Kentucky from Indiana a few years back. But we are planning a trip there before we cut our roots there. Midwest Indiana is not that far away, but when you are raising children and working full time, it’s not the priority. Now we are retired, we can make that trip.
I received an ARC from Barbour publishing through NetGalley. This did not affect my review, totally my opinions. I look forward to the rest of this series.

I loved this story and the characters. Very well written and engaging.
Many thanks to Barbour and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed how Barbara traveled to a strange place and found a way to fit in with her extended family even though she doesn't quilt, thank you for allowing me to read this book for an honest review

Sweet Amish romance book. All about the family and helping this young lady find her place and you get to ride along the way. Slow paced, clean wholesome read. Characters, setting and customs are interesting an enjoyable easy read. Refreshing to read a book without 'worldly words' and situations. I was provided an advanced reader copy and was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

My description …
Ever feel like a square peg being forced into a round hole? That’s Barbara. Her mother is a quilter. Her grandmother is a quilter and by George — BARBARA IS GOING TO QUILT *AND* BE A GOOD QUILTER! Oh, her mother is not shouting but she might as well. Her parents send her to Indiana for the summer. Her task? Help her grandmother in her quilting shop. The Indiana community is different than her reserved Kentucky one. The difference? Understanding grandparents and a young Amish man (unmarried, of course) who has a landscaping business.

My review …
I was puzzled about the title and expected Barbara to make quilts that have flowers as the key element. I have a flower quilt hand-quilted by my mother that is a daisy pattern. There are all sorts of quilts that use flowers.

I felt for Barbara. Her mother was about as gentle as a heavy sledgehammer. Barbara tried; she really did. But her stitches were never even, etc. Fortunately, her grandmother and sweet grandfather understand after Barbara has been there for a while.

Enter Melvin Bontrager who has an unusual business for an Amish man. He does landscaping — and he is good at it. Melvin is single but he is responsible for his sister and her child. Now HOW Barbara figures into that, I’ll leave it to you to find out as you read the story.

I received a complimentary DRC (digital review copy) of The Flower Quilter via NetGalley from the publisher, Barbour Publishing, Barbour Fiction. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 4 stars
Series: The Heart of the Amish, a multi-author series
Cover: Good. Engaging.
Pages: 259
Publish Date: 1 Sep 2023
#TheFlowerQuilter #NetGalley #MindySteele

I enjoyed kicking back and getting lost in a simple Amish drama. This compelling novel has some unique story elements, which challenge the main characters, but the book includes the pieces that readers of this genre love: faith, family, and a simple lifestyle, buggies, quilting, and a couple whose love story develops amid trials and troubles. The couple here hails from different states and differing Amish styles, but family holds high importance for each, so how could a relationship between them ever work? Plus, we have a woman who would rather garden than quilt and a man who also loves gardening and landscaping—will the sparks destroy or attract? This is my favorite of the books all have read by this author. The characters drew me in and seem realistic and endearing. I wanted things to work out well for both of them. I received a copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Another beautifully written Amish story. Melvin spoke to me as a character. I can't wait to read more about this community.

Enjoyable, feel good book by Mindy Steele. It’s the first book I’ve read by her, but will be looking for more. I loved the main and supporting characters, they made me laugh and get teary. Traveling to see the quilt gardens is something I hope I get to do someday.

I enjoyed this story so much. I love quilting and gardening so this idea was a sweet one. I also enjoy a sweet romance and I appreciate the way this was written. It was my first book by this author and I look forward to reading another one.
Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the advanced copy.

The Flower Quilter by Mindy Steele

Summary:
Barbara Breaks from Amish Tradition to Express Her Artistry

Full of faith, hope, and romance, this new series takes you into the Heart of Amish country.

Barbara Schwartz was born into a family of quilters, but she would rather eat dirt than partake in another quilting frolic or sew on another binding. When her parents send her to Indiana to help her grandmother in her quilting shop, she finds herself amongst a very different community. It’s only one summer and then she will be back in Kentucky where she belongs.

Melvin Bontrager’s world stopped six years ago when his parents died. Now when his only means of providing for his widowed sister and niece is threatened, Melvin finds his landscaping business disappearing too. When spring delivers a newcomer who is immune to his salty moods, Melvin does something he has never done before, accepts help.

What blooms is the last thing Barbara ever expected, and everything Melvin could ever want.

Review: 4-Star
I have always been a fan of authors who tackle the Amish communities as the heart of a love story. I’ve never heard of Mindy Steele before, but the storyline sounded intriguing, so I gave it a whirl and I’m so glad I did. It’s a page-turner and one you don’t want to put down until you finish even if that’s 2 am. Mindy paints a pretty picture and you can see what she wrote about in your mind, she also really captured the emotions which is something not all authors do well. The reason I didn’t give this book a 5-star rating is that there were just a few editorial errors and I hate editorial errors. They were small and spaced far between, but still there. These were sentences that you had to read a few times and still, they didn’t quite make sense in my mind, but I decided to leave it and go on with the story, which I truly loved. I look forward to reading more of Mindy’s stories in the future.


I received this book for my honest review by NetGalley

I was excited to read this book when Mindy Steele first posted it. And it didn't disappoint! I was first drawn in by the cover and title, and then of coarse the author because all books I have read by Mindy are great!
Barbara has always struggled because she come from a family that love to quilt and did so very well. But she was awful at it and didn't care for quilting. She much rather be outside in her garden or planting flowers feeling the dirt on her fingers. Her parents send her to Indiana to her grandmother to help in her quilt shop of all things! The community is different from hers in Kentucky. Her grandparents quickly see that her heart isn't in quilting or the shop and so her grandfather finds her the perfect job working with Melvin Bontrager in landscaping! They had a run in when she first arrived so Barbara wasn't to excited to be working with him, but she did love flowers so decided to make the best of it. Things go better than either one expected and Barbara finds she is a quilter but with flowers instead of material and together they create beautiful quilts of flower beds as their friendship grows. I really enjoyed this book and was given the chance to read it by netgalley.

When Barbara goes to visit her grandparents she ends up working with landscaper Melvin and they create beautiful flower garden quilts together. I thought that was a unique idea and enjoyed their romance. This is a sweet Amish romance. If you've read others you've enjoyed, you'll probably like this one too!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 1 September 2023

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters and I loved seeing Barbara and Melvin grow through out the story. I loved how as Barbara got to know Melvin she found where she belonged and what she was meant to do. I loved how she was able to share her passion for flowers and how she was able to make the world around her just as beautiful as her family did with their quilts. I loved how Melvin helped Barbara to see her worth and I loved how Barbara helped Melvin to find joy in life. I thought this story was a sweet story and was an enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Amish books are my go to books for relaxation and quiet time. They always are a pick me upper for me.

I love the wholesomeness of the books.

'The Fliwer Quilter' is a beautiful story.
I especially love the characters of Barbara Schwartz and Melvin Bontrager.

Barbara is not much of a quilter and would much rather be gardening, but she tries. At times her her antics had me in hysterics.

The book is just such a quick lighthearted read and so enjoyable.

Highly recommend.

The Flower Quilter is a wonderful novel set in Amish country that you’re going to enjoy reading. It’s a sweet story! It’s also the first book in a series. I for one always love starting a new series! And I can’t wait to see what comes next for this one as this was truly a sweet story that read well.

I love quilting. It is relaxing for me. I’ve done some form of it for years. In fact, I did my first nine patch when I was 8 years old at a Civil War Reenactment. Since then I’ve been in love with it.

Now flower quilting. I’ve never done that. My dad is a horticulturist though so I’m no stranger to flowers and bushes and plants, etc. But I’ve never purposefully done a flower garden.

I loved learning about flower quilting. The characters I met along the way were wonderful as well. It was such a fun and sweet read. I can’t wait to see what else comes from this series!

I loved how Barbara and Melvin getting such fun looks at their personalities. It’s always fun to meet new friends!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

I really enjoy quilts and I really enjoy gardening, especially the results of the flowers in the garden. I love the colors in the garden & I try to make mine into a color-themed pattern. In this novel Barbara grew up in a family of quilters and her mother tried to teach her how to quilt. Barbara did not enjoy the quilting at all because she kept pricking her fingers and felt she was not good at the craft. She went to another state for some months & found she was good at gardening and even better, she made beautiful flower gardens into quilt pattern designs.
Barbara had not found a man to marry yet and had pretty well given up on that idea. She met someone at the place she was visiting and they had a lot of conflicting conversations how she liked him. He encouraged her with the quilting in the garden & they took time out to get to know each other. Barbara left and went back home to resume her life.
This was a good little romance, which I enjoyed. I’ve never heard of Garden quilts before so was intrigued by that.
It was not a page-turner for me because the writing style did not hold my attention, but I enjoyed the book and especially the outcome. I also was introduced to a new Amish author, who I may try again. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Mindy Steele never lets me down when it comes to a satisfying Amish romance. The Flower Quilter was a quick and endearing read for me. I loved how Barbara coped with feeling like she didn’t measure up to her society or family’s expectations. I think all women can relate to that! Her enemies to lovers romance with Melvin was delightful, as well. His growth and realization that God always provides above and beyond what we can hope for was encouraging to me, as sometimes I tend to be self-reliant as well. If you love wholesome, uplifting romance, give this one a try!

The Flower Quilter by amazing storyteller Mindy Steele is Book One in her The Heart of the Amish series. This is a contemporary Christian Amish romance. Within the first few pages I was interested in the delightful story.

This is the tale of Barbara Schwartz, a Kentucky Amish woman, who travels to Shipshewana, Indiana to help her grandparents for the summer. There she meets Melvin Bontrager, an Amish man with a landscaping business. Life is much different in this Amish tourist community.

Barbara is the only one in her family that is at a loss with a needle and thread. She has a plethora of other talents, including a caring heart. Melvin comes with some past baggage. He carries guilt that is misplaced. As the two begin working together, they both begin to open up more.

The author did a great job crafting her characters, right down to some unruly children. I loved the humor and twists that were included. The story was well done and had me turning page after page until I had read the book in one sitting.

I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful story. It was full of entertainment, life lessons, as well as spiritual ones. The author taught me some things about the different Amish communities. I highly recommend it. It gets a five out of five star rating from me. A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit, but these are my honest words.

This sounded so interesting and different from most Amish stories, but Barbara didn’t appeal to me. She wanders into the street without looking and nearly gets hit not once but twice, and gets mad at the buggy driver for being upset with her. The women in her family are fabulous quilters and she feels inferior. Understandable, but now she seems to have a chip on her shoulder.
The long glossary of Amish words didn’t help. A few words like baby or wife are understandable, but not words like away or far. That only makes reading a frustrating experience.

I LOVED this book! The sly humor that sneaks in when least expected had me laughing out loud as I read.

Barbara Schwartz is a failure as an Amish woman? Why? She can't quilt worth a lick. When she tries, her stitches are uneven and invariably have to be ripped out and she can't seem to do it without bleeding on the fabric because she is forever sticking her fingers with the needles. She can cook, she can clean, but the one thing her mother expects her to be able to do - because she comes from a long line of quilters - she just can't get her fingers to cooperate.

When Barbara is sent to Shipshewana from her Kentucky home to "help" her grandmother, she arrives expecting her grandmother to actually need help. Instead, she realizes that her mother sent her to HER mother so she could teach Barbara to quilt (since she wasn't having any success at it.) In the first week, her grandmother finally asks the question no one has ever asked her, "Do you want to learn to quilt?" The truth spills out, that Barbara would far rather be outside, working in the garden, than sitting inside working on a quilt, something she is NOT gifted for. Her grandfather finds her a job working for a local landscaper and she finds that creating quilt gardens feeds her heart. Could it be she's finally found something she's good at?

Melvin Bontrager's world crashed when a speeding truck hit the family buggy, killing both of his parents and leaving him seriously injured. When his sister's husband also dies, he takes on the care and support of his sister and his niece. He is slowly crawling out of the financial hole the accident left, but having to sell the family farm left him scrambling. His bishop (Barbara's grandfather) found him a place to live with a greenhouse on the property, so he started his own landscaping business. Grateful to his bishop, he agrees to take his granddaughter as an employee for the summer. At first, all he sees is how pretty she is, and how attracted to her he is, but then he finds that her garden designs make his flowers stand out. He sees her gift and falls hard, but how can they continue to work together or eventually be together when she makes no secret of the fact that she is going back to Kentucky?

As someone who has seen some of the beautiful flower quilts around Shipshewana, this story was a beautiful love story that envisioned how they might have come about. Barbara has always felt inadequate because the one thing her mother wanted her to be able to do completely escaped her. She's 24 and her 14-year-old sister is a better quilter. Melvin is deeply mired in guilt stemming from the accident that killed his parents. Even though it wasn't his fault, he always felt - as the buggy driver - that he should have done more to get out of the way. Working together, each find their strengths enhanced, and they find their hearts reaching toward one another as well.

Readers who enjoy Amish fiction or even just sweet romance will love The Flower Quilter. Be prepared for smiles, and even a few tears, as you read this one!