Member Reviews
A delightful and heartwarming Amish fiction novel. I loved the community of Marigold and the characters. I enjoyed watching the characters grow throughout the story and overcome their unique struggles. The plot is filled with humor, romance, and genuine emotion.
Many thanks to Zondervan and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
A delightful, unexpected, Amish read. Double the romance keeps the fun going throughout this lighthearted book.
Thanks to #Zondervan Fiction #Zondervan for providing an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.
Kathleen Fuller is a good writer for both character and description. The characters have more depth than is usual for characters in a romance. The setting is also well drawn -- a town of Marigold, down the street from Birch Creek, another fictional place where she has set series books.
I read them for the cozy feel and the guaranteed happy ending, and I expect you do as well. No point in talking about cultural appropriation or the oft used trope of someone converting to the Amish way of life, which is unusual outside of books. This is a better than average series read, and you'll like the characters, and hope they make cameo appearances in new books in this series.
Enjoy
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Kathleen Fuller is a must read for me! Ella runs a store with her father and sister and has a huge personality. She meets Nelson Bontranger and they butt heads at every turn. If you are a fan of enemies to sweethearts, this book is for you!
Many thanks to the author, Zondervan Fiction and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheProposalPlot #KathleenFuller #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #NetGalley #AmishFiction #NewAmishFiction #ILoveBooks
Ella Yoder's mother has died, and she convinced her daad to move them (herself, her sister, and their father) to Marigold, Ohio to open a grocery store. Ella has a business mind and is quite good at it, but her sister, Junia, is lazy which leaves Ella doing all the work which is a source of contention. In Ella's opinion, their father allows Junia to get away with doing nothing and the two girls argue quite often.
Nelson Bontrager is looking at the empty warehouse next door to the grocery. He is considering buying it and opening his own business for deli meats as he is a butcher and enjoys creating meats and experimenting with seasonings. He has sworn off women after having his heart broken several times. So, when Ella comes marching over demanding answers for what he's doing in the warehouse, she does not make a good impression at all. What he doesn't know, is that Ella has had her eye on the property for quite some time as she'd like to convince her father to expand their grocery store. Nelson sees her as bossy and pushy.
Then, there is big city attorney, Wendy, who has lost the job she worked so hard for and has came to help take care of her mother. She finds that she rather enjoys the small town and the quieter pace there. There are other things she comes to enjoy, also.
You will have to read this book to see how all these characters lives begin to merge together.
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Zondervan, through Netgally. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.
The Proposal Plot by Kathleen Fuller ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Amish romance features a widower, Barnabas and his two adult daughters, Ella and Junia who run the grocery store in the town of Marigold, Ohio.
characters were easy to fall in love with, Nelson and Ella, Junia and Malachi, Barnabas and Wendy.
Ella Yoder and Nelson Bontranger evolved from enemies into a friendly, loving one.
I couldn’t put this book down, I highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley and Zondervan for the advanced reader’s copy of this book.
The Proposal Plot was an enjoyable book! I am regretting not having read the first in the series. It was a sweet story, well 3 stories actually, of people falling in love! I love The dad and Wendy's story the most. Looking forward to her next novel!
The Proposal Plot
Kathleen Fuller
3.5 - 4 stars
What a lovely story. It traces the lives of Barnabas, a widower and his daughters Junia and Ella who are both of marrying age. This is a sweet story of reconnecting with the past and moving forward with forgiveness and love. I do hope there is a book three in this series because I would love to read more about these characters!
This is part of a series and I had not read book one. I was able to follow along well enough, but some parts were a tad hard to follow.
This is a highly readable book that many people will enjoy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.
Ella Yoder has always been head strong and determined. She convinced her father to move in order to open a grocery store. Now she has her eye on expanding the business. Enter Nelson Bontranger, he is ready to open his own deli with artisan meats. After two heart wrenching breakups, he has also sworn off women. When his nephew and Ella's sister fall in love, Ella and Nelson must act as chaperones. Will they be able to resist love when their friendship turns to more? I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.
Ella Yoder has convinced her father to move to Marigold, Ohio to start a new chapter in their family life. The E and J Grocery Store is just the right business for she, her sister Junia and father to operate. Now, she has her eye on the building next door, and they can expand their business. If she can convince her father to buy it and get him to make Junia do her share.
Nelson Bontranger is trying to decide what to do. Should he start a business in Marigold? He has had it with women. He has expertise as a butcher which could work out well.
I received this e-book from Zondervan through NetGalley. This is my own unsolicited opinion about it. I really enjoyed it, especially because there is a growth in each character that I could appreciate. Ella is so full of plans and pushing at her family to achieve them that she can't see what God's will may be. There is a lifetime of conflict between she and Junia. Their father Barnabus has a lesson to learn in all of this too.
Nelson could ruin Ella's dream. Nelson is shocked at the pushy woman. They both end up being chaperones for his nephew Malachi and Junia. There are laugh out loud moments along with the friction.
Amish and English blend well in the community and story as we see three romances take place. The plot works well. The author has the descriptive talent that the story goes smoothly giving the feel of the reader being 'in the story'.
I give this a 4.8 rating.
Book 2 in the Amish of Marigold, Matters of the Heart can be read as a stand alone but I do recommend book 1, The Courtship Plan. It’s a good book and takes place in the same small town.
Goodness, what a lot of mistrust and assuming these characters are dealing with; both Nelson and Ella. A few times I wanted to shake each of them, then I would feel bad for them. And both are dealing with heartbreak. Will they ever get it all together??
Then there’s Malachi and Junia. Falling in love but immature. Will they ever grow up?
Sisters who can’t get along, a father who can’t stand up for himself, guys who don’t know what they want. Seriously, it was a good book full of forgiveness and personal growth. A fun read that goes to the heart of the matter, I recommend it if you enjoy Amish fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
The Proposal plot by by Kathleen Fuller
(An Amish of Marigold Novel)
A headstrong young businesswoman. An unlucky-in-love bachelor. And the chaperoning assignment that keeps pushing them together.
For someone so strong-willed and certain, Ella Yoder has never been more unsure of her life. It's been a year since she convinced her father to move with her and her younger sister Junia to Marigold, Ohio, to open E and J Grocery. Ella's got a keen eye for running a business and has big dreams to expand. But her plans are stalled because Junia refuses to lift a finger at the store--or listen to her about anything.
Nelson Bontranger knows one thing for sure: creating his own artisan deli meats is his passion. Well, maybe one other thing: he's sworn off women forever. After two bouts of heartbreak, he's not willing to open up himself to a third. When he eyes his own butcher shop next to E and J Grocery in Marigold, he's surprised to learn that Ella has had her eye on the property for some time. He doesn't trust this stubborn, pushy young woman--and for her, the feeling is mutual.
Against their wishes, Ella and Nelson's paths continue to cross when Nelson's nephew Malachi falls head over heels for Junia. Nelson and Ella are brought together to keep the lovebirds in check, but somewhere along the line, their frustration turns to something altogether more pleasant. But they will both need to come to terms with past pain before they can find their future happiness.
This is Ella Yoder,sister Junia and father's story.
This is Nelson Bontranger and nephew Malachi Chupp's story.
I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since we moved from Lancaster to Marigold. And what a year it’s been! Dad and I have been working hard to make our grocery store a success after we took it over from the Burkholders, and thankfully our efforts have paid off. Some days there’s more business than we can handle! I even mentioned to Dad that we should find out who owns the empty building next door and see if it’s for sale so we could expand.
I also wish he’d do something about Junia. She’s not pulling her fair share—no surprise there either—but he won’t say anything to her. She keeps complaining about being homesick for Lancaster, but that’s not an excuse to shirk her job and chores, and it’s driving me ab im kopp. She’s not the only one who’s missing home.
Nelson shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and looked around the empty room. His brother Jesse, who had moved to Marigold almost a year and a half ago, told him about this place and encouraged him to check it out. But as had been his habit for more than a year now, he wondered if he was doing the right thing.
Malachi nodded. His straw hat was pushed back from his head—wavy dark-blond hair curled around the bottoms of his ears. “Agreed. But nothing wrong with hard work, ya?”
I recommend this book.
The Proposal plot by by Kathleen Fuller is a 5 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Kathleen Fuller.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts are my own.
The Proposal Plot by Kathleen Fuller
This Amish romance features a widower, Barnabas and his two adult daughters, Ella and Junia who run the grocery store in the town of Marigold, Ohio.
I loved how the author seamlessly intertwined three romances and the characters were easy to fall in love with, Nelson and Ella, Junia and Malachi, Barnabas and Wendy.
Ella Yoder and Nelson Bontranger took an instant dislike to one another and I enjoyed their banter and loved watching as their relationship evolved from enemies into a friendly, loving one.
I couldn’t put this book down, I highly recommend if you are a fan of Amish romance and love happily-ever-after endings.
Thank you NetGalley and Zondervan for the advanced reader’s copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Perfect Amish Romance. Strong family dynamics. 3 great love stories. Interesting, yet flawed characters. Beautiful story of faith, growth and love. While the story mainly focused on Ella and Nelson, I was drawn to one of the secondary love stories. Read this in 24 hours. Just lovely.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Zondervan Fiction for the ARC.
This multi-layered Amish romance features a widower and his two adult daughters who run the grocery store in the town of Marigold. Then add to the mix two handsome Amish men and a kindhearted English lady and it all adds up to an engaging and, at times, unpredictable story. I loved the way the author brought out both the strengths and weaknesses of each character’s personality and it was very realistic to see how they clashed and then eventually learned to live harmoniously. If you are a fan of Amish romance stories and love happily-ever-after endings then I think you will enjoy this book. Highly recommend! I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are strictly my own,
The Prosposal Plot by Kathleen Fuller, book two of An Amish of Marigold series, is an inspiring and heartwarming second chance tale dealing with loneliness, jealousy, love, mistakes, forgiveness, and faith. Nelson Bontrager, an artesian butcher, is buying the building next door to a grocery store run by business minded bossy Ella Yoder, her flighty sister Junia and their father Barnabas. Nelson is finding it hard to trust women again after his hard times with love. Ella is dealing with family troubles; especially her sister who is not pulling her weight around their business and home. Nelson has been very unlucky in love and has sworn off marriage forever. Ella has been told she isn’t marriage material while Junia is boy crazy, especially for Nelson’s nephew Malachi. The girls are fighting bitterly over everything, their father is beside himself and customer, retired lawyer Wendy Pearson offers to help with some family mediating. Sparks fly and ignite as Ella and Nelson are forced to chaperone Junia and Malachi. The more time they spend together, the more attracted to each other they become.
Ms Fuller wrote a heartwarming romance with three different couples who find their happily ever after. The family dynamics with polar opposite personalities and how they interacted with each other leaving you to wonder how they would be able to get their relationships to work; yet somehow they work out in the most entertaining of ways. With some unexpected twists and turns of events, and you are left with a very entertaining story of love, faith, and new beginnings that is a pure delight to read.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley # Zondervan
I have really enjoyed this series. However, this took a different turn in that it was not a matchmaking plot but how an unsuspecting couple came together. Ella Yoder was all about her family's grocery store. Unfortunately, her sister Junia did not. She was about having fun, enjoying people, and not worrying about the details like her sister. Nobody could do it right anyways but Ella so why bother. We all have experienced people like that in our life or maybe we are one of those people. That kind of relationship always ends up with tension and nothing resolved. Ella begins to change when she is confronted by Nelson Bontranger. Maybe it's because Nelson is not in the market for a wife because of his past heart ache. He is focusing on his dream of owning his butcher shop adjacent to Ella's family store. Their first meeting did not go well. Ella is very straight forward and Nelson has his own prejudice. It could be a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice because there is a little bit of both with Nelson. The pride of not letting his heart love and prejudice because all women are alike. Both of those only lead to lost love and loneliness.
A fun romance with a little bit of family issues that need to be resolved. Loved the characters and how the progressed in learning about themselves.
A special thank you to Zondervan Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
The Proposal Plot is a well written Amish romance. I enjoyed the plot and character development. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.
I must say I quite enjoyed this novel. I would recommend. This is my fifth novel from this author. I enjoy he writing style. Great job!
This is a really good read with many enjoyable characters. Ella and her dad, Barnabas, and sister, Junia, purchase a store and move to a different community after her mother passes away. Nelson and his family live in this community. Ella and Nelson become acquainted but don't like each other. Ella can be a bit bossy because her dad has allowed her to be in charge of a lot of things. She has a lot of responsibility. Junia meets Nelson's nephew, Malachi, and falls hard for him. Barnabas meets an Englisher and they become fast friends. There are many twists and turns with each of these relationships. You'll need to read this book to see how things turn out. It's an enjoyable read. I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.