To Market, To Market

With the frequency with which I am posting lately, one would think that I don't do much of anything but read. That's true, but not entirely. I have a rotator cuff problem and so I can't do much of anything BUT read, and that's a good thing for my TBR pile.

An Amish Market is a collection of novellas centered around Amish Markets and the people who live and work around them. These were written by four A-Class authors who have researched the Amish lifestyle and written compelling stories that are just plain un-put-down-able.

Ellie is looking for a way to help her mamm out since her brother died when a chance conversation reveals that a local gift shop needs some part time help. Ellie has also noticed her brother's best friend, Lloyd, and his talents for carving wooden birds. The store needs an influx of handmade goods by Amish people. As much as Ellie cajoles Lloyd, she can't convince him to sell his carvings to her boss. When Lloyd finds out why Ellie was so adamant about him selling his birds, the tables turn, and so do Lloyd's attentions. Love Birds by Amy Clipston

Hannah Lynne takes her fresh-churned butter to the Monday market and every week Ezra Yutzy comes to buy some. Hannah Lynne is hoping against hope that Ezra would notice her, but it's not until the yearly auction when Hannah Lynne sees a quilt so similar to one she has loved for a long time. She goes through her purse and bids all she has on it, but someone else wins it. When Ezra sees the disappointment on Hannah Lynne's face, he goes to the winner to buy it from her. When his mamm tells him how happy she is he got the quilt back, Ezra has to talk to Hannah Lynne and get the quilt back for his mother, but there is more in store for that quilt than meets the eye. A Bid for Love by Kathleen Fuller

Isabella makes a great first impression. Her first trip into the store to deliver some canned goods from her aunt's canning frolic ended up with a jar of beets broken and staining the floor of the market. This was the first time she met Will. The next time she meets Will, she's been on an "outing" with an Englisch girl that wasn't what she thought it would be. But Will sees something in Isabella that he's not seen in other girls, but his heart still hurts over his cousin and a one-time girlfriend. He wants to ask Isabella to wait for him, but feels it is unfair to ask. Sweeter than Honey by Kelly Irvin

David works at the Amish Mill as a docent in the Ice House. Stella is the tour guide, but she's had a hard hand dealt to her and has allowed a root of bitterness to take hold of her life. David sees in her all the potential that is there, but she can't see past the raw blow to her life. When someone starts playing practical jokes at the mill that lead a bit too far, Stella and David have to team up to solve the issue. Love in Store by Vannetta Chapman

This is Five star reading, two thumbs up, with a carved wooden bird, a pound of butter, some pickled beets, and a mystery to solve.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book