Book Review: An Amish Love by Kelly Long, Kathleen Fuller, and Beth Wiseman/4 Stars

About the book:

Romance is in the air, old-fashioned courtship is alive and well, and love is an eternal promise.

A Marriage of the Heart by Kelly Long

Abigail Kauffman is looking for a way out; Joseph Lambert is seeking a way in. Since her mother's death, Abby has lived alone with her father and longs to escape the emptiness of the farmhouse that has never felt like home. Joseph Lambert is a newcomer in their close-knit community. Only after they find themselves suddenly married to each other do they begin to understand the tender truths of life-long love.

What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller

When Ellie Chupp loses her sight in an accident--and then her boyfriend shortly after that--she believes love will never be in her future. But Christopher Miller has returned home, five years after fleeing from the tragedy that broke his heart. When Ellie and Chris meet again, sparks fly. Could true love be a matter of seeing with new eyes?

Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman

He left to find himself. She found her way without him. Now Levina and Naaman Lapp are together again, feeling miles apart. Although coming home was the right thing to do, Naaman must regain the trust and respect of his wife who, in his absence, has learned to trust God like never before. Could it be that their prior years together have simply been a preface to a greater love than they have ever known?

My thoughts:

Novellas aren't normally my thing.  I've found that I enjoy a longer story much more than a short one.  However, I bit the bullet in this case, and read an anthology of novellas.  And if I really want to be truthful, it was only because Beth Wiseman's name was on the cover. :o)

And guess what?  I was pleasantly surprised!  Beth's story was great, of course, like all of her other books have been.  There were a few places where the story seemed to be rather drawn out, but on the whole, I enjoyed it.  I loved that it was a little spicy on the romance which, compared with other Amish novels, was a refreshing change.  I came across a review while I was reading this book that said the romance was inappropriate.  Puh-lease.  I found nothing wrong with a married couple (who had drifted apart from one other) that was desparately trying to reconnect romantically with one another.  If that's too much for some folks, then...wow.  I found it to be very realistic because unless you have the *perfect* marriage, there's nothing wrong with a wife being courted all over again by her husband.

Moving on...

Kathleen's story was just okay. I didn't dislike it, but it just wasn't as great as the other two stories, in my opinion. However, it was different in it's own right, dealing with a young blind woman living among the Amish (which was a first for me).

The most pleasant surprise, though, was Kelly Long's novella--A Marriage of the Heart.  Until now, I've not had the pleasure of reading any of Kelly's books, but let me just say...WOW!  What a great introduction to a new author!  Her story was so much fun, yet serious, and I loved the blossoming romance that happened after an impromtu marriage.  I can't wait now to find one of Kelly's full-length novels because I'm pretty confident that I'll find another good story nestled between it's pages.  :o)

This set of stories would be perfect for those wanting to try out the Amish genre, or any of these authors, in general.  Each novella is a little more than 100 pages, and gives a reader a glimpse into the Amish lifestyle and culture.  It would also be a perfect read around Valentine's Day because it is a little heavier on the romance than most Amish stories are.  My rating is 4 Stars.

Southern?  No
Sass?  No

**Many thanks to Thomas Nelson through NetGalley for providing a copy for review.