At first I wasn't sure what I'd think about ALMOST AMISH. Reality TV shows, English living as Amish (dressed in pioneer closets?) and women's fiction.... Not a genre I'm a huge fan of, though I do read some. But this book - ALMOST AMISH grabbed me from the first page. I totally got Julie. Not perfect. Real. Gifted with organizing, but not cleaning. Gifted with seeing people, but not baking for school functions. And running ragged with all her and her children's and her husband's activities... Crazy. She needed a breather, and when her sister-in-law, Susan accepted a reality TV show position (for a needed boost with her career) she jumped at the chance to get away.

But the situation is far from perfect. They take out the propane stove and put in a wood stove -- which neither woman had even seen one before, much less baked/cooked with one. The producers "greeked' labels, meaning they didn't know what ingredients were what in some cases, and well, there were NO privacy. Julie found herself going to bat over and over for her children and Susan because Susan wouldn't stand up for herself (afraid to risk her career plans) and the producers were running alll over them. . .

Add a "handyman", a potential romance and lots of heart and realism and you have ALMOST AMISH.

This was a beautifully written story that I totally LOVED. I have made decisions to slow our family life down as I grew older -- getting rid of TV, baking most meals from scratch, not eating out, and spending time together as a family. We have a reputation of being "The Waltons" around here - actually eating at the table as a family. . . etc. I am not good at gardening, (Julie was) and not good at sewing (Julie was) but otherwise I totally related to her. GREAT story. I haven't read much (if anything else) by this author, but I will look up more, based on this book.

This is the first book I have read by author Kathryn Cushman. Although I have read books on the Amish before, this one was different from any I had ever read before. The storyline follows two woman who are sister in laws and their teenage kids as they participate in a TV reality show.

I found it very interesting that the two women were as different as night and day. The author did a good job of drawing me and made it easy to relate my own life to these women. I had to stop and think, what is important in life? Am I always rushing around working and not taking time for my kids and husband?

The book also portrayed that a simple lifestyle doesn't necessarily mean an easier lifestyle. I liked how the teenagers did a good job at adapting to change. They even realized they didn't need their computers and cell phones to occupy themselves. Can you imagine if a lot more of us would realize there is a world outside of electronics?

I really liked that when the show was over the woman spent some time incorporating all the good things they learned into their lives when they returned home.

All in all this is a well-written novel focusing on slowing down and spending time with family.

Thank you Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a free copy to review. My opinions are my own.

How many times have you just wanted to stop...take a deep breath and just relax? We live in a world that is go go go all the time. School events, family obligations, work. The list can go on and on. Julie Charlton has had enough of the constant hustle and bustle of her life. Being pulled in several directions can do that to a person. Susan, her in command sister-in-law, presents her with the opportunity to escape for the summer. If you can call reality television an escape! Susan wants Julie and her children to be part of a show where they will live like the Amish for the summer. Julie is determined to give this a try and really wants to slow down for the summer. As their adventure begins they are faced with the "reality" that living like the Amish comes with hardships and may prove to be more than they can handle.....

We can all take a lesson from the Amish...slow down and enjoy what you do have. You do not need to be Amish to have simplicity. There comes a time when you just have to stop and smell the roses. I wonder how many of us could live without our modern conveniences. Would you consider reality television? It was fun to read about it, and I even watch a lot of it on TV, but my answer is absolutely NO! A camera following your every move for entertainment is not my idea of a vacation. I think we can all identify with the characters in the book, whether we stretch ourselves to thin like Julie or are a bit overbearing at times like Susan. Almost Amish is a well written touching story with very believable characters. I really enjoyed this different spin on Amish fiction and it is definitely worth your attention.

This book was provided to me from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for review purposes.

Two highly driven, stressed-out mothers. Three teenagers. A summer of living a simple Almost Amish life. The makings of a great book . . . or a cheesy story about a fake "reality TV" experience? I'm happy to say, I found it to be the former . . . in fact, one of the best books I've read in a while!

Julie and Susan are sisters-in-law who embark on quite an adventure with their children, Brian, Whitney and Angie. When the chance comes to participate in a reality TV show where they will give up all technology and most modern conveniences, Susan sees an opportunity to boost her career in television and writing. But her hoped-for results will come only if everything about this experience goes exactly right. Julie is just exhausted with her life and not sure what she is accomplishing with all her busy-ness. She never quite measures up to where she thinks she should -- in cooking, in keeping her house, in pushing her kids to accomplish their goals. She believes participating in the show will help Susan and her daughter as they try to move on after her divorce and will also be a chance for Julie and her two kids to slow down and take a break from their hectic life. It soon becomes obvious that trying to live a simple life can be pretty complicated, and by the end of summer some pretty important lessons have been learned -- some of them the hard way.

I wasn't sure what to expect in this book, but being a huge fan of Amish fiction I thought it was worth a try. Truth is, there was very little actual Amish presence in the story. But it was the Almost Amish presence that made the story so good. I've been asked and also seen other people try to explain what it is that attracts us so much to the Amish books we read and the Amish lifestyle we admire. Even though I still can't articulate the answers to those questions as well as I would like, Katie Cushman did a great job of demonstrating some of the answers in this story. Her main characters were able to simplify their lives enough to find out a lot about who they really were and to carry that over into their "real world" when the summer ended. Julie, Susan, and their kids were believable people with real strengths and flaws -- people who readers can care about and cheer on from beginning to end of the story.

(This book was provided free of charge from Bethany House Publishers for my honest review.)

Almost Amish is an adorable book. Every time I picked it up, I got lost in the pages for far long than I planned. I was entertained from start to finish.

Having worked in television before I became a stay-at-home mom, I was interested in the idea of showcasing a family on a reality series. This book did not disappoint! You get lots of behind-the-scenes info to keep you guessing about what might happen next.

I also loved the message that this book got across. What is really important in life? Where do you really want to put your energy? The answer, of course, will be different for all of us.

Finally, if you've never read an Amish book, this would be a great place to start. There's a nice balance of the "real world" and the Amish life. I bet you'll be hooked on Amish fiction before you know it!

Can't wait to read more from Kathryn Cushman!