An Amish Christmas Gift

An Amish Christmas Gift is a collection of three novellas by three different authors. Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, and Kelly Irvin all have best-selling books. Amy Clipston is known for her beloved Kauffman Amish Bakery series. Many of Ruth Reids books deal with miracles. As a faithful believer in God, Ruth Reid says she has experienced miracles in her own life. Kelly Irvin writes about faith that can overcome anything.

These novellas take place around Christmas time. All three stories involve a young Amish woman who feels she will never be married for one reason or another. Then a handsome man enters the picture, and it seems even more impossible that romance will blossom. Naomi from Naomis Gift was a sweet girl that I could not help but like. Abigail in An Unexpected Joy and her ways brought a smile to my face. Frannie from A Christmas Visitor had me wondering how she would find the love she is longing for..

The authors did a good job of helping me get to know the characters and care for them. These novellas are short compared to full length novels. I always find it amazing that the authors can develop a plot and characters in so few pages. I enjoyed all three stories. I previously read Naomis Gift by Amy Clipston, as it was first released in 2011. An Unexpected Joy is the first I have read by Ruth Reid. I was excited to see that A Christmas Visitor was set in Bee County, Texas and had characters from Kelly Irvins The Amish of Bee County series. I just finished book two, The Bishops Son, and liked it. I was happy with the outcome of all three novellas, which were all very different. I think that fans of Amish Romance will enjoy these heart warming stories. I received a free copy of this book form Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas has come and gone, and I'm overdue with this review. Though, thanks to a blizzard named Jonas and some wintry weather, the last few weeks have felt more like Christmas than did our unseasonably warm December. So the Christmas spirit remains.

An Amish Christmas Gift is the first of Bethany House Publishers' Amish Fiction novella collections I had the pleasure to read. When I read this book in November, what a gift it was to usher in the season! I liked it so well that I became an instant fan of the format, and I'm eager for each new release.

I won't give a strict novella-by-novella review for this collection. Instead, I'll talk briefly about my impressions and the commonalities between the different stories.

An Amish Christmas Gift would be a welcome addition to anyone's Christmastime reading. The simplicity of an Amish Christmas celebration lies in stark contrast to the commercial headache that American consumerism has brought to our sacred time. As such, reading this book is a balm -- a beautiful escape from the holiday rush, as well as a gentle reminder of what Christmas really means.

As my reading progressed, I enjoyed each installment more than the one that came before. All three stories have a common thread of finding unexpected love. Each of the young women is unique in some way -- one is older and sure she's destined to be an old maid, another is super chatty and quirky (I love Abigail!), and another is sent away from home to "forget" her feelings for an English boy. Though all initially imagine their futures will be lonely, they learn to trust God's plan for them. God, who makes all things possible, shows each of these ladies that, with His help, she'll find her happy ending.

Verdict: 5 of 5 Hearts. As Comforting as a Hot Cup of Cocoa on a Winter's Eve.

An Amish Christmas Gift is a good introduction to Amish Fiction and a wonderful way to get your Christmas spirit on! Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, and Kelly Irvin use their pens to point out that love sometimes works in mysterious ways, so we should trust that God, in His timing, has someone special for us. For even when we are convinced we'll never find it, love finds us.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I would like to thank Fiction Guild for providing me with a copy of this title. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Wow! If you enjoy inspirational, romance, Christmas and Amish genre books this book is a must read. Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, and Kelly Irvin have written a great tale in An Amish Christmas Gift. I was drawn into each story.

Amy Clipston's tale Naomi's Gift will give readers an opportunity to see what is happening with Naomi currently. Will Naomi find love at Christmas time when she has reckoned with being single?

In An Unexpected Joy you'll meet "Gabby Abby", as Micah called Abigail that in this sweet tale. Abigail wants to purchase a horse since it appears she'll never have a husband. Are Micah and Abigail meant for each other as Micah's grandmother believes they are?

Kelly Irvin tale of A Christmas Visitor has Fannie Mast returning to Bee County in Texas. Her family insisted she return to Bee County since she is interested in an English man. Fannie's English friend goes to Bee County with Fannie's aunt not being happy about him arriving there. Will Fannie's uncle and the bishop in the district have a hand in what happens to the English visitor while in Bee County?

Read An Amish Christmas Gift to see how each tale brings a Christmas gift to the characters.

I love Christmas stories and really enjoyed reading these three novellas. They include Naomis Gift by Amy Clipston, An Unexpected Joy by Ruth Reid, and A Christmas Visitor by Kelly Irvin. Wonderfully talented authors, these ladies have each shared a sweet story that is sure to delight their fans. If youre a fan of Amish fiction, I think you will certainly enjoy the romances that blossom between Naomi and Caleb, Abigail and Micah, and Frannie and Rocky. An Amish Christmas Gift is a great collection!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

An Amish Christmas Gift: Three Amish Novellas by Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid and Kelly Irvin has three warm, enjoyable Christmas stories that will transcend readers into three different Amish communities around the country.

Naomi's Gift by Amy Clipston takes us to Lancaster County, PA to find young widower Caleb and his cheerful daughter Susie going home for Christmas. Caleb keeps running into Naomi a seemingly kind, unmarried young woman that Susie takes to right away, but his gossipy sister insists she is not a good match for him. Still, there is something about Naomi that he likes, especially the way she is with his beloved Susie.

Then we take a trip to Centreville, Michigan to meet Abigail Kemp. Having decided that she will never marry, Abigail works hard to raise money for her own horse to help her be more independent. On the way to her independence she meets local glassblower Micah Zook who is working hard to build his own business, but needs someone to care for his aging grandmother. Can the two work out an arrangement that will help them achieve their goals? Or does God have other plans for the pair?

Kelly Irvin's A Christmas Visitor takes us to the other side of the country to Bee County, Texas. Fannie Mast has been sent here from Missouri to her Aunt and Uncle's home with the hope that she will find a nice Plain man to marry and forget her Englisch friend Rocky. Fanny couldn't stay Plain and be with Rocky, she knew. She did not want to give up being Plain for anyone, but what would she do when Rocky showed up on the doorstep of her Aunt and Uncle's home?

An Amish Christmas Gift will take you on a wonderful journey around the country this Christmas. You will meet some warm and wonderful characters.

I did receive this book from The Fiction Guild in exchange for an honest review.