Anna's Gift / Family Blessings

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Two Amish romances for your consideration.


Title: ANNA’S GIFT
Author: Emma Miller
Publisher: Love Inspired
October 2011
ISBN: 978-0-373-87699-0
Genre: Inspirational/Amish/romance

Anna Yoder never expects to marry. Anna has six pretty, petite sisters, and Anna is big, overweight, and plain. Even her mother tells her so. Anna is accepting of her future, even when the handsome widower she’s long admired appears to be calling on her mother. She’s not sure how she feels about him being her step-dad, but she accepts it.

Samuel Mast is only eight years younger than Anna’s mother, but it’s not her mother he’s calling on, though everyone thinks it is. It’s Anna. No one is more surprised than Anna when Samuel announces his intentions to marry her so she could be a step-parent to his five children. Anna is flattered, but sure it’s a misunderstanding. After all, handsome Samuel has his choice of pretty brides.

When Anna finally becomes brave enough to share with a few friends about Samuel’s surprise proposal, no one believes her. They all think Anna is making up Samuel’s interest. Anna’s already low self-esteem takes a beating. Will she ever accept Samuel’s proposal as real, and take the love that is offered?

ANNA’S GIFT is one of the better Love Inspired books I’ve read recently. I enjoyed getting to know Anna and Samuel and the secondary characters in this book. The story is well written and the plot line is believable, even though Samuel is quite a few years older than Anna.

ANNA’S GIFT is the third book in Ms. Miller’s Amish series Miriam’s Daughters but it easily stands alone. Amish romance fans won’t want to miss this book. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $5.75. 217 pages.

This is my copy of the book, no review was required or requested.

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Title: FAMILY BLESSINGS
Author: Anna Schmidt
Publisher: Love Inspired Historicals
October 2011
ISBN: 978-0-373-82888-3
Genre: Inspirational/historical romance

Pleasant Obermeier has been raising her four step-children since her husband died. Her sister-in-law helps out with the children some, but she is still overwhelmed with running the bakery, the farm, a home and four children. She is doing okay in her bakery, though is sticking mostly with baking rye bread and rolls and a few cookies, since the Amish community they are in doesn’t believe in frivolous things.

Jeremiah Troyer has just moved down to the area from Ohio. His grandfather is the Bishop, and he plans to open an ice cream shop in the store next door to Pleasant’s bakery. He discusses with her the option of making cones for the ice cream. Pleasant reluctantly agrees, but she steadfastly refuses when Jeremiah offers to hire her twelve-year-old stepson to help in the ice cream shop.

Pleasant is unkind to Jeremiah, but she finally does agree to allow her stepson to help—free of charge—saying that is what the community is all about. But will Jeremiah’s continued offer of friendship remain rebuffed? Or will he break down the walls that Pleasant has erected.

FAMILY BLESSINGS is the second in Ms. Schmidt’s Amish Brides of Celery Fields series, but it easily stands alone. I didn’t care much for the first book, and wondered at my wisdom in buying this book, but it was better than the first. The female characters (heroine and secondary) are still very bitter and unkind, complaining a lot, but Jeremiah’s kindness made up for it. The ice cream shop made for an interesting twist.

It isn’t too often one reads a historical Amish romance, so if you like historicals and Amish, you might like this book. Also, at this point, it is the only Amish series set in the celery fields of Florida. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $5.75. 281 pages. 3 stars.