| Authors: | Shelley Shepard Gray, Charlotte Hubbard, Rosalind Lauer |
| Genre: | Amish, Christmas |
| Pub. Date: | 27 Sep 2022 |
| Pages: | 304 |
| Publisher: | Kensington Books, Kensington |
| Cover: | Weak. Love the book title typography, but the cover lacks personality. Boring and blurred. Amish do not have Christmas trees. |
| Rating: | 3.7 stars |
Three sweet new Christmas novels from well-known Amish authors.
My review …
“Buggies, Trains, and Automobiles” by Shelley Shepard Gray finds two Amish strangers on December 20th traveling from Pinecraft, Florida to Holmes County, Ohio in a van driven by a grumpy driver who leaves them at a closed filling station in Jacksonville, Florida. Ellis tends to be bossy and John complains a bit too much. And the story is about how these two people DO get to Ohio and find they just might get along for longer than the trip. Rating: 3 stars
The lack of concern by an Amish man and woman, unmarried, traveling alone together is never even proposed. And you *know* there would have been. It was a cute, nice story but not one I would read again.
“Star of Wonder” by Charlotte Hubbard tells the story of an old-ordered Amish young man who dislikes farming and loves creating Christmas plaques with stars and meaningful Christmas messages. He hopes the bulk store will allow him to sell the signs. If he doesn’t make some money with his art, he will *have* to give it up and farm.
Working at this bulk store is Mennonite Lizzie Zehr and her character is why I was glad when I completed this novella. If she had a nickname, it would be “Ditzy Lizzie”. She just bounced all over the place, forgetful, and basically creating havoc more than anyone you are likely to meet. Of course, these two young people fall in love but a solution is not easy since he is old-order Amish and she is Mennonite. Rating: 3 stars
Lizzie was just too “ditzy” for me. Like the previous novella, okay for one read but won’t be reading this one again.
“Starlight Everlasting” by Rosalind Lauer begins with newlyweds who are so looking forward to their first Christmas together. Luke has had to take a factory job that allows him to only be home on weekends. When Luke is told as the newest person on the job he has to work Christmas Day, how does he tell Rachel? He hates only being able to come home on weekends. But without his job … Rating: 5 stars
I enjoyed this story. A lot. Perhaps because as newlyweds, my husband and I were separated due to his “job”, except he was gone 21 days, home 3-4 days, and gone again. You don’t like it but you deal with it. And that’s what this young couple does. And when they give it to God, wonderful things do happen at Christmas.
Overall rating: 3.7 stars rounded to 4 stars on sites that only show whole numbers.
I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of “An Amish Christmas Star” via NetGalley from the publisher, Kensington Books, Kensington. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Overall rating: 3.7 stars rounded to 4 stars
on sites that only show whole numbers.
#AnAmishChristmasStar #NetGalley
