Kelly Irvin has 20 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 8 narrators, with an average listener rating of 5★ across 21 ratings. The most-rated is Upon a Spring Breeze.
The Beekeeper's Son
Summary
Phineas King knows better than to expect anything but shock and pity wherever he shows his face. Horribly scarred from the tragic accident that claimed his mother's life, he chooses to keep his distance from everyone, focusing his time and energy on the bees his family raises. So why does he start finding excuses to seek out Deborah Lantz, the beautiful new arrival in town? Deborah can't get out of Bee County, Texas, soon enough. Once her mother and younger siblings are settled, she is on the first bus out of this dusty town. She is only waiting on the letter from Aaron, asking her to return to lush Tennessee to be his fraa. But that letter never comes. As she spends time getting to know Phineas - hoping to uncover the man beneath the scars - she begins to realize that she no longer minds that Aaron hasn't sent for her. As both Deborah and Phineas try to come to terms with lives that haven't turned out the ways they imagined, they discover that perhaps God's plans for them are more extraordinary than they could have dreamed. But they need to let go of their own past sorrows and disappointments to find the joy and beauty that lies just ahead.
©2014 Kelly Irvin (P)2015 Tantor
An Amish Christmas Wedding
Summary
From best-selling authors of Amish fiction come four delightful stories perfect for celebrating love, joy, and the everyday miracles Christmas brings. Evergreen Love by Amy Clipston Ryan Lapp had promised to marry Lorene Bontrager as soon as he was able to build them a house, but the day never came. Ryan moved away. Five years later, Lorene has settled in to her old maid role, and she’s shocked when her younger sister announces her quick engagement to Ryan’s younger brother. As they rush to plan the wedding, Lorene is constantly around the family she almost joined. Worse, she’s forced to face Ryan himself, who has returned to town. As both Ryan and Lorene examine their own feelings, they must decide if they can find grace with each other - and the young people they once were - this Christmas season. There just might still be love in their future. Wreathed in Joy by Kathleen Fuller Mary Wengerd and Jakob Mullet have been best friends since childhood. Pressured by friends and family, they decided to date - with disastrous results. When they break up, their friendship is ruined. A year later, Mary is baking her Englisch friend’s wedding and groom cakes for a Christmas Eve wedding. Mary loves the Christmas season, and had always dreamed of marrying during that time. Now she wonders if she’ll ever marry. After she and Jakob form a tenuous new friendship, Mary breaks her arm. As he steps in to help her with the cakes, Mary is inexplicably and suddenly falling for him. But they've already dated, and that ended so horribly. Could it be better this time? Holiday of Hope by Kelly Irvin Henry Lufkin is one of four bachelors who lived in the West Kootenai, Montana, cabins that were destroyed by wildfires. He’s the only one of them who hasn’t since married, but he likes his solitude. Then an old friend asks him to care for his son, and Henry has to share his small cabin and his life with bewildered and rebellious 10-year-old Tommy. When the child encounters trouble at school, Henry reaches out to Tommy's teacher. Leesa Yoder never expected to find herself single and teaching 16 young scholars, and she certainly didn’t anticipate an inexperienced bachelor telling her how to do her job. Amid the flying sparks, can Henry and Leesa see that there might be hope and love in this unexpected situation? A Christmas Prayer by Vannetta Chapman Widower Micah Miller runs the Amish Tour Company, offering Englischers a glimpse of a simpler life as well as tea at Rachel King’s. Rachel has never married and has recently lost her parents. When Micah comes across an abandoned and injured dog, he gives it to Rachel for company. As Rachel is charmed by the dog and shocked by news of the existence of family she never expected, her heart and mind bend toward the possibilities of change in her life - even toward the possibility of love.
©2020 Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, Kelly Irvin, Vannetta Chapman (P)2020 Zondervan
Upon a Spring Breeze
Summary
After a devastating winter, a spring breeze promises more than new flowers.... It promises a new chance at love. Bess Weaver, 20 and expecting her first child, is in the kitchen making stew for her beloved mann, Caleb, one minute, and the next, she’s burying him after a tragic accident. Facing life as a young widow, Bess finds comfort only in tending the garden at an Englisch-owned bed and breakfast - even as she doubts that new growth could ever come after such a long winter. Aidan tries to repress his guilt over his best friend Caleb’s death and his long-standing feelings for Bess by working harder than ever. But as he spends time with the young son his friend left behind, he seems to be growing closer to the boy’s beautiful mother as well. When a close-knit group of widows in her Amish community step in to help Bess find her way back to hope, she begins to wonder if Gott has a future for her after all. Will she ever believe life can still hold joy and the possibility of love?
©2017 Kelly Irvin (P)2018 Zondervan
The Saddle Maker's Son
Summary
Rebekah Lantz feels imprisoned by circumstances she didn't create. Tobias Byler is haunted by regret. Can two young runaways from half a world away teach them the healing power of true family? Rebekah isn't like her sister, but the watchful gaze of her family and small, close-knit Amish community makes her feel as if she's been judged and found lacking. The men avoid her, and the women whisper behind her back. She simply longs for the same chance to be a wife and mother that her friends have. Tobias Byler only wants to escape feelings for a woman he knows he should never have allowed to get close to him. Moving with his family to isolated Bee County, Texas, seemed the best way to leave his mistakes behind. But even a move across the country can't erase the past that accompanies his every thought. A surprise encounter with two half-starved runaway children forces both Rebekah and Tobias to turn to each other to help a sister and brother who have traveled thousands of miles in search of lives of unfettered peace and joy. In doing so, Rebekah and Tobias discover the key to forgetting the past is the one that will open the door to love and the future they both seek.
©2017 Ruth Reid (P)2018 Tantor
The Bishop's Son
Summary
Leila Lantz has been in love with Jesse Glick from the day she first saw him at his father's store, but she can't make sense of his intentions. One day he wants to come courting, the next he seems to be putting distance between them. Jesse may be the bishop's son, but his faith has been wavering of late. If he is so unsure, is it fair to give Leila false hope for a future he doubts he can provide? Then there's Will, Jesse's cousin. He has been trying to keep his feelings for Leila a secret, but he also knows that Jesse is wrestling with his faith. Would declaring his feelings for Leila be in her best interest or simply serving his own selfish desires?
©2015 Kelly Irvin (P)2015 Tantor
Through the Autumn Air
Summary
The third audiobook in the beloved Every Amish Season series by best-selling author Kelly Irvin. "Kelly Irvin’s Through the Autumn Air is a poignant journey of friendship and second chances that will illustrate for readers that God blesses us with a true love for all seasons." (Amy Clipston, bestselling author of Room on the Porch Swing) The past filled her mind even as her heart yearned for stories yet to be told.... The mother of 10 and a widow of seven years, Mary Katherine is a bundle of energy, always willing to step in and help her friends around her Amish community. Now that her last child is married, she pours her abundant creative spirit into writing stories, even as she speaks aloud to her late husband every day. Her dream is to open a bookstore with an English friend, but the church elders want this wayward widow to work in an Amish-owned store instead. When her old school friend Ezekiel offers her a position as a cook in the restaurant he opened after his wife died, she knows she should accept. But does she really want to spend her time working over a hot stove? When a mysterious English stranger breaks into her house to make himself a sandwich one autumn night, Mary Katherine doesn’t call the sheriff. She turns to Ezekiel. They both see that Burke is need of more than a meal, and Ezekiel offers him the job at the restaurant. As they set out to care for their new friend, Mary Katherine and Ezekiel find themselves often working together. Mary Katherine is drawn to Ezekiel, but she remembers the terrible risk of giving her heart to someone. Can two people in the autumns of their lives and so well-versed in the pain of loss put the past behind them and trust in the hope that comes with each new season?
©2018 Kelly Irvin (P)2019 Zondervan
An Amish Christmas Love
Summary
Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman: Three generations of Stoltzfus women are all living under the same roof. At 25, Naomi has never been married, and both her mother, Barbara, and her grandmother, Ruth, have recently been widowed. Each nursing broken or lonely hearts, they also each have potential suitors. When a storm on Christmas Eve forces the three couples to take shelter in the basement of the Stotlzfus homestead, secrets are revealed, hearts are opened, and all three potential grooms drop to their knees for very different reasons - a proposal, a prayer, and an epiphany. The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston: Emma Bontrager is spending her first Christmas alone after her husband of 45 years, Henry, passed away in July. Although the Amish don’t normally allow animals in their homes, a big, fat, orange barn cat keeps coming into Emma’s house. She shoos the cat away, but it continues to appear in her house, settling on Henry’s favorite wingchair. But the cat isn’t the only Christmas visitor: A group of young people help bring the Christmas spirit to Emma, reminding her that love and hope abide. Snow Angels by Kelly Irvin: As a young man enjoying his rumspringa, David Byler gave his heart to an Englisch girl, but he eventually realized he couldn’t give up his Plain faith and family for her, so he let her go. He’s found a new love in his Bee County Plain community, Molly Shrock. Molly has been patient, waiting for the man she loves to love her back. Just as he is ready to propose, David makes a startling discovery: Bobbie McGregor, his Englisch love, is back. Will Molly’s prayers for a Christmas love be answered? Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid: When a misdirected GPS sends Ellie Whetstone to the wrong address, she inadvertently finds herself breaking into the home of Amish man Ezra Mast. Ellie hopes to fix up the house left by her aenti and sell it quickly, but a series of run-ins with Ezra and his young daughter have her questioning whether a hasty sale is the right move. Could this new place with its slower pace be the right home for Ellie?
©2017 Elizabeth Wiseman Mackey, Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, and Ruth Reid (P)2019 Zondervan
An Amish Heirloom
Summary
A Legacy of Love by Amy Clipston Local volunteer fire fighter Leon King agrees to repair his ex-girlfriend Susie Bontrager’s grandparents’ antique rocking chairs for her future home with her fiance and is forced to acknowledge that his feelings for her have not quite gone away. As Susie spends time with Leon, she begins to recognize she is marrying the wrong man for all the wrong reasons. The Cedar Chest by Beth Wiseman Decades after inheriting her great grandmother’s cedar chest, Emma Fisher decides to pry it open only to discover a beautiful love story in the form of letters between her great grandparents. But as Emma immerses herself in their story, family secrets are revealed, and she must decide whether to share them to preserve family history or honor her great grandparents’ decision to leave them hidden. The Treasured Book by Kathleen Fuller For the past two years, Shane Broyles has felt God leading him to join the Amish. He’s staying with his friends Noah and Ivy Schlabach in Birch Creek, OH, where he is reunited with Lucy Fisher, an old friend of Noah’s family. Shane and Lucy have never revealed their feelings for each other, but when they stumble upon an antique Bible at a flea market, they feel drawn to each other and to the mystery of the contents found within. The Midwife’s Dream by Kelly Irvin Iris Beachy serves as a midwife in her district where she longs for a family of her own. When her friend’s brother Mahon Kurtz seeks her help in delivering the baby of two young teenagers who have sought refuge in their town, they begin to see each other in a different light. Unprepared for parenthood, the young couple leave their baby girl behind in an antique crib quilt resembling the one destined for Iris when she becomes a mother. Mahon and Iris come together to take care of the baby as they try to find her parents, and they begin to see new possibilities for their future. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2018 Amy Clipston, Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Kelly Irvin (P)2018 Oasis Audio
With Winter's First Frost
Summary
With the coldest season comes the warmest of second chances. At age 73, Laura Kauffman knows she is closer to the end of life than the beginning. If God willed it, she would join her beloved late husband soon. Even so, Laura wonders what purpose God might have for her in this winter of her life - and why this season seems so lonely. Widower Zechariah Stutzman is facing his own barren season, despite the great-grandchildren swirling around him. With his Parkinson’s worsening, he had no choice but to move in with his grandson’s family, though now he feels adrift and useless. When Laura offers to help with Zechariah’s five great-grandchildren after their mother has a difficult childbirth, Zechariah is unsure how he will adjust to the warm but tart demeanor of this woman he has known since grade school. But soon, Laura and Zechariah learn they are asking God the same questions about loss and hope. And they begin to wonder if he is providing answers after all. With Winter’s First Frost reminds us that God’s purposes always bear fruit - and sometimes love is sweeter with age.
©2019 Kelly Irvin (P)2019 Zondervan
An Amish Reunion
Summary
Four sweet stories about reuniting with the ones you love. Their True Home by Amy Clipston When Marlene Bawell moved from Bird-in-Hand 10 years ago, she was in the deepest of mourning for her mother. Now, her family has moved back so her father can seek employment after being laid off. To help save money, Marlene works at the hardware store owned by Rudy Swarey’s father. She knew Rudy growing up and had a secret crush on him, though he never seemed to notice her. But just as a friendship between them begins to blossom, her life is once again turned upside down. Will Marlene ever have a chance to find her own true home? A Reunion of Hearts by Beth Wiseman Elizabeth and Gideon Beiler experienced one of life’s most tragic events. Unable to get past their grief, the couple abandoned their Amish faith and went in different directions, though neither could bear to formally dissolve the marriage. When their loved ones reach out to them to come home for a family reunion, Elizabeth has reason to believe that Gideon won’t be there. Gideon also thinks that Elizabeth has declined the invitation. Family and friends are rooting for them to reunite, but will it all be enough for Elizabeth and Gideon to get past their grief and recapture a time when they were in love and had a bright future ahead of them? A Chance to Remember by Kathleen Fuller Cevilla Schlabach, Birch Creek’s resident octogenarian matchmaker, is surprised when Richard, a man from her Englisch past, arrives in Birch Creek for a visit. While he and Cevilla take several walks down memory lane, they wonder what the future holds for them at this stage of life - friendship, or the possibility of something else? Mended Hearts by Kelly Irvin At 18, Hannah Kauffman made a terrible mistake. Her parents and members of her Jamesport Amish community say they’ve forgiven her. But she feels their eyes following her everywhere she goes with 18-month-old Evie. Thaddeus, Evie's father, escaped this fate by running away from Jamesport. Now that Thaddeus is gone, Hannah’s old friend Phillip is stepping up to be by her side. He has waited patiently for Hannah to realize just how much he cares for her. But when Thaddeus returns after two years, Hannah can’t deny the love she feels for him. Does the fact that Phillip has waited patiently for her all this time mean that she owes him something? Can she trust either one of them? Can she trust herself? She has repented and been forgiven by the One who is most important - her heavenly Father. But is she willing to risk making more mistakes by opening herself up to love? Each story in this sweet, contemporary collection can be listened to as a standalone, but the stories are best enjoyed together. Book length: approximately 100,000 words. Includes discussion questions for book clubs
©2019 Amy Clipston, Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Kelly Irvin (P)2019 Zondervan
Mountains of Grace
Summary
When wildfires threaten her Montana home, Mercy Yoder finds herself torn between the Amish man who proposed without a declaration of love and the Englisch smoke jumper who can’t seem to stay away. Mercy Yoder loves her students and her life in the tiny village of West Kootenai, nestled at the foot of Montana’s most northern mountains. And she is in no rush to get married...much to the disappointment of her parents. In fact, she has turned down the one marriage proposal she’s received. Her beau, Caleb, has yet to tell her he loves her, stoking her fears that they simply aren’t right for each other. When a devastating wildfire threatens to destroy her beloved community, Mercy and her family evacuate to the nearby town of Eureka. There, she meets Spencer McDonald, an Englisch smoke jumper. Her conversations with him are unlike any she’s ever had with a man. She finds his directness and ability to express his feelings refreshing and completely different from Caleb, who is tightlipped about his past. But what would her family and community say if Mercy chose a relationship with an Englischer? Is Mercy willing to give up all she has known and loved for someone who finally understands her? Or can Mercy find the love she has always longed for closer to home?
©2019 Kelly Irvin (P)2019 Zondervan
Beneath the Summer Sun
Summary
Jennie Troyer knows it’s time to remarry. Can she overcome a painful secret and open her heart to love? It’s been four years since Jennie’s husband died in a farming accident. Long enough that the elders in her Amish community think it’s time to marry again for the sake of her seven children. What they don’t know is that grief isn’t holding her back from a new relationship. Fear is. A terrible secret in her past keeps her from moving forward. Mennonite book salesman Nathan Walker stops by Jennie’s farm whenever he’s in the area. Despite years of conversation and dinners together, she never seems to relax around him. He knows he should move on, but something about her keeps drawing him back. Meanwhile, Leo Graber nurtures a decades-long love for Jennie, but guilt plagues him - guilt for letting Jennie marry someone else and guilt for his father’s death on a hunting trip many years ago. How could anyone love him again - and how could he ever take a chance to love in return? In this second audiobook in the Every Amish Season series, three hearts try to discern God’s plan for the future - and find peace beneath the summer sun.
©2018 Kelly Irvin (P)2019 Zondervan
An Amish Barn Raising
Summary
From best-selling authors in the Amish genre come three sweet stories centered around Amish traditions and the possibility of romance. Building a Dream by Amy Clipston Though they’ve known each other a long time, Kathryn and Anthony have finally decided to try becoming more than friends - but they are devastated when Kathryn’s father won’t allow them to date. He wants his daughter to marry a man with a more respectable job than building gazebos for Englishers. But when Kathryn’s father’s dairy barn burns down during a thunderstorm, Anthony is the one to arrange a barn raising. Will Kathryn’s father realize he has misjudged Anthony? To Raise a Home by Kelly Irvin A year after the wildfires, life has returned to normal for the West Kootenai Amish community. Evan Eicher, son of Deacon Tobias Eicher, has done his best to move on too. Helping his neighbors and friends rebuild has helped soothe a heart broken when Delilah Mast - the woman he loves but never had the courage to approach - moved with her family back to Kansas. At his father’s urging he courts Kaylee Plank, a sweet woman who adores him. But when Delilah moves back to teach school, Evan must wrestle with feelings he’s tried so hard to put in the past. And an accident at a barn raising will force Kaylee, Delilah, and Evan to face the truth about their hearts. Love’s Solid Foundation by Kathleen Fuller Devon Bontrager only returned to his old hometown to make good on a past misdeed. He hadn’t counted on reconnecting with Nettie Yoder, especially since she strung along his younger twin brothers some years ago. Nettie knows she’s made some mistakes in the past, but she’s determined to be an asset to her community from now on. But just as she’s making headway, her family’s barn burns to the ground. Why does it seem like God is punishing her family when she’s finally starting to turn her life around? Can she convince Devon that she has changed? Can Devon trust the woman who broke his brothers’ hearts? Three sweet contemporary Amish romances Stand-alone novella collection Book length: 80,000 words
©2021 Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, and Kathleen Fuller (P)2021 Zondervan
An Amish Summer
Summary
A novella collection of sweet summer romances from some of our favorite Amish authors! A Reunion in Pinecraft by Shelley Shepard Gray When sisters Sharon and Sherilyn Kramer attend a wedding in Shipshewana, one of them returns with a new pen pal while the other returns to her job at the bakery. After sending weekly letters back and forth, Sherry and Graham Holland arrange a reunion in Pinecraft. Upon Graham’s arrival, however, he realizes he’s been writing to the wrong sister. He decides to use the reunion as a way to get to know both sisters, but can he sort through the confusion in time to turn the worst vacation ever into something truly wonderful? Summer Storms by Amy Clipston Ariana is counting down the days until her wedding to Jesse. They have been friends longer than Arianna can remember, and that friendship turned into love over the past couple of years. But when Arianna’s brother, Tobias, who happens to be Jesse’s best friend, gets them both into trouble, Arianna’s father puts an end to her engagement to Jesse. Some summer storms pass quickly, but Arianna is afraid the damage from this one may be too much to repair. Lakeside Love by Kathleen Fuller Esther has always lived in the shadow of her beautiful younger sister, Sarah. Even the boy she has known - and loved - her entire life, Judah, only has eyes for Sarah. But when a handsome young Englischer comes to live with the family for a summer, everything begins to change. One Sweet Kiss by Kelly Irvin Everybody in little Bee County, Texas, can see the obvious: Jacob King and Martha Byler are meant to be together. Everyone, that is, but Martha. Ever since her mother died when Martha was a young girl, she has taken over the role of caregiver to her large family. And reckless Jacob, who has had a little too much fun on his rumspringa, only seems to add to the list of people to manage. But one summer changes everything, and these two may just find a way to meet in the middle and share one sweet kiss.
©2017 Shelley Shepard Gray, Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, Kelly Irvin (P)2019 Zondervan
Her Every Move
Summary
He’s a cop trying to stop a serial bomber. And she’ll stop at nothing to clear her own name. When a deadly bomb goes off during a climate change debate, librarian and event coordinator Jackie Santoro becomes the prime suspect. Her motive, according to Detective Avery Wick: to avenge the suicide of her prominent father, who was accused of crimes by a city councilman attending the event. Though Avery has doubts about Jackie’s guilt, he can’t exonerate her even after an extremist group takes responsibility for the bombing and continues to attack San Antonio’s treasured public spaces. As Jackie tries to hold her shattered family together, she has no choice but to proceed with plans for the Caterina Ball, the library system’s biggest annual fundraiser. But she also fears the event provides the perfect opportunity for the bomber to strike again. Despite their mistrust, Jackie and Avery join forces to unmask the truth - before the death toll mounts even higher. Best seller Kelly Irvin is back with a nail-biting romantic suspense where nothing is certain until the very last second. Praise for Her Every Move: “A gripping story that will have you on the edge of your seat until 'The End'.” (Patricia Bradley, author of The Logan Point series, Memphis Cold Case novels, Natchez Trace Parkway Rangers series) “Explosive, tender, and races all the way through!” (Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, author, screenwriter, and forensic specialist) Stand-alone romantic suspense Full-length novel, approximately 90,000 words
©2021 Kelly Irvin (P)2021 Thomas Nelson
An Amish Christmas Gift
Summary
Naomi's Gift by Amy Clipston: Naomi has started to think that she isn't meant to find love, but she might receive more than she ever hoped for this Christmas. Twenty-four-year-old Naomi King, who has been burned twice by love, has all but given up on marriage and children. As Christmas approaches - a time of family, faith, and hope for many others - Naomi is more certain than ever her life will be spent as an old maid, helping with the family's quilting business and taking care of her eight siblings. Then she meets Caleb, a young widower with a seven-year-old daughter, and her world is once again turned upside down. An Unexpected Joy by Ruth Reid: Abigail has driven other suitors away, but can Micah find a way to show her he cares? Abigail Kemp has managed to frighten off everybody who's ever driven her home from a singing. Sure she will live to be an old maid, Abigail starts saving her money to buy a horse so she can at least have some independence. Micah Zook is looking for a caregiver for his grandmother, and Abigail needs a new job. He never expected that Abigail would talk so much...or that his grandmother would keep finding ways to set the two of them up. Despite Abigail's constant chatter, she and Micah become friends - until Micah makes a decision that leaves Abigail feeling betrayed. With Christmas in their midst, can Micah find a way to reconcile with Abigail and to reveal what's on his heart? A Christmas Visitor by Kelly Irvin: Frannie Mast returns to Bee County for Christmas, but her heart stays back in Missouri with an Englisch farmboy. Frannie knows her parents have the best of intentions when they send her back to Bee County, Texas, to live with her aunt Abigail and her husband, Mordecai. After all, she knows nothing can come of a relationship with Rocky, the handsome but Englisch farmer boy back in Missouri. It's best to put those feelings aside, no matter how hard it is. But all bets are off when Rocky follows Frannie to Texas to plead his case. Could he be the Christmas gift to end all gifts?
©2015 Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid and Kelly Irvin (P)2015 Thomas Nelson Publishers
An Amish Christmas Bakery
Summary
From best-selling authors in the Amish genre come four delicious stories perfect for celebrating love, joy, and the holiday season. "Cookies and Cheer" by Amy Clipston Alyssa Byler wants to build a sugar cookie nativity scene for her bakery’s Christmas window display - all she needs is the right cookie cutters. She turns to handsome blacksmith Kyle Smoker. Using Kyle’s handmade cutters, Alyssa created a striking display that brings more customers than she can handle. She soon realizes she’s been too busy to focus on the true meaning of Christmas - and too distracted to explore her feelings for Kyle. Together, they put aside the holiday rush to celebrate the season that brought them together. "Loaves of Love" by Beth Wiseman Katie Swartzentruber has been left in charge of her family’s bakery, but she soon finds herself overwhelmed with orders during the holiday season. She is tempted to move her Old Order family into the modern world by using propane ovens. Meanwhile, her childhood friend, Henry Hershberger, is trying to find the courage to tell Katie that he’s harbored a secret crush on Katie for years. As the demands at the bakery intensify, both Katie and Henry must find the courage to go after what’s important. "Melting Hearts" by Kathleen Fuller When her aunt, Carolyn, begs for help during the busy Christmas rush, Mattie Shetler eagerly packs her bags and heads to Birch Creek. She doesn’t know her uncle has also asked for help with the bakery’s new expansion from Peter Kaufman, Mattie’s sworn enemy. As the two work together, Mattie discovers not all is as it seems. With Christmas just around the corner, Mattie and Peter open their hearts for the greatest gifts of the season: forgiveness and maybe even love. "Cakes and Kisses" by Kelly Irvin Martha Ropp works hard at her family’s bakery, making cakes and pies for community celebrations. To help during the busy Christmas season, Martha’s mother hires Ambrose Hershberger to make deliveries. Martha remembers Ambrose as a gentle giant from her school days. But the more they work together, the more they want to spend time together outside of the bakery. When both are too timid to make the first move, the town matchmakers step in.
©2019 Amy Clipston, Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Kelly Irvin (P)2019 Zondervan
An Amish Picnic
Summary
From best-selling authors in the Amish genre come four sweet stories about picnics and romance. Baskets of Sunshine by Amy Clipston Kevin Weaver has lived with his brother’s family since his parents passed away when he was young, but he craves a home and family to call his own. Freeman Kurtz owns a successful brick mason business, and Kevin takes the job as Freeman’s apprentice to pursue his own financial freedom. Phoebe Kurtz is helping her sister with her booth at the marketplace when she notices Kevin, her father’s employee. Their friendship grows, but Kevin is convinced that the difference in their ages makes a relationship between them impossible. Amidst summer outings, Kevin and Phoebe must decide if taking a chance on love is worth the risk. Candlelight Sweethearts by Kelly Irvin Esther Marie Shrock loves her job at Valley Grocery Store where she’s worked for four years. Despite a stutter that has plagued her since childhood, she thrives filling orders from a steady stream of customers. Still, at 25, she and her family wonder if romance is in her future. Jasper Cotter isn’t good with people, but he’s found himself obligated to take over day-to-day operations of the family-owned grocery store - a store he doesn’t have the first clue how to run. Thrown together, Esther Marie and Jasper don’t exactly see eye to eye. One night, the store loses power, and the candles aren’t the only things shooting off sparks. Esther Marie and Jasper are suddenly forced to discover common ground when it matters most, and they might be surprised with love along the way. Reeling in Love by Kathleen Fuller Nina Stoll and Ira Yoder are just friends. Just friends and fishing buddies. Every Saturday afternoon, they have a picnic at their favorite fishing hole and see who can out-fish the other. Until Nina starts to wonder if there’s more. Her plans to share her feelings go awry, and circumstances seem destined to keep Nina and Ira apart. With both Nina and Ira confused and hurting, it’s going to take courage, some help from the community matchmakers, and a little bit of divine intervention for Nina and Ira to realize they’re each other's perfect catch. Picnics and Prospects by Vannetta Chapman Faith Troyer is claustrophobic, and David Lapp builds tiny houses. They went on a date years ago with disastrous results. When a picnic outing is diverted by the discovery of a package of letters dating back to the 1970s, they take it upon themselves to find answers to a mystery that causes them to rethink their past and consider their future.
©2020 Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, Kathleen Fuller, and Vannetta Chapman (P)2020 Zondervan
A Long Bridge Home
Summary
After her community in the awe-inspiring Montana mountains is suddenly consumed by a raging wildfire, one young Amish woman finds herself in a new town where she’s introduced to the Native culture of the Kootenai people. When the Mast family is forced to evacuate their home in the West Kootenai region of Montana, Christine chooses not to move with her family to her father’s childhood home in Kansas. Instead, she wants to stay closer to home and to her beau, Andy Lambright, who has yet to ask for her hand in marriage and who seems to be holding tightly to secrets from his past. Now, living with her aunt and uncle in St. Ignatius, Christine is on her own for the first time in her life. While working in her uncle’s store, Christine meets Raymond Old Fox, whom she befriends, and he introduces her to his rich native culture with strong ties to the earth and nature. Despite the warnings of her aunt and uncle, Christine is inexplicably drawn to Raymond, and her mind is opened to a history and heritage far different from her own. With her newly expanding horizons, Christine wonders if she can return to the domestic life that is expected of her. Her heart still longs to be with Andy, but she isn’t the same person she was before the fire, and she wonders if he can accept who she is becoming. Has too much distance grown between them? Or can they bridge the gap from past to present and find their way back together?
©2020 Kelly Irvin (P)2020 Zondervan
Peace in the Valley
Summary
After a devastating wildfire sweeps through her town, one young Amish woman is shown a different way to practice her faith...but pursuing it could cost her everything she holds dear, including the man she loves. Nora Beachy loves her life. She works in the community store in West Kootenai, takes care of her family, and courts with Levi Raber. She and Levi plan to marry, but Levi wants to wait until he has the money to buy them a house before he pops the question. Nora doesn't want to wait. Is there something keeping Levi from marrying her? Nora's peaceful existence is swept away when wildfires threaten her family's home. She's forced to evacuate to Libby, where she stays with family in an Amish community that embraces a charismatic style of worship rejected by her own parents and the Kootenai district elders. Nora's drawn to the emotional, powerful style of worship, the musical instruments, and the more relaxed lifestyle. She knows she's headed for a shunning if she doesn't stop breaking the rules, but she can't understand why both forms of worship aren't lovely in God's eyes. Nora's stuck in the middle. She loves her family and doesn't want to lose them. She loves Levi. But she must make a decision: return to her traditional Amish life or embrace this new way of worshiping and living. Will she sacrifice her relationship with Levi and her family for a different kind of faith?
©2020 Kelly Irvin (P)2020 Zondervan