Review of “An Unexpected Amish Proposal” by Rachel J. Good

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION

Sometimes love is found in the most unexpected places—as three blessed men will discover in Rachel J. Good’s heartwarming Amish romance series, set in a bustling Pennsylvania community . . . When an organic farm causes rents to skyrocket at the Valley Green Farmer’s Market, Fern Blauch’s family baked goods stand is driven to the edge of eviction. . . . Until a mysterious temporary reprieve. Fern is confused when she discovers the benefactor is barbecued chicken stand owner—and her longtime crush—Gideon Hartzler. She’s grateful, but pridefully tells him she intends to pay him back. If only she can find a new place to sell her wares . . . To stay competitive, and help as many others as he can, Gideon expands his stand to provide full meals—including dessert. That’s where Fern comes in. As the two work long hours, side-by-side, business booms—and so does their attraction. Still, the demands of caring for aging parents and struggling relatives cause them to hide any feelings beyond friendship. But as new challenges emerge and Gideon and Fern turn more deeply to their faith, and to each other, will love find a place at their table?

My Review:

This book has wonderful themes of faith and family.  Fern’s family has leased a bakery booth in the Valley Green Farmer’s Market ever since Fern was a little girl.  Fern has taken over the family’s business.  She loves her work and the customers she serves every week.  She’s heartbroken when she finds out that she’s lost the lease on her booth, but unknown to Fern, Gideon steps up to help in Fern’s time of need.  Fern and Gideon both have a secret crush on each other, but neither have admitted it to the other.  Gideon feels that he has too much responsibility to devote time to a wife, so he keeps his feelings about Fern to himself.  As they face several different challenges at the market, they begin to wonder if their feelings towards each other might lead to a future together, if they only have the faith to believe that God is working all things together for them.

I admired both Fern and Gideon’s faith and commitment to their families.  This story is full of emotional ups and downs, and there were times that I wished that Fern and Gideon would open up and talk to each other.  The other unique aspect to this story is that it takes place almost exclusively in the market.  This allows us to get to know some of the other venders in the market and made it feel as if I’d actually visited the shops in the market.  This is a good start to a new series, and I’m looking forward to reading more.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel J. Good grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for her Amish novels. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family events. Rachel loves to travel and visit many different Amish communities. In searching for the best Amish soft pretzels, she’s visited many Amish markets and mud sales. Because of her love of Amish food, she tries to include recipes in her books. When she’s not traveling, she spends time with family and writing. In addition to her Amish novels, she’s written more than 40 books, including children’s educational books, adult nonfiction, and fiction for children and teens under several pen names. To find out more about Rachel and her books, you can sign up for her newsletter: http://bit.ly/1qwci4Q