About the Book

Book: An Amish Christmas Bakery

Author: Various Authors

Genre: Amish Fiction, Romance

Release Date: October 2, 2019

From bestselling authors in the Amish genre come four delicious novellas perfect for celebrating love, joy, and the holiday season.

Cookies and Cheer by Amy Clipston
As Christmas draws near, Alyssa Byler dreams of a window display for the bakery where she works. When she decides to design and build a sugar cookie nativity scene, all she needs is the right cookie cutters-and handsome blacksmith Kyle Smoker is the one she asks for help. Using Kyle’s handmade cutters, Alyssa creates a striking display that brings more tourists to the bakery than she can handle.
And when shoppers request handmade cookie cutters of their own, Kyle finds himself overwhelmed by the demand. As Christmas approaches, Alyssa realizes she’s been too caught up in work to focus on the true meaning of Christmas-and too distracted to explore the feelings she has for Kyle. Together, they put aside the holiday rush and spend their time celebrating the season that has brought them together.

Loaves of Love by Beth Wiseman
As the only girl in a family of eight, Katie Swartzentruber has been left in charge of her family’s bakery while her mother recuperates from surgery. At first, Katie doesn’t think tending to the bakery alone will be difficult. She’s worked alongside her mother for years. But Christmas is coming, and with the holiday comes a flood of patrons, both regulars and tourists. When Katie becomes overwhelmed with the orders she is receiving, she is tempted to move her Old Order family into the modern world by purchasing propane ovens to help with the workload. She finds help from an unexpected source-childhood friend Henry Hershberger, who has harbored a secret crush on Katie for years. He’s been afraid to tell her how he feels, but he’s sure that this Christmas is his moment. As the demands of the bakery only get more intense, both Katie and Henry have to decide what really matters . . . and find the courage within themselves to go after it.

Melting Hearts by Kathleen Fuller
Mattie Shetler is an expert baker, so when her aunt Carolyn begs for help during the busy Christmas rush, Mattie eagerly packs her bags and heads to Birch Creek. What she doesn’t know is that her uncle has also asked for help with the bakery’s new expansion, and he’s asked none other than Peter Kaufman, Mattie’s sworn enemy. As the two work side by side, though, 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 in preparation not only for Christmas but the many community weddings, including her sister’s. To help during this busy season, Martha’s mother hires Ambrose Hershberger to make deliveries. Martha remembers Ambrose as a gentle giant from her school days, but soon discovers that still waters run deep. The more they work together, the more they want to spend time together outside of the bakery, but both Martha and Ambrose are too timid to make the first move. That’s when the town matchmakers step in.

My Thoughts

Cookies and Cheer by Amy Clipston -- I found this story well written and that it flowed well. I liked Alyssa and Kyle and their creativity. I was a little surprised that such a big deal was made out of what they had designed as most often in Amish books, that would be considered "pride" and frowned upon. The story had a good message of needing to keep your focus on Jesus.

Loaves of Love by Beth Wiseman -- This story was well written, but it took me a little bit to get into the story since I had to keep putting it down for other things. The characters were realistic and I liked most of them. (I don't think some characters are meant to be liked, since it makes you want to root for the other person instead.) This story didn't have much of a faith thread, more of a conflict that involved how modern their group of Amish was or wasn't. I look forward to reading more books by Beth Wiseman.

Melting Hearts by Kathleen Fuller -- This was a nice story. I found it well written and it was easy to read. I enjoyed watching the characters grow in their personal lives and with each other. The only down side to this being a novella was that I didn't get to spend more time with the characters. I'm eager to read more books by Kathleen Fuller.

Cakes and Kisses by Kelly Irvin -- I enjoyed reading this story. I liked Martha and Ambrose and felt frustrated for how Ambrose was looked down on and taken advantage of by some people. It was interesting to read a story about a main character that is, I assume, autistic and how they can find love also. I found myself rooting for them to find their happily ever after.

I enjoyed reading this collection and the variety of stories that were in it. I was familiar with all the authors in this collection, but it would be a nice way of getting to know a new author if you didn't. The stories are short and easy to read in a short amount of time.