About the Book

Book: An Amish Picnic

Author: Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, Kathleen Fuller, and Vannetta Chapman

Genre: Amish; Christian Romance

Release Date: March 3, 2020

From bestselling 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. Now that they’re in their late twenties, their families and friends are beginning to wonder if either will ever find that special someone. 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.

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About the Author

Amy Clipston is the award-winning and bestselling author of the Kauffman Amish Bakery, Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel, Amish Heirloom, Amish Homestead, and Amish Marketplace series. Her novels have hit multiple bestseller lists including CBD, CBA, and ECPA. Amy holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan University and works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and four spoiled rotten cats. Visit her online at AmyClipston.com; Facebook: AmyClipstonBooks; Twitter: @AmyClipston; Instagram: @amy_clipston.

Kelly Irvin is the bestselling author of the Every Amish Season and Amish of Bee County series. The Beekeeper’s Son received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, who called it a “beautifully woven masterpiece.” The two-time Carol Award finalist is a former newspaper reporter and retired public relations professional. Kelly lives in Texas with her husband, photographer Tim Irvin. They have two children, three grandchildren, and two cats. In her spare time, she likes to read books by her favorite authors. Visit her online at KellyIrvin.com; Instagram: kelly_irvin; Facebook: Kelly.Irvin.Author; Twitter: @Kelly_S_Irvin.

With over a million copies sold, Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including the Hearts of Middlefield novels, the Middlefield Family novels, the Amish of Birch Creek series, and the Amish Letters series as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. Visit her online at KathleenFuller.com; Instagram: kf_booksandhooks; Facebook: WriterKathleenFuller; Twitter: @TheKatJam.

Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She is the author of sixteen novels, including the Pebble Creek Amish series, The Shipshewana Amish Mystery series, and Anna’s Healing, a 2016 Christy Award finalist. Vannetta is a Carol award winner and has also received more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She was a teacher for fifteen years and currently resides in the Texas hill country. Visit Vannetta online: VannettaChapman.com, Twitter: @VannettaChapman, Facebook: VannettaChapmanBooks.

My Review

Comprised of four love stories from four well-known authors, “An Amish Picnic” makes for a charming book perfect for spring, summer, or any time you want to pack a novel in your basket and escape for a while. Each story contains discussion questions for group or individual reflection, and there is a very helpful glossary at the beginning of the book, which is something I’ve often wished for when reading Amish fiction. I did not realize, as the note at the end of this reference states, that the Amish people’s German dialect is not a written language, and this piqued my curiosity. It’s something that I never thought about before, and as a lover of languages, I find this fascinating.

The four different romantic journeys featured in this collection are refreshingly distinct and un-formulaic. Despite being under 100 pages each, they manage to be satisfyingly complete, which is a rarity for short stories and is the reason I typically tend to avoid them. Of the four, I particularly enjoyed three because of each one’s premise, which held elements besides romance. Amy Clipston’s “Baskets of Sunshine” for instance, deals with pursuing one’s dreams and trusting God to help accomplish them even in the face of possibly losing one’s job or, more critically, one’s heart.

“Candlelight Sweethearts” by Kelly Irvin is one of the more unique Amish stories I’ve read, as it features two characters with limitations. Esther has a very noticeable speech impediment, which causes her to stand out when she would rather carry on her work without people’s pity and frustration. Jasper, the owner’s son, winds up running the store where he and Esther both work, and through challenging circumstances they learn teamwork and the value of coming together when it’s always been easier to be alone.

“Picnic and Prospects” is, I think, my favorite of the four stories. Vannetta Chapman writes a tale of light mystery in which one of the main characters suffers from claustrophobia. I loved the inclusion of the puppy, as well as the dated letters and how they played a role in the main couple’s rekindled relationship.

All-in-all, I enjoyed these four stories. “Reeling in Love” is, admittedly, my least favorite, not because of any deficiency on the part of author Kathleen Fuller but rather because the subject matter did not appeal to me. I have never been fishing, and the strained and problem-ridden romance trope does not interest me personally. Nevertheless, I did have fun reading each of these stories. They are ideal for springtime and each contain subtle lessons in trusting God and demonstrating our love for one another.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.