Happy Friday Everyone :)
I hope you've all had a great week, as I know I sure did.
Yesterday I had the fun experience of going on a road trip with one of my friends to do some shopping, and we had an amazing time. We had lunch at a local diner that boasts over a hundred flavors of milkshakes, we found a store that sells Alex and Ani bracelets, and we helped rescue a pig wondering on the side of the highway on the way home.
It was a fantastic start to the weekend, and I'm hoping to get some quality reading time in this weekend, particularly on the Amy Clipston novel I'm currently reading.
It's always exciting when you discover a new favorite author, and that's definitely what's happened to me with Amy Clipston.
I'd had her books on my TBR list for several years, but I only read one for the first time this year, and that was The Forgotten Recipe. I loved it, and couldn't wait to continue on with the rest of the series. And so today, I'm here to share with you all my review for The Courtship Basket.
The Courtship Basket by Amy Clipston:
Source: Church Library
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: June 28th, 2016
Genre: Inspirational Fiction/Amish Fiction
Series: Amish Heirloom
Synopsis
Years ago, a picnic basket brought two hearts together. For Rachel and Mike, history may be about to repeat itself.
Rachel Fisher is devastated when the young man she’s loved for years leaves her to date her best friend. Her heart is broken, and she has all but given up on love. Determined to keep her mind off the pain, she starts teaching at an Amish school for children with learning disabilities.
Since his father became ill, Mike Lantz has been overwhelmed with the responsibility of providing for his family and caring for his six-year-old brother, John. When John joins Rachel’s class and she learns that his mother is deceased and his father sick, she desperately wants to help the family, even with something as simple as a meal.
With her parents’ old picnic basket, Rachel begins sending food to the Lantz family. As the weeks go by, John’s grades start to improve, and the attraction grows between Rachel and Mike. They can’t deny that their friendship is growing toward something more, but both of them are hesitant to risk a more serious relationship.
The last thing Rachel wants is another heartbreak, and Mike is worried about providing for his loved ones. Will the two be able to reconcile their past hurts with new hope for the future?
******synopsis from goodreads******
My Review:
When Rachel's story was first introduced in The Forgotten Recipe, I couldn't wait to read more. I had a feeling that I was going to be very into this story, and that definitely proved true when right from the first page I had a hard time putting it down.
Rachel sees her dream of getting married and having a family going out the window when she discovers that her boyfriend and best friend have been seeing each other behind her back. My heart broke for her as she goes through the painful process of putting her heart back together, and relying on the truth that God always has the perfect plan for our lives even when it might seem otherwise. When her cousin suggests she joins her in teaching children from the surrounding communities that need a little extra help, Rachel feels it must be God's guidance, and takes the oppportunity. One student begins to stand out to her, a little boy by the name of John, and she soon feels a responsibility for helping him not only in school, but in the troubles he's experiencing at home. This sets her off on the wrong foot with John's older brother Mike, who's had to step in as the boy's primary caregiver. While the two may not warm up to each other at first, they soon develop a strong friendship that helps them both pull through the hard times, and helps them learn to strengthen their reliance on their Heavenly Father. However, both are struggling with circumstances in their lives that make a relationship difficult, and will soon learn that only through Jesus can such a relationship truly be possible.
The Courtship Basket is a beautifully written story about taking a chance on love, learning to forgive, and learning to rely on God no matter what circumstances come your way. At times I caught myself both tearing up and laughing simultaneously, and I felt like the characters were old friends by the time I reached the end. I enjoyed the fact that Amy Clipston touches on points that happened in the first book, but left it as such that you could easily enjoy this one without having read the first.
I've really come to enjoy reading about the Amish culture, and the way that they all pitch in to take care of one another. That notion is definitely a focal point of this story as Rachel uses "the basket" to send meals to John and Mike as she's worried about them not having enough time to take care of everything they need to.
Lastly, I enjoyed how once again the reader is given a little glimpse into more of the mystery surrounding Rachel's mother's hope chest, and it'll definitely have me guessing until I pick up The Cherished Quilt to get some more answers as to what's going on.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book could not have been more perfect. I loved it from start to finish, and I can't recommend it enough. Amy Clipston has a true gift for storytelling, and I look forward to diving into many more books of hers in the near future!
Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope you all have a great rest of your day, and I hope to see you all again soon.
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me and all rights to the respective owners.
I hope you've all had a great week, as I know I sure did.
Yesterday I had the fun experience of going on a road trip with one of my friends to do some shopping, and we had an amazing time. We had lunch at a local diner that boasts over a hundred flavors of milkshakes, we found a store that sells Alex and Ani bracelets, and we helped rescue a pig wondering on the side of the highway on the way home.
It was a fantastic start to the weekend, and I'm hoping to get some quality reading time in this weekend, particularly on the Amy Clipston novel I'm currently reading.
It's always exciting when you discover a new favorite author, and that's definitely what's happened to me with Amy Clipston.
I'd had her books on my TBR list for several years, but I only read one for the first time this year, and that was The Forgotten Recipe. I loved it, and couldn't wait to continue on with the rest of the series. And so today, I'm here to share with you all my review for The Courtship Basket.
The Courtship Basket by Amy Clipston:
Source: Church Library
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: June 28th, 2016
Genre: Inspirational Fiction/Amish Fiction
Series: Amish Heirloom
Synopsis
Years ago, a picnic basket brought two hearts together. For Rachel and Mike, history may be about to repeat itself.
Rachel Fisher is devastated when the young man she’s loved for years leaves her to date her best friend. Her heart is broken, and she has all but given up on love. Determined to keep her mind off the pain, she starts teaching at an Amish school for children with learning disabilities.
Since his father became ill, Mike Lantz has been overwhelmed with the responsibility of providing for his family and caring for his six-year-old brother, John. When John joins Rachel’s class and she learns that his mother is deceased and his father sick, she desperately wants to help the family, even with something as simple as a meal.
With her parents’ old picnic basket, Rachel begins sending food to the Lantz family. As the weeks go by, John’s grades start to improve, and the attraction grows between Rachel and Mike. They can’t deny that their friendship is growing toward something more, but both of them are hesitant to risk a more serious relationship.
The last thing Rachel wants is another heartbreak, and Mike is worried about providing for his loved ones. Will the two be able to reconcile their past hurts with new hope for the future?
******synopsis from goodreads******
My Review:
When Rachel's story was first introduced in The Forgotten Recipe, I couldn't wait to read more. I had a feeling that I was going to be very into this story, and that definitely proved true when right from the first page I had a hard time putting it down.
Rachel sees her dream of getting married and having a family going out the window when she discovers that her boyfriend and best friend have been seeing each other behind her back. My heart broke for her as she goes through the painful process of putting her heart back together, and relying on the truth that God always has the perfect plan for our lives even when it might seem otherwise. When her cousin suggests she joins her in teaching children from the surrounding communities that need a little extra help, Rachel feels it must be God's guidance, and takes the oppportunity. One student begins to stand out to her, a little boy by the name of John, and she soon feels a responsibility for helping him not only in school, but in the troubles he's experiencing at home. This sets her off on the wrong foot with John's older brother Mike, who's had to step in as the boy's primary caregiver. While the two may not warm up to each other at first, they soon develop a strong friendship that helps them both pull through the hard times, and helps them learn to strengthen their reliance on their Heavenly Father. However, both are struggling with circumstances in their lives that make a relationship difficult, and will soon learn that only through Jesus can such a relationship truly be possible.
The Courtship Basket is a beautifully written story about taking a chance on love, learning to forgive, and learning to rely on God no matter what circumstances come your way. At times I caught myself both tearing up and laughing simultaneously, and I felt like the characters were old friends by the time I reached the end. I enjoyed the fact that Amy Clipston touches on points that happened in the first book, but left it as such that you could easily enjoy this one without having read the first.
I've really come to enjoy reading about the Amish culture, and the way that they all pitch in to take care of one another. That notion is definitely a focal point of this story as Rachel uses "the basket" to send meals to John and Mike as she's worried about them not having enough time to take care of everything they need to.
Lastly, I enjoyed how once again the reader is given a little glimpse into more of the mystery surrounding Rachel's mother's hope chest, and it'll definitely have me guessing until I pick up The Cherished Quilt to get some more answers as to what's going on.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book could not have been more perfect. I loved it from start to finish, and I can't recommend it enough. Amy Clipston has a true gift for storytelling, and I look forward to diving into many more books of hers in the near future!
Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope you all have a great rest of your day, and I hope to see you all again soon.
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me and all rights to the respective owners.
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