The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall Review

Happy Wednesday Friends.

Thank you for joining me for day three of Christmas in July here on The Preppy Book Princess.

For today's review, I'm excited to share a lovely Amish fiction title that I finished a couple of months ago. I'm really exciting to share with one with you all, so let's go ahead and dive right in.

Grab a mug of tea or hot cocoa, and settle in to read about another fantastic Christmas story that you're definitely going to want to go ahead and pick up if you haven't already.

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall:

Source: Libby App

Publisher: Waterbrook Press

Publication Date: January 1st, 2011

Genre: Christian Fiction/Amish Fiction

Series: Apple Ridge

Synopsis:

After Gideon coldly broke her heart, can the warmth of the season revive Mattie’s hopes?
 
Mattie thought her childhood sweetheart adored her until he abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve.
 
Three years later, will learning the truth behind his rejection restore her Christmas joy – or open the door to even deeper heartbreak?
 
Spend Christmas with the Amish in this story of love, romance, heartache, and restoration.

Experience the holidays with the Plain folk and discover the power of second chances in this touching story from the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Bridge of Peace.
 
Gideon Beiler has loved Mattie Eash since they were children. But when faced with unexpected circumstances, he makes up an excuse to end their engagement. He doesn’t want to lie to her, but he believes that telling Mattie the truth will be more hurtful.  
 
Brokenhearted, Mattie moves from Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania to Ohio, where she pursues her longtime dream of becoming a cake decorator. She finds a new beau—a man offering the secure relationship Gideon has denied her.  
 
When Mattie is forced to return to Apple Ridge, she and Gideon must confront the suffering created by his dishonesty – and address the powerful emotions that continue to bind the two childhood friends.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Amish fiction is one of my all time favorite genres, so it's probably quite surprising that I've actually read very few of Cindy Woodsmall's beautiful stories. I was in the mood for an Amish Christmas read recently, and stumbled upon this one, and I'm so glad I did! The Christmas Singing is a heartwarming, Christ centered holiday read that speaks of healing past hurts, hearts being mended, and how with Christ nothing is ever truly impossible if we'll just have faith.

Mattie had her heart broken on the day after her birthday by the man she thought she was going to marry. Gideon broke Mattie's heart, but not for the reasons she thinks, and the two have struggled to let go of their once vibrant and beautiful romance. Circumstances bring the two of them back together unexpectedly when Maddie's cake bakery in Ohio burns to the ground, and she's forced to move back home with family in Lancaster County. Can the two of them truly find their way back to each other when there's so much in their past for them to try and overcome?

The Christmas Singing fully kept my attention from start to finish, and I loved how the plot twisted and turned in ways I never saw coming. Mattie and Gideon have both been on emotional journeys the last few years, and my heart broke for everything they'd had to go through. I enjoyed the emphasis on keeping secrets, and how lying is never the answer even if we think we're protecting someone else by doing so.

This novella was an easy read to get through, and definitely gave me all the warm fuzzies. I personally picked this one up not realizing it's the second book in the series, and I plan on going back and reading book one in the very near future. Cindy Woodsmall is definitely a new favorite for me in the Amish fiction genre, and I look forward to reading many more of her heartwarming stories.

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)

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'll see you all tomorrow for day four of Christmas in July here on The Preppy Book Princess.