A Lancaster Amish Christmas by Anne Blackburne, Amy Clipston, Amy Lillard, and Mindy Steele Review

 Happy Monday Sweet Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've taken the time to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess today for another book review.

I'm Kirby, and I'm excited you're here!

Are you a fan of summer? Personally it's my least favorite season, and this year the heat seems to be getting to me even more than usual. That being said, what's the perfect thing to do when it's so hot outside and you need to cool off? Curl up in the air conditioning with an upcoming Christmas release!

This may seem strange to some of you, but I typically enjoy reading Christmas reads year round, and I'm always excited to dive into the upcoming releases for the current year.

I can't wait to share all about this sweet and heartwarming Christmas Amish fiction novella collection that I adored. I love Amish fiction, and in fact, Amish fiction were some of the very first titles I first read within the Christian fiction genre.

I hope you'll all keep reading down below for today's full review.

A Lancaster Amish Christmas by Anne Blackburne, Amy Clipston, Amy Lillard and Mindy Steele:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Barbour Fiction

Publication Date: September 1st, 2024

Genre: Christian Fiction/Amish Fiction/Novella Collection/Christmas Read

Synopsis:

Christmas Is Simply a Time for Love Enjoy a simple Amish Christmas in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, that is sweetened by second chances, trimmed in love, and wrapped in faith. 

Lucy’s Christmas Sunbeam by Anne Blackburne When her parents suddenly died, Lucy stepped into the mother role for her infant sister with Down’s Syndrome. But Lucy’s boyfriend wasn’t interested in a readymade family. Living in the dawdi house on her brother’s farm, Lucy is happy with life—until she literally runs into the hardware store owner and desire for romance returns.

 A Bird-in-Hand Christmas by Amy Clipston After learning her boyfriend, Wyatt, was seeing someone else, Makayla moved across state and married. Recently widowed, she visits her parents for Christmas, only to find that Wyatt is still single and working for her father. When her five-year-old son instantly bonds with Wyatt, Makayla starts to hope for a second chance at love. 

Christmas Lily by Amy Lillard Seven-year-old Jacob Bontrager is working hard to help his lonely widower father find love again. He believes his pretty new teacher who has just moved to the community is perfect, but none of his matchmaking works until a snowstorm strands Lily Kate Troyer at the Bontrager farm. Could God and nature be on Jacob’s side?

Leaving Lancaster by Mindy Steele The Wicky sisters didn’t expect their father to sell their thriving deer farm with plans to move them to Kentucky. Always obedient Louise fears for her growing jam business. Beth cannot wait to start a new adventure while her twin, Leah, is running out of time for a happy-ever-after. They have only one Christmas left in Lancaster. Can God deliver a Christmas miracle for all three?

My Review:

Amish fiction is one of my favorite genres overall, and I've come to adore these lovely novella collections, especially the Christmas themed ones.

I basically picked this one up because Amy Clipston is one of my very favorite authors, and while I also enjoy Anne Blackburne's tales, the other two authors were new to me, and I was looking forward to giving them a try. This sweet and heartwarming collection was even more than I was hoping for, and it left me with a big smile on my face and happy tears in my eyes.

Lucy's Christmas Sunbeam by Anne Blackburn:

This was such a delightful story that pulled at the heartstrings and introduced some concepts that I don't often see within Amish fiction. It was wonderful to have a character with Down Syndrome be such a big part of the story, and also an original concept that showcased how the Amish culture deals with crimes outside of involving the local law enforcement. The romance was adorable, and I enjoyed both of the main characters. I loved the emphasis on family and friendship, and how the community all came together to help out in certain situations.

Final Rating: 5/5.

A Bird-in-Hand Christmas by Amy Clipston:

Not surprisingly, Amy Clipston's ended up being my favorite of the four, and I truly adored this lovely story that had me glued to the page right from beginning to end. This one was a wonderful second chance romance, and I thought Wyatt and Makayla were both likeable main characters, and had me rooting for them to find their way to happily ever after. I also loved the way that Makayla's young son played such a part in getting them together, and I also loved that this one was probably the most "Christmassy" of all the stories.

Final Rating: 5/5.

Christmas Lily by Amy Lillard:

The enemies to lovers trope isn't something I typically see in Amish fiction, so that made this story both wonderful and original. The two main characters seem to take an instant dislike to each other and it provided a lovely backdrop to an eventual romance, but also lots of comical bits along the way. I also enjoyed Amy Lillard's writing style, and the emphasis she put on the importance of faith, family and community.

Final Rating: 4.5/5

Leaving Lancaster by Mindy Steele:

I didn't end up enjoying this one quite as much as I did the other three unfortunately. With it being about three sisters and their corresponding stories, it didn't give enough time to develop the story fully within the novella word count. That being said, there were still lots of moments to love within this cute and sweet story, and I did really enjoy Beth especially and her whirlwind romance with someone she never could have suspected. It was also a fun addition that the author chose to include her recipe for Christmas jam at the end, since it played such a big part of the story itself.

Final Rating: 4/5.

Overall, this collection is a delightful and heartwarming treat that I couldn't possibly recommend enough, and I think it's the perfect book to curl up with your favorite hot drink in front of the fireplace this Autumn or Christmas season.

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Barbour Fiction for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Barbour) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading guys! I pray your week is off to a great start :)