Title: A Christmas Haven by Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall
Publisher: Waterbrook
Genre: Contemporary, Amish, Romance
Length: 208 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
ECPA BESTSELLER • For fans of holiday romances and Amish life comes a new Christmas tale of surprising expectations and discovering miracles.
Old Order Amish Ivy Zook is wrestling with her need to shed her community’s ways so she can grow the business of her dreams: planning parties. As long as she’s stuck living without modernization, she can barely get her business on its feet. But if she leaves too soon, she’d cause trouble for her sister, Holly, who is planning her wedding to Joshua Smucker. All of their plans become twice as complicated when an old car crashes into the storefront of Greene’s Pharmacy, carrying a Swartzentruber (ultra-conservative sect) Amish man, Arlan, and his very ill sister.
The Zooks take in Arlan and Madga, tending to the woman’s illness and Arlan begins helping around the family farm. Ivy and Arlan are on different tracks, one wanting to leave her community and the other to return to his. But both young people are trying to discover what God has in store for their futures and what miracles might lie around the corner this Christmas season.
Review:
A Christmas Haven by Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall is a thought-provoking Amish romance.
Ivy Zook is a party-planner with her best friend and she is ready to leave her Amish faith in order to expand their business. She also helps her mamm on the family’s dairy farm and she is ready to leave caring for cows behind her. Ivy has a big heart but she is also stubborn and outspoken. Knowing she is breaking her mamm’s heart, will Ivy follow through with her plans?
Arlan Keim and his family are Swartzentruber Amish and this ultra-conservative sect is extremely strict. Despite his dream to own a farm with his brother, Arlan’s father is not allowing him to move just yet. But this turns out to be fortuitous when his younger sister Magda becomes quite ill and their parents refuse to seek medical care. Defying their wishes, Arlan devises a plan to help his sister. Despite their rather dramatic entrance into the Zook’s lives, Arlan and Magda find a much need sanctuary when they need it the most. At first objecting to the more relaxed Old Order Amish lifestyle, Arlan experiences a crisis of faith as he discovers that stricter does not necessarily mean better.
Ivy’s sister Holly also faces a bit of a crossroad as her wedding to Josh draws closer. Holly’s Bishop has allowed her to follow her dream of helping Amish families understand the importance of taking their prescriptions. She is continuing her education to broaden her reach throughout the community. But after the wedding, Holly is expected to follow tradition and give up her job. She and Josh are hoping his Bishop will grant permission for her to continue working, but will he agree to their plan?
A Christmas Haven is a captivating Amish romance with marvelous characters and a unique storyline. All of the characters grow and evolve throughout this heartwarming story. Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall bring this delightful romance to a heartfelt and gratifying conclusion. Highly recommend to readers of Amish fiction.
