A Legacy of Love by Amy Clipson
After the death of a fellow volunteer firefighter Leon King is reassessing the choices that he's made in his life. Seeing his ex-girlfriend Susie Bontrager on the arm of her fiancé doesn't help matters either. Susie was the one that got away and Leon is quickly figuring that out.
Susie is preparing the house that she will soon share with her fiancé Joshua Chupp and the first thing she wants to put in her new home is a pair of rocking chairs that were left to her by her grandparents but they are badly in need of repair and Susie asks Leon, who is a skilled woodworker, to repair them for her. These heirlooms bring Susie back into Leon's life and rekindles their friendship as well as reignites feelings that have been tucked away in both of their hearts.
I really enjoyed this story and how the author connects these two characters and weaves the past with both the present and the future. You can feel the confusion and dynamics that both the lead characters struggle through and as the reader you feel the constant will they won't that played out throughout the entire story. Wonderfully written and such a sweet story of legacy and love.
The Cedar Chest by Beth Wiseman
Catherine Fisher has an unwavering faith but she has recently started worrying about her daughter Emma. Catherine and Emma had always been close but since Emma got married and moved away Emma has been distant and untalkative and Catherine cannot figure out what might be wrong. A donation that Catherine wants to give to a local auction brings the two women into Catherine's basement where there lies an old cedar chest. Emma is instantly intrigued but the chest has been locked for decades with the key broken inside and even Catherine doesn't know the contents of the chest. Together the two women unlock the cedar chest and the contents not only bring out secrets from the past but it also brings out the secrets that Emma herself has been hiding.
I've never read anything by BethWiseman but this story was gripping from beginning to end. The reader is in constant wonder about where all of the secrets will leave the two women, as well as the fates of those whose secrets have been tucked away for so long. It was hard to put this story down, with the reader constantly wondering how the stories will eventually play out. A charming and wondrous premise that is marvelously written and a joy to read.
The Treasured Book by Kathleen Fuller
Lucy hasn't seen Shane Broyles in years but after a chance meeting it all comes flooding back to her as does the feelings that had one gripped her. What Lucy doesn't know is that Shane has been feeling a tug in his heart to join the Amish ever since meeting Lucy and her family. He has been staying with his Amish friends in Birch Creek, Ohio and Lucy is in Birch Creek to help care for an old family friend. When they had met in Iowa years before they had both had feelings for each other but there were several major complications that kept them apart. They had went to a flea market together and had found an old Bible and now, years later, they have found each other again in the most unlikely of places, and both want to explore not only the mystery of the Bible, but their feelings as well.
This was a sweet story but out of all of the novellas in An Amish Heirloom this one was my least favorite. In saying that there is nothing wrong with this story. The characters were lovable and I really liked the premise but there was something about the story that fell short with me. This is the first book that I've read by Kathleen Fuller but I will not let it be my last as she does have a decent writing style.
The Midwife's Dream by Kelly Irvin
Iris Beachy is the bridesmaid that is never a bride. She is a midwife who dreams of having a family of her own one day and with each delivery that she assists with her yearning grows stronger and stronger. One night, after helping with a very hard and long delivery, she is sought out by her friend Mahon to help deliver a baby of two young teenagers, neither of whom are ready for parenthood. When the baby finally arrives in the wee hours of the morning, Iris leaves the young family in her room and wakes the next morning to find the baby all alone with a note telling her that they will be back for the baby soon.
Iris tries as hard as she can to not fall in love with the sweet little girl, especially when the quilt that has been left for the baby looks just like the quilt that Iris will inherit once she has her first baby. Together Mahon and Iris care for the baby as well as reveal their feelings for each other.
I remember having those same yearnings years ago and can sympathize with Iris and her wanting a family of her own. You feel the tug she feels for this child as well as the craving for what others have that you do not possess. The character development for Iris was pretty in-depth but I wish there would've been a little more for Mahon, though I know with it being a novella that the author only has so much time to give to her characters.
All in all I thought it was a wonderfully sweet and beautiful story, as was all the novellas in An Amish Heirloom. They are clean, wholesome stories that really make you feel more than just Lovey-dovey. You do read stories of love but you also feel the friendship and community that comes with many Amish fictions. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to read stories that will uplift you and show you that you never know where an heirloom might lead you.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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