Jennifer Beckstrand

The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unlikely Match by Jennifer Beckstrand has Mary Yoder meeting baseball player, Clay Markham when he runs into their family barn (and almost into Mary). Mary is twenty-eight, a baptized member, and unmarried. Clay is Englisch and a baseball player. Mary’s father insists on Clay repairing the damage himself instead of writing a check and walking away. I found The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unlikely Match to be easy to read. It is a cute story, though, there are repetitive details. My favorite character is Cathy, the Englischer driver and quilter. She is a hoot. I found it hard not to roll my eyes several times while reading the story, particularly over an incident near the end. It appears some of the Amish rules were thrown out the window. The drama was upped in the story. There is one persistent, dislikeable reporter. There is humor to help offset the drama. The goats provide several amusing moments. The ending is sweet. I enjoy Jennifer Beckstrand’s Amish novels and I look forward to each new release. Unfortunately, The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unlikely Match was a strikeout.… (mehr)

I enjoyed the book immensely. There was some mystery to the story. The reader doesn't know how long Clay and Mary can remain to be friends given that Clay was not Amish. I kept waiting to read that they stopped seeing each other. However, one thing after another happened to Clay that brought him and Mary together. As with all Amish fiction, there is a happy ending. The suspension of belief that you see with cozy mysteries is evident here. I believe that suspension of belief was a little far to be believable but hey, at least it's a happy ending.… (mehr)

Mary Yoder lives a quiet life on her family farm with her dad and sisters. She enjoys working with the goats, making quilts, and helping with the family cheese business. When Clay crashes his car into their family barn, Mary helps her dad to rescue their barn as well as Clay. As the family gets to know Clay, they are surprised to discover that he is a professional baseball player! Clay quickly becomes a well-loved part of the family, as he works to repair the damage to the barn and fence. Mary falls in love with Clay, but reporters, fans, and gossip related to his profession keep interfering in their romance. The characters experience growth and change, while confronting their own inner demons.

Readers who enjoy a new angle on the Amish romance story will find this to be a refreshing change up! The story is a clean and sweet one, without explicit sex, strong language, or violence. The Christian message is overt, but not preachy.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.… (mehr)

The title was definitely an appropriate one, as the unlikely match was indeed unlikely. As Mary starts her quilt design, called the Drunkard's Path, she has no idea that something will quickly change life as she knows it. A handsome drunken driver crashes onto the family's property and into the barn. Mary helps in his rescue and as he offers to pay for all damages, Mary's father feels it more important to have him learn a lesson than to simply have him pay for the damages. So handsome Clay begins his time as barn repairman. No one of the family knowing who this man really was.
There are lots of twists and turns as a sweet romance starts between Mary and Clay. As Clay becomes accustomed to the family, he also becomes a close friend. As unexpected things start to occur, Mary finds out there is more to this man.

I really enjoyed this read and there was some humor, as is typical for this author, but there is also lots of drama. Each character grows in their own ways in the story and it is nice to see the changes that take place. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts are my own.… (mehr)