My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it
Synopsis
A Reunion in Pinecraft
by Shelley Shepard Gray
When sisters
Sharon and Sherilyn Kramer attend a wedding in Shipshewana, one of them
returns with a new pen pal while the other returns to her job at the
bakery. After sending weekly letters back and forth, Sherry and Graham
Holland arrange a reunion in Pinecraft. Upon Graham's arrival, however,
he realizes he's been writing to the wrong sister. He decides to use the
reunion as a way to get to know both sisters, but can he sort through
the confusion in time to turn the worst vacation ever into something
truly wonderful?
Summer Storm
by Amy Clipston
Arianna is counting
down the days until her wedding to Jesse. They have been friends longer
than Arianna can remember, and that friendship turned into love over the
past couple of years. But when Arianna's brother Isaac, who happens to
be Jesse's best friend, gets them both into trouble, Arianna's father
puts an end to her engagement to Jesse. Some summer storms pass quickly,
but Arianna is afraid the damage from this one may be too much to
repair.
Lakeside Love
by Kathleen Fuller
Esther has always
lived in the shadow of her beautiful younger sister Sarah. Even the boy
she has known and loved her entire life, Judah, only has eyes for Sarah.
But when a handsome young Englischer comes to live with the family for a summer, everything begins to change.
One Sweet Kiss
by Kelly Irvin
Everybody in little Bee
County, Texas, can see the obvious: Jacob King and Martha Byler are
meant to be together. Everyone, that is, but Martha. Ever since her
mother died when Martha was a young girl, she has taken over the role of
caregiver to her large family. And reckless Jacob, who has had a little
too much fun on his rumspringa, only seems to add to the list
of people to manage. But one summer changes everything, and these two
may just find a way to meet in the middle and share one sweet kiss.
My Review
I love novella collections and the opportunity to read several stories by different authors, some of them my favorites. The summer theme was fun with the settings varying from farm to the beach to camping at a lake. In the first story, A Reunion in Pinecraft, I felt as confused as the characters who was going to end up together, and it was interesting to see the direction the author took. The second story, Summer Storm, was full of angst and misunderstanding. I loved how Jesse proved himself to be devoted to Arianna and her family. My favorite of the collection was Lakeside Love. I really liked this story of unrequited love and finding peace in oneself and following God's will. Even though Jonah had blinders on for a while, I admired the genuine way he handled his shifting feelings. Even though it was a short story, there were great themes explored and I felt like it was well-balanced and contained a full arc. The last story, One Sweet Kiss, was another one I especially liked because of the matchmaking efforts Jacob and Martha undertake for two of their special needs friends. It showed their thoughtful and caring nature, and gave Martha experiences that demonstrated that Jacob could be trusted. This collection is one that will be loved by fans of Amish fiction!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
