An Unexpected Amish Christmas

Rachel J. Good

Oct 2021 · Surprised by Love Book 3 · Zebra Books

About this eBook

A crackling fire, the promise of snow, the delicious smell of fresh-baked cookies and fallen pine needles . . . when Christmas is coming, every heart lifts in song. In this moving Amish romance series by Rachel J. Good, a bountiful farmer’s market is the source of all kinds of goodies—especially love . . .
 
Recovering from a horse and buggy accident that took the lives of his family, Jacob Zook is struggling to regain both his spirit and his body. While his legs remain stubbornly opposed to moving, he exercises his hands by writing, and finds the perfect outlet for his grief in inspirational letters to the Amish newspaper. When Keturah Esch, a woman who works at the Green Valley Farmer’s Market, responds with gratitude, Jacob has no idea that his hardship is about to become a blessing . . .
 
Dealing with her own loss, and responsible for her three siblings, Keturah’s new correspondence with the anonymous letter writer becomes a source of joy. And when a shy young man confined to a wheelchair begins to visit the market, Keturah is happy to make his acquaintance—never knowing that Jacob is afraid to reveal himself as her pen pal. After all, what can he offer her, when he can’t even walk? Can faith bring two lonely people together in perfect union? As Christmas approaches, Jacob and Keturah get a chance to make their gifts to each other worthy of the blessing of love . . .


 

Ratings and reviews

A Lovely Christmas Story While grieving the sudden death of her parents, Keturah Esch is tasked with taking care of her siblings and running the family business. As the lone survivor of an accident that took his mother and left him paralyzed, Jason Zook is also grieving. During his healing process, Jason begins writing inspirational messages to people that write about their grief in the Amish newspaper. One of Jason's inspirational messages ends up being to Keturah. That communication ends up being the beginning to a pen pal relationship between the two. While their relationship begins as pen pals, it soon takes a turn when Jason finds a way to meet Keturah without revealing who he is. I loved getting to know Jason and Keturah and seeing their relationship develop. I also enjoyed the secondary characters who added to the story without taking the spotlight off of Jason and Keturah. I was also touched by how caring the characters were toward Keturah, her sisters, and Jason. These relationships and the characters' interactions are part of what made this such a wonderful story. An Unexpected Amish Christmas is the third book in Rachel J. Good's Surprised by Love series. It is a lovely Christmas story of romance, love, forgiveness, faith, and overcoming. While it can be read as a stand alone, I highly recommend that you read it along with the rest of the series. You won't be disappointed. ***I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All comments and opinions are my own.

An Unexpected Amish Christmas by Rachel J. Good is a lovely story. It is the third book in the Surprised by Love series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading all three of these enticing tales. I thought An Unexpected Amish Christmas was well-written with realistic, developed characters. I enjoyed getting to know Jeremiah Zook who was a dairy farmer prior to the accident. He lost his mother and now Jeremiah finds himself confined to a wheelchair. He is in rehab learning to reuse his hands and manage on his own once he is discharged. Keturah Esch is the oldest of four girls. The siblings lost both of their parents in accident. Keturah is now responsible for raising her three younger sisters, managing the house as well as the family’s pretzel stand at the Green Valley Farmer’s Market. Jeremiah read about Keturah and her sisters in the Die Botschaft. He decides to write Keturah a letter anonymously which brings her comfort. Then Jeremiah begins helping at the pretzel stand, but he does not share that he is the letter writer. Keturah struggles to do all the tasks her parents completed and welcomes Jeremiah’s help at the stand. Mrs. Vandenberg becomes involved which brings changes into all of their lives. I just love Mrs. Vandenberg. She is a force of nature. Mrs. Vandenberg adds humor and lightness to the story along with love. She is a generous woman who is a good example to us all. It was interesting learning about the making of soft pretzels. We also get to see the difficulties someone with disabilities or injuries experiences. The author definitely captured the struggles and pain. There is some Christmas scattered throughout the book. The market is having a Christmas Extravaganza and Gina is trying to get each booth owner to decorate. I enjoyed reading the latest Surprised by Love novel. An Unexpected Amish Christmas is a feel-good story that left me smiling.

what a wonderful heart+felt story, couldn't stop reading it, laughing a bit, sometimes with a few tears in my eyes.....

About the author

USA Today bestselling author RACHEL J. GOOD writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. She grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for her Amish novels. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family events. Rachel has several Amish series, including Surprised by Love, Unexpected Amish Blessings, Surprised by Love, Love & Promises, and Sisters & Friends as well as stories in many anthologies.