Title:  A Christmas Haven
Author:  Cindy and Erin Woodsmall
Genre:  Romance, Christian, Amish
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Ivy Zook is Old Order Amish and is tired of milking cows when what she really wants is to leave her old life behind and get her party planning business off the ground. But it’s hard to build her business when she’s stuck without internet and other modern tools. Even worse, if she leaves too soon, she’s afraid she’ll ruin her sister, Holly’s wedding.

When a car crashes into Greene’s Pharmacy, where Holly works, things get even worse. The driver is Arlan, a Swartzentruber (ultra-conservative) Amish, and his sister Magda, who is very ill. Arlan and Magda are hiding a secret, but he’s determined to keep his sister safe, even if it means staying on the Zook’s dairy farm and working. Arlan wants to return to his home and Ivy wants to leave hers, but soon they realize what home really means.

I must admit, I had never heard of Swartzentruber Amish—I didn’t even realize the Amish had more sects than Amish/Old Order Amish, so this was an interesting read just for that reason alone. But the characters in this novel are wonderful, and I loved the journeys they all took:  Ivy, Arlan, Magda, and even Holly (I think I liked her strength, courage, and faith the best). A wonderful read!

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author who writes Amish fiction. A Christmas Haven is one of her newest releases.

(Galley courtesy of WaterBrook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

• book review
• books
• reading