Saturday, June 26, 2021

The Amish Quiltmaker's Unruly In-Law by Jennifer Beckstrand

 The Amish Quiltmaker's Unruly In-Law

Book Summary

Opposites can make the most delightful pattern...

Filled with her trademark humor and relatable characters, award winning author Jennifer Beckstrand's second installment in the Amish Quiltmaker series finds independent-minded quilter Esther Liem's matchmaking skills put to the test in her new Colorado community.


Moving to a new Amish settlement in small-town Colorado was a brave new start for independent-minded quiltmaker Esther Liem. But helping her reckless relative will really put her special matchmaking skills to the test...

Mischievous and rebellious, young Ben Liem is making the wrong kind of name for himself throughout the town of Yoder. And even though his sister-in-law, Esther, somehow coaxes him into keeping company with sensible Linda Eicher, Ben can't see anything they have in common. Or that he could ever be good enough for someone like her. But Linda's down-to-earth nature and unexpected understanding have Ben trying his best to be better, no matter how challenging...

Linda couldn't be more surprised when Ben turns out to be caring and helpful, despite his rowdy pranks and bad-news friends. And falling in love with him suddenly seems just right. But when a heartbreaking misunderstanding comes between them, both she and Ben must risk enough to trust, stitch the pieces back together--and dare a forever precious happiness.
 
My Thoughts

The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law by Jennifer Beckstrand is an entertaining Amish novel.  It is the second book in The Amish Quiltmaker’s series.  While The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law can be read as a standalone, I suggest reading The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unexpected Baby first.  It will introduce you to Edith and Levi (explain their story) and provide you with hours of entertainment.   I am glad Edith and Levi plus Winnie are included in The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law.  I just love them, and Esther is a delight (she is still putting items behind her ear).  Ben Kiem, Levi’s younger brother, is known for his misbehavior and pranks.  He has two friends who drag him into trouble.  Ben suffers an injury and needs his new sister-in-law’s help.  Esther agrees to assist him and to not mention it to his parents, in exchange for Ben asking Linda Eicher home from the next youth gathering.  It is the last thing Ben wants to do, and he goes out of his way to ensure Linda says no.  Ben soon finds himself spending time with Linda who tries to change Ben’s errant ways.  I loved the humor in this story.  I laughed often while reading.  Linda is such an upbeat, friendly character.  Her laughter and joy are contagious.  Ben is a charmer who is also a bad boy.  You can soon see why Linda is attracted to him.  I thought The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law was well-written with delightful characters.  Cathy Larsen is a hoot.  I also loved Ben’s grandmother and sweet Winnie.  There are good life lessons in the story including the importance of being yourself.   I like how the point-of-view alternated between Ben and Linda.  We get to see things from each person’s perspective. I liked seeing the Amish youth do so many outdoor activities like canoeing, snowshoeing, skiing, and hiking.  I love it that the older set gets together to play pickleball.  There are two lines from the book that I wanted to share with you.  The first is, “A merry heart does gute like a medicine.”  The second one comes from Cathy who said, “Golfing is the most boring sport in the entire world, except for maybe football.  I mean, what’s the point?”.    The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law was over far too soon.   I knew I could count on Jennifer Beckstrand to provide a diverting Amish tale.  It was just what I needed.  Laughter is indeed the best medicine.  The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law is an amusing Amish tale with snowshoe sprints, melting marshmallows, the winsome Winnie, a brazen bad boy, restorative essential oils, an ornery octogenarian, and a scheming sister-in-law.

The Amish Quiltmaker's Unruly In-Law publishes June 29 and is available from Amazon*.  The first book in The Amish Quiltmaker's series is The Amish Quiltmaker's Unexpected Baby (on Kindle Unlimited).  You can find Jennifer Beckstrand's other delightful Amish novels here.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return tomorrow to feature Pup Fiction by Laurien Beckstrand.  It is 27th A Melanie Travis Mystery.  I hope each of you have a relaxing weekend.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

No comments:

Post a Comment