I always appreciate Amy Clipston's sweet and clean romances, but this one felt a little too repetitive for me. I found it hard to keep in mind that Leanna and Emory were in their 30s/40s - they acted more like teenagers, in my opinion. It was a sweet, quick novel, good for a light pleasure read, but I felt it left something to be desired if you're looking for more in the way of character development and believability (as I was).
On a side note, I didn't like the way the Sara Ann situation was dealt with in this book. I never liked how she was used as a deux ex machina for causing drama in all the other books, and I don't understand why none of the cousins ever talked to her nicely, one-on-one? Seems like that would be the more appropriate thing to do instead of just blowing up at her one day...
On a side note, I didn't like the way the Sara Ann situation was dealt with in this book. I never liked how she was used as a deux ex machina for causing drama in all the other books, and I don't understand why none of the cousins ever talked to her nicely, one-on-one? Seems like that would be the more appropriate thing to do instead of just blowing up at her one day...
Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book. This is the fourth and final book in the Amish Marketplace series about four cousins who have shops in their local marketplace. It is the story of the oldest cousin, Leanna, a widow with a teenage son. Chester has gone from being a sweet boy to a sullen, contrary, young man, leaving her at her wit's end. Her worries come to a head when she receives a late-night call to pick him up from the police station. When Leanna arrives, she discovers he was trespassing with friends, one of whom is a young Amish girl named Maggie.
Maggie's father, Emory, is a widower struggling to raise his daughter on his own. Maggie is shy and would rather stay at home working on her sewing and taking care of her dad instead of going out with other young people.
Leanna and Emory meet at the police station and quickly connect over their shared troubles. Grateful to talk to someone who understands their challenges, a solid friendship forms between them. There are some sweet scenes between them as they share their troubles over coffee or a quick conversation in her jelly shop. As Leanna and Emory spend time together, Maggie and Chester aren't ready to see their parents moving on and make their displeasure known. When Emory discovers that Chester doesn't like his job, he offers Chester the opportunity to work with him at his shed business. Leanna is thrilled to see Chester with such an excellent role model and soon notices a change in his attitude.
Meanwhile, Emory's family pressures him to start dating, claiming that Maggie needs a mother's influence. His brother and sister-in-law are especially vocal with their opinions and quite pushy with their attempts to set him up. Justin also does his best to discourage Emory from spending time with Leanna. When Emory gives in and starts seeing Madelyne, he feels guilty because he feels more for his friend Leanna than he does for her. Meanwhile, Chester tells Leanna that Emory is seeing someone and tells Emory that his mom isn't interested in dating. Their friendship becomes awkward as each struggles to hide changing feelings.
When Leanna gets an offer to expand her shop, she invites Maggie to join her and sell her items. I loved Maggie's excitement and seeing Leanna take her under her wing. It was sweet to see how Leanna's cousins make Maggie part of their group. Leanna becomes very protective of Maggie, especially when Sarah Ann attempts to stir up trouble. Sarah Ann has been a thorn in the cousins' sides since the first book, and I loved seeing Leanna snap and read her the riot act when she started in on Maggie.
Meanwhile, Emory feels increasingly guilty over his relationship with Madelyne. He knows he doesn't love her but feels like he may have gone too far to back out. Besides, he thinks Leanna is only interested in friendship. At the same time, Leanna's feelings for Emory continue to grow, even though she thinks it's useless. If Emory were interested in her, he wouldn't be dating Madelyne. A crisis in Leanna's family forces both Leanna and Emory to do some soul-searching about what is important. I loved the ending, as both Chester and Maggie do what they can to make things right for their parents. The scene with Emory and Chester warmed my heart, and I loved the difference it made to Emory. Leanna's conversation with her grandmother gave her the confidence she needed to talk to Emory. I loved Emory's big moment as he shared his feelings and Leanna's unique way of showing him hers.
I loved the epilogue and getting a chance to catch up on the lives of all four couples.
Maggie's father, Emory, is a widower struggling to raise his daughter on his own. Maggie is shy and would rather stay at home working on her sewing and taking care of her dad instead of going out with other young people.
Leanna and Emory meet at the police station and quickly connect over their shared troubles. Grateful to talk to someone who understands their challenges, a solid friendship forms between them. There are some sweet scenes between them as they share their troubles over coffee or a quick conversation in her jelly shop. As Leanna and Emory spend time together, Maggie and Chester aren't ready to see their parents moving on and make their displeasure known. When Emory discovers that Chester doesn't like his job, he offers Chester the opportunity to work with him at his shed business. Leanna is thrilled to see Chester with such an excellent role model and soon notices a change in his attitude.
Meanwhile, Emory's family pressures him to start dating, claiming that Maggie needs a mother's influence. His brother and sister-in-law are especially vocal with their opinions and quite pushy with their attempts to set him up. Justin also does his best to discourage Emory from spending time with Leanna. When Emory gives in and starts seeing Madelyne, he feels guilty because he feels more for his friend Leanna than he does for her. Meanwhile, Chester tells Leanna that Emory is seeing someone and tells Emory that his mom isn't interested in dating. Their friendship becomes awkward as each struggles to hide changing feelings.
When Leanna gets an offer to expand her shop, she invites Maggie to join her and sell her items. I loved Maggie's excitement and seeing Leanna take her under her wing. It was sweet to see how Leanna's cousins make Maggie part of their group. Leanna becomes very protective of Maggie, especially when Sarah Ann attempts to stir up trouble. Sarah Ann has been a thorn in the cousins' sides since the first book, and I loved seeing Leanna snap and read her the riot act when she started in on Maggie.
Meanwhile, Emory feels increasingly guilty over his relationship with Madelyne. He knows he doesn't love her but feels like he may have gone too far to back out. Besides, he thinks Leanna is only interested in friendship. At the same time, Leanna's feelings for Emory continue to grow, even though she thinks it's useless. If Emory were interested in her, he wouldn't be dating Madelyne. A crisis in Leanna's family forces both Leanna and Emory to do some soul-searching about what is important. I loved the ending, as both Chester and Maggie do what they can to make things right for their parents. The scene with Emory and Chester warmed my heart, and I loved the difference it made to Emory. Leanna's conversation with her grandmother gave her the confidence she needed to talk to Emory. I loved Emory's big moment as he shared his feelings and Leanna's unique way of showing him hers.
I loved the epilogue and getting a chance to catch up on the lives of all four couples.
