The Amish Christmas Matchmaker by Vannetta Chapman
Publisher & Release: Love Inspired, October 1, 2019
Time and setting: Present Day, Goshen Indiana
Genre: Amish Romance
Length: 224 Pages
Heat Level: 1 Sweetheart
Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns
Book Description:
She’ll find him a wife for Christmas…Which of these Indiana Amish Brides is next?
With her wedding business thriving, Annie Kauffmann could never leave her beloved Amish community. So when handsome Amish cowboy Levi Lapp tries to convince her father to move the family to Texas, she must put a stop to it. If Annie finds Levi a wife, he might forget his dream of moving…but can she keep from falling for him herself?
With her wedding business thriving, Annie Kauffmann could never leave her beloved Amish community. So when handsome Amish cowboy Levi Lapp tries to convince her father to move the family to Texas, she must put a stop to it. If Annie finds Levi a wife, he might forget his dream of moving…but can she keep from falling for him herself?
Buy Links:
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-amish-christmas-matchmaker-vannetta-chapman/1130856218?ean=9781488043109#/
Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46863982-the-amish-christmas-matchmaker-mills-boon-love-inspired
Vikki’s Musings
While searching titles on Net-Galley, I found The Amish Christmas Matchmaker, and the book description appealed to me. I requested it from the publisher, and they were kind enough to approve my request to read and review. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.
This is the first book I’ve read by Vanetta Chapman, and it’s a heartwarming tale of a young couple who must find their way past a huge obstacle. Annie Kaufmann has a thriving business with her close, English friend as wedding planners.
Levi Lapp arrives in Goshen. He convinces families to join him in Texas and form a new Amish community. Annie’s father, ever the dreamer, is eager to agree, and even her brothers find it appealing, as are several others in their community. Land is expensive in Goshen and it will be difficult to acquire additional land. The land in Texas is much more affordable.
While Annie is heartbroken, when her plan to Levi to find him a girl to hold him in Goshen, fails. She knows she must stay in Goshen. After all, she has a thriving business. A strong attraction between Annie and Levi develops as she plays matchmaker, but since he plans to go to Texas, it can never be allowed to grow. Can Levi and Annie find a way beyond their differences or are they too great to overcome?
This is a romance between two individuals whose strong faith guides their decisions. The pacing is a tad slow in the first half of the book, but it moves better later on. There is no doubt that Ms. Chapman has studied the Amish community and their language. She uses just enough to give it a strong sense of what it is like in an Amish community. I enjoyed that aspect of the story a great deal.
Annie Kaufmann’s character is different from most Amish heroines. While her faith and family are very important to her, she’s also driven to succeed with her business and will not consider setting it aside when her family makes the decision to move. Her stubbornness keeps her from seeing what God has in store for her. It took me a good part of the book to warm to her character, but by the end of the book, I ached for her hurting heart.
Levi Lapp is a great hero. I liked him from the beginning. His drive to honor what he sees as God’s will in his life is admirable. His passion for his goals is very persuasive, and I was not surprised when he convinced many to join him. He wants Annie but knows she will never come with him. I felt his pain and confusion when he realizes, he must choose between his life long plan to move to Texas and the girl he has grown to love.
The romance between Levi and Annie is sweet and typical for this sub-genre. The part where Annie tries her hand at matchmake is amusing. I enjoyed how their love story played out, and I truly wanted them to find their happy ending.
If you enjoy Amish fiction with engaging characters and an interesting plot, then you will like The Amish Christmas Matchmaker. While the Christmas theme is not strong in this book, it’s still a heartwarming story. There’s a good bit of conflict between the main characters, which is resolved in a most satisfying way. Happy reading!
Author Bio:
The first thing you need to know about me is that I write Fiction full of GRACE. Every plot is different. The characters change. Some of my books are mysteries, others are novellas, and some are romances. But they all are stories of light, hope, and truth. Stories that at least for a moment touch the deepest places in our heart.
Tales that whisper hope. That speak of family and community. That remind us of God and His love.
What do I write? If I had to reduce it to four words, I suppose I’d say I write Fiction full of GRACE.
I hold a BA and MA degree in English, and I am proud to be represented by Mary Sue Seymour, AAR. I have published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines and have received over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. I am honored to be a member of Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Faith Hope and Love.
I live and teach in the Texas hill country with my husband, cats, and a rather large herd of deer. Our four children have flown the nest; however, we are fortunate that they all live close enough to visit.
I have always felt that my faith was at the very center of who and what I am, and I am thrilled beyond words to be able to now write about something that is so near to my heart. At various times I have served as a pianist, teacher, church secretary, and worship team member. While living in the Dallas area, I served as an adjunct professor of English Literature at Dallas Baptist University. When we moved to a small town in Central Texas, I continued teaching for a few years, but I now write full-time and I play the keyboard in our church’s praise band.
My grandfather was born in Albion, Pennsylvania, and I am currently researching whether I might have Amish roots.
December 2013, I was honored to be featured on the ACFW page. In that interview I discuss how I came to write Amish fiction, and why I continue to do so. You can read that interview here. I was also featured on the ACFW page when I first began writing. That piece speaks to the amount of grace in my life. I’m enormously grateful that God is so willing to give each and every one of us more than one chance, more than two chances, but in fact a multitude of chances …
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