cover image Amish Picnic

Amish Picnic

Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, Kathleen Fuller, and Vannetta Chapman. Zondervan, $15.99 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-0-3103-5788-9

Four bestselling authors of Amish fiction deliver stories of finding love in the Plain community in this sweet set of romances. Clipston’s “Baskets of Sunshine” centers on Kevin Weaver, who has been postponing courtship until he feels financially stable. An attraction to Phoebe Kurtz complicates Kevin’s plans, especially since he works for Phoebe’s father. Esther Marie Shrock, the heroine of Irvin’s “Candlelight Sweethearts,” works at the local grocery store owned by Jasper Cotter’s parents. Though maligned due to a stutter, Esther Marie shows competence and people skills that clear-speaking Jasper often lacks. When Jasper’s father falls ill, the two work together and gain more than just mutual respect. Fuller’s tale, “Reeling in Love,” focuses on best friends and fishing buddies Nina Stoll and Ira Yoder as they decide whether a potential romance is worth the risk of their friendship. Chapman adds a touch of intrigue with “Picnics and Prospects,” in which Faith Troyer and David Lapp, having failed to connect on a date years ago, find a decades-old package of letters. Solving the mystery associated with the missives may bring them into a relationship of their own. Amish fiction fans will love this. (Mar.)