Review: The Amish Quiltmaker's Unlikely Match

The Amish Quiltmaker's Unlikely Match by Jennifer Beckstrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've liked others of this author's books, but I'm having major issues with this one.

 By chapter 9, I'm finding that I really don't like Clay (the male protagonist) very much. He looks pretty childish and thinks everything can be handled with cash and gifts. He has not taken the time to understand the Amish way of life at all. Mary has a way of making things worse (at least in her mind) and does what I consider a lot of non-Amish things to keep him around the farm because she has fallen madly in love with him in this short amount of time.

 However, by the end of chapter 9, most of Clays' issues will have been revealed, making me a little softer toward him and understanding why he is the way he is.

 The secondary character I like the most is Cathy, a non-Amish family friend and driver for the Amish. She is 84 years old and says what's on her mind, no matter who she hurts. She does always apologize for it, though, and that redeems her!

 Lastly, what we read towards the end of this book...well, let's say that we have to suspend our disbelief just a little too far, in my opinion. I think the Bishop would have banned Mary for the stunt she pulls! But all in all, it was a fast, pleasant read.

 *ARC supplied for review by the publisher Zebra Books, the author, and NetGalley.

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Filled with her trademark humor and relatable characters, award-winning author Jennifer Beckstrand's blends quilting, matchmaking, and a close-knit Colorado community in her newest Amish Quiltmaker novel, as independent-minded quilter Esther Kiem sets her sights on an unusual match between the shyest Yoder sister and a professional baseball player…

Perfect for fans of Charlotte Hubbard, Wanda Brunstetter, and Linda Byler.

Though Mary Yoder longs to marry someday, she finds caring for her community’s injured and sick is much easier than courting. But when Englischer Clay Markham crashes his car nearby, Mary’s nursing shows her his hidden wounds are more painful than his injuries. Though she’s irresistibly drawn to his kind nature, can she risk letting him into her heart?

On the run from his troubled past, ex-pro baseball player Clay can’t believe the quiet sanctuary he’s found under Mary’s care. Her gentle faith and knowledge are somehow giving him hope he can change his life—and offer her the love she truly deserves. But when his secrets catch up with him, can he and Mary find the courage to face the truth, set things to rights . . . and make way for a future together?