A book to get lost in, and a fast read, read in one sitting, one you won’t want to put down.
Long distance romance is the theme here, is 50 miles to far, or will we have to look in our own area? This is the dilemma that Elma is going to go through in this story, add a thirty plus man who has not found the right one yet, although his mother sure has tried. Ben Wagler is a farrier and loves where he lives, we also learn that this Amish sect has a few difference from their neighbor.
Add to the fact that Elma is a twin, and she also owns a grocery store, but has remained close to her sister, who lives right across the road. Can she move and leave her twin, can she leave the store her grandparents started, and can he give up the home his parents have owed, and his business. A lot of questions, but they seem insurmountable, and yet there has to be a way, is there?
As I said once I pick this one up, leave me alone, I am gone, and yet enjoying myself!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.

This is the second book in the series about twins Elma and Thelma. This is Elma's story. The twins are really close but Elma is feeling kind of left out now that Thelma is married and expecting a baby. I liked this story, it wasn't rushed but I do have a problem with how long it took for the two main characters, Elma and Ben, to meet and start interacting. Elma spent so much time with the secondary male character that I thought I read the description wrong.
Thelma's prodding to set Elma up with a man who would keep her close after marriage was cute. Ben's mother's actions to do the same had me chuckling. This is a sweet read even though I would have liked more interaction between Elma and Ben.

I love when I find an author that is consistent in her writing. She always delivers well developed characters and the story flows so easily. Who am I talking about? There are several, but there is one that really sticks out. Wanda Brunstetter has joined with Jean Brunstetter to brings readers a delightful story that is consistent in telling a beautiful story about faith, a bit of romance and family.

I absolutely adore the twin sisters Elma and Thelma . They are very family oriented and I love how they are always there for each other. I think that it is funny that Thelma is trying to get her twin married off. Elma is very dedicated to her shop and I liked her honesty about being a bit jealous of her sister who is married and expecting a child. Poor Delbert is really trying to win Elma's attention, but I don't think it is looking good for him. He sure doesn't give up. He helps fix things around Elma's house and is always available when she needs something. He's a good man, but I wanted to tell him to back off a bit.

The Farmer's Marker is a fun adventure and I loved how it was described. Vendors with fresh juicy fruits, vegetables ready to cook and pies that melt in your mouth. What seems to be an innocent meeting between Ben and Elma at the market will change the course of many lives. I loved Ben from the start. He is a hard worker and helps his mom out whenever needed.

I loved the story so much because it captures families and neighbors helping each other . Will Ben and Elma develop a relationship? Will Thelma and her husband have a boy or girl? To get these answers grab a copy of this lighthearted beautiful written story and fall in love with the character. I can't forget to mention Hunter. Hunter is a dog that is very important to someone in the story. Can this dog bring happiness to a couple?

I received an advanced copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.

Friday, May 26, 2017

The Farmer's Market Mishap by Wanda Brunstetter

I anticipated that I would love this book so I saved it for my vacation. I read this while we drove home. I guess you could say I devoured this book as the scenery flew by my window.

Elma was on her own after her sister married. She was trying to keep her shop going, taking care of her home and being there for her pregnant sister. At times, she felt overwhelmed and so lonely. Was she destined to be a spinster? She adopted a cat and a stray dog but she wanted so much more.

At times, Elma was so envious of her sister. Elma prayed often and knew that GOD would bring her the answers. She needed to be patient.

I loved that Elma didn't settle for second best. She could have. Her sister tried to play matchmaker. Elma stood firm. Then a mishap happened at the farmer's market that changed her life.....was she willing to take a risk?

I loved this story. It is so refreshing to read about families who love each other and will do what it takes to take care of them. This story shows that at times we must make sacrifices for ones we love and that dreams can come true.

I always finish Ms. Brunstetter's books wanting more. Thank you for giving me so much enjoyment especially today as I travelling down a boring highway.

A light and very predictable novel, with the usual angst and then a HEA. Christian, but not overly so, and this will make for a please read for all denominations.

A very sweet read and a good escape for someone like me who usually reads books with grittier topics and heroines.
ARC supplied by Author/Publisher

This is the sequel to The Lopsided Christmas Cake, where we met twin sisters, Thelma and Elma Hochstetler. Together, they have operated the general store in Topeka, Indiana that was left to them by their grandparents.

The twins have always been inseparable, but now we find that Thelma has married Joseph and is expecting their first child. Elma has had to take over the majority of the work in the store, plus the upkeep of her home and animals. As a woman in her early thirties, she finds herself very lonely and feeling left out with no prospect of a husband in the future. Thelma tries to get Elma and Joseph’s best friend, Delbert, together. Elma also meets Ben Wagler at the Farmers’ Market after a mishap of him bumping and spilling a basket of her produce she is selling. They take an instant liking to each other, however, Ben lives in another community, Grabill, which is 50 miles away where he works, lives with and provides for his widowed mother. Elma doesn’t see herself being able to develop a friendship with Ben as she would never want to leave her twin sister, and Ben’s life is so far away.

Will Delbert win Elma’s love, or will things work out for Elma and Ben?

This is a very quick, enjoyable read. I was able to read it in a day and would highly recommend it those fans of the Brunstetters and the Amish genre.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

I loved this well written book. The book has a great plot and well thought out characters. I loved the authors writing.

Very enjoyable story. Love the love and fellowship shown throughout the book. This book shows that the Amish have problems and decisions to ponder like any other culture. Their reliance on God is shown throughout this book. Recommend!

The Farmer's Market Mishap is the second book from Wanda Brunstetter's Lopsided Christmas Cake series. The reader is taken back to Topeka, Indiana with twins Elma and Thelma. Thelma is now married with a little one on the way, while Elma lives alone and staying busy running the family's store. Elma wonders if she would ever find herself married. She tries to find a connection with Delbert and then something happens at the store that could change everything.

I thought The Farmer's Market Mishap was a pretty good and short read. The scenes with Elma and Ben were so sweet and loved had a little dog brought them together. I knew the two were from two different worlds but was rooting for them. There were a few moments I found myself laughing out loud and others I wanted to cry. I think this was a good lighthearted and easy to read story and I recommend it for those who love Amish fiction.

Four stars.

I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

I loved this book! I have twins and gave seen the connnection to each other first hand. Twins Thelma and Elma have inheirited their grandparents general store and run it together. Thelma has married and moved across the road. She is expecting her first child. Thelma tries to set her sister up with her husband's best friend but they seem to only be destined to become friends. Elma meets Ben at the farmers market abd they enjoy each other's company but live a long way from each other. Will either man steal Elma's heart?
There are lots of twists and turns in the story that keeps the reader engaged. The characters have reak concerns, fears, losses and hurts to deal with. Reliance on God is the answer to all of them. This is one you will not want to miss.

You always know you will enjoy what you are reading if the book is written by Wanda E. Brunstetter. One reason is she uses real places as the settings for her books. I've been lucky enough to have visited Topeka, Shipshewana and surrounding Amish communities in Northern Indiana and it draws me into the story more. It is a very friendly group of Amish communities. Brunstetter does a great job in conveying their friendliness.


This is the second book to feature the twins Thelma and Elma. The focus is more on Elma and her journey to finding last love. The first book had me in stitches at times and this book had some funny dialogue but I found it a bit more serious.


The Brunstetters are pros when it comes to using descriptive words without being overwhelming. I can picture Elma as if she was a real person. When an author succeeds in doing so I am a devoted fan.


Personally I don't think you have to read The Lopsided Christmas Cake before reading The Farmers Market Mishap but you might appreciate Elma and Delbert's friendship more if you do. I hope to see another book in the future featuring the twins Elma and Thelma.


Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for an ARC to read and review with my honest opinion.

The continuing story of Elma and Thelma. Thelma is married and expecting a baby. Elma still lives alone across the street from Thelma and still runs her grandparents store after both Sister inherit the store. Elma finds that she is needing help with in the store and hires Lizzie. Lizzie is little help but she does enjoy talking. Delbert who once dated Elma but they are different as night and day.
Elma decides to take some produce to the farmers market to sell. While there she meets Ben who has his own mishap with a basket of fruit at Elma's table. Later both Ben and Elma can't stop thinking of each other but the one thing that holds them back is that Elma will not leave Topeka and Ben will not leave his home town. What would you do in this situation?
Ben's dog disappears while making a delivery of flowers and ends up at Delbert's house. Not finding the owner Delbert gives the dog to Elma. She names him Freckles (Ben calls him Hunter). Needless to say that Elma tells Ben she can not see him. Her sister has twins and a disaster happens. While helping at the disaster Freckles/Hunter gets out and when Elma sees Ben at the disaster she and Ben realize they both know the same dog. Will a dog finally bring them together or will they part ways. I was very pleased with this book and hope that there will be a 3rd book to Elma and Thelma's story. Found myself laughing, crying and cheering while reading this book.

Thank you so much Wanda for another wonderful book.

Elma wants to be married, she wants the life her twin sister has, including the coming boppli. She can't bear to move away from her sister and from her general store that she inherited from her grandparents. This is the beginning of The Farmer's Market Mishap by Wanda Brunstetter and Jean Brunstetter.

The two authors have put together a book with parallel stories that collide at the Farmer's Market. Elma's sister wants her to marry Delbert--a man she courted before with no results. Benjamin Wagler's mother wants him to marry a local girl, but the mishap at the Farmer's Market puts Ben and Elma together in a way that thwarts everyone's efforts to bring them together with other people. But it is a dog that cements their relationship forever.

It's been a number of years since I've read a Wanda Brunstetter book, but this was a nice reintroduction to her writing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. She's taken out the smarmy sweetness and added a reality that gives a new realism to her books. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a bushel of vegetables from the Farmer's Market

My thanks to Barbour Books (Shiloh Run Press) for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the sequel to the Lopsided Christmas cake. Elma's twin sisterThelma just recently married Joseph. They live across the street from her. Thelma is expecting a baby. Elma and Thelma run a General Store together that used to be their Grandparents. Elma is lonely and wonders if she ever will marry. She meets Ben at a Farmers market when he knocks over some of her fruit display. Ben and Elma hit it off and start to date. They have one problem. Ben lives in Grabill which is a distance away. Elma tried relationships like this and they never worked. Elma will never leave her sister and the general store and Ben will not leave his mother and his job and home. Will they have to part or will they find love? A cute story with some laughs.

In this delightful sequel to The Lopsided Christmas Cake by Wanda E. and Jean Brunstetter, we join twins Elma and Thelma once again as they try to navigate life apart. Thelma, now married to Joseph, is expecting their first boppli. Elma, still single, is trying to manage running a household alone and care for their store while Thelma rest and runs her home.
Elma loves her sister but often wishes she was married and expecting as well. She tries hard not to be jealous and directs her emotions into making the store great. Thelma wants nothing but Elma to find happiness and pushes hard for her sister and Delbert to start courting once again. Elma wants nothing more than to find love and get married, but does she really want it with Delbert? It didn’t really work out so well the first go around.
When Elma unexpectedly meets a handsome Ben Wagler at the farmer’s market, a new hope begins to take hold. The only obstacle is that he can’t leave his home as he is caring for his mother and running a business and she knows that she can’t leave her beloved twin behind or her grandparent’s legacy. Just when the end appears, Ben makes a sacrifice so grand that Elma can’t help but accept.
This was a quick read, but that was in part to the fact that I just couldn’t put it down! As always, the characters were well developed and had such emotion and depth, the reader just couldn’t help but fall in love with them. I can honestly say, that I am expecting another book to find out what the future has in store for Ben and Elma after they are wed.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley in return for providing my honest opinion.

A sweet Amish story of twin sisters. I enjoyed this book and the characters, but got a little frustrated with Elma's sister and Ben's mother. Both were selfishly trying to manipulate their sister and son (respectively) and their push at who they thought they should date, mainly for their own interests, irritated me. Obviously Amish are people like anyone else, but in general I expect more Christian values. These are here too of course, but I was surprised with the jealousy and selfishness. Otherwise, I highly recommend this story and author(s). Elma and Ben, and of course Freckles/Hunter are so cute together.

This is the sweet story of Elma who is running the store she and her twin inherited from their grandparents and wondering if she will ever have the kind of happy life that Thelma has since she got married and is expecting her first child. During the story we see find her trying to restart her relationship with Delbert and wondering if he is the one, but then a mishap at the farmer's market brings Ben Wangler into her life could he be the one that God has intended for her.

I loved the opportunity to become "reacquainted" with twins Elma and Thelma in "The Farmers' Market Mishap" after first reading about them in the Lopsided Christmas Cake. These sisters share such a special bond and their traits truly c0mplement each others beautifully. In the Farmers Market Mishap, Elma is adjusting to being on her own in the house near the store she and Thelma run, as Thelma is settling in to married life and expecting her first child. Elma is also faced with mounting home repairs in the home she and Thelma inherited from their grandparents. Thelma helps in the store some but her pregnancy requires her to rest quite a bit. When they host a booth at the farmers market, Elma meets an Amish blacksmith from a nearby town, Ben, who is instantly attracted to her optimism and humor. Elma must learn to balance her desire for a relationship against her belief that she must stay in town near her sister. Meanwhile, Ben works on pursuing a relationship with her in the hopes of persuading her to move to his town and live with him and his widowed mother. Elma is faced with challenging decisions. As well as entertaining the idea of rekindling a relationship with a close friend of her brother I laws.
A Farmer's Market Mishap is a realistic and beautiful story about family relationships and responsibilities. I strongly recommend this.

This is a sequel to The Lopsided Christmas Cake by Wanda E. and Jean Brunstetter. This was an easy reading sweet tale of the twins, Elma and Thelma. Thelma is now married and expecting a boppli while Elma is single and caring for the store that they inherited. Thelma seems to want Elma to renew or rekindle some feelings for Delbert, but Elma doesn't seem to respond in the way good-hearted sister Thelma would like her to. But with being very busy at the store, Elma will probably need a little help to get the work done.

The story is sweet and a relaxing read. I enjoyed it as I do other books I have read from these authors. It seems a bit shorter in length but still tells the story well.

I received an ebook copy for NetGalley for my review which I have given. All thoughts are my own.