Cover Image: The Farmer's Bride

The Farmer's Bride

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

The Farmer’s Bride is a cute little story about an Amish girl, who is the only girl of marriageable age in her community, and an Amish boy, who is the only boy out of many who isn’t interested in chasing her.

Martha has to keep fending off the droves of boys who won’t leave her alone. They all want to date her, because she’s the only literal choice in their small community. Which is why she’s drawn to Seth, because he’s not interested in her. Then due to certain circumstances, they find themselves pretending to date each other. But things get complicated when those feelings start to become real.

The romance in this book was sweet. I even liked the side romance between a new girl who moves into the community, and a boy who used to be very invested in Martha.

One thing I didn’t like was the way Seth’s dream was kind of shuffled aside to make room for Martha’s dream. It was like his dream became hers, or she sorta, stole it? That’s not how it’s shown in the book. He thought that at first, but then they both were okay with it. But as for me, I felt he should have stuck to his dream. Don’t give up on something you’ve been dreaming for for years just because someone kind of gets in the way.

In the end, it was a nice romance story. If you like Amish or religious romances, you would enjoy this book.


Thank you to Netgalley and Zondervan for a copy to review.

Was this review helpful?

5 ***** Stars: 5/5 star rating
What a sweet story this one is! I cried and laughed as I read. The characters were special and felt like they could be old friends. Cevilla and Delilah added humor while Martha, Nina, Seth, and his brothers invoked empathy for their plights in love. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy Amish or Christian fiction.
I received a digital version of this book from netgalley and Zondervan in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This was the first time that I have read an Amish story and I enjoyed reading it.It was full of emotion and kept me wanting to know what happened to Martha.The characters were interesting and at times funny. I am pleased that it had a happy ending. I would recommend this book to be read.

Was this review helpful?

One secret.....two secrets.....then the secrets become truth, but not before Martha and Seth find that they have to come clean about their lies of omission. But are their secrets really lies.....time will tell!! Then we have Cevilla and Delilah, older women, who believe they are matchmakers. But, in reality, they make more of a mess of Seth and Martha's lives, than had they just let life go it's own way! Hiding from young men, who want her attention, Martha runs into Seth who looks at her as if she were nuts....but he finds out differently, much to his surprise!! Seth, who has ideas about his life's pursuits, has his dreams sidetracked and has to walk a journey that he did not expect. Do these two, Seth and Martha, help each other or hurt each other.....read the novel to find out....you will enjoy every page!!

Was this review helpful?

I am always so excited to go back to visit Birch Creek every book gets better and better.
The author really understands the Amish way of life as it's evident in her writing.
The Birch Creek characters are like revisiting old friends and meeting new ones in each book.
This is the second book in the series, I somehow missed the first but will be reading it soon. The author gives us backstory so we are all caught up going into this book.
Martha Detweiler is the only single woman in her community full of men. They all want her attention which she tries to escape every time, all except for the one she is interested in, Seth Yoder.
Seth Yoder has a passion for woodcarving but his father expects him to take over and run the family farm.
His secret hobby keeps him too busy for a social life but will he stop due to his father's expectations of him? Infused with humor, when Cevilla Schlabach gets a matchmaking idea, watch out !
Will her plan help or hinder this couple?
I highly recommend this book! So good!
Published June 4th 2019 by Zondervan.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This is the second book in the series, Amish Brides of Birch Creek. It can be read as a stand-alone book however, it does bring back characters from the first book.

This was a very enjoyable read that I didn’t want to stop reading until I had finished the book. We find Martha Detweiler as now the only single girl in their Amish community, attracting the attention of several single young men. She is not interested in being pursued by any of them, and she does many antics to escape from them. Along the way, she comes in contact with the one single young man in the community who isn’t pursuing her as he, too, is not interested in a relationship.

Several circumstances bring them together. They even go as far as to join forces to prevent the others from pursuing them. How will this all end?

I highly recommend this enjoyable book for all to read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed reading this book. The writing was smooth and easy to follow. The description was so I could picture myself there following them around. The bride was a farmer's daughter and of course just as beautiful.

Was this review helpful?

The Farmer’s Bride is the second delightful book in An Amish Brides of Birch Creek series. I recommend reading The Teacher’s Bride first. It gives you the backstory on Cevilla and Richard, the town and how Chris and Ruby came to be together. I thought The Farmer’s Bride was well-written (as are all of Kathleen Fuller’s books) and it proceeded at a steady pace. It has charming characters and a lovely setting (I would like to live in Birch Creek). I thought the characters were realistic and I could feel their emotions plus their struggles. Cevilla Schlabach is a hoot. She gets an idea into her head and there is no stopping her. Richard is the perfect companion for Cevilla, and his comments are humorous. It will be interesting to see if Richard can give up his modern conveniences. Cevilla meets her match when Delilah Stoll moves to town. Delilah is a determined woman who steamrolls over anyone who gets in the way of her goal. Delilah and Cevilla butting heads had me chuckling. I liked how Martha enjoyed learning new things (like tying nautical knots) and working on puzzles. I completely agreed with the comment “There’s something gratifying about completing a challenge”. I had to smile when I heard soda referred to as “pop”. I had not heard that phrase since I lived in Ohio (I got teased for using it when I first moved to Florida). It was hot in Birch Creek (like it currently is in Florida) and I could relate to Cevilla saying it is “hotter than a pat of butter melting in a frying pan”. The Christian elements are beautifully incorporated into the story with emphasis on having a strong faith, relying on God, forgiveness of others and oneself, and the importance of prayer. The Farmer’s Bride is an amusing Amish tale that I did not want to end (but then I was eager to see how it ended). I am impatiently waiting for the release of the next An Amish Brides of Birch Creek Novel to revisit Birch Creek and see what is in store for Selah Ropp.

Was this review helpful?

This book by author Kathleen Fuller had me chuckling. Often. The way she developed her characters was incredible. They were so true to life. I loved them!

A heart-warming story with lots of emotion, Martha and Seth both struggled with being single in an Amish community that has an adorable matchmaker who makes it hard to say no. As always in Ms. Fuller’s books, God is working in hearts to do His will.

I found this to be a page turner because I wanted to see what in the world would happen next with Martha and all those single guys. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for an e-galley of this title.

This is another wonderful book in the series! I love the ”pretend to be dating for a good cause” stories. Seth and Martha began their friendship in an unusual way and it is just the beginning of many funny moments. Just like the first in the series (The Teacher’s Bride), I began to really care about the characters’ and their joys and troubles. Reluctance to be honest with others about what you really want, seems to be a main theme, but overall God’s Will was highlighted throughout. There are really two romances and one potential, which will make fans anticipate the next title. My opinions and reviews are my own.

Was this review helpful?

It’s been a long time since I’ve read any Amish fiction and I enjoyed it. Martha is the only single young woman in her community and I laughed when all the single men but one were racing to her house to try to invite her to the scavenger hunt. I can’t imagine that kind of pressure. So when an old matchmaker (busybody) offers a unique solution to solve her problem, it doesn’t sound quite as crazy as it should have.
The two grandmothers were my favorite. It was sweet that Cevilla, in her 80s, has found her true love again. She and Delilah made me groan with their manipulative, tricky matchmaking efforts. I have two grown children. I related to these women who wanted to make sure certain things happened instead of trusting and believing that God would provide who and what their grandchildren need. Thank goodness for grace!
This is book two in the Amish Brides of Birch Creek series but it can easily be read as a standalone. Thank you to Zondervan for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Amish Brides of Birch Creek Series:
Book 1: The Teacher’s Bride
Book 2: The Farmer’s Bride
#TheFarmersBride #Netgalley

Was this review helpful?

Downloaded thanks to Netgalley and Zondervan for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I apologize for the review getting out so late. We’ve been dealing with unpacking after evacuating from the flooding earlier in the week. Chaos has ended!

Title: The Farmer’s Bride
Author: Kathleen Fuller
Publisher: Zondervan

Rating: 🥄🥄🥄

Description :
From bestselling author, Kathleen Fuller, comes another heartwarming romantic comedy set in the beloved Amish community of Birch Creek.

Review:
This is the first time I’ve read an Amish centered romance. I remember Amish and historical romances being big with conservative Christian women in my life. I know my mom was wrapped in a series similar to this. I don’t have a lot of experience with Christian books or romances (though I am trying, especially, with the romances).

The main story is focused on Martha. She’s a very single lady who could have her pickings when it came to men in her community. However, for her this is a problem that she’s struggling to solve. Instead of facing them, or enjoying it or telling them to bug off — she runs.

The story begins with her running away from the men via her mother. Her mother shoos them off with a lie. She takes this chance to head off to Cevilla’s house. Unbeknownst to Martha, this visit would start up match making for her and this man named Seth.

Cevilla had a plan to get the other men away from her — pretend that she was dating Seth. Problem? Seth is a character who is oblivious to everything, especially, women.

The story threads over to another girl named Nina. She’s from a family who recently moved into the community. Her grandmother is already on task in regards to the matchmaking. Nina is more of a tomboy so her grandmother disapproves of everything that she likes because it.. won’t fetch her a husband.

Overall, the story flows well and is a good enough read to recommend. I enjoyed the light breeziness of the writing. It reads like something a teenager could read and get into as well. I don’t know what the exact age target for this is or if it’s a general reading situation. The characters use phrases that aren’t usually things we’d say.

The author provides a dictionary at the start of the book to help ease readers unfamiliar with these words out. Through the story the characters use the words in ways that allow readers to figure out what they’re saying, anyway. But good to have.

Was this review helpful?

The Farmer's Bride by Kathleen Fuller is the second book in the Birch Creek series. Martha Detweiler has the most unusual problem. She is the only single young adult female in Birch Creek and the apple of every single boys eye! Martha is overwhelmed with the unwanted attention and spends more time hiding than socializing. Seth Yoder is a hard working young man. Although he isn't fond of farming, he has made a promise to himself to always help his father. His father labored long and hard through difficult years to make the farm what it is today. Seth has a secret hobby that he dreams someday he can work at full time. He has no interest in socializing especially with Martha Detweiler! The town matchmaker, Cevilla, believes the two can fool everyone by pretending to be a couple, thus giving Martha some space and Seth time for his hobby. But sometimes good intentions can spiral out of control with a lot of interesting and comical consequences!
The Farmer's Bride is a great story with likeable and humorous characters, a great setting, and an Amish community that is willing to go the extra mile to keep Birch Creek the wonderful place that it is!

Was this review helpful?

This is the second book in Kathleen Fuller's Amish Brides of Birch Creek series. I haven't read the first one but after reading this book I'm definitely going to..
Imagine being the only available girl in a.community full of eager bachelors. This is the problem Martha faces as she is surrounded by eligible men at every turn including just showing up at her front door! At first I thought if this is the story I'm not sure I'm going to like the book. However, throw in a couple of meddling senior citizens and a plan B that seems destined to fail and suddenly things got interesting. I love the twists in the book also. Fuller gives us an older couple, one Amish, one not, who discover love in the sunset of their lives. Also Martha discovers a hidden talent that is not what a typical Amish woman might do. Sorry if this review is short but I need to read the first book in the series immediately!
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

Kathleen Fuller's newest release, The Farmer's Bride is a must-read! This story is part of An Amish Brides of Birch Creek series.
Martha Detweiler and Seth Yoder were meant to be together, at least that's what Martha's elderly neighbor Cevilla suggests. Cevilla is determined to put her matchmaking skills to the test! Meanwhile, Martha is trying to dodge the attention from all of the other men in her community since she is the only available young Amish woman. That all changes though when the Stoll family moves to Birch Creek from Wisconsin. You will definitely want to read this book as the entire story unfolds.
Kathleen Fuller does a great job of bringing the characters to life. You will feel like you are right there with them in beautiful Birch Creek, Ohio. They experience circumstances that we can all relate to including anger, guilt, frustration, love and faith. A sweet story that I definitely recommend reading!
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley and have given my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Martha ran in the house and slammed the door and her mother asked what was going on. Martha said Ruby was having a scavenger hunt this Saturday and Then there was five men headed for her parents house to ask her to go to the scavenger hunt with them, her mother said go and Martha ran out the back door and cut through backyards heading to Cevilla’s house. She was cutting through a backyard of house that had been vacant since martha and her parents had moved to Birch Creek two years ago. But as she went through the backyard she seen a person come out the back door. Martha stopped to catch her breath before continuing on to Cevilla’s house. There had to be a better way to avoid the single men of Birch creek as she was now the only single young woman in a district with a lot of single men. She couldn’t go anywhere except maybe work without at least one man asking her for a date. She wanted a simple life. Cevella said she would have have to go out with Seth and the other young men would leave her alone. Martha said Seth hadn’t asked her out. Seth hated farming and his secret passion was wood carving. Seth had brought some jam to Cevella and she mentioned he needed to make appear that he and Martha had Seth said no and Cevella knew the seed was planted in his mind. Loren and his family had bought the house that had been vacant. He wants to turn it into a inn. Loren was a widower and he had his mother-Delilah- and son- Levi- and daughter Nina-22- live with him. He hoped the open the inn in four months. Nina’s grandmother had been trying to mold her into a respectable Amish woman for years. That hadn’t worked out very well. Seth came into Martha’s uncle’s shop to have his mom’s clock fixed. That was all he obviously was going along with Plan B. Martha wished she had never said anything to Cevella or her mom. Martha had to do something about her problem and she would stay away from anu social events until she had a solution and Martha wondered why she couldn’t just say no . Martha had to set the single men straight but Paul’s words came to her mind -”You ruined my life.” Seth was in the shop- in a she d in the middle of the woods. -than someone rushed in and shut the door and it was Martha. She said she didn’t think anyone was there and said she had been running from all the men. Seth was working on bettering his woodworking and agrees to teach Martha. Seth was going by when he seen Nina being stung by wasps and he pulls her away and her grandmother discovers what had happened and sees Seth had gotten stung above his eye and she decides Seth would make a good husband for Nina. Delilah also thinks Martha would be a good girl for Levi to look at as a future wife. Seth and Martha don’t want to be courting or married right now so they decide to make people think they are interested in each other but really aren’t.
I really liked this book . It was a light hearted sweet romance novel. This novel shows the Amish faith and beliefs. I loved the plot and the pace. I didn’t want to put this down to see what would happen next. This caught my attention right away and kept in until the end. .I chuckled at times while reading this book. I read this in one setting . I wish I could arte this a 4.5. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

I loved being back in Birch Creek, and back with old friends, this being the second book in the series, and the author gives us updates, so you won’t be lost starting with this read, but the first was equally good!
From beginning to end we are with Martha, and her man problems, when all the men seem to want her, but the one she wants.
We also see Cevilla meet her match with newcomer Delilah, and wonder if these two will ever live their faith, much less become friends.
A really sweet read, that will keep you page-turning, and now I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.

Was this review helpful?

The Farmers bride
This is a real enjoyable story. This is a second book in the series. I am definitely looking forward to next book. But in the meantime I need to read the first book. I actually didn’t realize this was the second one so definitely written as a stand alone.
Martha is not looking to get married. A lot of the guys is wanting to get her attention. Cevilla suggests she dates Seth since he is the only that hasn’t been interested. They do end up being friends and pretend like they are dating. There is a lot of characters and so I wasn’t sure who would end up with who. I definitely recommend reading the book to see.
I received a advanced copy of the book from NetGalley through the author. I was not required to write an positive review. This is my own opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Mrs. Fuller never fails her fans when she creates these amazing, real-to-life Amish stories that she fills with hope, understanding and mercy. This is the second book in her Amish Brides Of Birch Creek series, and, just like the first book, it did not disappoint! From start to finish, I loved every second of Martha and Seth's story.

Sweet Martha! Oh how I loved her! A beautiful Amish woman who just wanted to be left alone by all the single Amish men in her community. I don't blame her, though. When she meets Seth, I loved their interaction! I absolutely adored Seth! He was a wonderfully chiseled character and I could feel his emotions and feelings as if they were mine. He thought he was helping her out……..but, what was a farce, soon turned out to be much, much more.

If you are looking for a story that will warm your heart, grip your emotions and take you one a wonderful, whirlwind ride, then grab this book up now. It's a page turner that will keep you awake long into the night. This is a 4 star read that has wonderful messages woven into the story line and will be on my keeper shelf for a long time to come! Hats off and two thumbs up to the talent that is known as Kathleen Fuller.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan, NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Was this review helpful?

A fun story of a single Amish woman being pursued by a group of single Amish men in Birch Creek. What a problem to have but Martha Detweiler is not interested in any of them. A couple of grandmotherly types think matchmaking is the solution, but that does lead to trouble. Will Martha’s scheme to throw everyone off by faking a romantic interest in Seth Yoder backfire? This is a stand-alone book. Although one confusing thing were characters that popped in whose names, I didn’t recognize that I assumed were in the first book in the series. Therefore, I would recommend reading them in order. The lessons learned are valuable to all of us. A fun story with a delightful ending. Enjoy!
I was given a copy from the publisher. The opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?