I recently read the first book in this duology about Holly and Ivy Zook. This is Ivy's story. Ivy is a party planner and runs a business with an Englischer. She is tired of working the farm and helping run the small dairy business she and her mother have been responsible for since the death of her father. She wants to leave the Amish Community and rent a place in town. She then wants to open up her business so that it will provide a living for both her and Teegan. Her mother is definitely not in agreement with this. There is a second storyline involving a brother and sister from a nearby Swartzentruber community. Magda and Arlan have run from home with Magda being pregnant and very ill. Arlan is hoping to find medical care for her as well as a place to stay until his parents cool down and they can return home. They end up staying with the Zook's after Arlan has a car accident running into the Greene's pharmacy.

There is a lot going on in this story. First Ivy is struggling with her faith and her place. She uses Holly as a model, as she has been allowed to follow her dream and continue her education as well as work at the local pharmacy. She is getting married to Joshua and the second conundrum is whether or not Joshua's bishop will accept Holly working after their marriage. Then there is Magda. She is pregnant out of wedlock and her parents want her to have the baby but pretend it is her sister and allow her parents to raise the child. She wants to raise her own child and she and Arlan are not sure where that will leave them. Arlan has experience working dairy cattle, so steps into the role on the Zook farm. Red, Holly and Ivy's brother also returns home and wants to add more dairy cattle to the farm. All this has Ivy worried about how this will effect her. She is young, a bit selfish yet confused. As the story unfolds, she begins to see that her faith and family are more important than running a party planning business. This story has several romance stories going on and of course, all works out in the end. Definitely a different type of Amish story where women's roles are questioned quite a bit. I enjoyed this Amish Christmas story, and recommend it to those who enjoy Amish Fiction with a romantic twist.

A Christmas Haven by Cindy & Erin Woodsmall

Old Order Amish Ivy Zook is wrestling with her need to shed her community ways so that she can grow the business’s of her dreams planning parties.

This book is about Amish life, their rules, their relationships and duties.  It was very interesting to learn about their lives.  I recommend this book.

A Christmas Haven fascinated me with a rare glimpse into the inner facets of Amish life within different traditions. I had no idea there was more than one way to live this life. Along with a lovely story, this was a gentle education.

Ivy Zook is a member of an Old Order Amish family. She feels the pull towards ‘Englisch’ society and a new start as a party planner. Her life changes completely when Arlan and his sister crash Magda into the pharmacy right before her eyes.

Arlan is try to get his sister medical help after Magda revealed she’s pregnant and suffering from extreme morning sickness. Their parents want her to stay hidden and then give them the baby to raise as their own. But Arlan vows to help Magda, buys a a car (with no breaks) and try to escape the extremely conservative Schwartzentruber Amish way of life.

Ivy sees experienced farmer Arlan as a way to away from her family dairy herd without abandoning her mother. Meanwhile Arlan challenges her desire to start a very different way of life. Can the two find common ground in time to save a wedding and stop an expectant mother having her heart broken?

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A Christmas Haven is the best of Amish romance, with just enough conflict to keep me reading page after page. Turns out, it's a one-sitting book.

Holly and Ivy are sisters. After obtaining permission from her bishop, Holly is working as a pharmacy tecchnician, and hoping to go to nursing school. It's a little iffy, since she's engaged and has to obtain permission from her fiancee's bishop to continue after her marriage.

Ivy wants to be a party planner, even though she'll have to leave her family behind. She's already committed to renting an apartment; however, she's agreed to wait until after her sister's wedding.

Arlan and Magda are siblings. Magda is pregnant, but not married, and she needs medical care urgently. Arlan has taken her away to obtain the necessary care.

A car accident bring the two families together. The questions are: Can Arlan and Magda continue to hide from their parents? Will Ivy be allowed to continue working? Can Ivy continue her business without losing her family? And, can Arlan resign himself to Ivy's worldly ways?

I loved this book and was sorry when it ended. I would highly recommend this title to anyone who loves Amish fiction.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#AChristmasHaven#NetGalley

As I began reading this title, I realized I had read the previous book, The Christmas Remedy, in 2019.

I adore the blend of Amish lifestyle with integration in the nearby English community. 

This time it isn't just the Plain community from the past title. This time, you meet 2 young people from a neighboring Old Order community that have fled for help. 

Overall, a delightful title to read with just a bit of Christmas woven into the mix.

4.5 stars.

A Christmas Haven by Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall is a thought-provoking Amish romance.

Ivy Zook is a party-planner with her best friend and she is ready to leave her Amish faith in order to expand their business.  She also helps her mamm on the family’s dairy farm and she is ready to leave caring for cows behind her. Ivy has a big heart but she is also stubborn and outspoken.  Knowing she is breaking her mamm’s heart, will Ivy follow through with her plans?

Arlan Keim and his family are Swartzentruber Amish and this ultra-conservative sect is extremely strict. Despite his dream to own a farm with his brother, Arlan’s father is not allowing him to move just yet.  But this turns out to be fortuitous when his younger sister Magda becomes quite ill and their parents refuse to seek medical care.  Defying their wishes, Arlan devises a plan to help his sister. Despite their rather dramatic entrance into the Zooks's lives, Arlan and Magda find a much need sanctuary when they need it the most. At first objecting to the more relaxed Old Order Amish lifestyle, Arlan experiences a crisis of faith as he discovers that stricter does not necessarily mean better.

Ivy’s sister Holly also faces a bit of a crossroad as her wedding to Josh draws closer.  Holly’s Bishop has allowed her to follow her dream of helping Amish families understand the importance of taking their prescriptions. She is continuing her education to broaden her reach throughout the community. But after the wedding, Holly is expected to follow tradition and give up her job. She and Josh are hoping his Bishop will grant permission for her to continue working, but will he agree to their plan?

A Christmas Haven is a captivating Amish romance with marvelous characters and a unique storyline. All of the characters grow and evolve throughout this heartwarming story.  Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall bring this delightful romance to a heartfelt and gratifying conclusion. Highly recommend to readers of Amish fiction.

I loved this book.  I cou.dn't put it down.  I really liked how ivy and Arlan worked out their differences.  I hope to see a book for Magda and Red.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you netgalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for allowing me to read this title for an honest review.

In A CHRISTMAS HAVEN, CINDY WOODSMALL gives us a really good story with a strong Christmas message. With the comparisons between the Old Order and Swartzentruber Amish and the Englisch, we are reminded that we can never keep enough rules or do enough good works to be pleasing to God, but that it is by His grace, shown in His laying down of His life for our salvation, that we can live the Christian life.
I like the portrayal of the characters and the way the author takes us through their battles, making them real to us. 
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian romance novels.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Waterbrook & Multnomah. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I loved this Christmas story. I am glad I had the opportunity to read and review it. I recommend it to others you will love it.

A series of mini reviews ... While this seems to be a sweet Amish romance I skimmed the beginning and couldn't get interested in it.

I discovered Cindy Woodsmall's books a couple of summers ago & she quickly became one of my favorite authors.   In this book, Ivy Zook is one of the main characters.   She, her sister, Holly (who works at the local pharmacy & is engaged), and her mother are trying to continue running the family farm after the father died.   Ivy longs to leave the family farm to pursue her dream of being a party planner but her mother continues to discourage that dream throughout the book.   In the meantime, Arlan & Madga, crash into the local pharmacy while trying to leave their home & basically run away because of Madga's unplanned pregnancy.   As a means of helping pay for the damage, Arlan begins working on the Ivy's family farm & he & Madga live with the Zooks during this time.   Also Ivy's brother returns home to help out after leaving earlier to pursue a girl he planned to marry.   

To me, this book started somewhat slow but after the first chapter or two, I had a hard time putting it down!  I wanted to know what happened to all of the characters & see what happened in each of their lives.  

Thank you to the publishers, WaterBrook & Net Galley, for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book.   This is my honest opinion of a truly talented artist & book!

Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall have collaborated to give us another wonderful story. A Christmas Haven takes us into the Amish life in an unexpected way. I'm not sure about everyone else but when I think of Amish I think of buggies and caps and dressing plain and no electricity. I really did not know that there was quite a difference in the Amish lifestyle between different orders. A Christmas Haven mixes English, Old Order Amish, and Swartzentruber Amish. It's funny the prejudices that each group has toward the other. The story centers around Ivy, who wants to leave the Old Order Amish and go English so she can begin a life as a party planner. But in typical Woodsmall style we get a wrench thrown into the works. Ivy's farm suddenly becomes a refuge to a brother and sister from the Swartzentruber sect. They bring problems of their own and really disrupt Ivy's world. I thoroughly enjoyed how seamlessly the story flowed between storylines. I would be in agreement with a character's decision and then in the next paragraph I would be second-guessing. I really think this is the sign of a good writer. Nothing is predictable but everything seems to work together. This is a really good book and not necessarily just for the Christmas season. I voluntarily received a copy of this book from netgalley.

In the second book of An Amish Christmas Romance series, readers will find Ivy planning to leave the Old Order. She struggles with her decision because leaving will upset her family. Arlan and his sister Madga flee from their Swartzentruber Amish family and circumstances find them living with Ivy's family. Readers will learn a lot about the ultra-conservative Swartzentruber Amish as Arlan comes to terms with the many rules they enforce. Very enjoyable! Recommended!

This is the first Amish novel that I have read and I will certainly look for more. This lovely story was very well written and becomes more about Christmas as it goes further along but it isn't just about Christmas, it starts months before, it tells of mixing different paths of the Amish people, their culture their ways but it still tells a wonderful story. I would read this again at a later date and for that I am giving this book 5 stars. well done to Cindy and Erin for a wonderful novel.

A very inspiring and adorable story set in old Amish country. I enjoyed the spiritual message in this book as well as the beautiful characters that I instantly fell in love with.

Great story. Strong, believable characters. A romance but so much more...learning how to live with the consequences and sacrifices of a decision, learning to embrace life with honesty and vulnerability, allowing new ideas and understandings to shatter misconceptions, recognizing that God's gift of Grace can bring freedom to one's life. I enjoyed Ivy and Arlan's journey to love and I look forward to reading more from these authors. I read a library copy of the book and was not required to write a review.

I really enjoyed this book!  The characters were like able.  I read it curled up by my Christmas tree with a steaming mug of cocoa.

5 Stars:  5/5 Star Rating
The Zooks and Arlan and Magda grabbed my attention from the very moment I met them !   I was so entranced that I could hardly stop reading.  It was hard to stop to cook dinner the other night and my husband almost had to fend for himself!  LOL 
This story is full of redemption and second chances and compromise.  It shows how things can get done when people work together to accomplish an agreement or set a goal.  I was a little later than Christmas reading this one but that's okay as it still put me in a festive spirit on a cold January day!   
I received a digital ARC of this book from netgalley and Waterbrook Press in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

This book is about two different Amish families. One is Old Order and the other is  Swartzentruber Amish. It is great to see the differences between the two orders. There are a lot of characters in the book. On the Old Amish side the story is about a family who lost their father and three women are trying to run and keep the farm. Ivy wants to leave the Amish faith and become a party planner. Holly is studying to be a LPN and works in a pharmacy to help the Amish understand medicine There Mother wants to hold onto her husbands family farm. On the Swartzentruber Amish. It is a story about Arian and his sister Magda. When his sister becomes pregnant at 17 from a English man there strict parents want to raise the child as their child. . These two Amish families come involved in each others life. A beautiful story. Loved learning about the differences in the two types of Amish. Well written. Thanks to the Author and publisher for allowing me to read and give my opinion. Also thanks to NetGalley

I'm no longer a huge fan of Amish tales, as it seems they have flooded the Christian marketplace.  But I love Christmas stories, so I wanted to give this one a chance.  I appreciated the various storylines in this novel as it made it all the richer.   The story made the point clear that amongst the Amish, some are far less strict than others.  The romance between Arlan and Ivy was complicated, and it was confusing a lot of the time to see how these two could get together.

I'm grateful to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for this my honest review.   I recommend this book, but only to those who love stories about the Amish.