I chose to read this as my next book because I love this author's books. They always are humorous and right now--I needed a few good laughs. And right from the start, that's how this book started.
I really enjoyed the lighthearted read. It was enjoyable. Also the baby! What a challenge to have an unhappy baby that never sleeps. And I can certainly relate to that!

If you want to have an enjoyable read, this one is just that. I just loved it.

I received an ebook copy from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

This is a delightful book in a new series by this author.

I found it a quick, easy, interesting read as life turns topsy-turvy for Esther Zook when she moves to Colorado. She faces many challenges she never thought would happen to her since she is considered “old” being single at the age of 30. Besides moving to a new home that needs much renovation, family situations, new friends, love enter her life. She is portrayed with a personality much different from most Amish books you read, which lends to humor and some surprises.

I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it for those who like reading Amish fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington/Zebra through NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The first half of the book moves very slowly but the ending is sweet. Even so, fans of Amish fiction will find this book a bit of a struggle.

The characters are very one dimensional and do not fit with the Amish way. The main characters don't act Amish at all. In the opening scene we see an Amish woman having basically a temper tantrum and demanding that an Amish man, that she is alone with & does not know, do this and that for her. This continues through out the entirety of the book.

The author also seems to struggle with the story and repeats entire paragraphs of internal thoughts and feelings often. To the point of frustration. I found myself flipping pages to see if I had lost my place because I knew I had already certain parts.

The use of Amish language is very trite. This book is written very plan but the phrase"for sure and certain" is peppered every other sentence almost to remind the reader that these are Amish folk. The same Amish word and English word aree used interchangeable in the same breath. It is just not constant. The reader keeps being pulled out of the Amish setting the author tries to create.

All and all the general ideas in the book are cute. But the story is executed poorly and the reader is never truly immersed in the Amish world.

Lots of humor here. Esther doesn’t know a thing about babies. When her sister dumps her baby on her, she’s clueless. When a strange man appears at her door, she immediately recruits him for diaper duty.
Esther is six years older than Levi. That could be a problem.
She grows to love baby Winnie. Then Ivy returns. Ivy threatens to take Winnie away if Esther doesn’t do whatever she says.
Families can be complicated. Esther thought she understood her control-freak, spoiled sister, but realizes not all was well within their family.
This is an absorbing story that will keep you turning pages.

Ester Zook moves to Colorado after the death of her father to start her new life as a quiltmaker and her status as an old maid.

Easter is happy with her life until her wayward sister appears and leaves her baby with Ester to raise. There are no words to explain how unprepared Easter is for this new roll.

Enters Levi Kiem, a guy from the new community hired to do some remodeling at Ester’s house. Not only is he a wonderful carpenter, but is Amazon help with Winnie.

Can anything help bind these three into a family.

Join Jennifer Beckstrand as she begins a new series in her book The Amish Quiltmakers Unexpected Baby, that will be released February 23, 2021. This an exciting 5* book.

I was given an ARC by the author and Kinsington Books through Netgalley. I was not required to give a positive review.

Funny and inspiring. Great characters! Loads of smiles await you as you read this book.
I really don't know why Jennifer Beckstrand is not more popular. She is a wonderful writer. She does humor marvelously and her characters are always intriguing.
Esther Zook is laden with a baby she did not expect but soon grows to love. The last thing she is expecting is romantic love when Levi Kiem comes along.
Levi is thinking of romantic love alright. Just not with an old maid.
When they begin to spend time together friendship blossoms to something deeper and more beautiful.
But then a threat appears in the form of her Esther's sister.
Definitely recommend this.
4.5 stars

This is a lovely Amish story. I really enjoyed the way the story went. Not the typical romantic Amsh and not a huge amount of religious content, but great story.
A not so nice sister deserts her baby and steals from her older sister.
Then a couple months later the sister is back and wants to steal the potential husband and blackmails her sister into letting her stay as she knows her older sister wants to adopt the baby.
Worth the read and a page turner

I was a little nervous to open this book because the title is a little cheesy, but I know that publishers and imprints often have a hand in the cover and title... and I adore Jennifer Beckstrand’s books in general, so I trusted that she’d do me right. And she did. Fantastic character development, fun and clever personalities, and a fresh (super creative) meet cute made this book so enjoyable. I appreciated the interspersed doses of reality- the wayward sister, the baby spit-up, the gossip - but also loved the persistent backdrop of a strong and faithful community that was always there to help. I’m looking forward to continuing with this series!

This was so cute! I have read a couple of Jennifer Beckstrand’s books and I always enjoyed reading them. The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unexpected Baby is Jennifer Beckstrand’s newest book. Esther Zook is just trying to start over after the death of her father, but her sister has other plans for her and abandons her baby with Esther. Esther has accepted her status as an old maid, but can she be a mother? Luckily she has Levi Kiem, the eligible young man who’s making repairs on her house to help her. But he has no interest in Esther other than a friend. However, the more time Levi spends with Esther, the more intrigued he is by this feisty independent woman.
Esther was such an amazing independent woman. I was so jealous of her crafting abilities. I loved reading about her with Winter or Winnie, which they called her. It was so sweet how she tried so hard to be a good mother. Although Esther did not feel prepared to be a mother, she did her best and she wanted what was best for Winnie. Esther had to learn what it meant to love Winnie and her sister, Ivy. Esther would have to find that God’s plan is better than her own.
Levi was funny! I liked him from the moment I read about him. He was kind and he loved children, however, he could be a little conceited. It was sweet to read about him helping Esther with Winnie. However, he needed to get over himself and his ideas about a perfect wife. I loved reading about him falling in love with Esther and Winnie. Levi had to learn to trust God’s plan and what it meant to love Esther.
Esther and Levi had to work together to care for Winnie. However, their biggest obstacle would be figuring out how to protect Winnie and keep her safe although she does not legally belong to them. The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unexpected Baby was a great book! It is now one of my favorite Beckstrand books. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

I have read a lot of books with Amish characters. I can say that I have never read one that is as interesting and unique as Esther Zook. She literally creates many laugh out loud moments, with her fits of temper and her odd quirk (I will not ruin it by mentioning it here). Esther has had to overcome a lot, but having her estranged sister show up and abandon her baby takes the cake. Esther handles it as well as she can, and this also creates some humorous moments.
Levi and Esther's first meeting is funny and memorable. It is a wonder that Levi came back to continue to work on the house after the way Esther treats him. It is fun to watch the friendship between the two grown, built on lots of great conversations and experiences. They treat each other with respect and do not hold to the traditional Amish roles, they are both comfortable stepping outside that box. The conversations are always real and honest and it is refreshing. Neither one of them are attempting to hide anything from each other, it really is a nice change from the typical plot line.
Ivy is another main character in the book, and her character is hard to like. However, as the story goes on, you do get a glimpse into why she is the way she is.
None of the characters in the story are perfect, but they are all unique and I appreciate the author really taking the time to make all her characters not only different, but memorable. Who will forget Cathy?! I also love that not all the characters are Amish, which sets this story apart from other stories in the same genre. This is an engaging, quick read with lots of different things going on.
This is a wonderful story of love, friendship, community, growth and forgiveness. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about the Amish. I would also recommend it to anyone who likes quick, easy reads, inspirational fiction, clean reads, and interesting stories...because this is one of those! Thank you to Zebra books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review, but it was my pleasure to do so.

You are never too old for love! This books takes you on a journey of finding love when you least expect it. It’s funny and so sweet. You will fall in love with Levi and you will also enjoy the temper tantrums that happen throughout. Completely relatable!

This is the first book in this new Amish series. This is a sweet read and my customers will enjoy this series

I always enjoy a Jennifer Beckstrand book and this one didn't disappoint.
I jus love how she draws you into her stories right from the beginning!
The way she shows the Amish in this book I really appreciate.
I mean, the romance is OK but I enjoyed seeing this side of the Amish too. It shows that even though they are set apart from the world or try to be they are human beings too.. They have frustrations, joy in certain things, hurt, jealousy you name it it's all in this book. Oh and we can't forget the misunderstandings too.
I had to snicker at some of the conversations that Esther and Levi had. I really couldn't help myself.
Winnie really stole my heart I could easily picture I how she'd look. Such a sweet baby! I adored her. In a way, she's the true heroine.
I think I'm going to add here that I did NOT like Ivy! She was mean and very selfish
I feel that in my opinion that Beckstrand has done another wonderful job with this book.
Here's a favorite quote from this novel from Esther to Levi
"We should be kind for kindness's sake and Got will turn it into our good."
Five stars for this awesome Amish novel for the fine writing of course and for the beautiful cover on the front.
I highly recommend!
My thanks to Kensington/Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Esther Zook moves after the death of her father to Colorado to start a new life. She is a quilter and makes beautiful quilts to sell. Her sister Ivy left the Amish faith many years ago and she never heard from her. Ivy shows up on Esther's door with a baby named Winter. She writes a note one day telling Esther to watch over her baby for a few weeks. Esther knows nothing about babies. She meets Levi who is 6 years younger than her. Levi came to fix her toilet and she asks him if he knows how to change a babies diaper. There is a lot of humor and fun in this book. I really enjoyed it a lot.

I wasn't sure where the book was going at first, but it's a very sweet read! The emotions and actions are realistic, showing us, the readers, the Amish are infalliable to jealousy, greed, and strong dislike. One sister is a wild child who has lived her life hard and fast. When she abandons her baby with the other sister, who has stayed within the Gmay and played by the rules, life gets very difficult for our protagonist. Fortunately, a knock at the door changes her life completely. There are many ups and downs, misunderstandings and outright misleadings, bad intentions, good intentions, and a little bit of falling in love. You won't want to put this book down....and at the end, you'll need to know what comes next!

Esther is 30 year old, who has had a tumultuous relationship with her younger sister Ivy for years. When her sister leaves her 4 month old daughter and steals Esther's stash of cash it gets even more complicated. When 24 year old Levi shows up to do a plumbing project she grabs him and pulls him in to help. She has no clue how to take care of a baby, and doesn't even know how to change a diaper. Good thing Levi can help. Sparks and interest are there, but since she is older he holds back. I like the network of friends Esther is fostering in the community, and like the interaction between Esther and Levi, even when Ivy comes back into the picture. Enjoyed this one, and like how things progress and are worked outed. Thought the ending a bit mushy for an Amish story, but otherwise highly recommend.