A sweet Amish romance, rival business owners find themselves competing against each other in a highly publicized competition.

A fun, quick read, with enemies-to-lovers, in a small Iowa community. This was a nice quick read, though a bit more on the predictable side. I liked how Mary and Noah were able to find common ground through their love of family and baking.

Overall, this was a quick read, with good themes of reconnecting with family, as well as friendship and forgiveness.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The first 85% of the book I absolutely loved! I loved the banter between the bakers and enjoyed getting to know all the other characters. The relationship/friendship developed slowly throughout the story but there was enough going on to keep the reader engaged.

But then it was as if the author his the number of pages they wanted - and the ending was rushed.

There was just an epilogue. No real ending. No discussion on what the transition was like. No discussion on everyone’s reaction to the transition. Simple questions remained unanswered: how did the transition happen? What did it mean for the businesses? For the family members? For the community? How did the younger sister react?

Very disappointing

Who are Mary and Noah? Where are they each from? How do they meet? Who are Jenni, Emily, Seth, and Ethan? What I learned as I read the story had me unable to stop reading. There was a bit of mystery. In this romance story. Old order Amish beliefs coupled with the inability to forgive and allow strangers into the midst made this an interesting read. What happens when Emily is at Sweet Delights one day? Who comes in, what do they say to her? Why does Mary have to get permission to bake? What does the Mayor do tand what does Mary do or not do that gets her in hot water with the Bishop and Gmay? This truly was a sweet read and very unexpected. Read to find out what happens at the festival. Enjoy the story. I liked it a lot.

This is an Amish Fiction/Clean Romance. This is where an Englischer Noah Miller that his family was Amish a while back, and he wants to find out more about his Amish family. He opens a bakery near an Amish Bakery ran by Mary's Bakery. Of course Mary and Noah falls in love, but the small twists and turns in this book was very good. Of course the author dropped things about the twists and turns before they comes up, but I think they where done very well. The book made me want to keep reading. I love the drama in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Love Inspired) or author (Marie E. Bast) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

I loved this story and the two main characters, Mary and Noah. Even though they had competing businesses, the kindness that both of them showed to each other and their families was not what would have been expected. Noah was raised in an English home, and I admired the care that he showed for his Amish grandparents, even though they weren’t always warm and cordial towards him. Mary’s attitude of faith even during difficult times was a great example to those around her. This was an enjoyable story to read, and I was cheering Mary and Noah on to find a way to their happily-ever-after.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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The Amish Baker’s Rival by Marie E. Bast is a heartwarming Amish novel. Rival bakers, a baking contest with a large prize, and man wanting to learn about his grandparents make for an entertaining story. I thought the story was well-written with steady pacing. It contains good characters with little Emily stealing the show. We get to see the characters develop as the book progresses. The rivalry between Noah and Mary provided a great way for the characters to interact. The romance slowly builds throughout the book which I like. This is a nice clean, wholesome story. Noah wants to find out about his Amish roots and Mary assists him. The information is slowly dispersed throughout the story. It kept me turning the pages because I wanted the full story regarding the Miller family. Reading The Amish Baker’s Rival is a delightful way to spend an afternoon. I enjoyed reading this lighthearted Amish tale and I appreciated the epilogue which nicely wrapped up the book. I look forward to reading Marie E. Bast’s next Amish story. The Amish Baker’s Rival is a meet-cute Amish tale with bountiful baked goods, contest competitiveness, a sizable prize, a bothered bishop, a grumpy grandfather, and two tenacious bakers.

Sweet Amish romance dotted with the gritty reality of Amish life, this tale of two bakers held my interest all the way through. Honestly, I’m addicted to bakery plots, and was very happy to plop myself in the middle of this one! I appreciated the respectable characters, delicious pastries, and the happily ever after.

I just finished reading The Amish Baker's Rival by Marie Bast and ended the final word of the story with a huge smile on my face and a warmth in my heart. I cannot express enough how delightful I found this story. The characters were brought to life so richly and vividly, that I quickly and easily found myself feeling as though I truly knew them. There was such a great chemistry between the main characters, not only with one another, but with the reader as well. The setting of the story was such a thrill because I lived in the Kalona/Iowa City area for 20 years, so it was such a delight to revisit the area!
This is the first story that I have read by Marie Bast and I cannot wait to read more. Filled with friendship, trust, Faith and family, this was a true delight to read. The Baker's Rival is the perfect treasure to snuggle up with, with a blanket and warm drink and let yourself travel to Kalona, IA and meet these unforgettable characters!

These characters just really grabbed me. I couldn’t put it down. I’m rooting for these two from the very beginning. We’ve got family dynamics, cultural differences, a baking competition & a believable love story. Truly, I expected it to like it, but I just fell into this world & loved it. Some books I have to work through and this one was a total breeze. Definitely recommend!

I’ve read Amish fiction before, but if you’ve never tried it this is a great place to start. It’s a sweet story that can be read in a day or so. It’s an easy read that I found engaging. Noah has ties to the Amish, but his parents left the community before he was born. Now that his parents have passed, he and his sisters have come to this small town in Iowa to try to find their Amish family. The main characters Mary and Noah were likable and the baking contest was a cute plot line. I loved all of the baking descriptions and details as well as the inspirational message. As Mary’s and Noah’s feelings for each other grew, I wasn’t sure how there would be a happy ending, but the author brought it all together nicely. There’s also a recipe at the end.
I received a free ebook to review via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Amish Baker's Rival is a sweet clean romance and one I enjoyed. It looks like it is part of a series, but worked fine as a stand alone. Noah and Mary were really cute together as the went up against each other in a baking contest. I did like Noah and how he was basically raised in a sort of hybrid of Amish and modern values. It made his decision in the end a bit more believable. I was definitely rooting for the couple to realize that they were meant for each other. I enjoyed the rest of the cast of characters immensely. It's a quick romance and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

This was a wonderful Amish fiction romance! I loved the characters, and the story was easy to settle into and just enjoy!

The Amish Baker’s Rival is about a newcomer to an Amish community, Noah, and an Amish girl Mary. Mary owns a lovely bakery that has a good customer base and some great treats! When Noah opens up a Fresh Grocery and Deli across the street, Mary knows that she’s going to have some competition. She decides to enter a baking contest with a $10,000 prize. Noah though is also entering the contest! The two of them become rivals in both the baking contest and in their businesses. As the story progresses, these enemies start to fall for each other, which is one of my favorite romance tropes!

I really enjoyed the secrets that are revealed throughout this story. Noah’s parents were Amish but left during their Rumspringa. There is a lot for the reader to learn about Noah’s history, and I was really interested in how the story was going to turn out knowing that Noah had an understanding of the Amish way of life, and had returned to the area where his family used to live.

The romance between Mary and Noah was a slow, steady burn the way Amish fiction usually is, which made it lovely. I like when the feelings grow throughout the story, I think it makes such a great connection between the characters, and you really get a chance to feel that spark.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It has a lovely romance that builds throughout the story but also focuses on character growth and development. It was a fun, easy read!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

When a new Bakery Plus store moves across the street from Mary Brenneman's families long owned Amish bakery, thoughts of survival run through Mary's head, how can she make a profit?
As I was reading this I really liked the character of Noah Miller, and could see he was seeking family. He didn't even know what to expect as he began his journey, with first building his store, and then finding the grandparents he has never met.
I could almost figure out what was going to happen, but the author gave me several surprises I did not see coming.
This was a very enjoyable read, and I would love to continue on here with the lives of these people!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Love Inspired, and was not required to give a positive review.

Reading this little book made my heart happy.
The drama in this sweet book was awesome and it kept my attention the whole way through.
I finished in an hour.
At first I didn't like Bishop Yoder.
(But after awhile I found out that Mary's mamm was right lol) !
For certain reasons but then I quickly figured out who was behind it and he is the one that messed things up
This author has pulled everything together nicely and the book isn't too preachy. It has some nice inspirational themes about forgiveness and love and obedience to the Lord.
God does have a plan for each and every one now of us. He places us where we are supposed to be for now. Just like Mary and Noah in the story.
I enjoyed this delightful little book and I'm sure you will too!
I recommend this book.
My thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin publishers for this book.
I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

What a cute and sweet novel. I love really anything to do with the Amish and just reading this synopsis made my heart happy. One that I will definitely re-read. Thankful to NetGalley for providing me a copy to rea.