Courting Caleb is a warming hearted Christian novel. It is easy to recommend to readers. It is nice to have books that are easy to recommend to young adults.

Courting Caleb is a sweet Amish romance. Abigail Mast is looking for a beau, so she decides to send out an advertisement for a mail order groom. Imagine her surprise when not one, but two men show up at her door. Abigail has to date both of them to see who is the better match.
This is the second book in The Amish Mail Order Groom series. This can be read as a stand alone book, but I think you will enjoy the first book as well.
I want to thank Kelly Long, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

As with Kelly Long’s first novel in this series, Courting Caleb is not your typical Amish fiction. I did enjoy the story, although some parts of it confused me, particularly the parts that seemed almost paranormal. In the story, Abigail puts out an ad for a mail order groom and two show up. She is immediately drawn to Caleb but courts them both while she decides, at the suggestion of the bishop. The book was good. But I felt, as with the first one, that there was too much touching and kissing done by the characters. I understand that Amish people are human too, but the book seemed to take it further than I am accustomed to. I knew it most likely would, so that doesn’t effect my rating. However, the confusion about the paranormal “pack” and the “healer” left me confused. And not in the, “I am confused but I still feel like everything was ok” kind of way. More like, “what just happened?”
Anyhow, 3.5 stars for me. But I appreciate the chance to read it and I’m thankful to NetGalley and the publisher.

The second in The Amish Mail Order Grooms series, Abigail Mast, a single, Amish potter, advertises for a groom, but surprisingly, two men arrive to answer her ad. She asks the local Bishop what she could do and he tells her she should court them both and make a decision by Valentine’s Day.

Caleb, whose brother had previously answered an ad and ended up marrying the woman, decided he wants to get away from his abusive father and decides to answer an ad.

How will Gott provide an answer to whom Abigail should marry? There is an entire cast of characters in this book that are all delightful and their lives become very intertwined. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who enjoy reading Amish books.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Zondervan.

"Courting Caleb" is the second book in Kelly Long's The Amish Mail Order Grooms series, This story centers around Caleb, Matthew's brother, and Abigail, the potter in Blackberry Falls. Since it worked so well for Abigail's friend, Tabitha, Abigail decides to write her own ad for a mail order groom. The trouble is that TWO potential grooms show up! Her bishop suggests courting them both and making a decision on one of them by Valentine's Day. Will Abigail be able to make her decision by that time?

I did enjoy this book somewhat, but as from previous experience, this author teeters on the edge of being a little too ""racey" for me, especially for an Amish romance. If you've read "Marrying Matthew", you may want to read this book, as well, to see how the story line continues.

As always, a big thank you goes to Net Galley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. All of the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

#CourtingCaleb #NetGalley

Courting Caleb by Kelly Long is the second novel in The Amish Mail Order Grooms series. Courting Caleb can be read as a standalone if you have not indulged in Marrying Matthew. I have mixed reactions to this book. Courting Caleb is a unique Amish story. It is told from multiple points of view which can be confusing. It switches between Abigail, Caleb, Phillip, Mercy, and Joshua (I might have forgotten a character or two who had a POV). There are quite a few characters in the story. There is an eccentric bishop (Bishop Kore) who is loud and uses unusual phrases, Birchbark with his magical pack, and Fern the healer with her special ornaments. I like the addition of the paranormal element, but I wish the author had stopped with Birchbark. I would love a Birchbark in my village. I like that Abigail is a potter. I thought it was unique for an Amish novel. I was baffled as to the time period of the novel. At times it felt like it was set in the present day, but some elements made it feel like it was in the late 1800s (with log cabins, no running water). I was expecting a clean Amish romance novel. I was surprised by the amount of kissing, touching, and intimate thoughts. This book definitely crossed the line with the PDA (there was just so much of it). I like that we get to catch up with Matthew and Tabitha from Marrying Matthew. Courting Caleb was a miss for me. I liked the premise of a woman placing an ad for a groom and getting two responses. I felt that the author tried to combine too many differing elements into one book (the eccentric bishop, the paranormal and fantasy elements, too many characters, various storylines, and the sexual innuendos). I was looking forward to reading a sweet, clean Amish novel and that is not Courting Caleb. Courting Caleb is an unusual Amish romance with friendly folks, a boisterous bishop, a groom seeking ceramicist, a sour sister, a magical pack, a helpful healer, and a duo of eager grooms.

The Amish Mail Order Grooms series is hilariously captivating. I reviewed “Marrying Matthew” earlier this week, his brother Caleb King goes on a similar journey searching for love. He rooms with a local man instead of his newlywed brother, and hilarity ensues. He is dubbed the town “handyman.” They give him plenty of things to fix around town, some that are a little outside the usual descriptions of a handyman. Caleb learns how to let go of the past and move forward, away from his abusive father and towards everlasting love.
After witnessing her best friend find love through a mail-order groom, Abigail Mast is determined to find everlasting love through the same process. She is shocked when TWO men show up in Blackberry Falls. Two men for her to court establish a foundation of friendship that could lead to marriage, ultimately choosing between. Phillip (a farmer) seems nice enough, safe enough, but Caleb King makes her heart flutter. Who will Abigail choose? Will Caleb find the love he has been searching for? What happens to the unchosen bachelor?
I enjoyed this story. I read it while my family was camping. There were moments when I laughed out loud or said, “oh no!” and caused my guys (husband & son) to look over at me curiously. The shenanigans were hilarious, the murder was scandalous, and overall, a consuming storyline that kept my attention. I would recommend this book – but as a series, you should consider reading “Marrying Matthew” first and then move on to this story.

Abigail Mast advertises for an “Amish Mail-Order Groom” just like her best friend did. Caleb King responds to the ad after another abusive encounter with his 'fater'. He appears in the open door at Abigail’s pottery without writing ahead. Startled at his sudden appearance, Abigail drops the mug she was working on. Then — Abigail informs Caleb that there is another groom already there. Phillip Miller. Two grooms, one ad.

My reaction during and after reading — WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH KELLY LONG? In the past few years, I have read seven (7) books and several novellas by Kelly Long; the lowest review rating was four stars. Sorry — not this time.

The pacing is thrown off because the story bounces back and forth between Abigail, Caleb, Mercy (Abigail’s sister), Phillip, a unique character Birchbark, and an even stranger Bishop Kore, Matthew & Tabitha King (book 1), Joshua (Mercy’s son) … Plus, other people that live in Blackberry Falls.

The author wanted, I believe, to make the bishop a whimsical character with his “moon pies and popsicles”, “teeter totters and spaghetti”, etc. comments. For this reviewer, it wore thin quickly. His whimsy just didn’t seem to fit, especially with the bounce of the storyline.

I enjoyed the Birchbark character throughout, his backpack has somewhat of a magical quality. Enjoyable. You wish you had a Birchbark in your neighborhood. But the author introduces yet another semi-paranormal character — perhaps, too much of a good thing.

However, I did not like the way the couples interacted with each other as their relationships grew. Frankly too much touching, kissing, etc. for an Amish novel. I wondered if one couple was going to go well beyond that. One groom was especially forward in his suggestions — too forward, IMHO.

So, no. I did not like and cannot recommend Courting Caleb, rating 2.5 stars. I did not feel I was missing information from (not-read) book one, Marrying Matthew, which might have helped in reading book two. Courting Caleb can be read standalone. This book was just TOO — too many characters, too much 'paranormal-ish', too many sexual inuendoes, too cutesy of a bishop … just too much shoved into the same book.

I received a complimentary e-ARC* copy of Courting Caleb from the publisher, Kensington Books, via NetGalley. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Title: Courting Caleb
Series: The Amish Mail Order Grooms #2
Author: Kelly Long
Genre: Amish, Mail Order, 'paranormal-ish'
Publisher: Kensington Books, Zebra
Release Date: April 26, 2022
Format: Kindle (read), Mass Market Paperback
Pages:272
Source: NetGalley
#CourtingCaleb #NetGalley

A somewhat unusual Amish book for sure and certain!
A lot of twists and surprises in this novel!
A little bit more romantic than usual but it was still an alright read.
Yes, Kelly Long is a bit different but it is what sets her apart from others. It's her style of writing and with that being said you might like it.

"Courting Caleb" by Kelly Long
Release Date: 4.26.2022

An Amish mail order groom, is requested between ages 20 to 30. Male must be quiet and reserved and understands that courting will follow the marriage ceremony.

Abigail Mast figures it worked for her best friend, so she will place an advertisement for a mail order groom. She quickly feels overwhelmed when two men arrive to answer her ad. The bishop suggests Abigail courts both and makes a decision by Valentine's Day.

Caleb thought his brother was bonkers for answering an advertisement and marrying a stranger. His father wants him to marry a girl that isn't a good match, so he answers another ad from Blackberry Falls. He thinks Abigail might be his match, but he's competing against another potential groom.

This was a cute story, but not what I was expecting from an Amish romance. I was so glad that Philip also found his own match. Both romances move at a decent pace. I was confused with the fantasy and magic portion of the novel.

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my opinion.

#bookstagram #bookstagramer #netgalley #netgalleyreads #courtingcaleb #kellylong #amishromance #2022newreleases #2022amishreads #amishnovels #christianromance

This is my first book by Kelly Long. I enjoy Amish books when I have a quick afternoon to sit down and read but this was not quite your typical Amish story. It had a bit more romance than you'd normally find so I'm not sure my library patrons who love the traditional Amish stories would like this. If you don't mind extra kisses and the hints that suggest more, you might enjoy this a little more than I did.


Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publishes 26 April 2022

When potter Abigail Mast advertises for a mail order groom, she doesn't expect two eligible bachelors to show up at her door. The bishop comes up with an unusual solution: Abigail must court them both, and decide whom she wants to marry by Valentine's Day!

From the novel's narration -- and its title! -- it's pretty clear from the start who, between Caleb the handyman and Phillip the farmer, will win Abigail's hand. To the author's credit, she doesn't belabour the love triangle aspect too much. Abigail and Caleb hit it off almost immediately, and their kisses send heat and sparks through both of them. In contrast, Abigail and Phillip have many pleasant conversations about seeds, and at multiple points, Abigail has to remind herself to give Phillip a fair shot at her hand. 

To the author's credit, she gives Phillip a well-developed romance of his own. While Abigail and Caleb are wonderful characters as well, there were times I found myself more drawn to Phillip's romantic subplot. Partly, it's because while Abigail and Caleb hit it off immediately, Phillip and his love interest have a more contentious start to their relationship. They also have a legit barrier standing in their way -- the fact that Phillip is technically in town to marry Abigail, and neither he nor his love interest wants to hurt Abigail's feelings. And finally, the secondary heroine's backstory is more complicated, with present-day implications that make her understandably reluctant to pursue a romantic relationship. In contrast, Abigail's tragic backstory, about her guilt over the death of a childhood bully, doesn't seem as big a barrier.

Both romances develop at a pretty good pace. I do wish Abigail had announced her decision earlier, only because she had a clear preference so early on, and her delay in announcing this caused unnecessary pain to the secondary couple. But I'm glad the author didn't delay Abigail's decision to the very end. 

There's also a rather sweet subplot about an elderly man named Birchbark who seems to have magical powers. He sets Caleb up to do some tasks that are intended to teach him valuable life lessons, and he has a pack that seems to yield more abundance than what is put in. This was a cute plot thread, and well-suited for the holiday theme of some of the scenes, but it didn't really add too much to the story for me. The romances were magical enough without the existence of actual magic.

But the subplot that I thought actually was unnecessary, and added a nasty sheen on an otherwise feel-good story, was the one about the man who abused his wife and was also having an affair. This plot thread is somewhat linked to Abigail's story -- the man makes a physical threat towards her and her two suitors, and his mistress played a role in her tragic backstory. I also see how this subplot added tension to the otherwise almost perfectly smooth sailing of Abigail and Caleb's romance. But overall, it just felt tacked on for drama. I may have understood if the abusive husband was being set up as the Big Bad of the entire series, but that doesn't seem the case. I only hope his wife gets a romance of her own later in the series.

The author also has an annoying habit of ending chapters with ellipses. She often uses it as a fade-to-black mechanism when the scene starts heading in a steamier direction. And it's totally unnecessary. I admit this is a minor quibble, and it's nitpicky to even bring it up. But it just makes the dialogue or the narration feel artificial, and that pulls me out of the scene.

Overall, though, it's a good romance. I love the unusual angle of having the woman court the man. I find the bishop hilarious, and I love both main couples and the broader cast of characters.

+

Thank you to Kensington Books for an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Courting Caleb is book two from Kelly Long's Amish Mail Order Grooms series. I do not think it was a read for me. I am giving it two stars.

This is not a typical Amish read, and knowing an Amish Bishop, he would be aghast. At least in Central NY, the Community is entirely different!
I figured out how this book would come together early on, and yes, it was as it should be, but other happenings, well, I had a hard time getting through this one.
I did enjoy the character Birchbark, and yes, this is more fantasy read, and I do avoid them. That being said, some will enjoy this, but it wasn't for me.

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

In all honesty my gut reaction is what in the world did I just read?! I am trying to wrap my head around it all. Is it Amish it's not Amish? Is it fantasy or is it two book manuscripts that got mistakenly merged? I will come back to finish this review after I have some time to think. I am just shaking my head.

Okay, full disclosure. I realized a few hours after completing the book that I mixed the name of the author up with an Amish story author that I love so this book shocked me. Kelly Long certainly has a very different twist on an Amish theme than what I am used to reading. That is her " poetic license".
I opened the book to read what I believed to be a clean Amish romance. It was not what I found. In my own opinion I feel that the story is an insult to the Amish people. A writer has the right to dream up what that mind chooses. I totally believe that.
The authors' take on what she views for Amish is absolutely her choice. This is a sensuous story compared to what I am used to reading and I was uncomfortable with it. Of course, I would hope that there is attraction and physical wonders in any relationship, but this story is not the norm for what I expect. That is my choice.
My reaction to the overall story and the reason for a low rating goes beyond my surprise at the physical aspect. This story has good characters with a lot of potential but a little over half-way through, some strange bits and pieces had me stymied for sure. The plot seemed to become disjointed for me. The fantasy/magical portions just didn't mesh with the 'Amish' story. It just became weird. I truly hate giving low ratings, but this was all too much. One minute it felt like a seductive Amish fantasy, the next a drugged candy flash, then an attempted murder, another a wizard-like magic moment with a filled pack. Just so weird.
I can't say I would ever be interested in reading another of Long 's books. I'm sorry for that because in the writing I could visualize scenes, etc. The characters she created were also easy to like or dislike but overall, this book is just too strange or me.
I appreciate my advanced reader's copy of the book which was provided by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to give my opinion but here it is.



January 21, 2022 –
68.0% "This is a very different Amish fiction story. I will be honest, some of it is very uncomfortable. I am not used to this kind of sensuality in an Amish novel. Then there is almost a magical

In the true Kelly Long style, Courting Caleb is far from the usual sweet Amish romance. Kelly shares strong emotions of love, desire, hope, fear and understanding as she revisits the small Appalachia village of Blackberry Falls.

Abigail Mast, the local potter, has decided it is time to marry, and since there are few single men to choose from, and non to her liking, she places an add in the Amish newspaper for an Amish Mail Order Groom.
She gets not one, but two applicants. Wisely, the Bishop suggest she court both and decide by Valentine’s Day which one she will marry.

The choice takes some time, but also sparks possible romance for her sister as well.

Expect the unexpected and you will not be disappointed in Kelly Long unique style.

This books deserves a 5-star rating. Release day is April 26, 2022, and we’ll worth the wait.

Thank you Kensington Books, Zebra, for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book through NetGalley and offer my honest opinions.

There's a difference between enough and abundance. We as humans think in terms of enough. We are not good enough, didn't do enough, we are not enough. The concept of enough haunts us but God deals in abundance.

Instead of the Amish Order Mail Bride this community in the Appalachian community is short on good men. Abigail Mast has witnessed first hand her best friend mail order groom succeed so puts pen to paper and orders a groom. She receives 2 to pick from and to make it fair she courts both of them. Caleb is the brother of her best friend who was running away from his father. He too witnessed the success of his brother and takes a chance on love. Phillip actually responded to Abigail's post and is impressed with the community of Amish.

The secondary characters are so important in Abigail's decision. Her single sister that is raising her 14 year old son is one that questions Phillip's motives. The second notable character was Birchbark.
He took in Caleb during the courting time. He had a special gift that was not an Amish trait. He could see into the future and read minds. A little different for an Amish book. He was interesting and seemed to know the inner struggles that Caleb was facing.

Abigail was drawn more to Caleb because of her past failure that she struggled with that she was able to redeem by helping another. This dealt with a abusive relationship.

As far as the plot goes, I enjoyed it but it was not a typical Amish Romance dealing with typical faith questions. I was surprised with the passion but by secular terms it was mild. I think the author was trying to do something a little different along with her characters and plot. Did she succeed or did she fail? I think it depends if what she changed or touched on was important or if it was glorifying to the faith. The characters were dealing with being enough and reconciling it with the abundance of God. That can be a slippery slope for some. For me, it was a change of pace that I try to gleam spiritual truths.

A special thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the aRC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Another fantastic book by Kelly Long. This book started off nothing like the usual Amish fiction that I have read in the past. This is another story that I wish could be a TV show too. Great story line, with some things I have never thought I would see in this type of book. I loved the character that Caleb gets to stay with, I could not quite figure it out and absolutely loved the explanation of him at the end. This is just a really great story line and I am very excited to see the other books in this set. I can not wait to read them all.

Courting Caleb was such a great and fun story to read. I was intrigued and it kept me wanting more at the end. I especially enjoy reading stories based on an Amish theme. This one was a great read!

Abigail wants a husband, so puts an ad in the paper. When she ends up with two men, she has to decide which one. Caleb or Phillip? Good story overall, and a happy ending of course. The magic seemed odd though, and the evil guy didn't seem needed either. Might just be me. Enjoyed this one and would recommend.