This is not a usual Amish author for me but the description of the book drew me in and I'm so glad I read it. I loved the characters, loved the storyline and loved the writing style. A great whimsical book that left a smile on my face and excitement to read another book of hers soon!

Stephen moved to Lancaster County with his children to assist his engaged brother-in-law. Finding a new wife was definitely not his plan, but the owner of the Farmer's Market where he is now working, nonagenarian Mrs. Vandenburg, takes the choice out of his hands. He just might soon find himself in a huge blended family.

Nettie proved herself strong-willed, especially in book one in this series. Stephen is a good match for her in more ways than one. Of course, anyone reading this series no doubt has fallen in love with Mrs. Vandenburg, as I have in each and every book, as well as book five, coming out in June, that I have already read. Her wisdom is unrivaled and she blesses the lived of everyone she comes into contact with.

Although the Farmer's Market employs both Amish and English, and with Mrs. Vandenburg working hard to bring together Amish couples, there is a sense of unity and community among most of the folks there. Of course, there is always an unlikeable character, but the challenges the Stephen and Nettie overcome in this book make it a very worthy read.

Many thanks to Zebra and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I just reviewed An Amish Marriage of Convenience by Rachel J. Good. #AnAmishMarriageofConvenience #NetGalley. I enjoyed the story of Stephen and Nettie. I liked how the story had a bit of mystery to it and how the characters developed and changed. It certainly held my attention and made me smile at the end of the story. I love all of the books by Rachel J. Good and she certainly knows how to develop characters and make them feel so real. I really enjoyed the conflict and story line in the book. It was quite powerful. Well done.

Life finds us back at the Green Farmer's Market. Stephen with his children at the Butcher's stand and Netti at her brother-in-Law's Chicken stand. Mrs. Vandenberg is on the scene early and in command. She asked Stephen to take Nettie places so she would be happy again. Did Mrs. V. know what she was asking? Two widowers just don't do things like that! Meanwhile, Stephen's daughter is very jealous of anyone who gives her daddy attention.

I liked this book because of the challenges they all face along the way. Also, the lessons they learn about people and jumping to conclusions. There is also much to learn about love and the many kinds of love and how it works in different circumstances. This book brings many feelings to light.

I would like to thank Kensington, Zebra Books, and #NetGalley for this ebook. The review is my own.

Stephen Lapp moves his five children to Lancaster County to purchase his family's farm stand, Lapp's Pastured Pork. This works well, as his brother can move closer to his fiancee and open his own stand.

Nettie Hartzler, a mother of four children, works at the farmer's market, and Stephan and Nettie's friendship brings to grow. Mrs. Vanderberg is up to her matchmatching skills again and ensures that these two will be working together on one of her projects!

Stephanie and Nettie consider a marriage of convenience, but Nettie wants a loving marriage. Stephen needs to convenience Nettie that it is ore than that; they belong together.

"An Amish Marriage of Convenience" continues the "Surprised by Love" series. In this book, Stephen and Nettie both suffer guilt and sadness from the loss of their spouses. Although they seem too busy for dating, each of them struggles to bring up their children and to devote time to work. Both of them have misconceptions about each other too. When they are tasked with working on a special community center project, matchmaking enters the picture. With a little help from God and a very special lady, Stephen and Nettie come to grips with their past and with their growing attraction to each other. Not all the characters are likeable, and some of the indecisiveness might seem to drag the novel on unnecessarily. Themes include bullying, guilt, grief, and poverty. The Christian message is overt.

Although part of a series, this novel can be read as a standalone. Readers of the series will find some familiar settings and characters, as well as a hint of the next story in the series.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This is the fourth novel in the Surprised By Love series. I have read only one other in this series so these can be read as stand alone. However, I feel the need to go back and read the others. This tells the story of Stephen Lapp and Nettie Hartzler. I found this story hard to get into at first. The characters are relatable but were standoffish at first. Each was harboring hurts and secrets from their past. Forgiveness and Love were major themes in this story. One must learn to forgive themselves first but many find that hard. We tend to be our own worst judges. When circumstances push them to an unconventional decision, will they trust God? Rachel Good has a very relaxed writing style that pulls the reader into the story. I look forward to more from this author. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

This is a Clean Amish Romance, and this is the fourth book in the Surprised by Love series. I found most of this book to move very slowly, and I found myself not to connect to the two main characters. There were parts of this book I found interesting, but I found most of those parts were in the background. I really liked the ending of this book, and I found I got a whole picture of the main characters at the ending. I wish I got more of that connecting throughout the book, and it did not just come at the end. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Zebra Books) or author (Rachel J. Good) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

"An Amish Marriage of Convenience" is book #4 in the Surprised by Love series by Rachel J. Good. This novel is about widower Stephen Lapp and widow Nettie Hartzler They meet at the farmer's market, where they both work, and a friendship begins to grow. Mrs. Vandenberg is up to her matchmaking tricks once again, and makes sure that these two are thrown together in an inner city outreach project she's starting up. Why does Nettie know so much about kids' rough inner city lives, and will she ever be able to let go of her many fears? This is an engaging tale, and it could be read as either a stand-alone or in the series.

The most unusual aspect of this book to me was having a story with both Amish and inner city kids in it.

I was given a free e-copy of this book by Net Galley and Kessington Publishing. All opinions are strictly my own.

#AnAmishMarriageOfConvenience #NetGalley

An Amish Marriage of Convenience is the fourth book in the Surprised by Love Series by Rachel J. Good. You don’t have to read the other books before this one, but I always recommend reading a series in order. And they're so good, you will want to read them! Book five in the series is coming out in the winter!
This story focuses on Nettie Hartzler, a widow, and sister in law to Gideon Hartzler, from the first book. She meets Stephen Lapp, a widower with five children. His daughter Jolene is very spunky and doesn’t want her father to remarry at all. A wonderful lesson about love and family prevails. The story revolves around the Green Valley Farmer’s Market.
I liked this book, but I didn't like the timing of the story. It started off with a timeline that overlapped the first book. It was a little confusing and I had to go back a few times to reread parts of Book 1. I’m looking forward to the next book. I received a complimentary copy of the book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Lovely story on forgiveness and second chances. Mrs. Vandenburg, the benefactor and owner of the Green Valley Market, plies her matchmaking skills again to bring widower Stephen and widow Nettie together. These people lost their spouse and are working hard to keep their families attitude. Meet Joline, Stephens self-appointed protector (and daughter) who leaves no stone unturned in her quest to keep her dad and Nettie apart. Does she succeed? Or will Stephen and Nettie form one big happy family?

An Amish Marriage of Convenience by Rachel Good, the fourth novel in her Surprised by Love series, is an inspiring and heartwarming tale of two people who are still affected by events from their childhood. This story is a compassionate romance about two lonely people and a promise for a brighter future. The importance of forgiveness, including forgiving yourself, is a theme that appears throughout this book.

Nettie Hartzler is a widowed mother of four kids, living with her brother-in-law Gideon Hartzler and her Mother-in-law. Nettie feels very insecure with her living arrangements as in the past she lived in extreme poverty. She has done many things in her past that she is ashamed of and has kept many secrets from the Amish church. Lately Gideon has been seeing an Amish woman who works at his fried chicken/bakery stand in the Farmers Market. Nettie worries what will happen to her and her children if Gideon and Fern decide to marry. She will have to move and fears that her family will face poverty once again.

Stephen Lapp is also a widowed father and new to the community and the market. He left New York, moving closer to his brother, for a fresh start for his family. He has good business sense along with a couple of childhood fears he has yet to overcome; one being heights. Stephen and Nettie meet while he is on a ladder about to tumble but Nettie saves the day. She is a little disgruntled with Stephen but Mrs. Vanderberg, the owner of the market and a well known match maker, foresees a match between Stephen and Nettie. She suggests that they both volunteer at Youth Center that targets troubled youth, as a way to push these two together. To Stephen's surprise, Nettie is quite attuned to the types of trouble these youth deal with. While working together, their past, fears, and dreams are revealed and shared. Stephen suggests a marriage of convenience but Nettie wants a loving marriage. Stephen has his work cut out for himself to convince Nettie that they do belong together.

Ms. Good wrote a wonderfully sweet and moving story that had feelings. The message of love, faith, and forgiveness stood strong; making this a sweet and inspiration read. I highly recommend An Amish Marriage of Convenience to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This book was so good!! Stephen and Nettie's story is a sweet clean romance that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. It was a joy to read!
I received a complimentary copy from Kensington Books, Zebra via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoy amish books and this author did a spend on the story so it made the read very different by good. I was not a fan of Joline at all she was a brat and she really was annoying. I like Nettie she faced a lot but she was a fighter. I really loved Mrs. V she was like an angel working to leave the world in a better place then she found it. I did feel like there was a ton of conflict in this book which I did not really feel like it was all needed, but overall the book was a fun read to see where the author took the characters was fun as well.

My blurb …
Nettie, a widow with four children, has deeply guarded secrets far different from other Amish women. Fear has gripped her over what her brother might do. Her children WILL NOT go through what she did!

Stephen, a widower with five children, moves to Lancaster County to buy his family’s farm stand. He can be paralyzed with fear in certain circumstances.

Both see themselves as damaged goods. Can a little old lady with a huge plan to improve the lives of teens in the town also make things better for Nettie and Stephen — and their children? She’s known as a matchmaker …

My review …
Fear can be a monster. Fear of failure is the reason people don’t succeed. And fear grips our two main characters, especially Nettie.

Nettie knows little joy in her life because of fear. If her brother smiles at that woman one more time!!! If people *really* knew what she had done after she returned to the community? When she smiles, her face completely changes but only her children and customers at her brother’s food stand will see it. Fear keeps her trust in other people at bay, even other Amish. Nettie loves her children fiercely.

Stephen, on the other hand, is a gentle, kind man. Yes, he has fears that can incapacitate him. He avoids situations that might cause that to happen. His brother also has a pork stand in the same market as Nettie’s brother’s business. Stephen’s children are adapting to their new home with his brother — well, all except Joline his oldest daughter. She has no friends, gets into trouble at school, and misses almost every recess. Then Joline suddenly takes an instant, intense dislike to “Sourpuss”, a nickname she privately had used for Nettie since she didn’t know her name.

Characters …
The fourth book of the Surprised by Love series has a set of rich characters. Some you would never expect in an Amish romance book but fits the plot. Besides Nettie and Stephen, other key characters are:

The Bully. Have you ever been bullied? I have and yes, one really scared me which he enjoyed. This one bullies for amusement by doing it where others can see.
The Thief.
The little old lady with a sharp mind and money, an Englischer, and a huge heart for giving. She owns the market. Her name is Mrs. Vandenberg. And yes, she was my fav.
The children. Stephen’s five, Nettie’s four but the chief character is Joline.
The brothers. Gideon is Nettie’s brother who smiles a lot at Fern. Nettie works with them at Gideon’s food stand in the market. Amos is Stephen’s brother. The two have plans but not many people are aware of them.
The kid with the nose ring, tattoos, “hair” and a heart of gold. He works at the market.

There are almost too many characters, especially in a book you can’t read in one [long] sitting. Used Kindle’s search to remind me who was who when needed.

Plot …
One word — fear. Even Joline’s ill behaviors (yes, she had more than one) were caused by fear. But for an Amish child, she got away with too much, MHOOC (my humble opinion, of course).

Pacing …
A bit slow at times. There is a LOT going on in An Amish Marriage of Convenience and that makes it quite interesting. For me, it dragged with Nettie’s fear about what her brother might do. Rarely was it about her *real* fear which was what could happen to her children if he did. Had her “real” fear been used more often, I would have had a lot more sympathy.

Missing …
An Amish bishop. Deacon. Minister. The police are involved at times in this book. Yet no leaders of the church appear. For *any* reason. There would be questions too about Mrs. Vandenberg’s “project” and Stephen’s and Nettie’s involvement. AND their children also participating.

This missing aspect of an Amish community resulted in the loss of one star–the pacing of another half star. The book is still a good read, especially if you have read the previous three books. This one can standalone. But no involvement by Amish leaders was for this reviewer a big hole.

I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of An Amish Marriage of Convenience via NetGalley from the publisher, Kensington Books, Zebra. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars on sites using only whole numbers.
#AnAmishMarriageofConvenience #NetGalley #RachelJGood

Series Surprised by Love #4
Genre Amish
Pub. Date 23 Aug 2022
Pages 400
Publisher Kensington Books, Zebra
Cover That fried chicken looks SO good!
Rating 3.5 stars

Delightful Story

An Amish Marriage of Convenience, which is the fourth book in Rachel J. Good's Surprised by Love series, is a wonderful addition to the series. While it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend you read the entire series. Each story in the series revolves around the Green Valley Farmer's Market. Therefore some characters, such as Mrs. Vanderbilt, appear throughout the series, and you will also have been introduced to Nettie and Stephen prior to their story in book 4. That little detail is the first thing that drew me to this story as I wanted to see what would become of Nettie and Stephen.

While I thoroughly enjoyed Nettie and Stephen's story, I did struggle just a bit with some of the characters. Nettie is the first one I struggled with. I found her very lacking in the kindness department. However, when I came to understand her struggles and concerns for her and her family, she moved to the likable category.

The other character I struggled with was Jolene. I know she'd been through a lot from a young age, but the girl was just not nice. Even when things began to improve, Jolene never quite crossed into the nice category the way I would have liked to see her do. However, that didn't take anything away from Nettie and Stephen's story.

As for Stephen, I liked him immediately. My heart went out to him completely. Even with all he'd been through, he was kind, caring and just an all around great person.

The combination of these characters and overcoming their pasts for a second chance at love made for a very entertaining, engaging and touching story. It was truly a delight to read and I hope you add it to your "to read" pile very soon.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All comments and opinions are completely my own.

Return to Lancaster County and the Amish at the Green Valley Farmer's Market for a story that touches your heart. Rachel Good has woven a wonderful series of stories together in the Surprised by Love books, but they all stand alone as well.

In An Amish Marriage of Convenience, you meet widower Stephen Lapp and his 5 children, recently returned to Lancaster from New York, and Nettie Hartzler, a widow very concerned about supporting her children and keeping them out of the poverty and strife she knew as a child. Both Stephen and Nettie work at the market and they are brought together in an unusual circumstance. Through many twists and turns in the story Stephen is drawn to propose a 'marriage of convenience' to Nettie, which Nettie eventually accepts., despite the efforts of Stephen's oldest daughter.

This is a wonderful story - I couldn't put it down. Stephen has his own issues with losing his wife, returning to Lancaster, living with his brother, taking care of 5 children, and establishing himself at the market. Nettie, at first is not a likable character - very concerned that her brother-in-law. with whom she now lives after the death of her husband, may be interested in another which would make her and her children's future and well-being uncertain. It isn't until you learn Nettie's backstory that you realize what is at the core of this anxiety and fear over stability.

Of course characters from the other books in the series appear, most memorable is Mrs. Vandenburg. Mrs. V must be an angel on earth as she is always looking for the betterment of others and ways to give people a second chance. Through her philanthropy and ability to see through Stephen's and Nettie's pasts and pain, she is able to help bring them together for a most unusual and wonderful purpose -she may just be my favorite character!

This book, as the others in the series, made me want to visit the market and get to know the characters better. I was sad for the story to end and hope that Ms. Good will soon take us back to the Green Valley market and another story of love, faith and transformation. These books are definitely needed in today's world.

An Amish Marriage of Convenience by Rachel J. Good is the fourth novel in the Surprised by Love series. Each book in the series can be read on its own, but I recommend reading them in order. I like the author’s writing style. It is casual (easy going) which makes the story a breeze to read. The pacing varied throughout the book. Sometimes I thought it was a little on the slow side, while at other times it moved along at a steady pace. The point-of-view alternates between Nettie, Stephen, and Joline. Nettie and Stephen each had problems from their youth that are plaguing them in their adult lives. Fears and insecurities have a way of holding us back. They both need to learn to let go and trust God. Forgiveness is another theme in the story. I like that the romance progressed slowly. I thought it was amusing how Mrs. Vandenberg used her new project to get the pair together. Mrs. Vandenberg is trusting that God will find a way to overcome the obstacles in the path to the couples happily ever after. I liked the light humor sprinkled throughout the book (I laughed out loud a few times). It was good to return to the Green Valley Farmers Market where we get to catch up with the characters from the first three books. Mrs. Vandenberg has a wonderful new project. It is something that could be used in neighborhoods all over the country. It is certainly a “beacon of hope” for many people. The author also touched on bullying and learning disorders. I like how the various threads all came together for one heartwarming tale. The ending of An Amish Marriage of Convenience is special. I am glad the author included an epilogue. I loved the last line of the book (it was fitting). An Amish Marriage of Convenience is a delightful escape from reality. An Amish Marriage of Convenience is a heartening tale with a demanding market, the cunning Mrs. Vandenberg, school troubles, frightening fears, a sneaky schoolgirl, a caring community, and a forgiving God.

I have enjoyed this series that is mostly set around the Green Valley Farmer's Market in Pennsylvania, the Amish families who sell their products there, and some Englisch characters as well. These stories are about the lives of people who love, live, and struggle through life's problems and issues with faith and strength. I was a little thrown off with the story of Nettie and Stephen as I felt we were reliving Nettie's story of a couple of books ago. She is a widow who depends on her unmarried brother-in-law and her in-laws.to take care of her and her four children. But Gideon has his eyes on Fern. Their story was in a previous book, but it is revisited in this one. Nettie is not a likable person but as we learn more about her past, we can see how it has formed her and it has redeemed her. Stephen sold his New York farm and home and moved his five children to live with his engaged brother. At the heart of this farmer's market is an older lady who owns it and is a matchmaker, proudly. Mrs. Vandenberg is a wonderful Christian Englisch woman able to read people and now Nettie and Stephen are in her sights. This is a frustrating story at times with many obstacles to overcome but well worth hanging in with and seeing the story to fulfillment. Wonderful story of love, faith, overcoming fears, and trusting God's leading. Recommended for lovers of Amish fiction and others.
I received a complimentary copy from Kensington Books, Zebra, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are mine only.

Rachel J. Good always bring an extraordinary story to life with her characters past and present situations. faith, God’s love and forgiveness and the sense of belonging to a community despite the past.

Good created true to life characters even including a young rebellious Amish girl in this wonderful story. Stephen and Nettie had challenges to face as well as their own past. The circumstances of their past played a major role how they viewed life. I appreciate how the story was developed with themes of forgiveness, letting go and realizing past events develop characteristics to assist others as shown throughout this tale.

Amish fans will appreciate this story and reconnecting with other characters from the earlier books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Keningston Publishing for an ARC of the book. I was not required to write a positive review but have expressed my own thoughts.