The Bake Shop

Clipston (Room on the Porch Swing) begins her Amish Marketplace series with this pleasing story of love and competition set in Lancaster County, Pa. Christiana Kurtz is thrilled at the prospect of moving her popular bake stand to the market where the other Amish sell their goods, seeing it as a haven from her father’s strict rules. At 25, Christiana is content in her singleness and focused on her business. When she meets Jeff, the handsome Amish man running the leather booth next to hers, she befriends him but is confused by his moodiness. As she tries to understand Jeff, she falls in love with him, despite her fear of relationships. Jeff, left at the altar a year before, has only begun to lift out of his depression when he meets Christiana. When Jeff starts to fall for Christiana, his fear of rejection makes him wonder if pursuing a relationship is actually a good idea. As they both begin to overcome their fears, the strictures of Amish society and Christiana’s father’s objections to Jeff’s modern ways threaten to to derail their chances. This sweet tale will please fans of Clipston’s wholesome Amish romances. (Nov.)