Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop

Themes of faith, mercy, and new beginnings drive these three pleasing interconnected holiday romances. In Gray’s “A Christmas Cake for Rebecca,” Rebecca, a cake baker in her 40s, has never married after boyfriend Aden left her when she was 17. When Aden returns after 25 years, Rebecca hires him to complete her cake orders and he slowly wins her back. In Good’s “Best Christmas Present Ever,” Lizzie moves to take care of her great-aunt and also takes a job at Rebecca’s bakery. There, she catches the eye of Christian, a widower whose seven-year-old is about to undergo brain surgery. After they spend more time together, the two realize they are long-lost childhood best friends. In Lough’s “The Christmas Cupcake,” Tessa is a new schoolteacher grieving her mother’s death and worried about her father’s violent temper. When she meets Asher at the bakery, she is attracted to him, but also worries about Asher’s angry response to his personal difficulty learning to read. Asher asks Tessa to tutor him as a way of protecting her after he finds her beaten by her father. While readers will need to suspend some disbelief for the many serendipitous scenarios, those who enjoy Amish romances will enjoy these sweet novellas. (Oct.)