The Courtship Basket (Amish Heirloom #2) by Amy Clipston

Years ago, a picnic basket brought two hearts together. For Rachel and Mike, history may be about to repeat itself.


Rachel Fisher is devastated when the young man she’s loved for years leaves her to date her best friend. Her heart is broken, and she has all but given up on love. Determined to keep her mind off the pain, she starts teaching at an Amish school for children with learning disabilities.


Since his father became ill, Mike Lantz has been overwhelmed with the responsibility of providing for his family and caring for his six-year-old brother, John. When John joins Rachel’s class and she learns that his mother is deceased and his father sick, she desperately wants to help the family, even with something as simple as a meal.


With her parents’ old picnic basket, Rachel begins sending food to the Lantz family. As the weeks go by, John’s grades start to improve, and the attraction grows between Rachel and Mike. They can’t deny that their friendship is growing toward something more, but both of them are hesitant to risk a more serious relationship.


The last thing Rachel wants is another heartbreak, and Mike is worried about providing for his loved ones. Will the two be able to reconcile their past hurts with new hope for the future?

Amazon



About The Author

Amy Clipston is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). She holds a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan College and works full-time as a public information specialist for the City of Charlotte, NC. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband and two sons.

My Review 

Can you imagine dating someone for four years, being at your sister’s wedding, and over hearing him talking to your best friend about their relationship. How do you get through the rest of the day, never mind the rest of your life, such a betrayal, and talk about getting stabbed in the back, this happened to Rachael Fisher.
Then we have Mike Lantz, a man devoted to his family, which consists of his Dad and six year old brother. Life has been hard on this family, Mike lost his mother when he was ten, his dad finally found another woman who loved mike, but they lost her when she gave birth to his brother John. Now life is handing them another blow, as his dad’s kidneys are failing and his dad has really lost the will to live.
On top of all of this poor John is acting up in school, and Mike moves him to a special Amish school. So our main characters meet, Mike has the world on his shoulders and Rachael has given up on love. They both have strong family ties, and are there for parents and siblings, but boy do they clash, or I should say that Rachael clashes with Mike.
This is a sweet story that is told from the heart by the author, and has shared some of her own personal experience in the mode of the story. Come and see if these two can get beyond their own heartache and problems and forge some kind of relationship between them, and include little John.
I found this one hard to put down once I turned the first page!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.