Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long

Book Title: Lilly's Wedding Quilt
Subtitle: A Patch of Heaven Novel
Author: Kelly Long
Genre: Christian, Romance, Amish
ISBN: 978-1-59554-871-9

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Suggested Retail Price: $14.99

From the book:

She isn't looking for love. He's mending a broken heart. It will take divine intervention for these two to get together. Local Amish schoolteacher Lilly Lapp is tired of weddings, afraid of horses, and immersed in caring for her depressed mother. But when Jacob Wyse, a handsome horse breeder from her small community rescues her from a dangerous accident, Lilly discovers a renewed interest in life and the possibility of love.
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Lilly is busy caring for her mother who suffers from depression since her father died.  She seems to spend all her time teaching the local Amish school children and taking care of her mother and their home.   She has given up hoping for a husband and family of her own.  Jacob is in love with a woman who has chosen another man as her husband.  He's convinced that he can love no one but her.  When he and Lilly are thrown together suddenly, he feels the only way to save her reputation is to propose to her.  They end up married even though Jacob does not love her and Lily knows that.  God is working in their lives in ways they don't understand.

I truly enjoyed this book quite a lot. It's very rare in Amish fiction to read about people with emotional difficulties.   Seeing the problems that Lilly's mother goes through and how Lilly deals with it was truly inspiring.  There is also a little boy in the story who has learning disabilities and it was heartwarming to see how the community rallied around these two people during their difficulties.  It's also refreshing to see a Christian story where the main characters are less than perfect.  Sometimes it seems as though the *good* Christians in many fiction stories lead perfect lives and that is not always the case in the real world.

Also included in Lilly's Wedding quilt is a reading group guide and author notes.  Lilly's Wedding Quilt is a Patch of Heaven Novel. I believe it is number two.  The first is Sarah's Garden and is also by Kelly Long. I hope to be able to read that one as well.

My thanks to the sponsor for allowing me to review this book.

As required by the FTC: I received a product sample in order to write my review.  I received no monetary compensation.  All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.