A SEASON OF LOVE is the fifth and final book in The Kauffmann Amish Bakery Series. This book tells the story of three best friends and their journey into adult relationships. Lindsey Bradford first appeared in the first book of the series, A Gift of Grace when she and her sister Jessica come to live with their aunt Rebecca after their mother died in an accident. Their mother had left her small town of Bird-in-Hand, PA and her Amish roots and made a life for herself in Virginia Beach. Lindsey appears again in book four, A Life of Joy where she is faced with choosing what path to follow be it her Amish heritage or joining her sister in Virginia Beach and going to school. Now Lindsey has arrived back at her Aunt Rebecca's home she has made the decision to be baptized into the Amish faith. Matthew has cared about Lindsey and is quite happy she has decided on becoming baptized and he asks for permission to date her.

Katie Kauffman becomes baptized into the Amish faith with her friends and works for her family's bakery. She is happy baking and caring for her family but then her brother Samuel announces he is going to marry one of her best friends Lizzie Anne. Katie wants to be happy for her brother and friend but she feels it is just too fast and they are so young. Katie begins to feel like a fifth wheel now that both of her friends have paired off and her relationship with Samuel and Lizzie Anne becomes strained. Katie befriends a local boy Jake who works for her family's furniture business. Jake is a kind, sweet boy but he is Mennonite. Any kind of relationship with him is forbidden and to go against her Amish faith would mean being shunned.

Amy Clipton's A SEASON OF LOVE is a beautiful story of three young women's coming of age. The conflict Katie faces regarding her faith, family and her possible soul mate is captivating. A bonus for readers is between many of the chapters are recipes of baked goods they prepare in the book. My personal favorite is whoopee pies. Clipton gives insight to the Amish faith and life and she includes a glossary at the beginning of the book to help with the Amish words. This final chapter of the Kauffmann Amish Bakery series will give readers the closure they have been wanting with many bits and pieces of previous book's characters and a vision of what their future will be like.

Book Summary

In the fifth and final novel of the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series, three young women are about to change their lives. Lizzie Anne and Samuel have decided to get married, and Lindsay is about to be baptized in the Amish faith and is courting Matthew. While Katie Kauffman is happy for her friends who seem to have settled their futures, she is also finding herself something of a fifth wheel. When Lindsay's sister Jessica returns to Bird-in-Hand, she finds that Jake Miller has moved on with his life. He lost hope that Jessica would ever be satisfied to settle in rural Pennsylvania and takes comfort in becoming close friends with Katie. However, it's not an easy road as Jake is Mennonite and Katie has just been baptized in the Amish faith. Her father forbids them to see each other, adamant that his daughter marry an Amish man. A Season of Love is filled with surprising twists that will grip you to the very last words. As the stories of your favorite Amish community draw to a close, join Lindsay, her friends, and all the people of Bird-In-Hand for one last volume.

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