Rachel J. Good

In USA Today bestselling author Rachel J. Good's sweetly romantic inspirational series, the bustling Green Valley Farmer's Market in Pennsylvania is an unexpected place for residents of nearby Amish communities to find the partner of their dreams. But as spring gives way to summer and the market fills with the season's bounty, a new relationship begins to bloom as well... When widower Stephen Lapp moves his five children from New York State to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, his only plan is to buy his family's farm stand, Lapp's Pastured Pork. That way, his brother can move closer to his fianc e and open his own stand. But on Stephen's first trip to the market, his brave act of kindness nearly ends in catastrophe--until strong-willed Nettie Hartzler saves him--and makes an impression he can't forget . . . A widow with private heartaches of her own, Nettie has no interest in getting involved with any man, though she doesn't discourage their respective children's new friendships--despite Stephen's contentious oldest daughter. But when Nettie runs into serious money worries and Stephen proposes a marriage of convenience, she's distressed and conflicted. She's come to know Stephen's gentle heart and generous soul, and she can't believe he'll want her if she reveals the sins of her past. God has His own plans for the faithful, however, and this time they may include a second chance at love . . .

In USA Today bestselling author Rachel J. Good's new Surprised by Love Amish romance, two lonely pen pals--a grieving woman with too many responsibilities and a shy man paralyzed in a buggy accident--fall in love through their letters. Will the Green Valley Farmer's Market be the unlikely backdrop for translating their feelings from the page to in-person? Recovering from a horse and buggy accident that took the lives of his family, Jacob Zook is struggling to regain both his spirit and his body. While his legs remain stubbornly opposed to moving, he exercises his hands by writing, and finds the perfect outlet for his grief in inspirational letters to the Amish newspaper. When Keturah Esch, a woman who works at the Green Valley Farmer's Market, responds with gratitude, Jacob has no idea that his hardship is about to become a blessing... Dealing with her own loss, and responsible for her three siblings, Keturah's new correspondence with the anonymous letter writer becomes a source of joy. And when a shy young man confined to a wheelchair begins to visit the market, Keturah is happy to make his acquaintance--never knowing that Jacob is afraid to reveal himself as her pen pal. After all, what can he offer her, when he can't even walk? Can faith bring two lonely people together in perfect union? As Christmas approaches, Jacob and Keturah get a chance to make their gifts to each other worthy of the blessing of love... A crackling fire, the promise of snow, the delicious smell of fresh-baked cookies and fallen pine needles...when Christmas is coming, every heart lifts in song.

USA Today bestselling authors Shelley Shepard Gray, Rachel J. Good, and Loree Lough celebrate the spirit of the season, the warmth of simple traditions, and of course, the joy of holiday treats, with this faith-affirming collection of three connected holiday novellas about the Christmas surprises in store for those who work and shop at a charming Amish bakery. As the most joyful holiday draws near, three couples discover the recipe for love includes faith, hope, and the sweetest blessings... A CHRISTMAS CAKE FOR REBECCA by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Shelley Shepard GrayWhen carpenter Aden returns to Lancaster after twenty years away, bakeshop owner Rebecca is dismayed to find he's still as handsome and kind as ever. He broke her heart when he left the community back then. Will a holiday emergency provide a second chance at love, this time forever? BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER by USA Today Bestselling Author Rachel J. GoodWhen a lonely widower with a sick daughter and a new cake decorator meet at the bakeshop, they discover they were once childhood playmates. But as each of them helps the other care for family, their neighborly kindness inspires a gift that only love could make possible... THE CHRISTMAS CUPCAKE by USA Today Bestselling Author Loree LoughA builder who never learned to read believes he must hide his fond feelings for a kind schoolteacher. But after they run into each other at the bakeshop, she offers to teach him--and as Christmas approaches, each of them learns a lesson about the great gift of love...

Sometimes love is found in the most unexpected places--as three blessed men will discover in Rachel J. Good's heartwarming Amish romance series, set in a bustling Pennsylvania community... When an organic farm causes rents to skyrocket at the Valley Green Farmer's Market, Fern Blauch's family baked goods stand is driven to the edge of eviction... Until a mysterious temporary reprieve. Fern is confused when she discovers the benefactor is barbecued chicken stand owner--and her longtime crush--Gideon Hartzler. She's grateful, but pridefully tells him she intends to pay him back. If only she can find a new place to sell her wares... To stay competitive, and help as many others as he can, Gideon expands his stand to provide full meals--including dessert. That's where Fern comes in. As the two work long hours, side-by-side, business booms--and so does their attraction. Still, the demands of caring for aging parents and struggling relatives cause them to hide any feelings beyond friendship. But as new challenges emerge and Gideon and Fern turn more deeply to their faith, and to each other, will love find a place at their table?

Life can be surprising, upending the best-laid plans. But as in Rachel J. Good's third Unexpected Amish Blessings romance, even in the wake of tragedy, God's grace and the healing power love can close any wound. In the picturesque Amish community of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, life's detours may prove the path to true happiness... After a buggy accident when she was a teenager, Anna Flaud was told she would never walk again. Unwilling to be an object of pity, she put aside her dreams of marriage and found purpose as an assistant at a Community Care Center. Now she has a chance to fulfill her dearest wish--motherhood--and adopt three siblings with special needs. Yet the opportunity comes with a condition Anna isn't sure she can meet: finding a husband. Levi King began working at the center as penance after a careless mistake led to tragedy. Though he's dealing with his own heartbreak, he's drawn to Anna, cheering her on as she strives to regain her mobility. Her quiet determination, her generous heart--these are qualities to cherish in a wife. Still, Anna's plans give him pause. Given his past, Levi hardly trusts himself to care for one child, let alone three. Yet together, perhaps they could forge a family made sturdier by all they've overcome...

In a small Amish town like picturesque Lancaster, Pennsylvania, one solution to an indiscretion is to make a good marriage. Or perhaps, fake a respectable engagement . . . Priscilla Ebersol has a fulfilling life teaching special needs children--until her boyfriend's humiliating betrayal ruins her reputation and threatens her job. Ostracized for something she didn't do, Priscilla throws herself into a project on the benefits of camel's milk for autism. Her research leads her to a fledgling local camel farm, where she discovers far more than she bargained for . . . When a pushy Englisch company shows interest in shy, handsome Gabriel Kauffman's camel farm, he struggles to get out of a sticky negotiation. Lovely, well-spoken Priscilla appears at the perfect moment, and defends Gabe's business so well that she is mistaken for his wife. It's a ruse the two quietly continue, all the while secretly wishing it could be true. But though their bond deepens, Priscilla's heart is still wounded, and Gabe battles with a troubling secret. And when a misunderstanding comes between them, it will take faith, honesty, and trust in the future to overcome the past--and allow their partnership to blossom into something more . . .

The perfect family awaits...if only he'll risk his heart. Pregnant and recently widowed, Grace Fisher is determined to provide for her family on her own. Thankfully, her jam business is popular in her Amish community. But it's difficult keeping up with her work, her farm chores, and her two mischievous children. Especially now that they've taken to idolizing their neighbor Elijah. While the handsome farmer is kind and generous, he seems intent on holding Grace and her little ones at a distance... Elijah Beiler has always admired his neighbor Grace. So standing by while she struggles to support her family isn't an option. Offering to take over her farm duties, Elijah is determined to help while remaining detached. He knows all too well that love only leads to heartbreak. Yet the more time he spends with Grace and her children, the harder he finds it to leave each day. But can Elijah overcome past hurts and open his heart to this ready-made family?

They won't see eye-to-eye until they meet heart-to-heart... Kyle Miller never planned on becoming a country doctor. But when he's offered a medical practice in his sleepy hometown, Kyle knows he must return... and face the painful past he left behind. Except the Amish community isn't quite ready for Kyle. Especially the pretty midwife who refuses to compromise her traditions with his modern medicine... The more Leah Stoltzfus works with the handsome Englisch doctor, the more she finds herself caught between the expectations of her family and her own hopes for the future. It will take one surprising revelation and one helpless baby in need of love to show Leah and Kyle that their bond may be greater than their differences... if Leah can find the courage to follow her heart.

Josiah Petersheim has lost his wife, and he's having difficulties communicating with his grieving deaf six-year-old son. He's grateful Nathan has Ada Rupp as his first-grade teacher. Impressed by her sweet nature, Josiah is stunned by Ada's ability to easily comfort his son. In fact, he finds himself charmed by everything about Ada. With teaching and caring for her young siblings, Ada rebuffs Josiah's advances, insisting she has no time for a relationship. But she is intrigued by his sweet nature and his love for his son. And when Josiah starts finding creative ways to spend time with her, Ada can't help but fall for the caring single dad.

Inspired by quilts seen in Amish country, many of these designs are based on traditional patterns, but some have been reimagined or repeated multiple times to create more intricate designs to color. Each quilt is printed on only one side of the page; facing pages contain inspirational Amish proverbs. To make the quilts even more colorful and interesting, sketch fabric designs - plaids, checks, paisleys, flowers, or abstract shapes - into the larger quilt blocks, use pattern stamps, or even collage fabric scraps to the pages. And if the designs inspire you to make quilts of your own, the pages can be used as templates for quilt-making.