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Quilts of Lancaster County #1
A Time to Love
War correspondent Jennie King thinks she's just a temporary guest in her grandmother's Amish community while she recuperates from the devastating injuries sustained in a car bomb attack that changed her world. But when she meets Matthew Bontrager, the man she had a crush on as a teenager, she wonders if God has a new plan for her. Jennie has emotional and physical scars and though she feels she has come home to this man and this place, she's not sure she can bridge the difference between their worlds.
228 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Barbara Cameron
80 books216 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
CBD, CBA, and ECPA bestselling author of 24 books (including new series upcoming for Abingdon Press in 2011/2012) including fiction and non-fiction books for Abingdon Press, Thomas Nelson, Harlequin, and other publishers.
I sold three films to HBO/Cinemax and am the first winner of the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award.
My two novellas won the 2nd and 3rd place in the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest from the Faith, Love, and Hope chapter of RWA. Both were finalists for the novella category of the Carol Award of the American Christian Writers Award (ACFW).
CBD, CBA, and ECPA bestselling author of 24 books (including new series upcoming for Abingdon Press in 2011/2012) including fiction and non-fiction books for Abingdon Press, Thomas Nelson, Harlequin, and other publishers.
I sold three films to HBO/Cinemax and am the first winner of the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award.
My two novellas won the 2nd and 3rd place in the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest from the Faith, Love, and Hope chapter of RWA. Both were finalists for the novella category of the Carol Award of the American Christian Writers Award (ACFW).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
September 14, 2012
Barbara Cameron's book, A Time to Love, has a sweet message about love, even though it reads like it was written by a PR committee for the Amish. Superficially it's lovely, but if you read just a wee bit deeper, the characters seem a bit flat, there are many inconsistencies, and the Kindle version is full of formatting errors. This seems to be a book that was banged out in something of a hurry without much editing and attention.
One thing that bothered me throughout the book was Jenny's obvious blindness to the fact that not marrying Matthew would not prevent his family and him from feeling a profound sense of loss if she broke off the relationship. That bond of love is inherent in relationships, not in the formalization of them.
The time frame of the book also bothered me. It doesn't seem realistic that the long string of therapy appointments and general recovery, plus the additional surgery and all that entailed would fit in the less than four months of calendar time available in Lancaster County between the onset of heavy snow (beginning of the book) and spring budding. Typically, bitter weather and heavy snow would not start there before Thanksgiving, and spring budding will begin by late March. That's four months at most. But hey! This is fiction and it's about hearts, not details. Or so it seems.
Inconsistencies are rife. A tiny one is the sentence where the anesthesiologist lowers a mask over Jenny's face in the OR. As far as I know without researching it, anesthesia masks have been obsolete for decades. Perhaps Cameron has been fortunate enough to have been spared any experience with surgery, direct or otherwise.
A much bigger example is Jenny's book project. As she packs to close her apartment, she puts decades of paper journals into a box. At her grandmother's house, she pulls out a NEW laptop, explaining that the battery will soon die, but there is enough power left to show Phoebe a DVD. Some number of days after that, Jenny is sitting in the living room writing in her journal (presumably paper), when Matthew arrives. She reaches for the (presumably recharged) laptop to show him the DVD. He urges her to write a book about her experiences. When he leaves, she reviews the notes she made earlier on a yellow tablet. Then she has a conversation with Phoebe and reaches her laptop. My head is spinning!
Why would she even buy a new laptop after making a commitment to a life without electricity and having full intention of honoring her new lifestyle? She didn't have the Internet or even power for a printer at the house, so what purpose does the laptop serve? Taking it out to the barn to recharge sounds hypcritical, but perhaps that's the most authentic aspect of the book -- phones in sheds, etc. This book is promoting understanding of the Amish way, and at the same time overlooking primary limitations.
Back to the main story. It is sweet and aside from the constant proliferation of these formatting errors and inconsistencies, I enjoyed reading it. AND, it makes me crazy that publishing houses and prolific writers like Cameron are failing to show proper respect for readers. The failure to exercise due diligence in editing to track down conflicts and typos is dumbing down their work and teaching the public to accept inferior products on a par with discount store clothing mass-produced in the Asian sweatshops we rail against. Perhaps in the two years since this book was published, Cameron and Abingdon Press have upgraded their standards. I sincerely hope so.
I don't know how to say this more kindly, and deeply believe it needs to be said.
One thing that bothered me throughout the book was Jenny's obvious blindness to the fact that not marrying Matthew would not prevent his family and him from feeling a profound sense of loss if she broke off the relationship. That bond of love is inherent in relationships, not in the formalization of them.
The time frame of the book also bothered me. It doesn't seem realistic that the long string of therapy appointments and general recovery, plus the additional surgery and all that entailed would fit in the less than four months of calendar time available in Lancaster County between the onset of heavy snow (beginning of the book) and spring budding. Typically, bitter weather and heavy snow would not start there before Thanksgiving, and spring budding will begin by late March. That's four months at most. But hey! This is fiction and it's about hearts, not details. Or so it seems.
Inconsistencies are rife. A tiny one is the sentence where the anesthesiologist lowers a mask over Jenny's face in the OR. As far as I know without researching it, anesthesia masks have been obsolete for decades. Perhaps Cameron has been fortunate enough to have been spared any experience with surgery, direct or otherwise.
A much bigger example is Jenny's book project. As she packs to close her apartment, she puts decades of paper journals into a box. At her grandmother's house, she pulls out a NEW laptop, explaining that the battery will soon die, but there is enough power left to show Phoebe a DVD. Some number of days after that, Jenny is sitting in the living room writing in her journal (presumably paper), when Matthew arrives. She reaches for the (presumably recharged) laptop to show him the DVD. He urges her to write a book about her experiences. When he leaves, she reviews the notes she made earlier on a yellow tablet. Then she has a conversation with Phoebe and reaches her laptop. My head is spinning!
Why would she even buy a new laptop after making a commitment to a life without electricity and having full intention of honoring her new lifestyle? She didn't have the Internet or even power for a printer at the house, so what purpose does the laptop serve? Taking it out to the barn to recharge sounds hypcritical, but perhaps that's the most authentic aspect of the book -- phones in sheds, etc. This book is promoting understanding of the Amish way, and at the same time overlooking primary limitations.
Back to the main story. It is sweet and aside from the constant proliferation of these formatting errors and inconsistencies, I enjoyed reading it. AND, it makes me crazy that publishing houses and prolific writers like Cameron are failing to show proper respect for readers. The failure to exercise due diligence in editing to track down conflicts and typos is dumbing down their work and teaching the public to accept inferior products on a par with discount store clothing mass-produced in the Asian sweatshops we rail against. Perhaps in the two years since this book was published, Cameron and Abingdon Press have upgraded their standards. I sincerely hope so.
I don't know how to say this more kindly, and deeply believe it needs to be said.
March 15, 2011
I got this book because it was a freebie from Amazon, and because I read an article about the "bonnet romances" that are becoming popular and I wanted to know more. For a free book, it's a very good romance but if I paid the 7 bucks the paperback costs I would be pissed.
Now I've read my share of Christian fiction and romances and while the story and characters weren’t bad in this book, they weren’t great either. I had a problem when about halfway through the book I realized that 6 months time in the book had passed and I didn’t even realize it.
I also really didn’t see the spark between Jennie and Matthew. They hung out together for 2 summers when they where teens, and then she didn’t see him for over 10 years. Sure why not completely change your lifestyle and marry a dude you’ve known for a little over a year total…that makes complete sense!
I was really interested in the story at first, and by the end of it I really did like Jennie as a character, even if I didn’t know half of what was going on. When I got to the proposal I was just ready to be done with the thing. The story seemed like it ended very abruptly, but I guess if this is just the first book in a series we’re supposed to read the sequels to find out the rest of their story.
Now I've read my share of Christian fiction and romances and while the story and characters weren’t bad in this book, they weren’t great either. I had a problem when about halfway through the book I realized that 6 months time in the book had passed and I didn’t even realize it.
I also really didn’t see the spark between Jennie and Matthew. They hung out together for 2 summers when they where teens, and then she didn’t see him for over 10 years. Sure why not completely change your lifestyle and marry a dude you’ve known for a little over a year total…that makes complete sense!
I was really interested in the story at first, and by the end of it I really did like Jennie as a character, even if I didn’t know half of what was going on. When I got to the proposal I was just ready to be done with the thing. The story seemed like it ended very abruptly, but I guess if this is just the first book in a series we’re supposed to read the sequels to find out the rest of their story.
August 7, 2019
If you are looking for a romance book that is extremely chaste and never wades into any kind of inappropriate territory, this one’s for you. No steamy scenes because, well, this book is about an Amish community so it fits that there’s no heavy petting. Ever wondered what an Amish romance book was like? Nope, me neither. At least, not until I heard they existed. Guess what? They’re pretty much like other romances except, much, much tamer. I have no problem with the romance part of this book, or the Amish part of this book. I wouldn’t want to live in a community without electricity or buttons, but if that’s what floats your boat, float away.
That’s not to say that there weren’t things about this book that bugged me. I’m gonna list ’em after a quick plot summary.
Jenny, the main character is recovering from a difficult surgery she had to have after suffering a bomb blast while doing her job as a journalist overseas. To recuperate she visits her grandmother Phoebe who happens to be Amish and live in Lancaster County. While there she reconnects with Mathew, a man she knew long ago and nearly married. Mathew married while Jenny was away and had three children. Mathew’s wife died and it’s been a couple years since that happened. Now would be a good time for Mathew to move on and as luck (or God as the book states) would have it, Jenny seems to come back at the perfect time. Everyone ends up happy because, well, what do you expect out of an Amish romance?
My annoyance with the book is as follows:
1. Jenny is a a journalist working for [unnamed network] recovering from a bomb blast she suffered in [unnamed country]. I put the brackets there because the author chose not to actually name the network or the country. Jenny was always overseas. What was she doing overseas? She was making sure that [the people] knew that there were children there who were suffering. I think this was mentioned roughly twelve times per chapter.
2. Is there an adorable little kid in this book meant to tug at Jenny’s and the reader’s heart strings and says things like “Read me a stowy.” Oh you betcha. It’s like the plucky kid in apocalypse novels but you just know they are going to make people get married in romances, not get themselves killed the way they do in the other books.
3. This is an Amish community we are talking about and Jenny is there recovering which is fine, but they keep talking about how much hard work there is to do. Yet Jenny, who more or less recovers doesn’t seem to do any hard work. She does try and cook one meal but I kind of think the author sold it short cause I am sure that there really IS hard labor to do in these places.
3. It’s mentioned like a zillion times how the Amish children are so good and clean their rooms and do their chores and help out and never, ever complain. I have two thoughts about this. First, I bet that some Amish children DO complain on occasion. Why? Cause they are kids and sometimes kids complain. Second, there are plenty of non-Amish children that are good. But the author bludgeons us about how lazy the “Englisch” (the Amish term for people living outside their community) children are because they watch television. I sort of felt, more than once, like the author had not really interacted with real children over the age of three.
4. Jenny has suffered what would be a real, major trauma. I mean life changing. She is described as being scarred across the face. She is constantly fretting about this. Of course Mathew and everyone around Jenny who all love her think it’s no big deal. I agree. Having a scar on your face doesn’t disqualify you from love. It doesn’t mean you are not beautiful. It doesn’t mean that anyone should think less of you. But you know what bugs me to no end? Look at that cover image. You know what I don’t see? A Scar!!! Come on cover designers, own it! I doubt this was the choice of the author so I can’t fault her but jeeze, let’s judge this book by it’s cover. Jenny should have a scar. Have the guts to put it on the cover. Okay, I am getting off of my body image soap box now.
5. Another thing Jenny agonizes over is that if she doesn’t go back to work for [unnamed network] then no one, and I mean no one, will ever care about the children in [unnamed country]. Jenny is quasi-famous and people on the street recognize her now and then. She is occasionally told by nurses or other random people how no one has gone back there. No journalist has gone back overseas (interesting how everyone on the street calls it overseas too instead of naming a country) to talk about the children. So her choice seems to be Mathew or go to [unnamed network] to work again. But Jenny’s colleague has this idea to interview her so the audience of [unnamed network] can see that she is okay. She does the interview and when it airs, they put a few charity phone numbers on screen. In Jenny’s mind that seems to clear the problem up. Yup, want to help out orphans in war torn [unnamed countries]? Two options. First. Jenny. Second, phone numbers on a screen. Either one will most definitely fix it.
6. While cooking the one meal that Jenny makes, she tells Phoebe about microwaves. She says that microwaved food doesn’t taste as good because they don’t put love into the food the way her grandmother does. Note to self: invent microwave that operates on love. Also, I don’t know about you but I’ve loved me some hot pockets and microwave pizza rolls on occasion and no one’s grandmother made those.
7. Mathew works very hard and loves his children. This is perfectly obvious from the descriptions of what he does and it’s no surprise. We wouldn’t want our main character to fall for a jerk of course. But not only do we have to see that revealed through his actions. No, everyone around him has to say pretty much every time he leaves the room how he works hard and loves his children. I think we get it.
8. Since this is a romance, there has to be a setup for a continuing series. I think that’s a contractual obligation for even thinking of a romance concept. I’ve got good news. Mathew has a sister, Hannah. She’s Amish and lives in Lancaster County. Hmmm…. You don’t think… I mean could it be… Wait guys, it is, it really is… The sequel is about Hannah! Groan. It couldn’t be more obvious if they had put Hannah’s phone number on the television screen during an interview. Wait, that doesn’t make sense, Hannah wouldn’t watch television and it’s a community phone. Ah, never mind. I will say though that it bothers me one hundred percent of the time when you know that the sibling of one of the love interests is going to star in the next book. I read that there is a brother or sister who is not in a relationship and I know right where it’s going.
9. Okay so part of this is me and part of this is not. This book has a long subtitle involving quilts. There is a quilt mentioned at the very beginning and it shows up a lot. But see, I thought that we were going to see Jenny learn to quilt or do all sorts of quilting or something. She doesn’t even begin to quilt until the second to last chapter. I was like, where’s the quilting? I want to see transformative, life changing quilting and I want to see it now. I think that was my misconception. But the quilt also wasn’t all that essential to the plot either. So, maybe make less of a big deal in the subtitle if your not gonna make a bigger deal of it in the book. Like they say, if you see a quilt in the first act, you should see quilting all through the book. I may have that quote wrong. But anyway, more quilts please.
I’m going to stop there but to finish my summary, I am going to give it over to the wisest, smartest, most celebrated poet of mine or any other generation. “We been spendin’ most our lives livin’ in an Amish Paradise” – Weird Al Yankovich.
If you liked this review, check out my blog at Slick Dungeon's Dusty Tomes and Terrible Films where I review books that I'd rather not read and review films that no one should see.
That’s not to say that there weren’t things about this book that bugged me. I’m gonna list ’em after a quick plot summary.
Jenny, the main character is recovering from a difficult surgery she had to have after suffering a bomb blast while doing her job as a journalist overseas. To recuperate she visits her grandmother Phoebe who happens to be Amish and live in Lancaster County. While there she reconnects with Mathew, a man she knew long ago and nearly married. Mathew married while Jenny was away and had three children. Mathew’s wife died and it’s been a couple years since that happened. Now would be a good time for Mathew to move on and as luck (or God as the book states) would have it, Jenny seems to come back at the perfect time. Everyone ends up happy because, well, what do you expect out of an Amish romance?
My annoyance with the book is as follows:
1. Jenny is a a journalist working for [unnamed network] recovering from a bomb blast she suffered in [unnamed country]. I put the brackets there because the author chose not to actually name the network or the country. Jenny was always overseas. What was she doing overseas? She was making sure that [the people] knew that there were children there who were suffering. I think this was mentioned roughly twelve times per chapter.
2. Is there an adorable little kid in this book meant to tug at Jenny’s and the reader’s heart strings and says things like “Read me a stowy.” Oh you betcha. It’s like the plucky kid in apocalypse novels but you just know they are going to make people get married in romances, not get themselves killed the way they do in the other books.
3. This is an Amish community we are talking about and Jenny is there recovering which is fine, but they keep talking about how much hard work there is to do. Yet Jenny, who more or less recovers doesn’t seem to do any hard work. She does try and cook one meal but I kind of think the author sold it short cause I am sure that there really IS hard labor to do in these places.
3. It’s mentioned like a zillion times how the Amish children are so good and clean their rooms and do their chores and help out and never, ever complain. I have two thoughts about this. First, I bet that some Amish children DO complain on occasion. Why? Cause they are kids and sometimes kids complain. Second, there are plenty of non-Amish children that are good. But the author bludgeons us about how lazy the “Englisch” (the Amish term for people living outside their community) children are because they watch television. I sort of felt, more than once, like the author had not really interacted with real children over the age of three.
4. Jenny has suffered what would be a real, major trauma. I mean life changing. She is described as being scarred across the face. She is constantly fretting about this. Of course Mathew and everyone around Jenny who all love her think it’s no big deal. I agree. Having a scar on your face doesn’t disqualify you from love. It doesn’t mean you are not beautiful. It doesn’t mean that anyone should think less of you. But you know what bugs me to no end? Look at that cover image. You know what I don’t see? A Scar!!! Come on cover designers, own it! I doubt this was the choice of the author so I can’t fault her but jeeze, let’s judge this book by it’s cover. Jenny should have a scar. Have the guts to put it on the cover. Okay, I am getting off of my body image soap box now.
5. Another thing Jenny agonizes over is that if she doesn’t go back to work for [unnamed network] then no one, and I mean no one, will ever care about the children in [unnamed country]. Jenny is quasi-famous and people on the street recognize her now and then. She is occasionally told by nurses or other random people how no one has gone back there. No journalist has gone back overseas (interesting how everyone on the street calls it overseas too instead of naming a country) to talk about the children. So her choice seems to be Mathew or go to [unnamed network] to work again. But Jenny’s colleague has this idea to interview her so the audience of [unnamed network] can see that she is okay. She does the interview and when it airs, they put a few charity phone numbers on screen. In Jenny’s mind that seems to clear the problem up. Yup, want to help out orphans in war torn [unnamed countries]? Two options. First. Jenny. Second, phone numbers on a screen. Either one will most definitely fix it.
6. While cooking the one meal that Jenny makes, she tells Phoebe about microwaves. She says that microwaved food doesn’t taste as good because they don’t put love into the food the way her grandmother does. Note to self: invent microwave that operates on love. Also, I don’t know about you but I’ve loved me some hot pockets and microwave pizza rolls on occasion and no one’s grandmother made those.
7. Mathew works very hard and loves his children. This is perfectly obvious from the descriptions of what he does and it’s no surprise. We wouldn’t want our main character to fall for a jerk of course. But not only do we have to see that revealed through his actions. No, everyone around him has to say pretty much every time he leaves the room how he works hard and loves his children. I think we get it.
8. Since this is a romance, there has to be a setup for a continuing series. I think that’s a contractual obligation for even thinking of a romance concept. I’ve got good news. Mathew has a sister, Hannah. She’s Amish and lives in Lancaster County. Hmmm…. You don’t think… I mean could it be… Wait guys, it is, it really is… The sequel is about Hannah! Groan. It couldn’t be more obvious if they had put Hannah’s phone number on the television screen during an interview. Wait, that doesn’t make sense, Hannah wouldn’t watch television and it’s a community phone. Ah, never mind. I will say though that it bothers me one hundred percent of the time when you know that the sibling of one of the love interests is going to star in the next book. I read that there is a brother or sister who is not in a relationship and I know right where it’s going.
9. Okay so part of this is me and part of this is not. This book has a long subtitle involving quilts. There is a quilt mentioned at the very beginning and it shows up a lot. But see, I thought that we were going to see Jenny learn to quilt or do all sorts of quilting or something. She doesn’t even begin to quilt until the second to last chapter. I was like, where’s the quilting? I want to see transformative, life changing quilting and I want to see it now. I think that was my misconception. But the quilt also wasn’t all that essential to the plot either. So, maybe make less of a big deal in the subtitle if your not gonna make a bigger deal of it in the book. Like they say, if you see a quilt in the first act, you should see quilting all through the book. I may have that quote wrong. But anyway, more quilts please.
I’m going to stop there but to finish my summary, I am going to give it over to the wisest, smartest, most celebrated poet of mine or any other generation. “We been spendin’ most our lives livin’ in an Amish Paradise” – Weird Al Yankovich.
If you liked this review, check out my blog at Slick Dungeon's Dusty Tomes and Terrible Films where I review books that I'd rather not read and review films that no one should see.
August 25, 2011
There were several issues I had with the novel. Jenny's character made no sense to me, she is supposed to be a modern woman, educated, well-traveled, and I'm going to guess a reporter on a national scale which is no small career feat. Yet she shows little political understanding, they don't even mention which war, ect. and gives up her career in a heartbeat to marry Matthew. If she didnt want to travel any longer, why couldnt she have gotten a job as a reporter for the local station or magazines? Why did she have to give up her career altogether?
I don't know, to me it seemed weird she gave up everything to be baptised and married, especially since she only spend two summers with her Amish grandmother. I don't know much about the Amish, but why did she have to convert for them to marry? I would think she would eventually feel resentment towards Matthew, especially with all of the new rules she will have to follow and no longer able to drive a car, travel overseas, and be involved in the world. She is supposed to be an intellectual, while he admits to having very little interest in the outside world.
I personally would go stir crazy, I want to know what is happening, to travel, ect. To feel like a part of the world.
I got the book free for the Nook, definitely not one I would pay for...
I don't know, to me it seemed weird she gave up everything to be baptised and married, especially since she only spend two summers with her Amish grandmother. I don't know much about the Amish, but why did she have to convert for them to marry? I would think she would eventually feel resentment towards Matthew, especially with all of the new rules she will have to follow and no longer able to drive a car, travel overseas, and be involved in the world. She is supposed to be an intellectual, while he admits to having very little interest in the outside world.
I personally would go stir crazy, I want to know what is happening, to travel, ect. To feel like a part of the world.
I got the book free for the Nook, definitely not one I would pay for...
October 11, 2010
I'm very excited about this book - seems to combine a contemporary suspense with Amish fiction.
April 18, 2019
There are many aspects of this book that I enjoyed. I liked the characters and the plot, but Jenny needed more internal conflict. While I understand she has gone through two life-changing events in her life, it would have helped the story if the author had shown some of her internal thoughts as she makes the huge decision to leave a career she loved after her close to death experience and then her decision to join the amish church and marry Matthew. This would have given more depth to her career. The narrator is a good reader. Happy reading/listening!
October 4, 2022
Maybe too sweet and too perfectly orchestrated, but I’ve always have been intrigued with the Amish lifestyle, reminding me of many trips with my Grandparents to places like Amana, and Amish Acres.
May 25, 2011
Jennie King is a television reporter reporting on the poverty of children in foreign countries. She was injured in a car bombing while on assignment, restricting her abilities to perform her job duties. While in the hospital, her Amish grandmother sent her a handmade quilt with a note welcoming Jennie to her Amish home for healing.
Matthew Bontrager, and Jennie fell in love as young teenagers one summer Jennie was visiting her grandmother, but unavoidable things happened and they hadn’t seen each other since, so the two went their own ways. Matthews life changed drastically when his wife died leaving him and their three children.
As Matthew and Jennie spend time together, Jennie wonders if God has different plans for her life than a television reporter, but someone has to watch out for the poverty of the children, and she is the only one they depend on. She is not sure she can leave her fast paced life as a traveling reporter to settle down in the Amish community. And there is another problem, Jennie is English and Matthew is Amish. They can’t be together for this reason alone, or can they?
I picked this book to read and review because I really like Amish fiction. This is my first reading of Barbara Cameron’s books, and he writing amazes me. To me, this book is a little different from most of the Amish stories I read. The Amish community in this book seems to me more understanding of the English ways, and not so condemning, even though they are strict in their beliefs. In enjoyed the awesome wisdom of Jennie’s Amish grandmother Phoebe . In every situation they faced, Phoebe’s words of wisdom were just the right advice. She was not bitter about life, though she has reasons to be. She was a fun loving grandmother and friend. I love the book cover, it fits the storyline of the book, and makes the characters look interesting.
This Book One in the Quilts of Lancaster County Series is a must read for those liking Amish fiction. You will fall in love with the heartwarming families, drawing you to the book until the last pages.
My thanks to Abingdon Press for providing me a copy of this book to read and review. The review and views in this review are mine only. I was not required or expected to write a positive review.
Matthew Bontrager, and Jennie fell in love as young teenagers one summer Jennie was visiting her grandmother, but unavoidable things happened and they hadn’t seen each other since, so the two went their own ways. Matthews life changed drastically when his wife died leaving him and their three children.
As Matthew and Jennie spend time together, Jennie wonders if God has different plans for her life than a television reporter, but someone has to watch out for the poverty of the children, and she is the only one they depend on. She is not sure she can leave her fast paced life as a traveling reporter to settle down in the Amish community. And there is another problem, Jennie is English and Matthew is Amish. They can’t be together for this reason alone, or can they?
I picked this book to read and review because I really like Amish fiction. This is my first reading of Barbara Cameron’s books, and he writing amazes me. To me, this book is a little different from most of the Amish stories I read. The Amish community in this book seems to me more understanding of the English ways, and not so condemning, even though they are strict in their beliefs. In enjoyed the awesome wisdom of Jennie’s Amish grandmother Phoebe . In every situation they faced, Phoebe’s words of wisdom were just the right advice. She was not bitter about life, though she has reasons to be. She was a fun loving grandmother and friend. I love the book cover, it fits the storyline of the book, and makes the characters look interesting.
This Book One in the Quilts of Lancaster County Series is a must read for those liking Amish fiction. You will fall in love with the heartwarming families, drawing you to the book until the last pages.
My thanks to Abingdon Press for providing me a copy of this book to read and review. The review and views in this review are mine only. I was not required or expected to write a positive review.
September 4, 2012
Sometimes when I want to get back to the simple things in life, I will pick up a book about Amish Life and read it. While A Time to Love, by Barbara Cameron may be a work of fiction, it teaches us about what is really important in life...love and family.
Jenny has come home, at least the only real home she has ever known. She needs to heal, physically, mentally and spiritually. She's been severely injured and now all she needs is time...to rethink, recover, and reacquaint herself with someone from her past.
Her grandmother is here to help her and also the neighbor, Matthew. Jenny remembers Matthew from oh so long ago. He was her first crush. But now how can she possibly be anything to anyone since the accident. Despite the disapproval from the elders in the Amish community. Jenny befriends Matthew and his young family. She learns along the way the sometimes the more simple things in life are the ones that matter the most.
Ms. Cameron has done such a wonderful job with portraying what could be a very sad and disheartening event in someone's life and turned it into one filled with hope and reaffirmation that God does have a plan for each and every one of us and that me must listen to Him.
If you are looking for a way to decompress from all the stresses of life, then perhaps this is the book to read. It sends a simple, yet effective message to the readers: rejoice in the fact that love and family are two of the most important things in life. Everything else is a distance third or fourth.
Oh and I don't want to forget the nice extra touches...the recipes!
Jenny has come home, at least the only real home she has ever known. She needs to heal, physically, mentally and spiritually. She's been severely injured and now all she needs is time...to rethink, recover, and reacquaint herself with someone from her past.
Her grandmother is here to help her and also the neighbor, Matthew. Jenny remembers Matthew from oh so long ago. He was her first crush. But now how can she possibly be anything to anyone since the accident. Despite the disapproval from the elders in the Amish community. Jenny befriends Matthew and his young family. She learns along the way the sometimes the more simple things in life are the ones that matter the most.
Ms. Cameron has done such a wonderful job with portraying what could be a very sad and disheartening event in someone's life and turned it into one filled with hope and reaffirmation that God does have a plan for each and every one of us and that me must listen to Him.
If you are looking for a way to decompress from all the stresses of life, then perhaps this is the book to read. It sends a simple, yet effective message to the readers: rejoice in the fact that love and family are two of the most important things in life. Everything else is a distance third or fourth.
Oh and I don't want to forget the nice extra touches...the recipes!
May 15, 2016
SUMMARY: War correspondent Jennie King thinks she’s just a temporary guest in her grandmother’s Amish community while she recuperates from the devastating injuries sustained in a car bomb attack that changed her world. But when she meets Matthew Bontrager, the man she had a crush on as a teenager, she wonders if God has a new plan for her. Jennie has emotional and physical scars and though she feels she has come home to this man and this place, she's not sure she can bridge the difference between their worlds.
REVIEW: A sweet Amish romance but with a bit of a twist since one of the twosome is a very modern, young war correspondent whose father was Amish but left. I loved Jennie's grandmother and how level headed and faith filled she was. She played a large part in directing Jennie's faith and helping in her choices. It was nice to see the romance between Matthew and Jennie being rekindled, and it was obvious how much she loved children from her interaction with the war children as well as Matthew's. Having gotten burned out on Amish due to so many books that felt very formulaic, I definitely liked the twist in this one.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "God is looking out for all His children, even when it seems He is not."
"I try not to worry about someone,....After all, it's arrogant to do so when God knows what He's doing. He has a plan for you."
"Worry about tomorrow steals the joy from today."
REVIEW: A sweet Amish romance but with a bit of a twist since one of the twosome is a very modern, young war correspondent whose father was Amish but left. I loved Jennie's grandmother and how level headed and faith filled she was. She played a large part in directing Jennie's faith and helping in her choices. It was nice to see the romance between Matthew and Jennie being rekindled, and it was obvious how much she loved children from her interaction with the war children as well as Matthew's. Having gotten burned out on Amish due to so many books that felt very formulaic, I definitely liked the twist in this one.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "God is looking out for all His children, even when it seems He is not."
"I try not to worry about someone,....After all, it's arrogant to do so when God knows what He's doing. He has a plan for you."
"Worry about tomorrow steals the joy from today."
June 2, 2012
My husband recently purchase me a Kindle and one of the free books I downloaded and just finished reading was A Time to Love by Barbara Cameron. I haven't read Amish fiction in a long time, though I do remember enjoying Beverly Lewis and Wanda Brunstetters' books.
Jenny, the heroine, is a reporter who covers the effects of war on innocent children. While on the job she is injured by a car bomb and returns to the states to recover. Soon she finds herself at her Amish Grandmother's house in Lancaster county to heal.
Matthew, her Grandmother's neighbor is the widowed father of three young children.
Jenny and Matthew knew each other many years ago when Jenny visited her Grandmother during the summer, the two of them meet again and rekindle their friendship.
The book is a nice easy read, filled with descriptions of food, the usual conflict between the Amish and English life and some mention of quilting.
I would have liked to see quilting play a bigger role in the story, as it's only mentioned that the Grandmother quilts, goes to quilting circles, and made Jenny a quilt she uses. Quilts are also used by Matthew and his family. This is book one in a three part series with book two being made available on Kindle as a free download recently too.
If you are looking for a christian romance set in Amish country you'll enjoy this book.
Jenny, the heroine, is a reporter who covers the effects of war on innocent children. While on the job she is injured by a car bomb and returns to the states to recover. Soon she finds herself at her Amish Grandmother's house in Lancaster county to heal.
Matthew, her Grandmother's neighbor is the widowed father of three young children.
Jenny and Matthew knew each other many years ago when Jenny visited her Grandmother during the summer, the two of them meet again and rekindle their friendship.
The book is a nice easy read, filled with descriptions of food, the usual conflict between the Amish and English life and some mention of quilting.
I would have liked to see quilting play a bigger role in the story, as it's only mentioned that the Grandmother quilts, goes to quilting circles, and made Jenny a quilt she uses. Quilts are also used by Matthew and his family. This is book one in a three part series with book two being made available on Kindle as a free download recently too.
If you are looking for a christian romance set in Amish country you'll enjoy this book.
November 7, 2016
A lighter read for a book. Jenny is a reporter for helping to get word out how so many children in various parts of the world are affected by poverty and the effects from wars and terrorism. She is a victim of a car bomb and goes home to her Grandmother's to heal. The twist is, that her grandmother is Amish. And thus while Jenny was raised outside of the Amish ways because her father left the church, Jenny was still able to see her Grandmother while growing up and learn some of the ways. But Jenny's father puts a stop to the visits when she is a teen, because he sees that she is falling in love, and didn't want his daughter to fall in the ways of the Amish. While Jenny is recuperating years later, she runs into her old flame, and thus love is rekindled. Jenny decides to give up her life in the big city to marry, become a mom to Matthew's children from his dead wife, and joins formally the Amish church and ways. This was a nice read, but I think that this book portrayed the Amish ways very relaxed as to whom they are and what there ways are and really about. I am not a very religious person, but I myself for whatever religion it would be, would want to have my religion portrayed honestly. In any case, still enjoyed the book and the love story.
July 17, 2012
Amish romances apparently aren't my thing because I'm a lazy "Englischer." Super special war-is-hard-on-children correspondent Jenny King is injured by a car bomb. She goes to her Amish grandmother's house to recover and ends up falling for Matthew, an Amish man whom she kissed once as a teen. He's conveniently a widower and father to 3 adorable and well-behaved children. Which is also convenient because Jenny loves kids and might be (gasp!) infertile due to her injuries. They have dinner together a few times, share some buggy rides and boom! Love, Amish style! Jenny starts to realize that the modern world is only good for little things like patching you up after car bombs and physical therapy, and the REAL deal is living the Plain Life. I quit this book when Matthew's sister tells him it's time to remarry and get a new mom for his hard-working-not-whiny-like-the-English-kids children.
I read this book on my Nook while wearing pants in my climate controlled apartment, which I'm sure the author thinks makes me a spoiled person. For a good book club activity, take a drink every time you read the word "quilt."
I read this book on my Nook while wearing pants in my climate controlled apartment, which I'm sure the author thinks makes me a spoiled person. For a good book club activity, take a drink every time you read the word "quilt."
July 29, 2014
A Very Good Read!
Jenny is a war correspondent who has been injured when a car bomb blew up near where she was standing. She goes to stay with her Amish Grandmother while she recuperates. Next door to her Grandmother's house lives Matthew a widower with three children. Jenny and Matthew became close in the past as teenagers when Jenny would visit her Grandmother in the summer time. Matthew's three children become quite smitten with Jenny and the feeling is mutual. Josiah a church elder isn't pleased that Jenny is around. He is afraid that she will bring the Englisch world into their Plain world. As the story line unfolds Jenny finds that she is in need of another surgery. Jenny has feelings for Matthew. She believes she can never have children because of the severe injuries that she suffered. How could Matthew love a woman so broken?
I found this book to be not only a good read but a fast one too. Once I started the book I couldn't put it down. Barbara Cameron is an excellent story teller that keeps you coming back for more. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, A Time to Heal. I highly recommend this series to all fiction Amish lovers.
Jenny is a war correspondent who has been injured when a car bomb blew up near where she was standing. She goes to stay with her Amish Grandmother while she recuperates. Next door to her Grandmother's house lives Matthew a widower with three children. Jenny and Matthew became close in the past as teenagers when Jenny would visit her Grandmother in the summer time. Matthew's three children become quite smitten with Jenny and the feeling is mutual. Josiah a church elder isn't pleased that Jenny is around. He is afraid that she will bring the Englisch world into their Plain world. As the story line unfolds Jenny finds that she is in need of another surgery. Jenny has feelings for Matthew. She believes she can never have children because of the severe injuries that she suffered. How could Matthew love a woman so broken?
I found this book to be not only a good read but a fast one too. Once I started the book I couldn't put it down. Barbara Cameron is an excellent story teller that keeps you coming back for more. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, A Time to Heal. I highly recommend this series to all fiction Amish lovers.
January 28, 2012
One of the better bonnet romances that I've ever read. The people actually behaved like real sane, sensible people and handled their problems and joys accordingly, with none of that idiotic "secret" stuff that usually drags-out most of these Amish stories in a nonsensical manner. They had real problems; they talk things out; they worked things out, finding wisdom and strength in their faith--how delightfully original! I hate so-called "Christian" fiction that portrays believers as more stupid and hysterical than your average adult and greatly prefer books like this where there is natural and realistic wisdom, comfort, and growth instead of stupid secrets and soap-opera histrionics. I found this book and its realistic and lovable characters and story an absolutely delightful breath of fresh air.
June 27, 2012
This was my first book read by Barbara Cameron and I feel in love with the book in the first chapter. I cant wait to read the next book in the series; looks to be about Hannah.
Jenny is no stranger to the Amish culture for her grandmother is Amish, and her father left the community but still followed the Amish faith out in the Englisch world. Jenny is recovering at her grandmother's after months of being in the hospital healing.
Jenny is reunitied with her crush of summers ago. Matthew is healing from the lose of his wife after three years of being a parent to three children, but with the help of his sister.
Will Jenny and Matthew reconnect as a couple?
Children?
Will there be other plans from someone else?
Jenny is no stranger to the Amish culture for her grandmother is Amish, and her father left the community but still followed the Amish faith out in the Englisch world. Jenny is recovering at her grandmother's after months of being in the hospital healing.
Jenny is reunitied with her crush of summers ago. Matthew is healing from the lose of his wife after three years of being a parent to three children, but with the help of his sister.
Will Jenny and Matthew reconnect as a couple?
Children?
Will there be other plans from someone else?
January 28, 2014
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought it would be a bore but I thoroughly enjoyed the story about Jenny and her journey to love. I thought it was realistic up to the point where she decided to give up her lifestyle and marry Matthew. I felt it would have been a tad bit more believable if there had been a bit more toiling in her thought processes about giving up her current lifestyle to join the Amish faith. Maybe that will be expounded upon more in the series. The connection between Jenny and Annie pulled at mY heart strings as well as the development of her relationship with Mary and Joshua. I loved her strength and vulnerability. I'm glad I read it and not passed it up for something else with a quilt on it.
January 6, 2014
Okay so I admit I'm not usually a huge Amish fiction fan. And honestly the only reason why I chose to read this book was because I needed a book with a quilt on the cover for a reading challenge. However, I was very surprised at how much I found myself truly enjoying this book! The storyline was very unique and I found myself falling in love with the characters, especially Matthew's precious daughter Annie! I really don't want to give anything away so I will just say that this book was so much better than I thought it would be, and I just might decide to read the rest of the series at some point in the future! I recommend this book, even if you don't usually like Amish fiction I encourage you to give it a try!
January 28, 2013
A war correspondent is severely injured in a bombing attack while on assignment. She is sent to her Amish grandmother's to recuperate. Jennie is barely able to do anything to care for herself, she is scarred, both emotionally and physically.
An Amish widower with three children, Matthew Bontrager used to be Jennie's friend when they were younger, both having crushes on each other. He befriends her again and the spark is re-kindled, but their worlds are so different, can they make it work?
Barbara Cameron's writing is full of warmth, is easy to read, and adds bits and pieces about Amish life that help add depth to the story.
An Amish widower with three children, Matthew Bontrager used to be Jennie's friend when they were younger, both having crushes on each other. He befriends her again and the spark is re-kindled, but their worlds are so different, can they make it work?
Barbara Cameron's writing is full of warmth, is easy to read, and adds bits and pieces about Amish life that help add depth to the story.
March 22, 2011
I didn't care for this book. It felt contrived and unreal, it was very simple. I knew the ending after the first few pages.
The beginning with Jenny's outburst at the stop sign seems like a completely different Jenny than the rest of the book.
I read the chapter of the next book. I bet the stranger is going to marry Hannah.
Altho I've made it a goal to read all the quilt fiction I find, but I don't want to read the next book of the series.
The beginning with Jenny's outburst at the stop sign seems like a completely different Jenny than the rest of the book.
I read the chapter of the next book. I bet the stranger is going to marry Hannah.
Altho I've made it a goal to read all the quilt fiction I find, but I don't want to read the next book of the series.
January 6, 2014
I loved this book! You never read stories about the civilians who volunteered to go into a war zone and how it affects them, so this story caught my interest from the start. The love story of Jenny and Matthew was so sweet! I was cheering each of them on in their journey! Overall, this was a fantastic book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
March 23, 2011
This book can be summed up in one word: CORNY! Although it is always interesting to catch a glimpse inside the Amish culture.
Another Kindle freebie. I guess it's true that you get what you pay for.
Another Kindle freebie. I guess it's true that you get what you pay for.
June 11, 2012
Got this book as a freebie on my Nook. It was corny, cheesy and predctable and what little story line there was just didn't ring true. I'm not sure why I spent the time finishing it, but I did.
June 25, 2019
Finished my first Christian fiction novel for the first time since I was a teenager. It was so good! I thought I still had a ways to go but turns out the last 29 pages included a glossary of Amish terms used in the book. Then a Discussion Questions section and then two chapters from the next novel in this series. So the book wasn't actually 300 pages! The story ended at page 273. After that chapter ended with a wedding day, I had turned the page to 274 expecting many more pages about their first days of marriage. What a disappointment when that next page was just a glossary and then discussion questions and then a 2 chapter teaser of the next book. Wow. So it ended perfectly. They made it to their wedding day! I cried at points in this book and that surprised me. I totally got into this story of an Englisch woman marrying the man she had a crush on as a teenager visiting her Amish grandmother one summer. They had been separated at the end of that summer and many years later God reunited them through a series of events where God showed up in trials and Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11 were applicable. Also, I learned something about worrying, from the grandmother who said worry is like being arrogant as if we should be telling God what he should do. Rather, we should be patient and remember Proverbs 16:9! Proverbs 3:5-6 apply as well. Good message and reminder to me each day over the time I spent reading this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2021
A nice story with a bit of romance. An overseas reporter is severely injured. She needs many months of recuperation and moves in with her only living relative, her Amish grandmother. Her relationship with her grandmother is restored after many years not seeing her. Next door a man she once knew as a teen, Jenny (main character) starts to become close to the children and their dad who is a widow. After a trip back to her home in New York she returns to Lancaster so she doesn't break a promise to a child. When she returns she knows this place is home. Jenny knows she has grown attached to the family and love deepens. The story is engaging most of the book. It is a little slow in the end and wraps up very quickly. It is the first in a series. I enjoyed the book. I plan on reading the next book in the future and see if I like it.
November 14, 2020
A book that kept on giving. I could not put it down as the Cameron captivated me as a reader from begging to end. What could have been a tragic end in Jennie King's life was only the beginning for her. The plot had the romance, first love, inspirational, and thought provoking ideas that only kept me wanting more. The books also had many characters that you wanted to know more about and the sense of community that kept wanting me keep reading after the book had ended. It was the perfect book to sitting and drinking coffee to and lose your self in. There is no need to worry yourself of inappropriate scenes was it was a clean book. This book is the prefect start to read if you are new to Amish romance books.
Emi
Emi
August 4, 2022
This was a nice easy (listen) for me. I only tried it as it was included 'free' with my audible membership.
I don't usually listen to American narrators, but found this one an exception.
The story was gentle, nothing too exciting really. Whilst I enjoyed the family aspects of this book,
Jenny & her grandmother plus Matthew and his family, I did think that the time Jenny took to recover, have more surgery, getting married etc, should have taken longer than what was portrayed in the book. Also, there was some inconsistencies with regards to Jenny's laptop, but this is fiction after all.
Saying that, I will prob listen to the next book in the series during my upcoming holiday.
I don't usually listen to American narrators, but found this one an exception.
The story was gentle, nothing too exciting really. Whilst I enjoyed the family aspects of this book,
Jenny & her grandmother plus Matthew and his family, I did think that the time Jenny took to recover, have more surgery, getting married etc, should have taken longer than what was portrayed in the book. Also, there was some inconsistencies with regards to Jenny's laptop, but this is fiction after all.
Saying that, I will prob listen to the next book in the series during my upcoming holiday.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2022
I put reading A Time to Love off for a long time because I thought it would be more about war than it actually was. A Time to Love is a sweet and simple second chance romance novel. Matthew and Jenny reunite while Jenny is at her grandmother's house recovering from the injuries she incurred in a car bomb attack.
The story line of this book is unique and it's a quick read. There are some inconsistencies in the story, minor details. Overall, it is an enjoyable read for those who enjoy Amish fiction.
The story line of this book is unique and it's a quick read. There are some inconsistencies in the story, minor details. Overall, it is an enjoyable read for those who enjoy Amish fiction.
July 19, 2018
The book was cute if you could get past some of the technical writing issues. Tiny things like misspelled words or words written twice which should have been caught by the editors. However, the book itself is a charming love story...love in many different forms. Learning to love oneself, learning to love and trust God and falling in love with the right man. I liked it overall.
November 5, 2022
Amish Romance
I don't read or listen to a lot of Amish stories, but I found this one interesting. A civilian reporter suffering from PTSD, is fairly rare. A women returning to her first love, not so much!
This was a delightful story of healing bodies and hearts!
I enjoyed the narration, but giggled when she pronounce Ecclesiastes. She did amazing with the adorable children's voices!
I don't read or listen to a lot of Amish stories, but I found this one interesting. A civilian reporter suffering from PTSD, is fairly rare. A women returning to her first love, not so much!
This was a delightful story of healing bodies and hearts!
I enjoyed the narration, but giggled when she pronounce Ecclesiastes. She did amazing with the adorable children's voices!
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