Review of:  The Amish Cookie Club Courtship

Sarah Price.  Zebra, $8.99 (400p) ISBN 978-1-4201-4919-7

Readers of Amish fiction are in for a treat with the third in Price’s Amish Cookie Club series featuring four best friends and their families in the community of Shipshewana [p. 1].  In this installment, Wilma suggests that Edna hire her 19-year-old unmarried twin daughters Rachel and Ella Mae to assist with her cooking and baking business [p. 3]. However, the members of the Cookie Club figure out that Wilma’s true intention is to set them up with Edna’s bachelor sons, Jonah and Jeremiah [p. 7].  Edna reluctantly agrees to hire the girls as she needs the assistance, but frets as they have a reputation for bickering and lack of work ethic [p. 7]. As she gets to know the twins, she realizes that behind their similar appearances are two very different personalities, each with their own gifts [p. 139]. She realizes that they have never been allowed to develop separate identities and encourages the two to engage in activities apart from each other, which helps them mature and softens their competitiveness [p. 96 ff]. Despite her initial misgivings Edna realizes that the girls would in fact be excellent love matches for her boys and plays matchmaker as she finds ways to set Jeremiah up with Ella Mae and Jonas with Rachel [p. 97 ff]. However, when Rachel develops an interest in Jeremiah rather than Jonas, things quickly go awry with Edna’s best-laid plans [p. 111]. Price’s coming-of-age tale will charm fans with good-intentioned characters and a community filled with faith and friendship. [Nov]