Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book. This is the third in the Amish Marketplace series, about four female cousins. Each one has a booth at the Marketplace where they sell their goods to Amish and non-Amish customers. Bethany runs The Coffee Corner, a coffee and donut shop with an ever-changing variety of flavored coffees. This is her story.
Bethany is a cheerful young woman who makes all visitors to her booth feel welcome. She and her three cousins are very close and used to eat lunch together on the days they worked at the Marketplace. But two of those cousins, Christina and Salina, found boyfriends and married recently and haven't been as available for their visits. Bethany is happy for them but wonders if she'll ever find a love of her own. I liked Bethany a lot. Her kind heart shines through in everything she does. She also frequently frustrated me because she is so pessimistic about her appeal as a possible wife and mother.
Micah and his grandfather, Enos, come to Bethany's booth every Saturday morning. Micah came to live with Enos to help his grandfather and also learn the carpentry business. He also wanted to get away from his father, who was constantly critical of Micah and his desire to be a carpenter rather than a farmer. His father's lack of sympathy over the death of Micah's fiancée was the final blow to Micah's relationship with his family. His father's attitude affected Micah's belief in himself, and his grief over his fiancée's death left him unwilling to risk his heart again.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Bethany and Micah. Over the months that Micah visits the Coffee Corner, Bethany developed quite the crush on him. Lost in his grief, Micah remains oblivious to her for the longest time, reinforcing Bethany's belief in her lack of appeal. Unfortunately, once he does begin to notice her, his shyness and lack of confidence prevent him from doing anything about it. Bethany believes she'll have to settle for friendship, though her cousins encourage her to be more proactive. Just when things start to look up a little, a more brazen Amish woman makes a play for Micah. Sara Ann knows just what kind of sly digs will hurt Bethany, and she uses them to great effect. Meanwhile, Micah doesn't know how to handle Sara Ann's aggressiveness, complicating his growing interest in Bethany.
Then tragedy strikes and Enos's death leaves Micah feeling adrift and alone. Besides their family relationship, Enos was Micah's best friend. Micah's grief overwhelms him; then, he discovers that their business was in serious financial trouble. I ached for Micah, who saw no way out of the mess other than selling everything and leaving. Meanwhile, Bethany seems to be the only person in the community who worries about Micah. I loved seeing her try to get him to open up to her, share his grief and worries, and ached for her when he pushed her away. When Micah's despair carries him down a destructive path, it is up to Bethany to find a way to bring him back. I loved the way she did it, enlisting the kind of help that would be hard to turn down. Once Micah sees hope for his future, he's more willing to offer Bethany his heart. Her happiness when she discovered he returned her feelings was a joy to see.
Bethany is a cheerful young woman who makes all visitors to her booth feel welcome. She and her three cousins are very close and used to eat lunch together on the days they worked at the Marketplace. But two of those cousins, Christina and Salina, found boyfriends and married recently and haven't been as available for their visits. Bethany is happy for them but wonders if she'll ever find a love of her own. I liked Bethany a lot. Her kind heart shines through in everything she does. She also frequently frustrated me because she is so pessimistic about her appeal as a possible wife and mother.
Micah and his grandfather, Enos, come to Bethany's booth every Saturday morning. Micah came to live with Enos to help his grandfather and also learn the carpentry business. He also wanted to get away from his father, who was constantly critical of Micah and his desire to be a carpenter rather than a farmer. His father's lack of sympathy over the death of Micah's fiancée was the final blow to Micah's relationship with his family. His father's attitude affected Micah's belief in himself, and his grief over his fiancée's death left him unwilling to risk his heart again.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Bethany and Micah. Over the months that Micah visits the Coffee Corner, Bethany developed quite the crush on him. Lost in his grief, Micah remains oblivious to her for the longest time, reinforcing Bethany's belief in her lack of appeal. Unfortunately, once he does begin to notice her, his shyness and lack of confidence prevent him from doing anything about it. Bethany believes she'll have to settle for friendship, though her cousins encourage her to be more proactive. Just when things start to look up a little, a more brazen Amish woman makes a play for Micah. Sara Ann knows just what kind of sly digs will hurt Bethany, and she uses them to great effect. Meanwhile, Micah doesn't know how to handle Sara Ann's aggressiveness, complicating his growing interest in Bethany.
Then tragedy strikes and Enos's death leaves Micah feeling adrift and alone. Besides their family relationship, Enos was Micah's best friend. Micah's grief overwhelms him; then, he discovers that their business was in serious financial trouble. I ached for Micah, who saw no way out of the mess other than selling everything and leaving. Meanwhile, Bethany seems to be the only person in the community who worries about Micah. I loved seeing her try to get him to open up to her, share his grief and worries, and ached for her when he pushed her away. When Micah's despair carries him down a destructive path, it is up to Bethany to find a way to bring him back. I loved the way she did it, enlisting the kind of help that would be hard to turn down. Once Micah sees hope for his future, he's more willing to offer Bethany his heart. Her happiness when she discovered he returned her feelings was a joy to see.
