The Amish Bride (Women of Lancaster County #3)

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The Amish Bride (Women of Lancaster County #3)

by Mindy Starns Clark, Leslie Gould (Goodreads Author)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 188 ratings · 38 reviews

Bestselling authors Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould offer readers The Amish Bride, Book 3 in the Women of Lancaster County series, which tells the stories of young Plain women as they explore their roots, connect with family, and discover true love.

Ella Bayer and Ezra Gundy are in love and hope to marry someday, but she is a young Mennonite woman while he is an Amish

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Paperback, 352 pages

Published August 1st 2012 by Harvest House Publishers

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Nov 12, 2012 My Book Addiction and More MBA rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: amish-fiction

THE AMISH BRIDE by Mindy Starns Clark & Leslie Gould is an interesting inspirational Amish fiction set in Lancaster,Pennsylvania. I love these Amish stories and this was no exception. Book 3 in "The Woman of Lancaster County"series,but can be read as a stand alone. Follow Ella Bayer, Ezra Gundy and a farm hand named Luke on a journey of forgiveness,patience,discovery,faith,redemption,healing,friendship,and love.While Ella and Ezra has loved each other for years,and wish to marry,they have on...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Barb Klein rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Amish Bride by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould is a story set in the Mennonite/Amish area of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and the Mennonite/Amish area of Lagrange and Elkhart in northern Indiana. This is about Ella, a Mennonite girl who just turned seventeen; and Ezra, a young Amish man who is trying to determine his goal and direction in life. The two of them live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Ella is sure she wants to marry Ezra, and Ezra seems to want to marry Ella, but her fam...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Judy rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Amish Bride – Loved it!

Oh this book was so good. I couldn’t put it down. I loved “The Amish Nanny” and “The Amish Midwife” but “The Amish Bride” is my favorite so far.

This book begins with the character Ella Bayer. She is very adamant to what she wants in life. She wants to own her own bakery and she wants to marry Ezra Gundy. There is only one problem. She is Mennonite and Ezra is Amish. Ella is willing to become Amish to marry Ezra. It seems that both families would like nothing more than...more The Amish Bride – Loved it!

Oh this book was so good. I couldn’t put it down. I loved “The Amish Nanny” and “The Amish Midwife” but “The Amish Bride” is my favorite so far.

This book begins with the character Ella Bayer. She is very adamant to what she wants in life. She wants to own her own bakery and she wants to marry Ezra Gundy. There is only one problem. She is Mennonite and Ezra is Amish. Ella is willing to become Amish to marry Ezra. It seems that both families would like nothing more than to keep them a part from each other.

Ella does a lot of planning on how to keep her and Ezra together. While she doesn’t come right out and lie, so she thinks, she just eliminates some important facts.

Ella finds out that Ezra is being sent to Indiana to work on a dairy farm. Ella devises a plan that would allow her to spend time in Indiana close by the dairy farm where Ezra is staying.

Will Ella’s plan work out for her? Does she and Ezra end up together? Does Ella become Amish?

This book is filled with a lot of characters. Some were very endearing to me. It would take up too much space to try to write about each one in this review. Besides, I think it would give away too much of the story. You will need to pick up a copy of this book to find out what makes it such a fantastic read!

This book addresses the issue of forgiveness. How often do we hang on to our hurts when we have been wronged? It is so easy to nurture those hurts and not let go. Forgiveness can be a tough issue at times and it isn’t always so easy to readily forgive. This story also shows us the value of letting God be in control of our life. Too often we are in the driver’s seat and we wonder why our life is so messed up.

Thank you Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould for writing a book that is such a good read that you don’t want it to end.

I’m hoping that we see a fourth book in The Women of Lancaster County. I want to find out more about Ella and her future!

I won this book on FaithfulReader.com. Thank you so much for the chance to do so. I have enjoyed this book immensely. The opinions that I shared are mine alone.
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May 28, 2012 Maureen Timerman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

How I loved my third visit with this family. Spending time again with Mammi, and Lizzie coming back. This book is focused on Ella and her journey with her faith, and family.
Ella has her heart set on marrying Erza Gundy...she even goes as far as Indiana to be near him. She feels everyone plotting against her when his family, and some of her own, come and take him back to Lancaster. Again to separate them.
I loved the new characters introduced in this book...especially little Eddie! How cute he is...more

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May 06, 2012 Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenge, netgalley, to-be-reviewed, a-z-title-challenge-2012, borrowed-library, series, series-completed

I enjoyed this book and received though net gallery. I am review. I truly enjoyed reading this. I could connect though the Characters of this book. The book starts out with Ella reviving a book from her grandmother. The book is from her Great Grandmother Sarah. There a mystery or code that Ella is asked to break in her great grandmothers book.

Her mother and grandmother and the Grandys want their relationship with Ella and Ezra to change. They Ezra is to go to a farm but Ella decides to go with h...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Mandolin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ella Bayer has a recipe for her life: go to baking school, open her own bakery, join the Amish church and marry her longtime love, Ezra Gundy. God may be in the picture somewhere, but He's only peripheral to her plans. Headstrong and feisty, Ella has no doubt that her recipe will lead to a bright, happy future. Heaven has other ideas for Ella, though, and throws some surprising ingredients into her life, stirring up events in ways that Ella could never have imagined.

Ella was certain that her fa...more Ella Bayer has a recipe for her life: go to baking school, open her own bakery, join the Amish church and marry her longtime love, Ezra Gundy. God may be in the picture somewhere, but He's only peripheral to her plans. Headstrong and feisty, Ella has no doubt that her recipe will lead to a bright, happy future. Heaven has other ideas for Ella, though, and throws some surprising ingredients into her life, stirring up events in ways that Ella could never have imagined.

Ella was certain that her family's secrets had all been unveiled when her cousins, Lexie and Ada, finally forced the truth about their parentage from the older generation. Her Mammi's revelation that deeper secrets remain and are tied to an old, encrypted journal kept by her great-grandmother intrigues Ella and sends her on a search for clues to decipher the journal and learn more about the fascinating woman whose personality seems so similar to her own. Though her curiosity is aroused, Ella is reluctant to trace the book back to her maternal grandmother's Indiana origins, for it would mean leaving behind Ezra and her family. The arrival of her absentee father and the Gundy's plans to send Ezra away, keeping him away from the marriage with Ella that they starkly oppose, provide her with the incentive to follow him to Indiana and use her time there to search for clues, attend baking school and work to gain the knowledge she'll need to open her own store. Things don't work out quite as she'd envisioned them, however, and Ella is bereft when Ezra is forced to return to Lancaster County while she remains behind in Indiana. Their separation leads her to rely on others for support, including a young Amish neighbor named Luke and her cousin Rosalee. Driven by loneliness, desperation and curiosity, Ella delves further into her family's secrets and learns a lot more about herself in the process. Ella undergoes a gradual transformation, changing from a willful, resentful girl to a young woman of faith with a heart open to forgiveness.

The Amish Bride is an uplifting read that, though not as good as the previous two books in the series, certainly rates an excellent review. The plot is well-paced with equal parts mystery, r0mance and inspiration. Unlike other Amish fiction novels that I've read recently, its focus is broad and not restricted to a love story that ends in a predictable conclusion. It touches on controversial topics including abuse and betrayal in honest and thoughtful ways. Ella's character is three-dimensional and full of flaws. She jumps to conclusions, acts impulsively and feels as if the world owes her everything that is good and perfect. Though it takes time, she learns how wrong she is and her journey of growth and change, though full of many wrong turns, inspires the reader to look into her own heart for a similar need for change. The supporting cast of characters are also realistically portrayed, but their personalities remain a bit flat which is one of the very few negative aspects of the book. Overall, I found the book both entertaining and insightful and give it a fully deserved five-star recommendation!(less)

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May 10, 2012 Mercedes Cordero rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 stars

This was a very interesting read. However, although the romance is what first attracted me to this novel, it is not what kept my interest. As the story opens, Ella's grandmother gives her a book, sort of a diary, that Ella's great-grandmother wrote since she was a child, right up until a few days before she died. Some parts of this diary are written in code, and Ella's grandmother is desperate to know what her mother wrote and asks Ella to decipher the code for her, since she has not...more 3 1/2 stars

This was a very interesting read. However, although the romance is what first attracted me to this novel, it is not what kept my interest. As the story opens, Ella's grandmother gives her a book, sort of a diary, that Ella's great-grandmother wrote since she was a child, right up until a few days before she died. Some parts of this diary are written in code, and Ella's grandmother is desperate to know what her mother wrote and asks Ella to decipher the code for her, since she has not been able to do so after many years of trying. Now, that got my attention. Not only because of the secrets that were obviously hidden in the diary, but because I wanted to know why Ella's grandmother needed to know what was written there. It is very clear since the beginning that it's not just curiosity: her peace of mind depends on it. I loved that; it intrigued me.

The story is well written; I loved learning more about the differences and similarities between Amish and Mennonites, and how they played out in Ella's and Ezra's romance as well as in the whole family dynamic. But the story is too long. Ella is a nice character but, although she is 17 going on 18 years old, most of the time her voice "sounds" much more older, more mature. What I mean is that it seems as if she was not written with an 18 year old in mind. I've seen this many times but in reverse: an older character that sounds like a teenager. I'm not saying that Ella acted like a mature adult. I'm saying she sounded like one: the choice of words, the phrasing.

I had mixed feelings about the romance (not in a bad way). Sometimes I loved Ezra. Other times, it amazed me how Ella could be in love with him. Luke, on the other hand, was so sweet and quiet that I sometimes wanted to shout "Speak up!" I really wanted Ella to pick one specific boy, but, strangely, I never stopped rooting for the other. Quite interesting. Both love interests were very well written, as well as Ella's mother, grandmother and brother.

It's a sweet story of love, forgiveness, faith and trusting God to lead us to what's best for us. It is the third book of a series, so there are many characters and a long family history behind it. It can stand alone, but read as a series should give the reader a better understanding of the family.

*I received a copy of this book from Harvest House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.(less)

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Aug 10, 2012 Kay Defreese rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the third book in the Women of Lancaster series and my favorite. In the first book we are just getting to know the characters and their history. I did not care too much for the second book since the regular characters were not in it too much. I really liked this book. We got visits from previous characters and able to catch up on what's going on in their lives.

Ella Bayer is a 19 year old Mennonite girl and all she wants in life is to become Ezra Gundry's Amish bride and to go to baking...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Just finished "The Amish Bride" by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould. I give it 5 stars. (It is the 3rd in The Women of Lancaster County Series). And I have to say this is my favorite one. In this book Ella Bayer has to learn forgiveness and to trust God no matter what His will is. She has two dreams, to open her own bakery and to marry Ezra. When her estrange father comes back to town Ella goes to Indiana to be with Ezra and to a baking school and to figure out a code in her great-grandmother...more

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Aug 09, 2012 April Suter rated it 4 of 5 stars

#3 in the series

Ella's Mammi (grandmother) gives her a journal written and drawn by Sally, Ella's great-grandmother, and sets her on a quest to deciper its contents. Some is in code, but the rest Ella finds is the story of Sally's life. Ella adds a line to the end of the book: "Find job. Go to school. Open bakery. Marry E. Visit Home Place. Her father returns and more family secrets are exposed. To find the answers in code in the journal Ella travels to Indiana to her grandmother's family home....more

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Aug 03, 2012 IrenesChristianReviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ella and Ezra plan to get married one day but circumstances are drawing them apart. With Ezra being sent away and Ella having feelings for another man will they find there way back to each other?

This is book three is the series called Women of Lancaster. You do not have to read the other books in the series but I would recommend it. You will gain a better understanding of the family dynamics and different characters throughout the book.

I liked the story of the two main characters and how they in...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Rachel Brand rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, amish, mindy-starns-clark, harvest-house, net-galley, romance, christian, 2012, leslie-gould

GENRE: AMISH ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: HARVEST HOUSE
PUBLICATION DATE: AUGUST 01, 2012
RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 – VERY GOOD

PROS: Ella’s character growth is realistic and endears her to the reader; great spiritual lessons about forgiveness and trusting God; good message about marriage

CONS: Wouldn’t recommend this to be read as a standalone novel; Ella’s immaturity may make her unsympathetic initially

Ella Bayer was raised Mennonite, but since she began dating Ezra Gundy she’s become convinced that she will one d...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is young adult fiction--a story about the decisions that come with "coming of age" that any young girl would be interested in. It was an interesting read for its view into the Amish culture. What a contrast to the "O'Brien Family Christmas" I just read. They are both basically love stories, but one heroine has a traditional view of chastity before marriage--the other not.

I would recommend it for teenage girls. Besides being clean, it's heroine has values that are worth emulating.

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May 08, 2013 D. Hodges rated it 4 of 5 stars

Things have finally come full circle for this family as now the bride gets married after learning the whole truth about her family. With things finally being tied up in Switzerland and you wanting them to uncover the hidden treasures of the wooden boxes life will never be the same for all of them. These books make we want to visit some of the areas that are discussed in the books. I would love it if the author could continue the saga of this family maybe in a new series of books.

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Mar 18, 2013 Judy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction

I enjoyed this soulful and inspirational story very much. Mennonite Ella Bayer is struggling with many issues including the return of her father who abandoned their family when she was three. Also, her Amish boyfriend is being sent away to Indiana to learn about dairy farming and she plots, without her family knowing it, to accompany him. While in Indiana, she tries to decode a mysterious journal that belonged to her great-grandmother. Lots of surprising events unfold.

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Dec 24, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Certainly enjoyed book # 3 in the Women of Lancaster county series. I loved getting to continue to follow the characters I'd previously met in the earlier books. It was wonderful watching Ella mature and grow into a young woman with a heart devoted to God. This book also reminded me of the saying, if you want to make God laugh tell Him your plans. This was a delightful tale of a young woman learning to bend her will to God's and learning to trust Him. There was never a dull moment in this book....more

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Aug 06, 2012 Judy Wise rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the best book in this Women of Lancaster County series. Ella wants to marry her boyfriend Ezra and also to run her own bakery. She must lots of endure many trials and also grow up before she finally reaches her goals. Lots of interesting things along the way and then does she really want to many Ezra.

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Jan 02, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the best of the trilogy. I'm so glad I stuck it out, this story was unpredictable and heartwarming. It really drew the generations together and healed a lot of family wounds. I can see how the story continued past the epilouge and imagine the happiness that the current generation brings to the future ones. I will certainly look for more books by this author in the future.

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Mar 19, 2013 Angie Casavecchia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Something about the Amish lifestyle intrigues me. This book was slow, but I enjoyed learning more about the Amish, even if it is a fictitious view.

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Aug 03, 2012 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-books

love this book, as I also loved reading the first two hard to put down and keeps you guessing through the whole book

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Aug 01, 2012 Mary Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another good read from Clark. Just enough mystery and a little romance thrown in.

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Feb 19, 2013 Donita Corman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent story of love and forgiveness..Even made me tear up once as the story unfolded...

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Feb 19, 2013 Theresa rated it 3 of 5 stars

sawed story. interesting to deaf about the different cultures

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Dec 25, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very good. I liked the part where Ella was studying under Pierre.

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Dec 12, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: brain-candy

My favorite of the Amish Midwife/Nanny/Bride series!

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Sep 05, 2012 Virginia Winfield rated it 4 of 5 stars

As good as all her other books. Easy read.

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Aug 05, 2012 Marilynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

It took me a little while to get into this book but I ended up really enjoying it

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Jan 17, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 and half stars. Different from most Amish novels I have read. I would recommend it.

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Nov 14, 2012 PWRL marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-new

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Jul 26, 2012 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

End of a trilogy! Anything by Mindy Starns Clark is good!

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About Mindy Starns Clark

A former singer and stand-up comedian, Mindy lives with her husband and two teenage daughters near Valley Forge, PA. She enjoys speaking to churches, civic groups, and libraries across the country. Her unique blend of humor and insight make her an audience favorite.

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The Amish Midwife (The Women of Lancaster County, #1)

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