Book Review: Lilly's Wedding Quilt

From the publisher: Handsome, headstrong Jacob offers Lilly his hand in marriage, but his heart belongs to someone ese. While Lilly Lapp has loved Jacob for years, she wouldn't compete with Sarah King, the woman Jacob was determined to marry. But when Sarah marries another, Jacob spontaneously agrees to wed Lilly.


Lilly divides her time between teaching the local Amish children and caring for her widowed mother who suffers from depression. Lilly's faith comforts her, but her heart still longs to be the sole object of Jacob's affection. As the days slip by, Lilly decides that hoping is too risky and vows to protect her heart. But God is subtly as work, and as winter turns to spring, their hearts awaken.
The furthest thing from Lilly's mind is her Amish wedding quilt, a traditional gift for new brides. And the person she'd least suspect is the one making it. Like stray pieces of fabric quilted into a new design, Jacob and Lilly's marriage begins to bind them together in ways neither expected.
My review: Lilly's Wedding Quilt is the second in the author's "A Patch of Heaven" novels (Sarah's Garden being the first). I haven’t read Sarah’s Garden and I don’t think it would be necessary to do so before reading this selection. There are some characters that are the same but the stories are entirely different. I consider myself to be a lover of Amish fiction. I have always enjoyed hearing stories from my Amish family and their lives. (It doesn’t hurt that I’m a teacher like Lilly and a quilter, too!) I loved the story of Lilly's Wedding Quilt. I couldn’t put this book down – the characters are easy to follow, the story is enticing and the obvious love the characters were building toward each other was great. Of course, there is the common ground of God and his guidance in their lives (and ours) throughout the book and the characters’ belief that He is in charge of the way their lives turn. I loved the ending, too, when the readers see just how strong Jacob’s love has gotten for his wife, Lilly!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”