With tourist season about to start, Edna Esh is busier than ever, baking with her Amish Cookie Club friends and running her business serving meals to Englische tourists. You wouldn’t think she’d have time for matchmaking . . . Edna couldn’t be happier that her new daughter-in-law, Bethany, is pregnant. But Bethany is also her best helper, and morning sickness has her out of commission. Desperate for more hands, Edna accepts a friend’s offer for her twin daughters, Rachel and Ella Mae, to step in. Trouble is, the young women are constantly bickering—except when Edna’s sons, Jeremiah and Jonas, are around . . . It's soon clear that Rachel has taken a shine to Jeremiah, while Jonas is smitten with Ella Mae. It’s also clear the feelings aren’t reciprocated. But after confiding in the Cookie Club, Edna devises a plan for the pairs to spend more time together. The only problem is it seems to be failing. Yet it appears there’s a grander plan at work—and as nature takes its course, and the MayFest arrives, there’s reason to look forward to the bountiful sweetness of a double wedding come autumn . . . Includes Cookie Recipes!

"Includes cookie recipes!"--Page 4 of cover.

Every other Friday, Edna Esh and three of her childhood friends meet to bake sugar cookies for their respective church districts on worship Sunday. It’s a time to give to the Plain community—and give support to each other as they share their joys and fears . . . Edna’s friend, Verna Bontrager, has a problem. Her outspoken twenty-year-old daughter, Myrna, has been fired from her job. Again. Myrna’s family really needs her to chip in, but she’s clearly unsuited to customer service—not to mention that her sharp tongue scares away any boy who might come courting. But Edna has an idea—and his name is Ezekiel Riehl. A widower with four young children, Ezekiel needs help. His house and his brood are a mess; his demeanor is gruff. It’s no surprise Myrna takes an immediate dislike to him. Yet she has no choice but to take on the challenge—and soon she starts to create order out of chaos. In fact, the kids begin to depend on Myrna—and so does Ezekiel. The truth is, she’s fallen in love with him. But if he’s to prove he’s not looking for a marriage of convenience, he’ll have to convince her of what’s in his heart . . . Includes Cookie recipes!

In author Sarah Price’s fresh and inspirational retelling of a beloved classic, a dutiful young Amish woman agrees to marry a notorious recluse for her family’s sake—but the consequences are more than either bargained for . . . To most townsfolk, he’s known simply as The Beast. Annabelle Beiler has little interest in gossip, but she’s heard about Adam Herschberger’s scars and his gruff, solitary ways. Though he sounds like a character from one of Belle’s treasured books, the man is real and, it turns out, just as unreasonable as the rumors claim. When a buggy accident wipes out the last of her daed’s money, forcing him to sell their farm, Adam buys it. Then he offers Belle a deal—marry him, and her family can keep their home. Everyone is shocked by Belle’s decision, but she’s determined to be a good fraa, cleaning Adam’s rundown house and tending the overgrown garden. Breaking through her new husband’s icy reserve will be another matter. Belle’s courage and strength are abundant, but it will take true faith to guide Adam back to the heart of his Amish community—and to the loving marriage they both deserve.

Baking cookies every other Friday for their respective church districts gives Edna Esh and three of her closest friends a chance to give to the Plain community and strengthen their bond with each other. Now, with the blessings of Christmas in the air, they may even whip up a recipe for love . . . With the holidays around the corner, Edna is busier than ever juggling baking with her business serving meals to Englische tourists. Thank goodness for Mary Ropp’s help—until she breaks her leg. Mary’s daughter, Bethany, is available to fill in, but Edna isn’t so certain. She knows Bethany is so painfully shy that she’s never even courted, never mind interacting with Englische tourists! But the remedy may be closer than they think . . . When Bethany gets into a scrape with her bicycle, a personable, talkative young man comes to her rescue, and even accompanies her home. And he’s none other than John Esh—Edna’s oldest son. When he stops by again the next day, Mary gets an idea. Soon, with the encouragement of the Cookie Club, Bethany is indeed helping Edna, and spending more time around the Esh household—and John. As Bethany slowly comes out of her shell, it seems she and John have much in common—maybe enough to inspire a winter wedding—and the club’s sweetest creation yet . . . Includes Cookie Recipes!

The first in this “book lover’s dream” (Carla Laureano, author of Under Scottish Stars) series from the New York Times bestselling author of The Loyal One follows a bookmobile driver-turned-matchmaker as she discovers that her Amish patrons need a whole lot more than just something to read. Aaron Coblentz has a secret: he’s been studying to take the GED. But he can’t let his Amish family know, not when his older brother already left the faith just a year after getting baptized, practically crippling the family. When Aaron asks bookmobile librarian Sarah Anne Miller for some additional study guides, she does one better. She arranges for Kayla Kaufman to be his tutor. Kayla has a secret, too. Her life has been turned upside down in a matter of months—her mother’s death propelled her father into a constant state of depression, and unable to deal with his erratic behavior, her longtime boyfriend has broken things off. But despite losing those she holds most dear, she hasn’t completely given up on love. Only now she seeks to find it in the sweet romance novels she checks out from Sarah Anne’s bookmobile. As Aaron and Kayla’s study sessions start to feel less like work and more like pleasure, they soon “discover the true magic of unexpected love” (Woman’s World).

This book presents a comprehensive overview of global courtship and marriage customs, from ancient history to contemporary society, demonstrating the vast differences as well as the similarities across all of human culture. This second edition of Marriage Customs of the World examines historical context, social significance, and current trends and controversies of matrimony in the Western world as well as other cultures. Apart from detailing the ceremonies from specific countries, the book identifies specific elements of the wedding event and discusses them in a comparative manner, showcasing the similarities across cultures. The new content in this work includes additional information on courtship and how future spouses are found in other cultures; marriage in art, cinema, theater, and poetry; wedding bands; forced marriages and shotgun weddings; New Year's weddings; legislation regarding marriage; and engagement practices. Entries carried over from the first edition have been revised and updated as well. With its broad scope and consideration of contemporary issues alongside historical information, this work will be ideal for high school and undergraduate students; scholars of anthropology, social studies, and history; and general readers.