Book Review~The Courtship Basket

About the Book:

Years ago, a picnic basket brought two hearts together. For Rachel and Mike, history may be about to repeat itself.
Rachel Fisher is devastated when the young man she’s loved for years leaves her to date her best friend. Her heart is broken, and she has all but given up on love. Determined to keep her mind off the pain, she starts teaching at an Amish school for children with learning disabilities.
Since his father became ill, Mike Lantz has been overwhelmed with the responsibility of providing for his family and caring for his six-year-old brother, John. When John joins Rachel’s class and she learns that his mother is deceased and his father sick, she desperately wants to help the family, even with something as simple as a meal.
With her parents’ old picnic basket, Rachel begins sending food to the Lantz family. As the weeks go by, John’s grades start to improve, and the attraction grows between Rachel and Mike. They can’t deny that their friendship is growing toward something more, but both of them are hesitant to risk a more serious relationship.
The last thing Rachel wants is another heartbreak, and Mike is worried about providing for his loved ones. Will the two be able to reconcile their past hurts with new hope for the future?

What I Thought: 
The Courtship Basket is the second book in author Amy Clipston's Amish Heirloom series.  I did not read the first book in the series, The Forgotten Recipe-I'm not quite sure how that one slipped by me, as the author is one of my top ten amish fiction writers.  So, I will definitely have to go back and read that one!  The good news is that I discovered you do not need to read The Forgotten Recipe to understand The Courtship Basket-it stands alone just fine. 

The Courtship Basket caught my attention quickly and held it until the last page. I felt compassion for the main characters of Rachel and Mike. Rachel had her heart broken after a four-year relationship with the man she planned to marry, and Mike is caring for his very ill father and young brother. They both need someone in their lives, but neither thinks the timing is right. God has His own plans, however, and they must learn to open their hearts to each other. There are Discussion questions at the back of the book, making it a great Book Club choice. I highly recommend The Courtship Basket!

*I received a copy of this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.