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Thank you to Amy Clipston for sending Hope and Wildflowers Building a Future to read and share with our followers. It’s an honor to be part of Amy’s Bookworm Bunch and to share Amy’s latest book releases and stories.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Title:  Building A Future

Genre: Sweet, inspirational Amish romance

Authors:  Amy Clipston

Publisher: Zondervan

Book Length: Full-length novel (85,000 words)

• Includes discussion questions for the book club’s second
• d book in Amy Clipston’s Amish Legacy series
  • Book 1: Foundation of Love
  • Book 2: Building a Future
  • Book 3: Breaking New Ground (coming summer 2023)
  • Book 4: The Heart’s Shelter (coming winter 2024)

DESCRIPTION

They both had different plans for their futures . . . until their hearts led them to each other.

Michelle Lantz dreams of marrying and starting a family, and now that she’s been dating Korey for over a year, she thought it was only a matter of time before he proposed. But lately, Korey has seemed distant and is far from the attentive boyfriend she once knew. They’ve spent so much time together that she feels she can’t give up on their relationship, but she begins to question her own feelings as his seem to cool.

Tyler Bontrager is focused on expanding his father’s roofing company so he can take over one day. He throws himself into his work and thinks he’s too busy to worry about finding a wife. He and his brother Korey find themselves continually arguing: Tyler doesn’t approve of how Korey treats Michelle and Korey thinks Tyler is out to take anything that’s his. When Tyler happens to be around when Michelle needs a listening ear, he is startled to realize that he has feelings for Michelle, so he denies them because his relationship with his brother is too important.

But when there’s an accident and lives are at stake, true feelings come to the surface. Is it possible for Michelle and Tyler to put aside their feelings for the sake of their relationships with Korey, or will they find a new foundation on which to build their future?

“Amy Clipston once again entertains us with a story that reaches all the way to the heart.” —Vannetta Chapman, USA TODAY bestselling author.

MY THOUGHTS

An Emotionally Resonant Story of Love and Family

If you enjoyed Foundation of Love by Amy Cliptson, you would want to read her latest in Amy Clipston’s Amish Legacy Series. Amy has an incredible way of making the reader feel like they are right in her stories with such descriptive writing that makes each of her stories richly atmospheric to make the reader feel more connected and true to life.

“The midmorning sky was bright blue and blushed with white, fluffy clouds. Birds sang in nearby trees while the colorful flower in her mother’s garden danced in the warm breeze. Two squirrels raced by, chattering on their way toward a large oak tree. The air smelled of moist earth mixed with animals” (Clipston, 2022, p.28).

Building A Future is a follow-up story from Amy’s Foundation of Love story. The way Amy interlaced the characters, Crystal and Duane, from, Foundation of Love made, was like catching up with some dear friends. That is how believable and relatable Amy develops each of her Amish characters. With the seamless plot twists,  the story held my attention very well all the way through until the very end. In Building a Future, Amy introduces three main characters, Michelle and two familiar characters, Korey and Tyler, from Foundation of Love. Throughout the story, my heart felt tugged on, wanting to see the best for each of these characters and have a happy ending. Amy captured each character’s struggles and conflicts so well that I could not wait until the next chapter. There were moments in this book I, as the reader, felt that I could feel and relate to Michelle and Tyler in some ways. With an overly complicated situation, it is sometimes challenging and distracting to pray and hope to do the right thing and not go against God’s will or intentions when wanting something or wanting to be with someone so badly. While one may know something is meant to be or happened, it can seem impossible when everything is standing in the way and seems unimaginable to move or make happen. These characters kept seeking and praying for guidance and understanding, which is often very hard to do when you want no one to get hurt and uncertain about what is God’s will. I think this type of situation is not often discussed or touched on often because it is hard to talk about or admit. Amy does an incredible job writing about similar circumstances to let her readers know this does happen even in Amish communities, and the reader, if in this type of situation, is not alone. It was evident in the story Michelle and Tyler had the decision to make but was trapped like wheels spinning in the mud. Amy skillfully wrote the plot with great depth and precision with a peaceful resolution, taking each character’s feelings into account and the ability to seek and correct unresolved conflicts. I hope to read more about Korey, Tyler, and Michelle and their journey in the upcoming series. This is an excellent delivery of what is meant to be will find a way.

Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing “career” began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and five spoiled rotten cats. Read more about Amy here.