A Christmas Engagement

A Christmas Engagement by Linda Byler has Liz planning on staying single the rest of her life after being disappointed in love. She cannot handle going through the heartbreak again. The restaurant where Liz works is purchased by Matthew who exasperates Liz. At the same time, Liz finds him handsome and attractive. When Matthew asks Liz out, will she say yes and risk her heart once again? A Christmas Engagement contains good writing, and we get to see inside Amish life. I like that there are comparisons between how the Amish have done things and how the current generation prefers to do them. I did feel that the characters lacked development. We are introduced to Liz with only a first name. The book is of the length (240 pages) that I wanted to know more about the characters and the setting. The books pacing fluctuated. I found it slow going at times especially when Liz was thinking about how she was betrayed by Ray, whether she can love again, and other such thoughts. There is also a repetition of information and predictable nature to the tale. A Christmas Engagement is a sweet story, but it needed a more depth. The Christmas element is not as expansive as I had hoped for a book with Christmas in the title. I did enjoy the Christian elements in the story. My favorite message is that we are never alone as long as we have God in our life. If you are looking to escape from everyday life, then The Christmas Engagement fits the bill. The Christmas Engagement is a subdued Amish novel with an energetic eatery, a hurt heart, a massive wedding, a profusion of food, and the magic of Christmas.