Book Review: Emma Blooms at Last by Naomi King

If Amish fiction is a favorite of yours, then Naomi King is an author you need to read.

In Emma Blooms at Last, the second book of King's One Big Happy Family series, Amanda and Wyman Brubaker are thrilled that their blended family is bonding together. But when construction on Wyman's grain elevator is delayed causing the cost of the project to rise, Amanda's rallying of the children to work and help with the family's finances comes into conflict with Wyman's sense of responsibility as the provider.

Meanwhile, Amanda's nephew Jerome has been sweet on Emma Graber for a long while. While he wishes to get to know shy, quiet Emma better, she isn't sure how to trust fun-loving, never-serious Jerome. As they struggle to understand each other, the Brubakers face a challenge that allows them all to discover what it means to fight the Amish way.


I have not read a book by Naomi King in so long, I truly forgot how much I loved them. Her characters are real. You understand and sympathize with their plights. You want them to succeed. The reader can meet the Brubakers in the first book of this series if they want to start from the beginning, but it is not necessary. Emma Blooms at Last is a total stand-alone novel.

In this heartwarming story, you have two plots running: the Brubakers dealing with a financial crisis and Emma unsure of Jerome's intentions and how they could ever be a couple. Since all of King's books create that sense of community so often found in Amish fiction, these two stories blend nicely. You see family member roles evolving as challenges present themselves.

What's truly nice to see in this story is Emma's transformation. She learns things about herself and her abilities along the way to discovering her feelings for Jerome. So, Emma Blooms at Last is not only about the romance between Emma and Jerome. It is a story of woman taking a leap of faith that she can use her God-given talents to help her community and that the man God has brought into her life is right for her.

Emma Blooms at Last is a touching story that fans of Amish fiction will enjoy from beginning to end. I hope we see more from King soon.


Series: One Big Happy Family (Book 2)
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley (November 4, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780451417886
ISBN-13: 978-0451417886
ASIN: 0451417887

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Preview: Amanda Weds a Good Man by Naomi King

Amanda Lambright loves Wyman Brubaker, and after four years as a single mother, she is grateful for his support and for this new chance at happiness as his wife. She’s confident that their children will get along just fine. But once Amanda’s clan moves into Wyman’s home, the tight quarters and Wyman’s reluctance to make changes to accommodate Amanda cause friction. The older kids are squabbling. The little ones are frequently in tears. Tiny Alice Ann isn’t speaking at all. Amanda and Wyman can’t find any privacy. And Amanda wonders if she’ll ever have a chance to pursue the pottery making that means so much to her.

Amanda believes that family lies at the center of any well-lived Amish life. Can she find the wisdom to guide the reluctant members of her new extended family toward the love that will bind them together?

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I'm not quite done with this book yet, so I'll give you a little preview of what it's like so far.

The main story is the blending of Amanda Lambright's family with the family of Wyman Brubaker. A widow, Amanda lives with her three girls, her elderly mother-in-law, and her nephew, who she has cared for since he was orphaned. Wyman is a widower with three boys and two girls of his own. Are you humming the tune to The Brady Bunch yet?

Amanda and Wyman are very much in love, but that doesn't mean blending their families will be easy. Amanda's mother-in-law, Jemima, is cantankerous and outspoken. Wyman's youngest boy, Simon, tends to leap before he looks, creating all kinds of mischief. Wyman is pressuring his oldest daughter, Vera, to set her sights on marriage instead of making wind chimes to sell. Though it means a much better life financially for Amanda's family, she is the one who must decide what she can bring into her new home and what must be left behind; and is also the one coming into a home that is filled with memories of Wyman's first wife.

One Big Happy Family is a subseries of King's Home at Cedar Creek series. Like her other books, a strong sense of community runs through this novel. Amanda Weds a Good Man features characters that readers of the first series will be familiar with. After helping with three weddings in a row, Abby Lambright is wondering if James Graber will finally ask for her hand. Emma Graber is concerned she'll never catch the attention of any young man. Even newlyweds Matt and Rosemary Lambright make an appearance.

If you've enjoyed the Cedar Creek series, and if you like wonderfully told Amish stories, you'll want to check out Amanda Weds a Good Man. My full review will follow soon.


Series: One Big Happy Family (Book 1)
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade (November 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451417879
ISBN-13: 978-0451417879

I received a free copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.