Blog tour: Katie's Way by Marta Perry

Paperback, 352 pages
Published November 1st 2011 by Berkley Trade
ISBN: 0425243222 (ISBN13: 9780425243220)

Still grieving over a broken heart, Katie Miller moves to Pleasant Valley to open her very own quilt shop. Back home she worked in her mother's quilt shop so she has some experience to fall back on.
Not only did Katie lose Eli, the man she loved, she lost her best friend who married Eli almost four years ago but she is one  young lady who is determined to succeed. She has one year to prove to her family that she can make a go of the shop.

One way to draw in more customers is to offer quilting lessons and Katie runs with this idea. Soon, both Amish and Englisch are mingling amiably together in the shop. Not only does Katie have the business to worry about but her parents left her younger, somewhat rebellious sister, Rhoda, in her care. Rhoda soon finds her own place in Pleasant Valley and she and Katie become a good team but it's not easy at times. The shop is a little off the beaten path and business is not as brisk as Katie would like so some of the town's merchants cook up an advertising scheme to promote Pennsylvania Dutch Days. A few of the townspeople feel they don't really want too many tourists overrunning the area but the plan goes ahead.

When acts of vandalism start to occur, everyone is worried about why this is happening. Is the outside world trying to intrude or could one of the Plain People be taking matters into their own hands?  Caleb, who shares a storefront with Katie, has his own feelings about the situation. He too is nursing a broken heart and spirit. Just being able to make his furniture and a living is fine with him. He doesn't need too much interaction with other people but life has a funny way of helping people heal. It's almost a foregone conclusion he and Katie will be attracted to each other but how they decide to handle their feelings is a big part of the story. 

" Endings. Beginnings. That was what made up life, wasn't it? She'd just like to know whether she was at an ending or a beginning."

Well, I like the ending and the beginning and all the pages in between! 4****

Lately, I've gotten into reading Amish fiction and found I really enjoy it. In Katie's Way, Marta Perry introduces some loveable characters along with a solid plot. There's a little bit of mystery to the story along with the romance, sense of community, life choices and friendship. After reading this book, I tried another one of Perry's books, Hide in Plain Sight,  and liked that one very much also.

About the author: A lifetime spend in rural Pennsylvania and her own Pennsylvania Dutch roots led Marta Perry to write about the Plain People who add to the rich heritage of her home state. She is the author of more than thirty-five inspirational romance novels and lives with her husband in a century-old farmhouse. You can read more about Marta at her website.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Berkley Trade in exchange for my honest opinion.  Thanks also to Pump Up your Book  for allowing me to participate in the tour.