A Love Made New

Written by Kathleen Fuller

Narrated by Lauren Berst

Abigail Schrock knows God can make all things new, but does that include her broken heart?

It seems as if everyone is falling in love in Birch Creek, including Abigail Schrock. But when heartbreak descends on her already fragile world, she can’t help but feel that if she’d only been a little prettier, she could be on her way down the aisle. To make matters worse, Abigail’s two sisters have found love, and all Abigail can seem to find is the chocolate she has stashed away in the pantry.

Asa Bontrager has never had trouble with the ladies in his Amish community—his good looks have always gotten him far. Which is why he’s baffled by the call he’s received from God to pursue Abigail, a woman who seems determined to turn him away.

Can Abigail find the peace and joy she so desperately desires? Will she allow herself to stop running and melt into the embrace of unforeseen comfort? If she does, she may discover a love powerful enough to restore her hope in a promising future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Sep 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9780785241317

Kathleen Fuller

With over two million copies sold, Kathleen Fuller is the USA TODAY bestselling author of several bestselling novels, including the Hearts of Middlefield novels, the Middlefield Family novels, the Amish of Birch Creek series, and the Amish Letters series as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. Visit her online at KathleenFuller.com; Instagram: @kf_booksandhooks; Facebook: @WriterKathleenFuller; X: @TheKatJam.

Reviews for A Love Made New

[harley0326 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is always nice to revisit old friends and that is how I felt about this book. The author makes her characters come alive and you get invested in them. They become friends and it's nice when you can sit down and catch up . I'm glad to be back in Birch Creek and find out answers about my friends. Abigail is finally home after helping her sister recuperate after an injury. It has been hard for Abigail to be away from Joel who she adores. When she arrives to see him, she can sense that something has changed between them. My heart broke as I felt her pain when she realized that Joel didn't want to be with her anymore. Why did Joel break up with her? Was it because Abigail has gained weight ? Did he find someone else while she was away from home ? The author really gives readers a feel for the heartbreak Abigail experiences. It is always hard when you get rejected by someone. You blame yourself and start to believe that no one will ever love you again. It was hard to read about how Abigail became almost like a recluse and had a hard time trusting anyone. There are definite moments in the story where I felt tears come to my eyes. How many of us have believed lies that we were ugly, not smart enough or maybe our weight was an issue? I really admire the way the author showed that love is not about looks, but about our heart. Asa was a great character to get to know better. God had a plan for Asa to return home so he gave up everything and obeyed God. I wonder if we would give up everything and follow God ? I'm sure there were doubts in Asa's mind but he was determined to do as God said. I loved how Abigail and Asa's paths crossed. Little did they know that they would help each other with their emotional baggage. One of the strongest messages in the story is about forgiveness. It is one of the hardest things to do when you have been hurt. The author does an exceptional job of allowing characters to explore their hurt and allow God to soften their hearts. One of the other messages I found throughout the book was about acceptance. I'm sure we can each say we have felt at one time that people have judged us because we had sinned. We hold our head down in shame and start to feel like no one wants us. Once again the author delivers very strong characters who will journey through feeling unwanted, unloved and a strong sense of low self esteem. I loved this book so much because the story flows so easily and each character was very relatable. There are several more characters you will meet in the book that play pivotal roles in the story. I highly recommend this book to readers who love a great story about forgiveness , trust and a bit of intrigue which I found to be very well written. I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Fiction Guild. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Love Made New by Kathleen Fuller is the third book in An Amish of Birch Creek series. Abigail Schrock has just returned home after being away for six weeks with Joanna, her injured sister. Joanna was injured in the same accident that killed their parents. Abigail is very excited to see her beau, Joel. She hurries over to his home and does not get the warm greeting she expected. Abigail fears it is because of her weight gain (she eats when unhappy or stressed). Joel has fallen for someone else while Abigail was away (helping Joanna with her rehab). Abigail is just heartbroken. Asa Bontrager runs into Abigail on her way home and tries to assist her, but she rebuffs him (repeatedly). Asa Bontrager moved to Birch Creek because he felt that God had led him to Birch Creek. He gave up everything in his old life when he relocated. God is now leading him to Abigail. Asa knows that he will have to take is slow and earn Abigail’s trust. It turns out that Abigail needs help learning to manage her accounts for her rug business. Asa happens to be very good with numbers and it the perfect person to teach her bookkeeping (Abigail does not even have a bank account). Can Abigail learn to trust again? Will she be able to forgiveness Joel and see it was the best thing that ever happened to her?Sol Troyer has changed his ways. God has slowly changed him (from being drunk, irresponsible, rude), but Sol has to prove himself to the members of his community. Sol now makes and sells birdhouses. He has a client that would like a painted birdhouse, and Irene is recommended for the position. Irene is not sure about spending time with Sol (because of his drinking and temper). But Irene is just the person to help Sol. Sol needs to know that he has been forgiven and is deserving of love (he does not feel worthy). Join Asa, Abigail, Irene, and Sol as they work through their issues in A Love Made New.A Love Made New is a sweet story. It was nice to revisit Birch Creek and get to know more about each of these characters. We also get updates on the people from the previous novels (Aden and Sadie as well as Joanna and Andrew). This is the third book in the series, and I recommend reading the previous books in An Amish of Birch Creek series. The author does update the readers in A Love Made New of what happened in the prior novels (A Reluctant Bride and An Unbroken Heart). I just think in order to understand the various characters and their situations, you need to read the first two books (personal opinion). I liked the messages in this book about God’s love and forgiveness. The ending is just lovely and heartwarming. I give A Love Made New 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I appreciate Ms. Fuller’s writing style. It is conversational which makes for an enjoyable and easy to read book. I look forward to reading the next book by Kathleen Fuller.I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.