"Emma Blooms at Last" by Naomi King

About This Book

Romance is in the air during the fall wedding season in the Amish community of Cedar Creek. But while one loving couple prepares to tie the knot, Amanda and Wyman Brubaker’s large family faces a threat from outside their happy circle...and must learn to pull together.

Recently wed Amanda and Wyman Brubaker are thrilled that their children from previous marriages have blended together to form a strong family. But when the construction of Wyman’s new grain elevator is delayed, making the project more expensive than anticipated, Amanda’s determination to rally the kids into taking on work to improve the family’s finances comes into conflict with Wyman’s sense of responsibility as head of the household....

Meanwhile, as James Graber and Abby Lambright prepare for their long-awaited nuptials, folks gather from far and wide. Amanda’s nephew Jerome has long been smitten with James’s sister Emma and wants to seize this chance to woo her. But Emma’s been burned once and is twice shy of trusting the fun-loving, never-serious Jerome. As Emma and Jerome struggle to understand each other, and find the courage to make a leap of faith, the Brubakers face a bigger challenge than they first anticipated and begin to discover just what it means to fight...the Amish way.

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This book was released in November 2014

This was a well loved library book that was reviewed

My Review

“Emma Bloom at Last” by Naomi King is the last book in her 'Home at Cedar Creek' and 'One Big Happy Family' series (or what I call the 'Need a Flow Chart' series). All the answers have been wrapped up from all the books, in this book and what a truly wonderful book that was so well worth the wait.

This book has three different story-lines going on with the wrap up finally of the one story-line that has been there throughout all of the books, and what a wrap up it was, for I didn't feel like I was being cheated out of something for how long I (which was pretty hard for I hate waiting), had to wait for all that happened in this book. Then the story of Amanda and her new family from “Amanda Weds a Good Man” plays a good part of the story highlighting their lives after all that happened in the other book. I was thrilled that Emma finally came out like she did for she is a character that honestly touched my heart throughout each and every book.

This book has plenty of joyous moments, heartbreaking moments, and everything in between.  I found myself laughing and crying, sighing and rolling my eyes, and putting the book down because I just wanted to smack someone in the book. When a book or a series (yes the whole series was like this) is written to where I feel like I was part of the book, then there is just something really special about the author to where I just can't wait to read more of the author's books in the future.

Seeing so many old characters and how their lives are changing and moving forward was as if I came back to visit a place that feels like home. To see that this was good-bye to all of these fictional friends was a bit sad, yet this was a very happy ending to the whole series.  I didn't feel as if anything was left hanging to where I need to know what happens to this character or another, which happens so infrequently that this was pretty refreshing, even though it was good-bye to some very beloved characters.

Moving forward was the message I took from this book with all that happened, where a person might want to hide away from the world, instead moving forward. I didn't get the feeling that the forward movement was done in a way that pushed any character out of their comfort zone in a way that seemed pushy or overbearing. Though there is some pushing it is done in such a way that it is done out of love and concern, while not being overbearing, which resulted in some positive results, without any frustrations from the one or ones being pushed.

I hated seeing the book end for I will miss (at least until I revisit the Lambright, Graber and Brubaker families again) each and every character for with each book, each of the main characters (Abby, James, Emma, James and Emma's parents, Amanda and Wyman) seemed to grow a little deeper with each book. There wasn't a moment when I thought that any of the characters felt flat or as if they were missing anything, but yet with each book, there is something new to learn about this wonderful characters.  I will end up rereading this series numerous times in the years ahead I am sure without a doubt.

There are not many authors who have been able to hold my attention over the years, desperately waiting for each and every new book to see what happens next, but Ms. King kept me waiting on pins and needles. Every since I first read “Abby Finds Her Calling” I have made sure that three months prior to each new book, my name went on the library waiting list so that I could be one of the first person to get my greedy hands on the book. I will be looking for more books by Ms. King/Hubbard in the future for her writing is so interesting.

I hope all who read this series enjoys it as much as I have and with this book finds it hard to say good-bye as well.

Other Books in the 'Home to Cedar Creek' and 

'One Big Happy Family' series

Abby Finds Her Calling
Rosemary Opens Her Heart

Amanda Weds a Good Man

My Flow Chart for the Series

Girl A ~ Abby Lambright       Boy A ~ James Graber
Girl B ~ Zanna Lambright       Boy B ~ Jonny Rupp
Girl C ~ Rosemary Yutzy       Boy C ~ Matthew Lambright
Girl D ~ Amanda Lambright       Boy D ~ Wyman Brubaker
Girl E ~ Emma Graber      Boy E ~ Jerome Lambright

These are the couples that can be found in all the different books of this series, but it how these couples came about is why I call it the Need a Flow Chart.  I truly hope everyone enjoys the series.