Becoming Us

I haven't read such an engrossing book in a while, but Becoming Us was so hard to put down, I stayed up way too late two nights in a row to finish the book.

Emily has moved with her family (husband Trevor and daughter Audra) from North Carolina to California, partially to get away from Trevor's overwhelming family.  Emily has fallen into a funk and really needs friends when Jennalyn sends Emily an invitation for an evening in her home.  Emily was trying to find a way out of the party, but she went to the party anyway.  This is the ground floor of the building of some precious friendships.

Robin Jones Gunn has begun a novel series that will be compelling and enthralling for the readers.  There is a bit of entertainment in the book as well.  Robin  has made a point that being a woman is a gift from God and worthy of celebrating. That is what makes this book so good--the underlying concept of God's blessing coming through our friends who see us as worthy of celebrating. 

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, with a tiara for celebrating yourself.

My thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomah for allowing me to read and review this book.

Searching for . . .

It is not often I will begin a book and not finish it. Even though I love Jody Hedlund's writings, I just couldn't wade through this one.  It is not the quality of Jody's writing--it's five star quality as always.  It is not the subject matter, I love historical fiction.  There is just a disconnect between Searching for You and me. 

Sophie is the "guardian" of Olivia and Nicholas, two very young children at the orphan's asylum.  She took them out of the asylum and lived with them on the streets of New York until one of Sophie's friends shot a member of a rival gang.  Sophie had to get the children out of New York for her own safety.  She got them on the Orphan Train and all the way to Mayfield, Illinois.

For some reason, Searching for You doesn't grasp and hold my attention the way her other books do.  Like I said, it's not the quality of the writing, it's not the subject matter, there's just a disconnect between me and the characters.

It's still a five star book that will enthrall someone else.

My thanks to Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book.

Seasons of an Amish Garden

I've read several heavy-duty books in a row and needed to lighten up my reading.  Seasons of an Amish Garden filled the bill perfectly.  I love Amy Clipston's Amish fiction books and this olio of four novellas matches the quality of Amy's other writings--engaging, entertaining, and enriching for the soul.

There are four novellas to match the four seasons of the year and each novella focuses on one couple, and the obstacles that the couple has to overcome. 

Katie Ann believes that Mandy's dating her brother is detrimental to their friendship.  Her best friend has become forgetful of obligations because all she can see is Ephraim.  When a new boy joins the group planting a garden in memory of a neighbor's husband, he just might be the distraction Katie Ann needs.

Clara and Jerry are becoming close, but Jerry isn't a member of the church yet. 

Tena has been traumatized by an Englischer, but when one shows up, another of the group, wants to allow him to stay in Emma's barn.  Tena can't get past what happened and is truly afraid, but Wayne wants her to trust him about the man.

Mandy and Ephraim are planning their wedding, but when Ephraim's sister and her husband show up to move into their parents' home, Mandy thinks this is the perfect time to move their wedding back a bit.  She needs more time to plan and Ephraim thinks she just doesn't want to marry him anymore.

In the first novella, a sales stand is built to sell baked goods and vegetables.  There are many cookies, brownies, pies, and other yums sold throughout the four stories and all the proceeds go to the local homeless shelter. 

This is a relaxing read with five stars, two thumbs up, and a peanut butter pie for your honey.

My thanks to Zondervan publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

Flights of Fancy? Escape from Bondage

Jen Turano writes historical fiction with a healthy dose of humor.  Her heroines tend to find themselves in iffy circumstances, either by their own design or by someone else's plans for their own lives.  That's just what happened with Isadora Delafield in Flights of Fancy. 

In an effort to get away from the duke her mother wants her to marry, she runs away to Pennsylvania and ends up at Glory Manor applying for a job as a house keeper.  Ian MacKenzie decides to take her on a trial basis to help take care of his Aunt Birdie and Uncle Amos, the four foster children they have taken under their wings, and the assortment of animals still living on his farm. 

In the meantime, there are several mishaps happening on his farm and spreading to other nearby farms. Ian knows there is someone behind all the shenanigans and that someone is trying to run all the farmers off their land for the mine-able coal.

The more Ian is around Isadora, the more attached he becomes to her. The only thing is she's hiding her true identity, because she's an heiress and she wants to marry for love, not for his love of her money.  When he first finds out who she truly is, he feels duped.  As he thinks it over, he realizes she may have had her reasons, and now he has things to do.

This is a five star book with two thumbs up and a rescue from a kidnapper.

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the galley I read. 

The Secrets of Paper and Ink

Lindsay Harrel writes tight knit prose with consistent plot movement and exquisitely developed characters.  They have real life problems and face real-world dilemmas. 

Her cast in The Secrets of Paper and Ink contains few players, but they are so likable they become friends (with one exception). 

Sophia Barrett is a woman's counselor who had experienced her own tragedy and cannot remain in her office--she has too much of her own healing to do.  When she finds an ad for an apartment in Cornwall that includes working at a bookstore for part of her rent, she has to at least try for the apartment.

Ginny Rose is the American owner of a bookstore in Cornwall, England. She is having difficulties making ends meet so she advertises an apartment that is upstairs from the store.  The resident will help out in the store in lieu of part of the rent. 

Emily Fairfax is the author of a journal from the 1800s that Sophia finds while cleaning out one room of the bookstore.

Garrett Rose is the estranged husband of Ginny who moved out to "go find himself" in London.

William Rose is Garrett's brother who helps Sophia track down the author of the journal and all the information about her that they can find.

Steven is a friend of Ginny's and Garrett's (although, he's not liking Garrett's actions of late) and helps Ginny to figure out ways to make the bookstore more profitable, and he helps her to update her website.

Lindsay does a wonderful job of making it easy to envision where the characters are, and to understand their motivations for all of their actions. One thing she does is to note her previous book. This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a journal found in a dusty bookstore.

I want to thank Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book and to NetGalley.com for providing the galley I read.

A Silken Thread

A Silken Thread resonated with me unexpectedly.  Laurel's siblings (all six of them) got together with Laurel and decreed that she would remain unmarried and take care of their mother in her dotage. My dad's parents and two of his brothers tried to make the same decree on him, but the difference is, he'd already found his bride and the wedding was not too far into the future.  My dad had one brother who stood up for him and told the rest that it was not fair for them to enjoy their families while refusing to allow Dad to have the same chance. Dad and the one brother built a house for Dad's parents to live in and they took care of his parents until the oldest brother thought he was better able to do so and moved them in with him.

Now, back to the book. The Cotton Expo has come to Atlanta to promote cotton and enhance the role of cotton in daily life.  But one grower wants to showcase silk and how it's grown and harvested.  They need someone who can weave and operate a loom to be part of the display.  Laurel and her mother weave with cotton and wool to make lengths of fabric or rugs or other useful items, so Laurel applied for the weaving job.  The weaving job allows Laurel to meet two very disparate young men who both vie for her heart and her hand. 

Kim Vogel Sawyer is one of the most highly regarded Christian fiction authors in my opinion.  Her writing style is engaging and compelling, her characters are real and believable, the conflict is easily plausible and the way it works out supremely satisfying.  Of everything I've read by Kim, her writing quality increases with each book I read. 

Five stars, two thumbs up, and some woven silk for a bow.

I wish to thank Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

Memories Light the Corners of My Mind

I was offered the first chapter of this book by Rachel Hauck to read and review, but one chapter alone does not give the whole feel and does not really give a full insight of the book.  I usually read a book over three or four nights right before I go to sleep, but this book was so compelling, I finished it in two nights.

Beck Holliday is a NYPD sergeant who has blanks in her memories of her life growing up, especially since her father died in 9/11. 

Bruno Endicott is a sports agent who is trying to build his business from the ground up and fight the negative press of his former employer.

Everleigh Callahan was a neighbor of Bruno's and Beck's (during the summer).  She was the one who spent time with Bruno and Beck every summer until Beck's father died. She was a kind, grandmotherly type woman who loved children with her whole heart.

Beck works the night shift and with her partner, they go after a "perp" who is selling drugs in one of New York City's economically depressed neighborhoods. She goes beyond the regulations when she punches him in the face after he was already cuffed.  She gets a reprimand and four weeks suspension.  About this same time she finds that Everleigh has passed away and left her entire estate to Beck.  This is the first turn in the road that leads to Beck's memories and leads her home to her Heavenly Father.

This is more than a Five Star book, but that's all they will let me give it.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a memory restored.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

With Winter's First Frost

I've read many of Kelly Irvin's Amish Fiction books and this is the one that has every single character Kelly has produced--well almost.  I must say that if this book were to be produced into a play, it would take a whole Amish settlement to fully fill the cast.  But the play would be entertaining for sure.

Playing the leading lady would be Laura, a widow of some years, with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Playing the leading man is Zechariah, a crotchety old widower with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Among the supporting cast are the sons and daughters of Laura and Zechariah, along with their children and grandchildren.  The plot is rife with the cares and foibles of the characters.  It moves at a pretty good clip, keeping the reader engaged and involved to the very last page. For instance, granddaughter Tamara's jumping the fence, and Hannah's unborn baby.  The biggest plot issue is whether two elderly people can find love again after raising families and knowing the love of a good spouse.  It's all here.  All you have to do is read the book.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a gingerbread cookie for your hot cocoa

My Thanks to Zondervan Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

X Marks the Spot

Liz Johnson writes a whiz bang of a book.  She includes mystery, comedy, drama, and daily life adventures.  A Sparkle of Color is all of these and more and it will keep the reader involved from the very first page until the maps in the back of the book (I say that tongue in cheek, but maps are a pretty important part of the book.)

Millie is taking care of her Grandma Joy the best way she knows how under Millie's circumstances.  Joy has dementia and Millie wants her safe and cared for, but the home where Joy is residing is taking all of Millie's money and now she has to move Grandma Joy to another, more expensive home.

Ben's mother spent Ben's childhood bilking gullible people out of their hard-earned money.  Ben has made it his job to repay those she cheated. 

Ben and Millie meet working at the Chateau on St Simon's Island.  Ben works as a security guard, while Millie portrays a guest at the Chateau.  Millie's great-grandmother was a guest at the Chateau in 1929 right before the stock market crashed.  Joy had told Millie that Great-Grandma Ruth had kept a diary and it was still at the Chateau, and there is a treasure buried somewhere on the property. 

When Millie is looking for the diary in the library, she gets caught by Ben for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Thus begins the partnership between Ben and Millie to find the treasure and the second diary that Ruth had written.

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a map to find the treasure.

I want to thank Revell Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book, and for publishing such quality fiction.

Burning Fields

The year is 1948, the war is over, but racism is alive and well in Australia.  Some Italians have moved into the sugar plantation next to the one owned by Rosie Stanton's family.  Rosie's dad dislikes that the Italians have moved into their area of Australia. 

Rosie has come home to find that her family's farm is deep in debt and the farm manager that her father has trusted for years has absconded with the payroll and left town.  Rosie sets about trying to overcome her father's prejudices and take over the books.

Next door, Rosie has met Tomas and his family and has come to love them all, but her father's mindset stands in the way of her happiness because Tomas is Italian. 

Tragedy is the only way this book can come out to any reasonable conclusion and to bring all the characters together in unity.  Alli Sinclair writes with unusually high quality in her plot, characters, and settings. 

This is a five star book with two thumbs up and some cane sugar to sweeten your day.

My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Amish Midwives and Secrets

Leah is Old Order Amish, but she's working to get certification as a midwife.

Kyle used to be Amish until an accident several years ago.  Now he is a doctor and the doctor from his little home town wants him to come back and take over his practice.

There are problems with being Old Order and getting a certification as a midwife.  The Ordnung does not allow it.

Kyle doesn't like the way Leah treats her patients with herbs and sweet words.  Leah doesn't like his bullying ways.

Rachel J Good has written a sassy book taking place in the Amish world.  Leah isn't afraid to stand up to Kyle and reintroduce him to the world of the Amish.  Both Kyle and Leah have their own secrets and want to tell each other, but they dance around the words they need to say to get their points across.  This book has happy moments, sad moments, and everything in between all woven into one cohesive story that is hard to put down.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a good doctor to argue with.

My thanks to Hachette Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.