You Belong With Me

When I saw this title, I was reminded of this song (originally done by the Lumineres) and it pretty much sums up what the book is about.  Hannah Thornton is a realtor who wants to rejuvenate her town of Heritage, Michigan.  A developer wants to modernize the town with strip malls and apartment complexes. 

Hannah hears about a contest to fund the rejuvenation and decides to ask the council to back the entry.  They put up $10,000 for her to use in starting refurbishing the Manor House--a place that Hannah feels is the history of the town.  As Hannah encounters various roadblocks, she leans on Luke, her neighbor across the street, and a man she's known since she was in grade school. 

Tari Faris has written about three novels in one. There is the story of Hannah and Luke, of Thomas (Hannah's brother) and Janie, of Hannah and the city.  While it's not hard to keep the characters and their stories straight, it seems like a lot to pack into one book.  Hannah has been written as a modern Calamity Jane, all the while trying to overcome her mother's reputation. She feels she has to prove so much of herself, she ends up meddling in everyone's business.

This is a four star book that is an entertaining read for that afternoon where nothing is pressing on the reader's schedule.

My thanks to Revell and NetGalley.com for providing the copy I read for this review.

A Long Bridge Home

Kelly Irvin writes exceptional Amish Fiction, and her series set in Montana keeps her reputation alive.  A Long Bridge Home details Christine's struggle with her family's desire to move back to Kansas, partially because Montana is the only home she's known, and partially because her love, Andy, is not leaving Montana. 

Christine's family is leaving because of the wild fires decimating the countryside in their area of Montana.  Christine bargains with her parents to allow her to stay with her aenti and onkel in St Ignatius and help out in their store. That brings its own set of struggles when she meets Raymond Old Fox and he introduces her to the native culture of the area.  Her desire to know more about the aboriginal peoples of the area lead her to make some unwise decisions that puts her in danger of being shunned in her church and losing her one true love.

I understand the devastation the wildfires can wreak on communities as I have lived through several summers of wildfires in northern Washington State.  I live more in the center of the state, but I have seen entire communities wiped out by the fires, and they don't discriminate whom they wipe out. 

Kelly's descriptions of the fires, the evacuations, and the destruction left in the wake of the fires is spot on.  Her characters were made to fit the setting she's put them in.  I read the first one in the series and now the second one.  I can't wait for the third one to come out. 

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a clean house to allow you to read for extended periods of time.

My thanks go to Zondervan Fiction and NetGalley.com for the copy I read for this review.

Children of the Stars

Mario Escobar has written a touching book taking place during World War II and the occupation of France.

Jacob (age 13) and Moses (age 9) are brothers living with their Aunt Judith when they are rounded up by the Germans in Paris.  They are taken to the Velodrome d'Hiver with thousands of other Jewish people.  They work to find a way out of the Velodrome along with another Jewish boy, Joseph, whose parents have been taken to a labor camp.  Joseph wants to go find his parents at the camp, even with the understanding that he would not be able to come out once he got in. 

Jacob and Moses want to get to where their parents are and go back to their apartment to find Aunt Judith has jumped out of the window to her death.  They take their passports and some money and leave the apartment.  They stopped at the neighbor's apartment beneath theirs. From there, they get hooked up with the Underground to get them out of Occupied France. 

The book details their determination to get out of France and to the ship that will take them to their parents, with the help of several members of the Underground.  They see things children their ages should never see before they get to where they need to be. 

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a way of escape from the prisons that would enclose you. 

My thanks go to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com for providing the galley I read for this review.

White Christmas Wedding

Celeste Winters has written a fun Christmas novel that has built-in sequels which should be equally as fun.  I can't wait until they begin to come out. 

Beth Dean has come home to get married so that her family can attend.  Her friend, Jen Fitzgerald, is trying her hand as a wedding planner, and using her family's barn as the location.  Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.  As the barn is set up the night before the wedding, the horses got out of their stalls and ate all the floral decorations.  After Jen got that catastrophe cleaned up, somehow the barn door got left open overnight and a snow storm covered the barn floor with several inches of snow so Jen and a couple of bridesmaids had to shovel out the barn to get it ready in time for the wedding. 

In the midst of all this, Jen's old boyfriend, Jared shows up to be a groomsman.  He sparks confusion in Jen's life and makes things extremely hard for her.  She's dating another man, who seems to be absent during all the catastrophes, while Jared rolls up his sleeves and pitches in. 

Other friends of Beth's have cameos in this book and serve to fill out the plot with richness and intrigue.  This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and a horse to mess with your wedding.

My thanks go to Howard Books and NetGalley.com for providing the galley I read for this review. 

The Bake Shop

No one bakes sweets like Christiana Kurtz, and her empty bake stand every day proves it.  People come from all over to buy her goods, many times coming to her house during their dinner to buy pies or cakes. 

When Christiana visits her cousins at the Bird-in-Hand market tell her of a booth opening up, Christiana approaches her extremely strict father about opening up her bake stand in the market booth. She has to talk really hard to convince her father about moving to the market and the benefits it will bring her family to only be open three days a week.  She will have more time to help out at home while she does her baking in between chores, and no more after hours visits from customers.

The Bake Shop is Amy Clipston's newest book and the first of a series taking place in the marketplace.  I think the coming books in the series will be about Christiana's cousins who already have booths in the marketplace. 

In the booth next to Christiana's is Jeff Stolzfus, maker of gifts in leather and wood.  It's not long before they notice each other and find that there is something more than friendship between them.  The only fly in the ointment is Christiana's father's attitude. 

Amy is one of the best Amish fiction writers around.  I will read her books (along with Kathleen Fuller's) any time I get a chance.  They are fun, engaging, intriguing, and altogether consuming.  This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a homemade whoopie pie. 

My thanks go to Zondervan Fiction and NetGalley.com for providing the galley I read for this review.

The Innkeeper's Bride

Kathleen Fuller writes quality Amish Fiction that entertains and engages the reader from beginning to end.  The Innkeeper's Bride is the third book in the Brides of Birch Creek series, but easily stands alone. 

In this book, Kathleen tackles some of the hard issues in life, one being that of mental illness.  Selah Ropp is clinically depressed and is extremely cautious about her relationships.   Levi Stoll is the son of an Amish couple who are transforming an Englisch house into a bed and breakfast inn.  When Levi's Dat falls off the roof of the house, he has to take over finishing the refurbishing, and then running the Inn.  Selah wants to get a job and start supporting herself and the Inn needs a housekeeper, so she applies.  Levi's mother sees something more than just a housekeeper, she sees Selah as a possible wife for Levi.  It just so happens that there is another meddler in the community named Cevilla Schlabach and the two work together to bring Selah and Levi together.

In dealing with Selah's depression, Kathleen takes the stigma out of seeking psychiatric help for these problems.  It's a hard issue to deal with, and Kathleen takes it seriously and writes about it graciously.

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a room at a B&B for a quiet get-away.

HarperCollins and NetGalley.com provided the galley I read for this review.

The Whispers of War

World War II created a lot of atrocities performed by many nations.  The Germans trying to exterminate the Jews, The U.S. interring the Japanese-Americans, The U.K. interring German emigres.  There wasn't a people group that wasn't touched by the War and by the governments involved in the war. 

The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly describes the war from the perspective of three young ladies who went to school together and now meet together as frequently as possible to keep the friendship alive.  Nora worked for the Home Office,  Hazel works in a marriage match-making office, and Marie is the secretary for the German department of the University. 

When the Germans start advancing toward England, members of the Home Office begin investigating the German ex-pats who now live in England.  Marie comes under scrutiny because of letters her cousin wrote to the Nazi government in Germany.  The investigation even comes to include Nora and Hazel. 

Julia Kelly uses a time split trope to tell the story of Marie, but she does it so well that the story doesn't seem disjointed.  Her pacing of the story within story moves at a comfortable pace and the intrigue within the story is compelling.  It follows Julia's first book in the series, Light Over London, which I reviewed here.

NetGalley.com and Gallery Books provided the galley I read for this review.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and some false papers to get out of the country. 

Sew in Love

Put something about sewing or many other crafts in a novel title and I'll pick it up to read without even reading the jacket blurb.  That's what I did with Sew in Love, a collection of four novellas all revolving around sewing.  Beginning in 1850 and going through to World War II, each of the heroines has a specific talent in sewing and their talents lead them to love. 

Each of the girls faces some dark days that test her faith, and needs the help of the man to get her bearings back. 

These stories by these authors have high quality plotting and go beyond just the basic boy meets girl formula.  The plots don't seem choppy nor do they end abruptly.  This is a five star collection, with two thumbs up, and a sewing machine at your side.

I would like to thank Barbour Books and NetGalley.com for giving me access to this galley. 

Once Upon a Dickens Christmas

Barbour Books has taken three novellas all written by the same author in a series and has published them in one cover.  Once Upon a Dickens Christmas by Michelle Griep was like talking to an old friend.  Two of the novellas have previously been published and reading them again was a treat.  All three revolve around a second chance coin, which brings grace and mercy to the holder of the coin.

Michelle's writing style is quaint and compelling.  Her plot development is quite complete despite the length of the stories.  It's a hard thing to make a novella to feel complete, and not to feel chopped off.  Michelle is adept at this. 

I truly enjoyed this collection and would read it again.  It is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a second chance coin for your needs for do-overs.

I was provided the galley for this book by Barbour Books and NetGalley.com.