The Lyrics of Love

 

This is my first Rebecca Anderson book, and I must say, it is absolutely stunning.  Rebecca's style of writing is smooth and lyrical, making it so easy to fall into the plot and never want to come out.  

Isabelle Rackham is engaged to a man she hardly knows.  It is a business arrangement between Alexander Osgood and her father that benefits both men.  Alexander gets a worthy woman to squire around and Isabelle's father gets a needed business contact.  All is well and good, although the new Osgoods relationship is rather distant.  When Alexander takes Isabelle for a horseback ride, bliss turns to tragedy when Alexander's horse throws him and he lands against a boulder, setting in motion a series of events where Isabelle commits herself to Alexander's care and Alexander rebuffs her efforts, at first.  

The characters who populate this book are mostly likable people.  There is a Nurse Ratchet (apologies to Ken Kesey) type woman in the book as well as the most unfeeling doctor in the world.  But the rest of the characters are quite likable, even a girl who by modern diagnoses would be considered either developmentally delayed or autistic.  Rebecca has built a gentle characterization of her so that she is a truly empathetic individual deserving of the respect of the other main characters in the book.  

This is a five star book with two thumbs up and a love that grows like the melody of a beautiful song.

Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Moonlight School

 

Most of the time when I see Suzanne Woods Fisher's name on a book, I'd assume that I was about to read a book of Amish fiction.  But in The Moonlight School, Suzanne has taken a turn away from Amish fiction and delved into historical fiction.  This particular historical fiction is based in fact, much like Irving Stone wrote.  She found a fascinating character in Cora Wilson Stewart, a county superintendent for the schools in Rowan County, Kentucky.  

While Cora is the historical figure around which this book was built, the primary character was Cora's cousin, Lucy.  Lucy is sent to work with Cora as a stenographer, but Cora really wants Lucy to go to various homesteads in the county to read letters and take dictation of the illiterate folks' answers back.  Lucy has never ridden a horse, and has no knowledge of the places "over yonder"--either how to get to the places or how to get back to town.   Finley James is a young teen who has a crush on Lucy and is willing to guide her around the county.  Brother Wyatt is also a helpful soul who helps Lucy.  The fly in the ointment is Angie, who loves Fin, and is jealous of the affection Fin has for Lucy.  

Cora's mission in Rowan County is to bring literacy to the people, especially through their children.  In the beginning, she didn't believe that older people could be taught to read and write, until Miss Mollie comes to town to show Cora that she'd written her own letter to her daughter.  It was then that Cora realized that even the illiterate and semi-literate adults could be taught to read. She tasked Lucy with doing a census of the adults who couldn't read or write and Lucy came up with close to twelve hundred people.  With this number, Cora begins working on the Moonlight Schools for the adults, along with teaching literature geared for adult interests so that the adults will find reason to want to read. 

There are so many other characters populating this book, but to get into their parts of the story would provide too many spoilers. Suzanne is one of those talented writers who always put out quality fiction for their readers.  This book is no exception to the high quality that Suzanne is known for. 

This is a five-star book, with two thumbs up, and a gentle horse to ride in the back hills of Kentucky. 

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.  I do appreciate Revell's commitment to quality in their publishing. 

When Twilight Breaks

 

I am always honored to be chosen to read a Revell Publishing book, but never so honored as when it is a book by Sarah Sundin.  She is the epitome of a World War II writer.  She is fascinating in her style, intriguing in her plot development, and masterful in her characterizations. When Twilight Breaks has something for everyone, a bit of romance, a bit of history, a bit of undercover escape, skullduggery, naivete, and most importantly, awakening to truth.  

Evelyn Brand is a reporter working for the American News Services assigned to cover the news in Munich.  George Norwood, her supervisor, has been taking her articles and editing them into oblivion.  When she is assigned to interview American students who were in Munich for a year abroad study, she meets Peter Lang, the PhD candidate who is teaching the students to speak fluent German, and to speak it without an accent.  His dissertation will encompass his methods of teaching German to Americans and English to Germans. Peter's ideology is based on a naïve assumption that order is the key to prosperity, but Evelyn has to open Peter's eyes to see what the order is doing to the German people.  

The best way to describe the situations that Peter and Evelyn find themselves in is that things went sideways.  Evelyn is ratted out to the Gestapo by a cleaning lady hired, Peter is ratted out to the Hitler Youth  and that necessitates both of them running for their lives and wondering whom to trust. 

This is one of Sarah's best books because her research is spot on to the lives and times of German people in the late 1930s, her characters are robust people who dare to take chances even when the chips are down, and her descriptions are incomparable.  This is a five star book with two thumbs up and a coffee and pastry at the local coffee shop.  

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Sarah, if you read this, hats off to you for a stellar book.

All That We Carried

 

This book only took me two days to read, Erin Bartels is quite the storyteller, and the plot is compelling.  But at the end of the day, the ending of the tale left me unsatisfied.  

Melanie and Olivia lost their parents a decade earlier in a tragic accident that Olivia's friend, Justin, caused. While Olivia buried herself in finishing school and becoming a prosecuting attorney, Melanie took her time to sort through the life that had been theirs and dispose of their parents' estate.  Olivia rarely connected to her remaining family, including her sister, in all the years since her parents' deaths.  Melanie was able to forgive Justin and move on in her grief, while Olivia wasn't able to forgive and just stuffed her grief into a forgotten corner and never dealt with it. 

It was a fluke that Olivia answered her phone call on that really nice day in March when her sister proposed getting together for a backwoods hike.  Melanie allowed Olivia to do the planning for the trip because Olivia left nothing to chance as much as was in her power. 

In spite of all of Olivia's planning, there was no way to plan for the unexpected events along the way.  Without realizing it, both women are searching for answers.  Melanie subscribes to an "all-inclusive" cafeteria style belief system that cherry-picks from all of the various belief systems.  Olivia believes that there is One Truth, but she doesn't know that that One Truth is.  

In their seeking, neither woman comes to a final conclusion in the book and that hanging feeling left me totally unsatisfied with the whole book.  The quality of writing is amazing, but that one thing spoiled the book for me. Three stars. 

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

I'd Dreaming of Savannah

 

Roseanna M White includes everything in her books--underdogs, bad guys in sheep's clothing, conflict, the girl who knows her own mind, dreams, fairy tales, historical components, and sometimes the kitchen sink.  That is what makes her books so compelling and intriguing. 

The Underdog--Phineas "Phin" Dunn

The Bad Guy--Julius James 

The Conflict--the War Between the States, or the uncivil Civil War

The Girl--Cordelia Owens

The Dream--for Phin it's to marry Cordelia, and for Cordelia it's to marry Phin; but there are other dreams involved with other characters: Luther, Eva, Salina, River, and Rock

The Fairy Tale--Rescuing the damsel in distress 

The Historical Components--Savannah during the Civil War is accurately portrayed with research into the times and area being spot on. 

Cordelia's father wants a match for her who will enrich the family coffers, and Phin is not that man in his eyes.  When her mother's cousin, Julius,  comes to town, he seems to fit the bill.  But, Cordelia sees beyond the smooth exterior to his truly dark nature.  She tries her hardest to tell her father what Julius is truly like, but until he sees it for himself, he won't believe anything bad about Julius.  

Roseanna is such a good writer, I love reading her books. This is a five star book with two thumbs up and your favorite superhero--Underdog!

Bethany House Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Faith's Mountain Home

 

It's a hard thing to come into the middle of a series, but even harder still to come in at the end.  It's like watching the last season of a television series having never watched any of the previous episodes.  That's what I did in choosing to read Faith's Mountain Home.  I also assumed that the lead character in the book was named Faith, but her name is Laura.  

Laura lives with the local doctor and helps out in his practice for room and board. Nate's brother, Aaron is staying there, too, waiting for his leg to heal from the gunshot that Laura inflicted upon him.  In an earlier book in this series, Laura was kidnapped by Aaron and Nate and a group of bandits. Laura always carries a pistol with her since she's basically alone.  While most of the gang who kidnapped Laura were hanged, but Aaron and Nate were sentenced to restitution.  While Aaron has been laid up, Nate has been working in a mine saving his earnings to pay their debt. 

In a bid for some adventure, Laura goes hiking up a nearby mountain and finds a cave.  She doesn't have enough light to truly explore the cave, but Nate had the same idea and meets Laura in the cave.  They decide to come back with lanterns and explore the cave further and these events lead to a beautiful friendship that develops into something more.  

This was a sweet book with a lot to offer, but it would have been best to have read the whole series. That does not detract from the quality of Misty M Beller's writing.  Her descriptions and the movement of the plot are spot on for an entertaining read.  The title of the book refers more to the faith of Nate and Laura finding its home within each of them, which is a great way to look at things.  Four strong stars. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

A Cowboy for Keeps

 

Jody Hedlund is such a good writer, and most of her books have a great spiritual depth, but her newest offering is a bit lighter in plot and character and it is a welcome change.  A common trope in historical romances is the mail order bride, and Jody has used this trope quite successfully in A Cowboy for Keeps. 

Greta Nilsson and her sister Astrid are moving to Colorado for Greta to be a mail order bride.  She wants to move to the high elevations of Colorado because of Astrid's consumption. 

Wyatt McQuaid is trying to make a go of his struggling ranch while meeting obstacles at every turn.  He is in town when Greta and Astrid arrive on the stagecoach and when Greta finds out that her mail order fiancé is dead.  Mr. Steele was also a  passenger on the stage coach and had come to know and like Greta.  He comes up with a plan to solve Wyatt's and Greta's individual problems that requires Wyatt and Greta to marry. 

Wyatt and Greta run into all kinds of set backs and challenges with the ranch and with Astrid.  Jody's ability in pulling them out of these challenges is quite sharp.  Greta enters into the marriage with partnership foremost in her mind.  She is a lovable character with all the caring that an older sister should have, especially for a sickly younger sister.  Astrid is a handful in the best of times, her personality is quite precocious.  Wyatt is a completely relatable cowboy and his ranch is the perfect setting for the bulk of the plot in this book.  

One thing that Jody did with the ending of this book is to give a glimpse into the next book in the series, which promises to be just as good. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a huckleberry hand pie (and my tastebuds are watering at the thought). 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.  

Jordan Valley Miss

This is the first book by Susan Spess that I've read, and I will say this about Susan's writing: it's sweet with a bit of undue harshness thrown in for good measure.  The book doesn't take long to read and it is fast moving in plot.  There are places where the plot moves way too fast for reality.  

Eli was the pastor of a mega-church in Dallas where he didn't have to know anyone, didn't have to involve himself in anything other than preaching, didn't have to concern himself with much else besides being in the pulpit--there were others who could do that for him.  When his wife and twin brother died in a car crash near Laredo, his little girl was in the car with them and stopped speaking from that moment on.  

Glory is the administrator of a daycare center next to the parsonage in Jordan Valley, Oklahoma.  On the night of a major snowstorm, she takes the children who are still at the center over to the parsonage where there is a fireplace to keep warm.  There she meets Eli and his daughter, Brandi.  

Some of the things in this book that are a bit unrealistic are: 

    Eli hasn't been widowed for a year before he moves to Jordan Valley

    Brandi's selective mutism is caused by something her mother said before she died and no attempts by anyone can make her talk. 

    Eli hasn't been widowed for a full year before he begins falling for Glory

    There are assumptions made about Eli's wife and brother being in the same car crash that are not fully investigated.

    The church in Dallas held no grace for Eli in asking him to resign.  Instead of understanding his situation, they just wanted to sweep it under the rug and move on.  

I am not a writer, so I don't really have much of a leg to stand on for picking someone else's work apart, but I am a reader and I know what I like.  This wasn't it. Two Stars. 

Pelican Publishing Group and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  The opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Orchard House

 

I have read a couple of books by Heidi Chiavaroli and I have enjoyed them immensely.  The Orchard House is no exception to this tradition.  Heidi tackles some hard issues, like spousal abuse, PTSD, abandonment, and even a touch on suicide in this novel that details parts of Louisa May Alcott's life, as well as in the lives of the modern characters.  Heidi does a great job telling a story within a story to make a cohesive whole. 

Taylor's mom leaves her with her Uncle Bob and never comes back.  When Uncle Bob is arrested, Taylor is taken in by her best friend's family and even adopted. She is given the same opportunities as Victoria Bennett, her newly adoptive sister, and grows up with all of the ideals Victoria's family can give her.  Even with all of this, Taylor never feels like she fits into her new family; and when it seems like they are pulling away from her, she pulls away from them. 

One of the opportunities that Taylor and Victoria took advantage of together was a writing camp at Orchard House--the home of Louisa May Alcott.  The two of them decide to write together and tell stories that need to be told.  

In telling Louisa's story, Heidi actually focuses on Johanna Suhre Bancroft, the sister of a soldier Louisa nursed during the War Between the States.  Because of the letters that Johanna and Louisa exchange, Louisa hires Johanna to care for her parents while she goes to Europe for a few months.  Johanna meets the next door neighbor and falls in love with a man who would become her husband and who would mistreat her.  

While Taylor and Victoria are in college, Taylor meets Will as a result of a bad blind date and they begin spending time together.  When Taylor has finished her last final in college, she comes home to find Will and Victoria kissing in front of the garage.  Taylor immediately packs up and runs away with no regard for anyone else.  Years later, Taylor comes back home because her adoptive mom has breast cancer.  But now, Taylor is a best-selling author and Victoria is the manager of the Orchard House museum.   While Taylor is back to help with their mom's appointments, Victoria asks Taylor to teach at the writing camp.  Through a series of events that were most unforeseen, Victoria, Taylor, and the whole Bennett family has much healing to go through.  The ending of this book left me completely satisfied.  

Heidi has done her research well and composed a story that not only tugs at the heart, but also ties up all of the loose ends that she created from the beginning of the tale. 

This is a full scale five star book, with two thumbs up, and a book of unpublished poems. 

Tyndale House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Tidewater Bride

 

Laura Frantz is one of those historical fiction authors that readers just love.  She does her research well and brings new perspectives to the history of the time.  The time of this novel is the seventeenth century and the location is James Towne, Virginia Colony.  The situation is a shipload of "Tobacco Brides," coming to marry the tobacco growers who have plantations, but no wives to help run them.  

Selah is the daughter of the town merchant, and really has no desire to marry any of the growers in the area, except one... 

Xander Relnick is a tobacco grower who uses indentured servants to run his plantation at a time when African slaves are being brought into the colonies for cheap labor.  Xander's opinions were not often popular in the township, especially his desire to forge peace among the native tribes who lived in the area.  One of his ideas was to allow the native children come to live with the colony's families while children of the colonials lived with the native tribe. Through this exchange, Selah's family became guardians of a young girl, Watseka, while Selah's brother, Shay, goes to live with the tribe. 

I really enjoyed this book.  There is so much going on that keeps the reader involved in the plot from the beginning to the end. There are despicable men, honorable men, shifty women, and Naturals (as the natives were called during the times) who wanted nothing but peace and a place to call their own.  There are parts of the plot that moved slower than others, but all the parts come together to make a cohesive whole.  This is a strong Four-Star book.  

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Whip Poor Will

 

The era is the early forties to the beginning of World War II, the place is No Creek, North Carolina.  The principal players are Celia Percy, Lilliana Swope, Hyacinth Belvidere, Jesse Willard, a few other characters who populate No Creek, and a couple of characters who live in Pennsylvania.  The circumstances include wife abuse (physical, emotional, and spiritual), KKK activities, moonshining, and rape.  Cathy Gohlke has treated these societal ills with her usual high quality style.  Night Bird Calling is one of those novels that you don't want to put down, but you don't want it to end; it's like seeing a train wreck--you don't want to watch it but you can't look away.  

After Lilliana's mother's funeral, Lilliana falls asleep in one of the pews of the church waiting for her husband to take her home. She overhears her husband and her father, both elders in the church, discussing how her husband can get rid of her to marry someone else.  She knows she can't go home to her husband or her father, so she walks to the train station and gets the first train out of Philadelphia to No Creek.  Her great-aunt Hyacinth will take her in, she hopes.  

I found this book to be engrossing, compelling, and wholly intriguing.  The only problem I had with the book is that the author bounces back and forth between first person--Lilliana telling her own story, and third person narration to fill in the gaps between Lilliana's parts.  It is still a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a whip-poor-will singing at night.  

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write a Letter

 

The Lost Manuscript is one of the most unusual books I've read so far this year, and it was a great introduction to Cathy Bonidan's writings.  I do feel the title is a bit of a misnomer; I think I would have called it The Found Manuscript.  

Anne-Liese is on a vacation without something to read (sacrilegious, to be sure), but she found a manuscript of a novel in the night stand of her hotel room.  She reads this story and cannot remain untouched by the plot, but since it is obviously a manuscript, she feels she must find the original author and return it to him.  

The entirety of this novel is written in letters to various people involved with the manuscript: one in finding out who wrote the book in the first place, two in finding out the circuitous route it took to get to Anne-Liese's motel room, and three in finding out who wrote the last half of the story.  In all the letters new friendships are forged and old friendships are strengthened.  

The book itself is a satisfying tale that ties up all the loose ends and brings closure to the story.  At times, the plot dragged for me, but in the end, it became so compelling that I stayed up way too late to finish reading it.  This is a strong Four Star Book.  

St Martin's Press and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

If Only I Could Become a Sparrow

 

Kathryn has a past that she can't seem to leave there. It is the driving force in this novel about grace and redemption. The book begins with a fight between Kathryn and her husband, Robert, that is the last interchange between them before Robert is killed due to a car accident. This book goes into great detail about some very foundational Christian tenets, one of which is not being "unequally yoked" with a non-believer. The other main one is salvation by grace alone. Karen Malley has used an illustration that works with Kathryn's mental state, one that was broadcast by Paul Harvey many years ago:

One snowy Christmas Eve, during an especially harsh Midwestern blizzard, an old farmer was sitting in his comfortable chair by the fireplace, book in hand, when he heard a thumping sound against his kitchen door. He didn’t think much of it at first; after all it was a cold, windy night, so he returned to his reading. But when the thumping sound continued, the farmer put down his book and decided to investigate. When he entered the warm kitchen, he discovered that the thumping sound was being made by tiny sparrows that were flying into the glass in the kitchen door. At first the farmer could not understand the small birds’ strange behavior; but then he realized that the tiny birds were attracted by the light and warmth coming through the window pane in the kitchen door. The farmer assumed that the sparrows would eventually realize that bumping their heads against the window pane was not going to get them anywhere, so he went back to his warm fire and continued with his book. Yet, the thumping sound did not stop. In fact, it seemed to increase in frequency. So the farmer returned to the kitchen, and sure enough, the sparrows were still flying into the window pane, hoping to escape the freezing snowy night and find the warmth of the light inside.

Being a kindly and compassionate old man, the farmer was saddened to think of the little sparrows suffering in the cold; therefore, he felt compelled to do something. So he bundled up in his heavy coat and scarf, put on his cap and earmuffs, and stepped into the bitter, windy cold outside. Slowly he tramped through the deep snow to the barn and pulled the huge barn doors wide-open so the sparrows could fly into safety. He even lit a lantern inside the barn so that the sparrows could more easily see the way in. Then he returned outside into the blizzard and began to wave his arms, trying to herd the sparrows in hopes that they would fly into the barn, where they would be safe from the wintry storm. Well, of course, that didn’t work; that only seemed to scare the little birds further away from the barn. Next, he went back into the kitchen and grabbed a hand full of crackers from a canister in the cabinet. He went back outside and began to sprinkle a trail of crackers along the ground to try to lure the birds to the safety of the barn. Yet even that didn’t work. Finally, in exasperation, the farmer went back inside the house and watched through the kitchen window as the sparrows huddled on the frozen branches outside, shivering in the freezing cold. Then, a thought occurred to him: “If only I could become a sparrow, just for a moment. Then they wouldn’t be afraid of me, and I could show them the way to the barn.” At that moment, the farmer realized he had grasped the true meaning of Christmas. God became one of us in order to lead us into the barn.

Adam is another character in the book with a past, although his is undeserved.  He got caught up in doing the right thing and it backfired in his face.  So, to cope, he ran to Africa for a couple of years and now he's working with a construction crew on the new mall in Pine Springs.  When he first sees Kathryn she is running into the hospital emergency entrance to see Robert.  Adam hears the voice of God telling him to pray for her.  He keeps running into her without ever meeting her and he keeps hearing God's voice telling him to pray for her.  

I enjoyed this book in all its sweetness.  The characters are believable, although a bit too sweet at times, and then there are other characters who are just plain mean.  The setting is small town America, regardless of the state, even though the town is set in Pennsylvania.  Karen has brought together a group of personas to make a full cast that are full of flaws, and sometimes blind to the beams in their own eyes.  This book reminded me of a couple of other books I've read, but that did not detract from the enjoyability factor in the book.  Four strong stars.  

The Pelican Group and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Paris Dressmaker

 

The years are 1939 to 1944, Germany has occupied France for the best part of those years and the French Resistance is working hard to liberate France.  Two women, Lila Du Laurent and Sandrine Paquet, are working hard with the Resistance.  Lila is a dressmaker working with CoCo Chanel and later on with Nina Ricci before going out on her own.  She was designing dresses for the women who were paramours of the German officers in Paris.  

Sandrine was ordered to work preparing for shipment the art the Germans were taking away from Paris. She keeps a catalogue of all the pieces the Germans are taking and which officers are taking which art. 

Kristy Cambron has written an interesting book taking place during World War II, but I found the plot too disjointed because of the separate story lines for Sandrine and Lily.  The stories do intersect but it takes a long time getting into the book before they do.  The Paris Dressmaker is a bit misleading because the book is more than just Lily's story.  I am not sure what a better title would be, or how to better bring the story lines together.  I feel these separate stories would have been handled better as a series, or maybe two novellas.  Three Stars. 

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Beauty Among Ruins

 

J'Nell Ciesielski has populated her latest offering with a variety of personalities and situations.   Lily is an American heiress whose exploits truly confound her parents to the point they send her to cousins who live in Great Britain.  Alec is the owner of a castle that has been turned into a convalescent home for soldiers who have been wounded in the trenches of World War I.  Richard Wright is a man bent on destroying Alec because Alec's mother jilted him years ago.  Esther is a "nouveau riche" heiress wanting a title--specifically the title of Lord Alec's wife.  Matron Strom is the head nurse watching over the nurses who were tending the soldiers.  Bertie is Lily's cousin, and the two of them go through nurse's training to be able to go to the castle and help with nursing the soldiers. 

Lily is a self-proclaimed flibbertigibbet, who gets lost in the castle more times than she'd care to count, ends up on the matron's bad side before she even walked in the door, and worms her way into Alec's life without even giving it much thought.  What Lily did best was to cheer up the soldiers and boost their morale.  And she brought Alec's sister, Viola, out of an invalid's life into living in the real world. 

Alec is a recluse, who would like to have gone to serve his country, but due to a badly set broken leg is not fit enough to serve.  He is trying save his home from foreclosure, from decay, and from being plundered by Richard Wright.  

The way J'Nell describes seeing the Scottish Lowlands through Lily's eyes, makes the scenery come alive in the reader's mind.  The intrigue she brought to the book keeps the reader involved all the way through to the last page. Her research into the laws and circumstances surrounding debts is woven into the book seamlessly without seeming like a text book recitation. 

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and ceilidh with haggis included to celebrate life. 

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

 

From This Moment . . . To Eternity

 

There aren't many books by Kim Vogel Sawyer that I haven't enjoyed immensely, so when I saw that this one was available, I jumped at the chance.  It's a strong five star book that really touches the heart in so many ways.  

One thing I really enjoyed about the book is that the romantic couple isn't obvious from the start, and if the reader doesn't look at the book blurb first, there is a bit of suspense of whom will be romantically involved.  This book is NOT a smarmy-marmy romance either.  It is a quiet growth of love coming out of friendship.  I am hoping this is the first of a series, because I want to know that someone finds Kenzie and falls in love with her heart.  

The overarching theme of the book is grace through Jesus Christ, and the working of the Holy Spirit in each Christian's life.  There could have been more details about Jase's years in the foster system and it would not have detracted from the story at all.  Lori's life with her father after her mother's death was handled with care and diplomacy.  The book builds up to Lori's reconciliation with her father after his emotionally abusive anger toward her.  

The crown jewel of the book is Kenzie's desire to tell her family about God's grace surpassing all of the rules they live by in the Amish community that she left years ago.  She found that Jesus' death on the cross paid for all of her sins on her Rumspringa and accepted that grace.  Kenzie is such a sweet girl, she needs her own spotlight in another book.  

This book is populated characters the reader just wants to get to know and befriend.  The church is one that I would want to belong to and be involved with.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a pan of Kenzie's Dutch chocolate brownies. 

Waterbrook/Multnomah and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.  

All Through The Night

 

Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping
I my loved ones' watch am keeping,
All through the night

These lyrics weave their way through this book in telling the story of the early days of the Civil War.  Cadence Piper and Joshua Ivy are two very relatable characters who populate this plot.  Joshua is a doctor at the Judiciary Square Hospital in Washington DC.  Dorothea Dix is the head of nursing supplying nurses to the hospital and she has a prejudice against young, pretty, unmarried women as nurses and turns Cadence away.  Cadence has a stutter and a singing voice that mesmerizes everyone around her, but her desire is to work as a nurse in the hospital.  

Joshua has secrets that he has kept from his staff and from those around him.  He is an abolitionist who frequents the slave market to buy and free slaves.  He also provides a way north so that they will not be brought back into slavery.  

Both Joshua and Cadence need approval, but they look for the approval from all the wrong places.  In finding the right approval through God, they are free to work and to will their lives accordingly. 

Cadence and Joshua cross paths several times in the early pages of this book: first, when Cadence encounters a small child crying in an alleyway.  She sings a song to the child and gives her a memento to give her comfort.  About this time, Joshua shows up to take the girl home.  This seemingly meaningless encounter plays a significant part later on in the story.  

This is one of the most interesting historical books about the Civil War that I've ever read. Tara Johnson uses historical figures in cameos throughout the book:  Dorothea Dix, Fannie Crosby, Abraham Lincoln; and they only add to the story.  Her research into the era, the people, and the times is impeccable.  This is a five-star book, with two thumbs up, and a hairpin memento.  

Tyndale House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Dress Shop on King Street

 Ashley Clark has written a book that weaves history and modern day together so seamlessly that it was hard to put down.  She has researched life in the south in the 40s and 50s, and brought understanding to the rights or lack thereof of people of color during that time era.  

Millie is the daughter of a black woman and a white/Italian man and she has skin light enough to "pass." So her mother encourages her to leave Charleston, South Carolina, and make her way in Fairhope, Alabama.  On the way to Alabama, she meets Franklin, a train jumper and the two of them make an alliance to help each other out. They end up at a boarding house where the owner believes them to be married.  Still in the back of Millie's mind is the desire to own a dress shop. 

Harper is a young lady who has studied sewing under Millie and has gone to the Savannah College of Art and Design to get a degree in clothing design, but her advisor tells her she's nothing special.  Harper's dream of owning a dress shop using her own clothing designs goes up in so much smoke.  

Peter is actually Millie's grandson, but he doesn't know that.  He just knows that Millie's been a close family friend for many years. In his search for some family heirlooms that his stepfather gave away after his mother's death, he finds the truth about the relationship between Millie and him. 

I found the plot of this book to be so deep I had to take breaks in reading once in a while just to let it sink in.  The quality of Ashley's writing is of the highest caliber.  Her plot moves at a steady pace and her settings induce the reader to want to be a part of the story.  The characters are realistic and likable. This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a sweetgrass basket to hold your secrets. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Courting Misfortune

 

I am at a loss as to how to begin this review.  Did I enjoy the book? Yes, in parts, but not all of it; there were parts I found tedious and I was tempted to skip ahead to the end instead of reading all the way through.  Are the characters believable? Yes, they have true "people" qualities.  Are the settings realistic? Absolutely.  Is the plot easy to follow? Yes, it is.  In those questions, this book checks all the boxes.  Regina Jennings writes well-researched historical romances with relatable characters and situations. 

Calista York is a probational Pinkerton Agent tasked with finding the daughter of a known mob boss from Chicago.  The last place the woman was known to be was in Joplin, Missouri--a place Calista knows well because a lot of her family lives there.  

Matthew Cook is a missionary to the miners in the Joplin area, and meets Calista as she's about to go into a restaurant known to house "soiled doves."  He wants to prevent her from getting involved into that particular lifestyle, but because of the secretive nature of her business, she can't tell him what she's really doing.  

A matter of misunderstandings and misdirections makes the plot move.  This is a four star book worth reading.   

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Light at Wyndcliff

 

This book is the third book in a series, but I never got the impression that it was part of a series, it stands by itself.  The time is the late 1700s to early 1800s and the setting is in Cornwall, England.  The Wyndcliff Manor is on the coastline and is often the site of recovery for shipwrecks: cargo and lives.  

William Twethewy is the owner of Wyndcliff Manor and makes an unexpected arrival while Evelyn is stuck in the mud of the moors and helps to pull her and her pony out of the mud.  Evelyn's grandfather, Rupert, has been the caretaker of the Manor, and while Evelyn isn't officially a staff member, she does a lot of work to help out the household. 

When a ship runs aground on the rocks by Wyndcliff, Evelyn, William, and all of the workers run to take care of the cargo and any survivors of the wreck.  The two survivors found are a woman with a head injury and her four-year-old daughter, Mary.  Evelyn becomes indispensable in the care of Mary and her mother.  This shipwreck happens about one quarter of the way through the book and this is where the plot picked up enough to gain my interest.  

I am not sure what I was looking for in reading this book, but it missed the mark with me.  Sarah E Ladd's abilities as a writer are not in question.  She writes with high standards as her goal in putting out a story.   She does her research into the times, customs, and daily life events of the era she's putting on paper.  She makes incredible word pictures for the reader's imagination to relish.  This is definitely a four star book at the very least, it just wasn't what I was looking for, which is more my taste than any flaw in the book. 

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  The opinions expressed are solely my own. 

A Double Dose of Love

 

Even though Darla is the older twin, Amanda has been tasked with taking care of her and watching over her all of her life.  When Darla sees an ad for single women to move to Birch Creek, she decides that she needs the adventure and the possibility of being a mail-order bride. 

Meanwhile in Birch Creek, Zeb and Zeke are twin brothers trying to build up a horse farm, and Zeb is getting tired of Zeke skipping out whenever there is work to be done.  

Darla and Zeke seem to be cut from the same fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants cloth, and Amanda and Zeb seem to serious for their own good--both having been the responsible twin while they were growing up.  

I didn't enjoy this book by Kathleen Fuller as much as I have enjoyed her other offerings, but it could be that I am not in a mood right now to read Amish fiction.  Kathleen's writing is impeccable, it just wasn't the right read for me right now. Four Stars.

Zondervan and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

An Ivy Hill Christmas

 

I've read and enjoyed all of Julie Klassen's Ivy Hill series and this Christmas one is a great read.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Printing Press. 

Julie has populated this book with a number of characters from the series, but they do not all play starring roles, and therefore, it is not difficult to keep track of the main players.  The stars are Richard Brockleman and Arianna Awdry, who have known each other for a while, but have little respect for the other at the outset of the book.  Richard is what seems to be a ne'er-do-well who is living in his family's London townhouse to stay away from Ivy Hill and the matchmaking schemes of his family.  BUT, his mother wants a full-family Christmas and wants Richard at home.  At the outset, Richard tries to alienate the single women at the family party so that he can live his life as a confirmed bachelor.  

There are hidden depths to the characters of the book that make this book such a worthwhile read.  There are clear spiritual implications  that bring the reader to empathetic understandings of the characters.  AND, Julie has done her research into the lives and times of the people in her book.  One of the most endearing characters is Jamie Fleming, an orphan who has been given an apprenticeship at a print shop near Richard's family home.  

It is easy to tell that Richard is a lot of bluster, putting up a curmudgeonly front to keep the rest of the family and guests at arm's length.  But it is also easy to tell that Richard is hiding from himself, and that is one of the hardest things to do.  

Julie has used gentle humor, a great deal of pathos, and an empathetic ear in putting this book down on paper.  I recommend it highly. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Coffee Corner

 

Bethany has a Coffee booth in the Amish Marketplace and specializes in flavored coffees and her own donuts.  Micah is one of her regular customers, coming in every Saturday with his Daadi to get a coffee and donut for each of them.  Bethany has a serious crush on Micah and wishes he'd notice her.  Micah works for his Daadi building Amish outdoor furniture and would like to branch out but his Daadi feels they have enough business.  Micah knows they could do better, but Daadi is hiding something from Micah. 

Amy Clipston has populated this book with a number of lively characters, but the sheer number of people made the book a bit hard for me to get into.  It was a tough read to get through without a program to keep the characters straight.  This wouldn't have been a problem if I had read the earlier books in this series closer to beginning this book.  In a lot of series, the individual books can stand alone and not give the reader too much trouble, but this one depends heavily on the previous books in the series.  The series is also similar to one written by Charlotte Hubbard, and since I've been reading both, I was easily confused. 

Amy did provide a compelling issue to overcome for Bethany and Micah to come together as a couple, she also offered characters who were flawed and who recognized their flaws to bring healing into their own lives. 

It's a four-star book that will entertain those who love Amish fiction.  Zondervan and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Things We Didn't Say

 

For Amy Lynn Green's first offering, this is not a bad debut.  

Johanna Bergland is a linguistics student at the University of Minnesota, who is also given the opportunity to be a translator/censor for the POW/labor camp that is being located in Ironside Lake, her hometown.  When she is reluctant to take the position, her funding is cut off giving her no choice but to take the job.  

The story is told through letters, newspaper articles, and government memos.  There are quite a few compelling characters, including Peter Ito--a linguistic specialist for the Army, teaching Japanese to the soldiers who are to be deployed to the Asian Theater of World War II.  

Her job entails translating and censoring letters from the POWs to their homes and the ones that come to the POWs.  Two of the POW officers begin to gain Johanna's trust, but when those  two POWs escape, the blame comes down on Johanna's head with charges of conspiracy and treason.  

 It's a story that reminds me of one of Aesop's fables: The Farmer and the Snake. 

A Farmer walked through his field one cold winter morning. On the ground lay a Snake, stiff and frozen with the cold. The Farmer knew how deadly the Snake could be, and yet he picked it up and put it in his bosom to warm it back to life.

The Snake soon revived, and when it had enough strength, bit the man who had been so kind to it. The bite was deadly and the Farmer felt that he must die. As he drew his last breath, he said to those standing around:

Learn from my fate not to take pity on a scoundrel.

For me the use of the letters to move the plot seemed to make it a bit slow, but the characters were in fact very real, and understandable.  Four Stars.

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.  

Bleeker Street

 Gabriella grew up on the streets, learning to be a pickpocket with a deft hand; that is, until she got caught and taken to an orphanage.  That was her saving grace.  She learned to read, write, and sew.  Now she lives in a boarding house, works for a dressmaker, and has left her street-wise life behind.  UNTIL, her friend is arrested for stealing the jewels of a Four Hundred family.  In an effort to get her friend out of jail, she crashes a masquerade ball and during a commotion, she breaks into the family safe to see if the jewels are there. While she is cracking the safe, her old partner, Nicholas breaks into the very room where she's cracking the safe with the same goal in mind--to find the jewels that had been stolen and get them returned to the owner while proving that Gabriella's friend didn't steal them. 

That particular mystery is solved fairly early in the book, but others come to take its place and all the girls at the Bleeker Street boarding house become "Agents of Inquiry," helping other women in town who have no other place to turn. 

Jen Turano is known for her wit and humor in her writing.  It takes some significant skill to write comedy without it becoming cartoonish.  Jen has walked on the edge of this line with this book.  Still, it is very enjoyable, because I could see myself in several of the characters within the book.  Several of the characters develop feelings for each other throughout the book while Gabriella's and Nicholas' story takes center stage.  I am hoping that Daphne's story will be the next book in this series.  She is the character who intrigued me the most. 

Four solid stars.

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Promised Land

 

When I saw this book in the list of possible books to read for review, I chose it simply because of the Camino involvement in the plot.  My husband was supposed to hike the Caminio de Santiago this year, because of COVID, Spain closed its borders to tourists.  

Abbie is a woman who has to be in control of all aspects of her life, her sons' lives, and her husband's life. When her older son decides to go to Europe for a "gap year" between high school and college, and her husband goes to Chicago for three months, and her younger son goes off to boarding school; Abbie sees her well-ordered life spiral out of control.  

At the suggestion of her mother, Abbie begins seeing a woman who is not a therapist, but considers herself a spiritual guide.  Abbie's son, Bobby, mentions that he's planning a trek on the Camino in France, and Abbie decides to go along--which defeats Bobby's purpose in taking the trip. However, it does work in his favor in the end.  

Abbie has to face some not very nice truths about herself and in the end return to who she really is.  

I've read several Elizabeth Musser books and I find her work to be compelling and intriguing, just as I found this one.  The one criticism I have is that the people populating the book are extreme in their characterizations.  While it is more rewarding to read books about flawed people (as we all are), it was not as satisfying to read a book about characters I wouldn't like in real life.  Still, the narrative moves at a good pace, and the settings are amazing.  I will still give this book four stars. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  The opinions expressed are totally my own. 

First Light in Morning Star

 When a reader wants to take a break from some serious reading, this would be a perfect book to pick up.  Unfortunately for me, it was rather smarmy and overly sweet.  

Lydianne has a secret that brought her to Morning Star.  She has applied to be the teacher of the school in an effort to be close to a little girl that is one of the scholars.  She has decided that because of her secret that she will never marry.  BUT, there are two men who would love to marry her.  One is the bishop and the other is a widower with two young boys.   Her choice to never marry stands in the way, but when the secret is revealed, she has even more decisions to make besides marrying or not. 

Charlotte Hubbard usually writes good Amish Fiction, but this one misses the mark.  Three Stars.  

Zebra Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Under the Tulip Tree

 

There has never been a book that speaks to the healing that needs to come in this particular time of history as Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee.   On Lorena Leland's sixteenth birthday, the world as she knew it came to an end with the stock market crash.  In the following years, Lorena worked at the newspaper until there just wasn't a place for her there anymore.  Her former editor showed her a letter stating that the Works Progress Administration (WPA) wanted writers for the Federal Writers Program (FWP) to interview former slaves and write down their stories.  

The first person on Lorena's list is Frankie Washington, a former slave who had reached the ripe old age of 101.  She remembers more about being a slave because that is how she grew up.  As Frankie tells her story, Lorena becomes emotionally bonded to Frankie, and outraged at the treatment the blacks (Negroes, as they were called then) received simply because of the color of their skin.  

I've never read a book by Michelle, but this one is a great introduction to her writing.  Her characters are entirely believable: some are likable, some are not, but the reader needs to feel the gamut of emotions toward the characters to get a full feeling for the book.  Her settings are spot on for the times and the places.  Her research is thorough and well-presented. According to her after-notes, there was a project to write down the slave stories and they are housed in the National Archives. 

It is a five star book with two thumbs up and a story written down to never be forgotten. 

Tyndale House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Autumn Skies

 

I write this with a headache from not enough sleep and too many tears, both because of this book, the final book in the Bluebell Inn series.  Autumn Skies continues the story of Molly, Levi, and Grace who together own and run the Bluebell Inn.  Molly met her husband, Adam, before the Inn even opened.  Levi met his fiancee, Mia, when she came for her honeymoon without a husband to share the suite.  Now, Molly is at the front desk when Wyatt Jennings shows up to check in.  

Wyatt has been put on administrative leave for a month from his job as a Secret Service agent.  His attention hasn't been on his job and that could be dangerous to the people he is detailed to protect as well as hazardous to himself.  

There is a bit of predictability to this book, from the beginning the reader understands that Wyatt and Grace will be romantic protagonists.  But there is a bit more that is given away before the denouement--Wyatt and Grace have more connections than just an attraction.  Wyatt is the son of the governor who once owned the Inn as a summer home, so both Grace and Wyatt spent some time growing up there.  There is another connection between them that brings them together in a way that they never saw coming.  

I truly loved the characters in this book.  Denise Hunter has tied up every loose end in the series, made the Inn and its surroundings come to life, and brought the individuals populating the pages of the book to life.  They are true to life beings with foibles and and faults, as well as traits befitting the term "good people."  The plot, while holding elements of predictability, has a constant pace and enough intrigue to keep the reader involved all the way to the end of the book.  This is not only a five star book with two thumbs up and a suite at the Inn, but it is also a read worth the time to read.  

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

His Accidental Amish Family

 

Levi is a physical therapist aide and Anna is his new patient.  She wants to learn to walk after having a life changing accident with her old boyfriend, Gabe.  He had asked her to marry him, but she wouldn't give him an answer until she could walk across the floor to give him the answer.  When Anna is finally able to make the trek to give Gabe his answer and sees that he's in love with another woman.  

Anna has had her fair share of adverse circumstances thrown her way.  After she sees that Gabe truly loves another, she becomes despondent for a while, but finds that she can have a new purpose in fostering children who need emergency placement.  Since she lives in close proximity to her aenti Miriam, who is already certified as a foster parent, Anna's certification comes easily, especially after she gets her CPR and water safety certifications.  

Levi and Anna both hold secret guilt that they are able to unburden to each other and both of them are able to admit their feelings for each other.  After Anna gets a placement of three refugee children, the mother asks that Anna adopt them, which brings Levi and Anna full circle to marriage. 

Rachel J Good has written a sweet book that will touch the hearts of all who read it.  There were many tears shed as I read this book.  The characters have real flaws and real determination to accomplish what they set out to do. This is a five star book with two thumbs up and a picnic lunch.  

Zebra Books and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Amish Christmas Gift

 

I had a seriously hard time reading this book.  The characterizations of the protagonists were mere caricatures of the characters they could have been.  Elsie is portrayed as the constant clumsy oaf-ette, and Levi is the most absent-minded fiance ever.  Elsie's escapades could have been amusing, but they seemed to be window-dressing to make Elsie seem more incompetent. 

Levi is a gifted wood carver who makes toys in his spare time, while being a contractor for a day job. His great sin was leaving Elsie at a cousin's wedding in another state.  

I looked other reviews I've written on books by Laura V Hilton and found she's rather hit-or-miss in her writing. This is at best a two star book.  

Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.