Hannah's Courage

Kensington Books publishes mass market paperbacks--those books you can carry with you in a pocket or purse for those times when you have a few minutes to read.  These are generally quick reads that don't take a lot of time to finish. 

Molly Jebber has written a book published by Kensington that takes place in the early 1900s, a book of Amish fiction.  Hannah likes her life just the way it is, until a newcomer to the community attaches herself to Hannah's best friend, Timothy.   Hannah is heartbroken that she has waited so long to tell Timothy she's in love with him, and she can't stay in Charm now that Charlene Shetler has attached herself to Timothy. 

Hannah always thought she wanted to teach, and when an opening shows up in Mt Hope, she applies for and gets the job.  She moves to Mt Hope to finish out the school year and to tutor some of the students throughout the summer.  She finds herself homesick and wanting to move back, and she finds that teaching a classroom is not what she really wants to do.

This is a quiet novel, without too much drama, and not a lot of compelling movement in the plot.  The characters have depth, but they are all too sweet, with the exception of Charlene.  Life among the Amish in the earliest years of the 20th century isn't much different from life now.  I wish I could give this book a higher rating, but three stars is all I can do for it.  This is the third book in the Charm Bakery series, but there is a set up for a fourth and maybe fifth novel in this series.

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

A Girl's Guide to the Outback

This is my second book to read by Jessica Kate (first one reviewed here) and after rereading my review, I must say that Jessica did not disappoint me.  With this offering, she offers laughs, passion, and tears.  Her characters are engaging, believable, and likable. 

Kim has drive to make her dreams come true, but there's something holding her back.  Sam has the God-gifted talent to reach out for is dreams, but he, too, is being held back. 

Then, there's Sam's sister, Jules, and her ex-boyfriend, Mick, both have things to work out for their relationship as well. 

Kim and Sam work in a ministry to teens called WildFire.  Kim has huge dreams to expand the ministry and Sam wants nothing to do with expansion.  Just as she's about to make her proposal to the board of directors, Sam is called home to help Jules with the farm.  When Sam gets to the farm, he sees that he needs Kim's special skill set to save the farm. He calls her up and asks her to come see what she can do. 

I really can't give much more of synopsis without giving away some main points of the plot that the readers should discover for themselves.  Again, I have to say that Jessica's writing has improved by quite a few notches.  She has filled out the plot with intriguing characters and complex settings.  This is a five star book with thumbs up and a border collie/toy poodle cross puppy.

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

Lean on Me

One of the perks of belonging to NetGalley.com and getting books to read is that I get introduced to new-to-me authors and find some clean, wholesome reading material. 

Pat Simmons is working on a series of novels about three sisters and their Aunt Tweet (suffering from dementia).  The first novel in the series takes the middle sister, Tabitha Knicely, and details her struggles with Aunt Tweet.  The specific trouble Tabitha has with Aunt Tweet is that Aunt Tweet tends to wander around the neighborhood and ends up on one man's porch for a rest before finishing her walk. 

Marcus Whittington takes Tabitha to task for not taking care of Aunt Tweet and implies she's not up to the task of caring of someone in Aunt Tweet's mental condition.  But something about Aunt Tweet and Tabitha works inroads into Marcus' well-ordered life. 

There are angst, humor, sass, and epiphanies throughout the book, which make it all the more enjoyable.   The characters have a believable reality that make them exceptionally likable. 

This is a five-star book, with two thumbs up, and a lemonade on the front porch.

My thanks to SourceBooks Casablanca and NetGalley.com for providing the galley I read for this review.

The Socialite

This book is my first foray into J'Nell Ciesielski's writings, and I don't think it will be my last. 

Kat Whitford has been charged by her father to go to occupied Paris and bring her sister, Ellie, home.  Ellie was known to be often in the company of a German Officer, and because of her father's position within the government, Ellie knew too many secrets that the officer could mine from her.  It was imperative for Kat to be successful in bringing Ellie home.  To hedge his bets, Sir Alfred Whitford engaged the services of Barrett Anderson, a Secret Intelligence Service member. Barrett was in Paris because of a choice given to him after being arrested for defending himself in a fight. 

The Socialite takes the reader through Paris and across France to escape the Nazi occupation, but it was not without its dangers and risks. 

J'Nell writes with intrigue, romance, and action that make this novel a fast-paced read, compelling the reader to flip the pages as fast as possible. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a crawl-through-the-mud escape.

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

An Uncommon Woman

Laura Frantz writes historical fiction most often taking place during the Colonial Era of America.  An Uncommon Woman is her latest offering in the genre. 

Tessa Swan is the only daughter among five brothers, and for the most part, no other single men around.  When Fort Tygart is built, the man for whom the fort is named comes to take command during tensions between the Lenape Indians and the settlers. 

Clay Tygart is a man of uncommon appearance--he has hematochromia (eyes of two different colors--my son has this too, but not to the degree described by Laura in the book) and the Lenape were somewhat afraid of him. 

When Clay meets Tessa, he becomes fond and territorial with the Swan family.  Often he brings the family to the fort for protection, but the one time he doesn't, tragedy strikes. 

Laura has the most engaging way of writing her characters, settings, and plot lines.  They are likable, believable, and compelling.  Her research is on point and it shows in her descriptions.  It is very easy for the reader to place themselves in the setting and imagine life as it was then.  Five Stars, two thumbs up, and a corn cake with syrup.

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the galley I read for this review.  All of the opinions stated here are my own.

On Wings of Devotion

This is Book Two of the Codebreaker Series by Roseanna M. White. 

Arabelle (Ara) Denler is a nurse at Charing Cross hospital in London.  She takes care of service men wounded in Europe during World War II.  Every day, she and a couple of her aides watch out the window for "Black Heart" (Phillip Camden) to walk by. 

After his squadron of flyers died in the English Channel, Camden was assigned to work for the Admiralty in decoding messages sent by the Germans, while awaiting a possible court-martial.

After a chance meeting that wasn't so much of a chance, Camden began walking Ara home from work after her shifts every day.  Through his association with Ara, Camden met her father, a well-known adventurer and traveler. 

This is a book with intrigue, history, and just a bit of understated romance.  The compelling plot is enriched by the depth of the characters and the roles they play within the plot.  The settings are tools to allow the characters to act out their parts on the stage set in front of the readers.

This is a five-star book, with two thumbs up, and a pair of bronze wings from a pilots' uniform.

NetGalley.com and Bethany House Publishers provided the galley I read for this review.

Rosanna's Gift

Rosanna is often called upon to aid her mamm, Sarah, in midwifing and delivering babies.  When an Englisch girl shows up at their door in labor, the two women spring into action to help the girl deliver her bopplin.  Once the baby is delivered, the young girl wants nothing to do with the infant and gives the little girl to Rosanna.  Rosanna falls instantly in love and when she finds out that the girl has named her permanent guardian, decides to keep the babe. 

Rosanna's Gift is a sweet read that details the struggles Rosanna goes through by adopting this baby girl.  She pretty much gives up on marriage and having her own children because of her responsibility with this baby.  For a while she liked Henry Zook, but he never really seemed to like her.  Paul Hertzler seemed to be a good friend, but she never really noticed him. 

Susan Lantz Simpson writes using great detail that colors the plot to make an engaging storyline.  Her characters are fully fleshed out and even the minor characters add something worthwhile to the narrative.  This is a five star book with two thumbs up, and a gift of invaluable price.

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

Mail-Order StandOff

Barbour Publishers have put together four novellas that show that Mail Order Spouses don't always work out as anticipated.  These standoffs are instigated by family members, or friends, or the mail-ordered spouses themselves. 

One of them was a bride who turned down the proposal, only to find out she is the beneficiary of his estate.  She has to go to Fort Worth to spend a month on his ranch to fulfill the conditions of the will.  The groom, who died of cancer, still had a cousin who was living and expected to inherit. By having the ranch manager teach her the ins and outs of ranching, the bride falls in love with the manager.  The standoff happens between the cousin and the ranch manager.  Little does he know the bride and manager have married, and the bride has signed over the ranch to the manager in her will. 

There is something for every historical fiction reader here.  All kinds of shenanigans happen, and that brings laughter for the reader.  Definitely a full four star book.

My thanks to Barbour Publishers and NetGalley.com for providing the galley I read for this review.

The Piper's Pursuit

Melanie Dickerson writes stories for young adults/teens that rework old fairy tales.  This particular book takes on the Pied Piper of Hamlin, and I must say that she did her research well.  I looked up the story of the Pied Piper and found some really disturbing things about the story and when I compared those things to the story Melanie wrote, everything she wrote could be plausible.

Katerina is the step-daughter of the burghermeister of the small town of Hamlin, which is overrun by rats and is also missing many of its small children.  When a small child comes out of the forest, Katerina finds a clue as to where the other children are. 

Steffan is the son of the duke over the area, and sees what's going on in Hamlin and what the burghermeister is doing.  He wants to get his father involved in the situation, while Katerina's step-father is trying to destroy both of them at every turn. 

There is plenty of intrigue to compel the reader to continue on with the book.  This is a great book for teens/young adults, but adults will enjoy it as well.  It is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a silver mine under the town. 

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