The Key to Love

I just took a look back through my blog to see what I've read by Betsy St Amant, and I found a common theme--baking and cakes.   In rereading my reviews of the books I've read by her, I also found flawed characters (not an issue, it adds realism to the plot) whose lives are marked by chaos.  I am not sure if the chaos is meant to add to the humor and pathos of the book, or is just a device to move the plot along, but this time I didn't like it. 

In The Key to Love, Abrielle is a rather caustic woman working at the Pastry Puff bakery in Story, Kansas.  Gerard is sent by Trek Magazine to do an article on the bakery, which has a "Lovelock Wall" similar to one in Paris. Abrielle, or Bri, has an attitude and a chip on her shoulder that makes her a totally unsympathetic character.  The only one worse is the lawyer trying to buy the bakery so he can tear down the wall and build a franchise coffee shop. 

Gerard is not much better in the likable characters department.  He's  got his own chip on his own shoulder and doesn't feel the assignment he's been given is worthy of him. 

This was a hard book for me to read.  I do like to read books with flawed characters, it makes the plots more real.  BUT, the way these characters have been written make them totally unlikable and therefore make the situations and plot lines less believable.  Two Stars

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

Amish Christmas Twins

Three excellent authors are brought together with a singular theme--twins in Amish families.  Three novellas each deal with the chaos that twins bring to families and the joys that twins also bring. 

In one of the novellas, a young couple has taken in two siblings who have been orphaned in a tragic accident.  Jemima and Roy are in their sixth foster home, and unwilling to stay where they feel they are not wanted.  The Kurtz's are the best foster parents they've had, but they are expecting a baby themselves and Jemima believes she and Roy will be placed with another foster family, especially when the Kurtz's find out they are having twins. 

In the second novella, Elizabeth Yoder is widowed, having lost her husband and baby in an accident.  Her next door neighbor, Luke, has always loved Elizabeth, and he wants to show her how much he does love her.  He happens to be in the right place at the right time to save her from a car skidding on the ice.   Elizabeth manages to only have a broken leg from that incident, but Luke does all he can to help her out.  When she finally cleans out the nursery, she donates the baby things to an unwed mothers' shelter.  One of the mothers brings her twins to Elizabeth's door step, asking her and Luke to adopt them. 

In the third, two sets of twins,who are also cousins, create havoc on a neighbor's dairy farm.  As their punishment, they are required to help out at the dairy until the losses incurred by their reckless behavior is recouped.  They also have to find a way to fulfill a need for someone before Christmas. 

These novellas are quite enjoyable, but can tend to drag in places.  The authors are great at writing Amish fiction, but they didn't quite hit the mark in these novellas.  The novellas will fill a languid afternoon, and therefore garner four stars. 

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

Me and Sister Bobbie

David Ritz worked with Willie and Bobbie Nelson to write their autobiographies in one volume, and he has seamlessly put the story in two voices with one cohesive story-line.  Each of the siblings tells his/her own story with his/her own point of view, alternating chapters as the book goes on.

Willie and Bobbie both saw more than their fair share of tragedy and heartbreak throughout their lives, some of it hitting harder and more devastatingly than others.  There is a lot of humor within the tales and there is nothing but honesty in the telling of the tales.

One thing I found exceptionally humorous is when Bobbie is talking about their school days and says, "Willie and study are two words that just don't go together."  In spite of his lack of scholarly pursuit, Willie became a poet in his young years and saw that poetry and music have so much in common that the two cannot be separated. From that perspective came many of Willie's best songs.

At publication of this book, Bobbie will be ninety years old and Willie will be eighty-eight, but both are still very active in performing and producing their signature music. 

The book is easy to read and will touch every music lover who reads it.  Willie and Bobbie are not just country, they are folk, blues, jazz, and everything in between. 

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, a piano and a guitar named "Trigger."

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

A Picture of Love

Naomi has been all but left at the altar when her fiance left her before their wedding.  Amos lost his fiancee to cancer.  Neither feel they are in a position to open their hearts to love. 

Naomi is the cook and housekeeper for Peony Inn, run by sisters Esther and Lizzie.  Lizzie is what in some parlances would be called a "loose cannon."  She says what she feels without a filter between thought and spoken words. Both Esther and Lizzie are match-making meddlers. There are a host of other characters that populate this book by Beth Wiseman and make it the entertaining read that it is. 

One thing that Amos and Naomi have in common is that they both love to paint landscapes.  Esther and Lizzie believe they will make the perfect couple and invent reasons for Amos to stay behind and do some work for them so that Amos and Naomi can get to know each other better, and even fall in love. 

The road to love is never without its bumps and potholes, and Beth has worked that into the book with the reappearance of Naomi's ex-fiance. 

This is quite an enjoyable book that engages the reader from the very first page all the way through to the very end.  Five stars, two thumbs up, and a perfect landscape painting for your wall.

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

Piecing It All Together

When Leslie Gould set out to write this particular Amish Fiction book, she pulled out all of the stops.  She brought in a bit of historical Amish fiction along with contemporary Amish/Mennonite fiction.  Using a storyteller to bring in the historical portion of the book made it all the more entertaining.  It is hard to put this book down. 

A week before her wedding, Savannah calls her fiance only to find him with another woman.  When he comes to the phone, he tells her the wedding is off, but he'll pay for the non-refundable deposits with all of their vendors.  Savannah packs a suitcase and empties her apartment into a storage unit, then flies to visit her grandmother, in Indiana.

Almost immediately after Savannah arrived in Indiana, she was called by her Aunt Deloris to go help deliver a baby.  As she gets to the home to deliver the baby, the woman's teenage daughter runs away and thus starts the intrigue that weaves its way through the book. 

Savannah's Mammi and several other women go to Jane's quilt shop to work on a quilt while Jane tells stories.  The story she has chosen to tell throughout the book is one about Emma, who has lost her husband and both of her children.  Emma's family decided to move from Pennsylvania to Indiana.  Emma doesn't want to leave and extracts a promise to be able to move back if she doesn't find Indiana to her liking. 

Throughout this time, Savannah's friend, Tommy, has found himself in hot water with the local law enforcement because of his cousin's actions. Inspired by the story of Emma, Savannah does all she can to clear Tommy of the accusations against him. 

Leslie has character development, settings, and plot lines down to a T.  Her pacing is fast enough to keep the reader involved to the very end.   This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a Hearth and Home patterned quilt for your home.

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

Here for You

Pat Simmons is releasing her second novel in the Family is Forever Series, and I stayed up way too late last night to read the whole book in one sitting.  It is just that engrossing and compelling to read.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a man with a melodic voice to read scripture to you.

Aunt Tweet was introduced in the first book of this series, Lean on Me, as she was beginning her descent into dementia.  In this book, her deterioration comes quickly, but not before Tabitha calls a church near Rachel to send a minister to pray for Rachel and Aunt Tweet.  The minister who shows up at the door is Nicholas Adams, a fine looking man with a gentle way about him and a deep faith.  He reads Psalm 23 for Aunt Tweet and when he comes to the verse about the valley of the shadow of death, Rachel breaks down.  She knows she is losing Aunt Tweet and she doesn't cope well at all.

Through the prayer ministry of the church, Rachel is introduced to some people who will become so important to her, especially Mother Jenkins.  Mother Jenkins is a "take no prisoners" kind of woman who talks to God with expectation.  She is also protective of  Minister Adams, and warns him away from "Jezebels" who would destroy him.

Pat has shown through this novel that life is messy, even the Christian life.  It comes with no promises of a rosy, well-ordered being that glides right on through to eternity.  Almost immediately after surrendering her life to Christ, Rachel finds a lump in her breast that sends her on a tailspin into depression and denial, but Nicholas' steadfast presence in her life keeps her from capsizing entirely.  I loved the way Pat handled Rachel's illness and her responses to the diagnosis and treatment.  Rachel's actions and reactions were real for the situations she was involved in.  Nicholas' attitudes and dedication to Rachel made him the perfect match for her, especially the way he kept her family in the loop about her health and well-being. 

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, but the reader will want to have a free afternoon/evening to read it.  It is just that enthralling.

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

The Heart of the Midwife

Barbour Books is well-known for its collections of novellas revolving around a central theme.  The Heart of the Midwife chronicles four very different midwives in historical settings.

From the backwoods of Missouri with a Hatfields and McCoys type feud being central to the story, to the questionable practices of some "healers" in New Orleans, each story takes on the life of a midwife in the hardships of medically under-served women in the mid to late 1800s.  Each of the midwives in these stories has to overcome prejudices, some dangers, and otherwise out-dated ideas.  Each of the midwives finds a man who will champion her in her work. 

I found some of the novellas to hold my interest better than the others did.  Each one is entertaining in its own way, but for me a couple of them were better than the others. Four Stars.

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

A Life Once Dreamed

Agnes Pratt has loved James Harris all of her life, but when he proposes marriage to her she finds out a secret her parents had been holding since she was born.  In an effort to do what she believes is right, she moves to a town called Penance in the Dakotas Territory to be their teacher.  She finds contentment in her students and her friends in Penance. 

When the new doctor shows up in Penance, Aggie is in for the shock of her life.  The doctor is none other than her life-long love, James.  She can't believe that of all the people who could have stepped off the train,  James is the one who is now the town's doctor.

The mayor, being the meddling matchmaker that he is,  sets Aggie and James together as often as possible. He tasks Aggie with introducing him to the people in the community and paving the way for him to help the people of Penance. 

When scarlet fever begins to infect the town, James and Aggie work tirelessly to treat the people who succumb to the disease.  Through their work, they find that some of the things that kept them apart don't mean as much now. 

Rachel Fordham cannot have known that the COVID-19 would be such a problematic pandemic when she wrote this book, or that her book would fill the time people have in order to stay safe from the disease.  A Life Once Dreamed is a five star book that is so hard to put down, with two thumbs up, and a secret revealed.

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

The London Restoration

From author Rachel McMillan comes a richly researched historical romance that takes place in post-World War II London and features a strong female lead.   
This is the tag line for The London Restoration.  Brent and Diana are finally back together after years apart because of World War II.  London's churches and cathedrals have been bombed out by the Germans and Diana would like nothing more than to see them restored.  Diana was in a clandestine job during the war and secrecy was prime for her very survival.  Brent served as a soldier who saw more and experienced more than any one man should.  

Rachel's research into post-war London and Europe is spot on and tends to take center stage in this novel.  It seems that Brent, Diana, and a host of other characters take second place to the settings and events of restoring Europe after the war, as well as the beginning of the Cold War.  For me, there wasn't enough of the restoration of Brent and Diana's marriage after the war.  I wanted to delve more into Brent and Diana and find out who they were as individuals and as a couple.  There were places where the technicalities of the restorations made me glassy-eyed.  

I believe my lack of enthusiasm for this book is a matter of taste.  It just didn't scratch that reading itch for me.  

For me, it's a three star book, but for others, it's probably four or five stars. 

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

An Amish Singing

Amy Clipston usually writes quality Amish fiction, but this set of novellas fell short of her usual high standards.  Each one revolves around a couple who spend time singing for the shut ins of the Bird-in-Hand church, and for the people who come to an Amish house to experience Amish culture and food.  Each couple has a road bump to overcome to find true love. 

The stories are a bit trite and formulaic, and the characters are quite shallow.  There is no depth or dimension to them.  The settings are fine, and rather descriptive.   I just wish more time had been spent developing the characters, making them seem more real and approachable.

Like I said, Amy is an author who writes great Amish fiction, but this one is a miss.  Even though I didn't like this offering, I will be reading Amy's future books.   Two stars.

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

If I Were You

I rarely pass up an opportunity to read a book by Lynn Austin, and I am happy that I did not pass up this chance.  If I Were You carries the reader through World War II in England, and then to America after the war is over.

Eve met Audrey in the woods behind Audrey's house when they were both twelve years old.  Through a series of circumstances, Eve ended up living in Audrey's house for four years as a maid.  When Audrey goes to finishing school, Eve goes to typing school so that she can be more than just a scullery maid.

When the war started, Eve is working at what she feels is a dead-end job, while Audrey is forced to house over thirty children at the family estate.  After the war is over, Audrey is a pregnant widow and Eve is pregnant, but without the benefit of marriage.  Audrey has the opportunity to go to America and be with her late husband's parents, but chooses not to go.  Eve takes her immigration documents and goes in her place.

It all falls apart when Audrey shows up four years later to claim her place in her late husband's family.  Eve has so many lies to uncover and put to rights and it is so hard for her to come to grips with all that she has done.

Lynn Austin is one of my favorite writers, and this is a great book to read for those who like World War II fiction.  She has a feel for the times and for the drama of the war.  One of my favorite parts is when there was a call for all kinds of boats to ferry soldiers from France to England, Audrey and Eve took Audrey's family boat up the coast to Dover so that the Navy could use it.

Lynn never skips the spiritual lessons that can be learned through her characters, but she is never preachy about it.  She makes it part of the warp and woof of the character's growth.  Forgiveness and grace are spread throughout this book and make it deeper and richer.  This is a five star book with two thumbs up and a lamb returned to the fold.

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

Love's Pure Light

Barbour Books has selected four top-notch authors to write four tales, each centering around a single hand-carved nativity set that is passed down from generation to generation.  Another theme that seemed to run through these stories is that the characters had a hard time pleasing their parents.

Beginning in the late nineteenth century, the nativity set first comes into the possession of Jessalyn who is staying with her uncle during the holidays.   The nativity moves to Stella right after World War I, after meeting Nat Wise on a train.  Nat adds wise men to the set before it gets passed down to Elodie and Benjamin after World War II.  Benjamin adds an angel that he found in a burned out cathedral in France.  The whole set finds its way to the attic of a Bed and Breakfast in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where Benjie and Trevor find it looking for some Christmas decorations.  An Innkeeper had been added to the set, and Trevor carved the innkeeper's wife for the set.

This olio of stories centers around Christmas, but also about the heritage of one family throughout several generations.  It is a five star collection, with two thumbs up, and an heirloom nativity set.

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

A Joyful Christmas

Barbour Publishing put together six lovely stories about love coming at Christmas time.  These are historical fictional stories with a bit of humor thrown in for good measure.  All of these authors are great writers and the challenge to put a whole story in a novella is a hard one to do when you are used to writing full length novels, but these authors are up to the task. 

Each of these tales have flawed but likable people populating the narratives, and they all find what they are looking for, eventually.  Some of the yarns had me in tears because of the unfairness of the situations, some had me laughing out loud, some had me so frustrated I wanted to grab the characters and give them a good shake.

This is a five star collection, with two thumbs up, and a Christmas miracle of love.

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

An Appalachian Summer

When I started reading this book, it felt familiar, like I was reconnecting with an old friend. I had to look to see what else I've read by Ann H Gabhart and saw that I'd read another book by her set in the Appalachians, but it was set in a later era.  An Appalachian Summer takes place during the early years of the Great Depression and includes some high society activities that would be out of place in the Appalachians. 

Piper Danson has just had her "coming out" debutante party.  Her aunt Truda, has asked that she and her family host a woman who is recruiting couriers for the frontier nurse-midwives.  Piper is wanting to do something different with her life, rather than making the expected match and settling down to a life of high society.  As a member of the Frontier Nurses Services, Piper is often horseback taking medications to outlying posts, sometimes doing upkeep on the buildings, sometimes cooking for the nurses, and even once escorting young boy back to his home after being in the hospital for chemical burns.

Jamie Russell has long been the love of Piper's life, but his family lost everything in the Crash of '29 and now feels he has nothing to offer Piper.  Piper's father wants her to marry Braxton Crandall, which is more of a business deal than a match of love. Jamie, Braxton, and Piper's Aunt Truda all end up at the same time at Wendover, the headquarters of the Frontier Nursing Services, and creates a bit of havoc for Piper.

Ann's research into the Frontier Nursing Services and the Appalachian area is impeccable. Her writing style is one of enjoyable familiarity which makes the characters believable and likable. The settings are what add spark to the plot.  The descriptions are the stuff of legends, which add so much color to the book. This is a five-star book, with two thumbs up, and a horse to take you back into the hills of Appalachia. 

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

The Boat Girls

I am not sure why The Boat Girls showed up in my recommended titles on NetGalley.com, other than the fact that I do have a penchant for reading World War II fiction. Margaret Mayhew was not on my radar of authors to read, but when I did sit down to read this book, I found it fascinating, so much so that I read it in one sitting. It's just that good. 

The Boat Girls describes the life of the narrow boats on the canals in England, the difficulties of moving materials where they need to be, the hardships of life on the boats, and the desires of young women to be useful in the war effort.  Frances, Prudence, and Rosalind are three unlikely compatriots on the Orpheus and Euripides canal boats, doing what they can to deliver goods where they need to go. 

There is a little bit of romance included in the book, but it is not the overwhelming pull of the plot, and part of the romance that is included is not very satisfactory in that it doesn't detail the relationships' developments. However, that does not detract from the overall quality of the book.  Margaret's research into the canal boats, or "narrow boats" as they are called in the book, is eye-opening for this American who knew nothing of this part of World War II history.  I really enjoyed reading about the boaters lifestyle, and the lives of the boaters themselves, even though this was a work of fiction.

I wish I could give this more than five stars, but that is the maximum I am allowed.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a windlass for the locks up ahead.

Random House UK and NetGalley.com provided the galley I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

His Pretend Amish Bride

Gabriel Kauffman has bought a farm where he is raising camels and selling their milk.  He's researched the benefits of camels' milk and wants to make a go of selling the milk to families who could use the milk for their own health. 

Priscilla Ebersol is an assistant to the teacher of the special needs school in her Amish community.  She loves being there because she loves helping the special needs children--especially her brother, Asher, who is autistic.  She has been dating Matthew for about a year when she finds out that he's been having  relationship behind her back with his boss's daughter, Mara.  And it seems that Matthew and Mara have been caught in a compromising situation, but Mara looks enough like Priscilla that the people in their community assume it was Priscilla in the orchard with Matthew.  When Matthew comes forward for confession, he does not clear up Priscilla's name, and lets the church assume the worst about her.

Gabriel's farm and dairy operations are assaulted by unscrupulous business owners who want to put Gabriel out of business and make a fair try at it by calling in the Food and Drug Administration inspectors to try to shut down Gabriel's farm.  Much of the book revolves around the inspection and the help Priscilla gives Gabriel to work through the inspection and the help she gives him for the school field trip she has set up for the horse therapy farm her friend Hope has. 

I am finding I like Rachel J Good's writings books better than some of the other Amish fiction authors.  Her characters are human beings with flaws and foibles, and her settings are true to form for where the stories are located.

The Pretend Amish Bride is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a free pint of camel's milk.

Kensington Publications and NetGalley.com provided the galley I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Carousel Dreams

Four stories revolving around historic Carousels are included in this collection put out by Barbour Books.  From Martha's Vineyard to San Diego, California, these majestic beauties are the sites of romance, and, to some degree, adventure. There are workers at the Carousels, painters of the Carousels, and, most of all, those who just enjoy the Carousels.  These are great stories for the reader to escape quarantine without leaving home during this pandemic.  My favorites were Sophie's Hope by Cynthia Hickey and Carousel Weddings by Susanne Dietze.  They both captured my imagination and kept me in a contented reading space all the way through the stories.

All four of these authors have offered quality writings for this collection and it is well worth the time and money to be able to read them all.  I love these kinds of collections because they offer plots that are finished in short time spans with engaging characters and beautiful settings that leave the reader satisfied once the story is done.

Five stars, two thumbs up, and a brass ring from the Carousel of your dreams.

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