Stay Tuned for the Continuing Saga of Leah's Garden

In Fields of Bounty, Lauraine Snelling and Kiersti Giron wrap up the Leah's Garden series, although there are a couple of loose ends that could be tied up in another book in the series.  This novel focuses on Lilac and her infatuation for Ethan Pritchard, but the main focus, I believe, is listening to God, seeing God's protection over us, around us, 

Lilac does a lot of growing in this book, and she learns a lot about herself, and in learning who she really is, she also learns the purpose God laid out for her life.  She learns that running ahead of God brings pain, that what seems good may not be best.  

I found many biblical principles at play in this book that made me do some deeper reflection, although that may not have been the primary anchor for the book.  

The characters have continued developing throughout the series.  They struggle, they grow, and they mature.  It's the kind of thing that readers want to see, even though this is a "feel-good" type book.  I love the way the book ended with Lilac being content with her situation and the love of the sisters being so full and wholesome.  The way they cooperatively work together is an example many of us should follow. 

There are a couple of loose ends that could be tied up in another novel in the series, but it won't keep me up at night if there is not another installment. 

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a packet of seeds for your flower garden.  

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

 

The Escape Game

I absolutely love this series Barbour Books has put out about the women of World War II, not just those who served in the Armed Forces, but those who supported the efforts of the Allies during the war.  The Escape Game is the newest offering in the series and while Beryl's support isn't as overt as some of the other characters in the other books, her support is necessary, none-the-less.   I appreciate that all of these books are based on actual happenings with a bit of artistic license to flesh out the story.  The skill of the writers who put these novels together make them interesting to read and hard to put down.  

Beryl is a secretary for the owner of a game manufacturing company by day, caretaker of her mum by night, and in between she's an Air Raid Patrol warden.  James is Beryl's brother who is serving in Africa.  Kenneth is a pilot from the United States flying for the Royal Air Force in the Eagle Squadron.  Beryl, James, and Kenneth are friends from their days at Oxford. 

When Kenneth's plane is hit and goes down, he becomes a prisoner of war.  One of the things drilled into him during training is that if you are captured, make every effort to escape. When Beryl's company starts making games to aid the POWs to escape, Beryl writes to let her brother and Kenneth, who are POWs in the same camp, know to look for the game, and its significance.  She has to couch it in terms that won't get noticed by the censors. 

Marilyn Turk has woven this novel with twists and turns that keep the readers on the edges of their seats. While addressing the home-front issues of the war in Great Britain, she has pulled together a cohesive story that has such a satisfying outcome it leaves the readers wanting more.  The prologue sets the stage for the narrative to play out, while the epilogue brings the plot full circle.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Monopoly game to escape the cares of this world for a few minutes. 

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

 

Everything Is Just Beginning

I cracked open this book, not really sure why I requested to read it, but the farther into it I got, the more compelled I was to continue on.  One of the forces that drove me on in reading it was some of the main characters shared my maiden name--Wheeler.  I mean, just because of that, I have to read it. 

Everything is Just Beginning is a rather sad, angsty book wrapped around deep-seated hurts and  anger.  Some of the characters are less than reputable, some are upstanding in spite of their past, some are the kinds of people who reach down to lift others up.  It takes all kinds to make a world and it takes all kinds to make a novel worth reading. 

Erin Bartels has centered this novel in Detroit, Michigan, around the music business and shows the readers just how involved the music world is for those who would try to break into it and become successful.  The plot line in this novel has a few twists and turns that take the reader by surprise, and there are a few issues that are dealt with on such a deep level that it requires thought and contemplation to fully get the ideas being presented through the words and actions of the characters.  Michael and Natalie are incredible young people with a moral compass and maturity that is rare in someone of their youth.  They have their faults and foibles, but they also have their strengths that make them the kinds of characters readers love.  

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a new set of guitar strings.  

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

 

Gigi, Listening

The girl who reads this book could become dissatisfied when her friends don't offer her an all-expenses, all inclusive trip to meet the man of her dreams.  COULD become dissatisfied.  The first thing that struck me about this book is the selflessness of the girls who came together to give this trip to GiGi, who has fallen in love with a voice on an audio book.  The book that Zane narrates is the book GiGi's father was reading in the book store when he met her mother.  There are so many layers to this story and so much of the plot deals with appearances that aren't always what they seem to be.  

It's easy to see how GiGi built up a picture in her mind of who Zane was going to be, and to have those illusions shattered could have really hurt GiGi if Zane hadn't been late to the party in the first place.  

While I do read a lot of romance novels, I generally try to stick to the Christian novels.  So this one was a departure for me, but Chantel Guertin's writing in this novel shows an author who puts a lot of thought into how the plot is going to play out.  There are some characters who are there to set the stage for GiGi's adventures, some who figure into the warp and weft of her trip, which encompasses most of the plot lines of the book, and some of the characters just add color, which is a fine role--every novel needs those colorful people.  

GiGi Listening is, on the surface a fun novel, but it has deeper layers that push the reader into some introspection.  It's a great novel to read for an hour at a time, then take the time to digest its fuller meaning.  Every reader will find a favorite character other than GiGi to connect with in this book.  It's just a given.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and an all-inclusive trip that is more than just a trip. 

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

 

A Mark of Grace

There have been few books that have been as disappointing for me as this one.  From the very beginning, the reader knows who the romantic couple is, who the bad guys are, and very quickly, how the bad guys were going to get caught.  There wasn't a lot of guess work for the reader. It was less than satisfying to read this book.  

Ruth Anniston had been attacked by a mountain lion in an effort to save one of her Harvey Girl waitresses.  She bears scars on her face and her leg.  Frank Henderson is the head chef at the El Tovar Harvey House and he is in love with Ruth.  

When discrepancies start showing up in the books for the El Tovar, Mr. Owens asks Ruth and Frank to find where the money is going.  They spend all their spare time together to try to piece out the mystery.  Oliver Benton has a vendetta against Fred Harvey, who has passed on by this time, but Oliver wants to bring down the Harvey House empire. He enlists Howard, a chef, to infiltrate El Tovar and shortchange the supplies, cook the books, and embezzle from the restaurant. 

All of this is revealed in the first quarter of the book.  The rest of it meanders toward the ultimate ending of bringing down the bad guys, Ruth and Frank getting together, and the Harvey House is saved. 

I've read a couple of Kimberley Woodhouse's other books and found them to be much more interesting than this one.  This is the final book of the series and to me it feels like she was just trying to get through the series to move on to bigger and better things.  Someone else may love this book and find it more engaging.  This is just how the book struck me. It just missed the mark for me. 

Two Stars

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

 

The Maid of Ballymacool

Michael Wray is called in by his parents to go to Ballymacool boarding school to find out why his cousin is having such a hard time.  Adelade is not settling into the school very well and he has come to discover her difficulties and to ascertain a way to curb her misbehavior as well as help her fit in better. 

One of the first people he meets at Ballymacool is Brianna Kelly, the scullery maid of the school.  She works from early morning until past midnight on kitchen duties. She gets one half day a week off, but rather begrudgingly.  

The mistress of the school is Maureen Magee, who rules the school with an iron hand.  She and Mr Daid, the teacher, combine forces to make the school a most unpleasant place.  They both heap abuse on the workers and the students as a show of force to keep the power within their own hands.  Michael's presence has worked to upset their little applecarts of dictatorship over the school.  While keeping tabs on his cousin, he is also intrigued and drawn to Brianna.  He hates the way she is treated by Miss Magee and stands up for her whenever he can.  

There are secrets and mysteries surrounding Brianna and the school, that she doesn't even know herself.  I kept thinking those secrets were going to go one direction, but I was totally surprised by what the secrets actually were when they were finally revealed.  That is only because of the skill of the author, Jennifer Deibel.  She has woven a compelling tale that keeps the reader involved from the very first words until the final page.  This is not a romance novel with a bit of mystery, this is a novel that has romance, mystery, a bit of "mean girl" vibes, and a lot more.  This is a novel that has a significant spiritual truth of seeing oneself as God sees.  The Maid of Ballymacool is at times heart-wrenching, and at times heart-warming.  It is maddening, gladdening, and satisfying. 

Jennifer used quite a few Irish idioms throughout the book and provided a glossary for understanding those that cannot be discerned through context clues.  I really appreciated that.  It was a bit cumbersome to flip back and forth to figure things out, but that was not overly distracting because it made understanding the conversations so much better.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a friend who will champion for you at every turn. 

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

 

The Tapestry of Grace

I have read several of Kim Vogel Sawyer's books and for the most part, I truly enjoy them.  The Tapestry of Grace is Kim's newest novel and I must say it's my favorite of her novels so far. This novel is a slice of life in historical Kansas. 

Some of the main players are: Augusta and her daughter Juliana, Konrad and his twin boys, Martina and Gerhard, There is a full cast of minor players who add to the richness of the tapestry of the novel.  

Augusta is enjoying her time off from teaching school for the summer and getting ready to plant her garden for the coming year's food. Konrad is trying to balance being father and wage-earner to two rambunctious twins who lost their mother when they were younger.  Martina hides the fact that her husband, Gerhard, drinks himself into oblivion every night and believes she is at fault because of her inability to carry a child to term.  

Martina decides to start a women's group at church to reach out to fill the needs of widows and orphans within the church.  Augusta feels that Konrad's situation fits the purpose of the group, but Martina objects to helping a man, until she realizes there are multiple solutions to Konrad's situation.  One of the solutions was for Gerhard to take one of the twins as an apprentice.  Martina gets it in her mind that the boy will become their son.

Konrad enlists Augusta's help in finding him a new wife for his boys.  He has quite the list of qualifications and  requirements for his new wife, but in his mind, all of them are for the good of his boys. 

This is a book of awakenings, of realizing God may have something better for His children than they can even imagine, or reconciliations, and of forgiveness. There is so much to digest within this book that makes it a more contemplative read.  It is hard to put down, because the way the plot presents itself  keeps the reader involved from the very first page all the way through to the very end of the book.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a women's group that really wants to help those in need. 

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

 

A Match in the Making

Jen Turano is known for her humorous romance stories.  I loved her Bleeker Street Investigative Agency series and now she has the new Matchmaker series beginning with A Match in the Making.  I've read many of her earlier books and mostly enjoyed them.  Some of the humor was a bit slap-stick for me, but this one, while a bit light, was not so much rollicking in funny mishaps, was a bit more sedate and understated in its comedy.  

Gwendolyn Brinley has been a companion to her cousin, Catriona Zimmerman, but needed a break.  So she became the employee of the local match-maker.  Unfortunately the match-maker broke her foot so Gwendolyn was thrust into the role of assistant match-maker for Society's summer season in Newport.  

Walter Townsend is in need of a wife to be the mother of his three recalcitrant children.  Gwendolyn has been tasked with finding him a wife, along with two other ladies her employer has assigned to her for the summer.  

Gwendolyn is the only one who was able to reach the children and find out what they want in a mother.  And she is the only one who can maintain discipline among them.  As she observes the chosen candidates interact with the children, she sees how truly inept they are with children in general and Walter's children in particular.  She tasks the children with watching the women at their father's ball to decide which one they feel would be the best mother to them.  When the children make their announcement, it leads to Gwendolyn's being sacked as a match-maker.  

One of the things I liked about this book is that the male characters are shown to be just as vapid as the female characters, they are all on a par with their pettiness, gossip, and posturing to show themselves in their best light while not really having a good light to show.  The humor in this book is more understated, mature, and is not directed at the main characters as much as it is to the society members as a whole. 

This will be a fun summer read, while lying in a hammock with a large glass of iced tea. 

Four Strong Stars

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

 

The Sound of Light

I think I have figured out how to write a best-selling novel.  It's much like giving birth to a baby.  The beginning pangs are enough to catch the mom's attention, and then it builds until the final transition where the baby is finally born and the moments of high intensity elation are calmed into a satisfying end.  I imagine authors go through the same kind of emotions where the idea is conceived, mulled over for a time, built up, pushed through to the plot climax, and then the loose ends of the book are brought together in fulfillment of the whole story.  These are the emotions I felt as I read Sarah Sundin's latest World War II novel.  Many of her early WWII novels had decidedly American characters, whereas her later stand-alone novels have quite a few European characters. Not a criticism, just an observation.  The great romance story formula was an undercurrent in this novel, but it comes across in an organic way that does not hinge on conflict between the characters.  Instead the part where boy loses girl was a matter of Hemming being arrested and Else having to leave Denmark without knowing where he was, how he was being treated, or even if he still lived. 

Beyond the conflict that is part of every war--the ideologies, the posturing and maneuvering--one conflict among characters was relegated to that of Hemming and his  father, who was part of the Danish Aristocracy.  In fact, Hemming was titled in his own right. But father and son had their own difficulties that played out in ways that were resolved unexpectedly and all of the resolution hinged on each of their faiths. Another conflict was between Else and one of the professors at the Physics Institute, who didn't believe a woman was smart enough to be a physicist, much less one who could hold a PhD in physics. 

Else and Hemming met in the boarding house where they both stayed during the week.  Hemming was working at the shipyard and Else was working at the Institute.  When Else went to her grandparents' home for the weekend, she was surprised to find Hemming attending the same church.  Both held secrets and when those secrets were revealed, it became a greater concern for both of them.  They both worked for the Danish resistance and once Germany declared martial law, both were compelled to flee the country.  The only fly in the ointment is that Hemming was arrested before he could leave. 

As I read this book, I felt like the beginning of the plot moved too slowly, but this is novel is based on actual people and actual events, and it can't be pushed faster than history dictates.  Once the events start piling one on top of the other, the book becomes one that is extremely hard to put down.  The reader comes to respect the amount of time, effort, and research that has gone into bringing this part of history to the fore in such a readable and relatable fashion. This book is less about the romance of Hemming and Else and more about the things people had to do in desperate times.  Their romance provides a sweetness to a sour time in history.   

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a carving of a merman for your mantel. 

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

The Thing About Home

Casey Black is an Instagram Influencer with millions of followers.  She's about to have a seven-year vow renewal when her husband walks out minutes before the ceremony is about to start.  She goes home, goes live on Instagram and in one ten minute segment virtually destroys her career.  Needing a break from her life, she goes to South Carolina to find out about the people she came from.  There she meets the grandmother she never knew and finds more than just herself, she finds her true purpose and it's not with Instagram.  

Granna, as she calls her grandmother, teaches her how to cook, how to grow plants, and more about who she really is.  With the help of Nigel Evanston, she learns farming, and that not all of life needs to be lived online.  There are experiences to be had simply by living them.  

Granna gives Casey some journals and diaries of her grandmother, Odessa, and her grandfather, Elijah, that describe the incarnation of the Black family.  The hardships, the victories, and the daily-ness of life post-war in the 1860s and beyond.  

Throughout the book, Casey has had to make some hard decisions, but coming into her own and standing on her own two feet makes her who she is by the end of the book.  Besides Casey, Nigel, and Granna, there are some characters who become family members to the reader, especially Aunt Thea who knows someone connected to the family to do anything that needs to be done.  She is a great resource for workmen, mechanics, cooks, whatever you need, Aunt Thea knows who does it, and it's always a family member.  That kind of resource is invaluable.  

Rhonda McKnight has written a stellar book that at times frustrates, always engages, and inevitably compels the reader to continue.  It's hard to put down, hard to let go, and destined to become a favorite book by Rhonda's readers. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a glass of sweet tea without too much ice.  

Thomas Nelson provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions are solely my own. 

 

At Home on Marigold Lane

Bri MacLeod has moved back home after escaping an abusive marriage.  She suffered a traumatic fall that was never fully explained in the book.  Her recovery is taking longer than her surgeons would like.  One of her surgeons was her high school sweetheart, and his soon-to-be ex-wife is her other surgeon.  This makes a really tough situation.  

Cal is in a loveless marriage that is over except for the paperwork.  The reason he stays is because of his stepdaughter, whom he loves like a daughter.  

Side plot:  Cal's sister is a police officer on unpaid leave because of a couple of incidents surrounding her fiancé's death.  He goes to where she lives and moves her to Highland Falls.  By a stroke of luck, manipulation, or other machinations, his sister, Emma, and Bri have become roommates in a house on Marigold Lane. Emma's and Bri's initial relationship was a bit contentious until they had a chance to hash out what happened to their friendship.  

By trade, Bri was a relationship/marriage counselor who felt that her failed marriage disqualified her from practicing.  But, Emma needs the help and then Cal's soon-to-be ex wants Bri's advice, and Cal's step-daughter is having a crisis. What Bri doesn't know is that Emma has refiled for Bri's license and set up her business.  In all of this Cal and Bri begin to feel  the feels they felt for each other so many years ago.  

Debbie Mason has populated her book with a plethora of flawed characters who overcome the odds to find their true selves in this very readable book.  Four Stars.  

Forever Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.

 

Della and Darby

After I started reading this book, I hopped on Goodreads to read some reviews of other readers.  It was a mixed bag of opinions.  Some gushed about how wonderful the book was and others about how slow the plot moved, how the characters were bland, etc.  I found points of agreement with several of the reviewers.  

This is the second book I have read by Susannah B Lewis, and I have a mixed bag of emotions about the book myself.  I did feel the plot was too slow, the characters were caricatures, exaggerated beyond believability, but there were parts I could relate to all too well.  

Della and Darby are twins raised by their grandmother after their alcoholic mother killed herself drinking and driving.  After that episode, they were bullied all the way through school.  Della wanted nothing more than to fit in, while Darby just crawled into herself and hid there.  Their thirtieth birthday is coming up and their Grandma Birdie wants to throw them a party.  At first they resist, but Della comes on board and wants to show the town they aren't the no-accounts they've always been presumed to be.  

Della works with the doctor in town and believes herself to be in love with him.  The fly in her ointment is that the two nurses who work with her take on the role of "mean girls" in her life.  She wants so much to befriend them and knows she's quirky (at best), but they seem to get their jollies by tormenting her.  

Darby works at the local prescription bottle factory and stays to herself as much as she can.  Cliff tries to talk to her every single day, in spite of her rebuffs. 

It's not until the birthday party that everything seems to fall into place for Della and Darby, and it's not until the birthday party that I gained a real interest in the book.  It just wasn't my favorite.  Three Stars. 

Thomas Nelson Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Wedding Ranch

I have read a couple of Nancy Naigle's books and I find them to be utterly charming.  When I've read something disheartening, a Nancy Naigle book is a great way to get my mind in a happier place.  The Wedding Ranch is no exception.  Nancy does tackle real life struggles but in a way that is not dispiriting.  

Lorri Walker is a graphic designer who works from home for most of her assignments.  She designs logos, website graphics, t-shirt graphics, and other advertising materials.  After her husband gifts her with a mastiff puppy and divorce papers, she moves to a small town outside Raleigh, North Carolina, where she meets Ryder Bolt.  

She's not looking for love and Ryder is still mourning losing his wife and son seven years ago.  But their friendship is something that is welcome in both of their lives until a buried connection between them threatens even a tenuous friendship.  

Nancy has used the romance formula for this book, but it feels organic and natural.  Ryder's twin niblings (niece and nephew) run the wedding ranch as a venue for weddings, of course, and other events. A high-profile wedding at the ranch creates a fly in the ointment of Ryder's and Lorri's friendship when he accuses Lorri of leaking photos of the wedding to the internet.  He doesn't know that Lorri has known the groom for years and that she was invited to the wedding.  His mistrust of Lorri makes her question if she even wants his friendship.  

The settings in rural North Carolina sound breathtaking, the characters are relatable, believable, and natural.  Nancy has a way of bringing her characters to life and bringing them together that doesn't feel forced.  It's a great read and well worth the time.  I'd like to read it again just for the fun of it.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a mastiff named Mister to keep you company.  

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

 

Famous for a Living

I loved the first book I read by Melissa Ferguson.  It was witty, funny, and intriguing.  The second book I read by her was also quite entertaining.  But this one was a bit out of my league, out of my depth, and out of my generation.  Cat Cranwell has built a life on  Instagram, touting brands, influencing her followers, and generally making a name for herself by the pictures she takes with her camera and posting them on Instagram.  I do use social media myself, but I am not out to influence anyone.  I am there for the giggles and encouragement I can get from the groups I follow.  I also use it to keep up with friends, but I am not out to influence them in any capacity.  So that part of social media is beyond my ken.  

The plot has a few kinks in it, but overall, makes sense.  The one issue I have with the book is that Melissa has gone overboard with her super-hyphenating.  Because I read a galley on  an  e-reader, it made the reading tedious when hyphens were left out, and when there were too many hyphens in a row.  They  were distracting at best and aggravating at worst. 

The premise of the book is that Cat is charged unlawful collecting of data through an app she promoted through her social media.  In order to find a haven, she goes across the country to Montana to stay with her uncle in the Kannery National Park.  He needs her social media expertise to help keep  Kannery from becoming absorbed by Glacier National Park.  His right hand man, Zaiah, draws Cat into life at the park through the various contests held throughout the season Cat is there.  He doesn't like what she does, with good reason, but he is falling for her in spite of it.  

The settings in northwestern Montana and in New York City are as diverse as the characters themselves, but create an impressive backdrop for the plot.  This alone helps keep the book up to a three star read.  

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

 

Holding the Line

When I saw the title, I immediately assumed the book was going to be about the early days of the telephone.  I was wrong. It wasn't so much about telegraphy as it was about having the characters' eyes opened to what was true and what was fantasy.  The telegraph played such a minor role in the book that it could have been left out without much difficulty.  BUT, Jennifer Delamere has woven a compelling novel that begs the reader to keep turning the pages regardless of the reader's schedule, deadlines, or bedtimes. 
 

Rose Finlay is a widowed young woman working for the postal service in Piccadilly Square in London.  She is the assistant manager of the office and works diligently at her post.  She takes care of her underlings, works efficiently, and cares for her customers.  When she overhears a conversation between a young miss and a known rake of the town, she can't help but get involved.  The girl, Sophie, is too young to understand what men like Sandy Deveaux are truly after.  Rose doesn't want to see Sophie hurt or her reputation damaged because of her association with Sandy, but doesn't quite know what to do about it.  

Sophie's mother, Pearl, is oblivious to what Sophie is doing and because of her sister-in-law's approval of Sophie's actions.  Marjorie, Pearl's sister-in-law, thinks that Sophie would make a fine match with Sandy and doesn't discourage the relationship.  When John, Pearl's brother, finds out what Sophie is doing he enlists Rose's help in showing Sophie what Sandy's true motives are.  

What gives this plot some humor is that Marjorie wants to marry John, Pearl is in favor of it, and John wants to see where his relationship with Rose will go.  Pearl and Marjorie disapprove of Rose, when, in fact, Rose isn't out to secure a husband.  When the blinders fall off all of their eyes, they see who Rose is, what her true motives are, and how truly well suited for John she is.  

This isn't an over-the-top rollicking read, the humor is subtle, which makes it all the more interesting.  When Rose is demoted and moved to a less desirable position because of a false accusation, the reader is able to empathize with Rose and understand her disappointment.  She got moved from a pleasant work environment to one that would qualify as toxic by today's standards.  Rose's motives and actions prove her character even when others cannot see it.  Those who can see it love her all the more because of it.  Those who can't will not accept her, no matter what.  

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a current bun with tea. 

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

Her Heart's Desire

Mary Margaret is seeking an escape.  With the money she has made from her greeting card-making business and a little bit of money her parents give her, she goes to Pinecraft, Florida, for a vacation.  On the bus ride there, she meets Lilly and Betsy, two other Amish girls also on vacation. Once she gets to Pinecraft, she finds out that her arch-nemesis from grade school on is coming to Pinecraft as well, and is staying at the same Bed and Breakfast.  Mary Margaret has had to overcome years of bullying at Esther's hands and is not exactly excited to see that she will be staying in the same place.  

Shelley Shepard Gray has written a book about forgiving the hard things, the deepest hurts, and the betrayals people inflict on one another. This isn't an easy book to read, and it differs from most Amish fiction in that it isn't over-the-top syrupy sweet.  Those are things I really liked about it.  The characters are flawed which make them all the more believable and relatable.  The setting of Pinecraft is one I've read about with other authors too and seems as familiar as being home, so understanding the surroundings is very easy to do.  

Both Mary and Esther meet young men whose eyes they catch, so there is a bit of romance for those die-hards who require it.  What Shelley has done well is show that even Amish have their difficulties and flaws.  One of the most compelling quotes Shelley has included in this book is by Esther, when she asks when it became okay to be mean on purpose instead of gently teasing. 

Five Stars, two thumbs up, and an ice cream cone by the ocean. 

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

 

Sadie on the Rocks

If you don't read the synopsis of the book, the title sounds like a new drink you'd order at a bar--"I'd like a Sadie on the Rocks, please." But that's not what this book is about.  It's about defining life in your own terms, about taking a hard look at yourself and seeing  who is really there, and about finding adventure wherever you go.  

Sadie lives in Gunnison, Colorado, and writes articles on dating life for a magazine, but the fly in the ointment is that Sadie hasn't been dating for quite a while.  She really wants to branch out with her articles to include dealing with the single life instead of ways to just look for a partner.  

Sadie was also feeling some discontent with her status quo in that she wanted some adventure, or something new in her life.  When she went to the outdoor outfitters store, she happened upon a man who was setting up a display about the new rock climbing wall business that offered one free lesson for newcomers.  She decided to try it.  

This isn't a book about romance, although there is a little bit of that included, but it's a side issue to the plot.  This is a book about finding a purpose and filling a need within one's own life.  This isn't about looking at externals, but looking deep within oneself and finding one's personhood and being comfortable in one's own skin.  Friendships old and new play a huge part of this book and Joanne Bischof takes a light-hearted look at life with friends, family, and adventures.  I am coming to appreciate Joanne's writings the more I read her books and I look forward to the next book in the series.  

This is the kind of book you take to your hammock on a sunny day and just enjoy the afternoon breezes while you read.   Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a gold medal in a climbing competition. 

Mason Jar Books provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Engaging Deception

Engaging Deception is the third book in Regina Jennings' Joplin Chronicles series, but for me, it is also the best of the Chronicles. Sometimes an author will seemingly get tired of a series before the series is finished and the last story becomes trite and lackluster.  Regina took a look at her characters and brought a freshness to this latest book that gives the reader a satisfying sigh after finishing the book.  

Olive Kentworth has spent the last several years taking care of her ill mother until she passed.  Now she is caring for her father and his house.  She has been slow to rejoin society and seems to like her life just as it is.  One of the things she loves doing is designing houses and buildings. She has already designed buildings for her cousins places of buildings.  She has also gotten ahold of every book on architecture the library has and bought quite a few more that showed up in a rummage sale at church.  Her idol (for lack of a better word) in the architecture world is Maxfield Scott.  When her cousin sets her up to babysit for Maxfield, she feels the world has been handed to her on a platter.  She finds his library is full of resources and ideas that fuel her own.  

Two men lived in Joplin who were rivals in wanting the biggest, showiest house in town. Maxfield has built one of the houses and is in process of building the other.  When the owner of the first house decides to add on to the house, Olive's design is the one that wins the owner's heart, and Maxfield is dismayed at the remodel of one of his prized designs. 

Even though Maxfield is dating the daughter of his client, he is growing closer to Olive.  There is something he sees in her that intrigues him.  She likes Maxfield, but is afraid to let him know who she really is and what she really does. 

The characters in this book have foibles and flaws that make them more real and more likable.  There is a tiny bit of romance formula in the plot, but it's there to give the characters time to contemplate the situation. It does not detract from the story at all.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and an award-winning home design. 

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

 

A Novel Proposal

 

Sadie teaches art at an elementary school, but on her breaks, she writes western novels.  Unfortunately, her publisher is not happy with her sales and wants her to branch into another genre--specifically romance.  Her best friend's mom owns a duplex on an island off the South Carolina coast and sets it up so that Sadie can go spend her summer writing without distractions.  The other half of the duplex is occupied by Sam, a man who wanted nothing but solitude for the summer. Sadie and Sam are polar opposites 

When Sadie's agent described what the publisher was looking for, she described the "romance novel formula" to a T. 

• Boy meets girl
• Boy gets girl
• Boy loses girl
• Boy and girl get back together again.  

Well, this is exactly the way the story played out, except in reverse--girl meets boy, girl gets boy, etc.  Denise Hunter has taken the basic romance formula and built a novel with it, but she's done it with more skill than the cheesy romances that usually follow this formula.  She has also woven in a bit of a mystery that keeps the reader engaged throughout the plot from beginning to end.  

In meeting the characters of this book, I got the impression that Sam was pretty curmudgeonly, while Sadie was over-the-top extrovert. Some of her actions early on bordered on the manic, but she calmed down by the end of the book.  The setting on an island right on the ocean makes me a little wistful for beaches and ocean waves.  The pupster, Rio, a malti-poo, was the icing on this wonderful cake.  

Solid Four Stars

Thomas Nelson Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Pretty Little Pieces

I stayed up late reading this novel, then I woke up early to finish it.  At first, I was disenchanted by the way Carmen Schober dealt with her characters' characters.  Lance was underhanded and manipulative, Georgianna was not the "good, Christian girl" found in most Christian novels.  That was my bad for judging the characters before they were fully revealed through the plot.  The characters have flaws, and I do too.  It took something like this to shake up my stodginess.  Thank you, Carmen.

After my sweet Mama passed away, I was going through her papers and things (she had thirty years worth of tax returns, plus a plethora of other papers to sort and sift) and I found a gem that I think was an enlistment form for World War II.  That it was still in her possession tells me that she didn't follow through.  (I promise this particular ramble is relevant).  One of the questions on the form asked what her career aspirations were and she said, "secretary or interior designer."  That surprised me.  Mama wasn't one who chose form over function during the years I was growing up.  Our house was decorated in early comfort eclectic.  Daddy had a chair and ottoman or a recliner with a side table.  Mama had a rocking chair and a footstool.  The sofa was for company and we kids sat on the floor.   The rugs on the floor were made by my grandmother who crocheted them from the scraps of fabric left over from Mama making our clothes.  No matchy-matchy stuff for us--not even a theme in our décor!  

The premise of the book is a behind-the-scenes look at how an interior design show is made.  The players are the main characters of the book.  When Georgianna miscarries, Lance leaves their apartment and ghosts her for the better part of three months.  The producers want another show from Georgianna where she and her best friend, Poppy, join forces to renovate a cabin in the Tennessee woods, near the Bible camp Georgianna attended as a child.  A Non-Disclosure Agreement binds Georgianna and Lance from discussing their relationship, or what was left of it, so when Georgianna meets Cassidy Stokes, she is not totally forthcoming with details about her life.  

While working on the cabin, everything that can go wrong, does, in a way.  First, Lance hijacks the producer who has worked with the two of them, so a substitute producer is brought in for the making of this what could be a pilot episode for Georgianna.  The new producer can't find a contractor because Lance has hijacked him, as well.  She finally finds an elderly gent who still has his license and his bond to be the contractor while Cassidy helps out.  Georgianna's twin sister, Savannah, shows up.  She is something of an emotional drain on Georgianna, but ends up giving Georgianna the masterpiece bedroom she needs for the show and for the owners of the cabin.   Both Cassidy and Georgianna have pasts to overcome on the way to a relationship, and at one point, Georgianna can't see that they can even have a relationship.  

The supporting cast of this book bring dimension and depth to the main characters and help to flesh them out a bit more.  The setting in rural Tennessee reminds me so much of the area in Arkansas where I grew up and makes me just a bit homesick.  Carmen has done a skillful job in depicting the real life conundrums in negotiating around relationships.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a bedroom mural to take your breath away. 

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

 

Love Through the Seasons

This collection of four novellas by Tracie Peterson is a departure from her normal historical romances, but all four stories were a breath of fresh air in the way the characters tackled the ups and downs of navigating their way to love.  I've read a number of Tracie's historical novels and have found them entertaining and intriguing.  This collection is no different in that aspect.  

In all four plots, the characters are real and believable, not forced, and not hurried. Some of them are stories of younger adults finding their way to love, some are more mature and finding their way to love a second time around after rather unfortunate circumstances, and one in particular is about re-finding and redefining love that has somehow gotten lost in the shuffle of work life.  

The way Tracie handled these problems in her stories make them all the more enjoyable.  I found it hard to put the book down.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a season in Kansas for love. 

Barbour Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Pride and Puppies

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I asked to read and review this book.  From what I read, it was supposed to be a pretty funny read with a side of romance, but it wasn't nearly as funny as I thought it would be.  For me, the humor was forced, and therefore, didn't come across well.  I've not read any other books by Lizzie Shane, and this wasn't the kind of first impression that keeps me coming back for more.  

For the most part, the characters are likable, believable, and real.  Kendall thinks that Charlotte sabotages herself in the romance department by looking for love in all the wrong places, but she and Magda are Charlotte's best friends who stand beside and try to coach her in finding love.  

George lives in the same apartment complex as Charlotte, works with Charlotte, and is in love with Charlotte.  He only wishes she could see him for who he truly is.  

After Charlotte's latest break-up, she decides to get a dog to fulfill her desires for love.  When she goes to the animal shelter, she finds the perfect puppy for her, a golden retriever that had been rescued from a puppy mill.  With George's help in training her pup (he already has a Bernese Mountain dog, Duke), she and Bingley bond in a way far more satisfying than the past loves she's known.  

The book is set in a small town in Vermont where newcomers will be called such for time and eternity.  I live in such a small town (though not in Vermont), and have lived here for forty years, but I am still a newcomer in the grand scheme of things. 

There are many enjoyable parts to this book and lots of people will like reading it.  For me it is at most a three star book, but that is my opinion.  

Forever (Grand Central Publishing provided the galley I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

A Wedding in Wild Harbor

 

Grace Worthington is known as a "sweet romantic author," and her latest book,  A Wedding in Wild Harbor, bears out the moniker. It is definitely a sweet romance with very human characters, but these very human characters follow the romance novel formula and that detracted from the story for me somewhat.  

Cassandra responds to a man driving across the center line of the highway by overcorrecting and ending up in a corn field.  The man circles back around to pick her up and take her where she needs to go.  Liam, the man, finds out that Cassandra works for the book store in Wild Harbor that he plans to buy and create a high tech gym.  That does not endear him to Cassandra at all. 

Liam's mother has been fighting cancer and has been told she has run out of options for treatment and all she wants for Liam is for him to be married.  She sets up dating profiles, leases a billboard, anything to advertise his single status.  This aggravates Liam to the point that he will enter into a fake relationship with Cassandra in exchange for keeping the bookstore open longer to allow her to turn it around and make it profitable.  It's not really good business sense, but there's something about Cassandra that appeals to him.  The more he learns of Cassandra, the more he likes her, and wants their fake relationship to become something real.  Cassandra is wary of Liam, but he worms his way into her heart, slowly but surely. 

This is the final book in the Wild Harbor series by Grace, and while I haven't read the other books in this series, it stands alone fairly well.    I am sure there are parts I've missed because I haven't read the other books in the series, but I wasn't confused by anything that happened in this book.  It was a quick, entertaining read that fulfilled a need for something lighthearted. 

If it weren't for the formulaic plot, I would have given this book five stars, but it was a bit too predictable, so I give it four stars. 

Poets and Saints Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Florence Legacy

 

Lauraine Snelling has been writing for so long, she has honed her craft into some of the finest fiction I've ever read. I love the premise that she uses with her latest offering--a group of friends in the empty-nest years of their lives with new opportunities granted by a friend who passed away.

Breeanna is dealing with her daughter's spendthrift ways and her son's growing family.  When she gets this windfall that has been marked for a trip to Italy, Bree's daughter thinks that she should help her out  of her financial woes instead.  

Breeanna is also a member of a writing group that meets periodically to discuss their writings and to just have some time for girl-talk.  When all of the members of the group chime in that they have been the recipients of the late members largesse, Bree is beginning to believe that this is a providential event and that they should plan the trip they all wanted to go on for so long.  

In the midst of the planning for the trip, one of Bree's friends lost her husband suddenly, and Bree meets the  friend's brother-in-law and they hit it off.  As Bree navigates reentry into the dating world, she finds herself in quite the conundrum.  She wants to go to Italy, but she also wants to see where this relationship will go.  

The Florentine Legacy is not a romance novel, per se, but there is romance in it.  What I liked best about it is that it is a great novel about friendships of mature women, some of whom are navigating life with their grown children--especially knowing when and how much to help them with their problems. 

I especially loved how Lauraine described the trip to Italy, she made it come alive so that the reader feels they are experiencing the same things the characters are.  

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a lesson on cooking some REAL Italian food. 

FaithWords Publishing provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

What I Would Tell You

I haven't read a book by Liz Tolsma that hasn't affected me greatly.  She reaches down into the souls of her readers through her characters who are very real and very relatable. These characters aren't the fluffy kind of people who sail through life without a care in the world.  These characters struggle with big, important, real-world problems and do so with a call to right the injustices of the world.  Thus is the story of Mathilda and Asher Nissim--Sephardic Jews who live in Greece after the Sephardic Jews had been expelled from Spain.  

In a parallel story, Tessa Payton has taken a DNA test and found out that she and her cousin, Riley, are not blood related at all.  She goes home for the summer with a desire to know the ancestors who carried her DNA.  Because Tessa's internship for the summer is a remote assignment, she decides to go to Greece and find out "who she is" in this world.  

While doing some research in a museum, Tessa meets Giannis who takes on her research  because of his own interest in the era.  Tessa knows her mother knows more than she is telling but can't get around the barriers she has put  up.  Giannis has found Mathilda's diary and copies it for Tessa to read.  In learning about Mathilda's life, Tessa learns more of who she is.  She learns the strength that has run through her family for many years. When she finally gets her mother to tell her about her family history, she gains a richer understanding of who she is.  

As the narrative goes back and forth between Mathilda's and Tessa's lives, one thing comes across in such a clear way it is hard to ignore:  it doesn't matter what era of time, those who follow God will be opposed by the world.   

What I Would Tell You is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and an ancestral diary to give you a perspective into your own history.  

Barbour Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

On My Honor

When I was young and going through elementary school, I wanted to be in the Girl Scouts.  Unfortunately, my mom was teaching in a district 20 miles from where I lived, and my dad worked a semi-swing shift.  I would have no ride home. I also wanted piano lessons, but we didn't have a piano, but that's another story for another time.  😆

"On My Honor" is part of the Girl Scout Pledge that is recited at every meeting and sets the stage for the premise of this Heroines of WWII series.  Ginny has come home right before her last semester of nursing school to help take care of her mother and younger sister. In taking on her younger sister's Girl Scout troop, she begins teaching them the skills they need to be of service during the war, even though they are too young to actively serve in any of the auxiliaries to the military.  

After an oil tanker is torpedoed by a German U-Boat, the girls find a man washed up on the beach from the tanker explosion and take him to the cottage by the lighthouse to treat his wounds and give him a warm place to stay.  Ginny's sister, Belle, ends up stitching a wound in his side, while Clementine, another troop member resets his dislocated shoulder. 

The man, Tim Elliott, had been guarding a German soldier and was taking him to New York because he had vital information about German U-Boat movements.  Tim lost the soldier in the explosion and eventually enlisted the help of Ginny to find the soldier.  With the help of the Girl Scouts under her charge.  

Barbour Books has partnered with quite a few authors to write this series of ordinary women aiding in the homefront during World War II.  These books are always interesting with great plots and relatable characters.  Patty Smith Hall has done a wonderful job in detailing this plot and making it move at a readable pace.  

This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and a crab bake on the beach. 

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

 

The Sisters of Sea View

 

The first book I read by Julie Klassen was The Lady of Milkweed Manor and I've been hooked on her writings ever since. The Sisters of Sea View is one of the sweetest books that Julie has written and I LOVED it.  

The four Summers sisters are thrust into hard times following the death of their father, and they have to find a way to hold onto their house or sell it and buy something much smaller. As the oldest sister in the household, Sarah takes it upon herself to see that the family is not forced out into the street with the suggestion to turn the house into guest lodging.  They are on the seacoast and have a lovely home that many guests would enjoy.  Viola doesn't want to help with any household chores, but finds her way to help the family coffers by reading to invalids who need the companionship.  She even finds herself volunteering to read to a lady at the poorhouse. Emily does a lot of writing for the advertisements for the home.  Georgianna is too young to do much more than changing the sheets on the beds.  Sarah takes on the lion's share of the work by learning to bake, taking care of the menus, and overseeing the running of the guest house.  The girls' mother is too weak to be of much service at all. 

There are a plethora of guests who show up to enjoy the hospitality of the girls and each has their own agenda.  

• Mr Henshall, along with his step-daughter, Effie, was looking for some gems his wife had stashed in the house a few summers ago.  He wanted the jewelry pieces for Effie to have something of her mother's. 
• Mr and Mrs Elton--there's a lot to say about this couple. He is there to just enjoy himself, while she is the epitome of a social-climbing entitled woman (commonly known as a "Karen" in internet parlance). I guess those kinds of people existed even in the early 1800s. 
• Mr Stanley
• Mr Gwint and his stuffed parrot, Parry
• and a couple of other men whose presence made the book even richer. 

Viola hides away much of the time because she was born with a cleft lip and she felt the scar was unsightly.  She is engaged to read to a man who lives next door who was wounded in service to his country and bears scars of his own.  They find a common ground and a common love for each other that is often found in Julie's books.  This is a common theme with the way Julie writes--whether her characters have visible or hidden scars, they have to overcome some hardship to find who they really are and to find their own soul-mates. 

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a trip to the seashore.  

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

Anything But Plain

I enjoy reading Suzanne Woods Fisher's books.  Her Amish fiction is well-researched and light-hearted.  Her contemporary fiction is truly compelling.  Suzanne often takes on real world problems and then provides real world solutions to the problem while wrapping it in engaging fiction.  

In this novel, the situation is undiagnosed ADHD and the overbearing grandmother who wants to "fix" the issue.  Lydie has never held down a job, often getting fired the same day she gets hired.  Her father's sister, the local doctor, needs a fill-in receptionist.  Lydie wants to leave the Amish because she just doesn't fit in.  Nathan loves Lydie and can't understand why she wants to jump the fence. 

Lydie's aunt gets an inkling of what's going through her mind and how it works, because she suffered the same thing and understands why Lydie is so flighty.  She goes to Lydie's dad, who is also the bishop of the community, and explains what Lydie is feeling and how she can use some techniques to overcome her lack of  focus.  

In a parallel story to the main plot, Nathan's father pits him against his brother, Mick, to see who will "win" the farm.  Nathan wants to get back to organic farming instead of using chemicals all the time.  He feels that the chemicals are leaching the soils of nutrients and causing some health problems.  It's not until his mother is hospitalized with a severe asthma attack that his father concedes that the chemicals MIGHT have something to do with her issues. 

When all the pieces are wrapped up and put together into a cohesive whole, the reader is loving Lydie for who she is and the reader is left satisfied with how things turned out also .  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a tidy desk with a full planner.  

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