Charlotte Hubbard writes Amish fiction with characters who engage and excite, or infuriate--like a snake oil salesman that I'm waiting for him to get his come-uppance. In her latest offering, Harvest of Blessing, Nora has decided to return to her hometown of Willow Ridge after a broken marriage in the English world. She wants to be reconciled to her family and to acknowledge the daughter she gave up sixteen years ago. The only problem is Nora's Dat--Gabe Glick refuses to accept her apology or even acknowledge her--to her mother's dismay.
Nora bought Hiram Knepp's farm and opened a can of worms for herself. Hiram is the excommunicated bishop of the area, but now is a rather sleazy snake oil salesman who lives just this side of the law--he's bad enough to shake people up, but not so bad as to be convicted. I guess that now and then a book has to have a person in it the reader loves to hate, just for the contrast to the other characters.
When Nora goes to Miriam's Sweet Season's Bakery to see her father and ask his forgiveness, he calls her Satan and yells at her to leave. The more the reader goes into the book, the more Gabe stiffens his neck against her until the current bishop, Tom, calls a meeting for the family to hear what Nora has to say. Gabe believes that Nora played fast and loose with her morals and when Nora tells the real story, it comes out that she was molested by a former bishop. She had been sent to live with her aunt who turned her out after her daughter was born. She gave her daughter to her newly married brother who raised Millie as his own, but with the same strictness his own father had demonstrated. Now, sixteen years later she's back and her father's actions have given the whole community something to talk about.
The only thing I didn't like about the book is the way Luke Hooley tries to ingratiate himself into Nora's life and succeeds. He seems rather slimey in the beginning but as his character develops he is a real friend to Nora, and even begins falling in love with her. Luke's character development in the book is the weakest part of the book, but it doesn't stop the reader from enjoying the whole book.
One thing that Nora wants to do is to open a store with gifts that the Amish and Mennonite crafters make for tourists to come and buy. With the help of Miriam's daughter, Rebecca, and her ability to set up websites, Nora works hard to get her business off the ground. In the meantime, Hiram does his level best to thwart her efforts by either creating discord or insinuating himself into her life, both efforts Nora rebuffs.
A real bonus is the recipes included at the back of the book and also on Charlotte's website. I am diabetic, but I have been learning to adjust recipes so that I can still have treats. These recipes are great and easily adjustable for me.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and one of Miriam's Cinnamon Rolls to get you through the day.
Zebra Books has kindly allowed me to read and review this book. My thanks to them.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Homestead Brides
This is a collection of nine stories about homesteading--the act of settling a section of land and proving it up (improving it by cultivating it and building a home on the property). In the midst of these homesteading stories are sweet romances happening among these intrepid homesteaders. One thing about this collection is that each successive story is better than the one before and one of these stories is by a new author!
There are veteran authors like Mary Coneally, DiAnn Hunt, Kathleen Y'Barbo, Darlene Franklin, and more. The newbie is Becca Whithum. The last book I reviewed by Kathleen Y'Barbo I didn't care for as much as others I'd read by her. She asked me to allow her to redeem herself, and with her offering in this anthology has certainly been her redemption. In fact, it is my favorite story in the book.
Cara wants to reclaim her father's land that he lost in a poker game. She arrives when the "owner" is away, but the housekeeper is there and sees the potential for Cara and Iz. Cara is expecting after a brief marriage to a con man who was already married. Rosie sees what Cara needs is a home and helps her all she can. Kathleen has written a fully developed story in a few pages that grabs the reader and doesn't let go until the story is finished. Her characters have depth and are empathetic, her descriptions of the area only add to the story and do not detract in any way.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's a great way to while away a blah afternoon and get a pick-me-up as well.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a place to Homestead.
Barbour Books provided this book in exchange for my honest review. My many thanks to them.
There are veteran authors like Mary Coneally, DiAnn Hunt, Kathleen Y'Barbo, Darlene Franklin, and more. The newbie is Becca Whithum. The last book I reviewed by Kathleen Y'Barbo I didn't care for as much as others I'd read by her. She asked me to allow her to redeem herself, and with her offering in this anthology has certainly been her redemption. In fact, it is my favorite story in the book.
Cara wants to reclaim her father's land that he lost in a poker game. She arrives when the "owner" is away, but the housekeeper is there and sees the potential for Cara and Iz. Cara is expecting after a brief marriage to a con man who was already married. Rosie sees what Cara needs is a home and helps her all she can. Kathleen has written a fully developed story in a few pages that grabs the reader and doesn't let go until the story is finished. Her characters have depth and are empathetic, her descriptions of the area only add to the story and do not detract in any way.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's a great way to while away a blah afternoon and get a pick-me-up as well.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a place to Homestead.
Barbour Books provided this book in exchange for my honest review. My many thanks to them.
Friday, February 13, 2015
I Am So Nourished
I have loved Becky Johnson's writings since I read Worms in My Tea when my children were little. Now she writes with her daughter and brings some important facets of life that every woman needs to pay attention to. Becky and Rachel bring two perspectives to the same topics and yet stand in unity on them.
Nourished is not a book that can be read lightly or quickly. It must be read chapter by chapter, digested, ruminated, cogitated, and meditated before moving on.
From setting a personal environment to taking time for yourself, Becky and Rachel share how they are nourished through their friendships, their spiritual lives, their mates, their families, and ultimately themselves--while making the book something every woman can use. In every chapter I found action points I want to take, but I think I am going to have to reread the book in order to take those steps.
Their writing styles are complementary and humorous while still addressing some serious things that make the reader think. I really don't want to go into what Becky and Rachel have said in the book, but I really need to recommend this book as highly as possible.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a place of peace in your world.
Nourished is not a book that can be read lightly or quickly. It must be read chapter by chapter, digested, ruminated, cogitated, and meditated before moving on.
From setting a personal environment to taking time for yourself, Becky and Rachel share how they are nourished through their friendships, their spiritual lives, their mates, their families, and ultimately themselves--while making the book something every woman can use. In every chapter I found action points I want to take, but I think I am going to have to reread the book in order to take those steps.
Their writing styles are complementary and humorous while still addressing some serious things that make the reader think. I really don't want to go into what Becky and Rachel have said in the book, but I really need to recommend this book as highly as possible.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a place of peace in your world.
My Heart Stood Still
Lori Copeland writes engaging, humorous novels with heroines who have a penchant for getting in trouble or creating trouble. Anne-Marie is all of that and a bit more. She and her sisters support a mission orphanage the best way they know how, by pulling cons. The latest con had them dressed as nuns, and the latest predicament had them in a jail wagon being chased by Comanches. When the wagon turns over and the girls fall out, three men come along to rescue the sisters, each one taking one of the sisters and riding off in a different direction. Anne-Marie is carried off by Creed Walker, a Crow warrior, who was more annoyed by Anne-Marie than enamored of her, but that all changes over time.
I think I am going to need to read these books again in one sitting to get the whole picture that Lori is painting. I felt this one wasn't nearly as good as the first one in the series. Usually I can remember more about the book a few days after I finish it, but I had to look it up to see which book I was supposed to be reviewing. It's pretty harsh to think I could forget so quickly, but this one just didn't have the staying power for me.
I found myself getting more and more annoyed with Anne-Marie as the book went on, and then when she meets up with Berry Woman, the Comanche girl Creed is supposed to marry, she becomes even more annoying in that she tries to run away and ends up making Creed rescue her again. There are bad guys who are chasing Anne-Marie and she has to think fast to evade them at every turn. The action keeps the story moving and keeps the reader engaged.
Three and a half stars.
My thanks to Harvest House Publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.
I think I am going to need to read these books again in one sitting to get the whole picture that Lori is painting. I felt this one wasn't nearly as good as the first one in the series. Usually I can remember more about the book a few days after I finish it, but I had to look it up to see which book I was supposed to be reviewing. It's pretty harsh to think I could forget so quickly, but this one just didn't have the staying power for me.
I found myself getting more and more annoyed with Anne-Marie as the book went on, and then when she meets up with Berry Woman, the Comanche girl Creed is supposed to marry, she becomes even more annoying in that she tries to run away and ends up making Creed rescue her again. There are bad guys who are chasing Anne-Marie and she has to think fast to evade them at every turn. The action keeps the story moving and keeps the reader engaged.
Three and a half stars.
My thanks to Harvest House Publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Secrets Secrets
It's not often that two Amish stories come up back to back in my TBR pile. It was serendipity that it did happen, and one thing I noticed about Amish fiction is that there is no standardization of Pennsylvania Deutsch spelling in these books. But if that's the worst I can say about it, then it's not so bad.
Jerry Eicher is new to my reading list, but I am glad I picked up his newest offering: Miriam's Secret. Miriam is a sweet Amish girl who helps out her large family any way she can. When she is hired to be a care-giver/companion to an elderly English gentleman, she is surprised at how generous a paycheck he writes for her. It comes in very handy for stretching the family budget, especially since there are soon to be eleven children. When he passes away, Miriam is surprised again by his overt generosity. She is at a loss as to what to do with the riches she's been afforded through her charge's will.
Then there's Shirley, Miriam's sister, who is taken in by a former Amish man with plenty of money to go around. She sneaks around to see him against her parents' better judgment and against their will.
Of course, we can't forget Ivan, the boy Miriam was sweet on who decided to go out with a newcomer to the community. When he finds out that Miriam has inherited a farm, free and clear of debt, he decides that maybe he chose the wrong woman, so he comes nosing around Miriam again.
Miriam chooses to go to her Aunt Fannie's in Oklahoma to avoid dealing with people coming around her just for her money. Aunt Fannie is expecting her first child and is over the moon with happiness, and Miriam believes she can be of help to Fannie and she also believes that removing Shirley from their community will also remove her from temptation.
I have to appreciate the way Jerry set up the plot for Miriam to be able to find the love she desired without divulging the amount of money she had received in addition to the farm. I also like the way he was able to move Miriam from her community in Indiana to Oklahoma, and yet keep her grounded in her home community.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a new baby to cuddle.
My thanks to Harvest House Publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.
Jerry Eicher is new to my reading list, but I am glad I picked up his newest offering: Miriam's Secret. Miriam is a sweet Amish girl who helps out her large family any way she can. When she is hired to be a care-giver/companion to an elderly English gentleman, she is surprised at how generous a paycheck he writes for her. It comes in very handy for stretching the family budget, especially since there are soon to be eleven children. When he passes away, Miriam is surprised again by his overt generosity. She is at a loss as to what to do with the riches she's been afforded through her charge's will.
Then there's Shirley, Miriam's sister, who is taken in by a former Amish man with plenty of money to go around. She sneaks around to see him against her parents' better judgment and against their will.
Of course, we can't forget Ivan, the boy Miriam was sweet on who decided to go out with a newcomer to the community. When he finds out that Miriam has inherited a farm, free and clear of debt, he decides that maybe he chose the wrong woman, so he comes nosing around Miriam again.
Miriam chooses to go to her Aunt Fannie's in Oklahoma to avoid dealing with people coming around her just for her money. Aunt Fannie is expecting her first child and is over the moon with happiness, and Miriam believes she can be of help to Fannie and she also believes that removing Shirley from their community will also remove her from temptation.
I have to appreciate the way Jerry set up the plot for Miriam to be able to find the love she desired without divulging the amount of money she had received in addition to the farm. I also like the way he was able to move Miriam from her community in Indiana to Oklahoma, and yet keep her grounded in her home community.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a new baby to cuddle.
My thanks to Harvest House Publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Blessed Are the Meek
I've read several of Olivia Newport's books and truly enjoyed every one. Meek and Mild is no different, with a cast of characters that range from overly self-righteous to kind, caring people, to everything in between.
Clara Kuhn lost her mother when her little sister was still-born. When she was eleven, her father remarried and Clara loved her step-mother, Rhoda, and the children her step-mother bore. In fact, Clara loves her cousin's daughter, Sadie, and loves to tell her stories from the Bible. She's just scared spitless about having her own children, afraid that what happened to her mother will happen to her, as well.
Andrew Raber is sweet on Clara and would marry her in a heartbeat if only she'd say yes. He's not sure that every rule in the Ordnung is biblical, and he's drawn to the Model T Ford that he found on the side of the road. He has his own place and he works hard. This car, though, takes every spare thought and every spare moment he has, even to learning how to repair it under the tutelage of a nearby mechanic.
Yonnie Yoder is Andrew's best friend, but he holds a tighter rein on what he thinks is right and wields his opinions with a bit of superiority. He feels that he needs to tell the bishop about the transgressions he sees in others without considering his own sins.
Moses Yoder is a relative of Yonnie and is the bishop of the meeting. He uses his position to hold sway over the meeting and anyone who disagrees should come under the shunning.
Mose Beachy is the new bishop who takes over after Moses Yoder becomes too ill to keep up with the duties of the office. Mose Beachy is expected to enact the changes that would reverse some of the decisions Moses Yoder pushed through the congregation. Eventually this caused a split in the group and a more lenient form of the Amish was formed.
Fannie is Clara's cousin and she is wishing for another boppli to fill her arms. She has Sadie, but she has more love to give. When her mother becomes pregnant, she can hardly stand it.
Every character in the pages of this book have a need only God can fill and Olivia skillfully and seamlessly weaves these needs into her novel to make a tapestry that is rich in color and texture. Her plot tells a history of how the Beachy Amish sect came into being and why. It is very easy to insert one's self into the story of the book and see how the events could have played themselves out.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a ride in a Model T.
My thanks to Barbour Publishing for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Clara Kuhn lost her mother when her little sister was still-born. When she was eleven, her father remarried and Clara loved her step-mother, Rhoda, and the children her step-mother bore. In fact, Clara loves her cousin's daughter, Sadie, and loves to tell her stories from the Bible. She's just scared spitless about having her own children, afraid that what happened to her mother will happen to her, as well.
Andrew Raber is sweet on Clara and would marry her in a heartbeat if only she'd say yes. He's not sure that every rule in the Ordnung is biblical, and he's drawn to the Model T Ford that he found on the side of the road. He has his own place and he works hard. This car, though, takes every spare thought and every spare moment he has, even to learning how to repair it under the tutelage of a nearby mechanic.
Yonnie Yoder is Andrew's best friend, but he holds a tighter rein on what he thinks is right and wields his opinions with a bit of superiority. He feels that he needs to tell the bishop about the transgressions he sees in others without considering his own sins.
Moses Yoder is a relative of Yonnie and is the bishop of the meeting. He uses his position to hold sway over the meeting and anyone who disagrees should come under the shunning.
Mose Beachy is the new bishop who takes over after Moses Yoder becomes too ill to keep up with the duties of the office. Mose Beachy is expected to enact the changes that would reverse some of the decisions Moses Yoder pushed through the congregation. Eventually this caused a split in the group and a more lenient form of the Amish was formed.
Fannie is Clara's cousin and she is wishing for another boppli to fill her arms. She has Sadie, but she has more love to give. When her mother becomes pregnant, she can hardly stand it.
Every character in the pages of this book have a need only God can fill and Olivia skillfully and seamlessly weaves these needs into her novel to make a tapestry that is rich in color and texture. Her plot tells a history of how the Beachy Amish sect came into being and why. It is very easy to insert one's self into the story of the book and see how the events could have played themselves out.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a ride in a Model T.
My thanks to Barbour Publishing for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Heaven Help Heidi
I've loved almost everything Sally John has written, her faith weaves into her plots seamlessly, her characters have depth and are empathetic, her settings are ideal and I just love the way she pulls the whole thing together without making the romance smarmy or overly sweet. Heaven Help Heidi is one of those kinds of stories.
The characters (or at least some of them):
Heidi Hathaway--driven real estate broker who drives herself into the hospital via a one car accident. During her recovery, she leases her condo because she cannot negotiate the stairs in it. Heidi has to learn to release her fears since her accident--fear of driving, fear of even being in a car, fear of going by the accident site.
Val--Heidi's partner in the real estate business, a bitter woman with some issues from her childhood
Piper Keyes--the once-fiancee of an airman killed in Afghanistan, now a personal shopper at a high end department store. Every year around the anniversary of her fiance's death, she tends to go off the deep end.
Hudson Hathaway--Heidi's author-brother-twin: a hermit who lives in Baja California
Adam--Val's brother and Heidi's college friend
Liv--Heidi's widowed landlady, also Val and Adam's step-mother, a praying woman
Jasmyn, Keagan, et al--the residents of Casa de Vida in Seaside Village. They seem to all live here for a reason, and they all have a special place in Liv's heart.
This book is about wounds, some that show, most that don't, and how these wounds are healed. This book is about community, about learning to depend on someone besides yourself, about giving more of yourself than you take, about learning to release bitterness for your own health, and learning to live life as it is given to you, making the most of what you have. This is also a book about love and romance, but that is a side note to the rest of the plot.
Casa de Vida is a complex of small bungalows and one thing that happens nightly is that Liv makes her rounds and prays for the residents of each bungalow. Somehow she knows exactly how to pray for each one. I want to be able to pray like that. She finds a way to welcome each resident so that they feel as if they've come home from a long time away. I want to be that hospitable. She even finds a way to help her stepson love his father, and keep memories of his father alive. I want to love like that.
The only criticism I have for this book is that Sally didn't include Liv's recipe for macaroni and cheese. It is not a fast read, but it is hard to put down. It is compelling, engaging, and it makes you feel like you are part of this large family. It pulls you in and doesn't let you go. Five stars, two thumbs up, and a casserole dish full of homemade mac-n-cheese.
My thanks to Harvest House Publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.
The characters (or at least some of them):
Heidi Hathaway--driven real estate broker who drives herself into the hospital via a one car accident. During her recovery, she leases her condo because she cannot negotiate the stairs in it. Heidi has to learn to release her fears since her accident--fear of driving, fear of even being in a car, fear of going by the accident site.
Val--Heidi's partner in the real estate business, a bitter woman with some issues from her childhood
Piper Keyes--the once-fiancee of an airman killed in Afghanistan, now a personal shopper at a high end department store. Every year around the anniversary of her fiance's death, she tends to go off the deep end.
Hudson Hathaway--Heidi's author-brother-twin: a hermit who lives in Baja California
Adam--Val's brother and Heidi's college friend
Liv--Heidi's widowed landlady, also Val and Adam's step-mother, a praying woman
Jasmyn, Keagan, et al--the residents of Casa de Vida in Seaside Village. They seem to all live here for a reason, and they all have a special place in Liv's heart.
This book is about wounds, some that show, most that don't, and how these wounds are healed. This book is about community, about learning to depend on someone besides yourself, about giving more of yourself than you take, about learning to release bitterness for your own health, and learning to live life as it is given to you, making the most of what you have. This is also a book about love and romance, but that is a side note to the rest of the plot.
Casa de Vida is a complex of small bungalows and one thing that happens nightly is that Liv makes her rounds and prays for the residents of each bungalow. Somehow she knows exactly how to pray for each one. I want to be able to pray like that. She finds a way to welcome each resident so that they feel as if they've come home from a long time away. I want to be that hospitable. She even finds a way to help her stepson love his father, and keep memories of his father alive. I want to love like that.
The only criticism I have for this book is that Sally didn't include Liv's recipe for macaroni and cheese. It is not a fast read, but it is hard to put down. It is compelling, engaging, and it makes you feel like you are part of this large family. It pulls you in and doesn't let you go. Five stars, two thumbs up, and a casserole dish full of homemade mac-n-cheese.
My thanks to Harvest House Publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.
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