Wednesday, March 30, 2016



A cozy, fun Amish Christmas mystery, What could be better than that?  As Cheryl Cooper comes to Sugarcreek to help her aunt take over her store while she is serving a mission, Cheryl finds new friends, and feels happy to be a part of this community.  Her ex-fiance comes and wants her to go back with him to Columbus and things turn up missing putting friends of Cheryl's in bad predicaments.

It's a fun story and seems to be book 5 of Amy Lillard's Amish Mystery series.  I will definitely want to read more of the series.  It's an easy read and enjoyable one too.  I love mysteries and Amish so this was a great combination in my opinion.

You can find this book at the following link.


Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Elena, Woman of Courage by Linda Weaver Clarke














Synopsis:

The “Roaring Twenties” was a time of great change, when women raised their hemlines and bobbed their hair. The language of the era was also new and different. Watch a young love blossom in this sweet romance. When Elena Yeates settles into a small western town as the newest doctor, a few problems arise. The town is not ready for a female doctor, let alone one so strong and independent. She must struggle against the prejudice to establish her new practice. As she fights to prove herself, the town’s most eligible bachelor finds it a challenge to see if he can win her heart.

My thoughts:

This was the final book in the Bear Lake Family Saga.  I have read the previous four and they were all very good books.  This one was also.  I enjoyed the characters from the previous books and how they merged into the continued story.  

I enjoyed John as he finds he is not able to commit, yet finds he needs more than what he now has.  I enjoyed Elena as she deals with social prejudice and struggles to overcome that.  It's a time of change in the world as society begins to modernize with vehicles and new inventions.  I am sorry to see the series ending.  I have enjoyed each page as I read through each book.  Great job, Linda Weaver Clarke.

You can get a copy at the following link..

Chat with Vera: Back In the Saddle by Ruth Logan Herne [Giveaway]...

Chat with Vera: Back In the Saddle by Ruth Logan Herne [Giveaway]...: About the book:  The prodigal is coming home. It's been a long time since Colt Stafford shrugged off his cowboy legacy for shiny Man...

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Covered Bridge Charm by Dianne Christner



Dianne Christner is a new author for me.  I hadn't read any books about Mennonites and so it was interesting to see the difference with the Amish books that I have been reading.  I found it a little harder to get engaged into the story perhaps because there were many characters to get to "know".  I did like the assisted senior living aspect of the book because I have been dealing with things of this nature in my own life recently and could really relate to that part.

I enjoyed what Carly, the main character, was doing for one of the older ladies in the center where she worked.  It definitely was a fun part of the book with a little romance mixed in and I enjoyed that a lot.  And of course, there was just a bit of mystery to add to the interest.

The differences in the Amish and the Mennonites were shown here and it was something that I had not known about too well.  I liked Carly, who was an independently active young woman involved in social issues and getting others to be involved with them as well.

The longer I read the book the more engaged with it I became.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

You can purchase a copy of this book at the following link.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Sarah's Special Gift by Linda Weaver Clarke


Sarah's Special Gift was book 4 in the Bear Lake Family Saga series.  I really enjoyed it and it was a fun read for me since my daughter was also a dance teacher.  The difference though is the fact that Sarah has been deaf since contracting an illness.  As a result, it is truly a gift that she is such a wonderful dancer, not being able to even hear the music.

As she meets David, their lives become entwined and at the beginning he has no idea that she can't hear as she speaks well.

I love how the characters of the earlier books are carried through into this book and you can see how their lives developed through time.  I look forward to the next book!  This series is wonderful and very enjoyable for all ages of readers.

Here is the link to grab a copy for yourself!

Disclosure:  I received an ebook from the author for my honest review which I have given.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

The English Son by Wanda E. Brunstetter & Jean Brunstetter Pt. 1 of the Amish Millionaire Series

I was surprised to find this book in my mailbox today.  Surprised and very happy!  I really enjoy Wanda and Jean Brunstetter's Amish books and this was no disappointment.

Joel leaves his family to become English and eventually starts a construction company and becomes engaged to Kristi.

But Joel has financial problems of his own doing.  He seems to make himself more and more problems as you goes on.

This book was really interesting.  I read it in one sitting and it ended as a cliffhanger.  Now I know I will need to read part 2.  There is no getting around this one!

This series is going to be a dramatic one, I can tell already.  I am sure you won't want to miss this series which will be coming out over the next 6 months.

You can get your copy at this link.

Thank you Wanda Brunstetter and Barbour books for sending me a copy of this great read!
Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

The Lighthouse Secret by Linda Weaver Clarke








Synopsis: The Lighthouse Secret: Rick Bonito’s uncle supposedly drowned five years ago and his body was never found, but something did not seem right about the report. Uncle Antonio was an excellent swimmer. His disappearance seems quite suspicious to Rick’s father. He never felt the complete truth had come out about his brother. It is now up to Amelia and Rick to find out the truth about his uncle.

I loved Linda's book!  It's a great cozy mystery and for me it was awesome because she always writes about places that I know.  This time her book took me to my old home in California, Palm Springs and as she described it, I could totally visualize it!  Then they were headed to Ventura Harbor.  I used to live in Ojai which is very close by and trips to the beach in Ventura were a remembrance of years past for me!  

But aside from this, the book held my attention to the very end.  My only disappointment was that this is book 7 and will be the last of this series.  I loved this clean romance and the resolution to the mystery.  I look forward to reading other books from this great author.

You can grab your copy at this link.

Return to Shirley Plantation by Carrie Fancett Pagels and a Giveaway!




Synopsis:

Abducted against his will, Matthew Scott is conscripted into the Confederate army because of his Copperhead senator father's political leanings. Injured at Marvern Hill, Matthew is taken by the Union army to Shirley Plantation in Virginia where he is tended by seamstress Angelina Rose, a freed slave.

Given an opportunity to leave the South and start a new life for herself, Angelina remained for the sake of her sister's orphaned twins who are still enslaved.  Will Matthew's return to Shirley Plantation settle a mystery concerning his father's past?  And will Matthew find the family he longs for?

My  Thoughts


This was a charming Civil War romance in novella length. Carrie Fancett Pagels apparently did some extensive research to get the details of this time period and setting.  The story is set at Shirley Plantation in Virginia.

The Story has some unexpected surprises making for a most fascinating tale.  This is a clean Christian romance and I highly recommend it.  It gives you a real taste of life during The Civil War time.  This was a truly enjoyable read!

You can grab your copy at this link.

The Author: Carrie Fancett Pagels.
Carrie has offered your choice of ebook or paperback copy of this sweet romance to a randomly chosen person who comments on this blog.  Blog open to US locations only.  If you let me know that you follow my blog, you get an extra opportunity to win.  Contest ends March 25th.

The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection (Multiple authors)

I am not going to review each of the 9 historical Romances in this collection individually, but will review Amy Lillard's contribution.  First, I really enjoyed the book and I was so happy to add it to my collection.  Each story was unique in it's own way and was about situations causing an unexpected/unwanted matrimony and how they turned out.

I especially enjoyed Amy Lillard's in which the heroine, a woman with some property and only a prospect that wanted that property, decides to take matters into her own hands, as she realized that she can't plow and maintain all as it should be.

Her choice of mates was definitely an unusual one and I won't tell who that was or how it came to be except that it was a first in my reading experience.  I really enjoyed the stories.  And totally loved the collection!

Friday, March 4, 2016

The Trouble with Millionaires by Amy Lillard Writing as Amie Louellen

This is a sweet romance story of Suzanne, maker of homemade herbal shampoos, in fact a blue shampoo concoction with some special love potion qualities. Or so it would appear as Brice, the hero of the story finds himself accidentally drinking some of it.

The story is a cute, clean version of this book, although with some tension there making you aware of their un-admitted feelings towards each other.

It's fun to read about their interesting situation after Brice drinks the shampoo and even more fun to see their relationship take some interesting turns along the way.  I think you will enjoy this story as I did.  Amy's books are always a fun read.

I received an ebook version of this book for my honest review which I have given.

As Addie takes over the duties of her grandfather's chocolate shop in her hometown of Benevolence, she struggles to get the chocolate recipe just right.  She meets Sinclair Jefferson who is her tenant and with whom there is a genuine interest.

Addie finds she needs help as the chocolate shop and its internet sales keep her a bit too busy and she finds a most interesting helper, a newcomer to Benevolence.  She isn't too sure about him but takes a chance only to find some interesting twists and turns in her life.

I enjoyed the book.  There was some minor swearing in the book, yet clean in the romance department.  I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

You can get a copy of the book at this link.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for me honest review which I have given.