Jedidiah's Bride by Rebecca Kertz

Sarah Mast's brothers are rescued from an impending accident by a young stranger.  He is visiting in her town, but is from rather far away in another state.  After he has returned home, Sarah tries to put the feelings that had begun to stir behind her.

As it becomes apparent that her mother needs surgery, Sarah and her brothers stay at a relatives where, much to her surprise, she again sees Jedidiah.

I enjoyed this story, but perhaps not as much as some other Amish books that I have read.  It is a nice read, however, and the characters were enjoyable.

I still hope to be able to read more of Rebecca Kertz' books.

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Anasazi Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke

When I heard of this title it fascinated me greatly because I have a real interest in the Indian petroglyphs, especially those in the state of Utah, where I live.

This amazing artwork and the ancient villages where the Anasazi Indians lived are so amazing and a wonderful sight to see.

This book by Linda Weaver Clarke weaves history, fiction, mystery and romance all into one book that was published in 2010 and is part of an interesting sounding series:  Mayan Intrigue, 2010, Montezuma Intrigue, 2011 and Desert Intrigue, 2012.

This author is from my state and writes about some of the events that occurred in Utah some years ago.  It is a most interesting way of uniting history and fiction into one very good story.  As the story begins, the devastating flood of 2005 is relentlessly taking away with it, homes, property and belongings and what appears to be a possible poison causing death to the fish and animal life.

The main characters Julia and John Evans are a charming couple.  Julia, a novice newspaper reporter hoping to become a reporter with a breaking story that will definitely make an impression.  And that she does when she starts to investigate what appears to be a less than fascinating story.  As the story progresses she runs across some pretty shady characters.  Julia seems to be a courageous woman and also a wonderful wife and mother at the same time.  Her husband, John, not without his faults, is a worthy husband and support in her adventure.

This  is a really fun read.  I especially enjoyed the history that I remember occurred, not too long ago here in Utah.  I remember the news reports of the houses being shown over and over again on the news as we watched in unbelief.

The story was interesting and I could see myself in the Virgin River area looking for the ruins and the relics that might be there to be discovered.  Loved it!  Would really like to read the rest of the series and see whatever adventures this couple comes across.

I was given an electronic copy by the author for my honest review, which I have given.  No monetary compensation was given.

You can find this book at this link.

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Winter of Wishes by Charlotte Hubbard

I just finished reading Winter of Wishes which is book 3 in the Seasons of the Heart Series by Charlotte Hubbard.  The earlier books were Summer of Secrets and Autumn Winds.  It was published in September of 2013.  I purchased this book last year and it has been sitting on my TBR pile for quite a little while.  I loved it.  Even though I had not read or seen the first two books in the series, I felt that the characters in the book and the background information given were good enough to not let me realize that I wasn't reading this in the proper order.

The book takes place in Willow Ridge and the story revolves around activities of the Sweet Season's Cafe run by Mirian, mother of Rhoda, who this story was about.

Rhoda has been working at the Cafe and finds a posting from a young single father looking for help raising his two children and caring for his mother who was recovering from a stroke.  Rhoda responds to the post and is offered the job, which she takes.

She immediately becomes attached to the family and becomes an integral part of their lives.  Including the father, Andy.  Although Rhoda is Amish, Andy and his family are not and this causes some difficulty for Rhoda as she and Andy are seen in a compromising situation which is brought before the church elders.

Rhoda seems to have faith that through God, things always work if they are God's plans for you.

Rhoda seems to be an exceptionally wise and caring woman and her character and that of Andy's are very uplifting people.  This story is very good and I would love to read the earlier books. And for those of you that like Amish cooking, there's a real treat at the end!  16 wonderful recipes are found at the end of the book!

Charlotte Hubbard: Author:

You can purchase Winter of Wishes here at Amazon.com .

Huckleberry Spring by Jennifer Beckstrand

I am so lucky to have been able to read Huckleberry Spring!  Jennifer Beckstrand is such a fun author.  There is a little of everything in her books, including humor.

So Anna and Felty Helmuth are at it again.  Anna has a grandson, Ben, whom she wants to "marry-off" and she wants his ex-fiance to be the one!

But since Ben just dumped her without explanation, leaves Bonduel, WI. and heads to Florida, it will not be an easy to fix situation.  But, of course, Anna is up to a challenge.

Will she succeed or fail?  But Ben carries a secret alone in his heart that will change lives forever.

Jennifer's characters are well developed and the story lines are always new and interesting.  Never a dull moment.  You can read this book as a stand alone, but I highly recommend the earlier books in the series because they will keep you waiting for more.  This is a great read!  I am so happy I was able to read this!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.  There was no monetary compensation and opinions are my own.

Here is the link to Jennifer's blog. And where you can find all about her and her writing!

Her book is available here for preorder at Amazon.com

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