Such a good story set in an Amish setting -

 

I enjoyed visiting Stoney Ridge again, and as I said before, Suzanne Woods Fisher creates wonderful believable characters who share the same thoughts and feelings regardless of what religion or culture they might live in. 

 

I love that the people in Stoney Ridge share together and respect each other regardless of cultural boundaries... 

 

Dok is our main character [and you might remember her from previous books - She grew up Amish and left the sect to become a doctor...]

 This is actually three [maybe 4] stories within a story and each story line is wonderful and blends together - much like the community they live in. 

A story of bravery, change, grieving loss, what might have been forgiveness.. 

and maybe hope for love in the future...

 

There are so many wonderful words of wisdom throughout the book ... too many to quote, so you'll just have to read the book yourself. I know you'll come away inspired by the lives of these women who are steadily growing into who God wants them to be - 

Note: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. 

ALL opinions are my own.

You'll want to grab this book now!

The Color of Home by Kit Tosello is an excellent book 

about family relationships... loss... and love.

When Audrey's Aunt Daisy needs some help with her uncle [who is ill] she doesn't hesitate to take a leave of absence to help facilitate 

the life changes they need to make...

Even though she had not been to the area in years.

 

Along the way she finds that she's never truly grieved her father's death 13 years earlier... It seems that both she and Aunt Daisy are both at a crossroad...

As Audrey reaches out to God for help she comes to realize

that following Him may sometimes mean, 

"Being, not doing. Trusting, not shoulding. Resting, not reproving."

[And I kinda love that quote.]

 

Aunt Daisy has her own relationship with our Lord... starting her day each morning sitting quietly before Him. But that doesn't mean her life was without struggles too -

She's taking care of and making care plans for 

her sweet husband who has dementia...

 

I loved this prayer of hers -

"Forgive me, Father, for allowing my less-than-glorious ruminations 

to crowd out Your Glory.

I may not hear Your voice today, Lord. But I hear you loud and clear. 

You are the giver of better things.

Kiss me again this morning with your love. Strengthen me, so I can refresh others. 

Show me where to find the holy in the hard. 

And in this land that's idyllic but still somehow inadequate, 

turn my eyes... Keep me facing homeward." [to You -]

- A great book full of growth and wisdom, acceptance... 

and a little romance in the end...

Note: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

ALL opinions are my own.

It's a great book - 

I may just recommend it to my [library] book club...]

Hallmark's Christmas in July is DONE -

 I finally caught up on all the shows I had recorded.

So I was THRILLED to get this sweet Christmas romance 

book in the mail this week!

 

by Liz Johnson was a delight to read -  

I wrote a quick review on GoodReads  that said, 

"This is a sweet, albeit predictable, holiday romance. 

But don't we all want those books at times?

I read it quickly and really enjoyed their story -

We find Whitney Garrett is still trying to find out what she wants to do with her life... She's tried more than a few jobs, but nothing has really been her dream...

As she's pursuing the next thing on her career agenda, Daniel's aunt asks her to help him fall into a relationship with a woman he is working closely with...

Spoiler:

He doesn't.

This is such a sweet story of fresh love after being hurt in the past.

The characters are well thought out and engaging....

I barely put it down before I finished it.

It's newly out this month - 

Get your copy here!

 Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

All opinions are my own.

It's not too early to think about the holidays and get into the Christmas spirit a bit! You'll love it!

Between the Sound and Sea

 By Amanda Cox -

was wonderful!!

And y'all know I LOVED her book - He Should Have Told the Bees,

so I was really looking forward to reading this one as well!

It did NOT disappoint.

Between the Sound and the Sea is tale of adventure and friendship found on a magical island off the eastern shore... 

Wally is an elderly gentleman trying to make things right at the end of his life

[Social Worker talk: Regret VS Resolution is something most people deal with as they age... just sayin'] and he is determined to do it HIS way - 

The secrets of Wally and Cay kept me guessing until the very end of the book!

 I so enjoyed the way Amanda Cox brought more than a few family stories together as each had a part to play in exploring what had happened in the Light House that both Wally and Cay held close to their hearts.

In the end, their story became a legacy they could both be happy to leave those who came after them - and it helped shape the lives of those they cared about most.

Isn't that the resolution we all want to feel in our lives?

This is a wonderful book - and I truly believe that all of my friends would enjoy reading this story! Get your copy here -  

  Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

ALL opinions are my own -

Here's the deal -

 

I LIKE horses... I even had a childhood dream of keeping one in our basement until my daddy insisted that WASN'T going to happen... 

But I don't LOVE horses. I've never owned one, never developed a bond with one.

And I suspect those who have would REALLY ENJOY this book. 

 It just took me a bit to get into it. 

[And YES - I appreciate the gorgeous beauty of these horses that were saved!!]

But I loved the story of Adia's many relationships much more 

than the story of saving the horses.

Author Nicole M. Miller did a wonderful job creating characters that seemed REAL in the harshness of war. Adia, the American who came to Poland to work with the horses she loved so much... Brett who is loyal to a fault to both his country and the people he loves... Werner, who although one of the 'bad guys' 

was a caring human after all... 

And little Ewin who grew into [some] self-control, loyalty, and love for those who cared for him through the hardest of times.
Good, historical book of WWII from a different perspective -

 

If you enjoy reading historical romance and the excitement of spies, saving others - and horses - from the evil of war, then you'll love this book. 

Go pick up your copy today!

NOTE: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher.

All opinions are my own.

A wonderful debut novel

 from Jenny Erlingsson set in a small town in Alabama - right outside my hometown [Huntsville - more on than later -] where we find Adanne, a professional make-up artist by trade, trying her best to keep her family's legacy going after she was deeply wounded by an actor's careless words during her big break into the industry. 

And - plot twist - she ends up taking a last minute job on a  local film crew and finds herself working with said actor... 

Unbeknownst to her, he has made a life changing decision with Jesus, and is doing his best to become the person God wants him to be. The author does a wonderful job taking us through their thoughts and feelings as they learn to trust Jesus more, while at the same time learning to trust each other as well. Loved that they both had or sought out Godly council as they navigated the changes in their lives. The scene of her sister-cousins praying over her brought tears to my eyes [and hope everyone reading this has friends and family who will pray over them like that.] Of course we have a good ending... And I loved how it all came together.

I so enjoyed reading this book set in the fictional North Alabama town of Hope Springs... and I recognized glimmers of Huntsville and the surrounding areas throughout the book [that blue bridge is red- just sayin' - *wink*

And hey - I've been to the hotel overlooking the outdoor shopping area...lol]  

There are lots of quotes I underlined as I read - here's one of my favorites:

"I don't know what a new season looks like for you...but remember to anchor. If  you know who you are in Christ, you won't have to worry about the in-between. Do what you know. Remember your first love. Engage in what makes your heart sing. You'll see God unfold everything from there."

[Kinda neat that I found a graphic for it!] 

The book comes out this week - so be sure a and order your copy today!

Note: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

All opinions are my own -

Another wonderful story from a favorite author!

 

In Unforgiven, Shelley Shepard Gray did an outstanding job mixing the story line of Amish and English and those living between the two worlds... 

Tabitha, Seth, and Bethanne all have regrets from the past that their Amish community can't quite seem to let go of... and forgiveness is key... 

 

Accepting that none of us is perfect and that even with bad things in our past,

 "The Lord was working through them.  

He was giving them proof that there was still hope to make their lives different...

That whatever unintended path they were on didn't have to be an awful one. 

All they had to do was trust Him for their next steps."
And they did... and forgiveness came.

 

They each learned to forgive themselves, others, and their community.

Along with that was the freedom to live life freely - whether they chose to stay within their faith or not... They knew God still had a plan for their lives, together or separate.

And Seth's love for Tabitha was strong enough to wait until she felt the same.

I agree with the review above... I love the author's words and how she weaves a story of individuals with hurts and desires who have a relationship with God. 

A favorite quote from the book:

"...her heart was fuller...

 But even more importantly, her focus was on the sky above.

Just waiting for the next glorious thing to appear. 

Anticipating it. 

She reckoned that was a fitting metaphor for life.

For everything."

Note --> I was given a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

This is a magical book

and a book full of the smallest details that drop breadcrumbs 

to the bigger story of Lily Temple...

A silent film star who reinvents herself 

in life as well as on stage...

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple

From Joanna Davidson Politano

is a story of a lost girl [in so many ways] finding her true love - 

both earthly and spiritually. 

And while I was able to pick up a breadcrumb or two along the way, 

the story kept me guessing until the very end. 

 

Here's a quote from the author regarding above: 

 "This right here is the theme for this novel. 

It emerged after I tried wrestling another theme onto the page, 

but here we are. And I really loved untangling this on the page."

Note: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. 

And I'll admit that it was a slow go for me as I entered the magical world of the garden.

But this is a book FULL of imagination and a story that leads you deeper into the love of our Father in Heaven... even as you walk the streets of silent film history.

It's pretty cool, and kept me thinking for a while after I finished it...

You can pick up your copy here -

This is a sweet story -

A little slower than the fast-paced stories I'm used to from Lynn h. Blackburn.... 

We meet Landry Hutton who has spent the last few years living life securely behind the gated resort called The Haven, which caters to the rich and famous. Turns out she's made a name for herself with her incredible pottery works. She's lived this way due to her concern that her former husband's family would attempt to take her daughter from her...

But as her daughter has started kindergarten, Landry realizes she cannot live this way forever. She teams up with a local builder, Cal Shaw to help build a house on a beautiful parcel of land her best friend has sold to her. Turns out, she;'ll be living right in the middle of families that have a long history of disagreement. This is where the drama starts - she and Cal begin a 'friendship' as both have sworn off future relationships. And as they spend time together planning her new home different tragedies begin to happen to her space at The Haven.

While there was some elements of mystery in this book, I missed the intense drama and suspense that I was expecting. But all in all, the mystery is solved [in an unexpected ending.] This is a sweet story of love and trust as Landry and Cal set aside hurts from the past to move forward together. 

You can pick up your copy here -

Note: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes - 

ALL opinions are my on -

There's no doubt there was terrible sadness

 

 surrounding the war... yet there were many who had hope 

[and found love] in the midst of it all. 

 

Sara Sundin 's story of Aleida and Hugh's unlikely meeting and subsequent friendship made London in 1940 come alive for me. 

Aleida's plan to escape to England with her son was upended when her husband suddenly decided it was time for the whole family to flee the Netherlands.

 

In the process of their escape, she is separated from her son

and her husband is killed by Nazi bombers...

yet she continues on to her relative's home in the English countryside. 

Aleida meets Hugh [a young nobleman who prefers broadcasting news on the radio]  soon after she settled in London. As they formed a bond to look for Aleida's son who was lost she learned to trust again... and she helped Hugh stand firm for what he wanted in life, despite how others might feel. 

Add in a few murders and their curiosity to solve them and it's spectacular book. 

It kept me guessing until the VERY end.

Honestly - I don't usually read historical novels - but I loved this book and could not put it down. I kept contrasting Aleida's life with some of my older aunts who were young adults during that time and were living a very different life here in the USA.

Makes it all seem more real to me...

This book comes out this week, so go ahead and

Get your copy here - 

 NOTE: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

ALL opinions are my own.

ALSO - all graphics were found on the internet.

Another wonderful book

 from Lynette Eason!! !

 Lainie and James have known each other their whole lives but begin to see each other in a different light as the work together to find the person trying to kill her! 

Loving these reviews that describe my thoughts so perfectly!

A race against a twisted mind!

This book  kept me guessing until the very end!! 

I love a good suspense / thriller 

with a plot that pulls me right in from the first paragraph!

And a suspense story that has a little love story included - 

That adds up to a great evening of reading!

As always, Lynette Eason creates characters that pull you into their lives quickly... characters that are flawed and relatable... and who love the Lord - and don't shy away from talking about Him. 

I couldn't put this book down and read it in one day!!

I think you'll love it too - 

Pick up your copy here -

Note: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. 

All opinions are mine. 

[Photos / reviews are from Lynette's FB page - ]

Historical novels about the Nazi invasion

 

 are hard for me to read, and this one, about two sisters, 

was especially hard since I've recently lost my own.

Amanda Barrett created believable characters and situations that helped me really feel what these two sisters were going though as they lost everything. 

 

Their different personalities took them in different directions, 

some times wondering if the other even understood them...

Yet, despite it all, [and their losses were horrific,] they survived. 

Despite the secrets they kept, 

their underlying love for each other remained. 

This books gives you [seemingly] first-hand knowledge of what it was like to live in a town invaded by evil.. It shows how we all desperately long for the hope of redemption... And it shows that a sister's love can endure anything.

You can get you copy here.

NOTE: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. 

All opinions are my own.

Another great book

by Elizabeth Goddard!

 [And it's a sequel too!]

 We're back in Shadow Gap Alaska where Police Chief Autumn Long 

is keeping order in her small town... 

She's done her best to investigate the missing persons in her area but welcomes the help of Trevor West who is a detective from Montana trying to find out everything he can about his missing sister whom no one has heard from in months.

The search for her takes many turns, and ups and downs as he partners with bush pilot Carrie James to fly him to remote parts where his sister had taken photos.

 Turns out Carrie has her own hidden agenda and needs to find closure on things that happened over ten years ago. The author does a good job of weaving the stories together in so many unexpected ways - I was puzzling through it until the very end!

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. 

All opinions are my own.

This is a fast paced thriller with a little attraction / love thrown in...

I think you'll enjoy it too!

You can grab your copy here -