Amish

Home All Along (Amish Secrets #3) by Beth Wisemen

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home all along.jpg

Pages: 351

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Published: September 26, 2017

A beautiful and stunning ending to the series. Even though each book can be read as a stand alone novel, I suggest you start from the beginning so you can be immersed in the feelings of each character.

Charlotte has returned to the Amish community she has grown to love and is settling into her home and moving forward with her relationship with Daniel. So much so they have been discussing marriage. Death and sickness alter their world in a quick fashion. Will their relationship survive the turmoil?

Throughout the entire series Beth Wisemen has tackled taboo subject of mental illness. While it is an illness that is hard to admit in the English world it is more so in the Amish world. Wisemen gives you a fresh, new look at the disease. She also tackles drug addiction, child abuse, and how to know it is time to let someone go.

You will need tissues throughout the entire series but especially for the third book, Home All Along.

Series in order:
1. Her Brother’s Keeper
2. Love Bears All Things
3. Home All Along

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review in my own words.

A Simple Wish (Simple Gifts #2) by Charlotte Hubbard

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simple wish

Pages: 320

Publisher: Kensington

Published: September 26, 2017

Willow Ridge is a place where one can start over with the help of the town without judgement.

Loretta and her sister Rosalyn are still living at home with their Dat after Edith gets married. Loretta wants nothing more than to find the love of her life but first she has to deal with Will, her ex-fiancé. Will, has moved to Willow Ridge to get a fresh start after the death of his wife. Can Loretta and Will put their past behind them and find love again or will a new suitor sweep her off her feet?

I enjoyed visiting Willow Ridge again and following the Reihl sisters through all the ups and downs is a true joy. Hubbard continues the mystery with the girls Dat which makes the book very meaty. I hope there is a third one coming soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for an advance copy in exchange for a review in my own honest words.

A Simple Vow (Simple Gifts #1) by Charlotte Hubbard

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a simple vow.jpg

Pages: 315

Publisher: Zebra

Published: May 31, 2016

Could you see yourself taking in twin babies that are no relation to you and to care for them with limited questions asked? Edith Riehl does that very thing when she interrupts two Amish men arguing over who is the father. As Asa and Will determine to find the real father, an accident delays Asa’s leaving of Willow Ridge. During his stay he finds himself falling head over heels in love with Edith and day dreaming of being a family with her and the babies. Can Asa make his dream come true or will a deep dark secret ruin his dreams?

I am enjoying seeing writers of Amish fiction stepping outside of the box and writing more about real life problems we all face no matter if we are Amish or “Englishers”. At the beginning of this book we learn that the babies mother had relations before marriage and tricked her husband into marriage. We all know how common this story is to the “English” world but rarely hear or read about it in the Amish world. Hubbard does an excellent job of tackling this difficult story line while maintaining the strong Christian values of Amish life.

Even with the sensitive subject Hubbard is able to tell the story without explicit scenes or language. If you are a fan of Amish fiction but want more meat to the story line pick up a copy of A Simple Vow today. I think you will enjoy.

The second book in the series, A Simple Wish, comes out on September 26, 2017. I’m looking forward to seeing how this series progresses.

Side note: If you have read The Seasons of the Heart series, the Simple Gifts series is a spin-off taking place in the same town of Willow Ridge.

The Proving by Beverly Lewis

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the proving

Pages: 354

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Published: September 5, 2017

Imagine a quaint little Amish B&B surrounded by beautiful butterflies and you have pictured Butterfly Meadows. Amanda Sue, Mandy as her family and friends call her, has been called back to her former Amish life to run the B&B after her mother suffered a stroke and died. The stipulation is that she must run the B&B for twelve months successfully. Mandy finds it hard to be so close to her twin sister and husband, the man Mandy thought she was going to marry. Can Mandy succeed? Will Mandy forgive her sister for the wrong she thought was done to her?

I know whenever I pick up a Beverly Lewis book I will have a sense of calm and peace as I am reading and The Proving was no exception. I enjoyed seeing Mandy grow as an adult and watching her learn the ways of her mom. Learning to pray over the guests and help them find the comfort of a quiet life to ease their troubled lives.

I think we could all learn to pray more and pray quietly. Lewis shows us where a prayerful life could lead us. It could lead us to the most unexpected but perfect place in our life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for an ARC in exchange for a review based on my own honest opinion.

Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

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assaulted caramel.jpg

Pages: 352

Publisher: Kensington

Published: August 29,2017

Grab your favorite box of chocolates and curl up in your most comfy chair. You will be craving the most ooey gooey confections you can dream of while you read about Bailey’s adventures in Holmes County, Ohio.

Bailey has fled NYC at the most critical point in her career to check on her Daadi (grandfather) after a phone call from her Maami (grandmother) stating he was not doing well. As Bailey arrives she sees her Daadi and another man exchanging words and her Daadi collapsing on the sidewalk. She learns that the other man is Tyson Colton and he wants to buy her Daadi’s building where he owns and runs Swissmen Sweets. Later that night Bailey finds Tyson dead in the kitchen of Swissmen’s with her Daadi’s prized fudge knife through his chest. Can Bailey clear her and her grandparents of the murder before she has to return NYC and claim her job as head chocolatier for JP Chocolates?

I am so excited for this new series by one of my favorite cozy authors. Her knowledge and love of the Amish shine through her writing. I can always guarantee when I read one of her books I will gain new friends. Bailey and her grandparents warm their way into your heart by the end of chapter one. You want to jump into the story and help Bailey find the killer.

I an idea of the killer’s identity but was completely taken by surprise when the killer was revealed. That right there makes it a great cozy. I will put this warning out there: grab some tissues as you will need them. I was not expecting to bawl like a baby.

The second book, Lethal Licorice, comes out on February 27,2018 and you can bet I will be reading at 12:01am when it downloads to my kindle.

An Amish Christmas Love by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin and Ruth Reid

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an amish christmas love

Pages: 385

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Published: September 12, 2017

An Amish Christmas Love is a book of 4 Amish novellas that center around love after death.

In Winter Kisses, Naomi lives with her mom, Barbara, and grandmother, Ruth. They have rented the daddi house to 3 Amish carpenters for the month of December. Will one or all of the ladies find love with the carpenters?

The Christmas Cat is a little funny with sadness as a strong undertone. It is Christmas Eve and Emma is settling in to weather the snowstorm and her first Christmas Eve without the love of her life. Two young Amish couples on the brink of forever love have surprised her with Christmas Eve dinner and a chance to share her love.

Snow Angels takes us back to Bee County, Texas where a surprise rare snowstorm has allowed broken hearts to heal.

Home for Christmas brings Ellie back to her childhood home and into the path of Ezra and his daughter, Allison. Will Ellie’s dog, LuLu hold the answer to Allison’s illness? Can Ezra’s heart thaw after the death of his wife? Will Ellie revert back to the Amish way of life of her early childhood?

This would be the perfect book to pull out and read in the middle of winter with snow falling. You will find yourself warm and cozy and cheering for love to win.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC to read in exchange for my honest review in my own words.

When the Bishop Need an Alibi (The Amish Bishop Mysteries #2) by Vannetta Chapman

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when bishop needs alibi

Pages: 354

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Published: August 22, 2017/September 1, 2017

I am a fan of Amish fiction and mysteries and when a writer puts them together it is a homerun. I loved the first book, What the Bishop Saw, but the second is even better. I adore the bishop, Henry. I want someone like him in my life. Kind, caring, a great listener and thinks outside the box. He and Emma make the perfect team solving mysteries and as a romantic couple.

As with most of Vannetta Chapman’s works, you will not be able to put this down. I was able to read this book in a little under 24 hours as I was still reading at 2 am. I just had to know what was going to happen next. Every time the hubby woke up last night he was asking, “are you still reading?” Yes, yes I am dear.

Henry is your typical bachelor, Amish or English, in that he does like to eat at home very often so he goes to Maggie’s Diner in town. He has befriended a waitress, Sophia, and decides one day to draw her helping an elderly couple. That drawing spooks Sophia and raises flags for Henry that she may be in trouble. Unfortunately, he finds her body in the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge while watching a family of cranes. Discovering her body lands him in jail and sets the community on edge. Will Henry’s friends be able to use the drawings to prove his innocence? Hunker down with a good cup of tea because you are in for one wild buggy ride.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harvest House Publishers for an ARC to read in exchange for my own honest review.