Spending Christmas in Amish Country

A Christmas Singing: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country
Cindy Woodsmall





This is a book about a young woman who was engaged to her best friend. Prior to the story they broke up and Mattie moved to another state. Through  time she has found another suitor that works for her, when another tragedy occurs and this sends Mattie home to recover. This is where she runs into her ex-fiance. Through the community, family and friends she has to rebuild her life and determine if she and Gideon can make peace. This was an enjoyable story with characters from previous stories interlacing the current story. Cindy Woodsmall is an enjoyable writer to read. From the first book I picked up I was hooked. The characters were well developed, the Amish lifestyle was a minor part of the story, and yet they flowed well together. Overall it was an enjoyable book and I am waiting for more stories about this community.
I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.  I am thankful to them for this opportunity.

An Amish Mystery in Ohio

Blood of the Prodigal (An Ohio Amish Mystery)
P.L. Gaus





This is the beginning of the Amish Mysteries set in Ohio. It is about the grandson of one of the leaders in the Amish community and his kidnapping. The pastor, professor and the sheriff are the only three Englishers that the Amish have any kind of relationship with. The professor, who ends up with a bulk of the investigation is trying to find the location of the grandson. From murder to locating the grandson the suspense and the who, what, when and why are constant. The ending has a good twist and most plausible. There are always details kept from the reader that the professor or others know about. This does make for more wild guessing although is a little off putting because a reader likes to feel like part of the team. I also found it difficult to lay aside old story lines when so many of the characters reappear. I kept having to sort apart a later book from this one.

Sorry for the delay in posting

Stepping Heavenward
Elizabeth Prentiss





This is my favorite book of all time. I have given this to many people for it is a story that is worth sharing and a book I have read through many times. It is about a young woman and the life she lived written through her journal and some letters. It is so realistic that it seems real and is easy to forget that it is a work of fiction. It is filled with faith, life, death and family the core elements of what day to day life is. Unlike many stories this one move through a large part of her life, there are ups and downs. A book that feels so real it was as if you were peeking into someone's life.

A New Twist on The Christmas Carol

A Marriage Carol
Chris Fabry, Gary D. Chapman





This is a story about a couple on their way to sign divorce papers. It was snowing heavily and due to an accident they do not make it. They are barely talking before the accident. Than Marlee, the wife, has a life altering experience at a home that is used as a marriage retreat by the elderly couple that lives there with their dog. Through out the story the problems and the actions of the couple in their life and family are realistic and it is easy to see how a couple falls into these patterns and resentments. It is with care, wit and warmth that the elderly couple have an influence on Marlee. Because the reality one person can make a difference in the marriage, whether it is the offended party or the offender. There are always exceptions to this, however given time and effort marriage is worth fighting for. This was a copy given to me by Net Galley in exchange for a review. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book.

A fun mystery

Invisible (Ivy Malone Mystery Series # 1)
Lorena McCourtney





This was a great find on Amazon.com. It was free and a mystery. The story line is that there are people damaging the graves at an old cemetery, her long time friend dies, the friends tenant disappears - who is actually dead and Ivy decides to investigates both the mysteries going on around her while coping with the loss of her best friend.A fun fast moving story that I had to frequently remind myself that Ivy was a senior citizen during this story, because she was so much fun! I want to read the rest of this series and look forward to doing that someday.

A New Author Find Thanks to Net Galley!

Naomi’s Gift

Amy Clipston

This is novella which is standalone book that is part of Amy Clipston’s Kauffman Amish Bakery series. It was a very enjoyable story about a young woman who has been searching for love. Through a meeting in the Amish farmer’s market she meets a man and his daughter. Thus begins the novella that takes us through the growing relationship between these three characters. With ease and skill Amy Clipston is able to guide the reader through this magical Christmas season full of snow, hot coco and family was a treat from start to finish. Having never read any of her books previously I am very interesting in visiting Bird-in-the-Hand again. I am grateful to Zondervan for their allowing me to have a free copy of this book and providing this review.