Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise by Anne Blackburne

 

Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise by Anne Blackburne

 

Summary:

Ruth Defies Authority to Hold on to her Family Farm
Full of faith, hope, and romance, this new series takes you into the Heart of Amish country.
 
Ruth Helmuth has never been rude in her life; trust her to choose the bishop of her Amish community for her first time!

Ruth has worked hard to keep body and soul together since her husband, Levi’s, death. She tends her herd of goats, making her living from the milk and fiber she gets from them, all while running a farm and household by herself—and very competently, thank you! How could she imagine the bishop suggesting she should give it all up to another family, who will “make better use of the space”?

Enter widower Jonas Hershberger, owner of a pair of adorable dimples and father of a charming 4-year-old daughter. Jonas is in need of a larger place to house his growing business. Ruth’s big red barn may be just the ticket. Little Abigail is in need of a new mother. Ruth might be just the ticket there, too!

Can two independent souls learn to work together for their mutual good? And will they be willing to explore what grows between them?  Or will Ruth’s fear over her “big secret” and Jonas’s caution about allowing someone new to get close to his young daughter, kill their love before it has a chance to grow?

Luckily for both of them, God’s plan involves the stubborn pair getting a little help in the form of a wise, elderly friend; a quirky orange kitten; and a smart little girl who takes one look at Ruth and decides she would make her the perfect new mother!

 

Review: 5-Star

This is one of those page-turners which you can’t put down so you read from cover to cover in one sitting.  The flow, the editing along with the character development is spot on. I don’t know what else to say.  The characters felt real, and the way the emotions were captured was brilliantly done as I could feel each emotion and they were spot-on.  I will most definitely read other books written by this Author and I’ll let all my friends who enjoy this type of book know that this is a must-read.

 

I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review

Double Take by Lynette Eason

 

Double Take by Lynette Eason

 

Summary:

Detective James Cross has been honorably discharged from the Army Criminal Investigation Division due to wounds sustained when an IED blew up near him. Now with the Lake City Police Department, he's rooming with this good buddy and partner, Cole, while he figures out his family dynamics.

Physician Assistant Lainie Jackson is eighteen months out from an attempted murder perpetrated by her ex, which ended when she managed to grab the weapon and shoot him. When he appears to have survived and is back to finish the job he started, Lainie insists it's not possible. But someone keeps trying to kill her, and she keeps seeing his face.

Together, Lainie and James must work together to find out who, exactly, is after her and why he wants her dead. And failure is not an option.

 

Review: 5=Star

Wow, just Wow… I read this story in one sitting I couldn’t put the book down didn’t want to miss a thing. My Kindle powered down and I looked at the clock it was way past the time for me to be able to go get more feed for my horses and I had to feed horses in the dark, but I put my Kindle on the charger and came back inside to finish the book about 1 am. I’ve struggled to find faith-based thrillers. Most are missing that spark that keeps you reading, but this one from the very first page to the last page kept me reading. The flow was perfect and the character development was spot on.  They felt so real and the writer put me right there I could picture everything in my head.  I look forward to reading more from this author just found myself another author to follow.

I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review

Miracles at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

 

Miracles at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

 

Summary:

Returning to the fan-favorite world of Promise Lodge, the small-town Missouri setting for her beloved Amish inspirational romance novels, Charlotte Hubbard charms readers with a Mother’s Day themed tale perfect for fans of Shelley Shepard Gray and Beth Wiseman!

A season of change has blessed the Amish of Missouri’s Promise Lodge, as mothers-to-be anticipate the arrival of their little miracles and one young man’s life is about to take an unexpected turn as he sheds his bad boy reputation and embraces the value of faith and hard work.

Long-time residents of Promise Lodge welcome a wave of newcomers that includes a pretty potter who’s come to help an expectant couple, and a hard-working dairy expert ready to manage the herds on the expanding Burkholder farm. Then there’s Isaac Chupp, the handsome, charming son of a notoriously unyielding Bishop from nearby Coldstream. Isaac has recklessly rebelled against his dat, and his bad boy reputation precedes him. Now he seeks a fresh start, applying for work at Dale Kraybill’s bulk store.

Proving himself reliable while Dale takes off for his wedding trip is Isaac’s bold first step. But more miraculous awakenings may come as he settles into the warm new light of the faithful community. And while Promise Lodge celebrates an abundance of newborns as summer turns to fall, Isaac discovers a kindred soul who has her own share of challenges. In helping her, he just may find his true purpose in loving selflessly, building up, and giving back . . .

 

Review- 3-Star

I struggled to read this book not because it’s poorly written, but I couldn’t connect with the storyline or the characters. I would read a few pages maybe a chapter at a time. It didn’t hold me like most books do. I could easily put it down and do other stuff.  The editing was spot on and that’s the only reason it’s getting a 3-star review.

 

I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review

Her Secret Hope

 

Her Secret Hope by Shelley Shepard Gray

 

 

Summary:

Almost two years after Lilly Kurtz first traveled to Pinecraft, Florida, with friends, she's decided to make a fresh start there. She's ready to be new-and-improved Lilly, a Lilly without a past, a Lilly with no secrets. At first, everything goes well. She gets a job, her coworkers feel like family, and she enjoys reconnecting with her friends. But it turns out the past is reluctant to be left behind.

When Lilly meets hardworking farmer Eddie Byler, she can't get him off of her mind. But then she discovers that Eddie actually lives just a few miles from her hometown in Ohio. Lilly knows that he's not going to like it when he finds out what secrets she's been running from. And she knows she could never follow the man she's falling in love with back to a place where she's never felt accepted.

Will Lilly have to give up on love in order to find peace? Or could it be that love is actually the solution to all of her problems?

 

Review: 3-Star

I enjoyed the story but didn’t love it.  The book was easy to put down and do other stuff and then pick back up read a chapter or two and then go do other stuff. I had trouble connecting with both the storyline and the characters.  I know part of the problem was I couldn’t picture the setting of the book in either place.

Happily Ever After on Huckleberry Hill

 

Happily Ever After on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand

 

 

Summary:

The endearingly irrepressible matchmaking grandparents Anna and Felty Helmuth have helped generations of their Wisconsin community find love over the course of USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Beckstrand’s beloved Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series – including fifteen happily wed grandchildren and counting!

But this time, things get tricky when twin sisters become entangled in a love triangle with the same man. All three will need to draw on their deep faith - and the advice of Anna and Felty - to find their happily ever afters.

Sensible and cautious, Naomi Coblenz lives to help everyone else be happy—particularly when it comes to her twin sister, Ruth. So Omi certainly can’t admit she’s always loved handsome Bo Helmuth, since he and Ruth have begun courting. To look out for her sometimes-thoughtless sister, Omi even poses as Ruth on a ride home alone with Bo. But it doesn’t take Bo long to see the truth—and really notice Omi for the first surprising, hopelessly-wonderful time . . . 

Bo thought he was in love with the vivacious Ruth. But he can’t stop thinking about Omi’s kindness and understanding, especially since she refuses to hurt her sister. And he can’t figure out a way to tell Ruth they aren’t really suited for each other. His only hope is that his ever-resourceful Dawdi and Mammi can help faith guide the way—and at last claim a happy ending for all.

 

Review 4-Star

This was a new author to me and to me the story started a little slow, which made the book was easy to put down, but by the 4^th chapter of the book it turns into one of those page-turners that you can’t put down until you finish reading. I will definitely be checking out the rest of this series and any other book by this author. The editing in this book was spot on, which make a book more enjoyable, the over all flow of the story was hit and miss as I said it took me a few days to read the book cause it was so easy to read a chapter and put it down until I got to the 4^th where the story to me came alive and I sat and read and finished it early the following morning without stopping. 

 

 

The Flower Quilter by Mindy Steele

 

 

The Flower Quilter by Mindy Steele

 

Summary:

Barbara Breaks from Amish Tradition to Express Her Artistry
 
Full of faith, hope, and romance, this new series takes you into the Heart of Amish country.
 
Barbara Schwartz was born into a family of quilters, but she would rather eat dirt than partake in another quilting frolic or sew on another binding. When her parents send her to Indiana to help her grandmother in her quilting shop, she finds herself amongst a very different community. It’s only one summer and then she will be back in Kentucky where she belongs.

Melvin Bontrager’s world stopped six years ago when his parents died. Now when his only means of providing for his widowed sister and niece is threatened, Melvin finds his landscaping business disappearing too. When spring delivers a newcomer who is immune to his salty moods, Melvin does something he has never done before, accepts help. 

What blooms is the last thing Barbara ever expected, and everything Melvin could ever want. 

 

Review: 4-Star

I have always been a fan of authors who tackle the Amish communities as the heart of a love story.  I’ve never heard of Mindy Steele before, but the storyline sounded intriguing, so I gave it a whirl and I’m so glad I did. It’s a page-turner and one you don’t want to put down until you finish even if that’s 2 am. Mindy paints a pretty picture and you can see what she wrote about in your mind, she also really captured the emotions which is something not all authors do well.  The reason I didn’t give this book a 5-star rating is that there were just a few editorial errors and I hate editorial errors. They were small and spaced far between, but still there. These were sentences that you had to read a few times and still, they didn’t quite make sense in my mind, but I decided to leave it and go on with the story, which I truly loved. I look forward to reading more of Mindy’s stories in the future.

I received this book for my honest review by NetGalley

Second-Chance Horses

 

Second-Chance Horses by Callie Smith Grant

 

Summary:

From miniature donkeys to enormous draft horses, from regal Arabian stallions to sassy Shetland ponies, horses and other equines bring us delight and comfort whenever we encounter them. Even more so, perhaps, when humans and horses are brought together through a rescue. Whether someone has started a rescue ranch on purpose or circumstances align to match up the right horse with the right person, stories of second chances warm our hearts and restore our hope.

This emotional and inspiring collection of true stories introduces you to a pony who helps a little girl get over her fear of riding, a donkey who discovers his purpose protecting vulnerable lambs, blind horses who teach their human about courage, and even a pony who somehow figures out how to drive a golf cart. By turns humorous and heartwarming, these delightful tales are the perfect companion for those times you long to slow down, take a load off, and enjoy the ride.

 

Review: 5-Star

This book really touched my heart.  You see I rescued my first horse a PMU Foal in the Spring of 04 before he was even born and got him home as a weanling in Oct of 04. That same year I bought a mare and her 15-month-old colt whose name is Chance and is my soul-horse. I’ve then started being a QT(Quarantine) Hub for horses coming off the kill lots I currently have 3 mares from the kill lots that are mine, and I just recently gave a 4^th away to a friend cause the mare took to her. I know how sometimes it seems they’ve rescued us not us rescuing them. Each of these stories touched and made me remember why I used to be a QT Hub sadly I had to give it up because I lost my husband and now live on a fixed income that doesn’t allow me the freedom I once had. If I had the funds, I’d gladly get back into it.  I’ve seen so many wonderful horses come out of the kill lots,