An Amish Christmas Love

I love reading Christmas novels during anytime throughout the year and happened upon An Amish Christmas Love, by four extremely talented authors, Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, and Kelly Irvin. In this delightful collection of four novella's each of the authors shares a wonderfully sweet Amish romance all tucked inside this book. This is perfect for busy readers, who can just sit down and read one at a time, and still feel like they've read a full length novel.

In Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman, three generations of Amish women find love with the wonderful men who they rent out their rooms for a construction job nearby. All of them have various reasons for wanting to find the right man but will they all be successful in their endeavors as Christmas is coming.

The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston finds a lonely widow as Christmas Eve approaches with no one to share the day with as she fondly remembers her husband Henry, until a wayward cat finds her home during a winter storm. With it comes changes she never expected in her life, when she realizes she is never really alone.

Snow Angels by Kelly Irvin pairs an Amish couple up with the past one of them wishes would never come back to town. Now that she is here, will those old familiar feelings from the past threaten a relationship already on rocky ground?

And finally in Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid, a young English woman returns to her Aunts home she has inherited as a winter storm approaches and finds her GPS directions have led her to enter a home she thought was her Aunts, but turns out to be a Amish father and her young daughter. But did she really take a wrong turn after all?

I received An Amish Christmas Love by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin and Ruth Reid compliments of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. Each of these wonderful stories generate a wonderful sense of love, family, faith and hope and truly feel like you've gotten 4 novels in one. I have to say my favorite one might just be the Christmas Cat, because it reminds us that while we might missing a loved one's presence here, their memories are never gone! At the conclusion of each, you will find some discussion guide questions that are wonderful for book clubs. For me, this collection really is worth all 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about An Amish Christmas Love, Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, Ruth Reid or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

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

You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Amy Clipston on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Kelly Irvin on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Ruth Reid on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on An Amish Christmas Love, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

Home All Along

Some people struggle their whole lives to find a place to call home, when in all actuality it was right in front of them the whole time. In Beth Wiseman's newest novel, Home All Along, the third in the Amish Secrets series, Charlotte Dolinsky is faced with more challenges then most. Being orphaned along with her brother Ethan, she has watched the family deteriorate around her. First her father died, then her brother, and while she struggled to maintain any sense of a relationship with her birth mother Janelle, she watched her slowly die while languishing away in a mental institution lost in her mind in a rage of madness. It would make one wonder, why she shed any tears at all at her mother's funeral. But perhaps deep inside she was mourning for a family most had and she didn't.

Even though her Amish family made her feel at home, they weren't her biological family. Daniel Byler is struggling himself with the feelings he has for Charlotte, an English woman who makes herself at home among the Amish, but still keeping a foot in the English world. He knows what implications will happen if he chooses to walk away from all he has known to follow his heart, but he is hoping that Charlotte might just want to walk away from the English world and join him. After all, it seems as if she is home already.

They didn't see all the changes coming for both of them. The new Bishop has warned Daniel that Charlotte must make a decision soon as many in the fold are beginning to question if the Bishop intends to allow them to continue as they have been, clearly having affections for one another but not equally yoked. Charlotte is introduced to a sister, Andrea, she never knew she had, when she turns up at her mother's funeral, only to remind her that she just needed to know who she was for medical issues. This makes Charlotte question what God has in mind with all this news on the same day she buries her mother. Can she find the right faith to hold onto her life and weather the storms that seem to be pressing on her at this time? Only time will tell.

I received Home All Along by Beth Wiseman compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishing and NetGalley. Oh how I have thoroughly enjoyed this entire series. It makes one realize that the Amish are just like the English in so many ways and have the same struggles we all do. The only difference is their ability to try and accept the things that happen as God's will, but it still doesn't mean it makes it easy for them to handle it well. So many other relationships are addressed as well in this novel with characters readers have met in the other novels. I especially LOVE the ideas that butterflies are rumored to be messages from heaven! I easily give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Home All Along, Beth Wiseman or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Home All Along by Beth Wiseman 

You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Home All Along, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

Love Bears All Things

"Everything will be well in the end. If it's not well, it's not the end."

Such is Charlotte's motto for her life, however it seems like she doesn't take the advice to heart much. Trust seems to be something of a challenge for her, after suspecting that her boyfriend Ryan was seeing someone at work. When she got caught checking his text messages, he suggested that she see a counselor to work through her issues of trust. Not only that, but she still had memories of a girl in a purple dress and a woman in a green dress, that she couldn't remember much more than that. When she did see anyone resembling those two, she was left with anxiety that threatened to overwhelm her and convinced her that she needed to continue her treatments with her counselor.

However, she just isn't bouncing back as quickly as she had hoped. Her checks from the newspapers she edited for seemed to be delayed in coming when she needed the money the most and after three papers appeared taped to her front door, it was Ryan who told her she was being evicted. If only she can find a way to get her life back on track. After leaving Lancaster, Pennsylvania tracking down the reason her brother Ethan committed suicide and convincing the Amish living there that she was Mary Troyer, she didn't feel like she knew who she was anymore. Now with only less than 2 weeks left before she would be evicted she didn't know what she would do. Worse yet, Ryan dumped her.

Jacob shows up on her doorstep after running away from his Amish home, believing an English life is in his future. Unfortunately for Charlotte, he can't stand for long as she needs to move out. She does manage to convince him to call home and let his family know he is fine and where he is staying. Charlotte has made a friend with his sister, Hannah when she was in Lancaster before, and has promised she will do all she can to convince Jacob to return home. He left Annie Byler in the dark as to why he left and even worse, not knowing if they were to be married after all. She has a secret that only her older brother Daniel knows and it will be the one thing that will bring Jacob back home to marry her, but does she want to tell him the truth if he isn't ready to marry her on his own terms?

I received Love Bears All Things by Beth Wiseman compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers. This is the second novel in the Amish Secrets novel, with My Brother's Keeper being the first. I can't wait to see how this will all play out and once again found some interesting Amish story lines you don't often see in most Amish novels. In this case, the desire for Jacob to stay in the English world and give up his Amish roots leaving everything he loves behind, while believing a well-meaning, wealthy man in Pittsburgh has his best interests at heart when he gives him a fresh start at life. I love that Daniel and Charlotte, both whom have dealt with love that has left them broken, finally see something more in the relationship they have been developing while working through their own family issues and I have hope, that somehow they can make an Amish/English relationship work. For me, this one rates a 4.5 out of 5 stars and there is even discussion questions included at the conclusion of this novel that makes this a perfect fit for book clubs.

For more information about Love Bears All Things, Beth Wiseman or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Love Bears All Things by Beth Wiseman

You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Love Bears All Things, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website.

An Amish Year

Most of the time, we simply don't have the time to read a full length novel but wish we had the time. The perfect solution for those situations is to get a hold of a collection of your favorite genres all combined in one book in the form of novellas or simply short novels. For me, Beth Wiseman is definite a favorite author and whenever I see her name, I know I am in for a great novel or in this case a great collection of novellas in particular to the Amish Romance genre in An Amish Year.

This is a collection of four novellas that bring about the changing seasons in the life of the Amish people we read about in each of the short novellas to bring us full circle in a calendar year. You'll find Rooted in Love, about Rosemary Lantz who like most Amish excels in everything, except gardening and it will take the hard work of Saul Petersheim to try and win her heart but helping her out with learning to garden. In A Love for Irma Rose, this one takes us back to 1957 when Irma Rose needs to decide which man is the right choice for her. Does she take a chance on the one who she believes is right for her or the one who seems a bit on the wild side? Patchwork Perfect chances places from the previous story and puts Eli Byler at the heart of picking which woman would be best suited for him as a widower, Miriam Fisher who is unconventional when it comes to an Amish woman who makes him second guess all his choices for what he believes he wants in a wife. Finally in When Christmas Comes Again, Katherine has to learn how to navigate recent waters of being a single parent when she faces the loss of her husband and must find a way to bring joy back into Christmas for her children, but will it be an English man that turns her head and heart?

I received An Amish Year by Beth Wiseman compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest and personal evaluation. For me, what I loved the most is at the conclusion of these novellas, there is a note from Beth telling you where you can find more of the full-length novels dealing with the families you meet in these novellas. This makes that need to finish learning more about what happens next easier to navigate and gives the reader a true sample of the stories you are likely to find. For me, it simply means I need to work on updating my 'must read' list with the ones I found and fell in love with in this collection. Well worth all 5 out of 5 stars in this book lover's heart.

For more information about An Amish Year, Beth Wiseman or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

An Amish Year by Beth Wiseman

You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on An Amish Year, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

The Promise

The one thing Mallory Hammond knows is that she vowed to save a life when the promise she made to her cousin at 17, was over rulled by her parents and left her cousin to die when they refused to let her donate a kidney. Now it is the first item on her bucket list and now that she is older, she can make those decisions for herself even if her parents object. When she tries to donate her kidney years later, she is determined to have a genetic disposition for pre-diabetes that once again robs her of the desire to help someone and fulfill the promise she made so many years ago. Tate Webber has hoped that some day he and Mallory might get married but until she is able to fulfill her promise she will keep Tate at arms length and refuse to make plans to get married.

When she learns that a child suffering from leukemia in Pakistan, a niece to the man she works for Ismail at his office, she believes this may in fact be the last opportunity to save a life. With little time left for Majida to get treatment to come to the United States, Ismail and Abdul are convinced the only way to expedite things in time is to find someone to marry Abdul in name only, and allow Majida and Abdul to be able to travel to the United States for treatment. Now if they can only convince Mallory. Fortunately Abdul knows just what will motivate Ismail to help convince Mallory to come to Pakistan and marry him and that will mean threatening his future fiance' Soraya with harm. It is a fear that Ismail has lived under long since leaving his own country, but the hand of his family and father can make it more than just a threat but reality as well.

When things between Tate and Mallory seem to go south in terms of their relationship, Ismail knows just the time to ask Mallory if she might consider helping Majida get treatment to save her life, since the medical care in Pakistan is limited and not likely to help her survive. For Mallory feeling like she has no options left to fulfill her promise agrees to talk to Abdul over the phone to see what they can work out and come to an agreement. Mallory knows if she tells her family or Tate what she is considering, neither of them will support her decision. So she decides to take a risk that may lead to more than she is bargaining for.

I received The Promise by Beth Wiseman compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. This novel is based on real life events from a friend close to Beth Wiseman who found herself in similar circumstances when she fell for an offer of marriage to a Muslim man and found herself being held against her will. It conveys how very different the two cultures are and how often women are misled to make the trip to foreign countries only to find themselves trapped and unable to return. A very chilling reminder to be a warning to women who may be considering the very same thing as Mallory. It conveys just how different it can be in two very different countries and just because you maintain citizenship in the United States, you lose much of that control being married in a Muslim country now controlled by your husband. I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and applaud Beth for sharing this story that may help other women from making these same mistakes in their own lives.

For more information about The Promise, Beth Wiseman or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Promise by Beth Wiseman

You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Promise, please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page.


In a daring new novel, Beth Wiseman jumps way outside the box. The Promise will take readers far away from Amish country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side of the world. Inspired by actual events, this is the book Beth has been working toward for a long time.

Curious? Click here to read the reviews, and be sure to enter Beth's Kindle HDX giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Promise by Beth Wiseman

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 9th. Winner will be announced November 10th here.

12 Days of Christmas Book Tour

The best part about fall besides the changing of the leaves on the trees and the cold crisp air is great Christmas Fiction. I was so honored to be given the opportunity to review four exceptional Christmas novels from best selling authors Colleen Coble, Beth Wiseman and Tricia Goyer as part of Litfuse Publicity's 12 Days of Christmas Book Tour.

Silent Night from Colleen Coble is a Rock Harbor Christmas Novella that takes place in the Lake Superior, Michigan. Once again the readers who remember Bree Matthews, a Search and Rescue handler now finds herself sharing their lighthouse home with her sister-in-law Lauri who has arrived home from college earlier than expected. Not only that but Lauri has brought home more than Bree and Kade bargained for. While they assume she has once again fallen short of their expectations for her attending college, Lauri has other plans that involve a case Bree had long thought was solved. Will there be a Christmas miracle after all?

Holy Night from Colleen Coble is an Aloha Reef Christmas Novella that takes place on the tropical island of Kauai. The wedding plans for Leia Kahale, a dolphin trainer and Bana Oana, her fiancè and oceanographer and sea salvager are about to be placed on hold. When Eva, Leia's sister with Down Syndrome is kidnapped while Leia is attempting an ocean rescue it will put their love to the ultimate test. Will they have what it takes to weather this unpredictable storm?

A Christmas Gift for Rose from Tricia Goyer takes us back to the Amish community located in Berlin, Ohio during 1945, where we see the struggle that is working in the life of Rose Yoder when Jonathan left the Amish to join in the war efforts as a medic. It goes against everything they both were brought up to believe. Now that he has returned home, she has assured herself that their relationship is over but why do these feelings for him continue to linger? What will happen when Rose discovers that she too was born English? What will happen to the feelings she still has for Jonathan or will the faith she was brought up on as an Amish woman be too hard to let go of?

Finally Plain Peace from author Beth Wiseman takes us back to Paradise Pennsylvania and we meet Anna Byler who is the granddaughter of the town's newest and harshest Bishop. Now faced with the prospects of learning the only reason she hasn't had a date isn't because she isn't pretty enough, but because everyone is afraid to date the Bishop's granddaughter. Seems most of the towns residents fear that the only way they will find relief from his strict rules is when he dies. That is all except Jacob Hostetler who has just moved here after losing his sister in a farming accident. The family is looking for a fresh start, but will Jacob be able to find a way to reach Anna's heart without dividing a family and a town against one another?

All four of these amazing novels are guaranteed to spark the warmth and love that each of them brings in unique ways through the characters that have to endure challenges beyond what any of them ever imagined. Forgiveness and hope are the keys to unlock the roadblock to love and faith that will found whenever anyone is courageous enough to take the leap of faith. Love is truly the greatest gift and that is just what you'll find in each of these heartwarming novels. I received these four novels compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. There is truly something for everyone in this Christmas Book Tour and I rate these a 5 out of 5 stars. They all have a predominate place in my Christmas library collection.

For more information about Holy Night, Silent Night, Plain Peace, A Christmas Gift for Rose or any of the amazing authors, please click on the links below:

Holy Night by Colleen Coble

Silent Night by Colleen Coble

Plain Peace by Beth Wiseman

A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer

To read the reviews from the 12 Days of Christmas Book Tour from Litfuse reviewer's please click here. 

You can find more information about Colleen Coble's novels by visiting her website. 

To learn more about Beth Wiseman's novels please visit her website. 

You can find more information about Tricia Goyer's novels by stopping by her website. 

Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction are hosting the 12 Days of Christmas! They've teamed up with three of their authors for a Merry Facebook Party on November 12th {5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern}. Colleen, Tricia, and Beth will host an evening of book chat, Christmas traditions, and of course plenty of presents!



But wait! There's more! Each day between now and November 12th a different book (10 copies of each book) will be given away on the Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Facebook Page. Ring in the holiday season and warm your heart with some great reads from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan!








 

Click here to ENTER each day's giveaway here.

RSVP for the Christmas Party here!


Good luck and hope to see you on the evening of the 12th!

Need You Now

It seems like at some point in our lives, we'll blame God for something that hasn't gone right in our lives. Perhaps it's the death of a child we didn't seem coming, or trouble with finances or an affair within our marriage. Yet often times God will place someone in our path when we struggle with the answers why to help us deal with this situation in ways they can verbalize and help us understand when God's ways can seem to overwhelming to comprehend.

In Need You Now by Beth Wiseman, The Henderson family is about to face the biggest challenge of their lives and their faith in God will be tested in ways like they never could imagine. Just when their lives seem to be settling down after moving from Houston to a rural small town of Round Top, Texas, the begin to see the facade that each of them have painted for one another.

With their youngest daughter Grace, just fifteen-years-old, she struggles with being labeled as the perfect child neither of their parents needs to worry about. Yet besides dealing with a boyfriend she left behind when they moved and trying to find new friends at her school, Grace has to find new ways of dealing with her out-of-control emotions. She turns to cutting, to release the emotions that are building up inside and a way to maintain control. Only thing is no one knows except a Goth girl at school named Skylar. Will she be able to stop in time before her family finds out?

Darlene Henderson has been the picture perfect role model of wife and mom, and now that her kids don't need her for anything else but a hot meal, she finds solace in getting a job helping special needs children. When Dave Schroeder, the father of the autistic girl she's been working with, begins to develop a much stronger interest in her that he could have imagined since his wife died, he begins to find new ways to come and see Darlene. Will she be willing to walk away from her own marriage to her husband Brad, even if he is seeing someone from work?

I received Need You Now compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review and think that Beth Wiseman has done an incredible job at identifying the signs of both affairs and teenage cutting in this remarkable fictional book. Even though the characters are fiction based, this could very well be the story of any family we know. I applaud her for informing her readers through this powerful story and show how often pray is our last resort to our problems when it should be our first line of defense. I highly recommend this book and rate it a 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information on Need You Now, Beth Wiseman and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Need You Now by Beth Wiseman

You can also find Beth Wiseman on Facebook by clicking here.

An Amish Wedding

Here's a great twist from three fabulous authors who have collaborated their finest writing talents in one sensational book, An Amish Wedding by Kelly Long, Kathleen Fuller, and Beth Wiseman. Taking a journey into an upcoming wedding of Priscilla and Chester who truly believe that perhaps with all the bad things happening to them just prior to their wedding, that perhaps it may be a sign that they shouldn't be married after all. From her younger sister Sara Mae, who takes Priscilla's wedding dress that she's been working on and makes clothes for her doll as well as a blanket and hammock, just weeks before the big day, while Chester's been busy planning on the perfect home for them is experiencing setbacks of his own, from electrical that needs to be rewired to pass inspection, a roof that unexpectedly leaks and issues with his current employer. Is it a sign after all that they should wait?

Each of the three authors takes a turn putting this wedding together in three separate parts of the book, The Perfect Secret, The Perfect Match, and The Perfect Plan. While each of them works on a different set of characters through the story, they are magically woven together seamlessly so the reader gains insight into each of the couples involved in the mini stories.

The Perfect Secret involves Rose and Luke who are engaged to one another, but despite some secrets that each of them has, they begin to wonder if they truly really know one another at all, especially to be married. In the Perfect Match, Naomi has been asked to help set up Margaret with the perfect man, Zeke, who arrives in time for Priscilla and Chester's wedding. Yet instead of falling for Margaret, he falls for Naomi, who is dealing with past hurts that may prevent her from ever accepting the gift of true love from anyone. These stories wrap up with The Perfect Plan in which all attend Priscilla and Chester's wedding.

What happens is a perfect blend of perfection with the hope and promise that all things work for the good of God in the end. I received this eBook compliments of Thomas Nelson publishers for my honest review courtesy of Net Galley and being a huge fan of Amish Fiction and Christian Romance, this one hits a home run with a 5 out of 5 stars! The best part is the recipes for some delicious Amish treats at the end.

For more information on this book, the authors and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

An Amish Wedding by Kelly Long, Kathleen Fuller, and Beth Wiseman

The Wonder of Your Love

The lives of two very amazing women are about to be changed in very different ways. This is the time for second chances and for hope for new beginnings for both of them, if only their hearts remain open to the possibilities of God's answers to prayer.

Katie Ann Stolzfus and her baby boy Jonas have spent the last several months trying to recover from two separate losses. The first was when Katie's husband, Ivan left her for an English woman and moved in with her. Just a few months later, Ivan would be killed in a tragic accident. She never told Ivan she was pregnant because she didn't want him coming home for that reason alone, since he left her in the first place. Katie isn't ready to open her heart again anytime soon at the prospect of love, because she can't stand feeling that heartache all over again, and lose her trust once more.

Martha, her English neighbor has been assisting Katie with being neighborly since her husband left her. Not willing to give up any of her English ways, Katie and Martha have formed a mother/daughter like bond between them, looking after one another since they both are widows and neither have married. Martha did love a man, but never bothered to share her feelings with him before he left to go help his ailing son. She had hoped maybe he felt the same way as she did, but since he never moved back, she believed the feelings were only one sided on her part.

Eli Detweiler has spent the last 17 years raising six of his own children as the last of his daughters is now finally married and out on her own. He now vows that since his wife death those 17 years ago, he's going to take some time and just travel and take care of his needs now. He hasn't wanted to replace his wife since he believed that he could never love again, but will God have other plans in store for Eli?

In the newest novel, The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman, we enter the second novel in this series and see how two women struggle to find love again after losing it the first time. If only either one of them could be bold enough to convey their feelings to the men that come into the life, but they believe that there aren't any second chances for them, this late in life. However God has great intentions for them on His horizon and in His timing.

I received this novel compliments of Litfuse Publicity for my honest review and feel in love with the robust character of Martha and the quiet resolve of Katie Ann. I see how both of them want what God has so richly promised, a man to love them whole heartily and be true, but sometimes they are the ones standing in the way. This is a story of second chances for those who feel they don't deserve them and for love to find a way home. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to read the next one coming out in The Land of Canaan series.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman

You can also find Beth on Facebook by clicking here.

Beth is celebrating the release of Book 2 in the Land of Canaan series with a Fabulous Facebook party on November 1st. She'll be giving away one of her OWN paintings, several mini prize packs and a sneak peak at the next book in this heartwarming series.

CLICK the button (below) to RSVP for the party - then join us on November 1st for a book chat, Amish themed trivia contest, and more!

The Wonder of Your Love Facebook Party on 11/1!