A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn

I was so excited to get this book that I immediately sat down and began reading it. Pinecraft, Florida is definitely on my Bucket List, because each time I read one of Shelley Shepard Gray's novels using that as a setting, it makes me not only want to visit, but possibly live there. The characters she has breathed life into makes you want to see for yourself how hospitable, warm and loving this community of Amish truly is. While the place is real, we know that the characters are just the ones we have fallen in love with from the moment we began our journey in the Amish Brides of Pinecraft Series. A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn is the third book in this series. Welcome back my dearest friends!

Beverly Overholt, part owner now of the Orange Blossom Inn finds that her niece Tricia who has made Pinecraft her home for now, has begun a friendship with Ben Hilty, the oldest son of the Hilty family who was staying at the Inn, until the farm they purchased was ready for them to begin moving into. Now it seems she is hoping that Tricia doesn't fall to hard too soon for Ben as she is still dealing with her past that caused her to wind up with Beverly to begin with. Meanwhile Beverly is trying to sort of her own feelings with the new owner of the Inn, Eric Wagler, an English man who is attempting to sell his home so he can manage the Inn on a more permanent basis. For now, Beverly is in charge of manning it full time. How can she possibly have feelings for her new boss?

Emma Keim, a widow with three young girls is about to run into God's true destiny for her life, when a wayward beagle named Frankie, with an appetite for all kinds of food, but especially pizza, lands himself in a backyard pizza feast of the Hilty family. Her she meets Jay Hilty and his three boys who is also a widower and she finds that making a friend might not be such a bad thing after all. However when circumstances keep bringing the two families together, both of them feel a pull towards more than friendship as time wears on, especially since they witness the growing affections between Ben and Tricia. Is love once again in the air at the Orange Blossom Inn?

I received A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn by Shelley Shepard Gray compliments of Avon Inspire Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review, aside for a free copy of this novel, and the opinions expressed here are my personal honest ones. It will be hard to watch this series end because I feel like I have gotten to know each of these residents in a personal way through the sharing of their story in Pinecraft and their place in the community. Here is to hoping that not only Beverly and Eric fall in love as those daily phone calls seem to hint at, but also the love growing between Emma and Jay. Just like an Amish Brady Bunch as Shelley like's to refer to them as. For me, this is like a true homecoming each time I open these novels and thus the reason for my 5 out of 5 rating. I love savoring each story and this one was exceptional!

For more information about A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn, Shelley Shepard Gray or where you can pick up a copy of this one today, please click on the links below:

A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn by Shelley Shepard Gray

You can find Shelley Shepard Gray on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour page.

The Proposal at Siesta Key

(Sigh!!) That is what I do whenever I read any of Shelley Shepard Gray's Amish novels. First, because they are so exceptionally well written that I simply forget where I am for the duration of the time it takes me to read it (in one sitting), and the other because I am so sad that it's over too soon! Once again, Shelley takes us back to Pinecraft, Florida in her second installment of the Amish Brides of Pinecraft series, with The Proposal at Siesta Key!

This was inspired by a true life event Shelley witnessed when visiting the Amish town of Pinecraft and saw a small group of missionaries sharing their story with those gathered and this inspired her to write about the Knoxx family, Mennonites who were taking their story on the road of what their son Michael endured with the loss of his leg during a bike accident. Now feeling it has been a calling from God on their life, they find themselves as guests at the Orange Blossom Inn while spending a couple days on their tour sharing the story. It will be one that will be both life-changing and unforgettable.

Penny Troyer at 24, is trying to find a way to tell her parents, that all their protectiveness they have had in her life, is gotten to the point where she feels she isn't living a life but merely existing in theirs since the tragedy that took the life of her sister Lissy and left them wanting to protect the only daughter they have left. But what it has done in the process is eliminated the chance for Penny to establish friends and do all the kinds of things a young teenage girl would have, to find someone to love and perhaps even get a job. Now she simply needs to find a way to tell them she wants to go with a friend to see the traveling Knoxx family at the park, but the conversation happening in her mind is much easier than the one she will be having with both of her parents.

I received The Proposal at Siesta Key by Shelley Shepard Gray compliments of Litfuse Publicity and Avon Inspired Books, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. Aside from my complimentary copy of the novel, I did not receive any monetary compensation for my review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. One day I can only hope to make a visit to the Amish town of Pinecraft and view the places Shelley describes in her book at the conclusion. What a charming place it must be where the pace of life is much slower and a bit more simple than the rat race most of us face. Truly it is no wonder so many come to visit and end up making Pinecraft their own home! I know I would hate to leave and thus the reason for always finishing these novels much too soon! There is a sneak peek at her next novel coming up included which means I won't have to wait too long. Well worth a stellar 5 out of 5 stars and be warned there is a great recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie included as well!

For more information about The Proposal at Siesta Key, Shelley Shepard Gray or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Proposal at Siesta Key by Shelley Shepard Gray

You can find Shelley Shepard Gray on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Proposal at Siesta Key, please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page.

Penny's time with Michael has brought happiness, but will she be able to follow her heart? #giveaway @ShelleySGray http://bit.ly/1Hue7QK 

The Promise of Palm Grove

I love the simplicity of reading a great Amish romance and Shelley Shepard is quite the expert at writing not only exceptional Amish Romance's but making us feel like we are part of the story, not just reading a book. In her latest series, Amish Brides of Pinecraft, her first novel, The Promise of Palm Grove takes us back to Pinecraft, Florida. Here we find a small Amish/Mennonite community that spends time hosting guests from other parts of the country looking for an escape from the winter in sunny Pinecraft. Here everyone pretty much knows one another like in any Amish community.

When Leona Weaver arrives in Pinecraft along with her two best friends Mattie and Sara, she is hoping to put some distance between her and her future husband Edmond. She is hoping to figure out if she can be married to such a controlling man who believes that her opinions and her desires are not something to be considered when marrying him. She's been struggling with her emotions that tell her that Edmond is not the man for her and that this is not a normal part of Amish marriages. But to Edmond, there is no argument. He knows what he wants and tries to tell Leona she will conform to his way of thinking once they are married. Leona isn't so sure.

So when she meets Zack Kauffman, a man completely the opposite of Edmond, she soon realizes that she can't go through with her marriage to Edmond. She just has to manage to convince Mattie, not only her friend but Edmond's sister that she is about to call Edmond and let him know she has changed her mind. One thing for sure is that Zack is exactly the kind of man she had hoped might be out there for her, now the only problem is that she lives in Ohio and he lives in Pinecraft. How will they make a long distance relationship work? Find out in The Promise of Palm Grove.

I received The Promise of Palm Grove by Shelley Shepard Gray compliments of Avon Inspired, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are my own. I was thrilled to be invited to review this new series, because not only do I love Shelley's writing style but I also adored her attention to detail and she breathes life into these characters that you believe they honestly exist somewhere. I can't wait for the opportunity to visit Pinecraft one day and eat at Yoder's Restaurant even if the line is over 30 minutes long. Shelley includes photos and a list of the top 5 things to see while in Pinecraft in this novel. I'd rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and love that it includes a Reader's Discussion Guide as well as a recipe for Orange Pie at the conclusion of this novel.

For more information about The Promise of Palm Grove, Shelley Shepard Gray or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Promise of Palm Grove by Shelley Shepard Gray

You can find Shelley Shepard Gray on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Promise of Palm Grove please visit Avon Inspired's website.