The Bachelor

I almost thought I had missed out on the opportunity as a book reviewer to review Stephanie Reed's latest novel The Bachelor, the second in the Plain City Peace Series. You don't know how happy I was when I realized that Kregel Publications had extended the invitation to do so even though many others had read it way before I did. There is joy in the small things like this.

I feel in love with the character of Betsie Troyer from the first novel and if you're like me, you often times, have to wait quite a bit to get the next novel in any series. However, I knew right away, I wanted to see right where Stephanie was going to pick her up story since Betsie's parents along with her Aunt Lovina had moved away from the Amish community to settle far away so they could practice their new found faith in the Jesus of the Bible as well as learning more about salvation. In an Amish community if you left, your salvation was doomed for all eternity. This is the reason so many Amish remain and become baptized in their Amish faith to ensure that through their good works and obedience they might get to heaven, but they had no way of knowing for sure.

Betsie was left behind on the family farm trying to do her very best along with his younger sister Sadie to make ends meet until she believed one day her parents would return home. Until that time, the Amish had a firm rule of shunning that prevented them from associating with them until they made a kneeling confession in front of the church. Betsie held on to her belief, her parents would be coming home. That didn't stop Charlie Yoder, from pressing the issue with Betsie that they would be married soon, having children, and take over running the Troyer farm. Betsie was more than surprised with Charlie's way of dismissing her faith that her parents would be home soon and they would be running the farm again. It is clear that Charlie has a firm way of holding on to the old Amish way of running things especially having his mother Mattie supporting them since his father had died.

But is Charlie really the bachelor for her or perhaps is her heart bringing her back to Michael, an English man who saved her life from what could have been a brutal attack. Now that Michael is living on the Farm to avoid having to serve in the Vietnam war, she wonders just what their relationship might have been like if Michael were Amish instead of English. In order to keep her mind busy, Betsie has been asked to take care of Michael's little sister Shelia while his father has left to try and reconcile with his distraught wife who has run off. It is the faith of a small child that will lead Betsie to the truth of salvation in a way she never imagined.

I received The Bachelor by Stephanie Reed compliments of Kregel Publications for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I absolutely LOVED this novel but once again must way until 2016 to get the third novel in the series, The Bride. This is such a moving novel to conveys hope for our eternal salvation in heaven through the simple faith of becoming like a child again. It is that simple faith of simply accepting things at face value rather than trying to figure them out that makes this one a winner in my opinion and well worth 5 out of 5 stars. The only downside is the wait between the novels, but all great things come to those who wait! There are Book Club Discussion Questions included at the conclusion of this novel as well!

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

The Bachelor by Stephanie Reed

You can find Stephanie Reed on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Bachelor, please visit Kregel Publications website. 

Love Finds You In Sugarcreek, Ohio

What happens when Criminal Minds falls into the land of the Amish living in Sugarcreek, Ohio? We have the makings of an exceptional novel in the Love Finds You Series, this time from best-selling author Serena B. Miller. Joe Matthews is tired of running and hiding with his young son, Bobby. Now that his truck has broken down in the small Amish community of Sugarcreek, Ohio, Joe just needs to find a way to make enough money to pay for the repairs to his truck and get back on the road. It would have not been an issue, had someone not stolen his wallet, along with all his credit cards and cash. There is no way he can call anyone right now to have those items replaced because then people would know where he is, and for now, that is not an option.

Police officer Rachel Troyer has always tried to maintain peace and order in their small Amish town, and now in the midst of the Swiss Festival, she knows tourists from all over will be descending on them for the next week and she can only hope nothing will go wrong this year. It's not the Amish she has to contend with or even the tourists but the Amish teens who are in their Rumspringa period of running around that has caused her concern. Not to mention her three aging aunts whom she has tried in vain to talk out of running their Inn and take some time to retire. She can't imagine if something were to happen to one of them in the midst of this time, where she will be putting all her efforts. She just never imagined a strange man and his young boy would be the next guests needing a place to stay.

Rachel can trust her instincts enough to know that Joe is hiding something, but she can't figure out what. Her aunts are only too willing to lend them a place to stay and food to eat in exchange for some work that needs to be done on the Inn and surrounding land. But Joe hopes this will only be long enough to pay for the repairs on his truck before he will be on his way. Something that pleases Rachel more than she is willing to admit, however Bobby has had enough of being on the road and just wants a place to call home now. Will Rachel be able to help or hurt them in the end?

I received Love Finds You in Sugarcreek Ohio by Serena B. Miller compliments of Summerside Press and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. By far, some of my favorite Amish novels are the ones where they blend worlds of the English and Amish seamlessly into one compelling novel you don't want to put down until the end. Couple that with a great mystery as to what Joe and Bobby are running from and you truly have the best of three amazing genres woven together in a masterpiece. I especially love the ending I didn't see coming but LOVE the way Serena closed this one with an exclamation mark on my heart! The best part is this novel is being made into a movie slated to be out in June, so you can find out all the behind the scenes tidbits on Serena's Facebook page as well as a look at the trailer below!!! Hands down a truly deserving 5 out of 5 stars and one that holds a permanent place in my personal Love Find You collection.

For more information about Love Finds You in Sugarcreek Ohio, Serena B. Miller or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio by Serena B. Miller

You can also find Serena B. Miller on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Love Finds You in Sugarcreek Ohio, please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page. 

   

Guideposts Books is excited to announce the premiere of a new film based on the book Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio (Summerside Press) by Serena Miller. The movie, produced by Mission Pictures International and filmed last fall in the actual town of Sugarcreek, will premiere on Sunday, June 1, 2014, at 7:00 PM EDT on Up TV (formerly the Gospel Music Channel). Visit the movie website for more information.




Serena and Guideposts will be celebrating with a Facebook viewing party! 

Join Serena and readers on Facebook while you tune in to watch Love Finds You in Sugarcreek to share your thoughts about the movie, chat with other viewers, and win fun prizes. Just use hashtag #LFYSugarcreek to join the discussion on June 1st.

Check your local listing for UpTV (http://up.viewerlink.tv) to find out when it airs in your timezone.

Excited? Help me spread the word! Just share this link and information on your social media along with the hashtag #LFYSugarcreek! Plus, we'll be tracking the hashtag and giving away Amazon & Starbucks cards to people at random who help to promote all throughout the month of May. Winners announced at the Love Finds You in Sugarcreek viewing party on June 1st.

 

"This is so exciting for Serena Miller and Guideposts! We are thrilled that Up TV has chosen Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio to make into a movie,” said Lenore Lelah Person, vice president and editorial director of Guideposts Books and Inspirational Media. “With Serena’s wonderful story and a beautiful backdrop in Ohio Amish country, fans of the story and the series will enjoy seeing it on screen. For more information read the media release.

For those who are not familiar with the Love Finds You™ series, this will be a great opportunity to introduce them to these uplifting and engaging romances." Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio is one of more than 50 releases in the popular Love Finds You™ series uniquely titled after actual American towns with unusual but intriguing names and combines travel, romance and faith in one package. The series includes both historical and contemporary releases, and each fictional story draws on compelling history or the unique character of a real place. Stories center on romances kindled in small towns, old loves lost and found again on the high plains, and new loves discovered at exciting vacation getaways. Mission Pictures has purchased the movie rights to the entire series and plans to produce additional films based on the series in the future.