My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah

"There is no darkness, but ignorance."

That is the central theme for the novel, My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah, by Angie Dicken. Taking readers into the heart of the west in Castle Gate, Utah during the 1900's, we find racial prejudice present even in the past. For those immigrating from Greece to settle in the small towns ripe with the hope of prosperity and opportunity, they also face discrimination based on the fact, they are not considered true Americans and have to settle in a place outside of town known as Greek Town.

It is here that the Pappas family has found hope with the opening of their restaurant serving Greek food to those that work in the mines, more Greek immigrants. For someone like Alex who came here to make money to help care for the health of his wife back home, but tragically couldn't make enough before she passed away. He then used that money to bring his own family to America where they can all be together to make it in this new world.

Leanna McKee, a school teacher in Castle Rock, has found her own grief here, losing her husband Jack in an accident that left her a widow but also one with outstanding gambling debts her husband incurred without her knowledge. She dreams for a way to move forward in San Francisco where she has connections with her family, but without funds, she has to stay where she is until she has saved enough to make the move there. Thankfully that opportunity comes to her via Alex Pappas who needs someone to escort his niece and nephew back and forth to school while their parents tend to the health of their mother during her pregnancy. When he offers to pay her, she immediately accepts! Is this truly an opportunity from God or is this a complication she should avoid with the tensions building in Castle Rock against those that associate with the Greeks?

I received My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah by Angie Dicken compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for immigrants to come to this country, legally at that time and the tensions that they had to deal with. Just friendships with those immigrants was often meet with hostility and anger to ensure that the discrimination would continue, despite how very wrong it was. I love how it is something that is worked out between Alex and Leanna by the conclusion of the novel, but also highlights a time in our own history when things did not goes as smooth as we might have believed. It also shows how strong traditions and culture were to those immigrants. Things they didn't want to leave behind.I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about My Heart Belongs in Castle Rock Utah, Angie Dicken or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah by Angie Dicken

You can find Angie Dicken on Facebook where you can stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection

If you're new to Amish fiction, and love the idea of a Christmas setting with some great story lines, then you might want to pick up A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance collection. In it you will find 9 different Christmas Romances of Amish, Mennonite, Quaker and Amana settlements, which vary in some of the dress styles, their religious beliefs, and manner of speech. They hold fast to the belief that what happens stays in their communities to handle and marrying outside of the church, can often result in a shunning from the community especially if they have been baptized into their churches.

Yet the one thing that remains clear in all of them, is their sense of support within the community. Help is always offered from within regarding medical issue, issues dealing with breaking the law and tragedies. They are always there for one another. The best part also of this series, is it gives you a brief insight into the style of writing each of the nine authors. This will help you decide if you want to pick up full length novels of other books in that genre as well. It is well worth it too, if time is an issue. Reading them one at a time, as you have time available, keeps you from feeling overwhelmed about not being able to get through a larger novel, than these nine stories provide.

The nine authors that have contributed to this collection are: Jerry Eicher, Olivia Newport, Lauralee Bliss, Ramona K.Cecil, Dianne Christner, Melanie Dobson, Rachael O. Phillips, Claire Sanders, and Anna Schmidt. I have read quite a few of the novels of most of these authors, so it was a nice change of pace to meet some I had never heard of before. This collection is comparable to the length of a full size novel and in it, you get 9 short stories that feel like so much more than a simple novella. There is also a wonderful treat included at the conclusion of each one, a recipe that you can make at home from the story! Just the cover of this collection invites the reader to curl up by the fire on a cold wintery night.

I received A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection by various authors compliments of Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. This is such a beautiful collection of wonderful heartwarming stories of faith, hope and love set among the Christmas season. This is a must have for lovers of Amish Romance, and even for those who want a great sampling of the various communities mentioned in this review. For me, this really introduced me to some authors I had never heard of before, as well as bring back some favorites from best selling authors as well. For me, this collection would rate a 4 out of 5 stars. There are some stories that really didn't connect with me as a reader, and wanted to get through them to something else, especially the Quaker stories with their 'thee's and thou's in how they speak to one another. Kind of like trying to understand Shakespeare in high school, yet overall a great collection.

For more information about A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection by various authors

You can read more reviews of A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection by visiting Barbour Publishing's website. 

Colors of Christmas

I don't know what it is, but I love a great Christmas romance! Something about the time of year inspires hope while romance is in the air. Olivia Newport is no stranger to romance novels and Colors of Christmas is a MUST READ! She combines two different story lines centered around Christmas, one Christmas in Gold and the other, Christmas in Blue. You can almost guess what will be the them of each. In the first, Christmas in Gold, an elderly German woman Astrid takes an unexpected spill down the stairs outside her home while carrying a full load and it prevented her from accurately seeing the steps. Now her son, Alex believes it is time for her to pack up her home, sell it and move to a retirement community where she can be looked after should something like this happen again. While it does offer independent living apartments, Astrid believes in her heart that it is time. After 40 years of dealing with the loss of her last husband and with family being busy with work and living a distance away, it is probably for the best.

Like all great novels, there has to be something more, and for Astrid, she feels that her physical therapist Carly is bearing the weight of the world on her shoulders. She knows she might not be able to do much, but sometimes just having a friend to talk to really helps. For Carly, she hopes that the man who has been trying to contact her, will finally lose hope now that she has obtained a restraining order against him. She only hopes she won't have to pull her son out of school and move again, meaning she would lose her job as well. But as God has a bigger plan in mind. "No two people suffer in identical ways, and we must not discount any suffering. The greatest gift we can give each other is to see suffering and name it as real. Always in suffering we meet fear. Always in suffering we must raise our eyes from darkness to light that awaits. There we will find others who have known suffering. Even God knew the suffering of His own Son."

In Christmas in Blue a long time resident that has always hosted the towns A Christmas to Remember event has passed away and the church committee members believe that the one who knew her the best would be the better choice at continuing the town's desired Christmas event. Angela was her dearest friend but has no clue where to begin or even what to do to make this happen and worst yet, the committee members have given her only 10 days to make it happen. Seems like it will take a Christmas miracle to make that happen and one by one, every single process is hampered in unexplained ways where she will be forced to make some hard decisions and running away is not one of them.

I received Colors of Christmas by Olivia Newport compliments of NetGalley and Barbour Publishing. I found myself relating quite a bit to Christmas in Gold, because my husbands parents are now beginning to look at retirement communities now that they are having so many health issues and family is more than 4 hours away. They desire to stay independent and have no desire to move back to be closer to family either. I found myself sharing this story with my husband and found a common connection with Astrid's character. This is such a wonderful novel and you truly feel like you are getting two books in one. I savored each one for a different night. I didn't want to rush through them and was so glad I did. I easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and one doesn't have to wait for Christmas to enjoy them. A reader's discussion guide is included at the conclusion of this book which would make it a perfect book club selection.

For more information about Colors of Christmas, Olivia Newport or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Colors of Christmas by Olivia Newport

You can find Olivia Newport on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Colors of Christmas, please visit Barbour Publishing's website.

The Engagement Plot

I don't think there isn't one person who doesn't know about online dating reality shows like the Bachelor or the Bachelorette. Where an eligible person tries to find the perfect person among a host of suitable candidates and hopefully a happily ever after will ensue. Fans of such shows will love Krista Phillips new novel, The Engagement Plot. Here we have a similar premise as the setting for our novel, with the reality show named The Price for Love and instead of the infamous red roses, the contestants receive gold coins with hearts verifying their commitment to find true love. Everything appeared to be going well for the final two, with most of the audience rooting for an all around honest church loving girl, they aptly named Holy Hanna, after Hanna Knight, the one woman who vowed to keep her integrity and morals intact despite all the pressure to bend to the viewing audience. She was the one, the upstanding CEO and eligible bachelor William Preston asked to marry him.

Only while Hanna was busy making wedding plans in her mind during the two month hiatus that they were instructed to have no contact with one another expect for an off-camera date, while the show wrapped up for the final unveiling. Hanna was hoping she had found the right man, when in reality, when it came to push the shows ratings as well as his own status in the company, Will led both the show's host and viewing audience to believe that Hanna had compromised all her moral beliefs for a quick weekend away with him. That was the end of the relationship and the end of Hanna's heart. She vowed to find some way to look for how she could have been so easily misled by Will. It cost her almost everything and now her reputation has been in ruins no matter how Hanna might have tried to salvage it.

So now, while avoiding reporters, she has moved back home with her father in Minnesota heading home in the midst of what is turning out to be one of the worst blizzards in history and finds a car trapped in a snowbank. She knows that no one will be out here for hours and her father wouldn't even leave a person stranded. What she didn't expect to find was Will Preston stuck in the snowbank almost freezing to death. While she is more than tempted to leave him there, she knows she can't in good faith no matter what he has done to her in the past. That was not how she was raised and now, she is stuck bringing him home back to her fathers house and undoubtedly hoping the storm might be delayed until he can get on his way to wherever he was headed. Only for now, she will have to deal with all the pain she thought she put behind her again.

I received The Engagement Plot by Krista Phillips compliments of Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. This is such a great story because you only know it's going to get better the further you get into the book and at each crossroads it appears as if God has other plans in store for the two to be reunited again. Can she risk her heart again for the second time? Has Will Preston truly changed? Or does he have another motive behind his visit? You'll just have to pick this one up to find out. I thoroughly enjoyed it and easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. This would make a great Hallmark Channel movie!

For more information about The Engagement Plot, Krista Phillips or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Engagement Plot by Krista Phillips

You can find Krista Phillips on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Engagement Plot, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

The Beloved Christmas Quilt

The Beloved Christmas Quilt is a wonderful collection of three short stories that span a generation of authors beginning with Wanda Brunstetter, who is a best-selling author of Amish novels, along with her daughter Jean and granddaughter, Richelle, who also have added their own stories to this book, that span an Amish families generation much like the Brunstetter women have.

Luella's Promise by Wanda Brunstetter takes readers in the beginning of the Ebersol family, beginning with Luella who was hired by Dena and Atlee Zook to help care for Dena and their son Daryl, as her health declines based on an issue with her heart. While Atlee works at his shop, Dena helps with housework and keeping Daryl busy while also helping Dena out as much as she can. They know the end is near and when she passes on a much beloved quilt to Luella as a way of saying thank you for being a friend and to promise to care for her family when she is gone, she never dreamed the turn her life would take as she spends more time with them.

Karen's Gift by Jean Brunstetter picks up the next generation that comes to the Zook family as their child Karen Allgyer grows and begins her own family. However when they discover her newborn daughter Nancy Anne is deaf, it begins to pull on the threads that held this family close. Her husband Seth pulls away to spend time hunting when he isn't working and with their parents so far away, Karen believes that it is time to move back home so she can have the love and support of both sets of parents.

In Roseanna's Groom by Richelle Brunstetter, the Zook family continues as the Roseanne Allgyer, Karen's daughter, finds herself preparing to be married, only to have her groom, John Beiler up and run away just as they are about to saw their wedding vows in front of family and friends. Without any explanation, he simply tells Roseanna, he can't marry her and moves away. Now left with picking up the pieces of her life, she tries to find a future while her heart is mending and that might be with someone who suddenly moves back unexpectedly. Will John realize his mistake before she gives her heart away to someone else?

I received The Beloved Christmas Quilt by Wanda, Jean and Richelle Brunstetter compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. These are three unforgettable stories of family, romance and the Amish faith, shared between three generations of writers but also written about three generations of one Amish family. I LOVE that they created this unique idea with each of them taking on a new generation and the beloved Christmas quilt that journeys along with them. There are delicious recipes tucked in to entice readers to try their own hand at making these wonderful dishes! I easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and just the simplicity of these three stories gives readers an opportunity to take them in one at a time as their busy schedules allow.

For more information about The Beloved Christmas Quilt, Wanda E. Brunstetter or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Beloved Christmas Quilt by Wanda, Jean and Richelle Brunstetter

You can find Wanda E. Brunstetter on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on The Beloved Christmas Quilt, please visit Barbour Publishing's website.

Bygone Christmas Brides

Ah with Christmas just around the corner, time seems to slip away from us with simply too much to do. We all want to get into that perfect mood, to sit by the fire, on a cold night, sip our favorite beverages and just relax and find ourselves perhaps some place else for just a little while. Novella's or short stories that feel like novels are the perfect way to take that virtual vacation and escape into the historical past and visit different time periods and places all set during the Christmas season with romance at the heart of each of them. Bygone Christmas Brides offers readers six short novellas from six wonderfully talented authors. Not only do these feel like more than short stories, it also gives readers a look at each authors unique and heartwarming writing styles.

In Lost and Found by Ginny Aiken, takes us to Wales in the year 1870, where we meet Rhiannon Wylie who is taking care of her aging father and questions the faith she has despite the fear of the mines both her father and Trefor Davies works at. Will she be able to find the faith she needs to trust God when there is no other choice in order to find true love and a chance at happiness?

In Tis the Season by Carla Gade, introduces readers to Schooley's Mountain Springs of New Jersey in 1820's where Annaliese Braun finds herself in need of someone to repair her broken wagon after the accident where the wheel comes off. Enter our hero, carpenter, Stephen Yost, who is just in town to make a living repairing some businesses and homes, but may have met his match that fateful day.

I Saw Three Ships by Pamela Griffin takes readers back to 19th century Scotland where a long lost love between Malcolm Sinclair and Rachel McIvor might just be rekindled. But can Rachel forgive the man who left her once to find his fortune, in order to try and win back her heart or will she be willing to walk away as he once did?

In Colleen of Erin by Tamela Hancock Murray, can Donohue's Mercantile owner Finn Donohue find a way into Collin Sullivan's heart? After all whenever she visits him, he will always order whatever she fancies, but what will it take for her to notice him? Will the hardness he experienced in his own past keep him from ever opening his heart up to someone like Colleen's gentleness?

A Right and Proper Christmas by Jill Stengl, finds a soldier returning home to England from the war and happens upon a small church, believing that God has called him to preach. He finds something in common with the class of people he came from, those of a lower class, but it seems he can't find someone willing to teach him how. As he stumbles into the church, he finds something he never expected, a willingness to give him a second chance at life, and possibly a chance at love with a woman who sets her heart on marrying a local man. Will she see something in him that no one else possesses?

Mercy Mild by Gina Welborn is the final novella that takes readers into the brokeness of one young woman who has faced abuse at the hands of her own parents. She refuses to ever have children believing that she will do the same to a child of her own. But will a man with a love for war orphans teach her that she can change so she doesn't have to fear she will be like her parents. Will the love a child be able to break her hardened heart?

I received Bygone Christmas Brides compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. Just looking at the cover of this collection, brings a much wanted anticipation to what each of these six novellas contains. A trip back into the historical past, in various time periods and find true love in this heartwarming collection of wonderful Christmas themed stories. While I have read others novels from some of the authors in this collection, I also got the chance to meet new ones like Tamela Hancock Murray and Pamela Griffin. They each keep the stories authentic to both the country they are set in as well as the language and traditions of those historical time periods. I give this collection a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and makes it easy to just take time to read one each night.

For more information about Bygone Christmas Brides, any of the authors or where you can pick up this book today to add it to your Christmas collection, please click on the links below:

Bygone Christmas Brides by Barbour Publishers

You can find Gina Welborn on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Carla Gade on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Jill Stengl on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Ginny Aiken on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Pamela Griffin on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Tamela Hancock Murray on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Bygone Christmas Brides, please visit Barbour Publishing. 

12 Days at Bleakly Manor

Imagine you are facing challenges in your daily life, where if you could have a wish, that problem would go away. What would you do? Would you accept an invitation to change your present circumstances by being the last person to leave Bleakly Manor after spending 12 days during Christmas as a guest? I'm sure most would and that is exactly the response that each of the guests expects when they arrive at Bleakly Manor without knowing what will happen when they arrive.

Clara Chapman who has found herself almost destitute and living with her ailing aunt is promised 500 pounds if she can stay for the entire 12 days. Mr. Minnow, Miss Scurry, Mr. Pocket, Mademoiselle Pretents and Mr. Benjamin Lane are arrive with their own unique set of promises to be fulfilled and the host of the affair remains a mystery and aloof. Instructed by the household staff to arrive for meals and certain presents await them at the bedroom doors, it soon becomes apparent that something sinister may be staged as first Mademoiselle Pretents jewelry is stolen, then unexplained accidents begin to happen to each of the guests until one by one, they begin to leave. First without a choice and then as each promise is granted, they voluntarily leave of their own accord.

For Clara Chapman and Benjamin Lane, they have a shared history. He was jailed for stealing the family fortune that left Clara's family destitute, while she assumed that Benjamin stole their fortunes and fled leaving her at the altar on their wedding day. Will the time being spent together fan the love they still have locked away in their hearts or will one of them have to make the ultimate sacrifice and forgo their invitation promise in hopes of a greater compromise instead? Spend the next 12 days with the most unusual cast of characters in this delightful novel, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, the first book in the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series by Michelle Griep.

I received 12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. This is a quick read, but love the historical detail and poetic writing style of Michelle Griep as she weaves a wonderful tale of finding our deepest wishes might be right in front of us where we least would expect them to be. Just who is staging this elaborate event? You'll have to pick this one up to find out but for me, this one was worth 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for more in this delightful, Victorian Christmas series!

For more information about 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, Michelle Griep, or where you can pick up this delightful book today, please click on the links below:

12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep

You can find Michelle Griep on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

Gladden the Heart

This was a difficult review to consider writing because when I get to a novel that I struggle to maintain focus on and dream of how much longer it would take to finish it so I can move on to something else, I have to take a step back and ask myself a few questions. What can I remember that I have read so far? Is it simply too much to take it for a reader at the beginning of a novel? Do I care what happens to any of these characters? Am I simply distracted from reading because of other things going on around me, that is pulling my focus away? Then I can answer these questions quite honesty and give an honest review. That answer to all of them is "No." I hate when that happens especially when you have read the authors other novels and you really enjoyed them. It was not the cause unfortunately for me in this one.

This novel is part of an ongoing series, Amish Turns of Time, and this one is book 5. I can be honest and say, I have not read any of the previous novels so I can't say whether doing so would have made me enjoy the premise behind this one any better. I have read previous novels that were part of a series and could follow along until I get the just of what is going on with the characters. In this case, I honestly couldn't care about any of them.

It involves two very different set of people living amongst one another, an Amish Order and the Methodists which are close neighbors to one another. Those readers who are familiar with Amish fiction, understand that they are very faithful and committed to their religious beliefs. They try to keep those in the community from being affected by those outside their faith, and in this case with the Methodist preacher who comes to stage tent revivals, a few of the Amish are a bit curious like the main character, Susana who occasionally peeks into the tents to see just what all the fuss is about. Her Amish boyfriend, Adam is making plans to marry Susana and doesn't want to see her dabbling in the other faiths, no matter how curious she is. When her favorite cousin Noah suddenly has spells in which is preaches without remembering any of it, not only is Noah's wife Phoebe at bit concerned, but also the entire Amish community who like to believe that all their preachers come from being chosen in the community not just those who suddenly have the ability.

I received Gladden the Heart by Olivia Newport compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. For me, this entire novel really never connected. It felt like bits and pieces of two very different parts of the book were spliced together. The beginnings and endings of each set of circumstances seemed disconnected and choppy and thus for me, I had a difficult time truly caring for any of the characters. The spells that Noah continues to have increase in frequency and I can understand why those in the Amish faith might fear this situation, and thus the need to keep them separated while the leaders of the community can figure out just what to do with them. Other readers might feel differently about this novel, but for me, it just fell flat and thus the need for a 2 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.  This just wasn't a favorite for me.

For more information about Gladden the Heart, Olivia Newport or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Gladden the Heart by Olivia Newport

You can find Olivia Newport on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing

There is such support for one another for those who live within the Amish community and often time it even extends to the Englisher's who reside within the city limits as well. That is what has always drawn me to Amish fiction is their strong faith and sense of community support. In Wanda Brunstetter's Amish Cooking Class series, The Blessing is the third book in the series that revolves around Heidi Troyer and her husband Lyle who live in Walnut Creek, Ohio. Learning that they may never have children of their own, Heidi decides to teach Amish cooking classes in small groups of 5 to supplement their income and to give her something to do. This is her second class she is preparing to teach and this time with different hopes.

She hopes that Kendra will follow through on her desire to give her baby up to the Troyer's to adopt since as a young mother she certainly can't afford to raise a young child on her own with her parents tossing her out once they learned she was pregnant. So in Heidi believes this might be her last class before she becomes a full-time mother. Again, she has 6 people signed up to join her class, Lisa Brooks is taking the class to inspire additional ideas for her catering business, Todd Collins is taking the class under the premise of wanting to learn how to cook, but has secret motives as a food critic, who wants to see just how good this food could be.

For Bill Mason, he's signed up because as the owner of a cabin he and a few buddies visit during hunting season, his cooking has left something to be desired and he hopes it might teach him to make something else that his friends won't complain about. Nicole Smith is the youngest and she is taking the classes to learn to cook as the oldest child trying to help out her family since her mom left for another man and alcohol, while leaving her to help raise her two younger siblings and still work on finishing up school. At least this gives her a much needed break from her family's expectations. For Allie Garret, her husband provided the cooking lessons as a gift to learn how to make some different dishes for her family. What they don't all realize is that this will be more than simply learning how to cook some delightful Amish meals but that they will also work towards helping one another out when they each have a need and all part of God's plan.

I received Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing by Wanda Brunstetter compliments of Net Galley and Barbour Publishing. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. Besides getting what I would call 6 different mini novels in one is the delicious mouth-watering recipes that conclude this novel, each of them being the very meals or dishes that the cooking class learns. I only wish I had an lovely Amish woman like Heidi to teach me how. It's almost like a therapy session for them as each person begins to share their burdens to one another and soon find themselves being helped along the way by one another. This is one of my bucket list items to spend a weekend on an Amish farm and learn more about their way of life and cooking by living off of what they grow and can make in most cases. I just don't think I'd be able to keep up. This is a wonderful series and worthy of 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing, Wanda Brunstetter or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel due out in early August 2017, please click on the links below:

Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing by Wanda Brunstetter

You can find Wanda Brunstetter on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island

A beautiful island that is often deserted except for the locals most of the year with the exception of late spring and early summer, where Mackinac Island is the in spot for the wealthy and rich, and those looking for wealth in their romances. Maude Wellings simply wants the opportunity to run her families inn, but her father won't see it. Her mother worked herself to death, quite literally as he was concerned and he isn't about the let the same thing happen to Maude. She had placed all her hopes, dreams and future on one man returning home to marry her, Greyson Luce, but when he showed up on the ferry married to Anna, all she saw was her life coming to an end. That was the only way her father would let her take over running the Inn.

Ben Steffan was a society columnist for the Detroit Post, who was going under the name of Friedrich Koing, a weathly industrialist to find the story of the century and hopefully secure a promotion with his boss when he returned. He set out to expose Greyson and Anna Luce, for doing what so many have done in making plans to stay at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Find someone with money and marry them as soon as possible, often times before they discovered one or both of them had no wealth to speak of and were merely looking for ways to get rich quick.

The one thing Ben wasn't looking for was love and it landed right in his lap while trying to save Jack, Maude's youngest brother from crashing his bicycle into a rock wall. Yet it was just what God had planned even though Maude and Ben don't know it quite yet. Ben is simply attracted to Maude's ability to bounce back from what should be a rejection that broke her heart and left her devastated, not more determined than ever to prove to her father that she is more than capable of running their own Inn, even if it means going behind her father's back and becoming a maid at the Grand Hotel. She only hopes that no one will recognize her and turn her in for the charade she was hoping she might pull off.

I received My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island by Carrie Fancett Pagels compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. This is such a timeless classic romance, because of the setting location and the determination of Maude's character to settle for what men in her life wanted for her, instead of listening to what she wanted instead. During the late 1800's it was common place for a lot of industrialist and wealthy men to look to securing a financial future with an equally wealthy and well to do women of the same station in life. Maude, defies all those odds and I love how simply working as a maid, made her more conscience of how she was treated her own maids at the Inn. For me, this one garners a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion. There are some great historical notes found in the conclusion of this novel that details what is fiction and what is fact!

For more information about My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island, Carrie Fancett Pagels or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel due out on July of 2017, please click on the links below:

My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island by Carrie Fancett Pagels

You can find Carrie Fancett Pagels on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

Home

"One way to describe it is a longing for home, though that's not quite accurate. The Welsh have a word for it: hiraeth. It's difficult to translate in English, but I've heard it described as a homesickness for a home you can't return to. Our a place that never was. I've come to acknowledge it in myself as a longing for God. 'Eternity set in the hearts of men,' as Solomon so eloquently wrote."

I guess everyone has their own definition of what "home" really means. All I know is it is NOT confined to the walls of a brick and mortar building, but it is what is located in my heart. "It is either the sturdy foundation or the crumbling underpinnings a child is built upon." Home is in here. In our hearts, and time or distance have no bearing on it or cause us to lose our sense of where home really is.

In Ginny L. Yttrup's latest novel, "Home," we get a sense of what it means for quite a few of her characters. For married couple Melanie and Craig, who have been married for twenty-three years are struggling to come to terms with where their future might be headed. After learning that they can't have children, they have both faced their own uncertainties. Craig is a home builder struggling to manage both his business and home with the rising financial downturns of the local economy. All he knows is that he has to come clean with Melanie that they might have to sell their custom built home and cut spending until things pick up. He feels at fault for not providing for their family. Melanie, a successful author now on her sixteenth novel, but is now wondering if she has more creativity left to inspire her to her looming deadline with her publisher. She wants to contribute to the finances, but if she can't complete this novel, they will have to look at selling their dream home.

Their neighbors Marcos and Jill are facing their own struggles as well. For Jill it is dealing with her OCD behaviors that are beginning to impact her way of life and the way she relates to her family. She believes it has to do with a recurring nightmare that she is putting together bits and pieces of things that don't make sense to her. When she tries to explain it to her mother, she is dismissed. However it is possible these aren't nightmares but repressed memories? All she knows is that if she doesn't get help soon, she will come unglued and possibly hurt herself or her family without meaning to. Her only ally is her best friend Melanie, but even they are dealing with their own issues and now that Melanie has taken a trip away to a lakeside home to finish her novel, is it possible it is the end of her marriage as well to Craig?

I received Home by Ginny L. Yttrup compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. This novel really hit home for me after a particular rough Mother's Day and found myself questioning whether I made a difference in the lives of our family. I can't believe how much I found myself relating to Melanie's character. Struggling to understand if she loved Craig as much as she should being married or it is possible they simply have grown apart. Is there a way to put things back together and see one another differently now that they're in different places in their personal and professional relationships. One thing is certain, temptation is just around the corner in places they least expected. Home is found in our hearts! Everything else is simply temporary. We are all created to live life to the full, and we can only do that if we're willing to fully participate! That is what I realized, after reading this novel. It isn't about what others are doing, but what we contribute to the life we are living. We can partner with our spouse or walk away. It is always better to work together!! There are some great discussion questions at the conclusion of this novel that would be great for a book club. For me, this one earns a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion, because it changed something even in my own heart, and for a novel to that, it has to be extraordinary.

For more information about Home, Ginny Yttrup or where you can pick a copy of this novel today by clicking on the links below:

Home by Ginny L. Yttrup

You can find Ginny L. Yttrup on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Home, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

The Seekers

One of the things that have always impressed me about the Amish is that they keep basic home-making skills alive. Things like sewing, gardening, and cooking is such a vital part of their lives, it would be odd if it were missing in lieu of things like eating out instead of taking your food from garden to table and often wonder how amazing that food tastes when no preservatives are added. If you have ever wanted to cook like the Amish, you can find plenty of Amish cookbooks out there, but what if you could read a great novel about the friendships that form among various people who come together drawn initially by their love of wanting to know how to cook?

In The Seekers by Wanda E. Brunstetter, that is just what happens when Heidi Troyer realizes that she has quite a bit of time on her hands and learning from her friends that they have benefited from creating classes to teach others what they excel at, and for Heidi that is cooking! She has always dreamed of starting a family of her own, but at this time, it seems that will never happen. So now she imagines a small group coming together where she can teach them how to prepare some of the Amish beloved dishes.

She managed to incorporate her friends who burn more than they can successfully cook like Loretta Donnelly, who is a recent widow and mother of two very busy young children, who would love to utilize this class to help her prepare better meals for her family but also give her a much needed break from being a mom. Charlene Higgins is the most desperate of the group as it seems she can't do anything right. She needs to be able to at least cook seeing as a wedding to her Amish boyfriend Len is in her future and her future in-laws aren't the slightest bit impressed with anything she does, finding fault in everything. Eli Miller is tired of cold cereal and hard boiled eggs, now that his wife has died in an accident, a cooking class might be what he needs to get out of his slump and at least put a decent meal on the table for himself. Kendra Perkins needs this class since being tossed out of her Amish house when she became pregnant unexpectedly. This might help her find a true purpose in her life for now.

Ron Hensley needed to find a place to fit in and the Troyers seems just the place. Since they are a small family with no children and plenty of space on their farm, he anticipates they are just the right people to garner sympathy for a man living out of his RV that needs a place to park it while he tries to fix it. Only it is all a ploy so he can find the time to scope out their home and find just the right things they won't miss to sell at the local auction. Joining a cooking class might just be the edge he needs to get that kind of invitation. But will they be cooking up something else that he didn't expect?

I received The Seekers by Wanda E. Brunstetter compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. For me, the best part of this novel is the mouth-watering recipes that Heidi provides for each of her classes and ones you will find at the conclusion of this book as well as some great discussion questions perfect for book clubs. I love how this group of people come together to learn to cook and come away with so much more. For some, they will find the perfect friends, others will see that their perceptions of others aren't quite what they imagined and for others a dream come true. I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and this is the first novel in the Amish Cooking Class series.

For more information about The Seekers, Wanda E. Brustetter or where you can preorder a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Seekers by Wanda E. Brunstetter

You can find Wanda E. Brustetter on Facebook to stay up to date on his latest novels

To read more reviews on The Seekers, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

The Pattern Artist

One of my favorite childhood memories is remembering when my mother would sew us pajamas out of whatever fabric we picked out from the store. Even now many years later, I would LOVE to do that for my own kids, well teens and young adults. I guess that is where my love of quilting has come from and also why I absolutely LOVED the novel, The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser. It such a well-researched novel on pattern artists, those that made the patterns that home sewers like my mom could use to make their own clothes from, so it is wonderful to learn a bit more about those women who took it upon themselves to help.

The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser tells just how one woman's dreams to see a future for herself despite the odds against her based both on society's standards and where she came from. Annie Wood might be considered a perpetual run-away. She ran from her parents when they deemed she wasn't worthy of anything more than where their lot in life fell. However she took it upon herself to work the Kidds, a family of influence as a maid and travel to America with them in hopes of one day becoming a true ladies maid. For now, she was content to travel along as a house maid doing some sewing and alterations for the women in the family. She had hopes that the ladies maids were passing along her contributions to them so that one day her true talents might be used.

However when one of the footman, Mr. Grasston, makes it his intent to press himself upon Annie in unsuitable ways, she knows she must find a way out of the household, even if it means her future dreams must fall by the wayside. In face, she learns that he has made several passes at others in the Kidd household as well, including the one friend she met, Iris and her brother Danny. After learning that Grasston has abused Iris, Annie makes plans for all three to runaway and begin a new start in America knowing that all three possess the drive to not settle for anything less than their own say in their futures, especially when Annie learns that the ladies maids have been passing off her work as their own. If she doesn't strike while the iron is hot, she is doomed to settle for what she has and that isn't good enough right now. Her future now lies in the hands of working for Macy's department store as a sewing clerk using all the skills she has self-taught herself to make a living, but will her past come back to haunt her in ways she could never imagine?

I received The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. The theme in this novel is that Annie soon learns that God is working all around her if she just opens her eyes. God is simply waiting for her to notice Him. At the end of the novel she can look back and see how the ripples of all the bad things she believed has happened to her has been for her good and has lead her to where she finds herself at the end, better than she ever believed. At the conclusion the author provides insights of her own on how she utilized the history of Butterick to determine the way this novel will playout and how working at Macy's would tie in a bit of history about the Staus family, who would subsequently die aboard the ill-fated Titanic in 1912. I absolutely could NOT put this book down until I finished and for me, that is a sign that this one is a 5 out of 5 stars. I only wish it would last so much longer as I found myself completely immersed in the lives of Annie Wood and her friends.

For more information about The Pattern Artist, Nancy Moser or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser

You can find Nancy Moser on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Pattern Artist, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

My Valentine

What are the differences that separate the beliefs of Jews and Christians? Does the Bible warn not to be unequally yoked and if so, does that apply to Jews and Christians? My Valentine by Tracie Peterson is a heartwarming regency romance between Darlene Lewy, raised a Jew her entire life that lives with her father Abraham and Pierce Blackwell, a Christian young man who has recently arrived in New York with his father.

At the height of the season, Pierce comes to Lewy and Company with his father to get some suits made in time for the Valentine's Day ball. In order to expedite things in acquiring what he needs over trying to find suitable attire somewhere else, he is enchanted when he meets with Darlene who is trying to figure out just why her father and Dennison Blackwell are having discussions over the differences in their religious faiths. Darlene is concerned because if Abraham leaves his faith as a Jew, the entire Jewish community will ostracize them and stop doing business with them. It will also impact her future as well in the community, not that someone like the Blackwell would have any romantic interest in her as suitable match. The one thing Darlene didn't expect is that she would be caught overhearing their conversation and find herself trying to explain things to Pierce.

Pierce's Aunt has just the right girl in mind for Pierce from just the right family and when she arranges to have them meet at a Bachelor's auction, the only girl he can't get off his mind is Darlene. Even he knows however that unless she is a Christian, there will never be any hope for anything more than a business relationship between them. But will the changes Darlene sees in her father, cause her to consider that perhaps Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised to come by the Jewish people after all?

I received My Valentine by Tracie Peterson compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. I absolutely loved seeing the various differences between the Jews and Christians in regards to their religious rituals and how they interpret the Bible. I love how the Blackwells are invited to participate in the Passover meal and how they are so impressed by how the Lewy's remember the blessings of God saving his people during Passover. In addition to this novel, readers are also treated to a bonus book, Little Shoes and Mistletoe by Sally Laity inside. This is the story of Eliza Criswell that moves in with her Aunt Phoebe at Harper House after her fiancè Weston runs off with her best friend. She just doesn't expect to fall for someone who looks identical to him while working for her Aunt! Both books earn an equal 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about My Valentine/Little Shoes and Mistletoe, Tracie Peterson, Sally Laity or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

My Valentine/Little Shoes and Mistletoe by Tracie Peterson and Sally Laity

You can find Tracie Peterson on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

You can find Sally Laity on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on My Valentine/Little Shoes and Mistletoe, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

The Decision

We have all made decisions in our lifetime that we often times wonder if it was the right one. Many times we wish we had the opportunity to go back and change some of those decisions as we have seen how they have played out in our life or in the lives of others. Jonah Miller was one such person. After being left at the altar by the love of his life, he has opted to start over again someplace else where the memories aren't quite so fresh when they are revisited from Pennsylvania to Illnois.

It is there where he learned to find love again with Elaine Schrock. In fact he wasn't even looking for love again and then again neither was she. They are literally on the verge of watching all their dreams for a future come true, when tragedy strikes and Elaine's grandfather dies. These are the only parents she has known since they have cared for her since she was little when her own parents died. In his dying words, Elaine's grandfather begged her to please take care of her grandmother, Edna. It was a promise that Elaine would ensure she would keep. After all how to you pay back your grandparents for raising you? It was the very least she could do.

When Edna begins to have dizzy spells and is a bit more than forgetful, Elaine and the community just believe that Edna is still in the grieving process and simply trying to move forward before she is physically ready. But when those situations become dangerous like wandering off and forgetting where she is, or leaving the oven on while making cookies, Elaine believes there might be something more going on. The doctor determines that besides being diabetic, Edna is also experiencing dementia. How will Elaine be able to move forward with Jonah, when she now has to face caring for her grandmother? Will Elaine's decision to forget her own future be the very best one God has in mind for her? Right now, she can't see how it can be.

I received The Decision by Wanda E. Brunsetter compliments of Nancy Berland Public Relations and Barbour Publishers 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 is the first novel in the Prairie State Friends Series and it is one I truly love. Relying on her own experiences in dealing with caring for a loved one with dementia, Wanda captivated the beautiful way the Amish care for their loved ones. They would never consider putting them in a facility to care for the aging, but instead the entire community rallies around to help in any way they can. Dementia has to be one of the most difficult illnesses to deal with because it robs our loved ones of their memories, the most priceless treasures we have. It is hard for both to deal with the effects and that comes across so well in this novel. There is a discussion guide at the end along with some great recipes. I can't wait for the next one in this series and for that reason it deserves a full 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Decision, Wanda E. Brunsetter, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Decision by Wanda E. Brunsetter

You can find Wanda E. Brunsetter on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can also read the first chapter and more by visiting Barbour Publishing.

Goodbye to Yesterday

If you're looking for a great Amish novel that is broken into manageable pieces, you might want to pick up a copy of Wanda E. Brunstetter's, Goodbye to Yesterday. It is the first in six mini-novels that are part of the Discovery Series and the Lancaster County Saga. Wanda is renowned for her Amish novels and for those of you with a little time on your hands, this is perfect. A whole lot is packed into 121 pages and introduces us to an Amish couple, Luke and Meredith Stoltzfus living in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania.

In this one, Luke is facing what many of us today are dealing with and that is a downsizing in his woodworking company. Since Luke was one of the recent hires, he is unfortunately the first to go. Now struggling to find work before his savings run out, he takes out some of his stresses on his new wife Meredith. Meredith offers to find work outside the home for now but for Luke, he feels it is showing a failure to provide for his family and tells her no. On top of that, Meredith believes she may be pregnant but doesn't offer to tell Luke until she knows for sure. With all the stress he's under now, she can't think of adding something else to his already full plate.

Just when it looks like there is no sign of hope, Luke gets an offer from his uncle in Indiana who is looking to retire and wants to sell him his business. Meredith isn't sure this is the path they should take, and feels that the time away from her isn't going to be in their best interests. Yet with no other work opportunities in front of them, Luke has to make a decision to either stay in Pennsylvania and hope that works turns up or take his Uncle's offer. Now that a winter storm is brewing, it may not be the best time to travel or leave his wife at home. 

I received Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter compliments of Handlebar Central and Barbour Publishing for my honest review. I have to warn you that because this is a series of parts of a book, it ends on a cliff hanger. Yet the next book is slated for release in March of 2013, The Silence of Winter so you won't have to wait long to see what happens next. Like I stated earlier in my review, I saw this mini-novel as a way of breaking up a much bigger story for people who would love to read a full size novel but simply lack the time or energy to do so. This way you can have your cake and eat it too! I personally rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and the perfect way to introduce a new reader to Amish Fiction in general. I've read several of Wanda's books and am never disappointed by the time she puts into making the reader feel like part of the story. I can't wait for March and this one is already on my Must Read List!

For more information about Goodbye to Yesterday, Wanda E. Brunstetter, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the  links below:

Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter

You can also find Wanda Brunstetter on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

You can also visit the Discovery Saga Facebook page to see what everyone has to say regarding this amazing new series. 

A Lady in the Making

Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is to convince people you have wronged, that you have truly changed. That's exactly what Millie Evans is trying to do. She no longer took part in swindling innocent people or conspire to have people murdered and even giving up being part of her brother-in-law's gang. Nope for Millie, she's had a complete change of heart. Must have been all that time, working hard at cooking and trying to make an honest living that has changed her deep down inside. However for some people, they believe no one ever really changes.

When Millie decides to take the stage to Salt Lake City to being her new life away from her past and her brother in law, she didn't plan on running into David Stone. He was the man she had fallen in love with and also the man she tried to murder and run off with all his money. Is it possible for her to convince David Stone to give her another chance? He believes Millie has been watching him for sometime and planned to take the same stage coach in an effort to finish what she had begun the first time she met David. Now he was wealthier and part owner in his own stage coach business and wonders just what Millie is up to now. He's not about to be caught off guard this time. Not if he can help it.

Millie thinks this is divine providence that she has run into David. It at least provides her with an opportunity to return the Bible she has stolen from him as well as the onyx cuff links his grandfather had given him on his twelfth birthday. . No matter how much she pleads with David that she has found God and has truly changed, he's not about to give her a second chance. He'd come so close to losing his heart to her. He'd been blinded by her charms. The knowledge left him feeling witless and old. He never wanted to see her again. Yet something kept nagging at him. Was even a tenth of what she'd said to him the truth?

In the conclusion of the Prairie Dreams Series, A Lady in the Making by Susan Page Davis takes us back to the late 1800's to the Oregon Territory to see just where David Stone and Millie Evans have wound up since their fateful encounter in the previous books. She has stolen from him and tried to lure him into marrying her so she could live in style. Without meaning to, she'd endangered his life. If only he'd give her the chance to show him that she had transformed into a new Millie Evans. He didn't even know her really name since she changed it to Charlotte Evan in Scottsburg because it sounded more elegant than Millie. This novel shows how difficult it can be for people to accept the changes we make, even if they are for the right reasons. Will Millie give up and go back to the life people have come to believe is true about her or has she truly changed both inside and out?

I received A Lady in the Making by Susan Page Davis compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for my honest opinion. I have read the entire series and have grown to love each of the characters that Susan creates for her reader to come to know and really love. I didn't care for Millie's character in the first two books because she was truly rooted in greed and deceit but looked forward to seeing how Susan would convince me that she had changed as well. For those that love Christian Historical Fiction set in the old west, then you will absolutely LOVE this one! You can read this as a stand alone since Susan does a great job at outlining Millie's past in this book, but trust me, you'll want to see where this all began! In my opinion, I easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars!!!! This is one of my favorite genre's to indulge in!

For more information about A Lady in the Making, Susan Page Davis or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

A Lady in the Making by Susan Page Davis

You can also find Susan Page Davis on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

Be sure to look for the other books in the Prairie Dreams Series as well at your favorite book retailer.

# 1 The Lady's Maid
#2 Lady Anne's Quest
# 3 A Lady in the Making

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Barbour Books (October 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1616264411
• ISBN-13: 978-1616264413
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1 inches

Trinity: Military War Dog

After three tours in the Special Forces, she outranked most of the men she worked with. Especially her handler Heath "Ghost" Daniels. War dogs and specialized search dogs were high-value targets. Terrorists paid big for dead military working dogs. She has countless lives saved under her belt and her final tour almost cost her and Heath their lives in Afghanistan. Thanks to the efforts of the new resolution signed into law by President Clinton a few years back, which allowed dogs to live out the remainder of their years rather than being euthanized after the military decided they were done with the dogs, Trinity has a second chance.

As one of three dogs working with their handlers at A Breed Apart Ranch in Texas, each of these teams is once again training for contract work from companies who have contractors on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, even their own military. They've seen the great benefit of war dogs and will pay nice fees to have a for-hire availability. Especially since his latest request to rejoin his team as a chaplain was also turned down. It seems to Heath that God is keeping him from finding his true calling back into active service and soon grows frustrated in his own faith. For Heath this is the opportunity for them to get back into action since the IED concussion from the blast and shrapnel sliced through his skull and left him with a traumatic brain injury. This is a program designed by Jibril Khori, former Green Beret and colleague for former military war or working dogs and an opportunity to continue to utilize what they were trained for once again but in a different capacity.

When Heath and Trinity get called to Northern Afghanistan under contract for the Public Affairs Office, as part of a morale-boosting for the troops, he meets Darci Kintz. It seems they have a lot in common but Heath has to make sure to keep his stress in check. In fact that is why the other handlers, Timbrel Hogan and Aspen Courtland are also on this trip, to ensure he doesn't black out. The truth was spelled out on the three faces of the other ABA( A Breed Apart) members: They didn't trust him to do his job. They expected him to fail. God just wouldn't give him a break. And the more he stressed about it, the more he kept blacking out. Is it possible she can find someone who can truly love her despite her secrets or will Trinity be the only girl for Heath? When Heath receives word that a military intelligence officer, Darci who is gathering evidence tracking the Taliban as an undercover geological survey team member has been kidnapped, it will be just the golden opportunity for Heath and Trinity to be called back into action once again. Will he be able to keep his focus or will he put all their lives in danger?

In Trinity, Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig, we get an opportunity to see what its like to work with these handlers and their canine companions in the various military forces and see just how dangerous and truly rewarding their work can be in this fictional novel. Ronie did an exceptional job at her research into what it takes for both the canine and their handlers to work together in some dangerous assignments. I am so honored to be able to look into a different side of serving in the military and just how far loyalty and honor go hand in hand with these service dogs. I also got an opportunity to view the Belgian Malinois that is Trinity's breed of dog and learn more about them after I finished this book. Truly a remarkable breed of dog that is highly intelligent for this line of work.

I received Trinity: Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for my honest opinion. It is a must read for any military or service dog lover and really hit home for me. I love how much a handler and their dog play upon one another so that they really become one with their thoughts and actions. I applaud Ronie's expertise is bringing this unsung hero to light and to showcase just how dangerous and rewarding their work really is. It is the beginning of an exciting new series, A Breed Apart and I can't wait to read the next book!!! In my personal opinion, this one rates a 5 out of 5 service stars!!!

For more information on Trinity: Military War Dog, Ronie Kendig or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Trinity: Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig

You can also find Ronie Kendig on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books or at her website by clicking here. 

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Barbour Books (September 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1616265949
• ISBN-13: 978-1616265946
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches

A Cascades Christmas

I love it when you can find a really great value and still get something special!!! In the short story collection, A Cascades Christmas, authors Mildred Colvin, Mary Davis, Lee Debby and Gina Welborn each take a turn with a series of characters that we meet in four different stories. These are perfect for nightly reading and you'll find yourself learning more about each of them as each story continues. This is truly four books in one setting.

In the first, Home for the Holidays by Mildred Colvin, the reader is taken back to 1888 to the deep Pacific Northwest, where we are introduced to Anna Wilkin, turning 18 in just three short months. She is a girl of unconventional ways and is considered a tomboy by most who know her. Her mother and older sister, Kathleen, try to steer Anna into spending her time learning how to become more of a woman, but Anna would love nothing more than to spend time with her father in the woods, fishing and climbing trees among the logging camp. When she runs quite literally into Jeremiah Tucker, she soon learns that you don't have to change who you are to truly fall in love. Jeremiah finds Anna similar to his younger sister, Rebekah that died too soon. He desires to build a home and a family but can he do it with someone as unrefined as Anna?

In the second story, One Evergreen Night by Debby Lee, we pick up with two characters that are briefly introduced in the first one, Emma Pearson and Frederick Corrigan. Frederick Corrigan is responsible for getting loads of logs to the mill by train on time, even if at times it means taking some risks for the Kenicky Logging Company. Yet he knows how far he can push it and would never put anyone at risk. Yet that is not what Emma Pearson has heard. She works cleaning the bunkhouses and lives in a loft at the Wilkins. She's had an issue trusting men who said they were sorry for their mistakes like her mother. She has vowed not to wind up the same way. Now that its only her and her brother Jake, she feels like it's her responsibility to ensure nothing happens to him. When she learns Jake going to train to be an engineer and that Frederick will be the one to train him, she isn't so sure that Jake will remain safe. Will she learn to trust again or will Jake become her greatest liability?

In the third addition, All Ye Faithful by Gina Welborn, we are introduced to E.V. Renier, owner of Renier Lumber Company, and Larkin Whitworth, who is Anna's dearest friend and isn't highly looked upon by the other girls in town because she is wealthy and most consider her to be a bit of a snob except for Anna Wilkin. Her father's the richest man in town. However after waiting for two years since E.V. has confessed his love for her and still no proposal or offer to court her, Larkin is about to take matters into her own hands. When she sees Abigail Leonard occupying E.V.'s attention at the party and filling her dance card, Larkin wonders if perhaps his feelings have changed for her after all. Since turning 21, she is the only female in Tumwater of courting age who had never had a suitor. Either non one had the courage to approach her father, or worse, none wanted a nicer than nice wife.

Finally A Carpenter Christmas by Mary Davis wraps the collection up with Natalie Bollen and Willum Tate. Willum Tate has been the towns carpenter and often times finds himself called upon to build houses or renovate rooms as needed. He's been a recluse since moving to Tumwater and has hoped that during all this time, his heart has healed. Natalie Bollen, is the daughter of the town's pastor and has hopes of wooing Willum. In the three years since she has known him, she has only grown to love him more. When he finally does ask her father for permission to court her, Natalie makes a fatal mistake that will cause Willum to realize that perhaps his heart will never heal from the pain that women seem to inflict on him. It is too late for them to find love or will their pasts keep them from forever finding the future that awaits them both?

I received A Cascades Christmas compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for my honest review. Each of these stories takes you back to a much simpler times when women dreamed of falling in love and being romanced by some charming man. What I enjoyed the most about this collection is that even though they are four separate stories they are joined together but the same characters and setting throughout each of them. It's like you get a chance to know each of them a little bit more and see how their individual interactions bring them the romance each of them desires in different ways all set during Christmas in the late 1800's. For those of you that love a bit of something special and unique in your historical romances, then I would highly recommend this collection to you. I personally rate this a 5 out of 5 stars!!!

For more information about A Cascades Christmas, Mildred Colvin, Mary Davis, Lee Debby, Gina Welborn or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the link below:

A Cascades Christmas by Mildred Colvin, Mary Davis, Lee Debby, and Gina Welborn 

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Barbour Books (September 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 161626845X
• ISBN-13: 978-1616268459
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1 inches

A Patchwork Christmas

Sometimes it can be hard to find the time to read a really great Christmas story because so often we are too busy that reading a large novel be difficult. In A Patchwork Christmas by Judith Miller, Nancy Moser, and Stephanie Grace Whitson, the reader will be delighted to find three beautifully written short stories that give the reader the impression of reading a full length novel. Each is different and based in the historical late 1800's. This book is perfect for those of you wanting a taste of truly something amazing and are limited on time to complete a full length novel. Each of these three Christmas romances offer the reader something beautiful to keep the warmth of finding true love at the forefront of the holiday.

Seems Like Love by Judith Miller takes us back to Amana, Iowa to a small Amish town where we find Karla Stuke is working with her family running the town's hotel. Little did she expect to find her childhood friend, Frank Lehner to show up as a guest while working as an apothecary in training before moving to his own shoppe. Karla has found that hiding away working at the hotel keeps her from finding true love, since her own opinion of herself is quite low, considering her finace' left her for another woman. Thinking it's all based on her looks, she doesn't think that every a spark with her old friend can be ignited into anything more, but could Karla be wrong? This one is truly a fun and hopeful romance to enjoy.

A Patchwork Love by Stephanie Grace Whitson takes us back in time to find love between a war-veteran Peter Gruber who becomes a savior and hero at some point when a train finds itself stuck in the snow. Peter and his mother offer a warm food until the train can continue and he finds a young girl, Molly is ill. Since his mother is familiar with healing they offer Molly and her mom, Jane shelter until the train can move again. Jane has also injured herself in a fall and between them both, need more than just physical healing. Like Karla from the first story, Peter feels that since he has been disfigured from his service in the war that his hopes of every finding love is lost forever. Will Jane seem something more in Peter that just his external scars?

Finally in The Bridal Quilt by Nancy Moser, you find the classic love story of two people, Ada and Samuel that should be together but everything in their lives is keeping them apart. While they are dating, they are not yet engaged , and every single opportunity that presents itself, seems to turn out quite differently than what either of them was planning. In one case, she was hoping he was coming to ask her to marry him and finds out he only wants her help with finding gifts for the orphans instead. Even though his family wants Samuel to give up his charity efforts, Ada is all too willing to marry him, but it soon seems Samuel may never be ready to propose until another man appears in Ada's life. Will Samuel soon realize that the gift he's been searching for he been in front of him the whole time?

I received A Patchwork Christmas by these lovely, talent authors compliments of Barbour Publishers and Net Galley for my honest opinion. In each of these stories there is a profound message of hope and acceptance to be found, no matter what the circumstances may be. Included in all of them are discussion questions and wonderful recipes that would be an added bonus to any book club. There are also some quilting patterns for Christmas Ornaments as well for those looking for something a bit more than just a Christmas romance book!!! I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and think this is the perfect book for those looking for great short stories with a Christmas theme.

For more information about A Patchwork Christmas, Judith Miller, Stephanie Grace Whitson or Nancy Moser, or where to pick up your own copy of this delightful Christmas book, please click on the links below:

A Patchwork Christmas by Judith Miller, Stephanie Grace Whitson, and Nancy Moser

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Judith Miller
Stephanie Grace Whitson
Nancy Moser

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Barbour Books (September 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1616267488
• ISBN-13: 978-1616267483
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches