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. 

Anything But Simple

"Books opened my eyes to a broader world, gave me a safe place to explore that did not threaten my own existence. Lost in pages, I lived the lives and dreamed the dreams of a thousand people in a thousand times. I ruined my eyes but saved my mind with books. "

This is one of my favorite quotes from Anything But Simple by Lucinda J. Miller because is exemplifies the very reason why I have loved reading books since I was old enough to read. It is the one thing that stands out in my dad's mind when he recalls my childhood. In this book, Lucinda J. Miller tells readers what it is like living as a Mennonite, the differences between being Amish and Mennonite and her own personal struggles with the guidelines that the church establishes for those living in the community in rural Wisconsin.

"I used to wonder, when I was young, what it would be like if the whole world were Mennonite. What if you'd past a gas station and see Mennonites there, pumping gas? And what if you'd go into the grocery store and there were only Mennonite families doing the shopping? The dads in the lead, smiling in a friendly sort of way and wearing long-sleeved dress shirts like the men wore to church, the wives in their dresses and head coverings pushing heaped carts down the aisles, children gathered around them in bundles.

What if you never had to worry about anyone stealing from you or doing bad things, because everyone obeyed Jesus? (As, in my childish mind, I assumed Mennonites always did.) And what if everywhere you went - to the ocean, to the park, to California - it was as if you were meeting family, because everyone was just like you?"

I guess it is something most of us forget when we look at the Amish and Mennonites is how very different they are compared to us. But what about putting the shoe on the other foot and wonder how difficult it must be for them to live among the English world and the ways that are far different from their own. Anything But Simple conveys what it is like for one young woman growing up and seeing so many things changing around her as the established ways that set Mennonites and Amish apart are now trying to hold on to their faith while living in a world quite different from their own. I really enjoyed the stories that Lucinda shares in her book about her dreams of wanting to be a writer but stuck in a sense dealing with being very different and trying to share her own personal legacy with readers in this book. I applaud them in their efforts much like as Christians, we understand how vastly different the world is around us, trying to hold on to our faith in a growing hostile world.

I received Anything But Simple by Lucinda J. Miller compliments of Herald Press. 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 andments were received, unless specified otherwise. "But if you try for simplicity, is it simple anymore?" Lucinda compares some of the complex code of laws, both written and unwritten, as exists within her denomination, as the Pharisees of Jesus' day might be an excellent comparison. In the Mennonite world everything matters, clothes matter because they define you as separate in society and they define you in Mennonite circles as part of a certain fellowship or conference, a certain level of liberal or conservative. But then again something as insignificant as whether or not a man's top shirt button is closed during church service can become an important issue in certain church groups. In their world, every decision is given excruciating examination in light of the Bible and the church. This is a wonderful insightful book for anyone who really wants to know the truth about living life as a Mennonite and for that reason I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Anything But Simple, Lucinda J. Miller, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Anything But Simple by Lucinda J. Miller

You can find Lucinda J. Miller on Facebook to stay up to date on all her books.

To read more reviews of Anything But Simple, please visit Herald Press' 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.

Prayers for A Simpler Life

I absolutely love the simplicity of the Mennonite or Amish life styles. Their sense of community and their love of God is something to be admired and replicated within our own lives and homes. Yet in our far-too busy lifestyles, we barely have time to complete all the items off our "To-Do" list, and can't even find time for prayer or God. We make bargains to ourselves we will try and do a better job of that tomorrow. Yet what if we simply took the time at the beginning of our day and just spent 10 minutes with God, reflecting on His attributes, growing our faith, seeing the light of God's truth in our daily lives, dealing with negative emotions, improving our relationships with others, understanding the Fruit of the Spirit, seeing analogies in our lives with that of the ocean, learning how to have a servant's heart, and even dealing with the joys of cooking and seeing lessons of faith in that. Perhaps it is reflecting on the beauty of God in the way we get ready for our day, dealing with the stress women do, understanding the sacrifices to God that can improve our lives and finally coming back to the spring that refreshes and provides water for a thirsty and parched soul.

In 13 weeks, once a day, Faith Sommers, a Mennonite mother leads readers into a short devotional, Prayers for a Simpler Life, focusing on each of these situations to help us understand that even in our daily routines, God can be found and a lesson gleaned from something as easy as gardening or putting on our makeup. Each promises to take up no more than 10 minutes but it is a place to begin our days with time with God instead of waiting for the end of the day to do so. Yet you can do both or either one or simply work these into your day however it may suit you. Each daily devotion is coupled with a passage from Scripture to set the tone of each devotion topic along with a short prayer, a real life example from Faith's own life experience and a simple reflection for you to consider on the subject.

This would be an ideal way to begin a women's study either in a small group setting or in a larger church atmosphere because each of these topics deals with the daily struggles of women and the stress loads we bear, from raising children, dealing with our marriages, husbands, friends, and even finding time to serve when we can't even find time to get through our daily tasks at home. It creates a balance and gives readers a reprieve for a short time, to realize that God is always present and He is always teaching us from everything we deal with each day without realizing it.

I received Prayers For a Simpler Life by Faith Sommers compliments of Herald Press. The best part I love about this book is that it often leads you to further personal study on the subject and really makes you evaluate the simplicity of the things we take for granted every single day. Since it is spring in my next of the woods, the week on using gardening and planting was a huge life to my parched soul and now I look forward to bringing my garden back to life and enjoying my time in it even more. I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my personal opinion.

For more information about Prayers for a Simpler Life, Faith Sommers or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Prayers for a Simpler Life by Faith Sommers

You can find Herald Press on Facebook to stay up to date with all their latest books. 

You can pick up a copy today through Amazon as well.

Christian's Hope

I love it when I come across an Amish novel that conveys a story line I hadn't come across previously in other novels. Christian's Hope is the third novel by Ervin R. Stutzman in the Return to Northkill series, that is based from a true historical event. In this amazing novel, Christian Hochstetler is reunited with his Amish family after being taken captive by the Shawnee Indians 7 years ago, as part of an agreement with the British to return those held captive back to their families if they still existed.

It was this same tribe of Shawnee Indians that killed his mother and two siblings and took his father and brother Joseph captive as well while they tried to escape. Only Christian was held captive much longer than they were and now finds living in the white man's world something he can't do. He can't imagine a life living in a home, cutting his long hair and spending a life as a farmer instead of running wild in nature, hunting and fishing. Even though they have all had to make adjustments upon returning, Christian doesn't believe that he is capable of returning to the Amish lifestyle and tries to convince his brother Joseph to join him in returning back to their Indian families at least for a few days to see if he can fit in either world any longer.

His main drive to return to his Indian family is a longing for a woman named Morning Dew that he believes he loves and wants to marry so perhaps he can still find a way to exist in both worlds somehow. Even though his father Jacob is reluctant to let him go, he knows he can't force him to change his ways and understands that it has to be a decision that Christian makes of his own accord, not something anyone in the family can pressure him to do. But it seems like some in the Amish town of Northkill are not too happy to have Indians living among them, especially ones that took lives of the ones they loved or burned their property and that includes Christian. Is it possible to have it both ways or will he have to make the touch decision to walk away from the only life he has ever known?

I received Christian's Hope by Ervin R. Stutzman compliments of Herald Press and Litfuse Publicity. This is the third book in the series and deals with the story of the circumstances surrounding this real life event from Christian's perspective. In previous novels Jacob's Choice, being the first and then Joseph's Dilemma each take a different perspective in the eyes of three men who had to figure out how to reconcile with what happened to each of them and how to restore what was left of their lives. I absolutely LOVED this novel, first because it offered up something I hadn't read before in other Amish novels and secondly, because it was based on a historical fact which makes the reader like me most interested because you are learning again about another piece in American history most have never heard of before and that is precisely why I give this novel a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Since I hadn't read the other two novels I thought I might get lost in this one, but the author did a brilliant job in the introduction giving you enough insight into this novel that you can appreciate it as a stand alone or as part of the series.

For more information about Christian's Hope, Ervin R. Stutzman or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Christian's Hope by Ervin R. Stutzman

You can find Ervin R. Stutzman on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Christian's Hope, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour page.