Review of:  An Amish Homecoming

Rosalind Lauer  

Zebra, $8.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4201-5211-1

The first in this new series set in the fictional Amish community of Joyful River is sure to capture the hearts of fans of Christian romance.  As 18-year-old Essie and her beau, Harlan, prepare for engagement and marriage, their plans are interrupted when Essie’s three wayward English cousins come to live with her family following their mother’s death [p. 1-27].  Lauer’s tale centers on Essie and her cousin Serena, also 18, but the polar opposite of Essie’s steady, unassuming personality [p. 28-40 ff].  Serena’s spirited, prideful ways are quick to get under Essie’s skin [p. 40 ff], though the cousins discover that their values are far more similar than they’d first assumed after Harlan’s mother and sister are injured in a buggy accident [p. 158 ff].  The girls come to trust and rely on each other as they each navigate romances complicated by familial and financial concerns [p. 163-164 ff].  Lauer’s world-building is skillful as the characters and situations are so true to life they nearly walk off the page.  Biblical themes of faith and love echo throughout the work as the young adults learn to appreciate the things that matter most to them [p. 276-277 ff].  Readers will be satisfied with the happy endings and eagerly await the next tale about the community of Joyful River.  [March 2021]

Dreams Rekindled

Amanda Cabot.  Revell, $15.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-8007-3536-4

Anne Kemerer Jones

Dreams Rekindled

Amanda Cabot.  Revell, $15.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-8007-3536-4

Cabot continues her Mesquite Springs historical romance series with the engrossing story of Wyatt Clark’s younger sister, Dorothy, who longs for a career as a writer despite the lack of such opportunities for women in the mid-19th century. Dorothy’s prayers appear to be answered when newspaper editor Brandon Holloway arrives in town. Brandon hires Dorothy to write for the newspaper but avoids taking a stance on the issue of slavery even though Dorothy wants to publish an editorial opinion.  Brandon’s unwillingness to take a stand stems from his guilt over his father’s tragic death in a town riot that occurred as a result of Brandon’s public support for the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin and his denouncement of the idea of human ownership.  Through his relationship with Dorothy, Brandon rediscovers his courage to champion the values he holds dear. Dorothy, afraid to love as a result of losing her own father at young age, learns that love is worth the risk.  While Cabot does a fine job of world-building, her characters’ motivations don’t quite jive and several threads to this tale are left disappointingly unresolved. [March 2021]

Review of:  The Coffee Corner

Amy Clipston

Amazingly enough since Amish fiction is my favorite genre, this is my first book by Amy Clipston!  I knew the author's name and have had  her books in my TBR pile for a while now.  This series and book just called to me!  I realize this is the 3rd in the series, but didn't feel that I missed too much background information to understand the characters or plot lines of this story (but definitely feel the urge now to go back and read about Salina's & Christiana's journeys!).  This really is a testament to the author's writing talent.  I loved the characters of both Bethany and Micah, but almost feel they wouldn't be a match since their level of experience and problems are so incredibly disparate.  Bethany is almost child-like, while Micah's life (and choices) have been tragic and hard.  This being said, I still love them as well as the supporting cast and especially the biblical themes.  The use of Pennsylvania Dutch, while certainly appropriate for the genre, was more than even the most well-researched authors use and felt a bit overdone.  But I still loved this book and would definitely read the others in this series for sure!