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!

Review of:  The Preacher’s Son

Patricia Johns.  Zebra, $8.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-4201-5236-4

Johns kicks off the first of a new series set in Bountiful, Pennsylvania, with a cautionary tale of dishonesty’s aftermath and the tragedies left in its wake.  When community preacher Abe Yoder is sentenced to prison for swindling people out of their money for the purpose of a fake charity [p. 2 ff], he leaves his son Isaiah to shoulder the burdens of guilt and shame.  After the bank repossesses his house and land to pay for his father’s crimes, Isaiah is forced to beg for work at a local book bindery owned by Nathaniel Glick [p. 8].  The owner’s daughter, Bethany, who works at the bindery, is struggling with her own loss as her former fiancé, Micah, broke off their wedding in favor of leaving the Amish community [p. 3].  However, Bethany discovers not long afterward that she is pregnant with Micah’s baby [p. 81].  Isaiah has always secretly loved Bethany but never courted her as his friend Micah expressed interest first.  Unlike both his friend and his father, Isaiah is committed to practicing the values in which he believes, even it means suffering social ostracization [p. 3 ff].  He and Bethany initially bond over their shared notoriety in the community, but gradually realize they share common values. They help each other learn how to forgive and trust again, and in so doing, fall deeply in love and find new hope in a shared future together.  A complicated yet inspirational work as Johns introduces characters and lays the foundation for future books in the Amish community of Bountiful.  [Feb 2021]

Review of:  The Malt in Our Stars:  A Literary Pub Mystery

Sarah Fox

I love cozy mysteries and was eager to read this as I haven’t read this author or the other books in this series before.  But I was captured by the cute title and series premise!  I really liked the setting in Shady Creek, Vermont, and the descriptions of the manor house.  I also enjoyed the mystery involving a visit to the town by a well-known author and her assistant (who, of course, promptly gets murdered).  There were several plausible suspects and red herrings along the way as the protagonist, Sadie, uncovers whodunit and why.  However, I felt as though I were plopped down in the middle of the story right from the get-go as there was almost no backstory and a large cast of characters.  I’m not sure I know who Sadie really is and would have liked to see more development of the main characters and overall arc of the series.  Since this is a literary series I also would have liked to see more emphasis given to the theme.

Review of:  Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy

Nancy Naigle

This is an adorable, heart-warming Christmas romance with all the festive trappings of the season and more!   Reading this makes you feel like you are whisked away to an enchanted place.  Sure enough, dreams come true in Evergreen, where Christmas magic always abounds.  I absolutely loved the author's inspired creativity with elements such as a wishing snow globe and the mystery of the time capsule!  This book centers around the story of Katie, a newcomer to Evergreen who is a bit jaded and skeptical.  She is there on a vacation to gather inspiration for her writing and get away from her mother who is trying to control her career.  She meets Ben, a local resident, who quickly sees that Katie needs help to believe in true love and kindness.  Their love story is the perfect holiday treat and is enhanced with secondary romances between more of the town's citizens.  I haven't seen the movie or read the other books, but I do think it probably would have made this book flow better if I was already familiar with the cast of characters.

Review of:  The Key to Love

Betsy St. Amant

Bri Duvall works in the same bakery store, The Pastry Puff, where her beloved mother was renowned for her French-inspired desserts.  The store’s owners, elderly sisters Agnes and Mabel, have developed a reputation for their matchmaking abilities; however they are in danger of losing the business to developers – something Bri couldn’t stand to see happen since she lost both her parents in a car accident when she was 18.  Now that she is in her late 20’s, she has fallen in love with the “idea” of love – and waits for a fairy tale-like romance to happen to her like the one that she believes her parents once had (but which, she discovers, they never really did).  She meets Gerard, a jaded reporter who avoids commitment at all cost due to his own tragic past.  He has been assigned (against his wishes) to cover the story of the matchmaking bakery sisters for a newspaper feature.  Neither Bri or Gerard are very relatable at the beginning of the book due to their extremely immature attitudes; however, they gradually softened and matured over the course of the story.  I wish the author had focused more on showing each person’s spiritual journey and how that led to changes in their hearts and relationships, rather than engaging in so much snark and stereotypes.  Was this a rom-com or a faith-based romance?  It seemed the author couldn’t decide and the book lacked focus somewhat despite the good premise.

Review of:  Endless Mercy

Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

Bethany House Publishers, $15.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-7642-3250-3

Peterson and Woodhouse continue their Treasures of Nome series with the story of the youngest sister, Madysen.  While Madysen and Daniel’s romance take center stage, the authors continue to weave the ongoing tales of each of the Powell family members into the overarching study in family and faith.  Maddy is grieving the recent loss of her mother when her presumed-dead father shows up in Nome, complete with a second family [p. 17 ff].  As she and her sisters struggle to process this information and sift through their conflicting feelings towards their father, Maddy is tempted to run away from the home she loved and abandon her new sheep farm to become a star performer in a traveling circus [p. 48 ff].  She enjoys the attention and lavish gifts showed upon her by Buddy Merrick, the circus owner [p. 82 ff].  But is he sincere or just a trickster looking to use her for money?  Maddy’s feelings are further conflicted when she meets Daniel, the grandson of her wise mentor, Granny Beaufort, who has returned to Nome after fruitless years searching for gold in the Yukon [p. 31 ff].  Daniel befriends Madysen but has turned his back on God after experiencing life’s suffering [p. p. 43 ff].  Through their friendship, both learn to trust God and his Word to guide them and discover both peace and love result [p. 196 ff]  Peterson and Woodhouse do an excellent job of creating a believable cast of characters with plenty of heroes and heroines to root for, as well as evil conmen and criminals waiting for justice to be served.  Readers are advised to begin with the first book in the series to familiarize themselves with the many characters and backstory before continuing with subsequent installments.  [January 2021]

Review of:  A Sugar Maple Valentine (A Sugar Maple Romance Book 3)

Belle Bailey

Reviewed:  October 17, 2020

This Valentine’s Day romance is absolutely charming!!  The story follows Rose, who is a matchmaker, as she hosts a special weekend getaway for clients at the Sugar Maple Bed & Breakfast.  Rose is definitely easy to like as a protagonist – she is kind and generous, and very dedicated to making sure her guests feel welcomed and comfortable.  The activities she plans are fabulously romantic and creative!  Taylor is a botanist and professor of biology who planted the herb and flower gardens and built the gazebo on the B&B’s grounds.  His aunt used to be the owner before she passed.  She left the estate to Taylor hoping he would continue her legacy by running the inn.  That was never in Taylor’s plans, however, and he puts the estate up for sale.  Rose begs him to wait until her event is over, and he agrees to help her make it a success since she hadn’t been informed of his aunt’s passing.  They get to know each other as they work together side by side.  Rose falls in love with the town and the home, and Taylor rediscovers his love of cooking and the beauty of what he left behind.  Their romance is beautifully written and the small-town setting at wintertime serves as the perfect backdrop.  A wonderful Valentine’s Day romance!

Review of: Christmas at Fireside Cabins

Jenny Hale

Reviewed:  October 13, 2020

This is feel-good romance, set in a quaint little town at Christmas.  Lila and her three best friends plan to spend a week in December together on a girls' getaway vacation, which may be their last as their lives are going in different directions.  However, once they arrive at their resort destination, they find it is vastly different than the brochures had led them to believe - the cabins are run-down, the landscaping neglected, and in fact the whole town and people it in feel anything but cheerful or festive.  However, the friends decide to make the best of it and celebrate their time together.  In so doing, they meet Theo, the grumpy owner of the coffee bar, and Eleanor, the grieving widow and owner of the resort.  The ladies soon take Eleanor and everyone else under their wing, determined to help the community and spread some Christmas cheer.  While the premise of the story is wonderful, I didn't quite believe that four women with such incredibly different backgrounds and personalities would be friends, much less live in the same apartment complex.  The characters were a little too stereotyped for my taste.  I found Theo's backstory to be much too unbelievable as well.  However, it was a charming story featuring characters with good hearts and a happy ending. Hence, I'd still recommend this book for a feel-good holiday romance read.