432 pages Publisher Berkley Publication date January 21, 2025
ABOUT THE BOOK
She was only eleven-and-a-half inches tall, but she would change the world. Barbie is born in this bold new novel by USA Today bestselling author Renée Rosen.
When Ruth Handler walks into the boardroom of the toy company she co-founded and pitches her idea for a doll unlike any other, she knows what she’s setting in motion. It might just take the world a moment to catch up.
In 1956, the only dolls on the market for little girls let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth’s vision for a doll shaped like a grown woman and outfitted in an enviable wardrobe will let them dream they can be anything.
As Ruth assembles her team of creative rebels—head engineer Jack Ryan who hides his deepest secrets behind his genius and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein, whose hopes and dreams rest on the success of Barbie’s fashion—she knows they’re working against a ticking clock to get this wild idea off the ground.
In the decades to come—through soaring heights and devastating personal lows, public scandals and private tensions— each of them will have to decide how tightly to hold on to their creation. Because Barbie has never been just a doll—she’s a legacy.
Includes a Readers Guide and Exclusive Vintage Barbie Photos!
From the Publisher
MY THOUGHTS
Let’s Call her Barbie is a fascinating and well researched book. This covers the behind the scenes of designing, manufacturing and marketing the doll and where the idea of the doll and its name came from. I never realized how much time, effort and stress were involved in this.
Ruth Handler pitches the idea for the doll unlike any invented before in the US. This is a grown-up doll as opposed to all other dolls being babies or young children encouraging little girls to be mothers and nurture babies. This doll is vibrant, upbeat and sexy accouraging girls to look forward to a career beyond what women were used to in the workplace. It was an encouraging idea.
There were mixed reviews on this doll because of its looks and many didn’t approve. Before reading this, I hadn’t realized this caused such an uproar at Mattel. This covers the 1950’s to 1070’s there.
We meet many of the main employees at Mattel and get a view of how this affects their private and personal life. There are scandals with work and private upsets with this release.
I would have never known all these things without reading this interesting book. Well worth your time to read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Renée Rosen is the USA Today bestselling author of FIFTH AVENUE GLAMOUR GIRL, THE SOCIAL GRACES, PARK AVENUE SUMMER, along with 4 other historical novels and the YA novel, EVERY CROOKED POT.
Her newest novel, LET’S CALL HER BARBIE, about the creators of the Barbie doll, will be published in January 21,2025 by Penguin Random House/Berkley. Renée lives in Chicago where she is at work on a new novel.
Single dad, Joel Grainger, is devoted to his little girl, Imogen, doing all he can to be a key part of her life. But with Imogen’s mum being ever more difficult and Joel’s job suddenly in doubt, he’s worried that everything is about to change. Joel has given everything to Imogen, and he doesn’t regret it, but maybe he’s lost himself along the way…
Since her dad’s heart-breaking dementia diagnosis, Poppy Wells has been struggling and desperately needs a break. An opportunity to stay in gorgeous Whisperwood Farmhouse nestled in the Yorkshire Wolds and a stone’s throw away from Bumblebee Farm couldn’t be more perfect. Finally able to breathe, Poppy begins to see a new life ahead, a place where she can heal her broken heart and be part of something special. But can she ever leave her beloved dad to get the happiness she craves?
When Poppy and Joel meet there’s an instant connection. But with both of them at a crossroads, a future together seems impossible. Can they find the strength to overcome their challenges to secure their forever home together?
A Forever Home at Honey Bee Croft is the third and final book in the Bumblebee Barn series. I really loved the Hedgehog Hollow series and to have a meet up with some of the characters in that series as well was such a treat. Closing out both of the series has such a finality to them, but I am greatly looking forward to whatever the author will have for us next.
I loved all of the books in this series, but I think this one had a little something extra to it. The book really resonated with me. A romantic meet cute with substance I’d call it. A charming romance but both members of the romance had issues they had to take care of.
What I really loved seeing was how they both were there for each other in their time of need. The book really dealt with some serious issues, and I love how respectfully the author addressed them.
One of the issues is a family member having dementia. Dementia presents itself differently for each person. We dealt with it in our family, it is really a thief. The beekeeping aspect was such a fun one to see especially as it gave our character a way to feel such a close bond with her father.
Heartwarming, charming and charismatic characters make this a read more than once book
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
VISIT OTHER STOPS ON THE TOUR
MEET THE AUTHOR
Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast where she lives with her husband, daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a hedgehog rescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.
360 pages Zondervan publisher July 16, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
He’s the community’s jokester auctioneer. She’s the serious caregiver for her siblings who also works at the local plant nursery. What future could they have together?
Declan Miller has always had feelings for Bethel King. Back when they were in school, she was the smartest girl in the class and, in his opinion, by far the prettiest. Now the two of them are in their twenties and while the attraction is still there, Declan is as hesitant as ever to let Bethel know how he feels. His corny jokes and wisecracks cover a heart that’s afraid of rejection.
Bethel can’t deny Declan is nice, funny, hardworking, and pleasing to the eye–a perfect match if you asked any Plain girl in the area. But marrying Bethel would also mean marrying into her family. Two of her younger brothers have a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and her sister Claire is now showing signs of having it as well. Fiercely loyal and nurturing, Bethel has promised herself her siblings will always come first. With a good chance that she carries the gene and could pass it on to her children, Bethel has tried to convince herself marriage and family just aren’t in the cards for her.
When a devastating diagnosis of his own turns Declan’s world upside down, he looks to Bethel for understanding, compassion, and a realistic outlook. As they share their dreams and fears and grow together in faith, a bond begins to develop between them. Perhaps their combination of optimistic extrovert and thoughtful introvert really isn’t such a bad thing–perhaps it’s actually a part of God’s beautiful design.
MY THOUGHTS
Matters of the Heart is such an emotional read and her best to date in my opinion. Continuing on in the series we have Declan Miller who comes from an auctioneer family. To hide his insecurity, he is quite the jokester. Now that he’s in his twenties he still finds Bethel King the prettiest girl around but feels out of her league. She’s a carer for her younger siblings, has a serious personality and works at a local plant nursery. Bethal King comes from a family that carries the gene for LMGD, she is afraid of passing this on to her own children and doesn’t think she should marry to avoid this possibility. Each family has their own challenges, but I loved seeing the support of family and friends keeping them on an even keel when things got rough. The author truly writes from the heart here not avoiding series topics and how the Amish deal with them through their faith in God. A compelling read that had me staying up late to finish it.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Best-selling novelist Kelly Irvin’s latest Amish romance, Every Good Gift, debuted in February 2023. The third novel in the Amish Blessings series takes place in Yoder and Haven, Kansas. The series takes a look at adoption in Amish communities. The first book, Love’s Dwelling, won second place in the Selah Awards contest in the long contemporary romance category. The series follows the Amish of Sky Country series, which featured Amish communities in Northwest Montana affected by wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres in the state in recent years. The first book, Mountains of Grace, debuted in August 2019, and delves into the impact on not only an Amish man and woman, but also a smoke jumper, a sheriff’s deputy, and a young English woman forced to confront her past because of the fires.
Kelly also writes romantic suspense novels. Her most recent forays into this genre include Trust Me, Her Every Move and Closer Than She Knows, all set in San Antonio and South Texas. Publishers Weekly says of Closer Than She Knows, “this brisk, smoothly written thriller from Irvin pits court reporter Teagan O’Rourke, a murder mystery lover, against a cunning and vicious serial killer. Fans of serial killer fiction with a Christian slant will be satisfied.”
Of Tell Her No Lies, The Library Journal says, “Irvin creates a complex web with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy romantic suspense readers guessing until the end. Known for her Amish novels, this two-time Carol Award finalist shows that her talents span subgenres from tranquil Amish stories to rapidly paced breathless suspense.”
Kelly is also the author of the Every Amish Season series, which included four books that chronicle the lives of Amish widows who are in different seasons in their lives. These women are linked by life altering experiences that bring them together as wives, mothers, and grandmothers in the small town of Jamesport, Mo. The first book, Upon a Spring Breeze, received critical acclaim from the Library Journal: “A moving and compelling tale about the power of grace and forgiveness that reminds us how we become strongest in our most broken moments.”
Kelly Irvin is also the author of The Amish of Bee County series, which includes the critically acclaimed The Beekeeper’s Son. Publishers Weekly called the first book in the series a beautifully woven masterpiece and Romantic Times Magazine called Kelly a storyteller extraordinaire. It was followed by The Bishop’s Son and The Saddle Maker’s Son, which is an ECPA bestseller.
A two-time ACFW Carol finalist, Kelly’s novellas have been included in numerous anthologies, including An Amish Summer, The Amish Christmas Gift, An Amish Market, an Amish Christmas Love, and Amish Quilt, An Amish Reunion, An Amish Picnic, and An Amish Christmas Bakery.
She also penned the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Hope Amish series, both published by Harvest House Publishers. Love Still Stands, the first book in the New Hope series, debuted in September 2012, and the follow-up, Love Redeemed, released March 1, 2014. The final book in the series, set in Branson, MO., was A Plain Love Song, released in July 2014.
The Bliss Creek Amish series, set in Kansas, includes To Love and to Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home.
In the New Hope series, familiar characters from Bliss Creek move to Missouri to start a new district and a new life.
The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the ACFW San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers, as well as Sisters in Crime and Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly wrote nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso, where she was exposed to culture and language that serves as fodder for her fiction writing. She has written hard news, features, entertainment pieces, restaurant critiques, editorials, and weekly columns. Writing awards include the Silver Star Award from the Texas Mental Health Association for articles pertaining to mental health and numerous awards in news, feature, and editorial writing from the Texas Press Association and Texas Press Women.
Kelly retired in 2016 from her position of 22 years as public relations manager for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, where her duties included writing and designing an employee newsletter, writing news releases, collaborating on marketing campaigns, coordinating ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings, coordinating press conferences, updating the web site, and acting as a media spokesperson.
Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for 35 years. They have two children and four grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories and poetry, read books by her favorite authors, and visit the babies.
Working with the Whistlestop River air ambulance is Nadia’s whole world. She adores her job and the team – they’re family. But when a baby is abandoned on the steps of the base, Nadia is forced to confront events from her past she’d rather forget.
A difficult change
Hudson is trying to get his life back on track after his divorce. It’s not easy juggling his work as a patient and family liaison officer and being the primary parent for his children. He wouldn’t change it for the world. But when his teenage son’s behaviour spirals out of control, Hudson begins to wonder if he can really be there for everyone who needs him…
A chance for something special?
Nadia and Hudson have always been friends, but the arrival of baby Lena pushes them closer than ever, and as their feelings start to grow, they’ll have to decide – do they have space for love when their families need them? And could they put themselves and each other first, just this once?
This is the third book in the Skylarks series and my first read in it. Somehow, I missed the other books, but I definitely need to remedy that. The Skylarks are an air ambulance rescue crew that gets the worst cases. I live in a rural area right across the street from a large community field that is used quite often for the helicopter rescue ambulance, so I get a firsthand view of the first responders and their work.
Seeing the air ambulance and its workers you get a true respect for those first responders and are so thankful for the lives they save. Reading about them is a whole other thing. It takes these workers and brings them into your life in a personal way and it humanizes them as we realize they have time away from work and cares and worries just like all of us do.
The author writes with her usual creativity bringing to life the characters in a way that you feel as though you know them and are in their lives. When a baby is dropped off at the Skylarks building and a worker finds it this causes her to have many emotions brought to the forefront again. Emotions she had tampered down and hidden deep within herself.
There is family drama, confronting emotions and beautiful haling within herself and in her family. Such a well plotted and beautiful story the author writes from the heart, and this is just the kind of story I love. Uplifting, this is my favorite type of book.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own
VISIT OTHERS ON THE TOUR
MEET THE AUTHOR
Author Bio –
Helen Rolfe is the author of many bestselling contemporary women’s fiction titles, set in different locations from the Cotswolds to New York. Most recently published by Orion, she is bringing sixteen titles to Boldwood – a mixture of new series and well-established backlist. She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and children.
368 pages Bethany House Publishers September 24, 2024
ABOUT THE BOOK
The shadows hold secrets darker than they ever imagined. . . .
In 1888 Victorian England, Ami Dalton navigates a clandestine dual life. By day, she strives to establish herself as a respected Egyptologist, overcoming the gender biases that permeate academia. But with a heart for saving black-market artifacts from falling into the wrong hands, she is most often disguised as her alter ego, the Shadow Broker.
After eight years in India, Oxford’s most eligible bachelor, Edmund Price, has come out of the shadows to run for Parliament and is in search of an Egyptologist to value a newly acquired collection. Expecting a renowned Oxford professor, Edmund instead finds himself entangled with Ami, the professor’s determined daughter. As they delve into the treasures, their connection deepens, but trouble emerges when a golden griffin–rumored to bear the curse of Amentuk–surfaces, and they’re left to wonder if the curse really is at play, or if something more nefarious is hiding among the shadows. . . .
MY THOUGHTS
There are author’s whose books you will read if they’re around but don’t go out of your way to find them. This is not one of those authors for me. I must read all of the author’s books, couldn’t dare to miss one. They are filled with intrigue and action and keep me on my toes wondering how things will end up as the story progresses. Danger is around every other corner and had me holding my breath as I was reading.
I enjoyed seeing a nontraditional role a woman had in this Victorian England taking pace regency style historical fiction book. Growing up Ami Dalton has been impressed with the work her father does as an Egyptologist, hearing the talk and seeing the artifacts her father works with she became enamored with this type of thing as well. Getting the education to become one as a woman hasn’t been easy and many don’t take her seriously.
When she hears of precious artifacts falling into the wrong hands on the black market, she knows she must do everything in her power to save them and preserve them.
Edmund Price is looking for an Egyptologist to work with him to get a very valuable piece and he expects a renowned Oxford professor, a male to work with him. This is not what he gets.
A golden griffin rumored to bear the curse of Amentuk is found the danger starts. With danger abound can they escape with their lives intact? I loved learning about the Egyptian artifacts and the descriptions of the behind the scenes work of the Egyptologist is fascinating. A spellbinding read that has me anxiously awaiting the next in the series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
I hear voices. Loud. Incessant. And very real. Which basically gives me two options: choke back massive amounts of Prozac or write fiction. I’ve been writing since I discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I seek to glorify God in all that I write–except for that graffiti phase I went through as teenager.
Laura wants to shake things up. She’s thirty-eight, and has been living in her parents’ house since her divorce last year. Her siblings seem to have got their lives together: successful careers, happy marriages, beautiful children.
Laura’s determined to prove herself. And buying the beautiful Pennycress Inn in the idyllic Cotswolds village of Meadowfield could be just the way to do it.
But getting the inn ready for its first guests proves easier said than done! With crumbling walls, dangerous woodwork and loose roof tiles, not to mention unfriendly locals and even errant sheep, Laura soon fears she’s made the wrong choice.
Luckily a friendly face is on hand in the form of gorgeous chef, Jackson. But is he too good to be true? And just why are the villagers so against her?
Can Laura turn her life around and get the fresh start she longs for at Pennycress Inn?
Welcome to Pennycress Inn is the start of a brand-new romance series from Sarah Hope, an author I can recommend as I’ve read her books before. A nice light read but it does have some important bits in it too. A book that’ll have the afternoon zipping by before you know it. I was engrossed in it, loved the characters and the setting of the English countryside is magical. This left me with a smile on my face and I can highly recommend it. Can’t wait to read the others in this new series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR
MEET THE AUTHOR
Author Bio –
Sarah Hope is the author of many successful romance novels, including the bestselling Cornish Bakery series. The first book in her new series with Boldwood, The Wagging Tails Dogs Home, is set in a fictional Cornish village and will be published in May 2023.
352 pages Bethany House Publishers December 17, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Trust no one in the shadows of the piney woods . . .
Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother in the backwoods of east Texas to escape the deadly schemes of an uncle who wants her dead. Now, with her twenty-first birthday on the horizon, she is forced to accept the escort of a stranger and return to Houston in secret so she can claim a birthright that will make her one of the wealthiest women in Texas. If she lives long enough to inherit.
Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael has one duty: get the Radcliffe heiress home alive. Expecting a spoiled girl, Philip is surprised to encounter a woman of rare strength with a kind soul and keen wit. As they journey together, Letty’s resilience wins his admiration, breaking through his hardened cynicism. Yet the threat to her survival grows more menacing with every mile, and Philip fears that keeping Letty out of harm’s way may be just as impossible as keeping her out of his heart.
MY THOUGHTS
Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer is the author’s retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story. I’ll admit I liked her version much better, with the author’s usual laugh out loud humor added her quirky characters and we can’t forget the wolf (Rusty) is it okay to have a wolf as a favorite character and the fairytale like settings the story is magical. From the mansion to going into hiding and the magical forest to roam in with her wolf I was totally captivated.
I think we all need a Philip Carmichael in our lives, a Pinkerton agent he is tasked with finding Letty after she has been in hiding for many years and escorting her home safely. Though he tries not to show it he is captivated by Letty and will do everything in his power to keep her safe.
As the danger unfolds mile after mile with their perilous journey the only one who can keep them safe is letting God take control of this situation. Will Phillip be free to admit his feelings for Letty or will his formal training keep them apart?
I loved this retelling and greatly look forward to more books in the series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Voted #1 Readers’ Favorite Christian Historical Author in 2023 by Family Fiction Magazine, Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and family board game player who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she’s on deadline. Learn more about Karen and her books at http://www.karenwitemeyer.com.
f you haven’t fallen in love with the men of Lassiter Ranch yet, you can get SAVE THE DATE FOR A COWBOY, the prequel novella that starts it all, forFREE when you sign up for Jennie’s newsletter.
See what happens when a reluctant cowboy agrees to get set up at a wedding, but then he and his dog fall for the wrong bridesmaid. Grab yours from Bookfunnel now:https://BookHip.com/HZFKARX
Or check out the whole Lassiter Ranch series HERE to make sure you’re caught up beforeLOST AND FOUND COWBOY arrives.
SAVE THE DATE FOR A COWBOY is the prequel novella to the Lassiter Ranch series in which three abandoned cowboys, born in heartbreak and bonded by brotherhood, are brought together by the fierce love of the grandparents who took them in and the ranch that’s the only home they’ve ever known…
**Each book in the Lassiter Ranch series can be read as a standalone—a boots-knockin’ hot cowboy HEA guaranteed in every one!**
The Lassiter Ranch Series
Save the Date For a Cowboy: Prequel Novella Love at First Cowboy: Book 1 Overdue for a Cowboy: Book 2 Second Chance with a Cowboy: Book 3
Lost and Found Cowboy: Book 4
You will love this small town, western romance series filled with wounded cowboys, curvy wallflower heroines, second chances, friends to lovers, fake relationships, unrequited love, forced proximity, and grumpy versus sunshine stories.
BOOK DETAILS:
Lost and Found Cowboy
by Jennie Marts
(Lassiter Ranch. #4)
Publication date: March 11th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
He came to find a family. He never expected to find love.
After meeting the three half-brothers he never knew existed, cowboy Mack Lassiter decides to stay and try to build a new life in the small Colorado mountain town of Woodland Hills. But he didn’t expect to find another family in Lorna Gibbs, the sweet single mom and local coffee shop owner, whose strength and warmth instantly captivated him.
Lorna’s not looking for love—her heart had been trampled by the snake who’d walked out on her and their two kids, and now her only focus is on giving her son and infant daughter the stable life they all deserve. The last thing she needs is a man breezing into town and stirring up feelings she’s locked away for years. But Mack isn’t just any man—he’s steady, kind, and a little broken, just like her.
Mack didn’t come to town expecting to fall in love, but Lorna and her kids stir something deep inside him. As he starts to find a place in their lives, both Mack and Lorna must confront the scars of their past. As Mack grapples with fitting into a new family, Lorna must decide if she’s ready to open her heart and find the courage to let a new kind of love into her life.
Jennie Marts is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.”
She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet who loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.
Her books range from western romance to cozy mysteries but they all have the charm and appeal of quirky small town life. She loves genre-mashups like adding romance to her Page Turners cozy mysteries and creating the hockey-playing cowboys in the Cowboys of Creedence. The same small town community comes to life with more animal antics in her latest Creedence Horse Rescue series. And her sassy heroines and hunky heroes carry over in her heartwarming, feel good romances from Hallmark Publishing. Take the Honey and Run is her newest cozy mystery in the A Bee Keeping Mystery series.
Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books, Twitter at @JennieMarts, and at jenniemartswriter on Instagram. Visit her at http://www.jenniemarts.com and sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.
382 pages Zondervan publisher August 1, 2023 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Together, schoolteacher Rachelle Lapp and auctioneer Toby Miller must face their hardest battle yet: trusting God’s plan for their uncertain future.
At twenty-nine, auctioneer Toby Miller is a notorious bachelor. But his job keeps him on the road for months out of the year, and he knows no Plain woman could want a marriage that would force her to live and raise children alone. Thankfully, Toby’s content to dedicate his life to the family business, especially now that his grandfather is retiring. So why does his heart keep longing for something—or more specifically, someone—he can’t have?
Rachelle Lapp has already turned down two marriage proposals. Neither promised a future that would bring her more joy than her job as a teacher to Amish children with developmental disabilities, including her brother, Jonah, and Toby’s sister, Sadie. But when the parents’ committee votes to send her students to the English schools, where they will have access to many more resources, Rachelle finds herself out of a job. She’s forced to decide between pursuing her calling far from home and staying near to the man she can’t get off her mind.
As their families matchmake, Toby and Rachelle realize their jobs may not be all that’s holding them back from a future together. They both must learn not only to trust each other but also trust God’s plans for them. But do those plans involve a lifetime together or them going their separate ways?
MY THOUGHTS
he Heart’s Bidding is the start of a beautiful and emotional Amish book series by Kelly Irvin. This is a very special book, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Auctioneer Toby Miller thinks he has his priorities straight. This bachelor spends months at a time on the road doing his auctioneering thing but that’s okay. as a single man he has no one to answer to. When his grandfather who has run the office side of the business steps down and his father isn’t suited for this type of work things start to change.
Rethinking all the traveling as a lovely young woman catches his interest and the other side of business needs running may have put him in a new frame of mind. Letting go and letting God be in charge is not an easy thing for Toby to just do though when he’s used to having all this freedom.
Rachelle Lapp is a schoolteacher for the Amish children with developmental disabilities. When it’s decided, the children will go to an Englisher school with more resources available to them her job becomes redundant.
She knows the needs of the children having a special needs brother and Toby has a special needs sister. The Amish believe these children are special and a blessing from God and I agree.
The two are drawn together with many similarities and understandings. I loved seeing the support of family and friends in the tough situations. God’s plan will lead this couple on the right path in love and in life.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Best-selling novelist Kelly Irvin’s latest Amish romance, Every Good Gift, debuted in February 2023. The third novel in the Amish Blessings series takes place in Yoder and Haven, Kansas. The series takes a look at adoption in Amish communities. The first book, Love’s Dwelling, won second place in the Selah Awards contest in the long contemporary romance category. The series follows the Amish of Sky Country series, which featured Amish communities in Northwest Montana affected by wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres in the state in recent years. The first book, Mountains of Grace, debuted in August 2019, and delves into the impact on not only an Amish man and woman, but also a smoke jumper, a sheriff’s deputy, and a young English woman forced to confront her past because of the fires.
Kelly also writes romantic suspense novels. Her most recent forays into this genre include Trust Me, Her Every Move and Closer Than She Knows, all set in San Antonio and South Texas. Publishers Weekly says of Closer Than She Knows, “this brisk, smoothly written thriller from Irvin pits court reporter Teagan O’Rourke, a murder mystery lover, against a cunning and vicious serial killer. Fans of serial killer fiction with a Christian slant will be satisfied.”
Of Tell Her No Lies, The Library Journal says, “Irvin creates a complex web with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy romantic suspense readers guessing until the end. Known for her Amish novels, this two-time Carol Award finalist shows that her talents span subgenres from tranquil Amish stories to rapidly paced breathless suspense.”
Kelly is also the author of the Every Amish Season series, which included four books that chronicle the lives of Amish widows who are in different seasons in their lives. These women are linked by life altering experiences that bring them together as wives, mothers, and grandmothers in the small town of Jamesport, Mo. The first book, Upon a Spring Breeze, received critical acclaim from the Library Journal: “A moving and compelling tale about the power of grace and forgiveness that reminds us how we become strongest in our most broken moments.”
Kelly Irvin is also the author of The Amish of Bee County series, which includes the critically acclaimed The Beekeeper’s Son. Publishers Weekly called the first book in the series a beautifully woven masterpiece and Romantic Times Magazine called Kelly a storyteller extraordinaire. It was followed by The Bishop’s Son and The Saddle Maker’s Son, which is an ECPA bestseller.
A two-time ACFW Carol finalist, Kelly’s novellas have been included in numerous anthologies, including An Amish Summer, The Amish Christmas Gift, An Amish Market, an Amish Christmas Love, and Amish Quilt, An Amish Reunion, An Amish Picnic, and An Amish Christmas Bakery.
She also penned the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Hope Amish series, both published by Harvest House Publishers. Love Still Stands, the first book in the New Hope series, debuted in September 2012, and the follow-up, Love Redeemed, released March 1, 2014. The final book in the series, set in Branson, MO., was A Plain Love Song, released in July 2014.
The Bliss Creek Amish series, set in Kansas, includes To Love and to Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home.
In the New Hope series, familiar characters from Bliss Creek move to Missouri to start a new district and a new life.
The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the ACFW San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers, as well as Sisters in Crime and Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly wrote nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso, where she was exposed to culture and language that serves as fodder for her fiction writing. She has written hard news, features, entertainment pieces, restaurant critiques, editorials, and weekly columns. Writing awards include the Silver Star Award from the Texas Mental Health Association for articles pertaining to mental health and numerous awards in news, feature, and editorial writing from the Texas Press Association and Texas Press Women.
Kelly retired in 2016 from her position of 22 years as public relations manager for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, where her duties included writing and designing an employee newsletter, writing news releases, collaborating on marketing campaigns, coordinating ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings, coordinating press conferences, updating the web site, and acting as a media spokesperson.
Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for 35 years. They have two children and four grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories and poetry, read books by her favorite authors, and visit the babies.
368 pages Random House Publishing Group Pub Date Oct 15 2024
ABOUT THE BOOK
When an unexpected inheritance forces two total opposites to work together, Lexie must decide if Theo is going to push her out—or pull her in for the kiss of a lifetime—in this heartwarming holiday novel from the author of Always, in December and One Last Gift
When Lexie learns of her father’s death, she doesn’t know how to feel; they’ve barely spoken in the last ten years. And she’s even more confused when she discovers he’s left her half of his holiday travel company, a successful niche business specializing in trips that explore the holiday traditions of cultures all over the world.
Meanwhile, the other half of the company has been left to her father’s handsome but bad-tempered young executive, Theo. And the will stipulates that the two of them must find a way to run the company together for a year before they decide its fate.
Lexie intends to leave once the year is over, even though, as a wanderer herself, she finds the company’s mission more compelling than she first thought. And a work trip to sizzling Spain reveals a chemistry between Lexie and Theo that is impossible to deny.
There may have been some snap judgments made about each other. But mixing business and pleasure isn’t always a good idea.
MY THOUGHTS
I have read several other books by the author, and they are all very emotional books. The author really knows how to write a book that sticks with you and pulls on your heartstrings. The situations are so realistic that it could be your family or friends experiencing it.
Sometimes you wake up and have no idea your life is going to completely change from mundane and totally ordinary to something you’re not expecting at all.
This is what happens to our main character Lexie. Having her life thrown into chaos and uncertainty isn’t her idea of fun. Oh Lexie, she rides a rising tide of emotions throughout the whole book. I started out feeling sorry for her character but became empathetic towards her, she has a lot more on her plate than the average person.
Our main male character, Theo, I didn’t like him at first at all. His character is not made out to be likable from the way he treats Lexie to their arguments. A work trip with our main characters forced to go starts to thaw this frosty relationship into a mutual attraction.
I loved the dialogue between them when things started clicking, such humor and wit. With some tough decisions ahead of her will Lexie make the right ones to not only have workplace peace of mind but with family relationships and her brightly burning love life.
Love the close family relationships of healing and coming together. Lovely story!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Hello, I’m Emily! If you’ve found this page then welcome, and thanks so much for showing an interest in my writing.
I have written three books now, which feels surreal! My latest novel is Love, Holly in the US and The Christmas Letter in the UK. My books always revolve around the Christmas period, but span the course of a whole year and more. They also deal with love – and grief, in one way or another. I think I put a part of me in every book – as I’m sure every author does – and my newest book is no exception. The main character – Holly – often does the wrong thing for the right reasons, and that is a situation I’ve found myself in! And with three sisters myself, writing about the sister love – and difficulties – in this book felt personal at times!
My other two novels are One Last Gift – a story of finding yourself when you feel that’s impossible, and of the love between siblings – and Always, in December. As my debut novel, it will always be one close to my heart. Whilst very different from me, the protagonist, Josie is suffering with a grief that I know all too well – losing a parent/parents at a young age, and having to carry that grief into adulthood, long after it’s supposedly ‘gone away’. I lost my mum when I was seven, and I still think about her even now, in my thirties – and that’s something that Josie and I share. Max, too, is suffering his own kind of grief, and that’s something that he has to learn to deal with. But whilst the novel is about grief, and learning to live with that, it’s also about falling in love, and about learning to be brave, even when your life doesn’t feel quite right yet – even if it feels like it will never quite be right!
I wrote my first two novels in a glorious house in Chepstow, living with my sister and my two nieces. My third book I wrote on the English coastline in Cornwall – so I consider myself very lucky!
If you read any of my novels then thank you, and I really hope you enjoy! If you want to get in touch then I’d love to hear from you – I’m on Twitter and Instagram under @EmStoneWrites!
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