286 pages Zebra Books November 28,2023 publish date grab a copy here
ABOUT THE BOOK
Hattie Schrock’s lively optimism makes her the Widows Club’s most outgoing member. The circle has helped her through widowhood—and in building a thriving popcorn shop with her cousin. So when Elsie bets Hattie that she can’t help Paradise Valley’s most cantankerous man learn to be happier, Hattie tackles the challenge head-on. But what can she do when she finds Christian Beachy is far more complicated—and appealing—than she thought?
Christian lives his faith through hard work, supporting his overbearing sister, and growing the Valley’s best vegetables. After all, a good Amish man should be dedicated to duty. Yet suddenly, Hattie’s warm-hearted attentions and knack for unexpected adventures is showing him life can be so much more—especially if Hattie can share it with him. But when he discovers her wager, can she and the Widows Club ever convince him that her growing love is the real thing—and that risking together forever will be the sweetest, most fulfilling chance of all?
MY THOUGHTS
The Paradise Valley series by Amy Lillard is one of my favorite Amish series. This is the fourth one in the series and I’ve read them all. There is just something about the author’s books, the characters are fun and realistic, the charming setting makes you want to visit, and the foods all sound so delicious. This one has me carving buttered popcorn, which I’m going to make myself some right now.
I enjoy having the character carry over from other books in the series. It’s always nice to read about characters we are already familiar with and get an update. This one had a mention of the boy in the wheelchair, and I was glad to see an update on him.
Paradise Valley, Missouri continues on as the setting for the Paradise Valley series as we see a return of the ladies from the Whoopie Pie Widows Club. The ladies are widows who help each other through their grieving the loss of a spouse with friendship, spending time together and baking together and great encouragement.
Member Hattie is an optimistic person, seemingly always cheerful and when she gets challenged, she meets it head on. Her challenge is to get cankerous Christian Beachy, a widow to smile. Upon further inspection, she thinks this may not have been her smartest move agreeing to the challenge. As their time together increases, will his smiles also start to blossom with her outgoing personality?
Looking forward to more heartwarming stories by the author.
November 28,2023 publication date. I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Amy loves nothing more than a good book. Except for her family…and maybe homemade tacos…and nail polish. But reading and writing are definitely high on the list.
Born and bred in Mississippi, Amy is a transplanted Southern Belle who now lives in Oklahoma with her deputy husband, their genius son, two spoiled cats, and one very lazy beagle. Oh, and don’t forget the stray kitty that has taken up residence on her front porch. ^..^
When she’s not creating quirky characters and happy endings, she’s chauffeuring her prodigy to guitar lessons, orchestra concerts and baseball practice. She has a variety of hobbies, but her favorite is whatever gets her out of housework.
Amy also writes contemporary romances under the pen name Amie Louellen.
An award winning author, Amy is a member of RWA and ACFW. She loves to hear from readers. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest. For links to the various sites, check her website: http://www.amylillardbooks.com.
282 pages Crooked Lane Books October 17, 2023 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Tis the season to solve a murder—and innkeeper Holly White knows she’ll have to make her list and check it twice if she wants to catch the killer in the 4th Christmas Tree Farm mystery from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.
For inn keeper Holly White, Christmas time in Mistletoe, Maine, is the ultimate holiday gift. Business at the Reindeer Games Inn is booming, her wedding to Sheriff Evan Gray is nearly here, and the annual parade is about to begin. The town is lucky to have another gift this year with the state’s ballet company staying for several performances of The Nutcracker. But disaster strikes when Tiffany, the lead ballerina, shows up dead on a float during the parade, the Rat King’s mask nearby. Holly will have to spruce up her sleuthing skills if she wants to catch the killer before Christmas—and her wedding day.
Immediately, Holly discovers that Tiffany had more than a few secrets. She finds out that the star of the show had a super fan that no one knows anything about. And the show’s understudy slips some other intriguing information Holly’s way: not only was Tiffany secretly seeing someone romantically, but there seems to be more than one rat in this company. When Holly discovers a secret passage leading to Tiffany’s dressing room, with footprints leading out; she wonders if this is evidence of a secret lover—or a stalking killer.
MY THOUGHTS
The Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series is one of my favorites. I just love this series, in one of the previous books it focused on the Christmas tree farm, it was such a wonderful book.
Now there is a gift shop/bakery and its totally Christmas related. How can you go wrong with a town named Mistletoe. Mistletoe is in Maine, with lots of snow there’s no worries about the town’s folks getting into the holiday spirit.
Inn keeper Holly White is one busy lady, the ladies from the Nutcracker ballet are staying at Holly’s Reindeer Games Inn while practicing for their big show and on top of that she’s planning a wedding this Christmas. When a ballet dancer is discovered dead the investigation starts.
When it’s discovered that the ballet dancer is hiding more than a few things could those secrets have led to her death? I remember Sheriff Evan Gray in the other books, now he’s about to be a married man with his Christmas wedding.
With a terrible murder to investigate right before their wedding will Evan and Holly’s wedding plans go on as planned or will they blow away in the freezing cold wind? I’ll be on the lookout for more books in this intriguing holiday mystery series.
Pub Date 17 Oct 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Jacqueline Frost is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three spunky children. Jacqueline is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sisters in Crime (SinC).
I hope your day is going well. Thank you for stopping in.
She drives a tractor. He arrives in a red Ferrari. What could possibly go wrong?
Flora Barton is desperate to save her family home Strawberry Hill Farm. She only needs one thing – a great business idea to keep the farm afloat!
So, when Nico Rossi arrives from Italy with a crazy plan to save the farm, Flora should be overjoyed. The trouble is the Rossi men are infamous playboys and sensible Flora doesn’t trust impetuous Nico at all.
Nico has been trying to escape the famous Rossi surname his whole life. Arriving in sleepy Cranfield after recently losing his beloved grandfather and family vineyard, he has no intention of staying on any longer than necessary. But he soon realises how desperate the situation is and throws caution to the wind to help turn the farm into a Glamping site.
Can Flora realise her dreams to keep the farm safe for the future and can Nico ever stop running from his past?
As they try to save Strawberry Hill Farm, secrets are revealed and just maybe they’ll discover why opposites attract…
MY THOUGHTS
Sunrise over Strawberry Hill Farm is the third book in the Railway Lane series. ❤️ This is my first read in the series though.
Flora Barton has lived with her grandparents practically all her life and now it’s just her and her grandmother after her grandfather’s death. She is very protective of the elderly woman and knows she can’t keep the farm going like she used to in her younger years.
The farm in recent years has fallen into disrepair with unplanted fields letting nature reclaim them and many repairs needing done. The farm isn’t making the money it once had and the women just can’t do some of the heavier chores. Flora is feeling really glum, and she wants to change this for her grandmother but isn’t sure how to. One day while she’s doing chores a red Ferrari pulls up and Flora knows it’s not anyone she knows.
Out of the car steps handsome Italian playboy Nico Rossi and he knows of Flora’s grandmother. Flora’s grandmother and Nico’s grandfather knew each other way back when and he has come to return something of hers. He has a plan to save the farm from being bought but Flora isn’t too sure she like him let alone wants to listen to any plan he has.
A grumpy to sunshine story, I loved seeing the interaction between Flora and Nico and how she blossoms under his attention. The grandmother I’d say is my favorite character, she’s no nonsense but yet friendly and open to new ideas. She’s also a bit of a matchmaker encouraging Nico and Flora to become a couple.
Will Nico’s plan help this farm get back on its feet again? When Nico sees Flora dating another man will that scare him away or make him step up and let Flora know his true feelings for her? Nico is planning on leaving when the summer is over, will this romance be gone with the wind before it even gets off the ground?
Warm and tender, lots of feelings in this one. It’s a keeper for sure and I’m off to read the rest of the books in the series.
Pub Date 03 Jan 2024 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Alison Sherlock is the author of the bestselling Willow Tree Hall books. Alison enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early age and gave up office life to follow her dream. Her series for Boldwood is set in a fictional Cotswold village.
I’ve made a few bookish challenges for myself to follow this year. I belong to several Goodreads groups and do challenges through them from listed prompts. But these are just challenges I’ve made for myself to move some books off my to read mountain.
READ ALL MY CHRISTMAS/ WINTER BOOKS FROM NETGALLEY
I have 6 books from 2021
I have 18 books for 2022
I have 36 books for 2023
I have 2 books for 2024
The books I’ve mentioned above are all Christmas/Winter books I’ll be reading in 2024 because I read Christmas books all year long and do a Christmas in July where I’ll be posting a lot of them.
MY NetGalley list broken down is as follows for 2021:
January 0
February 0
March 1
April 3
May 1
June 2
July 6
August 1
September 11
October 8
November 7
December 8
Can I read all of these in 2024? Yes, I believe I can. Thanks to all who have shared their challenge plans with me on your blogs. I believe you can accomplish your goals. Here’s to lots of learning and fun reading in 2024 for all of us.
240 pages Inspirational The Protectors Collection publisher December 26,2023 publication date grab a copy here
ABOUT THE BOOK
To keep a child safe
They must outrun a killer…
When Sergeant Daria Gordon saves US Marine Jake Fisher and his baby niece from an attacker, she instantly puts a target on her own back. Someone murdered Jake’s sister and now they want Jake and Daria dead. To survive, Jake and Daria must discover this ruthless killer’s identity. But can they uncover the truth and keep the baby safe…before the killer finds them?
MY THOUGHTS
Every page is soaked with nail biting tension. When Sergeant Daria Gordon saves US Marine Jake Fisher and his baby niece from an attacker, she instantly sets herself up for trouble as she becomes the intended target. Baby Emma’s parents have been killed in what was intended to look like an accidental car crash. Daria’s best childhood friend, Jake is now back from the Marine’s to take care of his niece Emma whose parents have died in what he believes is a case of murder. Can he convince her this case is murder? Marine Jake Fisher has all the strategies he needs from his Marine training now he just needs to convince Sergeant Daria Gordon he will step in and help her to solve this high-tension case. Every page had me holding my breath. This is an action-packed suspense with a strong female lead. I wasn’t sure who to trust and who not to. I enjoyed seeing how Daria and Jake worked together to keep sweet little Emma safe. As soon as I thought the case was solved, here we go again, more action coming at you from all sides. An inspirational suspense that’ll keep you on your toes.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Loretta Eidson lives by the motto ‘never a dull moment,’ especially with her husband, four children, and thirteen grandchildren. Her love of reading began in middle school, where she devoured Phyllis Whitney’s mystery novels. Loretta’s heart is writing romantic suspense. She believes in the power of prayer and loves putting her hero and heroine in realistic predicaments where they must trust God to pull them through.
224 pages Love Inspired publisher December 26,2023 publication date grab a copy here
ABOUT THE BOOK
She’ll make the ideal mother…
But could she be his perfect match?
Marrying a virtual stranger gives Verna Kauffman almost everything she’s ever wanted—a husband, a daughter…and a list of childcare rules. Despite Adam Lantz’s strict standards and formal demeanor, Verna is determined to turn their convenient arrangement into a happy union. But when their growing relationship is challenged, can they overcome their opposite views of marriage to discover what they really need is each other?
From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
Amish Country Matches
Book 1: The Amish Matchmaking Dilemma Book 2: Their Amish Secret Book 3: The Amish Marriage Arrangement Book 4: An Amish Mother for His Child
MY THOUGHTS
Verna Kauffman has wanted to be a mother for a long time and when it hadn’t happened in the conventional Amish way of buggy rides, singings and courting she enters into an arranged marriage with Adam Lantz to become a mother to his daughter Amanda by way of a matchmaker.
Amanda is a sweet little girl, very smart and wants to be called Mandy like her friends call her.
A faith filled and encouraging story we see the author take a situation that has some drama in it and misunderstandings and turn it into a happy family union filled with love and respect.
I enjoyed seeing the character growth of all the main characters and seeing how their needs were met. Uplifting and encouraging, this is a delight that will be read again.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Publishers Weekly bestselling author Patricia Johns writes sweet romance for Harlequin Inc. and Kensington Books.
She writes from Alberta, Canada, where she lives with her husband and son.
269 pages St. Martin’s Paperbacks publisher December 26,2023 publication date grab a copy here
ABOUT THE BOOK
The case in Olivia Matthews’s Coconut Drop Dead is going to be a tough nut to crack.
Brooklyn’s annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival is finally here, and Spice Isle Bakery is thrilled to be one of the event’s food vendors. After all, the Murrays have been attending the festival for years. Co-owner Lyndsay Murray hopes their West Indian pastries and finger foods draw people back to the bakery in Little Caribbean. She’s looking forward to having fun, connecting with customers, and celebrating with her family.
The day’s festivities are cut short when Camille, lead singer of an up-and-coming reggae band, dies. The police think it may be a tragic accident. But Lyndsay’s cousin Manny was close to Camille, and he believes someone cut her life short. Now Manny needs Lyndsay’s help to make sure a killer faces the music.
Coconut Drop Dead is the third book in the Spice Isle Bakery cozy mystery series but my first read in this series.
I really enjoyed the authentic flavor the author has added to the book. I learned a lot about Caribbean American foods and the culture.
Spice Isle Bakery is doing very well and a vendor spot at Caribbean American Heritage Festival helps business to boom. I enjoyed seeing how close knit this family is as they work together at the bakery, even granny, the family matriarch. Granny seems to have the final say in everything and the family and community gives her the respect she deserves.
While at the festival a murder occurs, the lead singer of a famous reggae band. Believing the police are not solving the case quickly enough Lyndsay, owner of Spice Isle Bakery is ready to take things into her own hands and do some investigating on her own.
The investigation, presentation of clues and possible suspects are presented in a believable way and the book kept me guessing on who the guilty party was. Well done and I’ll look forward to reading more in this series.
Pub Date: 26 Dec 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Olivia Matthews is the cozy mystery pseudonym for national best-selling and award-winning author Patricia Sargeant.
Patricia’s work has been featured in national publications such as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Suspense Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal and RT Book Reviews. She’s also been interviewed on podcasts including Destination Mystery with Laura Brennan, Conversations LIVE! with Cyrus Webb, Read You Later with Lasheera Lee and Katara’s Café with Katara Johnson.
Patricia has been a keynote speaker and presenter at various events. She’s conducted numerous writing craft workshops for writers groups and book conferences, and offers online fiction writing courses through her The Write Spot website. To contact Patricia about attending your event, email her at BooksByPatricia@yahoo.com.
208 pages Ballantine Books November 27,2023 publication dategrab a copy here
ABOUT THE BOOK
Charlotte Pitt’s clever grandmother investigates the sudden disappearance of her dear friend in this chilling holiday whodunit by New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.
Mariah Ellison, Charlotte Pitt’s grandmother, accepts her longtime friend Sadie’s gracious invitation to spend Christmas with her and her husband, Barton, in their picturesque village. But upon arrival, Mariah discovers that Sadie has vanished without a trace, and Barton rudely rescinds the invitation. Once Mariah finds another acquaintance to stay with during the holiday season, she begins investigating Sadie’s disappearance.
Mariah’s uncanny knack for solving mysteries serves her well during her search, which is driven by gossip as icy as the December weather. Did Sadie run off with another man? Was she kidnapped? Has someone harmed her? Frustratingly, Mariah’s questions reveal more about the villagers themselves than about her friend’s whereabouts. Yet in the process of getting to know Sadie’s neighbors, Mariah finds a kind of redemption, as she rediscovers her kinder side, and her ability to love.
It is up to Mariah to master her own feelings, drown out the noise, and get to the bottom of what occurred, all before Christmas day. With the holiday rapidly approaching, will she succeed in bringing Sadie home in time for them to celebrate it together—or is that too much to hope for?
MY THOUGHTS
I just love Anne Perry’s books, though I’ve only read the last 3 years Christmas books I can see I have quite a few to catch up on. Her books just have a different feel to them than many of the other mystery books I’ve read.
The books have a vintage feel to them, taking place during a slower time when neighbors had to meet up with each other to solve a disappearance. Mariah Ellison is delighted to visit her longtime friend Sadie and her husband Barton, in their picturesque village. After arriving, expecting to be invited right in by Sadie, she’s rudely told by Barton, Sadie has disappeared, and she can’t come in.
She takes things into her own hands by talking to their neighbors trying to investigate the vanishing. As the gossip accumulates all have something to say about Sadie, some not too nice. Some miss her.
One common thread shows up in the conversations, Sadie is not quite the person Mariah thought she was. Coming together the neighbors discover things about themselves. Despite the seriousness of the situation Mariah discovers a well of emotions including forgiveness, redemption and restoration.
With Christmas drawing ever closer will there be closure with joy ringing out or will uncertain times continue into the new year? I look forward to being transported back in time again to a slower time as I read more of her books.
Pub Date 07 Nov 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Anne Perry 28 October 1938 – 10 April 2023
Anne’s publishing career began with The Cater Street Hangman. Published in 1979, this was the first book in the series to feature the Victorian policeman Thomas Pitt and his well-born wife Charlotte. This is arguably the longest sustained crime series by a living writer. Murder on the Serpentine is the latest (32nd) in the series. She has now started a series featuring their son Daniel, beginning with 21 Days(2017).
In 1990, Anne started a second series of detective novels with The Face of a Stranger. These are set about 35 years before and features the private detective William Monk and volatile nurse Hester Latterly. The most recent of these (24th in the series) is Dark Tide Rising.
Anne won an Edgar award in 2000 with her short story “Heroes”. The main character in the story features in an ambitious five-book series set during the First World War, which were published between 2003 and 2007. Anne is now working on more titles in the Pitt and Monk series, both of which are under option.
None of her books has ever been out of print, and they have received critical acclaim and huge popular success: over 26 million books are in print world-wide. Her books have appeared on bestseller lists in a number of foreign countries, where she has also had excellent reviews. Her books regularly appear in the New York Times bestseller list, and have also been bestsellers in France, Germany and Canada. The Times selected her as one of the “100 Masters of Crime”, and in 2015 she was awarded the Premio de Honor Aragón Negro.
Moving into a different area, Anne has responded to requests for workshops and teaching by producing her first ‘how to write’ instructional DVD “Put Your Heart On The Page: An Introduction To Writing” and her much-loved tote bags which also carry that slogan. Both items are now available to buy direct from her website. “Developing Your Characters” is the third instalment in Anne’s instructional films.
I’m listing 5 books I’ve really enjoyed this year.
Before Mrs. Beeton and well before Julia Child, there was Eliza Acton, who changed the course of cookery writing forever.
England, 1835. London is awash with thrilling new ingredients, from rare spices to exotic fruits. But no one knows how to use them. When Eliza Acton is told by her publisher to write a cookery book instead of the poetry she loves, she refuses—until her bankrupt father is forced to flee the country. As a woman, Eliza has few options. Although she’s never set foot in a kitchen, she begins collecting recipes and teaching herself to cook. Much to her surprise she discovers a talent – and a passion – for the culinary arts.
Eliza hires young, destitute Ann Kirby to assist her. As they cook together, Ann learns about poetry, love and ambition. The two develop a radical friendship, breaking the boundaries of class while creating new ways of writing recipes. But when Ann discovers a secret in Eliza’s past, and finds a voice of her own, their friendship starts to fray.
Based on the true story of the first modern cookery writer, Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen is a spellbinding novel about female friendship, the struggle for independence, and the transcendent pleasures and solace of food.
Cora Matthews’s life is a mess. A broken engagement and the unexpected death of her mother have left her wondering if things will ever return to normal. Whatever “normal” is.
It certainly isn’t what she finds at Moonberry Lake. After she receives her family’s dilapidated lakefront lodge as an inheritance–with a surprising condition attached–Cora finds her life overrun by a parade of eccentric neighbors who all have something to say and something to teach her.
As Cora works to put her life back together, she must decide if she is willing to let go of the past, open her heart to love, and embrace the craziest version of family and home she could ever have imagined.
“An uplifting novel about the power of small-town community.”
“My darling B, my heart, my soul. I only wish we’d had longer. Longer to search for the daughter that I should never have given up. The daughter that I should have been brave enough to keep, brave enough to tell you about, brave enough to tell the world about.”
London, Present day. As Ella looks down at a faded black and white photograph of an unknown woman and child alongside a yellowing piece of sheet music, she wonders how the two things can possibly relate to her own family. The items were left for her family at Hope’s House, a home for unmarried mothers whose babies were adopted.
Soon Ella learns that the photograph was taken on the picturesque Greek island of Skopelos, nestled in the turquoise calming waters of the Aegean sea, and that the woman in the photo holds the key to her family’s heritage. As she opens up to her new flame Gabriel, he tells her that she should go to the island to unravel the mystery and that he will wait for her.
Though Ella is torn she decides to go and once there, she discovers a heart-wrenching story of a royal family forced to leave their country for a new life in London, and of a girl with a unique talent for music who captured the heart of a young violinist but was forced to leave him and London behind for the sake of her family.
When Ella discovers the sacrifice made by the two young lovers and comes face to face with her forgotten Greek family, will their story give her the courage to follow her own heart back to London and Gabriel, or will the beauty of the island capture her heart and lead her to a new love altogether?
A totally addictive and heart-breaking novel about the strength of family ties and never giving up on true love. Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop.
England, 1942. ‘It has to stay secret,’ he whispers, placing the locket around her neck. ‘If they find it, they’ll send me away.’ As she holds the locket, glinting in the moonlight, she can’t hold back the tears. ‘I just wish we didn’t have to hide…’
When farmer’s daughter Irene meets Theodore at a village dance, sparks fly instantly. The war has brought him all the way from Louisiana to build a US airbase just across her father’s fields, but as they sway together, there is nothing else in the world. Only his gentle touch and his deep brown eyes.
But being together comes at a price. As Theodore is Black, the might of the US Air Force is against them, and all the members of the little village community disapprove of their relationship. And they will all go to terrible lengths to tear the two young lovers apart…
Decades later, heartbroken Ruby is back at her family’s crumbling farmhouse for the first time in years, after the loss of her beloved grandmother Irene. The roof has fallen in, family photographs are damaged – and her grandmother’s jewellery is nowhere to be found.
When Ruby uncovers her grandmother’s waterlogged diaries, she discovers that Irene treasured one piece of lost jewellery above all. A locket from a man called Theodore. And the missing locket holds the key to unravelling a heartbreaking secret that changed her grandmother’s life…
Is someone in the village hiding the locket to keep the truth about Irene and Theodore buried? And can Ruby find a way to honour her grandmother’s memory – or in digging up the pain of the war, will she tear her family apart?
An absolutely breathtaking World War Two story about the power of love in the face of adversity, and how the tragic consequences of war can echo through generations. Fans of Fiona Valpy, The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See will be addicted to this incredible read.
Two Sisters. One Single Event. A Family Changed Forever.
At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer when their well-ordered household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly–and innocently–draws the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self.
After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see–or did she? Her memory is a haze, just an image in her mind of Emmy standing on a darkened riverbank and cradling Lily’s missing baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth slowly come to light through their letters–including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie’s life.
Bestselling author Valerie Fraser Luesse weaves a complex and suspenseful tale dripping with intrigue, romance, and Southern charm.
I’ve found that historical fiction books are the ones that are the most heartfelt books I read. While I do enjoy contemporary books, I didn’t read them at all until a few years ago. I used to only read historical fiction but then I need a break from some of the heavy stories in historical fiction.
Are your unread books filling your shelves and piling up on the floor?
Then The Backlist Reader Challenge is for you!
Hosted byThe Bookwyrm’s Hoard Dates of Challenge:January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024 Challenge Sign-Up/Details:Click Here
#BacklistReader
Rule #1 – Books have to be published before 2023 AND they must already be on your TBR list or pile. Rule #2 – No Re-Reads : Compromise: you can only count a book you have read before IF (a) you haven’t read the book in the past 10 years, AND (b) you can’t remember much about it.
I am going to set a goal of 15 backlist books. Hopefully I can read more. I’ll track them here.
380 pages Zondervan publisher July 5,2022 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Abigail’s Amish life has always followed a certain path . . . until an Englisch woman disrupts all she’s known to be true.
Growing up Amish, Abigail Bontrager often felt like a square peg in a round hole. Her pie crusts always turned out tough. Her stitches always ran crooked. She was clumsy. Not ideal for an aspiring Amish wife and mother, but her faith and love of her family, which are so much more important, are solid. Plus, her relationship with the attractive and kindhearted Owen Kurtz is moving in the right direction.
Owen is part dreamer, part entrepreneur. His friendship with Abigail has gradually blossomed into a sweet and loving courtship. Inspired by the hope of a future with the girl of his dreams, he decides to take the next step in building a business of his own—in the promising new industry of growing sunflowers.
When an outsider claiming to be Abigail’s birth mother abruptly enters her life, Abigail’s world comes crashing down. Confused and upset, she is determined to discover who she really is. Her journey of discovery leads to the possibilities of a new life waiting for her in the Englisch world. But is this new life really worth giving up everything and everyone she’s known? How can Abigail and Owen follow their hearts—and God’s plan—when these new paths now lead them into the unknown?
MY THOUGHTS
Kelly Irvin has written such a heartfelt book so full of emotions. Amish woman Abigail Bontrager has never felt she’s fit in with the other Amish in her community; a terrible baker and she can’t sew a straight stitch. Then she gets earth shattering news, she’s been adopted into her Amish family as a baby and her parents are English.
Mad at her adoptive parents, she’s confused and wants answers as to why they’ve never told her this information. Leaving her adoptive parents and Amish boyfriend she knows to be comfortable in life she must explore this English side of herself.
Her experience in the English world is so eye opening, the clothing feels uncomfortable, and she doesn’t feel covered enough, everything is faster, brighter, louder and more open. There are not the rules and restrictions she is used to, and her faith becomes severely tested especially when she starts dating an English man.
How will Abigail handle the pressures of the outside world, will she crave the less restrictions in this new fast life, or will her family and faith pull her back home? Such a beautiful story of a young woman following her heart while letting God lead the way.
Pub Date 05 Jul 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT 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.
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