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Just for you, two festive holiday book reviews: A Cornish Christmas at the Farmhouse Bakery and Bright Lights, Big Christmas

341 pages Aria publisher October 12, 2023 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Newlyweds Ivy and Adam Taylor have put their heart and soul into building their own businesses, but when circumstances conspire against them, it all comes crashing down. Could a Christmas miracle be just around the corner when best friend Jess suggests Ivy open the bakery she has always dreamed of at her Cornish Farmhouse.

Ivy is not so sure she has the heart to start over and winter is hardly the best time to launch a new business near the seaside… but it’s not long before the couple realise that although they are starting from scratch in a new place, they are far from alone.

There is nothing the community at Renweneth Farm does better than Christmas, and as the nights draw in and the snow falls, nothing is impossible…

MY THOUGHTS

Book 2 of The Escape to Cornwall series.
When I’m ready for a great relaxation read with snow and wind blowing outside, I turn to books like this. Set in Cornwall this one was hard to put down.


I enjoyed reading Adam and Ivy’s story. He is so sweet and supportive of her and all her endeavors going forward. Making the hard decision to relocate because of personal and business decisions we follow along with the couple as they experience ups and downs. Hard work pays off though in the end. Warm, feel-good read with holiday festivity.

Pub Date 12 Oct 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

Linn B. Halton is a #1 bestselling author of contemporary romantic fiction. In 2013 she won the UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction Award. Originally from Bristol, she now lives in the Welsh Valleys with her husband and Bengal cat, Ziggy.

For Linn, life is all about family, friends and writing. She is a self-confessed hopeless romantic and an eternal optimist. When Linn is not writing, she spends time in the garden weeding or practising Tai Chi. And she is often found with a paintbrush in her hand indulging her passion for upcycling furniture.

Her novels have been translated into Italian, Czech and Croatian. She also writes as Lucy Coleman.

Linn is represented by Sara Keane from the Keane Kataria Literary Agency.

Visit Linn & Lucy’s websites at:

https://lucycolemanromance.com

285 pages St. Martins Press publisher September 26,2023 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.

MY THOUGHTS

The Tolliver’s are Christmas tree farmers living in North Carolina. Every year they cart their trees to New York and make a nice profit. This year their dad is sick and can’t go, siblings Kerry and Murphy are tasked to do it this year.

Traveling in “Spammy”, an old vintage camper they set up the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. While there they meet the neighborhood, quite the eclectic group of people. The neighbors are charming and enjoy the fast-paced Manhattan lifestyle.

I enjoyed meeting single dad, Patrick, and his son, Austin. A slow burn romance starts but will anything come of it in the short time they are at the tree lot?


Heartwarming, MKA does it again, writing a hard to put down book tugging at your heartstrings. Old man Heinz was my favorite character and I enjoyed seeing the character development. He is hiding a secret but it’s wonderful seeing how he opens up to Kerry as he comes to trust her and lets her care for him. A little bit of Christmas magic comes alive in this book.

Pub Date 26 Sep 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

MARY KAY ANDREWS is the New York Times bestselling author of 27 novels (including Hello, Summer; Sunset Beach; The High Tide Club; The Weekenders; Beach Town; Save the Date; Christmas Bliss; Ladies’ Night; Spring Fever; and Summer Rental, all from St. Martin’s Press, as well as Savannah Breeze; Blue Christmas; Hissy Fit; Little Bitty Lies; and Savannah Blues, all Harper Collins), and one cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she earned a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia (go Dawgs!). After a 14-year career working as a reporter at newspapers including The Savannah Morning News, The Marietta Journal, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she spent the final ten years of her career, she left journalism in 1991 to write fiction.

Her first novel, Every Crooked Nanny, was published in 1992 by HarperCollins. She went on to write ten critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series, under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. In 2002, she assumed the pen name Mary Kay Andrews with the publication of Savannah Blues. In 2006, Hissy Fit became her first New York Times bestseller, followed by twelve more New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers. To date, her novels have been published in German, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Dutch, Czech and Japanese.

She and her family divide their time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, GA, where they cook up new recipes in two restored beach homes, The Breeze Inn and Ebbtide—both named after fictional places in Mary Kay’s novels, and both available to rent through Tybee Vacation Rentals. In between cooking, spoiling her grandkids, and plotting her next novel, Mary Kay is an intrepid treasure hunter whose favorite pastime is junking and fixing up old houses.

Enjoy your day. Thanks for stopping in.

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TOP TEN TUESDAY

TOP TEN TUESDAY

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is books I meant to get to in 2023. These are all books publishing in 2023 or before. Do you see any books here that you’ve read or can recommend I zip up to the top of my list?

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BOOKS I MEANT TO GET TO LAST YEAR BUT HAVEN’T ……… YET

Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, she was sent away as a child and, knowing her disability means a marriage is unlikely, she devoted herself to scholarship and education.

Few writers evoke the complexities of the heart and the gritty fascination of the American South as vividly as Donna Everhart, whose lyrical new novel, set against the background of the Great Depression, is a powerful story of courage, survival, and friendship…

Lady Sophia Huntington Villiers is no stranger to intrigue, as her work with Alan Turing’s Bombe Machines at Bletchley Park during the war attests. Now, as part of Simon Barre’s covert team in post-war Vienna, she uses her inimitable charm and code name Starling to infiltrate the world of relics: uncovering vital information that could tilt the stakes of the mounting Cold War. When several influential men charge her with finding the death mask of Mozart, Sophie wonders if there is more than the composer’s legacy at stake and finds herself drawn to potential answers in Prague.

The scent of roses is in the air while romance blooms in this gorgeously escapist Scottish-set love story, about finding your way back to the one you’ve never forgotten… Sure to capture the hearts of readers who love Debbie Macomber, Carolyn Brown and Fern Michaels.

In the spirit of Lisa Jewell and Kate Morton, an emotional mystery set in the rugged remote landscape of north Cornwall full of dark secrets and twists, about three unusual sisters forced to confront the past.

In a deeply emotional novel of family, cultural heritage, and forgiveness, estranged sisters wrestle with the choices they’ve made and confront circumstances beyond their control.

Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.

AN EARTH SHATTERING SECRET. A LIFE-CHANGING LOVE STORY.

A propulsive retelling inspired by the Greek myth of Medea

Calcutta, 1757.

Bengal is on the brink of war. The East India Company, led by the fearsome Sir Peter Chilcott, are advancing and nobody is safe. Meena, the Nawab’s neglected and abused daughter, finds herself falling under the spell of James Chilcott, nephew of Sir Peter, who claims he wants to betray the company . . . for a price.

Victoria Benton Frank, daughter of the beloved late writer Dorothea Benton Frank, spirits us away to summer in the South Carolina Lowcountry with a tale of family bonds that is spicy and heartfelt.

Readers of Eve Chase, Kate Morton, and Anita Frank will devour this bewitchingly atmospheric, melancholy modern ghost story set in the lush hills of England’s Lake District. There, a solitary women’s quiet life spent in her crumbling ancestral manor house with the company of a child’s ghost is dramatically interrupted when her estranged sister returns to share a horrific story of cruelty and desperation from decades earlier…

Mexican Gothic meets Outlander in this spellbinding, atmospheric timeslip debut novel, as a woman struggling with her mental health spends the winter with her cruel in-laws in their eerie, haunting manor that sweeps her back through time and into the arms of her fiancé’s mysterious, alluring 19th century ancestor.

More than 10 but who’s counting, right? Which should I move up on my list? Any you wouldn’t recommend? Thanks for stopping in. Have a wonderful day.

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The Sunday Post and Sunday Salon

THE SUNDAY SALON AND SUNDAY POST

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week plus it’s a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. 

Thank you again for all your kind words, well wishes and prayers. Some days I feel energetic and positive about things and other days are not as easy. Today is two weeks in out of six when I should be healed. I am walking and doing ankle exercises every day and it’s not always easy but do them I must. I am tired of being in bed but if I sit in a chair or on the couch it’s very painful to get up because I need to use both feet to balance myself to get up. As I write this, I am on the couch downstairs, hopefully it’s not too much getting up. The weather is so cold and windy, and we’ve had snow every so often and expect more Wednesday. I’ve been out four times since getting hurt, 3 times to the dr and once to go in a grocery store. It wasn’t too bad as I was pushing the cart, so it supported me. I just haven’t felt up to going out more than that. I hope all is well with you and I enjoy reading all your comments.

READ LAST WEEK

CURRENTLY READING

I’ll continue to do the Daily Prompt for the rest of the month and then decide if I’ll continue it into February. I’m not sure what memes I’ll do on the blog next week. I have 2 blog tours to post next week: one on the 22 and one of the 25th.

I hope you all have a great week. Thanks for stopping in and let me know if you’ve read any of these books.

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Stacking the Shelves

STACKING THE SHELVES

Stacking the Shelves is hosted at Reading Reality and is a place to show off the new books we’ve received in the past week.

NETGALLEY GRABS THIS WEEK

MAILBOX GOODIES

LIBRARY CHECKOUTS

None. With my injured ankle it’s too much to attempt for now.

What new have you stacked on your shelves this week?

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Review of two sweet Love Inspired books by Angie Dicken: His Sweet Surprise and Her Chance at Family

224 pages Published May 1, 2023 LoveInspired.com

ABOUT THE BOOK

All he wants is a fresh start but the past has other ideas…
After leaving city life and heartbreak behind, Lance Hudson’s come home to his family’s apple orchard. And ex-girlfriend Piper Gray is there for the same reason. But the spirited single mum has her own secrets…including that Lance is the father of her sweet-faced little girl. But can Piper spill the truth without upsetting the applecart? Mills & Boon Love Inspired — Heartfelt stories that show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives.

MY THOUGHTS

His Sweet Surprise is the first book in the Heartland Sweethearts book series. The second book in the series is Her Chance at Family which I have also read and loved.
Taking place in the heartland of Iowa in fictional Rapid Falls. My daughter lives in Iowa so it was so nice to see this series takes place there.


Lance Hudson and Piper Gray were previously in a relationship when they were teens and haven’t seen each other in several years. Big city life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be for them and they both somehow end up back at his family’s apple orchard never expecting to see each other there.


As they spend more time together and enjoy it, Piper knows she must reveal a big secret to Lance she has kept from him. Will this reveal cause this second chance at love to sour? Sweet romance filled with faith, hope, understanding and forgiveness. Loved it.

Published May 1, 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

226 pages Expected publication January 23, 2024 LoveInspired.com

ABOUT THE BOOK

She needs all the help she can get. Will she accept it from him? Getting left at the altar wasn’t in Elisa Hartley’s planner—but neither was gaining custody of her two orphaned nieces. Determined to be the best guardian possible, Elisa moves them into a newly renovated house. When landscape architect Sean Peters arrives to fix up her yard, he might just be able to heal her heart, too. Except Sean’s got a secret…and revealing it could throw a wrench in their happily-ever-after.From Love Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.[HEARTLAND SWEETHEARTS] Book 1: His Sweet SurpriseBook 2: Her Chance at Family

MY THOUGHTS

Her Chance at Family is the second book in the Heartland Sweethearts book series. The first book in the series is His Sweet Surprise which I have also read and loved.
Taking place in the heartland of Iowa in fictional Rapid Falls. My daughter lives in Iowa so it was so nice to see this series takes place there.


This is the lovely story of Elisa Hartley, getting left at the alter wasn’t exactly in her plans. Life must move forward she think to herself as she receives custody of her two orphaned nieces.


Adjusting to a new home isn’t easy but she must do the best she can when she has her nieces to think about. Helping her to make the adjustment is landscape architect Sean Peters, who helps her with odd chores needing done. He’s afraid to get too close to her though as he has something he’s hiding. Uplifting and encouraging story filled with hope, faith and love.

Expected publication January 23, 2024
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I am hoping the author will continue the series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angie Dicken credits her love of story to reading British literature during life as a military kid in Cambridgeshire, England. Now living in the U.S., she’s an ACFW member, a blog contributor to the Writer’s Alley, a baseball mom, and a self-proclaimed foodie. You can connect with her
on social media and learn about upcoming releases at www.angiedicken.com.

I thank you for stopping in today.

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Cover Reveal for Somebody I Used to Love by Eve Ainsworth

I am delighted to share the beautiful cover for Someone I Used to Love by Eve Ainsworth .

ABOUT THE BOOK

Somebody I Used to Love

Lost memories. Lost loves. Can they find their way back to each other?

When Will wakes up after a car accident, he’s lost three years of memory. All he wants is his girlfriend and childhood sweetheart, Gem, beside him. Instead, nothing is as he remembers.

Gem has finally moved on from hers and Will’s break-up. With a new life and boyfriend, the last thing she expects is a call to say Will needs her – the man who nearly destroyed her.

As Will recovers, he is determined to prove to Gem that he is the man he once was. But by unlocking the secrets of his past, will he be able to piece together what caused him to change so dramatically? And, faced with the choice, will Gem continue with the safe new life she has built for herself, or will she go back to the man she used to love?

Heartbreaking and twisty, perfect for fans of Dani Atkins, Jojo Moyes and Colleen Hoover.

Looking forward to reading this, it sounds so good. Isn’t that cover beautiful!

Pre-order Link – https://geni.us/SomebodyIUsedToLoveRRR

Publication Date: 27th June 2024

Author Bio –  Eve Ainsworth is a public speaker, creative workshop coordinator and award-winning author who draws from her extensive work with teenagers managing emotional and behavioural issues to write authentic, honest and real novels for young people and adults. Eve’s adult debut, Duckling, was published by Penguin Random House in 2022. She has had short stories published in magazines such as Writers’ Forum and Prima and articles posted online for The Guardian, Metro and BookTrust. Eve is also a champion for working class voices, has set up the Working Class Writers Network and is an experienced mentor.

Social Media Links –

https://www.instagram.com/canelo_co/

https://www.instagram.com/eveainsworth/

https://www.facebook.com/canelobooks

https://www.facebook.com/eve.mitchell

Thank you for joining me today and have a wonderful day.

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The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos (A woman’s emotional battle with cancer)

399 pages Thomas Nelson publisher December 5, 2023 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

In a novel inspired by the author’s own cancer experience, two sisters seek a new balance in work, family, and love when one receives a diagnosis that sets the clock ticking.

Determined to save Sherri’s life, Kristen drops everything to guide her sister on the harrowing cancer treatment journey. When she’s unable to balance the strain of caring for her patients, being a wife and mother, and her frantic efforts to save her sister, Kristen’s carefully balanced life crumbles, starting with her marriage. Desperate to regain her footing, she vows to rebuild her broken relationships . . . as soon as she’s sure Sherri will beat the odds stacked against her.

Unlike her sister, Sherri Reynolds has worked to cultivate balance in her life. Her children, her job as a teacher, and her strong faith keep her grounded–until her diagnosis sends her spiraling into the scary world of what-ifs and unknown outcomes. Sherri faces the agonizing realization that family history may be about to repeat itself. With the clock ticking, she’s determined to use whatever time she has left to heal old wounds and restore relationships.

The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos is a novel that will have readers reaching for the tissue box again and again as the author uses her own experience of living with ovarian cancer for seven years (and counting) to provide first-hand knowledge of sitting in the chair when the diagnosis is first delivered and the repercussions that follow.

MY THOUGHTS

The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos is based on the authors personal experience with ovarian cancer. Through the authors story we get a firsthand look at a womans cancer battle up close and personal in a way we wouldn’t have been able to without experiencing it ourselves.


A story about sisters, one is an oncologist, one is battling cancer. In this battle to help her sister her marriage is falling apart.

The book is raw, gripping, very personal and emotional. I know it had to take a lot for the author to write this but I’m so glad she has. If this book can help even one woman with her cancer battle and the detection of it.

A compelling read, one every woman should read, and her partner should too as he may notice something she doesn’t. This needs to be on everyone’s keeper bookshelf.

Pub Date 05 Dec 2023
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.

For more information, visit http://www.kellyirvin.com

Thank you for stopping in. Enjoy your day.

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Review of two Amish books: Matched and Married and Murder of an Amish Bridegroom

318 pages Zondervan publisher September 7, 2021 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Neither Margaret nor Owen has any interest in getting married. But in the small Amish town of Birch Creek, where marriage is on everyone’s mind, their plans don’t stand a chance.

Margaret Yoder can’t seem to catch a break. Even though she’s dedicated to her Amish faith, her wild rumspringa won’t stay in the past, and her mother keeps pressuring her to get married. To placate her mother and get away from former “friends”, she decides to return to Birch Creek to visit family—and pretend to find a husband.

Like Margaret, Owen Bontrager isn’t looking for a spouse, something that’s hard to avoid in Birch Creek, where an ad for brides in the local paper has brought a swarm of single women to the thriving town. When he meets Margaret in an unexpected way, they discover they have more in common than they ever expected. In some ways, they are a perfect match.

Margaret struggles to keep her goal of avoiding romance in order to focus on being a faithful member of the Amish church, and it doesn’t help that she finds Owen intriguing. Knowing they don’t have a future together; she returns home and gives in to her mother’s insistence that she get married.

Can Margaret betray her feelings for Owen and become a dutiful daughter and wife to the man of her mother’s choosing? Or will Owen find a way to free Margaret of her past by giving her the future they both are surprised to find they desire?


MY THOUGHTS

Matched and Married is the second book in the Amish Mail-Order Bride series by Kathleen Fuller. Before I read this book today, I hadn't read an Amish book of hers in several years. The past several years she has had a contemporary fiction series which I have been reading.
Margaret Yoder is a young Amish woman ready to settle down after a rather wild rumspringa, running around period the Amish do before deciding if they want to join the church. Her past won't stay in the past though, it shows up on her doorstep in the form of former Englisher friends who want her to continue the behavior she has put behind her. With three daughters and Maragret the last, her mother just wants her to get married. Everything Maragret does seems to be met with her mother's disapproval. Margaret has no intentions of getting married anytime soon though. Going to Birch Creek to visit family will be the perfect escape from old temptations and to appease her mother she'll pretend to look for a husband. Her aunt whom she is staying with understands her and enjoys her visit though she's not looking for a husband. Meeting a local in Birch Creek, Owen Bontrager while out foraging for herbs for the natural medicines she makes Margaret is pleased to find out he's not looking for a spouse either. Knowing that she won't be in Birch Creek long she tries hard to concentrate on being a strong Amish church member but the more she's around Own the more intriguing she finds him. He's smart and they have interesting conversations which draws them closer. Knowing her mother wants her to return home soon to find a suitable match will she be able to go home and just forget about Owen and the awakening her heart has had towards love?
I've always enjoyed this author's series and this one too, though I don't feel the mother should have been so domineering.

Pub Date 07 Sep 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

272 pages Crooked Lane Books publisher December 5, 2023 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

The quiet Amish lifestyle isn’t all that it seems in this debut cozy mystery series, for fans of Amanda Flower and Wanda E. Brunstetter.

Petunia Yoder is Blueberry, Pennsylvania’s youngest old maid, at twenty-two years of age, and completely unmarriageable. But she’s determined to celebrate her friends’ weddings with joy and a full heart. Unfortunately, Petunia’s best friend, Eden Beiler, is playing a dangerous game with a man who is ruining her reputation.

Ike Smoker is the community’s iceman—the one who cuts, stores, and sells the ice—and when Petunia discovers him dead with an ice pick in his chest, Eden is found on the scene with blood on her hands. Homicide detective Asher Nate is new to the area, and he has a challenge on his hands. The Amish community sticks close together, and he doesn’t understand the subtleties and nuances of the clues he uncovers. He needs an Amish interpreter, and he asks Petunia if she’ll help. In a bid to keep her best friend out of prison, she agrees.

The community is filled with people who had good reason to hate Ike Smoker, especially as Petunia and Asher begin to uncover his secrets. Was someone trying to protect their family’s reputation? Or to exact revenge for a sin buried deep in the past?

There’s a litany of damning clues that litters the ground—and if Petunia and Asher can’t come up with the truth, they could end up as the next ones on the killer’s list.


MY THOUGHTS

Murder of an Amish Bridegroom is the first book in An Amish Seamstress cozy mystery series. I've read quite a few Amish books by the author, but this is her first cozy mystery, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Overall, I thought the book was good, the characters were well developed, and I wasn't able to guess who did it before it was revealed. I liked the fact that it took place in the state I live in, that's kinda neat. There were a lot of characters in the book which did make it a bit hard to keep track of who was who and what their purpose was. The dialogue was a bit simplistic at times and some of the conversations unbelievable. I'm not sure I would believe a police detective would allow a civilian to help with the case by letting our main character be as involved and questioning people as she did. Overall, a solid presentation that surprised me with the secrets revealed and I will continue the series, after all it is fiction so there will be some inconsistencies compared to what's realistic and what's not.

Pub Date 05 Dec 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Are either of these books on your radar to read?

Have a great day and I’ll see you in the next posting.

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WWW WEDNESDAY

store here

WWW WEDNESDAY

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate.

 Hosted on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. 

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT

What I’m reading next is always subject to change and these many not even be what I read next. It all depends on what challenges I’m doing and which books I need to read next for authors.

What do you think of my selections? Will you be reading any of these?

Have a great day thanks for stopping in today.

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When Hattie Finds Love: Heartwarming Amish romance set in Missouri (Paradise Valley Book 4)

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.

FREE AMY BOOK

published

December 10, 2023 grab here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping in.