Monday, March 17, 2014

Love Finds You in Homestead Iowa by Melanie Dobson - Review



I am always pleased to find a book about the Amana Colonies, that is what I knew them as when I was a child growing up in the midwest, eastern Nebraska. I have visited the 'Colonies' but have learned so much more about them by reading books like Melanie's. She did a wonderful job of holding my interest and teaching me more about the 'Community of True Inspiration' and their beliefs.

I have read other books Melanie has written and really enjoyed them too. I think I have all of Melanie's 'Love Finds You' books and I'm looking forward to reading them as I go through my bookshelves of TBR books.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

The Widow's Suitor by Rose Ross Zediker - Review



I really enjoyed this story as it told just how strong one woman could be, not only in proving her land up without her husband but mostly her very strong faith in the Lord. This was a nice short read that I didn't want to put down. If you like Christian Historical books I'm sure you will enjoy this one. Thank your Rose for doing such a fine job, I will be looking for more of your books.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl - Review of the third book in the Road to Kingdom series



There are women turning up dead and while the people of Kingdom know they have to be careful, none have happened to anyone they know or near Kingdom. That changes when two bodies are discovered on the road leading into Kingdom and then one body of a woman they know, she was raised in Kingdom and had left years ago to get married, her husband is now a deputy sheriff. Things are coming too close for comfort.

Not only is it getting closer, Callie Hoffman and others are letting their minds run wild and suspecting some of their close friends and neighbors. When Levi Housler's book about the Anabaptist Martyrs was discovered on the body of one woman people do a lot of talking and wondering. Levi is the new pastor of Kingdom Mennonite Church and Callie's betrothed.

Callie has been going through some personal problems and Levi has been busy with a lot of counseling so they haven't been able to spend a lot of time together and they both seem to be changing. When Levi's book is found and he seems to be keeping a secret Callie has suspicions, and he isn't the only one she suspects.

This series only got better as I read it, this was a great book with more than one mysterious thing going on. I would encourage you to read these books in order to get the full story, you won't be disappointed. Nancy did a fantastic job on this whole series.

I had my own little mystery going on with this book, kind of, lol. I read it on my Kindle because I got it from Net Galley and for some reason any word that had double "f's" in it was missing the letters. Most of the time I automatically put them in as I was reading but sometimes they didn't appear "in my mind", lol and I would find myself trying to figure out the word, then I'd laugh and say to myself, "Oh, yeah, that is 'diicult', 'stuing', or 'o', get the idea, lol, difficult, stuffing, or off. I still really enjoyed the book!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley  <http://www.netgalley.com/> book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Friday, March 7, 2014

My Amish Boyfriend by Melody Carlson


Sixteen-year old Shannon McNamara has her summer all planned, getting her license, getting a job and best of all, getting a tattoo! Shannon has been taking care of her Mother who has been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease and unable to work. On the last day of school she comes home and her neighbor, who watches Anna, Shannon's mother, during the day informs Shannon that she has family in Ohio and they will be going there for the summer. The two arrive in Ohio and while they are waiting on a bench for an uncle she didn't even know she had, she thinks she has traveled back in time, to the horse and buggy days, then it dawns on her that those are Amish buggy's. She is really surprised when a man in a horse and buggy pull up and ask if she is Anna, her mother had been Amish????? Shannon's Uncle Ben helps her get her mother into the buggy and takes them to her Mammi and Dawdi's home, she also didn't know she had grandparents, she didn't know she had ANY family, only her mother.

On her first full day there Shannon meets Ezra Troyer when she falls flat on her face while mowing the grass. Ezra becomes her Amish boyfriend, they fall in love at first sight. Ezra wants to leave the Amish and Shannon wants to become Amish.

I wasn't pleased with where the story line was leading with Shannon and Ezra but I will say that by the end of the book I was happy with their relationship and yes was even brought to tears for a while. Shannon really is a strong girl for being 16 and having to take care of her mother, moving and having to endure a completely different lifestyle even when her mother continues to get worse she sees things through. Shannon was a believer in God but in the last year she had started running from him, can she find him again to help her through all of this?

A nice quick read that you don't want to give up on because you will maybe find a little more faith in yourself. I was really impressed with how Shannon stepped right up and took control when she needed to and her willingness to try to learn more about the lifestyle and beliefs of her Amish family.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

A Bride For Keeps by Melissa Jagears - Review of the first book in the Unexpected Brides series



The last thing Everett Cline wants is another mail-order bride, what does Rachel think she's doing sending for one without even telling him. The town already laughs and talks about his luck with women. I mean who would want to try a fifth time after the first one arriving DOA and the other three marrying other men, one before she even arrived in Kansas. Not only that he'd originally been jilted by Rachel's sister who married a man and moved back east. NO! He does NOT want to go through with this.

Julia Lockwood feels that men only want her because of her good looks. Her mother died when she was nine years old after Julia 'let' her newborn brother die. According to her father she is to blame for the death of both of them, I don't know who he blamed for all of the other children that were lost, Julia was the only child that survived. Her father used her for a pretty pawn and he was forcing her to marry a man who only wanted her fathers business. When her fiancee pushes her too far and ruins her, Julia knows she has to run. After answering Rachel's ad for a mail-order bride and becoming friends, she goes to Kansas. Then when she's attacked again, in Kansas, she has even stronger feelings about not having a complete marriage or ever having children.

This was a good story about the struggles some mail-order couples went through. Melissa keeps you reading and pulling for the two to 'JUST TALK' to each other. One trusts God to get them through, the other doesn't think they are good enough for God to care about. It looks like this is going to be a great series.