Amish Front Porch Stories by Wanda # Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter & Richelle Brunstetter - Review

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Come & sit awhile as you enjoy

18 INSPIRING SHORT STORIES

set in Amish Country

Amish communities are known for having an atmosphere of peace and quiet, perfect for front-porch sitting with a good book. Join New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter, her daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, as they share 18 heartwarming stories from Amish Country.

These fictional short stories include journeys we can all relate to as we seek how to live with love, joy, peace, patience, and other Fruits of the Spirit. Meet Anna, who struggles to show love to a cantankerous neighbor; Laura, who endures infertility; Nora, whose pride threatens to consume her life; and others who strive to walk in their faith daily.

These stories are sure to warm your heart and brighten your day.

MY  REVIEW

These are very short stories but what good reading material you will find on these pages. If at least one, if not several, of them don't touch on your of own life at some point in time, then you must really be blessed. It may just be the way you think about things/people, how you react to certain situations, how you deal with health problems, etc. Stories about being willing to accept help and having faith.

The Mail-Order Standoff by Angela Breidenbach, Margaret Brownley, Susan Page Davis and Vickie McDonough - Review

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Mail-Order Brides Get Cold Feet

Marriage plans are put on hold in the Old West when four mail-order brides have second thoughts. How will their grooms win their trust?

Right on Time by Angela Breidenbach

MONTANA, 1883

Could two people be less suited than an English gentleman and a western gal who is used to giving the orders? From the wild Montana Territory to the refined Kentucky horse farms, can Timothy prove worthy of Tara's heart?

Pistol-Packin' Bride by Margaret Btownley

PRICKLY PEAR, TEXAS, 1885

Attorney Ben Heywood didn't expect to get shot on his wedding day---and certainly not by his mail-order bride.

The Bride Who Declined by Susan Page Davis

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 1885

Rachel Paxton turns down a mail-order proposal, but a few months later she learns the man she rejected has dies---and left his ranch to her in his will.

Twice the Trouble by Vickie McDonough

CACTUS CREEK, TEXAS,1888

When Connor McLoughlin and his cousin Brian order a pair of mail-order brides, they think they're getting two sweet Irish lasses. But what they get is a stagecoach load of shenanigans.

MY  REVIEW

Four short stories that will make you giggle throughout this book. I do enjoy the novella collections but these were all on the comical side, so yes, I will recommend this book as a must read.

The Amish Candymaker by Laura V Hilton - Review of the second book in The Amish of Mackinac County series

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Agnes Zook finds herself on her own in a small Amish community in Mackinac County after a tragedy kills her family. Most of the Amish call her "off in den Kopf" (strange) since she's starting her own business and forging her own way in the community instead of relying on the bishop to take care of her. Since she's viewed as non-submissive and too-forward for an Amish woman, she's not courted by young men in the area.

Isaac Mast is on the verge of leaving the Amish church. He's become a sought-after auctioneer and has a thriving business, but he feels confined by the strict rules. When his brother is severely injured in a wild fire, Isaac receives a letter from his sister-in-law, begging him to come to Mackinac County to help out while his brother is hospitalized. Isaac agrees but is unsure how to manage their young children when he has weekend auctions he's expected to attend.

Agnes may be he answer to a prayer. Sparks fly when she and Isaac meet. But could their differences help them form a deeper connection to their faith...and each other?

MY  REVIEW

Both of the main characters in this book have quite different personalities from most of the Amish stories I have read, but quite interesting. Laura Hilton always does a great job of writing stories that hold my interest. I would recommend this book as a fun read as you try to keep up with where Agnes and Isaac.

The Rancher Takes a Cook by Misty M Beller - Review of the first book in the Texas Rancher Trilogy

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A Christian Historical Romance Novel

When their South Carolina home burns to the ground, Anna Stewart's only choice is to move with her younger brother to the wilds of a Texas ranch. Their prospects are beginning to look better, until the rancher's son, Jacob O'Brien, shows up with his alarmingly blue eyes to put a kink in Anna's well-controlled plans.

When danger escalates in the form of a band of cattle thieves with deadly intent, can Anna learn to release control to God's capable hands...and those of the blue-eyed cowboy who's stolen her heart?

MY  REVIEW

I can't believe I am just reading this, somehow I missed this series by Misty M. Beller and OHHH, what a mistake that was! As with all of her books that I've read, it is a 'hard to put down' story. You won't go wrong by grabbing a copy!!

Courtships and Carriages by Janet Syas Nitsick - Review of the first book in the Great Plains series

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Courtships and Carriages, a sweet Christian romance, returns readers to the Midwest in 1892, where men who drove fancy carriages like debonair Nolan Brandford could make ladies' hearts flutter, such as Gwen Ward's. Her heart raced every time she saw him, especially when these rides included secret rendezvous, pretty flowers and stolen kisses. ...

Her decision could be an easy one if only her dear-childhood friend, Russ Knudson, a kindhearted, humble man, a man who works with his hands -- a farmer -- was not also vying for her hand. He may not be as refined as Nolan, but his feelings were just as sincere and Gwen's love for him ran deep. And, if only Nolan was not the son of the corrupt mayor and her father, the publisher of a local paper, was not investigating that corruption.

The answer is in her court in Courtships and Carriages which includes intrigue and suspense when a trunk full of mayoral electoral ballots comes up missing.

MY  REVIEW

This was  a nice quick read. The author, new to me, did keep you guessing about what Gwen would do. Her mother and heart pushing her in one direction, her father and loyalty leading her the other way and her brother pushing her one way but willing to support her in whatever she chooses to do.

Searching for You by Jody Hedlund - Review of the third book in the Orphan Train series

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Her Search for a Place to Call Home

Leads Her to the Last Place She Ever Expected

For years, Sophie Neumann has been running from the orphanages of 1850's New York City. Tasked with caring for two younger children, she's determined not to let them be taken from her, and not to abandon them the same way her older sisters did her. But times are growing desperate, and when she falls in with the wrong crowd and witnesses a crime, she realizes fleeing the state is her only option.

Disappearing with her two young charges into a group of orphans heading west by train, Sophie hopes to find safety and a happy life. But when the train stops in Illinois, she faces an agonizing decision as the orphans will be placed in new homes. Afraid she'll lose them forever, she finds help in a familiar face she never expected to see so far from New York.

Reinhold Weiss has finally purchased his own small farm in Illinois. With mounting debts, a harvest to bring in, and past scars that still haunt him, Reinhold is in no position to give his heart away . . . but can he say no when his long-lost friend shows up on a nearby farm pleading for his help?

MY  REVIEW

I don't know WHY I let so much time pass between the reading of each one of the books in this series! What a finish to the Neumann family story, Sophie being the youngest may have struggled the most but had the strongest will. This is a series that you must read in order, oh and there is a short prequell, about half the length of each of the three books in the series, out there, "An Awakened Heart". It is only available on the Kindle or Audible, I just checked and right now they are both FREE if you are interested in reading that. I would highly recommend this series!!

The Farmer's Bride by Kathleen Fuller - Review of the second book in the Amish Brides of Birch Creek series

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They promised to keep each other's secrets . . .

not realizing they were about to make some of their own.

Martha Detweiler has a problem many Amish women her age would envy: she's the only single woman in a community of young men, and they're all competing for her favor. Overwhelmed by the unwanted attention, Martha finds herself constantly fleeing from her would-be suitors, dismayed at what her life has come to.

Birch Creek's resident matchmaker, Cevilla Schlabach, suggests a solution: Martha and the bishop's son, Seth Yoder, should pretend they are dating. What better way to keep the other young men away?

But Seth is the only man around not interested in Martha. He has a secret hobby that keeps him away from social gatherings: woodcarving. Having grown up in poverty,he's determined to keep his father's farm successful, even if it means he has no time for dating. Then Delilah Stoll, a new resident of Birch Creek, eyes Seth as the perfect man for her granddaughter. Suddenly Cevilla's proposition doesn't seem all that ludicrous. Can Seth and Martha convince their family and friends to leave them alone?

The second book in bestselling author Kathleen Fuller's Amish Brides of Birch Creek series, The Farmer's Bride celebrates the unexpected power of love and the joy of discovering God's calling.

MY  REVIEW

Yet another great story by Kathleen Fuller, I really enjoy her books and this one was no different. I am looking forward to the next one in the series, "The Innkeeper's Bride" which was just recently released. Grab a copy of "The Farmer's Bride" and enjoy!