The Tinderbox by Beverly Lewis

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I've marveled at Dat's ability to accept the Old Ways so readily,  modern upbringing.

Mamma says it's like he was born to be Amish.

Maybe so, but all the same, I wished I knew something more about his past.

With her parents' twentieth anniversary approaching, eighteen-year-old Sylvia Miller finds her father's cherished brass tinderbox left unlocked. Against her better judgment, Sylvia opens the heirloom, not realizing that what she is about to discover will splinter apart her happy life and alter everything for her close-knit Old Order Amish family. As the long-kept secret emerges into the light of day, can the Millers find a way forward through the turmoil to a place of forgiveness?

MY  REVIEW

First off, yes I very much enjoyed the book, but, if you happen to have "The Timepiece" also or if you purchased that one and not this book, you really need to get, and read, "The Tinderbox" first. These are listed as novels but I would consider it a series to be read in order, as I'm starting "This Timepiece" as soon as I'm done with my review.

Beverly does her exceptional job of writing and keeping you interested, then WHAMO that last chapter throws you into needing that next book. I was lucky that my daughter got me both books for Mother's Day so I don't have to wait to get it. I'm also glad I looked to see when the books were published so I read this one first, there are only five months difference in publication dates.

This is a  must read if you enjoy Beverly's books, Amish stories and books of faith and forgiveness.

 

Lacy by Shanna Hatfield - Review of the fifth book in the Pendleton Petticoats series

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(Copied from Amazon.com)

Will the bonds of love be stronger than the bonds of tradition?

Eager to make her own way in the world, Lacy Williams leaves behind her family on the Umatilla Reservation and accepts a job in Pendleton at the telephone office as an operator. The work she takes in stride, but dealing with the unfamiliar, unsettling feelings stirred by the handsome banker across the street is an entirely different matter.

Grant Hill wants a wife.

However, not just any wife will do. If that were the case, he'd make an announcement at the mercantile and cause a stampede to the church. Grant wants a woman who will look beyond his material wealth and see into his heart. When he's all but given up on the possibility that such a woman exists, he runs into the lovely Lacy Williams.

The two of them must strive to discover if the bonds of love are stronger than the bonds of tradition in this sweet historical western romance.

MY  REVIEW

Yet another enjoyable story by Shanna Hatfield. This has been a great series with about down and out people turning their life in a positive direction, faith, and a lot of willingness to see the good in everyone and helping anyone who needs it. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Oh, and you really do need to read the series in order.

Marnie by Shanna Hatfield - Review of the fourth book in the Pendleton Petticoats series

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(copied from Amazon.com)

Only one man's love

Will redeem her past. . .

Condemned to a future of shame and regret, Marnie Jones battles to keep going one day at a time. Divested of hope, she's all but given up when a handsome stranger arrives in town. Desperate for the marshal to ride out of Pendleton, Marnie fears he'll rekindle the embers of her broken dreams into a roaring flame before he leaves.

Married to his career, US Marshal Lars Thorsen avoids relationships of any kind. Spending his days transporting prisoners, guarding political figures, and chasing down fugitives, he doesn't have room in his life for feelings or emotions. Especially not the tender, protective feelings stirred by the woman who wants him or the two orphans who need him.

MY REVIEW

It's been a while since I've read a book in this series and once I started this one I hated myself for waiting so long. I loved this series since the first book and none of them have failed to keep my interest. I hate to stop reading even for appointments or sleep, lol. 

I will say that you really should read this series in order and I don't think you will be disappointed. I only have five books left in the series, unless she writes more. Shanna Hatfield is an author that I follow diligently, yes, she's that good!

 

Courting Can Be Killer by Amanda Flower - Review of the second book in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery series

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Between minding a pair of rambunctious goats, meetings with her

quilting circle, and matchmaking, Millie Fisher has plenty to keep

her busy through her golden years. But the witty widow always

makes time to solve the odd murder . . .

Some Amish men don't know what's good for them. That's what Millie Fisher told herself when young Ben Baughman set his heart on marrying Tess Lieb. With Tess's father refusing to give his blessing and Tess's ex-boyfriend being a wet blanket, the hapless couple was bound to buttheads mroe than Millie's Boer Goats. But when Ben tragically dies in a mysterious fire, Millie wonders if someone in her hometown of Harvest, Ohio, wanted Ben out of the wedding picture altogether ...

With the help of her quilting buddies, and her outspoken Englischer friend Lois, Millie is determined to patch together all the clues without even dropping a stitch. She only hopes it won't be the death of her ...

MY  REVIEW

This one was hard to figure out, I kind of had an idea towards the end but wasn't positive. Just wait until you find out the truth and why the murder happened. Great job Amanda Flower. And now we have to wait until November 30, 2021 for the next mystery, WOW! Well I guess you don't want too many murder mysteries in Amish country so I'll give you that, give them some 'normal' time for a while, lol.

 

Matchmaking Can Be Murder by Amanda Flower - Review of the First book in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery series

 

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When widowed Millie Fisher moves back to her childhood home of Harvest, Ohio, she notices one thing right away--the young Amish are bungling their courtships and marrying the wrong people! A quiltmaker by trade, Millie has nevertheless stitched together a few lives in her time, with truly romantic results. Her first mission? Her own Niece, widowed gardener Edith Hochstetler, recently engaged to rude, greedy Zeke Miller. Anyone can see he's not right for such a gentle young woman--except Edith herself.

Pleased when she convinces the bride-to-be to leave her betrothed before the wedding, Millie is later panicked to find Zeke in Edith's greenhouse--as dead as a tulip in the middle of winter. To keep her niece out of prison--and to protect her own reputation--Millie will have to piece together a patchwork of clues to find a killer, before she becomes the next name on his list. . .

MY  REVIEW

This must have been a good book as I read it quickly and the author keeps you guessing until the very end who the real murderer is, and why! Now on to the next book in the series, "Courting Can Be Killer"! Grab a copy and enjoy.

A Welcome at Our Door by Amy Clipston - Review of the 4th book in An Amish Homestead Novel

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After a devastating loss, Cindy Riehl is still searching for peace.

Will she find it in the community she calls home--

or will love send her down a new path?

Over the last few years, Cindy Riehl--the youngest of the Riehl children--has watched her siblings find love and happiness in Lancaster County. But as her family has settled down and grown, Cindy has continued to grieve her mother, whose death left an enormous hole in her heart. Since that haunting day, Cindy has struggled to find peace and wonders if the community is the place for her--and if her faith in God will ever feel the same as it once did.

When a handsome and kind Englisher named Drew crosses Cindy's path one surprising day, the two of them become fast and easy friends. Drew dreams of starting a family after some losses of his own, and before long, he and Cindy discover that their feelings for each other are romantic. As they spend more time together--often in secret--Cindy is drawn further and further away from the Amish community and the family she loves. In time, she is faced with a difficult choice that threatens to upend her world.

Will Cindy find contentment and love, and will she ever find restored comfort in God and her beloved community? In this final installment of the Amish Homestead series, we return to the charming town of Bird0in0Hand for a story of healing family, and God's perfect provision.

MY REVIEW

The author pulls you right in to this story, starting with the loss of family she soon has you upset, then it goes back and forth from crying, to anger until you come to the very teary section. Be sure you have some tissues handy. What a way to end a series!!!

The Bartered Bride Romance Collection by Cathy Marie Hake, Kelly Eileen Hake, JoAnn A Grote, Amy Rognlie, Janelle Burnham Schneider, Lynette Sowell and Pamela Kaye Tracy

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(copied from Amazon.com)

Treasure this beautiful collection packed with all of the angst of romance founded upon practical arrangements. Four sisters travel in answer to an ad before even corresponding with potential husbands. Two women bend to the will of their parents in taking husbands. A widow commits to a stranger in name only. And two women on the Oregon Trail hitch their lives to men they've just met. Will love blossom for convenience sake?

MY  REVIEW

Nine very entertaining stories, four of them deal with sisters so it is kind of like a longer story but very good. I enjoyed this book very much.