Pine Creek Courtship (Pine Creek #1) by Amity Hope

 

Love may be right around the corner in the heartwarming, sweet, and gentle Pine Creek series from Amity Hope.

After the death of her beloved father, Emma Ziegler just wants to keep her family’s maple syrup farm afloat and raise her two young siblings. But when her meddling aunt’s first choice of a husband for her turns out to be Emma’s last choice—Pine Creek’s most notorious bachelor—Emma grows desperate. Her aunt won’t listen, no matter how much she tries to tell her the man in no way embodies the Amish values of faith or hard work.

Kind and industrious Levi Bontrager has always wanted to protect his best friend Emma, even after a secret from their youth left them growing apart. Which is why he steps in to claim that Emma cannot wed anyone else, as she is currently courting him. Yes, the small lie leaves him feeling guilty, but Levi’s hope is that if he can win back the beautiful Emma’s trust, he can also win over her heart...for real.

But can a courtship that began just for show ever blossom into a true romance that could save both their futures? 

My thoughts:

Amity Hope is a new to me author, since Amish fiction is one of my genres, I knew I wanted to read this novel.  I am so glad that I did.  Not only did I find a new author but I found a wonderfully written story with a whole cast of likable characters and community to immerse myself in.  I felt at home there and will gladly revisit at my earliest opportunity.

I adored Emma Ziegler, her siblings and Levi Bontrager. There is of course a bit of sadness as Emma’s father has died and she’s left with more responsibility than she should have for someone so young.  The story isn’t new but the storyteller is and she added her unique skills to this sweet, heartrending novel.

Kudos to Amity Hope for crafting such a perfectly paced story that I will read again and highly recommend to others. I look forward to the next book in this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron

Based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation in World War II—from fashion houses to the city streets—comes a story of two courageous women who risked everything to fight an evil they couldn’t abide.

Paris, 1939. Maison Chanel has closed, thrusting haute couture dressmaker Lila de Laurent out of the world of high fashion as Nazi soldiers invade the streets and the City of Lights slips into darkness. Lila’s life is now a series of rations, brutal restrictions, and carefully controlled propaganda while Paris is cut off from the rest of the world. Yet in hidden corners of the city, the faithful pledge to resist. Lila is drawn to La Resistance and is soon using her skills as a dressmaker to infiltrate the Nazi elite. She takes their measurements and designs masterpieces, all while collecting secrets in the glamorous Hôtel Ritz—the heart of the Nazis’ Parisian headquarters. But when dashing René Touliard suddenly reenters her world, Lila finds her heart tangled between determination to help save his Jewish family and bolstering the fight for liberation.

Paris, 1943. Sandrine Paquet’s job is to catalog the priceless works of art bound for the Führer’s Berlin, masterpieces stolen from prominent Jewish families. But behind closed doors, she secretly forages for information from the underground resistance. Beneath her compliant façade lies a woman bent on uncovering the fate of her missing husband . . . but at what cost? As Hitler’s regime crumbles, Sandrine is drawn in deeper when she uncrates an exquisite blush Chanel gown concealing a cryptic message that may reveal the fate of a dressmaker who vanished from within the fashion elite.

Told across the span of the Nazi occupation, The Paris Dressmaker highlights the brave women who used everything in their power to resist darkness and restore light to their world. 

My thoughts:

There were so many things to like about his book and I appreciate and respect the amount of time that must have been spent researching and writing this novel.  The title and cover caught my attention and I enjoyed it, but unfortunately this one just didn’t hold my interest for very long.

I know that many other readers loved it, but it wasn’t for me.

I received a copy from the publisher though Netgalley.  All opinions are completely my own.

Secrets of Willow Springs 3 (The Amish of Lawrence County) by Tracy Fredrychowski

 

Can an English family find peace deep in Amish country in this Christian Amish series filled with lies and deception?

Secrets from the past make a full circle as Daniel Miller faces the truth about his Amish family.

Raised English, he was left to fight his way through foster care, believing he had no living relatives other than his imprisoned mother. Only after finding his biological sister, Emma, was he made aware of Bishop Shetler's lies and deceit.

When life becomes to hard to bear will Daniel turn his back on his family, and drown the pain like his father did so many years ago? Can he forgive the man who ignored his existence, and will Katie Yoder be able to help him see God’s true plan?

My thoughts:

I have been waiting for Daniel’s story because he has been one of my favorites throughout this series.  I was definitely not disappointed, surprised, for sure, but it was not completely unexpected, given everything he has been through.  I suggest you read the first two books to get to know what the characters have experienced and how far they have come.

I have enjoyed getting to know these flawed characters and already miss spending time with them, but I imagine the author is already working on creating new places to visit and new characters for her readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions are completely my own.

Blackberry Beach (Hope Harbor,#7) by Irene Hannon

                                                                          Book Synopsis

Katherine Parker is on the cusp of having everything she ever wanted--fame, money, and acclaim. So why isn't she happy? In search of answers, she comes incognito to Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast for some R&R. Maybe in her secluded rental house overlooking the serene Pacific she'll be able to calm the storm inside.

Coffee shop owner Zach Garrett has found his niche after a traumatic loss--and he has no plans to change the life he's created. Nor does he want to get involved with his reticent new neighbor, whose past is shrouded in mystery. He's had enough drama to last a lifetime. But when Katherine and Zach are recruited to help rehab a home for foster children, sparks fly. And as their lives begin to intersect, might they find more common ground than they expected . . . and discover that, with love, all things are possible?

Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon invites you to come home to Hope Harbor--where hearts heal . . . and love blooms. 

My thoughts:

It was nice to return to Hope Harbor, one of my favorite fictional towns.  I have always thought if this place existed, I would love spend some time there, but through the writing of Ms. Hannon, it felt like I was there with Zach Garrett, Katherine Parker and a few more wonderful characters on the Oregon Coast.

I liked Zach immediately and grew even more fond of him as the story progressed.  It took some time before I liked Katherine, but, in time, she became a favorite. It was fun to see Charlie again with his Taco’s and meeting Zach’s family and the barista in his coffee shop.   

I thought Blackberry Beach was a perfectly paced, engaging novel and would be a perfect beach read.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

 

The Indebted Earl (Serendipity & Secrets #3) by Erica Vetsch review & GIVEAWAY

                                                                     About the book:

Can Captain Wyvern keep his new marriage of convenience all business--or will it turn into something more?

Captain Charles Wyvern owes a great debt to the man who saved his life--especially since Major Richardson lost his own life in the process. The best way to honor that hero's dying wish is for Wyvern to escort the man's grieving fiance and mother safely to a new cottage home by the sea. But along the way, he learns of another obligation that has fallen on his shoulders: his uncle has died and the captain is now the Earl of Rothwell.

When he and the ladies arrive at his new manor house in Devon, they discover an estate in need of a leader and a gaggle of girls, all wards of the former earl. War the new earl knows; young ladies and properties he does not. Still wishing to provide for the bereaved Lady Sophia Haverly, Charles proposes a marriage of convenience.

Sophie is surprised to find she isn't opposed to the idea. It will help her care for her betrothed& elderly mother, and she already fallen in love with the wayward girls on the Rothwell estate. This alliance is a chance to repay the captain who has done so much for her care, as well as divert her attention from her grief. When Wyvern returns to his sea commission, she will stay behind to oversee his property and wards.

It sounds so simple. Until the stalwart captain is arrested on suspicion of smuggling, and Sophie realizes how much he's come to mean to her.  Now, she'll have to fight, not only for his freedom but also for his love.

Click HERE to read an EXCERPT

My thoughts:

This has been my favorite book in this series penned by Ms. Vetsch. I  honestly loved the other two books, but this one had my undivided attention from the first page.  The characters are engaging as they have been throughout, he series, but I found myself drawn to Charles and Sophia much more than I had anticipated. I couldn’t wait to find out what paths they would take.

A marriage of convenience is always interesting to me so that piqued my curiously and had me reading as fast as I could. This isn’t just a marriage of convenience story, there is so many tender, fun moments involving three children who are suddenly without a guardian and need to rely on Arthur and Sophia to help them.  The secondary characters are just as interesting and entertaining in this novel, too.

Overall, I thought this is one of the best Regency novels I had had the pleasure of reading. The characters are well developed, the storyline is interesting, the pace is perfect and it’s just well worth the read.

About the author:

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.

Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.

A self-described history geek, she has been planning her first research trip to England.

Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books here

She can also be found on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest

GIVEAWAY

Click HERE to ENTER

A Patchwork Past (Plain Patterns #2) by Leslie Gould

                                                                           Bok Synopsis

When wild child Sophie Deiner--the daughter of an Amish bishop--is forced to return to Nappanee, Indiana, quilt-shop owner Jane Berger is one of only a few who welcome her back. It's the last place she wants to be, but Sophie's recent illness requires that she recover for a while.

As Sophie heals, she befriends a group of migrant workers and is appalled to learn of the wretched living conditions they're forced to endure. Sophie begins advocating on their behalf, but soon finds herself opposed by an ex-boyfriend who is the farm foreman.

Jane begins relating the story of an Amish couple who rescued survivors of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, many of whom were Irish immigrants. And Sophie is more convinced than ever that she needs to fight for the powerless. But when digging deeper makes conditions even worse, has she chosen a fight she can't win? 

My thoughts:

I absolutely loved this time slip novel penned by Ms. Gould and was happy to spend time with some new characters and reconnect with Jane, one of my favorites in the series and the owner of the local quilt shop.  Jane is such a sweet, warm lady and just the kind of friend that Sophie Deiner needs when she returns to her Amish family to rest from her illness.

The different elements within the storyline are fantastic and woven together seamlessly, from present day Sophie and her interactions with a group of migrant workers to the story of her Amish ancestors who rescued survivors of the Chicago Fire in 1861.  It is such an interesting read that I quickly got caught up in it and I was sorry to see it end.  I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.  Highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher.  All opinions are complexly my own.

Joy to the World: A Regency Christmas Collection by Carolyn Miller, Amanda Barratt, Erica Vetsch

 

                                                                          Book SynopsisInspirational Regency romance with a Christmas twist from three best-selling authors

In Joy to the World, three popular romance authors come together to offer a heartwarming collection of holiday Regency romance. Based on lines from a beloved Christmas carol, these three novellas have depth, faith, and satisfying stories all packed into the perfect length for readers to curl up and take a brief break from their holiday busyness.

"Heaven and Nature Sing" by Carolyn Miller
Two music lovers, deeply devoted to each other, were on the brink of engagement when family circumstances drove them apart. How can they ever overcome both their obligations and their fears to find their way back into each other's arms?

"Far as the Curse Is Found" by Amanda Barratt
One winter night, a woman struggling to provide for her illegitimate child encounters a scarred veteran of the Napoleonic Wars on the streets of London. Can love conquer the darkness of two broken pasts?

"Wonders of His Love" by Erica Vetsch
A Scots portrait painter finds work at a noble manor house over the holidays. He never imagined he'd fall in love with the emotionally frozen widow there. Now he wants nothing more than to thaw her heart.

My thoughts:

I love all three of the authors included in this collection, so I knew this would be a book that I would enjoy and would make a great addition to my keeper shelf.

It was impossible to choose a favorite because all three stories were everything I expected from three of my favorite authors.

This collection made me smile and I thought of the characters long after I finished reading  this lovely book.

I received a copy from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.