Rhe’s Bookshelf: A Mother’s Secret

 

Summary:

 

Carolyn Lapp dreams of marrying for love. But will the errors of her past destroy this dream forever? Carolyn Lapp longs to have a traditional Amish family. But she lives on her brother’s farm with her parents and her 15-year old son, Benjamin. Carolyn has never revealed the identity of Benjamin’s father and lives daily with the guilt and shame of her youthful indiscretion. Her brother simply will not forgive her. His answer is to arrange a practical marriage for Carolyn to Saul, a widower with a little girl. But Carolyn isn’t convinced that Saul really loves her and believes he is simply looking for someone to help raise his daughter. When Benjamin causes trouble at a local horse auction, horse breeder Joshua Glick decides that he must be taught a lesson. Carolyn and Joshua are unmistakably drawn to each other, but Joshua mistakenly assumes that Benjamin is Carolyn’s brother. Carolyn fears that if he discovers the truth, her past will destroy their budding romance. After years of shame and loneliness, Carolyn suddenly has two men vying for her attention. But which of them will give her the family – and the unconditional love – she’s longed for?

Review:

This is my first Amy Clipson book, but I’m officially an Amish book lover.  I’m a succor for a sweet romance story, along the lines of the Harlequin Love Inspired books (which I also love by the way).  You get your romance and your strong story.  Ms Clip does an extrodinary job combining sweet romance and story – and the Amish life.  She includes quite a controversial subject, which was kind of interesting to me.  I’ve not read another Amish book that touched on it before.  I really liked how she handled it, discussing God’s love and forgiveness and how pride can get in the way of that.  There were so many underlying stories of God’s grace and love, of forgiveness and honesty.  The one part that I didn’t care for in the book, also happened to be a cool part.  I know, I know, that is completely ridiculous sounding.  There was a lot of Amish words thrown in.  Most of the Amish books I’ve read do this, but this one was heavy on the Amish words.  There was a glossery and they were easy enough to infer from the sentence.  However, it was just enough to trip you up in your head when you were on a roll reading.  But, it was kind of cool learning a lot of the words that I had not previously heard. This is the second book within this series and I’m interested to read the next one. I may or may not move backward and find the first one to read.

overall I would give it 4.5 stars.  I would definitely recommend this to someone who appreciated this genre of book, but maybe not for an Amish newbie.

**I was provided this book in partnership with BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  As always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Rhe’s Bookshelf: Christmas in Apple Ridge


  
synopsis:  Christmas in Apple Ridge is a 3-n-1 novella series.

The Sound of Sleigh Bells
Beth Hertzler is unable to let go of a past tragedy, but when she discovers a large, intricately carvedscene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds. Determined that her niece meet the gifted artist, her aunt tracks him down, but it’s not that simple – will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love?
  

The Christmas Singing
Mattie thought her childhood sweetheart adored her until he abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve. Brokenhearted, Mattie moves away and pursues her longtime dream of becoming a cake
    decorator, and even finds a new beau. But when Mattie is forced to return home three years later, will 
    learning the truth behind Gideon’s rejection restore her Christmas joy – or open the door to even deeper       heartbreak?

 The Dawn of Christmas
Sadie enjoys her freedom away from home and her mission trips to Peru, but after four years, her Old Order Amish family insists it’s time to come home and settle down. Levi, a bachelor who distrusts women after a family heartbreak, also has no desire for romance. To keep their families from meddling in their lives, Sadie and Levi devise a plan—but soon discover that the walls around their hearts are breaking down. Can they let go of their prejudices, learn to trust each other, and embrace a future together?

What I Thought: 

I am becoming such a lover of these Amish stories, and most especially those by Cindy Woodsmall.  She is who really won me over in the first place.  Again her stories have had the ability to draw me into these beautiful and romantic stories.  Stories of promise and new beginnings.  These stories are always full of hope and warmth.  I really can’t get enough of them and am always anxiously awaiting when I can get my hands on another one.  I loved that the three stories intertwined with each other, and we were able to see what happened after another character’s book is over.  The last one, The Dawn of Christmas, wasn’t my absolute favorite.  I didn’t get into the characters like I did the others.  The book probably deserved to be a little bit longer.  It felt hurried during parts of it.

All in all these books, together, will hold a place on my “books I’d read again again” bookshelf.

Thanks Cindy!

5 out of 5 Stars

visit Cindy’s website and because I’m totally obsessed with Book Trailers (I really want to be in one now!)
here’s the one for this Novella

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Rhe’s Bookshelf – For Every Season

For Every Season
by Cindy Woodsmall

 

 

Summary
Working hard to develop a new Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is fully committed to rehabilitating an orchard with business partner Samuel King. But an impulsive decision has created an unexpected strain in her relationship with her beau, Samuel’s brother, Jacob, threatening plans for the orchard. Amidst mounting tension in matters of the heart and business, Rhoda finds that this fledging settlement feels like the home she has always longed for, and she begins to embrace the God-given, heightened intuition that has always felt like a burden to her. She longs for Jacob to fully be free of his past, so they can work towards the future together.
But as Rhoda uses her gift to unpack an old secret with her Englisch neighbors, it is not her beau but an unlikely ally that cheers her on. With the orchard on shaky ground and Jacob’s plans in question, Rhoda is determined to see things through to harvest. But can she trust her insight to direct her path in matters of the heart?
What I thought
I was so thrilled to be able to continue reading this series, thanks to WaterBrook Press.  Cindy Woodsmall’s Amish Vines and Orchards series was my very first Amish book experience.  You can read my previous reviews from this series here and here.  I am so in love with these characters and how Ms Woodsmall portrays them.  You feel as if you are there with them and you truly wish nothing but the best for them.  Ms Woodsmall’s writing style is easy and familiar.  It isn’t simple though.   She does a fantastic job of weaving an intricate, complex tale with an ease about it.  I think this would be such a wonderful book for older teenage girls, however I love it at the age of thirty.  It isn’t all rainbows and sunshines in real life, and this series doesn’t attempt build some sort of fairy tale view of Amish life, or life in general.  It certainly isn’t a downer, but its real.  That’s what drew me, and kept me, with these stories in the first place.  As I’ve mentioned in past reviews, I’m not usually a Amish book reader.  I was concerned that it wouldn’t be relatable, or just plain boring.  Not the case.  I can not believe that I have to wait until April of next year for the next book in the series!!  I don’t want to wait!!!
5 out of 5 Stars!  ( I will read this book again!!)
Here’s a peak at the cover for Seasons of Tomorrow

 

  And *cough cough*, if you happen to read this Cindy, after watching the book trailer I know am hoping for a Hallmark Movie series based off these books!  It was torture watching this!!

 

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