The Devoted by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About the Book

★★★★✩
Goodreads | Amazon

Fan favorite Suzanne Woods Fisher offers readers tender romance, humor, and plenty of surprises.

Bright, curious, and restless, Ruthie Stoltzfus loves her family but is stuck in a sea of indecision about her future: Should she stay Amish? Or should she leave? She's done all she can to prepare to go—passed the GED, saved her money—but she can't quite set her journey into motion.

Patrick Kelly is a young man on a journey of his own. He's come to Stoney Ridge to convert to the Amish and has given himself thirty days to learn the language, drive a buggy, and adapt to "everything Plain." Time, to Patrick, is of the essence. Every moment is to be cherished, especially the hours he spends with Ruthie, his Penn Dutch tutor.

Ruthie's next-door neighbor and cunning ex-boyfriend, Luke Schrock, is drawn to trouble like a moth to a flame. Rebellious, headstrong, defiant, Luke will do anything to win Ruthie back--"anything"—and Patrick Kelly is getting in his way.

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites readers back to Stoney Ridge for a story of dreams deferred and hopes fulfilled—complete with Fisher's signature twists that never fail to leave readers delighted. 

The Friday 56: The Vile Village

Hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.

  

Happy Friday!

Recently, I've been having fun reading through A Series of Unfortunate Events, which I shamefully neglected in my younger years, so I decided to spotlight one this week. I haven't quite reached the seventh book yet, The Vile Village, but I will, fingers crossed, soon. Enjoy!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Silent Songbird & Heartless

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Happy Wednesday!

I do love a good fairytale retelling (and these authors have always delighted me with their stories), so I'm excited to get my hands on these two books soon.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Halloween-Related Elements

Hosted weekly by The Broke and the Bookish.



Happy Tuesday!

Since it's the last Tuesday in October, it's time to talk about Halloween-related books. I don't read a lot of horror, so some of my choices might seem like a bit of a stretch. Still, each of these books has an element (or two) that reminds me of Halloween.

A Sister's Wish by Shelley Shepard Gray

About the Book

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

In Shelley Shepard Gray's third book in her Charmed Amish Life series, a respectable young woman finds herself falling for an Amish man from the wrong side of the tracks.

Amelia Kinsinger is the perfect Amish woman—at least according to her neighbors. And while Amelia takes pride in her role as homemaker, she's also harboring a secret: She's been in love with bad boy Simon Hochstetler for as long as she can remember. Too bad he's about as far from "perfect" as an Amish man could get...but that's exactly why she's so drawn to him.

Life hasn't been kind to Simon. He ran away from an abusive home at fifteen and things went downhill from there. Eventually, Simon landed in prison. But the experience changed him. Now back in Charm as a grown man, he's determined to make a new life for himself and not think too much about his wild past...unless it pertains to Amelia.

He's loved Amelia for years. To him, she represents everything good and kind in the world. When he realizes that she returns his affections, he starts calling on her in secret, even though her older brother Lukas—who just happens to be Simon's best friend—has made it perfectly clear that Amelia deserves better. Simon disagrees and believes he's the only one who can truly make her happy. 

But when Amelia gets hurt, it sets off a chain of events that forces them to consider their future together—and face their past mistakes. There's a chance for love...but only if Simon dares to trust Amelia with the secrets of his past.

An Amish Family Christmas by Shelley Shepard Gray

About the Book

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

In Shelley Shepard Gray's fourth book in her Charmed Amish Life series, an unlikely Amish romance reveals that Christmas is a time for family, miracles—and love.

Ever since his father died in a tragic fire, Levi Kinsinger has felt adrift. Newly returned to Charm, Ohio, Levi is trying to fit into his old life, only to discover he seems to have outgrown it.

But when Julia, his young widowed neighbor, asks for his help with a Christmas project, Levi finds a sense of purpose for the first time in months. She and her daughter are new to Charm and could use a friend, a job Levi takes personally. Soon enough, friendship grows into attraction, but Levi can't help having doubts. There's something about Julia that doesn't ring quite true...

Like Levi, Julia Kemps has survived her fair share of hardships—but only by hiding the truth of her past. Being an unmarried mother in an Amish community was unthinkable. Feeling hopeless, Julia did the only thing she could do: she moved to a new town and pretended to be a widow. But meeting Levi, she's hopeful for the first time. Little by little, she begins to imagine telling him her darkest secret, and eventually...perhaps even sharing her life with him. 

Christmas is a time for family, and as the holiday draws closer, Julia and Levi will have to face their pasts together...in order to find the healing, support and love they so desperately desire.

The Sound of Silver Birthday Blog Tour & Giveaway

Welcome to The Sound of Silver birthday blog tour!

Today I’m joining the celebration of Rachelle Rea Cobb’s second installment in her Steadfast Love series. An inspirational historical romance set during the 16^th century, The Sound of Silver continues a lovely story, rich in detail and characterization, and captivates the heart and imagination.

So, take a few minutes right now and learn a little more about Silver, its series and author—and the rocking giveaway! (Make sure you enter using the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post to win the lovely necklace pictured and your choice of any of the Steadfast Love titles!)

The Friday 56: The Sound of Diamonds

Hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.

  

Happy Friday!

It's time to celebrate Rachelle Rea Cobb's Steadfast Love series! In honor of Book Two, The Sound of Silver, she's hosting a fun birthday blog tour and giveaway for a couple weeks. Since today's the day of my tour post, I decided to continue spreading the (steadfast 😉 ) love over here and feature a quote from Book One, The Sound of Diamonds. Enjoy!

Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life's Storms by Tim Tebow with A.J. Gregory

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Who are you when life is steady? 
Who are you when storms come?

Most of us have been on the receiving end of rejection, a broken dream, or heartbreak. And while this is not an easy space to go through, when we are grounded in the truth, we can endure the tough times.

In this powerful book, Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow passionately shares glimpses of his journey staying grounded in the face of disappointment, criticism, and intense media scrutiny. Following an exceptional college football career with the Florida Gators and a promising playoff run with the Denver Broncos, Tebow was traded to the New York Jets. He was released after one season. 

In Shaken, Tebow talks about what he’s learned along the way, building confidence in his identity in God, not the world. This moving book also features practical wisdom from Scripture and insights gained from others who have impacted Tebow in life-changing ways. 

Though traveling hard roads is not easy, it’s always worth it!

Child of the River by Irma Joubert

★★★★✩
Goodreads | Amazon

Persomi’s dreams are much bigger than the world of poverty and deprivation that surround her in the Bushveld of the 1940s and 1950s in South Africa.

Persomi is young, white and poor, born the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers on the prosperous Fourie farm. Persomi’s world is extraordinarily small. She has never been to the local village and spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her. Her older brother, Gerbrand, is her lifeline and her connection to the outside world. When he leaves the farm to seek work in Johannesburg, Persomi’s isolated world is blown wide open. But as her very small world falls apart, bigger dreams become open to her—dreams of an education, a profession, and of love. As Persomi navigates the changing world around her—the tragedies of WWII and the devastating racial strife of her homeland—she finally discovers who she truly is and where she belongs.

A compelling coming of age story with an unlikely and utterly memorable heroine, Persomi’s English language publication solidifies Irma Joubert’s important place in the canon of inspirational historical fiction.

Waiting on Wednesday: A Portrait of Emily Price & The Shattered Vigil

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Top Ten Tuesday: Character Names I'd Consider Using on a Child

Hosted weekly by The Broke and the Bookish.

The Ramblers by Aidan Donnelley Rowley

About the Book

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

For fans of J. Courtney Sullivan, Meg Wolitzer, Claire Messud, and Emma Straub, a gorgeous and absorbing novel of a trio of confused souls struggling to find themselves and the way forward in their lives, set against the spectacular backdrop of contemporary New York City.

Set in the most magical parts of Manhattan—the Upper West Side, Central Park, Greenwich Village—The Ramblers explores the lives of three lost souls, bound together by friendship and family. During the course of one fateful Thanksgiving week, a time when emotions run high and being with family can be a mixed blessing, Rowley’s sharply defined characters explore the moments when decisions are deliberately made, choices accepted, and pasts reconciled.

Clio Marsh, whose bird-watching walks through Central Park are mentioned in New York Magazine, is taking her first tentative steps towards a relationship while also looking back to the secrets of her broken childhood. Her best friend, Smith Anderson, the seemingly-perfect daughter of one of New York’s wealthiest families, organizes the lives of others as her own has fallen apart. And Tate Pennington has returned to the city, heartbroken but determined to move ahead with his artistic dreams.

Rambling through the emotional chaos of their lives, this trio learns to let go of the past, to make room for the future and the uncertainty and promise that it holds. The Ramblers is a love letter to New York City—an accomplished, sumptuous novel about fate, loss, hope, birds, friendship, love, the wonders of the natural world and the mysteries of the human spirit.

Accelerant by Ronie Kendig

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

He'll destroy the world. But first he has to save it.

The Nine Kingdoms bleed. Leaderless, ravaged, the land awaits deliverance from Poired Dyrth's devastating campaign. But what if one blight can only be cleansed by another?

The promised Fierian is known by many names. Judge. Destroyer. Scourge. And now one other: Haegan, Prince of Seultrie. Once a cripple, now a gifted Accelerant, Haegan can no longer run from the truth. But neither can he be reconciled to it. He knows only one thing for certain: as the only able-bodied heir to the Fire Throne, he must return to the Nine and fight for his people.

But there are insidious forces at work. When reality itself falls into question, Haegan struggles to know where to fight, who to trust. Caught between duty to his country and duty to the world, Haegan must see clearly enough to choose the right path to save his devastated world. 

The Friday 56: Accelerant

Hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.

Happy Friday!

Today is also the (very exciting) release day for Ronie Kendig's second Abiassa's Fire book, Accelerant. So, to celebrate, I'm sharing a delightful little snippet from it. Readers of fantasy, be sure to check this book!

Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cossette

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

In the depth of the storm's shadow, only truth can light her way. 

Having escaped Egypt with the other Hebrews during the Exodus, Shira is now living in freedom at the foot of Mt. Sinai, upon which rests the fiery glowing Cloud containing the shekinah glory of God. When the people disobey Yahweh and build a golden idol, the ensuing chaos gives Shira an unexpected opportunity to learn the arts of midwifery. Although her mother wishes for her to continue in the family weaving trade, Shira's gifts shine brightest when she assists with deliveries. In defiance of her mother, Shira pursues her heart's calling to become an apprentice midwife.

When a delivery goes horribly wrong, Shira finds herself bound to a man who betrayed her, the caretaker of three young children, and the target of a vengeful woman whose husband was killed by Shira's people, the Levites. As contention between the Hebrew tribes and the foreigners fans the flames of another dangerous rebellion, Shira will come face-to-face with the heartbreak of her past that she has kept hidden for so long. How can she let go of all that has defined her to accept the love she's denied herself and embrace who she truly is?

Waiting on Wednesday: Wild Montana Skies & Where Two Hearts Meet

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read Because of a Recommendation

Hosted weekly by The Broke and the Bookish.

The Invoice by Jonas Karlsson

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Hilarious, profound, and achingly true-to-life, Jonas Karlsson’s novel explores the true nature of happiness through the eyes of hero you won’t soon forget.

A passionate film buff, our hero’s life revolves around his part-time job at a video store, the company of a few precious friends, and a daily routine that more often than not concludes with pizza and movie in his treasured small space in Stockholm. When he receives an astronomical invoice from a random national bureaucratic agency, everything will tumble into madness as he calls the hotline night and day to find out why he is the recipient of the largest bill in the entire country.

What is the price of a cherished memory? How much would you pay for a beautiful summer day? How will our carefree idealist, who is content with so little and has no chance of paying it back, find a way out of this mess? All these questions pull you through The Invoice and prove once again that Jonas Karlsson is simply a master of entertaining, intelligent, and life-affirming work.

The Friday 56: When I Fall in Love

Hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.

  
Happy Friday!

This week, because it's World Smile Day, I'm sharing from the first Christiansen Family book I read, When I Fall in Love. Not only does the entire series have smiley covers, but every time I picked up one of its books, I couldn't stop smiling. So, enjoy! 

Unblemished by Sara Ella

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Eliyana has always recoiled from her own reflection in the mirror. But what if that were only one Reflection—one world? What if another world existed where her blemish could become her strength?

Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a hideous birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her as normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.

But one night her mother doesn’t come home, and that’s when everything gets weird.

Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you’ve gone from weird to otherworldly.

Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she’s ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can’t even save herself?

Mary, Chosen of God by Diana Wallis Taylor

About the Book

★★★★★ 
Goodreads | Amazon

"Blessed are you, Mary, chosen of God." 

Mary is ordinary girl from Nazareth. She helps her mother with household chores, she daydreams about a handsome carpenter's son named Joseph, and at night she lies on the roof and contemplates at the stars. But one evening, a heavenly visitor comes with unexpected news—and her life is changed forever. 

Experience the life of the Messiah from the perspective of his mother, who must place her trust and obedience in Adonai, the Most High, as he fulfills centuries of anticipation in the middle of her daily life. Walk with Mary as she witnesses Yeshua grow, mature, minister, and even crucified—and then raised again, to the kindling of her new faith.

Waiting on Wednesday: Can't Help Falling & Shadow of the Storm

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Love Everlasting by Julie Lessman

About the Book

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

He sets hearts on fire.
She’s been burned by love.

Can hope survive the flames of the past?

School teacher by day, ghostwriter by night, sweet and shy Shannon O’Bryen doesn’t mind writing romance on the sly, but to live it? No, thank you, not since the man she loved turned out to be a player who broke both her heart and her spirit. Now focused more on her faith and her fiction, she vows the next time she falls in love, it will be safely—through the pages of a book.

Dr. Sam Cunningham is a charismatic player who breaks hearts as regularly as he washes his pearl-white Corvette. Abandoned as a young child, Sam was an orphan shuffled through the foster-care system, bitterly driven to prove he is worthy of love—the kind that lasts forever. Once he learns Shannon is a romance writer, he enlists her help in winning back his ex-girlfriend. She teaches him about faith and the true definition of love, and he soon discovers he’s been seeking it in the wrong place all along—and with the wrong girl. But can he convince a woman who's been burned by love to open her eyes—and her heart—to a love everlasting?​​

The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies

★★★★✩
Goodreads | Amazon

Nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper is newly married to a rich and charming widower, eager to join him on his tea plantation, determined to be the perfect wife and mother. But life in Ceylon is not what Gwen expected. The plantation workers are resentful, the neighbors treacherous. And there are clues to the past - a dusty trunk of dresses, an overgrown gravestone in the grounds - that her husband refuses to discuss. Just as Gwen finds her feet, disaster strikes. She faces a terrible choice, hiding the truth from almost everyone, but a secret this big can't stay buried forever...