The Secret Keeper

The Secret Keeper by Beverly Lewis is the fourth book in the Home to Hickory Hollow Series.

Jennifer Burns shocks everyone when she bids farewell to her modern life in favor of the Old Order Amish world, settling in with Samuel and Rebecca Lapp.

The people of Hickory Hollow are curious about the beautiful young seeker among them, one handsome Amishman in particular, and Jenny faces many challenges in the Proving time the brethren set for her...challenges of the heart as well as the spirit.

I found this to be a rather unique "Amish" book as so many you read Amish folk are flirting with going "fancy" but you don't often see the "fancy" wanting to go plain.

As always Ms Lewis is a wealth of information regarding the Amish way of life and what it takes to be a part of it.

As Jenny tries to join the flock, there are others contemplating leaving. We get points of view of "Englischers", Mennonites and Amish.Who will leave and who will stay?

And of course, will the secret come out? And if and when it does, who will be able to withstand the fall out and who will run?

Loved this book. A great addition to the series.

Jody

Many thanks to Bethany House for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Miner's Lady

When Chantel Panetta's younger sister claims to be in love with Orlando Calarco, Chantel knows there is no hope. The Panettas and Calarcos have been sworn enemies for decades, and young love cannot heal the deep wounds between the two mining families. Yet, unable to resist Isabelle's pleas, Chantel agrees to help her sister spend time with Orlando...only to have a run-in with Dante - Orlando's brother.

Chantel can't deny the attraction that flares when she's with Dante. But when a tragedy occurs at the mine, is there any hope that the hatred that has simmered between these two families might be resolved?

This is the third book in Tracie Peterson's Land of Shining Water series. I have read the first book and this one but not the second one and I don't believe you lose anything if you don't read them all - they really do seem to be stand alone books.

The Calarco family is headed up by a stubborn father, tempered by a compassionate mother-in-law living with two young men, one trying to honor his father and keep his younger brother in line and the younger brother who is so in love he cares nothing for the feuds of the past.

The Panetta family also perpetuates the feud, even though no one really seems to know the exact reason for the feud as it is decades old.

And then Isabelle and Orlando fall in love.

Chantel and Dante are thrown together as she attempts to support the relationship and he tries to stop it. And sparks fly. But will they too attempt to bridge the gap or will the feud be too much for all of them?

This was a really great read. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Jody

Many thanks to Bethany House Publishers for allowing me to review this book in exchange for a complimentary copy of the book

Forever Friday

Every Friday, a postcard.
Every Friday, a love poem.
Every Friday for sixty years.
Adam Colby is just doing his job, sorting through the unsold Alexander belongings after the estate sale. He is unprepared for what he finds in an old photo album, overlooked by the bargain hounds and treasure hunters—six decades of postcards and poems from Gabe Alexander to his wife, Pearl. The mystery of the Alexanders’ love entices Adam, a man unhinged by divorce and puzzled by the depth of commitment that he finds in the unabashedly romantic cards.

Forever Friday invites you to travel back in time to the early twentieth century Texas Coastal Bend where a young couple—Gabe and Pearl Alexander—are swept up in a miraculous love. As the heartwarming, pulse-quickening story of their relationship develops through Gabe’s poems, the Alexanders reveal a new way to consider what it means to be truly devoted to each other. Could the secrets of their love affair, laid to rest twenty years ago, hold the key to one man’s future?

I looked at this book quite a few times before I decided to jump in and review it. I'm not sure why I hesitated but I'm so glad I finally picked it.

With each page I turned I fell more in love with Gabe. And with each page I turned I wanted to be more like Huck (Pearl's nickname). What an absolutely fun and engaging couple they are.

They live in a changing world. Women are stepping out from the role of wife and mother and experiencing new things - including *gasp* less structured dresses and even pants! shorter hair and bathing suits that expose skin! Alcohol is a forbidden pleasure and Huck in an unusual woman who wants to experience all life has to offer. And Gabe wants to share it all with her.

To be honest, I really was not pulled in to the present day story of Adam. I understand he pulled the story together because of his role but I just didn't feel the connection to him as I did to Gabe and Huck.

A marriage that lasts 60 years is a rare thing and this love story shows how it wasn't always easy but how much Gabe and Huck both wanted to it to be - and how they worked at it. Lots of lessons to be learned from this couple.

Highly recommended.

Jody

This book was graciously provided to me by Waterbrook Multinomah through their Blogging For Books program for my honest review.

Every Friday, a postcard.
Every Friday, a love poem.
Every Friday for sixty years.
Adam Colby is just doing his job, sorting through the unsold Alexander belongings after the estate sale. He is unprepared for what he finds in an old photo album, overlooked by the bargain hounds and treasure hunters—six decades of postcards and poems from Gabe Alexander to his wife, Pearl. The mystery of the Alexanders’ love entices Adam, a man unhinged by divorce and puzzled by the depth of commitment that he finds in the unabashedly romantic cards.

Forever Friday invites you to travel back in time to the early twentieth century Texas Coastal Bend where a young couple—Gabe and Pearl Alexander—are swept up in a miraculous love. As the heartwarming, pulse-quickening story of their relationship develops through Gabe’s poems, the Alexanders reveal a new way to consider what it means to be truly devoted to each other. Could the secrets of their love affair, laid to rest twenty years ago, hold the key to one man’s future? - See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=227694#sthash.bVkp7k0i.dpuf

Every Friday, a postcard.
Every Friday, a love poem.
Every Friday for sixty years.
Adam Colby is just doing his job, sorting through the unsold Alexander belongings after the estate sale. He is unprepared for what he finds in an old photo album, overlooked by the bargain hounds and treasure hunters—six decades of postcards and poems from Gabe Alexander to his wife, Pearl. The mystery of the Alexanders’ love entices Adam, a man unhinged by divorce and puzzled by the depth of commitment that he finds in the unabashedly romantic cards.

Forever Friday invites you to travel back in time to the early twentieth century Texas Coastal Bend where a young couple—Gabe and Pearl Alexander—are swept up in a miraculous love. As the heartwarming, pulse-quickening story of their relationship develops through Gabe’s poems, the Alexanders reveal a new way to consider what it means to be truly devoted to each other. Could the secrets of their love affair, laid to rest twenty years ago, hold the key to one man’s future? - See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=227694#sthash.bVkp7k0i.dpuf

A Plain Scandal

****THIS IS BOOK TWO IN A SERIES - IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOK ONE AND INTEND TO READ THE SERIES FROM THE BEGINNING (AND I RECOMMEND YOU DO) PLEASE SKIP OVER THIS REVIEW AND MOVE DOWN THE PAGE TO THE REVIEW OF THE FIRST BOOK******

The people of Appleseed Creek in the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country are under attack. Soon after the dust has settled on a buggy accident that turned out to be murder, an unknown assailant begins cutting off the long hair of Amish women and the beards of Amish men.

New to the area, computer specialist Chloe Humphrey may not share their customs, but she is certainly alarmed over these crimes against the Amish and worries how such events will impact her growing number of friends who are more connected to that way of life.

In this small community, when Chloe discovers the body of an Amish businessman who was stabbed in the back and whose beard was cut off, she knows that finding the murderer and restoring peace to Appleseed Creek is as much her responsibility as anyone else’s.

 

In Amanda Flower's second book of this charming series, we are reunited with old friends Chloe, Timothy, Becky and Greta as well as the Troyer family and familiar college faculty faces - and even a few faces we might rather have left in the last book. And we are introduced to a few new characters - by the end of the book will we hope they stick around or move off the pages? Hm.

Who would want to cut the hair and beards off Amish folks? Is this a religious hate crime, or worse yet, is it someone Amish doing it?

On the "home" front, Chloe and Becky get a new landlord - and a surprise regarding his plans for their house. 

Another page turner. Can't wait to read book three - and it's on the pile so be looking for the review coming soon.

Highly recommended!

Jody

 

 

A Plain Death

Welcome to Appleseed Creek, the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country, where life is not as serene as it seems.

While her Cleveland friends relocated to Southern California and Italy, 24-year-old computer whiz Chloe Humphrey moves with some uncertainty to Appleseed Creek to direct technology services at a nearby college. Her first acquaintance is Becky, an ex-Amish teenager looking for a new home.

While driving Chloe’s car, Becky collides with a buggy, killing an Amish elder. But what looks like an accident is soon labeled murder when police discover the car’s cut brake line.

Now, Chloe must take on the role of amateur sleuth to discover who the real intended victim was before the murderer makes a second attempt. Becky’s handsome Amish-turned-Mennonite brother, Timothy, a local carpenter, comes in handy along the way. With God’s help, they’ll solve the mystery that’s rocking this small community.

What a great first book in the series by Amanda Flower. This is my first book by this author but it surely won't be my last!

Ms. Flower shows that all Amish are not alike. She addresses the differences in the rules different communities follow as well as exploring the relationships between Amish, Mennonite and English characters. 

By the end of the book I felt I had made some friends, and hated to say good bye to them. And thankfully I won't have to say good bye for long as there are two more books in the series.

With twists and turns she keeps you guessing until the final moments who has committed this terrible crime all the while making you care about the characters.

Definitely highly recommended.

Jody

Agatha Raisin and The Wizard of Evesham

The local ladies all deem Mr John a wizard, so when Agatha finds a few grey hairs on her head - and the rinse she tries at home turns her hair purple - she makes a beeline for the handsome Evesham hairdresser. And as well as sorting out her hair it soon becomes clear the charming man also has designs on her heart - but their future together is cut short when Mr John is fatally poisoned in his salon.

Once again Agatha finds herself embroiled in a murder case. Was it one of Mr John's many customers, all of whom divulged to him their darkest secrets?


Book eight in the Agatha Raisin series by MC Beaton is a delight.


With James Lacey away, and Mr. John being such a handsome, charming man, what choice does Agatha have but to cozy up to him - especially when mystery surrounds him? Is he just a nice man who genuinely cares for his customers, a womanizer or a blackmailer? Agatha sets a trap to find out for sure - only to have Mr. John murdered right before her eyes. 


Agatha sets out to solve the murder with the help of Sir Charles Fraith and Roy Silver by her side. But can she find the killer before the killer finds her?


A great story.

Jody

Agatha Raisin and The Wellspring of Death

When Agatha finds the council chairman murdered at the basin of Ancombe village spring, tongues start wagging. 

Agatha Raisin's neighbouring village of Ancombe is usually the epitome of quiet rural charm, but the arrival of a new mineral-water company - which intends to tap into the village spring - sends tempers flaring and divides the parish council into two stubborn camps.

When Agatha, who just happens to be handling the PR for the water company, finds the council chairman murdered at the basin of the spring, tongues start wagging. Could one of the council members have polished off the chairman before he could cast the deciding vote? Poor Agatha, still nursing a bruised heart from one of her unsuccessful romantic encounters, must get cracking, investigate the councillors and solve the crime.

The seventh book in the Agatha Raisin series by MC Beaton does not disappoint. Agatha still longs for James Lacey to return her affection as she tries to solve another murder. Roy Silver makes an appearance as he draws Agatha into the water company PR. And Mrs. Bloxby, as always, adds a bit of reason to the mix. 

Wonderful addition to the series. 

Jody