New Year, new purpose, new books!

Happy New Year! Yes, I know I'm a little late, but in Puerto Rico we still say "¡Felicidades!" to one another until next week, more or less. We are definitely party people, with our Christmas starting in early November and ending in the middle on January.

Today is my first day at work, after a great Christmas vacation. And this year is my "No Procrastination" year at work, and in my direct sales business. But I have named this year "The Year Of God" for all areas of my life, meaning that my focus will be on God, and His purpose will be my purpose from this year forward. In the past, I have sought God, I have aimed to follow Him faithfully, but I have failed many times because my mind has wandered, because I have let my mind wandered, because no matter how hard we try, as R.C. Sproul would say, we fail miserably in complying with the most precious commandment of loving God above all things with all our strength and minds and hearts. Because, in my case, I like to waste my time on Facebook, and Instagram, and reading the comments sections on polemic articles, and watching mediocre TV or bad movies just to pass the time, when I could be doing something much more productive and edifying.

So in this year of reforming my faith and myself, with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, I will focus on God, I will seek Him first and everything else will fall into place. Thus, there will be no procrastination at work or in my business. Of course, I know I will need to remind myself this; I will need to read this a few times during the following months. But I pray, I hope God will give the strength and diligence to follow through and I pray He uses me to bless others, inspire others, counsel others. This is His Year, not mine. He will do great things through me, for me. My focus is on Him for this year and the rest of my life... So I think that instead of calling it The Year of God, I will call it The Time of God. Yes. This is His time.

And a little heads up on what's coming next: reviews! "Joshua's Mission", "Lock, Stock and Over a Barrel", "Renovating the Richardsons", and "Dating, Dining and Desperation" are next, just to name a few. Also, I'm reading "Competent to Counsel" and will review it, as well as a new cookbook, so stay tuned!

A blog post two years in the making...

There's a saying in Puerto Rico (where I'm from and where I live) that goes "El que mucho abarca, poco aprieta", basically saying that if you try to carry too many things at once you will not be able to hold them tight. This is what that means: if you juggle too many things at once, nothing will get done as it should. And it happened to me. Family, church, work, direct sales business, book reviews, and a few side jobs, among other things, proved to be too much to handle and in the end, few things were done correctly and most things fell apart. Because this is what happens with me: when I have too many things at once my mind feels like an opened file cabinet. Too many files to handle at once, so I shut down. And it has been this way for the past two years.

No more.

I want to go back to basics, back to focusing on God, my family, my church and my work. Back to reading and enjoying it. Back to my books and good times.

During this time (two years!) in which I have not posted anything, I have read quite a few books, novels, and series that I have enjoyed. For instance, if you haven't had the chance to read The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series by Jennifer Beckstrand you don't know what you're missing. It's funny, very romantic, entertaining and full of Amish wisdom.

Another good series is the Cormoran Strike series, by Robert Galbraith (a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling). This is not a Christian series, and the first book is full of f words and c words and just plain old bad words, but it's a very entertaining series all the same. So far I have read the first two, and liked the second (The Silkworm) better than the first (The Cuckoo's Calling).

I also recommend the Alaskan Courage series, by Dani Pettrey. I have yet to read the last book of this series (book 5 "Sabotaged") but the first 4 were great, full of suspense, mystery, romance...

Not a book, but still a great find for me, Lauren Daigle's CD "How can it be". Great lyrics, great music, very talented young woman.

For other books and novels I have read, you can visit my Goodreads account.

So relax, spend quality time with God, enjoy good times with family and friends, enjoy a good book, make great memories and live life! Merry Christmas!

The Christmas Quilt, by Vannetta Chapman

Two years after being married, Annie and Samuel are expecting their first child. They love each other, support each other and enjoy each other. Life is almost perfect. However, Annie’s best friend Leah is struggling in her marriage to Annie’s brother, Adam. She is also pregnant —with twins—, but her pregnancy is not going as smooth as Annie’s. Morning sickness, feeling tired, stressed and being uncomfortable, Leah has inadvertently distanced herself from Adam, and Adam has pulled away from her, too. Then, Leah’s pregnancy takes an unexpected turn, and she is taken to the hospital where she most likely may have to spend the rest of her pregnancy. But Annie will be by her side, and with some time in her hands, Annie may finally get to finish the crib quilt she is making for the twins. And little does she know that making the quilt will be a great blessing in the life of her friend, and that the quilt will have a profound meaning of growth in the Lord.

There’s a nice line in 'The Christmas Quilt' that describes the book perfectly: “[Stories] involve you in another’s life, but our road only intersects theirs for a time.” The story is a sweet peek into the characters’ lives at a slow pace, like taking the panoramic route on a road trip. It makes you stop and think about the details we miss in our daily lives, giving us a lesson in appreciating every small blessing. The author, as always, writes a tender story with a great attention to detail, each scene blending into the next, each situation serving a purpose, adding richly to the story.

As well as in Mrs. Chapman’s other novels, you can immediately see the sweetness of each character, even of those who appear rude and unlikable in the beginning. Annie is so level headed and mature; Samuel is incredibly sweet to her. Leah and Adam, on the other hand, are quick to react, and on the defensive, very much like teenagers in the beginning. But their spiritual and emotional growth throughout the book is fantastic. Although they are all main characters, the book really belongs to Leah and Adam. You see them change, mature and give a wonderful about face in their relationship.

But the secondary characters also grab the spotlight if even for a split second, and here lies my one and only frustration with the story: these characters are so well written, their backstories so intriguing, that they each deserved at least a more satisfying side story. Rachel, uncle Eli, and Reba would have added much more to the story had their stories been explored more. Rachel, in particular, was a wonderfully complex character in her relationship with her children and the people around her. I count her as a great missed opportunity in the book. Each of these characters had great stories of their own that could have made the story and its slow pace much more interesting.

As an Amish fiction, Amish wisdom is expected, and sometimes that predictability can be tiresome, mostly because authors tend to overuse Amish proverbs or make their characters so wise that they seem unreal. But Mrs. Chapman does a great job of showing us wisdom in almost every character in a very organic way. It’s the way they live, the way they face difficult situations, the way they see struggles and God’s hand in everything. Not every book of fiction can say this, but 'The Christmas Quilt' is a great lesson in finding wisdom through our spiritual journey, growing in the fruit of the Spirit.

Also, there are instances of beautiful emotional and spiritual intimacy, such as an incredibly touching moment between Leah and Adam when the two of them became of one mind and heart over the Word of God, that left me speechless. It’s a great story about growing up spiritually and emotionally, showing grace to one another, and trusting God’s timing.

Although this is the second book of the series, the author does a great job of weaving the story interlacing past details with new ones so that you don’t feel lost of left out. But, nevertheless, I highly recommend reading the first book, 'A Simple Amish Christmas'.

4 out of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book from the publishers through The Christian manifesto in exchange for an honest review.

A Plain Disappearance, by Amanda Flower

On her first date with Timothy Troyer, Chloe Humphrey couldn’t be happier. A beautiful place, a romantic setting, soft snow, a sweet gift, and… a dead girl? And not just any girl: she’s a beautiful Amish teenager. Chloe is, once again, in the middle of a mystery: was she murdered? If she was murdered, by whom? How? Why? And when the evidence starts to point towards Timothy’s friend, Billy Thorpe, he joins forces with Chloe to try to prove his friend’s innocence. But Billy is nowhere to be found and when they discover that he is not who he says he is and that he is far more dangerous than he has let on, Chloe and Timothy set out to find him to confront him and bring him to justice, or prove his innocence.

This is a very entertaining book; a very light read with really well developed characters that make the book fun and interesting. Chloe is bright, bold and a risk taker. Her roommate (and Timothy’s sister) Becky is vivacious, fun but conflicted. Chief Rose is very unique in her own way, tough, brash and strong. Tanisha, Chloe’s best friend, is funny and smart. Grandpa Zook (Timothy’s grandfather) is a wonderfully colorful character, as well as most of the family. Chloe as the lead and these secondary characters make the series and this book in particular a great read.

However, Timothy, the male lead, stands in contrast with the rest: he is calmer, a little bit of a pushover and somewhat bland. He is very romantic and sweet, but with so many interesting characters in the book, Timothy stands apart lacking the depth and intriguing factor that the rest have. Even the troublemaker, Brock, who in the past and along with his best friend has made Chloe’s and Becky’s life miserable, has a great side story that was a nice, unexpected twist in the story.

As well as in the first two books of this series, we have a murder and Chloe in the right place at the right time for the murder’s discovery. The way the author writes, the mystery is always fun to unravel and intriguing. It does have some slight suspense, but this is not a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. However, that does not take away from the book and your enjoyment of it. The fact that the action develops too slowly is what can frustrate you. Since it is a simple murder mystery, with a couple of red herrings, a few side stories are to be expected and welcomed. And here we have a very endearing one, very unexpected and surprisingly sweet showing God’s mercy in using us to impact others with our example even with the people we least expect it. That side story alone is worth reading through parts that just seem to drag the main story. But, even though some of the narration reads as if the author was just trying to lengthen the story, no side story here is a filler. Each one complements the main story nicely.

Also nice, at least in the beginning, is the romance between Chloe and Timothy and the charming attraction between Becky and Aaron. It is very evident that Timothy is very much in love with Chloe, and he is so sweet to her. But that relationship has been developing since the first book and by now it’s just moving painfully slow. The attraction between Becky and Aaron, Timothy’s best friend, is much more interesting and would make a great main story for another book.

Although the author follows the same line as before, casting a dark shadow over some Amish characters, this time around the Amish are presented in a better, more flattering light. It is not common to find an author willing to explore the unfriendly side of the Amish, at least not to the extend author Amanda Flower has, so it is a different, interesting take.

This is the third book in the Appleseed Creek Mystery series, and it is pretty evident, but it can be read alone. However, I would highly recommend to read them all and in order, not only because they are quite good, but also because the reader can best appreciate the characters’ growth and development that way.

'A Plain Disappearance' is a very enjoyable murder mystery, with a very nice message of God’s work in us and through us.

3.5 stars out of 5

*I received a copy of this book from B&H Books through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

A Wedding for Julia, by Vannetta Chapman

Julia Beechy’s dream of opening an Amish café comes crashing down when her mother announces that she must get married to inherit the family home. At 37 years old, marriage seems almost impossible, but the alternative would be to lose her home and move far away from Pebble Creek. Since her mother’s health is rapidly declining, Julia needs to make a decision, but sees nowhere to turn. Then, Caleb Zook steps in. At 40 years old, his time to get married is also long passed, but he’s in desperate need of a friend and is moved by Julia’s sadness, uncertain future and a desire to protect her, so he offers Julia his help and asks her to marry him. Although Julia has her doubts at first, she sees no other way and accepts, much to the joy of her mom and the rest of their community. But Julia must learn to trust God, to trust that He knows what’s best for her, and to trust Caleb. As she sees her dream of opening the café becoming a reality, the worst storm that area has seen in one hundred years hits. Who and what will be left standing? Will Julia’s and Caleb’s relationship survive the storm and her doubts?

This is a character driven story in the sense that what kept me interested or intrigued was not the story per se; it was the characters. Julia is a beautiful and sweet character who is also very insecure, thinks less of herself and is very reserved. She always has her guard up, putting a wall between her and others, so she doesn't have many friends, and she doesn't think anyone cares about her. Caleb, on the other hand, is very friendly, outspoken and outgoing, but true to his Amish ways. Both are mature and very well written characters.

Caleb’s cousin, Sharon, who is introduced along the way, is a welcomed addition in a pretty lineal story. The inclusion of Sharon’s story and point of view brings a fresh perspective and an interesting twist. But it is in writing Ada, Julia’s mother, that the author’s attention to details shines. Each main character is a juxtaposition of another: Julia with her insecurities and doubts as opposed to Caleb, so sure of himself and of their relationship. Sharon with her teenage foolishness and carelessness as opposed to Ada, who’s so wise, so centered and so aware. Even Julia’s and Caleb’s relationship is put in contrast with the relationships of much younger couples.

To me, it was the characters that really drove the story and made it strong. Had the characters not been so well developed, the story would have not kept my interest because what I thought was the biggest conflict (as suggested by the title) was resolved too soon, in the first 120 pages or so, which made me wonder where the story was going, where was the climax or anticipation. It felt rushed, as if the first half of the book was overly edited and the author’s keenly written descriptions were taken out, which made for a first half that’s well written but lacks depth. Those first hundred pages lacked the attention to detail in the story that Mrs. Chapman has accustomed us to.

But the second half of the book is full of the beautiful, insightful prose that I love in Mrs. Chapman’s work. That’s when both stories, Julia’s and Sharon’s, interlaced flawlessly and smoothly and made for a very rewarding read. The different situations the characters faced in terms of their doubts, or loss of control, or desperate need to trust God and others were so well written the reader not only sympathizes with them but can also identify with them. And Ada’s accurate quotes from the Psalms, especially to Sharon, not only ministered the characters but me as well. She is a sweet, intuitive and wise character. However, Sharon’s story was left unfinished, which was a little disappointing.

I loved the way Julia’s and Caleb’s love for each other developed and grew. It was beautifully presented and very romantic for a couple under their circumstances. Although theirs is an arranged marriage of sorts, the way the characters handled the situation, with so much care, kindness and tenderness, very true to their ages, was very refreshing and lovely.

Finally, the introduction of characters from the previous books in the series, such as Miriam, Gabe, Grace, Aaron and Lydia, flowed very nicely. Although many secondary characters were from the first books in the series, I loved the fact that the author didn't feel the need to give each character’s back story. This book can definitely stand alone.

Beautifully written characters, great lessons in God’s faithfulness and wonderfully appropriate quotes from the Psalms are the reasons why these characters will stay with you once the story ends, which makes this book a great read.

4 out of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book from the publishers through The Christian Manifesto in exchange of an honest review.

Lizzie Searches for Love Trilogy, by Linda Byler

Lizzie Glick doesn’t know and doesn’t want any other life aside from the Amish. But that doesn’t stop her from questioning the Amish ways. She is quick tempered, hates cows and farming in general, and doing household chores. When her running around time starts, and none of the boys she likes like her back, she starts questioning the whole idea of love, the concept of marriage and having babies. She is not the typical quiet, reserved and submissive Amish girl. Her sisters, however, so mature for their age and wise, are the complete opposite. On the surface, Lizzie wishes to be more like them, but deep down, her mind is set. And when she learns of a young man’s feelings for her, she realizes that the heart has a mind of its own and sometimes it’s very hard to figure it out. Can she love someone more than she loves her freedom and independence? As Lizzie grows older, the decisions that should be easier to make become more complicated as she learns how to let go of her own will and trust God’s guidance and wisdom.

This nice trilogy gives us a great look into family relationships: how there’s always one sibling who thinks of herself/himself as the ugly duckling, how siblings always think that parents play favorites, and how, it doesn’t matter how much they love each other, there’s almost always some type of sibling rivalry. Lizzie thinks of herself as unappreciated, unloved and unlovable. She is never good enough, talented enough, pretty enough or thin like her sisters. She is very selfish; always thinking of herself and how things affect her. Now, granted, when the first book starts she is fourteen years old, and those are pretty common feelings among teenagers. But as the series progresses, the immature Lizzie grows rather too slowly. She sometimes seems to be improving, only to go back two steps, which is very frustrating. It is, though, certainly realistic as to how we grow and mature during our teenage years: with a series of irritating hits and misses. So the author did a great job of making us care for Lizzie as well as making us exasperated at Lizzie. Just like her parents, whom, to be honest, sometimes were fair, and other times seemed to be playing favorites, which makes the reader feel like whining alongside Lizzie every now and then.

Now, Lizzie’s selfishness does have a plus side: it compels her to question many things pertaining to God, faith, family, Bible doctrine, and Amish traditions and rules: things all of us tend to question and seldom appear written in books. Her doubts and concerns brought back many memories of my own teenage questions about my faith and God’s will for my life. I wish the adults around her would have been wiser in their answers, but she got to figure out a few things on her own while reading the Bible. I hoped that seeking the truth would have propelled her forward in her growth, but her growing process included a few irritating learning and unlearning instances. She would have a great realization, but then have an incredibly hard time putting it to practice, mostly when it came to Stephen, her love interest.

Stephen, a quiet and very reserved young man, is very sure of his feelings for Lizzie, and one can almost see the hurt in his eyes when Lizzie just doesn’t get that he’s trying to convey his love for her. Sadly, sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder what he saw in Lizzie, mostly because we don’t get to see much of their relationship as it develops, such as their first kiss, or their feelings on the wedding night. Lizzie is almost always full of doubts, very indecisive. She would be sure that she loved him now, and a paragraph later, she doubted it, again. A little later on, and she was back to loving him. No explanation, no reasoning, which left me wondering: why did they love each other? More so when she is pretty difficult to deal with, and Stephen, although giving the impression of being serious and mature, often comes across as selfish, too.

As the series starts, it has a nice 'Anne of Green Gables' feel to it, which was kind of a treat, with a very nice tone, narrative and interesting voices at first. It however, had too many back stories that dragged the story in the beginning, instead of maintaining a steady, well paced forward progress. It mostly felt as if there was no cohesive plot, just a series of accounts in a young girl’s life. The characters were very well written in terms of consistency:  seemly perfect sisters, with perfect relationships, were perfect until the end; firm and opinionated parents remained strong until the end; and Lizzie’s self-absorption and selfishness remained mostly intact, which was disappointing.

The 'Lizzie Searches for Love Trilogy' is a sometimes funny, tender and enjoyable story about a young girl, her transition to adulthood, her family life, her love life, and her struggles, with sweet moments of family and friends. Had it had a more likable female lead, it would have been a stronger, more satisfying story.

3 out of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book through The Christian Manifesto in exchange of an honest review.

A Home for Lydia, by Vannetta Chapman

Lydia Fisher longs for a home of her own, a family of her own. Due to her father’s illness, Lydia is the financial provider for her parents and her siblings, and that responsibility weighs heavily on her, and has made her to be outspoken and strong-minded, unlike most Amish young women. She works hard as a housekeeper at Pebble Creek’s Plain Cabins, and desperately needs to keep her job. However, when her boss dies and his nephew, Aaron Troyer, arrives from Indiana and steps in with a bad attitude and no desire to be there, Lydia’s will to keep working there is shaken. They don’t agree on anything, and mostly they get on each other’s nerves, but deep down they begin to have feelings for each other. Working together with a few friends, Aaron and Lydia manage to make the Plain Cabins profitable, and their love for each other blossoms.

Now, Aaron is torn between his desire to farm in his own property in Indiana, and his profound feelings for Lydia and his desire of being with her. And Lydia sees her dreams of having her own home, her own family, too out of reach. With a little faith in God, and a strong love for each other, Lydia and Aaron can have everything they’ve always wanted.

Lydia is a very vulnerable young woman. Yes, she is strong and very opinionated, but only because she tries to protect herself, her feelings and her heart. That complexity makes the reader identify very easily with her. She slowly but surely falls in love with Aaron, who goes from being a very angry, uncomfortable stranger, to being compassionate, caring and dependable. Although there is a hate/love relationship at first, which I usually don’t like since it’s been done a few too many times, it is so well written, expressed and justified, and not at all overdone, that not only did I enjoy it, I loved it.

Vannetta Chapman knows how to write a love story. Every sweet detail, every look, every stare, every soft embrace is just in the right place at the right time. Her characters are written with real people in mind, so they are never one dimensional, and they never fall flat. True to her style, Mrs. Chapman makes use of everything to further the plot and move the story along with a nice rhythm and pace. Every story connects, every character relates to one another and to the story as a whole. In the middle of chaos, she knows how to write the unexpected sweet moment, the loving concern, and the tender touch. You can actually see it playing in your head, the stillness of everything else, the presence of just the two characters in love. That is a great accomplishment.

As the story moves along, the romance takes sort of a backseat to a few family dramas, and a small mystery of sorts about a string of robberies close to the Pebble Creek area that ultimately affect the Plain Cabins. Now, it is remarkable how a burglary situation can be funny, touching, suspenseful, scary, and sweet. A nice dose of humor and drama with a tender moment between sisters, and a scary confrontation with the robbers, make for a fantastic side story with a final romantic touch that keeps the main story in motion. Very well written indeed.

As the second book in the series, I was at first sad to know that I wouldn’t get to see Miriam, Gabe, Grace and the rest of the family from 'A Promise for Miriam' because usually another story means a new and different set of characters. But here we get to enjoy them once again, although at times it felt more like their book than Lydia’s. I wanted to spend time with Miriam again, but it sometimes felt as if Miriam’s story overshadowed Lydia’s. Once Lydia’s story got my interest and full attention, I was pulled back, and left wanting to know Lydia and Aaron better.

'A Home for Lydia' is a beautiful story about love, the love of family, the fragility of life, and the grace of God that sustains us. With inspiring wisdom and great biblical truths, this love story goes deep into the heart, and stays there.

4.5 out of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book from Harvest House Publishers through The Christian Manifesto in exchange of an honest review.

A Promise for Miriam, by Vannetta Chapman

Miriam King is a sweet Amish school teacher at the Plain school of Pebble Creek who enjoys working with children. However, most Amish women her age, 26, are already married and with children. But Miriam loves her job and has not met a man whom she loves more than teaching. Until now.

A few years after the death of his wife, Gabe Miller moves to Pebble Creek with his daughter, Grace, and a strong desire to be left alone. But, as Gabe will discover, being alone is rarely an option in an Amish community, more so when it’s such a friendly, loving and accepting community as this one. With his arrival, Miriam instantly faces new challenges in her work and deep in her heart, as she tries to help Grace find her voice and Gabe find his way back to God’s grace and a new love.

It’s very unusual to find a romantic story with compelling main characters, heartwarming and moving back stories, well written second characters and side stories, a little suspense, a little funny side, and a beautiful message of love, grace and new beginnings. A Promise for Miriam has it all. This is the story of Miriam, a 26 year old Amish woman who by Amish standards should have married a few years ago and should be raising her own children instead of teaching other people’s children. She has had her suitors, but no one has captured her heart as much as her students have. When she meets Gabe and Grace, she is quite content with her life.

Miriam is immediately drawn to Grace, who has not spoken since her mother died, and wants to help her, knowing that the little girl is smart and very much able to speak. But Gabe is reluctant. He is a strong male lead, set in his ways, stubborn and in no way interested in anyone’s help. Miriam, however, is almost as stubborn as he is and very determined to help Grace even without her father’s consent. And so begins the relationship between Miriam and Gabe: sometimes sweet, other times strained; sometimes passionate, other times timid. Both Miriam and Gabe are very outspoken where Grace is concern, but when it comes to their feelings for each other, not so much.

Much like anyone else, Miriam and Gabe have a hard time admitting what is obvious to everyone else: they are falling for each other. The complexity and realness of these characters is fantastic. They are strong, but cute; stubborn, but endearing; outspoken, but shy. And the secondary characters are just as great. Mostly made up of Miriam’s family, these characters are written to steal your heart, bring wisdom and a sense of family, and community that is very common in Amish novels. The way Vannetta Chapman writes, however, any commonality is enhanced by how she uses words, settings and situations to make the ordinary just a little bit extraordinary.

I don’t want to miss the opportunity of mentioning how great a character Grace is. Not many writers know how to write children. Grace is neither too precocious nor too immature for her age. She is just right. The way her mind works, the way she acts, how she thinks is so touching, so pure, so very much like most children her age. A very well written little girl. Also, I have to say that, as a mother, Grace’s story moved me. It was hard to read how the loss of a mother can affect a child. I was constantly reading and praying, with tears in my eyes and my son in my mind, asking God to let us (me, my husband and my son) enjoy each other for many years to come.

This is a beautiful story of a first chance at love, a second chance at happiness, and God’s grace and His purpose for our lives, even in the middle of our sorrow.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Love Comes to Paradise, by Mary Ellis

Nora King moves to Paradise, Missouri, with the hope of conquering the heart of the elusive and rebellious Elam Detweiler, whom she previously met and with whom she fell in love while living in Harmony, Maine, a very conservative Amish district. With freedom in her mind and anticipation in her heart, Nora arrives to Paradise to a new home and a new beginning. She makes great friends, finds a good job, but Elam’s heart appears to be out of her reach. But that changes when Lewis Miller arrives. He comes from Harmony hoping to win Nora, offering her his heart. Now Elam is definitely interested, and Nora has a decision to make: will she choose Elam, the bad boy whom she wishes to change? Or will she choose Lewis, the good boy whose love can help her change for the better?

This is a sweet, funny and highly enjoyable book about love, brokenness, and hope. Nora is the kind of female lead anyone can identify with, Amish or not. She is far from perfect, carrying a heavy burden of past mistakes and hurts that still haunt her, just like any one of us. And she is in love with the bad boy, Elam. She has traveled far just to be near him, to be able to conquer his heart. She doesn’t question whether he deserves it or not; she is prompted by what she feels and what she thinks she can accomplish with Elam: to change him, to make him see the error of his bad ways and to convince him of joining the Amish with her. And it is in that last thing that we can start seeing a glimmer of the growth that is coming, a little bit of who Nora will become. In her quest to change Elam, the reader will see that it is Nora who will be transformed.

Author Mary Ellis has done a remarkable job of presenting and developing a character like Nora. Her mistakes are those of any teenager; her hurts are those of any human being; and her unrequited love is just like the one I had before I met my husband. Nora is a nicely written representation of a normal young woman. She has a past, and it spreads like wild fire, and her reputation is marred in her new Amish community of Paradise. Yes, the Amish community is just like our church community; there’s gossip, exaggeration and mean spirited people. But there are also true Christians who help us change, and grow, extending us grace and mercy. Enter Violet, Emily and Lewis.

The secondary characters in 'Love Comes to Paradise' are very well written. Violet is charming and engaging, Emily is funny, as well as her husband, and not afraid to speak her mind, and Lewis is a sweetheart, a mature young man. Solomon, an Amish preacher and Violet’s father, is one of the grouchiest, angriest Amish men I’ve ever read about, and that made the novel even better. Usually, an Amish preacher is written as sweet and wise, or stern and firm, but Solomon is on a whole other level. He interprets a series of strange natural occurrences and disasters as the wrath of God over their Amish community due to their interaction with the Englishers. And Emily, who has not been able to have children, thinks he is right. And that makes for a very entertaining side story. Every secondary character is enjoyable; they each have something to offer and they each contribute to forwarding the plot in nice, interesting ways.

However, as interesting as the secondary characters are, they never take away from Nora. Her love life is front and center, but her friendship with Violet and the close relationship she develops with Emily and Nora’s interactions with them is a nice change from what we usually see in a love story. Although a romantic story through and through, 'Love Comes to Paradise' is mostly the story of Nora and the way God’s love for her saves her, her love for her friends drives her, and the love of the right man frees her.

A different kind of story, full of great characters, interesting side stories and touching romantic moments, this book is a wonderful read. It’s the second book in the series, and I highly recommend reading them in order. There is a lot of back story for Nora, and although it is explained rather well for the new comer (like me), it just piques the reader’s curiosity, and just made me want to go back to get an in depth look into her whole story.

5 out of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book from Harvest House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

A Christmas for Katie: A Christmas Families of Honor Novella (Families of Honor #3.5), by Shelley Shepard Gray

Katie Weaver, a precocious 6 year old Amish girl, is frustrated with the nativity in front of the library. It looks rundown, old and lackluster. She sets her sights on having a real nativity for Christmas, with real people and real animals. When she, with the help of her sister-in-law Ella, approaches the pretty librarian, Miss Donovan, with her wonderful idea, Miss Donovan dismisses it, looking annoyed but mostly sad. Knowing that love can make people happy and more agreeable, Katie decides to start praying for Miss Donovan so that God may provide her with a boyfriend, and to do a little matchmaking herself. However, strange things start happening: an elderly woman is attacked in front of the nativity, and every day a new nativity figure disappears. Now Katie, with the help of Connor Fields, the new deputy in town, must figure out who's behind the disappearance of the figures before the nativity is left looking worse than it already does. And if she manages a few Christmas miracles in between, with God's help, well, it may be a great Christmas after all.

Katie will soon see how God uses everything for His purposes, answers our prayers and watches over us.

A very cute and sweet story of love, hope, and faith. Written very well, this novella gives us a glimpse into the wonderfully precious mind of Katie, a lovable 6 year old girl. Katie is a sweetheart. As any child, she is full of big ideas, great enthusiasm, and a tender innocence. Author Shelley Shepard Gray has done a great job writing this girl and what goes on inside her mind. Although there are nice supporting characters, and we get to see their points of view, too, it is Katie who kept my interest, and had me smiling.

Here we have a little girl interacting with adults in a very believable way. The close relationship Katie has with Ella, her sister in law, is heartwarming. Katie's interactions with her mother are funny and tender, as well as her friendship with Miss Donovan, the librarian. Miss Donovan is a nice character with some past hurts and a willingness to move forward. Anyone can identify with her sadness and her desire to come out of her shell, which is why Katie's determination to find her a boyfriend is understandable and very touching.

The mystery behind the nativity figures' disappearance is a fun one; quite predictable but entertaining, nonetheless. There is not much suspense, just a lighthearted mystery, and a simple investigation that serves as a backdrop to the developing attraction between the deputy, Connor, and the librarian, Miss Donovan. Their romance was a little too fast paced, but clean and charming.

There is something, though, that did bother me: the characters sometimes lack consistency. Miss Donovan seems to be shy, someone who keeps to herself, but she is pretty straightforward in her attraction to Connor. It also did not make much sense to me that Miss Donovan is the librarian in a small community and she had no idea who the attacked elderly woman was, although this lady visited the library quite often.

That said, this novella is a great Christmas read; a nice reminder of how God answers prayers, even when we might think it's a little too late, or when people around us think it's not worth it.

This is book 3.5 in the series and the author, very nicely and seamlessly, interlaces past stories from the series into this delightful Christmas story, which most certainly makes the newcomer reader want to go back in the series to find out exactly what happened. So, although she brings us up to speed, she piques our curiosity just enough to make us want to know this family, this community, better.

4.5 out of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book through The Christian Manifesto (check it out!) in exchange of an honest review.

Material Witness, by Vannetta Chapman

Overview (from Goodreads): Tragedy strikes on the opening night of the Fall Crafters Fair when a woman is killed in the parking lot of Daisy's Quilt Shop, and the only material witness is one of Melinda Byer's boys. The investigation takes a more bizarre turn when detective Shane Black becomes convinced the killer was actually after Callie. This time it's a madman loose in the largest crowd of the year, and he's looking for something or someone. If they can't figure out what, one of Deborah and Callie's close circle of friends may be next. Masked identities, antique quilts with hidden messages, an Amish boy whose handicap makes him stronger, one brave dog, and a possible hidden treasure ... this time it's nonstop action, danger, and a dash of romance.

Review: An excellent, excellent ending to an almost flawless series. Vanetta Chapman, so very skilfully and masterfully, weaves intriguing hidden messages and a beautiful romance into a great mystery. Every detail fits perfectly in the plot, advancing the story, the drama and our interest in the characters. Nothing is out of place, everything is important to the story and every character has a mission to accomplish.

We once again see Callie interacting with her three Amish friends: Deborah, whom I love in a I-want-to-be-like-her kind of way (yeah, I'm a Deborah groupie), Esther, and Melinda. The depth their friendship has reached, the way their friendship has grown, progressed and mature is simply lovely. They are friends who love, support and look out for each other with fierce love and determination, and that is a rare thing even in a work of fiction. But we also get to see Callie falling in love with a man who really loves her and is not afraid to show it. I loved that. I'm a sucker for a good, sweet, clean romance.

Now, this time around, we get to know Deborah's and Melinda's children, too. Usually when writing kids, authors tend to write them as either too precocious or too bland and immature for their age. Not here. The children are written age appropriately, and we get to see how their mind works, how they plot and plan and how they take action in their strong-willed way. I loved the children's point of view, and how innocent and, at the same time, take charge they are.

The character development is one of the best I have seen/read in a long time. The way Mrs. Chapman uses descriptions and details to reveal the characters' personalities and traits is clever and makes everything fit together. Nothing is superfluous. The story flows, the pace never breaks, and every word, detail, dialogue and description serves a purpose.

The mystery, the drama, the suspense and the romance held my attention, kept my interest and had me turning the pages quickly and steadily. Intriguing, beautiful and sweet with a great ending that did not disappoint and gave me closure. Mrs. Chapman did such a great job that, even when things didn't necessarily turn out as I hoped, it still made me smile, completely satisfied.

Flawless!

5 out of 5 stars

A Plain Scandal: An Appleseed Creek Mystery, by Amanda Flower

Overview: 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.

Review: This was a very entertaining read, a very enjoyable ride. Very well written, nicely paced, it keeps you wondering, guessing and piecing together bits and parts of the mystery to figure it all out. You will know who the villain is, you will sort of know who else is involved, but the how and why? Leave it to those involved in the mystery to reveal it all to you.

The author does a very nice job of keeping the reader interested, invested in the mystery as well as in the characters. Chloe is very likable, Timothy is sweet, and Becky, as well as her family, is charming. The character development is what I would expect in a light read: not too deep or detailed, but not too superficial either.

One thing that keeps bothering me, here and in the first book of the series, is how slow the romance is developing. I get that Timothy used to be Amish and they have their differences, but it's just too dragged. Chloe keeps second guessing herself and Timothy's intentions, even though it is incredibly obvious how he feels about her, and the people around her tell her, and Timothy himself tells her. No, she keeps wondering. Also, the portrayal of the Amish is still very shaky. Very few are good natured people; most are petty, mean, downright vindictive and vicious. But at least in the end there is a sense of some of them changing for the better.

This is the second book of the series, and much better than the first, A Plain Death, which makes me look forward to the next. It was a quick, easy read, a lot of it very predictable from the start, but with a few, nice surprises that kept it interesting.

4 out of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book from B&H Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Accidentally Amish, by Olivia Newport

Annie Friesen has it all: a successful career, money, beauty and a boyfriend who loves her. Or does he? When Annie discovers that her boyfriend (who also happens to be her company's attorney) has joined forces with her business partner in a devious plan against her, Annie runs away to have some time and space to sort things out and figure out how to save her company from her partner and her boyfriend. But when her escape does not go as planned, she ends up in an Amish farm staring into the eyes of Rufus Beiler. The attraction is immediate and mutual. As they get to spend more and more time together while she is in hiding, their attraction increases, as well as her curiosity towards the Amish way of life. Rufus knows that there can't be anything between them —he is Amish, she is an Englisher. Annie, however, discovers that they have a common ancestor: an Amish settler who came in the 1700's. Now she is torn between the life she has, with its comforts, luxuries and technology, and the life she thinks she wants and needs, a simpler, quieter, peaceful life.

Will her love for her work, her company, and those around her be enough to keep her close to home? Or will her love for Rufus and for the simpler, uncomplicated life he represents be strong enough to call this new life home?

Annie and Rufus are very different: he is a whole lot country and she is a whole lot techno-geek. Certainly, a match made in impossible-love heaven. You see, Rufus is a baptized Amish, with no intentions of leaving the church or his family. Annie is a technology loving, 21'st century girl, with no intentions of exchanging her Prius for a horse and buggie. Or so she thinks. She is quite a relatable character because in our fast pace world, many of us dream of a slower, simpler life. So almost everyone can identify with Annie on that. And that's a good thing because she is the driving force throughout the book. Although we get to see much of Rufus, we don't get to know him much at all. He is like a big, almost impenetrable wall, and it's a little bit frustrating. He certainly says a lot, is very quick to give his opinion, but his feelings for Annie? Those were pretty guarded until the end.

The author tells quite an interesting, romantic story with a little suspense thrown in. Annie's lawyer boyfriend is kind of creepy, and obsessive, so each time he appears you feel a little bit on edge. And that kept me interested most of the time. However, there is a story within the story that did not work for me. Every so often the author goes back to the 1700's to tell the story of Jakob, the settler to which Annie traces back her ancestors. Yes, it's a nice story, but too long, too detailed and too out of place. Every time the main story got a nice, interesting pace going, the author cut back to the 1700's and Jakob's struggles with his family. It didn't add to the main story, and sometimes felt like it would go on and on, when all I wanted was to see Annie's and Rufus' story develop. So once I felt invested in the main story, the author pushed me back and my interest dwindled.

There are a few nice side stories in the main story about Rufus' sister who left the church and her family to follow her calling, God's calling; and about Rufus' problems with a developer. Both side stories complimented the main story very well as we got to see Annie interact with and get involved in both issues, and how that helped the romance evolve.

A few things were left unsolved, so I expect a second book. It would be very interesting and sweet to see Annie's and Rufus' relationship progress, and to see both side stories happily concluded.

3 out of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Leah's Choice, by Emma Miller

After watching her sisters get married, Leah Yoder wondered about her future husband, the Amish man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, and raise their children while living in their Amish community close to her family. However, when she meets Daniel Brown, a Mennonite missionary, she is taken aback. She is attracted to him, finds him fascinating, and starts questioning her Amish ways.

On his part, Daniel is awestruck by Leah, this beautiful Amish girl who is strong, independent and always prepared. They spend time together and begin a forbidden courtship behind her family’s back. But when their feelings for each other get stronger, Leah faces a decision that will affect her life forever: Will she leave her family and follow her heart to be with the man she loves or will she stay with her family and forsake the love of her life? 

Leah Yoder is not afraid to speak her mind; she is very outspoken, smart, a natural born leader and a free spirit (well, sort of. I don’t know how free spirit you can be in the Amish community). She is a great character, as well as Daniel. You see their instant attraction and it’s not hard to see why. She is beautiful, independent, resourceful, strong and smart; he is sweet and exciting, full of interesting stories and with a heart committed to God and His work.

It’s easy to love these characters, to be interested in their story, in the blossoming romance. However, their romance is not well developed. They go out on a non-date (Leah refuses to call “date” that which is obviously one), and is cute and you know they loved it, they loved being with each other, but the next thing you know, a few days have gone by, they have been seeing each other, but the reader is not privy to what happened during those dates. It sometimes felt as if we were being told parts of a story instead of the whole story. It felt somewhat segmented. And the romance is not the only thing affected by this: each time a problem appeared, it was solved rather quickly, and uneventfully. It’s like this happened, and this is how it was solved. This way of telling a story is disappointing to me because there was no tension. The author creates some sort of anticipation with a few problems here and there, but then, as quickly as the problems appeared they went away; so as soon as some tension began to built, it was pulled back, and that made the story rather flat.

I did like the fact that the author showed different sides of the Amish, including some domestic violence, and alcoholism. Also, I loved to read about the differences between Mennonites and Amish, and the differences from one Amish community to the next.

The story is sweet, the characters are very likable, cute; they are what made the story interesting and worth reading for me. Leah’s choice will not come as a surprise, but, although expected, it is a nice, and satisfying ending.

3 out of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book from Harlequin-Love Inspired through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.