The House that Love Built, by Beth Wiseman

Brooke Holloway is a single mom of two who lost the love of her life. Her son, Spencer, doesn’t want her to date, while her daughter, Meghan, wishes to have a father. But since she runs the family owned hardware store, Brooke doesn’t have time to date and doesn’t have dating on her mind, until Owen Saunders moves to town. Curious about the house he has moved into, a house with a decades old mystery, Brooke befriends him expecting, as he does, nothing but a simple, grown up friendship. But God has other plans, so as their friendship and their connection grow, hope is met, and faith is found, and they have a new chance at love, a new life and a complete family.

I wasn’t expecting much when I started reading this book. A little romance, a little mystery, a little entertainment, but nothing much. The author, however, surprised me in a very big way. 'The House that Love Built' is a beautiful story of forgiveness, second chances, starting over and letting go. I laughed, I was intrigued, I smiled, and I cried… a lot.

The main characters are very well developed, mature, not prone to dumb misunderstandings or childish outbursts. Brooke and Owen’s friendship seemed a little too quick to develop, but not unrealistic given the fact that they are immediately attracted to each other and the friendship is their cover up, their denial in action. Brooke’s children are very much aware of this, especially Spencer, and his interactions with them, how suspicious he is, is very believable, funny and very endearing, since it is obvious that he is still very much affected by the death of his father.

Both children were beautifully written, as well as the rest of the secondary characters. Rich in details, with very defined personalities, each secondary character adds to the story, keeps the reader interested and finds his/her way into the reader’s heart. This is possible because author Beth Wiseman’s sensitivity in her writing, which is palpable in almost every page. You don’t just read about these characters, you feel them, you know their pain, you care for them. The author tells their story in a very touching and tender way that moves your heart.

However, although the book was going great, I had cried my eyes out, and was set to give it 5 stars, the last 40 pages or so were too melodramatic, with a few too many coincidences. What began as a great book ended with an intensification in drama (with the introduction of Virginia, Owen’s ex-wife) that was unnecessary and which lead to a couple of too good to be true resolutions.

The mystery that intrigues Brooke, as well as Owen, his Uncle, and particularly Spencer (and me) is interesting but sometimes it was too far back in the story, as if the characters themselves had forgotten about it. Its resolution, however, was nice but also too convenient.

I loved how the stories interlaced, how one character led to the introduction of the other, how the story flowed, and the sensibility with which the author writes. The characters’ stories of forgiveness and letting go drive deep into the heart and give a sense of hope that stays with the reader. Even with a somewhat disappointing last pages, the book’s sweet and touching storyline of love, family, and God’s strength in the midst of our problems is enough to leave the reader satisfied.

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.

Simply Delicious Amish Cooking, by Sherry Gore

A great collection of the best Amish recipes from Pinecraft, Florida (a village in the heart of Sarasota) put together by Sherry Gore. It has hundreds of easy and delicious recipes, complete with pictures. Also, alongside of the recipes, 'Simply Delicious' offers cooking and baking tips, and true stories about Amish life, weddings, birthdays, celebrations, and even accidents taken from the author’s column in the Amish newspaper, The Budget. Cook with author Sherry Gore and her friends from Pinecraft while sharing stories about love, life, family, friends, and God’s providence and faithfulness.

As I read 'Simply Delicious', I felt like I was cooking at home with my mother, my grandmother and my favorite aunt. You are not just cooking, and you are not doing it alone. You’re in your kitchen sharing recipes and stories; sharing tips and little nuggets of wisdom; learning how to cook and learning a little bit about history, and different places, and people. This is not just a cookbook; it’s a history lesson about the Amish and their community in Pinecraft. It’s also full of their humor, their wisdom and their sense of family and no-nonsense way of life.

But it is most definitely a book about cooking. Some of the recipes are those wonderfully made-from-scratch semi-decadent Amish dishes. Comfort food at its best, and very simple, like the Red-Skin Mashed Potatoes (mouth watering), Chicken Pie (sooo good), Parmesan Pan Bread (full of flavor), and Pizza Crust (…homemade pizza, enough said!), among many other recipes that are pretty common, but here they have an Amish twist. Other recipes are semi-homemade, like the Monkey Bread (which calls for refrigerated biscuits), and this was not what I expected, but, on the other hand, it shows how the book can be used by those who don’t have much time to prepare a full meal from scratch. It has alternatives, and that is a very good thing.

I also loved how the recipes were written: just like my mom would write a recipe for me. For example, when the Cooked Chocolate Pudding recipe (my family’s favorite dessert at the moment) says, “Pay attention, because this happens quickly.” A very candid way to write a recipe that made me smile while making it because it is not written dryly. Since these recipes are written by everyday homemakers or cooking enthusiasts, their wording is very familiar, very easy to understand and to follow. A few recipes, however, don’t include all of the measures (like the amount of cinnamon, butter and brown sugar for the Cinnamon Rolls’ filling), so you have to go with your taste.

The tips included are very useful. The tip on the substitutions for different types of flour was wonderful, as well as how to keep brown sugar soft (a big help for me). Also, the different tips on cooking seafood, among a few others, were very helpful, and made this cookbook a great addition to my kitchen for my everyday use.

Many recipes are written with a large family in mind, since Amish families are usually pretty big. So for a family of three, like mine, there was a lot left over, which meant that my father, my mother and my sister got to enjoy them also. And isn’t that exactly one of the purposes of Amish cooking and, therefore, this book? To share your meals, your stories, your lessons learned, and the goodness of God with your family and friends.

5 out of 5 stars

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

Beautiful Reflection

This past Saturday, I went to the store to buy new clothes. I grabbed a few dresses, a shirt and a pair of jeans and went into the fitting room to face the dreaded and unmerciful full length mirrors.

For the first time in a very, very, VERY long time, I saw the reflection of my body and thought it was just beautiful. I loved the curves, I loved the form, I loved its size and I loved its softness. Nothing was firm, or tight, or toned.

My stomach looked kind of full, round even and fluffy, but it bore a child safely and secure for 39 weeks, enduring each strong kick, each swift movement, almost four years ago; a beautiful healthy, happy boy.

My legs and thighs are bigger, rounder and flaccid with the ever presence of some cellulite and a few stretch marks, but they run after a child and with a child every day, whenever he wants to play, and they are the perfect size for when my son hugs them when he's scared. There, he feels secure.

My arms look and feel soft, with no perceivable muscle tone or structure; not at all sculptural. But they hold a child every day. They hug him tight never wanting to let go. They pick him up, they carry him and he trusts they will not let him fall down.

And it's all beautiful. It's all soft, round, fluffy and flaccid, but firm and strong enough to bear a boy, to run after and with a boy, to hold a boy, to play with a boy, to kiss his pain away, to take his hand and make him feel secure, to lift him up and help him reach new and wonderful heights, to tell him each day how much I love him... Most of all, my heart is strong enough to hear him say he loves me back.

So after a very long time, and maybe even for the first time in my life, I looked in the mirror and loved that reflection, and felt content, happy and moved. This is what God has graciously given me: innumerable blessings in the form of a child and because of him.

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.

Good times in the kitchen

I've always loved baked goods: chocolate chips cookies, brownies (the fudgier the better!), double chocolate cookies, vanilla cookies (even better with a little bit of chocolate or Nutella on top), chicken potpie, baked chicken, baked potatoes, creamy scalloped potatoes, among many, many others. You will notice that chocolate is a BIG thing for me. Yes, it's my weakness...

Two finished Molten Cakes during a birthday celebration at Chili's with my chocolate loving family.

So it's no wonder I love to bake. My chocolate chip cookie recipe is simply the best. Of course, it's not actually mine. It's an old recipe from a very old book. But, nevertheless, they are delicious. And up until a few months ago (this last November to be exact) they were the only thing I could bake successfully. To everybody else, they were my specialty. But I knew better. There was absolutely nothing else that would turn out good.

However, my husband wanted badly a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, and my sister was dreaming of some pecan bars she ate once because a lady from our church made them. So I decided to give both a try. Now, the key, for me at least, to a great dish is a fool proof recipe. So I went to bettycrocker.com and got a classic pumpkin pie recipe and a pecan pumpkin pie recipe, and I followed those recipes down to the last dot. Since I do not like pumpkins, I had no idea how they would turn out, but judging from my husband's face, and my family's, it was good. I have had to make both pumpkin pies about 3 or 4 times.

But the pecan bars? Those were HUGE hits. Again, I don't like pecans, so I don't see what the big fuss is about, but everyone else? They absolutely love those bars. I have had to make them so many times I have lost count. So I thought I'ld share the recipe with you. I'm a hero in my family because of this dish. Go ahead, be a hero this weekend!

Pecan Pie Bars

I love my time in the kitchen. Creaming butter and sugar by hand —hard, hard work—, seeing the ingredients interacting, watching closely for the change in consistencies, and oh my goodness the smells! And of course, getting to taste the finished product and knowing that it is good is so satisfying. Sometimes I'm at work and my hands feel the sudden need to mix, knead, roll... I can't wait to get home and try something new. We reap the benefits and the extra pounds, too. But it's worth it for sure.

Vanished, by Irene Hannon

Traveling home in a dark, rural road after taking a detour, Moira Harrison gets lost. With no lights, or houses or other people in sight, and with a raging thunderstorm compromising her vision, she is confused and worried. Moira reaches for her purse looking for her glasses and gets distracted when suddenly she sees a terrified person frantically waiving at her. She hits the brakes hard, looses control of the car, and hits the person. Soon after, crashes against a tree. When a man suddenly appears, and tells Moira he saw everything and that he will call 911, she is relieved and passes out. An hour later, she wakes up only to find that there's no police, no ambulance, no injured person, and no man. She calls 911, and when the police arrive and she tells her story, they believe she imagined everything due to a concussion and close the case. But Moira cannot forget those terrified eyes, and enlists the help of the only person who thinks she might be right, Cal Burke, an ex-police detective who now works as a private investigator. Together, along with his two partners, they will solve the mystery of the missing injured person and the disappearing man, trying to bring closure to the case and their unresolved hurts.

Right from the start, 'Vanished' draws you in with an intense suspense and mystery. The first few pages are enough to get you immerse in the drama. However, 'Vanished' is not a whodunit mystery. We know who the killer is from almost the beginning. The real mystery is in unraveling what really happened little by little, clue by clue, piece by piece in a very interesting, intelligent and engaging mystery puzzle. The author lets the reader in in every detail, discovery and suspicion, so we can take part in solving the mystery along with the characters.

Usually, mystery and suspense novels thrive in keeping the reader guessing, but to try to accomplish this, the authors tend to dumb down their main characters so much that it's frustrating and almost infuriating. Not here. Moira is an intelligent reporter, very much aware of everything around her and what she needs to do to somehow help the person she is sure she hit that fateful night. Cal, on the other hand, is even better. Nothing gets past him or his two partners. He's paying attention, knows what to do, and does whatever it takes to do it.

That said, the fact that the characters are smart, astute and keen observers does present a small problem. The suspense that captivates our attention and gets us interested at first is virtually gone during the rest of the story. So, although we do get to piece the mystery puzzle, it feels as if there is something missing. Aside from that first scary scene, there is not much more tension built, and, although it does not affect our interest in the story, it prevents the reader from the thrilling ups and downs of a good suspense/mystery. In the end, though, we get a small taste of suspense again when all bets are off and the killer is on the verge going crazy.

One thing that I loved was the psychological issue behind the killer's crimes and motives. It is a great statement on how parents' mistakes, and selfishness can be the undoing of a child, and how they can haunt a child all his or her life. Whatever parents do, say or ask of their children have an impact in their lives right until the end. Also, there is a nice complexity in the killer's thinking, what he thinks compassion is and the ways he expresses that through his crimes and his works. Furthermore, the way he interprets "signs" as coming from God is a mirror image of how much we misinterpret what happens around us.

The killer and his background story are very believable. The main characters are likable, and their stories are interesting and credible. Moria and Cal have both been hurt in very different ways, but they each decide to move forward. So as they solve the mystery, their hearts start mending, too. But in the end, it is Cal who has to finally learn how to let go and start over. A little painful to watch, but very heartfelt.

This is a very smart mystery, with a very cute romance in the middle and a nice closure (though not necessarily theologically correct) in the end.

4.5 out of 5 stars

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

Shattered, by Dani Pettrey

After five years away, Reef McKenna returns to Yancey, Alaska, and his sister, Piper, is elated. She loves her brother and has been waiting for him to return home. However, her happiness doesn't last long. First, Reef is not planning on staying in Yancey; and second, he appears at Piper's house all covered in blood and no plausible explanation for it. A woman —a snowboarder like Reef— has been murdered, and Reef is the main suspect. He assures Piper he is innocent, and although she believes him, Deputy Landon Grainger does not. Landon is like part of the McKenna's family, which makes it harder for him to work the case, more so because he believes that Reef is guilty. All the evidence points to Reef, and as deputy, Landon trusts the facts. But when other leads surface, much to Piper's relief, Landon decides to pursue the truth even if it means he's wrong and that he could lose his job.

With Piper doing her own investigation, and following her own leads, Landon's impulse to take care of her drives him to join forces with her, or let her join forces with him, in a dangerous case where they constantly face death and, even scarier, where they must face their feelings for each other.

This is a wonderful romantic suspense that keeps the reader at the edge of the seat. It's packed with action, romance, mystery, and intrigue. With a great pace, fast and intense at times, and well written and rounded characters, this book holds the reader's interest from the start.

Piper is a sweet and vulnerable young woman; very naive and trusting, but smart. Landon, on the other hand, is rough on the outside, tough, and very skeptical. He puts facts over faith, and sometimes, duty over love. He has been in love with Piper for quite some time, and she has no idea. On the surface, their relationship seems ok, but Landon just wants, no, needs to be with her, and she is apparently oblivious to it. But jealousy can be a great eye opener, and so Piper’s and Landon's relationship starts taking twists and turns as fast as the mystery twists and turns itself, which makes for a very interesting, entertaining and fun romance.

The mystery is puzzling, and very entangled. As all the characters get immerse in trying to unravel it, the reader goes right along with them from Alaska to California to Canada, and a few other places in between, trying to find a way to make sense, a way to redeem an undeserving young man and bring hope and peace to the entire family. As the book progresses, it is very easy to fall in love with every character and be intrigued by their stories.

As the second book in the Alaskan Courage series, 'Shattered' brings back all the characters from the first, 'Submerged', and an interesting addition in the form of a female reporter who may or may not be a part of future adventures. Here's hoping she can endure and bring some life into one of the Mckenna's brothers who desperately needs closure and healing.

Shattered is much more than an adventure, a mystery, or a romance. It's an enjoyable and profound look at how our lives can come crashing down and be, yes, shattered beyond hope or repair, and how God can graciously take us in all our brokenness and despair and give us hope, a new beginning and love beyond our comprehension. It’s very refreshing to read such deep biblical truths in a book of fiction. It is remarkable how author Dani Pettrey appeals not only to our love for mystery, romance and suspense, but also to our need for redemption, our need for a Savior who can make us whole.

Incredibly well written and never boring, the author’s attention to detail, settings’ descriptions, character development and continuity is exceptional. This book is definitely a must read. Although part of a series, it can stand alone, but I highly recommend 'Submerged', which was easily one of the best books in 2012.

5 out of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book from Baker Publishing Group through NetGalley 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.