The Harvest of Grace By Cindy Woodsmall

 

This adventure is about several young Amish people who eventually become entwined in each other's lives.

There is Sylvia, who is the eldest daughter of a dairy farmer, whose love for dairy farming outweighs the desire to be married. When her beau asks her, she wants to postpone their big day, wanting more time to be able to discover who she is. Taking her answer as a "no", her beau secretly plans to marry Sylvia's sister. Heartbroken and unable to leave the farm, she tries to endure her feelings of rejection and betrayal. When one day she is caught off guard with her now brother-in-law, he kisses her and she returns the kiss. Feeling shame and guilt, Sylvia leaves and begins working for a couple on the Blank's dairy farm, where she meets their son, Aaron, which leads her down a whole new road to adventure.

There is Cara, who has a young daughter named Lori, whose father died when she was little. Cara left New York because of the fear of someone stalking her, and traveled to Dry Lake because of some memories from her childhood. After seeking refuge in Ephriam's barn, she is taken in and falls in love with him. When Cara finally gets comfortable in her surroundings, she is given a challenge she feels is far beyond her power alone to conquer.
Then there is Lena. She is recovering from an accident and has a bluish purple birthmark on her face. She falls in love with Grey, who was married to the Blanks' daughter. Grey is now a widower and is made to wait the required time of mourning until he can court Lena. Grey also has a secret that he carries with him that he feels could destroy their relationship if Lena only knew.
Will these young couples be able to work through the challenges that God has allowed in their lives, or will they give up and play it safe? Find out how each of these couples faces their challenges both separately and together.

Last Season By Jenny Judson & Danielle Mahfood

Last Season By Jenny Judson & Danielle Mahfood

 I found this book to be well written in terms of the storyline. I liked the underdog mentality. One of the main characters, "Cassandra," comes from a rich and powerful family, while the second main character, "Crispin," is from the working class. Crispin, a stable boy trying to work off his father's debts, falls for Cassandra, making a huge error in judgment that results in him being sent away to India, where his future and fortune change. When Cassandra's father also makes a significant mistake, his decision affects their family's fortune, leaving them penniless. However, fate intervenes and guides both Crispin and Cassandra to a future neither of them expects. The only issue I had with this book was that large portions were written in italics, making them difficult to read. Overall, it's a story full of love, loss, and triumph.

 

"On the Black: Africa" by Theo Cage was one of the most thrilling books I have read in a long time. I won this book through LibraryThing. At first, I found the book kind of frustrating because it is set up into about three different sub-stories that eventually come together into one but just as one of the sections would become really intense it would switch over to the next section. The flow from section to section went very well so that you didn't know that you had left off when the story began again. There were many parts where I found myself holding my breath or wanting to turn away from the book due to the intensity but that is also what kept me from putting it down. I don't really get the title but I assumed that it had something to do with black ops or military talk. All in all, I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves adventure and suspense. Excellent story. 

 Finding Us by Tracie Peterson

                                                                            

This was an e-book I won but listened to it via audio. This story begins in 1909 on board a ship called "The City of Canton" heading to Seattle Washington. The main characters at this time are William Reed, his brother Wallace, and Wallace's Wife, Amelia who is 8 1/2 months pregnant. William has been called to minister to the people in Alaska and is traveling along with Wallace and Amelia until their baby is born. Wallace is heading to Seattle to complete a book he is working on and to obtain proper care for Amelia for the birth before heading to Alaska when they run across an evil man who wants to do them harm. While en route to Seattle, the ship is caught in a major storm and they get separated. When they reach shore William and Wallace fear they have lost Amelia and the baby to the sea.

Wallace becomes very bitter with God and his life starts to deteriorate while William finds love and hope for the future. As time goes by the brothers find that what they feared with Amelia is not true and they try to find her. Meanwhile, Amelia tries to live her life as best she can with her new baby thinking her brother-in-law and husband had perished in the storm.

The story is full of twists and turns which flow together very smoothly. The story keeps you guessing as to what will happen next and when you least expect it to turn out one way, it turns out another. I found this to be both a mystery and romance story full of adventure and chaos. It was very well written and I read it from front to back without being able to put it down. If you like suspense and mystery novels that make you think and keep you involved in finding out what comes next, you will love this book. Excellent story.

Stitches In Time is the second book in the triology of "The Decon's Family" so I waited to read the whole set before starting. I really enjoyed the storyline. The story mainly revolves around two foster teens Luke and Izzy and their time in the Amish community of Stoney Ridge Farm. The stories tells of their adventures both seperately and togeher and the people who helped to shape their lives. It is heartwarming and rewarding to be invited along side these two young adults as they find their way in the world and learn to turn their misadventures into lifelong lessons that help them become whole. A story that takes tragity and turns it into triumph. Loved the series. Can't wait to read the rest of

the series by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

 

A NOBLE MASQUERADE

BYKRISTI ANN HUNTER

 This is a story about a young woman named Miranda who is way ahead of her time. Although on the outside she is an obedient daughter learning the lessons her mother teaches her on how a young lady must act to be able to fit into society on the inside she yearns to break free. Having no one in which to confide her deepest woes, she pretends to write to a young man whom she has never really met ,The Duke of Marshington,an aquaintence of her brother. She never really mails the letters but conceals them in a trunk for safe keeping. When her brother's new valet mistakenly mails one of her letters it turns her whole world upside down. As Miranda becomes more intrigued by this new valet she also becomes curious when her mysterious man, the Duke of Marshington, starts writing back to her. Miranda then finds she is attracted to both men. One man she may never meet and the other man who is way below her station. Adventure begins when a dark plot to harm her family is discovered and "both" men become a part of the plot. In this story Miranda not only gains the excitement she longs for but also falls in love with the man of her dreams.

 Survival of the Caregiver

By Janice Hucknall Snyder

Having first-hand knowledge of being a caregiver this book hits it right on the head. I found this book very helpful in learning to care for my loved one and myself. Caring for oneself is very difficult when every hour is taken caring for someone else but I learned that caring for myself is essential in being a better caregiver. the information coming from someone who has been a caregiver was like having someone walking by my side helping me through some of the tough stuff.