Listening to Love by Beth Wiseman

This story was interesting and I think somewhat unique in that both mother and daughter, both of whom are Englisch, have relationships with Old Order Amish men.  Both struggle with the differences and the Amish men in question are struggling with the situation as well.  Natalie Collins falls in love with Lucas, who is Amish.  Meanwhile, her mother becomes the employee of Lucas’ neighbor, also Amish.  As both families struggle with the relationship between Lucas and Natalie, they need to find enough common ground that they can make it work for both of them or else walk away.  Natalie’s mother’s situation makes her find an inner strength that she had been lacking since her divorce.

I love Beth Wiseman’s books.  This one was a little hard to get my head around at first but it was a solid story all the same. 

I received a Kindle copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

More Than Words Can Say by Karen Witemeyer

Abigail wants to continue to run her bakery after her father dies, but the city council has told her she can't run it without taking on a male business partner.  She has a better idea -- she will get married and make her husband the owner of record.  One of her customers, Zach, seems like the ideal candidate.  We met Zach in a previous book by this author concerning the Orphan Train and a trio of orphans who escaped a train wreck and set out together to live on their own. 

Someone wishes her ill and even after she and Zach tie the knot, things continue to happen. This is the story of how they triumped over that with God's help and the assistance of some special friends and customers.

I loved this book!  It was fun to read.  I received an e-version of the book from Bethany House through NetGalley for the purpose of providing a review.  It was my pleasure!  I highly recommend this book and this author.  

A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Once again Kim Vogel Sawyer has come up with a solid piece of Americana and a great story.  This story takes place at the Atlanta Cotton Exposition of 1895. The story explores the relationships between black and white people in that time period and place.  Ms. Sawyer has developed some complex characters that tell the story well. The details of the Exposition are interesting as well and give an excellent portrayal of what interested and entertained people in that era.

As always, I love the way the author pulls the characters’ faith into the story and makes it an integral, albeit matter of fact part of the tale.  It would be an honor to be friends with these folks and I’m only sorry that they are not real people that I could get to know.  This is the magic of Ms. Sawyer -- she makes me want to step right into the story.

I received this book as part of a group organized by the author / publisher to promote the publication of this book. All thoughts expressed here are my own.  I joined the group because I am a big fan of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s writing and once again she more than met expectations.

The Third Jihad by Michael Youssef

This book provides a very thorough and thoughtful history of Islam and its various groups.  It is very much a warning of what is happening in the world through the zeal of radical Islamists.  The author goes over significant happenings in the past and in news of recent years and builds a case for an ongoing plan of Islamic Extremists to take over the world and make it over in the image of Islam. This book is a must read for Christians, especially American Christians who have become complacent over the years. We need to understand the background and the thought processes of our Muslim neighbors so we know how to pray for them and how to interact with them. We need to understand what is happening in the world and the motivations of the extremists and be actively involved in opposing it. We do need to keep in mind, however, that, as Christians, our reason for being here is to tell the world about Jesus (the Great Commission). We must remember that every person is loved by God and it is His desire that they hear the Gospel. We need to be constant in prayer.  In fact, the final chapter is entitled “Don’t Be Afraid,” and encourages us to pray specifically and intentionally about these things.

I received a copy of this book for Tyndale in exchange for a review. 

The Unexpected Champion by Mary Connealy

This is the third and final installment of this series.  It doesn't disappoint!  Everything came to a satisfactory conclusion but there were a lot of bump in the road on the way.  The characters were really fun -- Penny, a spinstress who has been following her brother all over the West to Army outposts for several years and is very outdoor-savvy, and John McCall, a pinkerton agent who is very street and big city smart.  John has come to the West in search of Penny's nephew, having been hired by his grandparents to find him.  Penny is determined that her nephew will stay right where he is, away from those awful, grasping grandparents.  John is determined to fulfill his task.  But meantime, they are kidnapped together by the resident bad guys and after that ordeal are forced by the sheriff and his wife to marry (or they will hang John, who they suspect to be the kidnapper).  Hilarity ensues as John and Penny go in search of the real kidnappers and Penny learns all of John's Pinkerton tricks of the trade such as disguises and ferreting out information.  Mary Connealy is always one of my favorite authors because she always injects humor into the stories and I thrive on that kind of rhetoric.

 

I received a Kindle copy of this story through NetGalley for the purpose of making a review.  I would have gotten ahold of it anyway, no matter what, because I haven't missed one of Mary C's books yet and I'm not going to start now.  

The Last Second by Catherine Coutler and J.T. Ellison

This is the newest installment in a long series by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison.  An it did not disappoint!  The series is about various FBI, CIA and other special agents working together on international cases.  In this story, a disgruntled astronaut that has struck out on her own has been planning for a long time to cause a nuclear event that will put the world back in the dark ages as far as communications and modern conveniences are concerned and become the leader of the world.  Time is of the essence for them to find her and halt her next move.


There is plenty of action and suspense in this story and a host of fun characters who manage to solve these crimes and enjoy each other in the process.  I received a free Kindle version of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of making this review.  Thoroughly enjoyed it -- highely recommmend!

A Faithful Gathering by Leslie Gould

This is an Amish story that deals with some sticky issues for the Amish like military service and medical service.  Leisel was raised Amish but she has always been interested in being a nurse so she breaks away and becomes a nurse.  She has an English boyfriend , Nick who is also a nurse.  Leisel is still bound by her Amish beliefs even though she has no intention of joining the Amish church. When Nick decides to join the Air Force, Leisel cannot get her head around it because she does not believe in war.

The story goes back and forth between Leisel and the story of her grandfather, an Amish man who was an ambulance drive in France during WWII in a Civilian group that used conscientious objectors.  Leisel’s Aunt tells her the story of her grandfather and also the story of the aunt’s fiancé who died in Viet Nam doing medical service as a conscientious objector. 

The story is an examination of the main character’s beliefs and her final conclusion of what is God’s will for her life.  The story is very well crafted and keeps you guessing till the end.  It portrays some of the conflicts between the Plain world and the English world and how people on both sides choose to deal with the differences.  I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who love Amish stories and also those who love WWII stories.  I was given a Kindle edition of this book for the purpose of a review.