The Peasant’s Dream (Hagenheim #11) by Melanie Dickerson

I loved this book. Some of the newer historic authors are coming up with a unique perspective. It makes for fun stories. This is number 11 in a series do now I will need to find the others. I wonder if there will be a number 12.


I read this story in one day (well technically till 4:30 a.m. the next day. I couldn’t put it down.


Frederick is the son of a farmer whose real passion is wood carving. He has to do all the work for the farm since his father is disabled and also abusive. On a trip to town he meets Adela, the youngest daughter of the Duke. She has disguised herself as a maidservant in order to go to the Marketplatz by herself without guards. Frederick is unaware of her social status and they strike up a friendship. She loves painting and so their Artistic inclinations strike a chord for each of them. The problem is that the daughter of a Duke can’t marry a peasant but Frederick is unaware of that problem while Adela is plagued by it.


I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Twice As Nice Amish Romance Collection by Jean Brunstetter, Wanda E. Brunstetter

This is two segments in the story of twins, Elma and Thelma Hochstetler. The twins are in their 30s and are unmarried. When their grandparents die in an accident they are surprised to find out that they left their house and business to them instead of their father (her grandparents’ only son). Their father and mother also run a general store. The twins decide to move to the small town where their grandparents lived and look over their new property. The house and the store are run down but they forge ahead to make a living on their own. In the first story Thelma, the outgoing twin, meets her match and in the second one Elma, the more businesslike twin finds hers. Any more about that would ruin the stories.


This was highly enjoyable and I would highly recommend it to those who enjoy this genre and especially are fans of the Brunstetters (Wanda and her daughter-in-law Jean).


I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Amish Christmas Twins by Shelley Shepard Gray, Rachel J. Good, Loree Lough

This is a wonderful collection of three short stories. I enjoyed reading each one. The first is about foster parents who want to adopt two small children who lost their parents. The kids have been in previous foster placements that were not happy. They want to be adopted. But when the Kurtz’ find out they are expecting twins at Christmas, the children start to wonder if they will be sent to another foster home after the twins are born. The second one is about a widow who has just lost her child and her neighbor who is starting to fall in love with her. She is still broken up over losing the baby but she decides to start healing by donating her baby’s things to a home for teen moms. One of the teen moms is pregnant with twins . . . And the third one is about a couple of sets of twins boys that are cousins and are at that age when they are getting into mischief. A couple of neighbors team up with the two sets of parents to help the boys learn responsibility after an accident caused by their mischief.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories and wish there were more. Highly recommended!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

An Amish Husband for Tillie (Amish of Pontotoc #4) by Amy Lillard

Tillie Gingerich finds herself in a bad situation. She left the Amish with her childhood sweetheart Melvin Yoder who wanted to live in the English world. But now she is back for Christmas with her family and she is pregnant. She and Melvin are not married. She will have to leave very soon if Melvin does not come back and join the church and marry her. Meanwhile she meets Levi Yoder (no relation to Melvin), who has recently lost his wife and infant son. They become friends and help each other out. It’s quite a conundrum and is resolved in an interesting way.


I really enjoyed this book and will look for previous books in this series to read. I recommend this book to friends who like this genre.


I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Holding Out for Christmas by Janet Dailey

Conner Branch is an ex-rodeo bullrider who is now a partner in a Christmas Tree Ranch in Branding Iron, TX. This follows some other stories I’ve read about Conner’s partners Travis and Rush in the Ranch but it is not listed as part of a series. Conner was fascinated with Lacy Leatherwood who he saw at the Cowboy Christmas Ball the previous year but he never got to make her acquaintance. He’s hoping to actually meet her this year. A few days prior to the ball he rescues Megan, a cute kindergarten teacher from Nashville, when her car runs off the road in a snowstorm. He is entranced with Megan but still plans to seek out Lacy.



This is a fun story and the characters are likable and interesting. I recommend this to anyone who just wants to read a happy Christmas romance.



I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Morning Star (Maidels of Morning Star #1) by Charlotte Hubbard

This is the first book in a new series by Charlotte Hubbard! I love Charlotte’s books and this series looks to be an enjoyable one. This books is about 5 friends who are around 30 and not yet married. They concoct an idea about starting a marketplace in an old stable and their congregation votes to get involved.


Regina Miller works for Gabe Flaud in his family’s furniture factory putting stain on newly made furniture. She puts her secret artwork in her own stall in the marketplace and it is a smashing success! But Regina can’t tell anyone she is the artist because the Old Order Amish do not allow members to do art. And her uncle is just looking for an excuse to make her move out of her house and under his roof so he can keep an eye on her. Gabe comes to her defense and reveals a secret of his own.


I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

An Amish Christmas Wedding by Amy Clipston; Kelly Irvin; Kathleen Fuller; Vannetta Chapman

This is a collection of 4 short stories about Amish couples around Christmas time. One is about a Ryan and Lorene that had planned to get married but never did. Now her younger sister is marrying his brother and they are attending all sorts of family get-togethers prior to the wedding. Both are still attracted to each other but wonder if they can forget the past and go forward. The next is about Henry who ends up being the guardian of a young boy whose father was a good friend of Henry’s. The little boy is having a hard time adjusting and Henry is relying on the boy’s teacher Leesa to help him figure it all out. The next story is about Mary and Jakob who have been best friends since childhood but when family and friends pushed them into courting they both felt awkward about the relationship and broke it off. Now they are both attracted to each other but wonder if there is anyway to renew their relationship. And the last story is about two older folks, Micah who was a widower living with his children and grandchildren runs the Amish Tour Company just to get himself out of the house. He partners with Rachel King, an old maid whose parents have died and left her alone. She offers tea to his tour clients in her home.


I enjoyed all these stories and it was great having a short story I could read in one evening and then another the next evening until I had read them all.


I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.