Arms of Love by Kelly Long

"Arms of Love" by Kelly Long is really different than any other Amish story that I have read. First of all it takes place back in 1777, and secondly it deals with abuse. The time setting was unique, and the topic of abuse was one I don't think I had encountered before in Amish fiction.

Adam Wyse is in love with Lena Yoder, but he is also grappling with a dark secret,his father is abusive toward him but Lena's mother Mary knows the truth, and makes Adam make a death bed promise to her to back away from Lena until he can break free of his father's rule. Lena doesn't know about the promise and doesn't understand what is going on and finds herself turning to Adam's brother Isaac. Which brother will ultimately win Lena's heart? Will Adam ever be able to understand why his father is so cruel? Read this interesting story and find out!

I really loved the time period in which this story takes place, and while Adam and Lena are the primary characters in the story, there are several secondary ones to keep the plot moving at a pretty brisk pace. Adam was such a wonderful person, but honestly for most of the book I really didn't like his brother Isaac, it galled me that he could stand by and see his brother's maltreatment. I really thought it was clever how the character of Ruth, the Englisher wet nurse that came to help out after Lena's mother died during childbirth. I really hope to read more about her in a future novel. While I found this story an interesting read,I found parts of it repetitive. A good story but  I actually enjoyed her "Patch of Heaven" series much more. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the genre of Amish fiction.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

American Patriot's Bible

As a person who enjoys reading history as well as studying God's word this Bible is perfect. No matter what I say my review can't do this Bible justice. From the vivid illustrations to the full colored sections that delve into different aspects of our countries history that literally captured my eye from the moment I opened the cover, has made this Bible the one that I pick up to read daily.

To describe the quality of the Bible I would say that it is very sturdy and will easily stand up to daily reading. The large print makes it easy to read and the antique white coloring of the pages are very eye appealing. As far as navigating this one its a snap with the subject index  that is included in the back. The concordance as well as the list of presidents and list of states and the date that they were admitted as a state are just added bonuses in my book!

A perfect blending of God and country! This Bible would make a wonderful gift, for anyone who loves history and loves the Lord. The dust cover on this Bible is so eye appealing that when I am not reading it I have it displayed on my coffee table. I can honestly say there isn't one thing I would change about this Bible!

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1640 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Gift edition (February 14, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141854891X
• ISBN-13: 978-1418548919

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2012

THE ONE BIBLE THAT SHOWS HOW 'A LIGHT FROM ABOVE' SHAPED OUR NATION. Never has a version of the Bible targeted the spiritual needs of those who love our country more than The American Patriot's Bible. This extremely unique Bible shows how the history of the United States connects the people and events of the Bible to our lives in a modern world. The story of the United States is wonderfully woven into the teachings of the Bible and includes a beautiful full-color family record section, memorable images from our nation's history and hundreds of enlightening articles which complement the historic King James Version Bible text.

Heart of Gold by Robin Lee Hatcher ~ review

 

My thoughts about this book:
"Heart of Gold" is a historical fiction that takes the reader on a wonderfully adventurous journey to west during the heart of the civil war.Even though Shannon Dailey moves to Idaho territory with her father who is a minister.Her heart is back home in Virginia where the Civil War is raging. There she had an important job of nursing injured soldiers, and can't help but wish she was back home. She wonders if she will ever feel at home in her new home, but when an ill woman needs her help she finally realizes what her purpose is, it's to take care of the woman and help ease her pain.Matthew Dubois is one of the best drivers for Wells Fargo, but when his sister Alice tells him that she is sick and needs his help he goes to her and his nephew. What he finds out is that Alice is dying, and he is going to have to care for Alice's son Todd, he knows he is going to need help, and the help is Shannon. How will things work out for Shannon, Matthew and what about Todd?


I really enjoyed the setting of this story, the author really pulled me right back in time. I really enjoy historical fiction that is set around the civil war and this one fit the bill. The characters were very easy to like in this story, I found that the story that revolved around Alice was the most heart wrenching, knowing that she was dying and wanting the best for her son Todd. This book also deals with prejudices and accepting people for who they were. The romance that develops between the main characters was slow to build and sweet, very well written for an inspirational romance.
A great story for anyone who enjoys historical fiction that weaves together a bit of romance and inspiration into the mix, the fact that the story takes place around the civil war was an added bonus. My first book by this author but certainly it won't be my last.


A copy of this book was provided by Booksneeze review program in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description from Amazon.com:

Publication Date: February 14, 2012

The truest treasure is found deep in the heart.
Back in her beloved Virginia, Shannon Adair loved nursing injured soldiers back to health. But in Grand Coeur, Idaho-the rough-and-tumble place where her father has been called to lead the church-she's not sure where she fits in. Then a critically ill woman arrives, and Shannon knows her place at last: to care for this dear woman and ease her pain.
Matthew Dubois is the fastest and most reliable stagecoach driver on Wells Fargo's payroll. But his widowed sister is dying and he's about to inherit his young nephew. So he takes a job at the Wells Fargo express office in Grand Coeur until he can find the one thing he needs to get back to driving: a wife to care for the boy.

What neither of them knows is that God is at work behind the scenes-and is lovingly bringing them together to discover the true desires of their hearts.

Smitten (A Book Review)

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (December 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401684947
• ISBN-13: 978-1401684945

I must admit I am becoming a fan of short stories. I really enjoy when I get several short stories in one book and with "Smitten" we get four short stories by four different authors, but the great thing is that the stories are interwoven together. Each story begins where the other ends off, and allows us to view things thru the eyes of the woman that the particular story is about. The story takes place in Smitten, Vermont. When the towns biggest employer ( a lumber mill) plans on shutting down, the townspeople wonder  how they will ever make it. Well four friends decide that they are going to put the tiny town of Smitten on the map! Because of the town's name they think they can bill it as a romantic destination, a town for lovers. Can it work? Will the town of Smitten be saved? The four friends Natalie Mansfield,Julia Bourne,Shelby Evans,and Reece Mackenzie not only try and save the town but each of the women soon have men smitten with them. 

This was a great little read, the characters each were well drawn and easy to connect with. While the girls work together for a common goal, each were different, with their own issues. I always enjoy watching characters grow and change for the better and we got that with each of the stories in this book. I always enjoy a faith based theme in romance and this book has that, although it doesn't come off as preachy. A quick read, that had me smiling on several occasions. Because this book is written by four different authors it allowed me to sample the work of a few authors I hadn't read before, but will certainly be watching for more from. 

Four great little romances with an inspirational feel, not to mention a pretty cover, who could ask for anything more?

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze program in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description from Amazon.com:

Publication Date: December 20, 2011

Four friends devise a plan to turn Smitten, Vermont, into the country's premier romantic getaway-and each finds her own true love along the way.

With Smitten Lumber closing, residents wonder if their town can stay afloat. Then four friends and local business owners-Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese--decide the town is worth saving. How will they do it? They'll turn Smitten into a honeymoon destination!

As Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese work to save the town, each discovers romance in her own life. Meanwhile, the faith of a little child reminds the whole town what it means to have real faith in the God who is the always and forever Love.

Discover a novel written by four of Christian fiction's most popular romance novelists- friends in real life who've drawn an amazing story of four friends! Includes a Reading Group Guide as well as "Conversation over Coffee with the Authors".

An Amish Wedding ~ review

"An Amish Wedding" is a collection of three short stories written by three very popular Amish writers, Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Kelly Long. Most of the books that I have read that contained stories from three different writers usually don't connect but with this one the authors weave their stories together.

"A Perfect Secret' by Kelly Long is the first story and the main characters are 19 year old Rose Bender and 23 year old Luke Lantz. Luke and Rose have been friends for years so when he proposes marriage in a calm manner, she is a bit disappointed after all she hoped for a bit of romance, but Luke's idea that their marriage be based on friendship and beneficial to both families makes sense so she accepts. While she believes she knows everything their is to know about Luke she soon learns differently.

"A Perfect Match" by Kathleen Fuller is the story of Naomi King and Zeke. Naomi has always been a successful matchmaker for her friends and family. Even at the age of twenty-five she hadn't ever felt pressure from her friends or family to marry, after all her life was full and satisfying. When her friend Margaret asks for help in finding a beau, she decides to try and make a match between Margaret and Zeke Lapp who has come to town for his cousin Chester's wedding. Of course things really never go as planned, will she be able to pair Margaret and Zeke together or does God have other ideas?

"A Perfect Plan" by Beth Wiseman is the story of Pricilla King and Chester Lapp. As their wedding day approaches things seem to keep going wrong,is it a sign from God that they should call the wedding off?

I always enjoy reading short stories and this book was no different. The one thing that I really liked was the fact that the characters intertwined in the stories, allowing the plot to connect even though each story was written by a different author. I think fans of Amish fiction will certainly enjoy this book, and for someone that has never read any of the Amish authors featured it is certainly a nice way to sample their work. Another great thing about reading a book like this is that it is easy to pick up and put down,although I found myself reading it in a few sittings. For me my favorite story had to be " A Perfect Secret" by Kelly Long, but overall each story was great!

This book was provided by Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble ~ review

For me this was a book that took me just a bit to get into, but really once I got a feel for the characters and their backgrounds it really took off for me. It was a book filled with mystery,suspense, romance and intrigue with a nice christian theme woven in. Imagine if you will your a young married couple when your child is kidnapped and later the police determine the child is dead. That's just what happened to Eden and Clay Larson, and their marriage didn't hold up.So Eden decides to move on with her life. Fast forward five years and she is about to be married again when Clay shows up, and informs her that he never signed the divorce papers he was served with. More than that he never gave up hope that the child that was kidnapped, a daughter named Brianna would someday be reunited with them.

What an interesting story line. It was easy to feel empathy for Eden. She lost a child and left Texas and moved to Indiana to get a fresh start. When Clay shows up and tells her he believes their daughter might be alive she does the only thing she can do and heads back to Texas to look for her daughter. What will she find in Texas. Read the book and find out. While this book is part of a series, I easily read it as a stand alone work once I got a feel for the characters. A new to me author whose work I plan on reading more of, because I do enjoy well written mystery, intrigue and suspense woven together with a christian theme.

Book provided by Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons

This is the second book that I have read by Golden Parsons and I really think I liked the first book titled "Where Hearts Are Free"much better than this one. I normally am a huge fan of historicals especially ones that take place around the Civil War but for me this book really didn't seem to be very thouroughly researched. Other than that it was an okay story. Again I loved the civil war time period, and the fact that the plot moved along quickly was another plus. Even though that the main character (Amanda ) made a promise to her mother on her deathbed she still found herself falling in love with Captain Kent Littlefield, a union soldier, even though her brother Daniel was with the Confederates. I couldn't help but wonder how things would work out. I also find it quite refreshing that a writer can pull us into a story, and also give us a nice positive christian message as well.

If you enjoy historical fiction, and don't mind a bit of innaccuracies in the details then I think your going to enjoy this one. I easily give it four stars and will certainly watch for more from this author.