"where the last rose blooms" book review

"where the last rose blooms" by ashley clark

this book is the 3rd (last) in the heirloom secret series.

the story goes back and forth from the modern time to time in history with 160 years spanning the lives of two women. having not read the first two in the series, i think i was missing some information of what had happened prior and had a harder time getting into the story.

i liked that mental illness awareness was a part of the story. i don't always see that in books i read and so important.

i ending seemed to just stop and leave a lot to the imagination of how things end. seems like there should be another book in the series, or different ending.

*i received this book for free from net galley in exchange for my review.

Book Review: A Man Called Mr. Smith

I had the opportunity to read this book early from the author Tanya Williams. "A Man Called Mr. Smith" is the 3rd book in her series. Even though this book was great on it's own, I definitely want to read the first 2 in the series.

The author does a wonderful job in writing in a way that makes you want to keep reading and not put the book (or in my case Kindle) down! You feel like you are right there with the characters and know them personally.

 The story has your emotions going in all directions! In the beginning,  Mr. Smith has just buried his wife and is left behind with 2 very small children. He remarries, but his 2nd wife does not love his children. They have children and you can guess how she treats them vs. his children from his first marriage. The family is very dysfunctional and it seemed like there was one misfortune after another.

One of the things I liked the most, was that I couldn't guess the ending. I like reading books that take me by surprise. I don't want to give too much away, but I highly recommend reading this book.

You can get the Kindle edition for only 99¢ on Amazon.

Book Review: Set Free

This is a hard book review for me. I don't like posting negative reviews, but there was nothing about this book that I liked.

Set Free by George Michael Loughmueller is the first Amish book I have read that I didn't like...at all. I realize this story as well as most of the others I've read are fiction, but this wasn't even realistic in any way.

This is the first book in the Karsten Field Triology. It starts out and moves very fast...Allan Howarth is unhappy with his life (he is not Amish), finds out a former teacher leaves him a cabin in an Amish community...a man that left the Amish, within 3 days moving his family there he is baptized to prove he is serious about being Amish. Told by the Amish that his marriage isn't considered real since he is going to be Amish and his wife wants nothing to do with it and encourage them to divorce. Wife and son leave, daughter stays. Oh and daughter was posing in bikinis for a modeling agency right before they move there and in 3 days decides she wants to be Amish?!! WHAT:????!!!

So he falls in love with school teacher, gets married, has another kid. This story just blew my mind. I didn't like it within the first page or two, but I was contacted by Mr. Loughmueller's publisher asking if I would read it and leave a review, so it's really sad that I have a negative review.

I don't know if it's because I've read so many Amish books, both fiction and non-fiction ...of those that have left the Amish faith as well as currently read a blog of one who left, because I've read about the Amish and what they believe, have talked to one who left the Amish, been  to and lived in the surrounding area of the Amish and even been to one Amish family for a Thanksgiving meal; that made this so unbelievable and no way would any of the things portrayed in this book every happen, or what.

I can't imagine picking up this book knowing very little to nothing about the Amish that it would seem even remotely realistic...as realistic as fiction can be. I would not recommend this book at all.

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.