Book Review: "The Road Home"

"The Road Home" by Beverly Lewis is an Amish story about Lena Rose and her family. Lena is the oldest of nine children and after her parents are killed in a car accident, the family is split up and she has to move from Michigan to Pennsylvania to live with family she has never met.

The youngest of the siblings is just 6 years old and she struggles the most missing him as she has been like a mother to him.

She sends money home from working in PA, waiting for a job to open up in MI, so she can move back home to be closer to her family. One thing after another happens to prevent her from leaving and eventually she comes to love the Lancaster area.

This story started out really slow for me, and didn't seem very realistic, but I kept reading and it ended up being a nice story.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: The Heart’s Appeal

The Heart’s Appeal by Jennifer Delamere is the second book in her London Beginnings series. I have not read book one, but felt that this story could stand on its own. I also have not read any books by Jennifer Delemer and enjoyed this book and her way of writing.

The story is set in London in 1881. Julia Bernay arrives there with the intent to study medicine and become a doctor. This has only recently opened up to women and being strong-minded, Julia is determined to succeed. 

Right away she witnesses an accident involving Michael Stephenson, who has his own goals to achieve, that of being a lawyer. A case he is working on just happens to be a debate over a women's medical school and whether is should continue.

Talk about sparks flying between the two! This was a fun book to read.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: Holding the Fort

Holding the Fort by Regina Jennings is the first book in her Fort Reno Series. Regina has a way of putting so much fun, spirit, quirkiness in her lead women. I have read other books of hers and they make me laugh out loud at some of the antics.

This story is set in 1885 and tells the story of dance hall singer Louisa Bell and how she ended up as a governess for Major Daniel Adams' two daughters at Fort Reno. She tries to keep her true identity a secret, because if this doesn't work out, the girls will be  sent to their grandmothers.

When Daniel requested a governess from the Mennonite society, he expected an older stern woman to show up at his door.

I highly recommend this book and personally look forward to reading the other books in the series when they are released.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: A Plain Leaving

A Plain Leaving by Leslie Gould is the first book in her The Sisters of Lancaster County. This book was so good, I read it in one day. We were travelling and it was a great time to get some reading in.

I loved the format of this story. I combined the current story of Jessica Bachmann who had walked away from the Amish faith only to return when she received word that her father had died, to the story of her ancestor Ruby Bachmann from over 400 years before whose story was a lot like Rebecca's.

Both women had 2 men who loved them, one of the Amish faith and one who was not. They both had loss of family and hard decisions to make.

It was wonderfully written in a way that makes you want to read for more. Now it will be hard to wait for the next book in the series.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review:"The Proving"

The Proving by Beverly Lewis is an Amish story about Amanda. Amanda left the Amish 5 years ago and has come back after her mother passed away. She learns that her mother left to her the B & B, but with stipulations she has to follow for 1 year.

Amanda has a twin sister that she doesn't get along with and the story is about forgiveness through the testing of her faith.

Beverly did not disappoint in this story. I have read almost all if not all of her books and enjoy her writing.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: The Two of Us

The Two of Us by by Victoria Bylin is about Mia Robinson. Mia is done with the dating scene after two broken engagements. She is a nurse and decides to focus all her energy and time into her 18 yr old sister and patients. Then her sister get pregnant and runs off with her boyfriend to get married right when Mia is planning to work on the mission field.

Mia goes chasing after her sister Lucy and ends up meeting Jake who has his own issues healing from injuries from his police officer job and losing his partner in the tragedy.

This book was hard to put down. It was so well written and you just want more. The story filled with what it means to trust and rediscover your faith was inspiring.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review "True to You"

Set in Washington state, "True to You" by Becky Wade is a story about Nora and John. Nora had her heart broken 3 years ago and decided she has had it with romance and buries herself in her work as a genealogist and owner of a historical village. John is a retired Navy SEAL and is diagnosed with an inherited illness, but because he is adopted, he needs help looking into his family ancestry. He asks Nora for help and the story is filled with love, humor, with a serious note and written in such a way that you don't want to put the book down.

This is my first time reading a book from Becky Wade and I love how she captures your attention from the very first page and writes in a way that keeps your attention to the very last page. I will be looking for other books written by her as this is the first book in the Bradford Sisters series.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: "The Ebb Tide"

 
If you know me, you know I won't pass up an Amish book and one written by Beverly Lewis at that. I think I've read almost every book she has written. So when this book came up as one to choose from Bethany House, I signed up right away.

The Ebb Tide by Beverly Lewis is about Sally Riehl becoming a nanny for a wealthy English family for the summer at their New Jersey vacation home. Sally feels this is her chance to get away from her Amish surroundings before she is baptized in the faith as her parents are wanting her to.

With her weekends free, she develops a friendship with Kevin, who is a college student. But Kevin is Mennonite and not Amish and she knows her parents will not approve of their relationship. She has a big decision to make when the summer comes to an end.

I loved the flow of the story and it kept me reading late into the night.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: Amish Weddings by Leslie Gould.

Amish Weddings by Leslie Gould is the newest book I've read from Bethany House.

This third book in Neighbors of Lancaster County series is about Rose. She is in love with Rueben, who is predictable, stable, and taking his time to set a wedding date. Then in walks Trevor, an army buddy of her brother-in-law. Trevor is exciting, unpredictable, and easygoing.

I liked this book in that I really didn't know how it was going to end. There were some plots, twists, and turns that definitely were not expected.

I don't want to give too much away, as I pass these on to some of my readers to read when I am done. I definitely would suggest this whole series by Leslie Gould.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: For the Record

For the Record by Regina Jennings is the latest book I've read from Bethany House.

Betsy Huckabee is from Pine Gap, Missouri, a tiny town in which she lives with her aunt and uncle and works for her uncle's newspaper. Betsy writes articles trying to capture attention from someone in the bigger cities. No one is taking her seriously and she is getting frustrated. She comes up with an idea to write a series of articles for a big city newspaper about a story she has created herself with the new sheriff in town as inspiration.

The antics between Betsy and the sheriff (who has issues all his own) cracked me up and kept me reading til the end without too many breaks.

This is the 3rd book in Regina Jennings Ozark Mountain Romance series, but the author did a great job in writing that this really can stand alone. However, after reading this, I would really like to read the first two now.


**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: The Wish

The Wish by Beverly Lewis is the latest book I have received from Bethany House. I love B. Lewis' writings and have read almost all if not all of the books she has written.

This is an Amish story (one of my favorite genres to read) and is about an Amish girl Leona who befriends Gloria when they move next door and they become best friends. Gloria's family moves in the middle of the night and Leona doesn't hear from her friend for years.

Then one day she receives a letter from Gloria and finds out the family has left the Amish faith and Gloria is needing to see Leona. Leona decides to go visit Gloria, but her fiance is worried that she might not come back, esp since Leona dated Gloria's brother briefly before the family left.

While I liked reading this story, it didn't seem to move as smoothly as the other books I have read. I didn't feel like it was one of Beverly's best writings, but will still look forward to reading her new book that comes out in April of next year.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: A Heart Most Certain

I was introduced  to a new to me author via Bethany House in the book A Heart Most Certain by Melissa Jagears.


This is a historical romance story, which is one of my favorite types of books to read. Even though the stories aren't real, the authors tend to do lots of research of the time periods and that makes them enjoyable. It is set in Teaville, KS (just the name of the town lead me to believe it was going to be a great book!) in 1905,

Lydia wants to join the Teaville Moral Society, but maybe not for the right reasons. Her father is deep in debt and her mother is dying. Lydia has it in her head that if she marries into money her problems will be solved.

For her part in the Society, she needs to get the wealthiest man to donate to the cause. Nicholas refuses. He donates to causes that that are private and not to make a big show of  his generosity.

The two butt heads as you can imagine, but learn the true meaning of not only charity, but what happens when you judge others and their lives. Even though this is set in the early 1900's, there is so much we can learn from the story today.

This is the first book in the Teaville Moral Society Series and after reading this book, I look forward to the others in the series.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: An Elegant Facade

I have another book review for Bethany House to share today. I've never read so much in the summer before! But seeing as how I am still laid up with this ankle and am very limited to how much I can walk, there isn't much more for me to do.

Today's review is for An Elegant Facade by Kristi Ann Hunter. This is the second book that Kristi has written from what I understand.

An Elegant Facade is the second book in the Hawthorne House series by Hunter, but I thought it stood on it's own as well. I would like to read the first book now though. The story begins in 1800 in England and Lady Georgina Hawthorne is quite the snooty socialite (on the outside anyway). She knows she must marry well, but Colin McCrae, who doesn't have a title, keeps showing up and he is not what she would consider 'marrying well'.

While it seems she has everything going for her, Lady Georgina has a secret that she is keeping hidden and Colin is getting too close for comfort in finding out her secret.

As much as the two have decided early on that they want nothing to do with the other, sparks fly and they are drawn to each other.

This book was so much fun to read, that I'm looking forward to reading the first book, which highlights Georgina's sister Miranda.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Book Review: A Haven on Orchard Lane by Lawana Blackwell

The latest book review I have to share is A Haven on Orchard Lane by Lawana Blackwell. It's been a long time since I've read a book by Lawana Blackwell and I was excited to have the opportunity to do that again.

A Haven on Orchard Lane is a historical romance novel about a stage actress in the Victorian era. She walked away from it all to marry a wealthy man and things fall apart from there as she realizes he is not all that he portrayed himself to be. 

Getting out of that situation, she attempts to go back to the acting she left, but so many things go wrong. Her estranged daughter agrees to help her and moves her into a cottage on Orchard Lane in a quiet little village. There they get to know each other after being apart many years.

There is a lot of healing, forgiveness, and reality as not all parts of the story end all rosy which makes this  a refreshing book to read.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

The Atonement

I love reading Amish stories, so was excited when I was chosen to read The Atonement by Beverly Lewis from Bethany House.

Lucy Flaud is 25 and considered by the Amish to be past courting age. The mistakes of her past which are secret to all except her parents keeps her from attending 'singing' where unmarried Amish usually attend on Sunday's to find their spouses.

Lucy feels that she has to make up for her mistakes by keeping busy, so she volunteers in everything she can and finds herself coming up short. Her father becomes friends with an 'Englischer' who is trying to live more simple and has lots of questions. Lucy becomes friends with Dale and other members of the Amish faith esp her good friend Tobe who loves her, become worried that she is going to leave the Amish faith.

This was a very good story on the importance of being able to forgive ourselves for our past mistakes just as God forgives us if we ask Him.

I have been a fan of Beverly Lewis for many years and enjoyed this new story of hers.

**I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.**

Amish Sweethearts Book Review

Amish Sweethearts is about joining two worlds: Lila Lehman who is Amish and Zane Beck her neighbor who is not. They were childhood friends and secretly loved each other but Lila's controlling father planned for her to marry the bishop's son, Reuben. Zane joins the army broken-hearted and Lila cannot forget him.

After being sent to Afghanistan, both questioned their life choices. 

This was a beautifully written story, that I just couldn't put down. Amish Sweethearts by Leslie Gould is her second book in the Neighbors of Lancaster County. I received this book from Bethany House to review and I haven't read the first book of the series, but this book can stand alone, so that wasn't a problem. After reading this book I would love to read the first and 3rd books.

**Thank you Bethany House for providing me with a free copy for the purpose of this review. All opinions are strictly my own.

Fire and Ice Review

I recently signed up to do reviews for Bethany House Publishers. The first e-book I rec'd was Fire and Ice by Mary Connealy. 

I am a fan of Mary Connealy's books and have read many of them. However, this one was harder for me to get in to. It just seemed to go a lot slower than her other books.

Fire and Ice is a western story about Bailey Wilde and Gage Coulter. Bailey disguises herself as a man until Gage discovers the truth. The two battle head to head over land disputes. After a long hard winter, Bailey finds that she is glad to see Gage, but shocked when he proposes marriage to her.

The book picked up a bit after that and things get lively esp when Gage's mother shows up. Both Bailey and Gage have past hurts they have to deal with. Even in the pain of their lives, the humor for which Mary Connealy is known for is definitely present.

Even with the slow start, I would still recommend this book. There is fun love, romance, mystery, and humor throughout.

**Thank you Bethany House for providing me with a free e-copy for the purpose of this review. All opinions are strictly my own.