The Bishop's Daughter by Patricia Johns

In this poignant, beautifully written novel, a faithful young Amish widow is reunited with her wayward first love . . .

As a bishop's daughter and good Amish mother, widowed Sadie Hochstetler teaches her young son that God blesses those who try their best to please Him. But her brief marriage taught her that life is infinitely more complicated than that. Older, and serious, her late husband seemed a sensible choice--especially compared to Elijah Fisher, the spirited boy with whom she butted heads and hearts. Then Elijah abruptly left for the Englisher world, taking Sadie's beloved brother along with him--a double betrayal she still strives to forgive. Especially now that Elijah has returned . . .

Elijah plans to stay in the Amish community only as long as he's needed, helping his family and working for Sadie's ailing father. The outside world has changed him, leading him to question rules and restrictions that others take on faith. Once, he'd been head over heels in love with the bishop's daughter--a girl he was judged unworthy of courting. Nine years have changed so much between them. Yet something remains--a spark that, for all their differences, might light the way home again.

Amazon

About The Author

Patricia Johns has her Honors BA in English Literature from University of Toronto. She writes from Alberta, Canada, where she lives with her husband and son. 

Website


My Review

The author has placed this story in an Amish community in Indiana, and we are dealing with a few members who have jumped the fence, or gone into the world.
We are also with a young woman who has returned to her family after her husband has passed away, she had married a much older man.
When one of the fence jumpers comes home, with the stipulation that he is going to leave again, sparks begin to fly again between these two individuals, and we know that nothing can come of it.
Our young woman is the daughter of the bishop, and he is a stern and strict person, and he is the main reason his son has also left.
There are lots of surprises that I never saw coming her, and it makes for a great page-turning read. One you don’t want to miss, and I could almost see another book coming here!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Refuge by Ann H. Gabhart

When Darcie and Walter Goodwin hear of a new cholera epidemic sweeping the area, they join the Shakers whose villages seem immune to the disease. It's meant to be a temporary stay, but Walter is killed in a riverboat accident. With no family and no money, Darcie has little choice but to stay with the Shakers. To complicate matters, she is expecting a baby conceived before she and her husband came to the Shaker village. Marital relationships are considered sinful in this celibate community, putting Darcie in a unique--and lonely--position. Can the arrival of widower Flynn Keller and his headstrong daughter offer Darcie the hope of happiness . . . and family?

Ann H. Gabhart returns to the enigmatic world of the Shakers in this emotional exploration of the power of love and the bond of family.

Amazon


About The Author

Ann H. Gabhart grew up on a farm in Kentucky. By the time she was ten she knew she wanted to be a writer. She's published over twenty novels. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. She still lives on a farm not far from where she grew up. She loves playing with her grandkids, walking with her dog, reading and, of course, writing. Her Shaker books, set in her fictional Shaker village of Harmony Hill in the 1800's, are popular with readers. The Outsider was a Christian Fiction Book Award Finalist in 2009. Her Heart of Hollyhill books are Small Town, America books set in the 1960's. Angel Sister, a Rosey Corner book set during the Great Depression, will be followed by Small Town Girl. Visit Ann's website http://annhgabhart.com or her two blogs, One Writer's Journal, www.annhgabhart.blogspot.com, and the Hollyhill Book of the Strange, www.hollyhillbookofthestrange.blogspo.... Giveaways several times a year.


My Review

The setting of this book is the 1850’s and at the Shakers Village of Harmony Hill. I like reading about this group of believers, although they were destined to fail, they had to depend on new joiners.
While some of this book does focus on the loss of a spouse, we have hope with the arrival of new babies, but the setting for nurturing is less than ideal. A rather sterile way, where the adults live in separate buildings from the children, and of course, men and woman are living apart.
Through the words of the author we put faces to these people, and while I felt I knew how things would turn out, there are a few surprises that we find here.
I for one would be happy to journey for a longer time here, and this one kept my attention and the pages flew.

I received this book through the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Wish (The Amish of Cedar Grove, #1) by Patricia Davids

Second chances come at the most unexpected times…

Widow Laura Beth Yoder longs for a family of her own. So much so that she’s preparing to leave the sleepy Amish town she calls home to find love. But a terrible storm washes out the creek, forcing her to wade in and save the life of an Englisch man and his adorable infant son. As they recover at the farm, the baby brings sunshine and joy, while the handsome outsider is filled with shadows…and secrets.

Joshua King owes his life and his son’s to Laura Beth. Still, lingering at her farm is out of the question. He must fulfill a promise he made to his estranged wife on her deathbed: to deliver their son to his Amish in-laws. With his dark past, Joshua has no other choice. But his plans never took this sweet and surprising Amish widow into account. She just might be his second chance at happiness…and love.

Amazon


About The Author

I was born and raised in Northcentral Kansas. I'm a farmer's daughter, but I now make my home in the city of Wichita. I'm an RN. Neonatal nursing has been the main focus of my career. What can I say? I love babies. I was invited to the highschool graduation of a baby I took care of. Talk about making me feel old!

In June of 2011 I became a widow after my husband of 36 years and 11 months died from multiple brain tumors. It was a very sad time, but thanks to the three f's, my faith, my family and my friends, life is moving forward. I have four brothers, one daughter and two grandchildren who all work at making me feel loved.

I'm the author of more than 30 books and I'm currently writing a series called The Brides of Amish Country for Love Inspired.

Website

My Review

When it is said that “God doesn’t make any mistakes”, it sure seems to apply to this story. When it seems that all in life that can go wrong does, and then impossible dreams begin to happen, do you walk away. Now that is the question that will be making you page turn, and sometimes as fast as you can.
We have offered to us a young woman who has the heart desire to become a mother, but the small town she lives in doesn’t have much to offer a widow.
Then the author gives us a troubled young widower whom has made some horrible decisions, in fact he has spent time in jail.
Will a very young baby be the catalyst to bring these two together, or will each go on with the chosen paths they have put their feet on.
I really enjoyed this different Amish story and found that some people are the same no matter where they live.

I received this book through Net Galley and the publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Abolitionist's Daughter by Diane C. McPhail

In her sweeping debut, Diane C. McPhail offers a powerful, profoundly emotional novel that explores a little-known aspect of Civil War history—Southern Abolitionists—and the timeless struggle to do right even amidst bitter conflict.

On a Mississippi morning in 1859, Emily Matthews begs her father to save a slave, Nathan, about to be auctioned away from his family. Judge Matthews is an abolitionist who runs an illegal school for his slaves, hoping to eventually set them free. One, a woman named Ginny, has become Emily’s companion and often her conscience—and understands all too well the hazards an educated slave must face. Yet even Ginny could not predict the tangled, tragic string of events set in motion as Nathan’s family arrives at the Matthews farm.

A young doctor, Charles Slate, tends to injured Nathan and begins to court Emily, finally persuading her to become his wife. But their union is disrupted by a fatal clash and a lie that will tear two families apart. As Civil War erupts, Emily, Ginny, and Emily’s stoic mother-in-law, Adeline, each face devastating losses. Emily—sheltered all her life—is especially unprepared for the hardships to come. Struggling to survive in this raw, shifting new world, Emily will discover untapped inner strength, an unlikely love, and the courage to confront deep, painful truths.
 
In the tradition of Cold Mountain, The Abolitionist’s Daughter eschews stereotypes of the Civil War South, instead weaving an intricate and unforgettable story of survival, loyalty, hope, and redemption.

Amazon

About The Author

Diane C. McPhail is an artist, writer, and minister. In addition to holding an M.F.A., an M.A., and D.Min., she has studied at the University of Iowa distance learning and the Yale Writers’ Workshop, among others. Diane is a member of North Carolina Writers' Network and the Historical Novel Society. She lives in Highlands, North Carolina, with her husband.

Website

My Review

This story begins prior to the beginning of the Civil War, and our locations is deep in Mississippi, and we are living with slave owners, but, and that is a big but, they have drawn up the manumission papers for all, but the government said they weren’t allowed to free these people.

This is a story about family, but it includes those that are not related by blood or marriage, you sure could feel the love here.

I questioned the actions of Emily’s husband, but keep reading, all is not as appears, and yet, maybe there is more to his actions than I want to read into them.

I did find myself gasping when some of the bombshells hit, no way I saw them coming, and coming they did right up to the end!

Life was not easy here for anyone, and some people just keep making them harder and harder.

I did find myself page turning for answers, but never expected the surprises that continued to happen!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

Write Now Literary Book Tours Presents: Does Your Vision Need An Engineer by Rufus Chambers III

Write Now Literary Book Tours is pleased to be organizing a two-week book tour for Does Your Vision Need An Engineer? by Rufus Chambers III.  This tour will run April 22- May 3, 2019. Click here to book your own book tour. 

Genre: Christian Leadership

 Rufus Chambers is a dynamic business & ministry professional with over 20 years of experience who built a successful career in the construction industry. He has an expertise in Project Management and a teaching gift that empowers leaders and individuals to overcome challenges and achieve greatness. He has worked on numerous construction projects in the role of an Owner’s Representative, General Contractor, Construction Manager, and Construction Manager at Risk.

As a dedicated ministry leader with significant corporate and ministry achievements, Rufus has been afforded the opportunity to make significant inroads in the communities of Oakland, Pittsburg, and Richmond. These inroads consist of partnering with local school districts, faith-based organizations, non-profit agencies, and law enforcement agencies in serving the previously mentioned communities.  Rufus resides in Los Angeles with his wife of over 15 years, and they have 2 beautiful daughters together. 

  

Does Your Vision Need An Engineer? It is a simple question with an answer that may seem to be obvious.  Countless people have dreams and visions, but few are able to translate them into a practical plan that can followed.  Rufus Chambers takes readers on a journey of understanding how to connect a plan of action to their divinely inspired vision.  If you are struggling with understanding what to do next or who to recruit to join your team, this is the book for you.  There is nothing more frustrating than having a vision but being clueless on how to actively pursue.  Rufus will take you into the mind of a vision engineer, whose singular focus is creating a strategic plan that can systematically execute vision.

ISBN-10: 1795624744

ISBN-13: 978-1795624749

 TWITTER|FACEBOOK| WEBSITE

Tour hosted by wnlbooktours.com

Celebrate Lit Presents: Love's Rescue by Linda Shenton Machett

About the Book

Book: Love’s Rescue
Author: Linda Shenton Matchett
Genre: Historic Romance
Release Date: February 14, 2019

A prostitute, a spy, and the liberation of Paris.

Sold by her parents to settle a debt, Rolande Bisset is forced into prostitution. Years later, shunned by her family and most of society, it’s the only way she knows how to subsist. When the Germans overrun Paris, she decides she’s had enough of evil men controlling her life and uses her wiles to obtain information for the Allied forces. Branded a collaborator, her life hangs in the balance. Then an American spy stumbles onto her doorstep. Is redemption within her grasp?

Simon Harlow is one of an elite corps of American soldiers. Regularly chosen for dangerous covert missions, he is tasked with infiltrating Paris to ascertain the Axis’s defenses. Nearly caught by German forces moments after arriving, he owes his life to the beautiful prostitute who claims she’s been waiting for the Allies to arrive. Her lifestyle goes against everything he believes in, but will she steal his heart during his quest to liberate her city?

Inspired by the biblical story of Rahab, Love’s Rescue is a tale of faith and hope during one of history’s darkest periods.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

 

 

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library.

More from Linda

Dear Reader:
Love’s Rescue is a modern retelling of the biblical book of Rahab. I set the story in Paris during the last weeks of the German occupation of France during WWII. While researching the book, I read numerous memoirs and interviews of folks who lived through the occupation. Two aspects discussed time and time again were rationing and the difficulty in getting food. People with any amount of land at all planted produce to supplement the meager supply in the shops. If they were fortunate and an egg was available, it would be fried to a runny consistency and poured over the top of the dish.


Here is a simple recipe for Ratatouille:
Ingredients
1 whole white onion
1 large eggplant
1 large zucchini
1 bell pepper
2 medium tomatoes
2 large cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
2 T Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

• Peel garlic cloves. Smash with end of knife, then cut into a small dice.
• Cut onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes into a medium dice.
• Chop the eggplant and zucchini into 1” cubes.
• In a large saucepan or pot, warm olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Warm over low heat. Add the onion to the pot and cook until tender – about five minutes.
• Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
• Add remaining vegetables to the pot.
• Add a generous pinch of salt and a light pinch of pepper.
• Add the thyme.
• Cover the saucepan or pot with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for approximately 40 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender and there is little liquid in the pot.
• Serve on your favorite platter.

Bon Appétit!

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, April 16

Carpe Diem, April 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 18

Reflections From My Bookshelves, April 19

Inklings and notions , April 20

A Reader’s Brain, April 21

Genesis 5020, April 22

Books, Books, and More Books., April 22

Carla Loves to Read, April 23

Connie’s History Classroom, April 23

For Him and my Family, April 24

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 24

Maureen’s Musings, April 25

Connect in Fiction, April 26

Through the Fire Blogs, April 26

mpbooks, April 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 27

Real World Bible Study, April 28

My Devotional Thoughts , April 28

janicesbookreviews, April 29

The Becca Files, April 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away a grand prize of a French/WWII themed gift basket that includes a WWII Word Find book by Linda Shenton Matchett, Love’s Rescue – Wartime Brides Book 2 by Linda Shenton Matchett, French-milled soap lavender scent, a Fleur-de-lis ribbon book mark, a set of three note pads with French motif, and a set of cocktail napkins with French motif!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/de7e/love-s-rescue-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review

This is a story of survival, and you will be quickly reaching the end but this story rings so very true, I read it in one evening, and it is about a time that we need to never forget, and the theme of forgiveness resonates here.
Paris is about to fall as the story opens and we follow here until it is rescued, and see people up close that gave their all for freedom.
When you read the author’s notes at the end you can see how she came to this novella, and it really makes sense.

I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.

Celebrate Lit Presents: Beauty In Hiding by Robin Patchen

About the Book

Book: Beauty in Hiding
Author: Robin Patchen
Genre: Christian romantic suspense
Release Date: March 12, 2019

Book 2 in the Beauty in Flight series:
Harper’s second chance at life will become a second stint in prison if anyone connects those two dead men to her.
Nutfield, New Hampshire, is as good a place as any to hide from the murderer Harper left behind in Maryland. All she has to do is lie low and make enough money to keep herself and Red alive until she can figure out who her enemies are.
Jack Rossi isn’t sure what to make of his beautiful new tenant and her confused grandfather. Something’s not right, but the love he sees between them and the care she takes of the old man convinces Jack they’re trustworthy. As drawn as he is to Harper, she’s his tenant, so she’s off limits.
Derrick, Harper’s ex-boyfriend and Red’s grandson, needs to find his grandfather and get his hands on the old man’s money before Derrick ends up with a bullet in the skull. And when he gets his hands on Harper, she’ll be sorry for what she’s put him through.
Harper and Jack grow closer, but so do her enemies. If Harper can’t trust Jack with the truth, she may lose more than just this glimpse of true love. She may lose her freedom—or her life.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Aside from her family and her Savior, Robin Patchen has two loves—writing and traveling. If she could combine them, she’d spend a lot of time sitting in front of her laptop at sidewalk cafes and ski lodges and beachside burger joints. She’d visit every place in the entire world—twice, if possible—and craft stories and tell people about her Savior. Alas, time is too short and money is too scarce for Robin to traipse all over the globe, even if her husband and kids wanted to go with her. So she stays in Oklahoma, shares the Good News when she can, and writes to illustrate the unending grace of God through the power and magic of story.

More from Robin

I was raised in a Christian home. Our parents took my sister, my brother, and me to church every Sunday. They taught us right from wrong, but eventually, kids have to make their own choices. In my case, I chose wrong for a long time.
Don’t misunderstand: I was always a pretty nice person. I wasn’t a thief, and I didn’t kill anybody, but I made a lot of bad decisions. Sinful decisions. I discovered that one bad choice often led to the next and the next until I was trapped in a life of my own making with no idea how to get out.
But God… two of my favorite words in the English language.
God had a different plan, and He pulled me out of the muck and changed my life. He showed me that I was not the person I’d been acting like. He showed me who I was, and He taught me to walk in the truth of my identity.
Harper Cloud isn’t me, not at all. First of all, she tall and blond and drop-dead gorgeous. More than that, her choices are nothing like mine were. But she’s in the same boat I was. Thanks to a series of bad decisions, Harper was in a hole, and she didn’t know how to get herself out of it. She used drugs to quiet the condemning voices and told herself lies to make herself feel better. Someday, she told herself, she’d get her life together enough to go home to her parents. Because she couldn’t go when she was a mess. She couldn’t go until she’d done something they could be proud of.
Thanks to a bad choice in boyfriend, Harper not only didn’t go home, she ended up in prison.
Harper’s story begins two years after she’s released. It’s the story of a woman desperate to be free of her past, clinging to hope when there’s every reason to despair, and desperate to believe what she’s been told about this Savior, Jesus Christ.
Harper will learn about love and redemption and salvation in the course of the three books that make up the Beauty in Flight series. That is, if she can survive the danger that seems to follow her wherever she goes.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 13

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 13

amandainpa , April 13

Through the Fire Blogs, April 14

Blogging With Carol, April 14

Ashley’s Bookshelf, April 14

Genesis 5020, April 15

Spoken from the Heart, April 15

Lights in a Dark World, April 15

Through the Lens of Scripture, April 16

Among the Reads, April 16

All-of-a-kind Mom, April 16

Godly Book Reviews, April 17

Living Life Free In christ, April 17

Remembrancy, April 18

Just One More, April 18

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 18

Emily Yager, April 19

Reader’s Cozy Corner, April 19

Texas Book-aholic, April 19

Daysong Reflections, April 20

Carla Loves To Read, April 20

janicesbookreviews, April 20

Just the Write Escape, April 21

For Him and My Family, April 21

EmpowerMoms, April 22

Simple Harvest Reads, April 22 (Guest Post from Mindy Houng)

Maureen’s Musings, April 23

Bigreadersite, April 23

A Reader’s Brain, April 23

Real World Bible Study, April 24

The Lit Addict, April 24

Older & Smarter?, April 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 25

Inklings and notions, April 25

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, April 26

Pause for Tales, April 26

The Becca Files, April 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and the entire Beauty in Flight Series!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/de7a/beauty-in-hiding-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review

This is the second book in this series of three, and that being said I have not read the first, but enough information is provided that I didn’t feel lost for long.
The main character is a strong young woman, and she has made it her quest to help her ex-boyfriend’s elderly grandfather, and in doing so she has to learn to lean on God and trust.
You will soon fall in love with the character Red, Gramps, the darling older man is suffering from dementia, and when he is in touch with reality, wow, what a smart man.
We soon see danger lurking its ugly head, and see that some might not survive, and will anyone believe that our girl Harper is just looking to protect Red?
Now to get all the answers you will have to wait and read the next book in this series.

I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.

Mail-Order Mishaps: 4 Brides Adapt When Marriage Plans Go Awry by Vickie McDonough, Linda Ford , Erica Vetsch, Susan Page Davis

Dreams of Finding Mr. Right Go Wrong in the Old West

The Bride’s Dilemma by Susan Page Davis
Wyoming, 1883
Eve Martin arrives in Cheyenne to learn that man she came to marry is in jail, accused of a violent murder. Should she get on the next eastbound train, or has God brought her here to help save Caleb Blair’s life?

Romancing the Rancher by Linda Ford
Montana, 1886
Amelia expects a safe home for herself and her niece as mail-order bride to Zach Taggerty. Only Zach has never heard of her, and the last thing he needs is more complications in his life.

The Marriage Sham by Vickie McDonough
Texas, 1888
Mail-order bride Zola Bryant is devastated. Her newlywed husband is dead. But even worse, they were never truly married because the man who wed them was an outlaw not a preacher. What will she do now that her life and reputation are in tatters?

The Galway Girl by Erica Vetsch
Kansas, 1875
A mail-order mix-up sends Irish lass Maeve O’Reilly to the Swedish community of Lindsborg, Kansas. Will Kaspar Sandberg consider it a happy accident or a disaster to be rectified as soon as possible?

Amazon 

About The Authors

Vickie McDonough

 Bestselling author Vickie McDonough grew up wanting to marry a rancher, but instead, she married a computer geek who is scared of horses. She now lives out her dreams penning romance stories about ranchers, cowboys, lawmen, and others living in the Old West. Vickie is a best-selling author of more than 50 published books and novellas, with over 1.5 million copies sold. Her novels include End of the Trail, winner of the OWFI 2013 Booksellers Best Fiction Novel Award. Whispers on the Prairie was a Romantic Times Recommended Inspirational Book for July 2013. Song of the Prairie won the 2015 Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Gabriel’s Atonement, book 1 in the Land Rush Dreams series, placed second in the 2016 Will Rogers Medallion Award. Vickie has recently stepped into independent publishing.

Vickie has been married for forty-one years to Robert. They have four grown sons, one daughter-in-law, and a precocious granddaughter. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, antiquing, doing stained glass, watching movies, and traveling. To learn more about Vickie’s books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit her website: www.vickiemcdonough.com

Linda Ford

Linda Ford is a fan favorite of historical Christian romances that center on faith, family and a forever love. Her writing has been described as deeply emotional with a touch of humor.

Website 

 
Erica Vetsch

Even though Erica Vetsch has set aside her career teaching history to high school students in order to homeschool her own children, but her love of history hasn't faded. Erica's favorite books are historical novels and history books, and one of her greatest thrills is stumbling across some obscure historical factoid that makes her imagination leap. She’s continually amazed at how God has allowed her to use her passion for history, romance, and daydreaming to craft historical romances that entertain readers and glorify Him. Whenever she’s not following flights of fancy in her fictional world, Erica is the company bookkeeper for her family’s lumber business, a mother of two terrific teens, wife to a man who is her total opposite and yet her soul mate, and an avid museum patron.

Website  

Susan Page Davis

A native of central Maine, and grew up on a small farm with a wonderful mom and dad, three sisters and a brother. Most of my books take place in small towns, many of them in Maine.

My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!

Our children are all home-schooled. When Jim retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, we moved from Maine to Kentucky.

I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.

For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

Website


My Review

Knowing that with four authors I was being offered novellas, and I can take a break for a while and consume one, which I love, well, let me warn you, once you finish one you will begin cheating and before you know it you engaged in the next.
I love how these author’s minds worked and these all seem to have a different twist to them, and meant page-turning for answers and sure to get your attention.
A don’t miss sweet read!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.

Secrets & Wishes by Kathleen Rouser

Stone Creek, Michigan, April, 1901 Maggie Galloway and Thomas Harper clash after their sons collide in a fistfight. Both widowed, they’re each doing their best as single-parents. Outgoing Maggie has dreams for a home of her own and a business to provide for her son as she searches for God’s path for her life as a widow. Reserved Thomas struggles to establish his new pharmacy and take care of his four rambunctious children, while wondering how a loving God could take his beloved wife.

When Thomas becomes deathly ill, Maggie is recruited to nurse him back to health. Taking the children in hand, as well, is more than she bargained for, but she is drawn to help the grieving family. Both nurse and patient find themselves drawn to each other but promptly deny their feelings.

A baking contest sponsored by the Silver Leaf Flour Company brings former beau, Giles Prescott, back into Maggie’s life. When Giles offers Maggie a position at their test kitchen in Chicago, he hints that, along with assuring her a good job, it will allow them to possibly rekindle their relationship.

But then a charlatan comes to town, and tragedy soon follows. Maggie and Thomas discover the miracle potions he hawks aren’t so harmless when an epidemic hits Stone Creek. Thomas and Maggie realize they must work together to save lives.

Maggie finds herself caught up in battles within and without—the battle to help the townsfolk in the midst of illness and chicanery, and the battle to know which man—Thomas or Giles—deserves to win her heart. 

Amazon

About The Author

Welcome to my website! I’m Kathleen Rouser, the award-winning author of Rumors and Promises, my first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan, and its sequel, Secrets and Wishes.I’m represented by Linda S. Glazof the Hartline Literary Agency.My novella, The Last Memory, part of Barbour’s Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides collection, is available HERE
You’ll still find monthly author interviews and some book reviews in “Let’s Chat” and more devotional articles coming soon in “May I Be Honest?” Also coming soon is a free story, Winter Baby,for those who subscribe to my newsletter—my gift to you.
I’m still a fan of the three Cs—cats, coffee, and chocolate! But most of all I’m thankful to be in the grip of God’s mercy and grace. I’m a child of God, a wife, a mom, a sister, an aunt, and kids’ Bible study leader.
I wanted to be a writer before I could even read!

Website


My Review

First, I loved the cover on this book, and the word pictures as I read, drew me in.
I enjoyed this read, and see individuals here hurting after losing their spouse, and having a hard time moving on. The story takes place in 1901 Michigan, and a different time, prior to drug regulations, and the aftermath of a charlatan.
Another part of this story is a woman who has lost her beloved husband, and a man who has lost his dear wife, and while both are grieving, he is having a hard time coping with his life and taking care of his three children. One could almost laugh when you see what his sons do to his housekeeper, but they are a handful but you will find a chuckle or so.
As I was reading I discovered that there was a previous book, but facts were brought forth and I was not at all lost.
You can see Maggie leaning towards an old boyfriend, but found myself rooting for Thomas, but she is a woman of faith, and you will wonder to the end whom she will end up with.

I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A shocking discovery on a honeymoon in paradise changes the lives of a picture-perfect couple in this taut psychological thriller debut--for readers of Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, and Shari Lapena.

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .

Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?

Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?

Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman's enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we're tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.

Amazon 


About The Author

Catherine Steadman is an actress and writer based in North London. She is known for her roles in Downton Abbey and Tutankhamun, starring alongside Sam Neill, as well as shows including Breathless, The Inbetweeners, The Tudors, and Fresh Meat.

In 2017 she will feature in political thriller Fearless and new BBC comedy Bucket. She also has appeared on stage in the West End including Oppenheimer for the RSC, for which she was nominated for a 2016 Laurence Olivier Award.

Something in the Water is her first novel. 


My Review

This book had me in the beginning, what could have happened to have caused the situation that she was in at that moment?
This story has a sweet love story, a honeymoon that they look forward to that would rival most others, and they are traveling first class, and then we walk in their shoes as they go!
Now I will warn you will probably be up late page turning on this one, and when you think you know the answers, well, I know I didn’t and then the wow and surprises happen, along with a bit of sadness, and you will ask “who can I trust”?
If you enjoy a book that has your heart in your throat, well this one might be the answer, and in the end, well I could see where it could go on to be another book!

I received this book through LibraryThing, and was not required to give a positive review.