SUMMER'S LIST

Summer's List (River North, June 2015)

A dying wish alters the course of a young woman's life.

Life hadn't been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness---caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother's bookstore---she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love . . . didn't turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something---or someone.

Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer's past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1GKqprL

About the author:

Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She's been a Barnes & Noble "Author of the Month" for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.

My Review:
Summer's Granny is sick and dying. Before she dies she  wants Summer  to experience things she missed out on by caring for her parents. Granny has a list of adventures for her.One of the request her Granny has is for her to do is find her childhood friend Martin and have him help her to complete the list. You will have to read the book to see how the list changes Summer's life.
The writing style of this book is not the best. I also found the story line of Martin's life a bit unrealistic. Still I think some people will enjoy this book.

I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for this review.

TWO ROADS HOME

About the book: 
Two Roads Home (Abingdon Press, June 2015)

What if it's too late for dreams to come true?

Minor---but-nagging setbacks continue to sour Grant and Audrey Whitman's initiation into the world of innkeeping, but larger challenges brew when an innocent flirtation leads to big trouble for the Whitmans' son-in-law, Jesse. Jesse Pennington's friendly, outgoing personality has always served him well, especially in a career that has earned him and his wife Corinne a very comfortable lifestyle. But Corinne and Jesse are both restless---and for similar reasons, if only they could share those with each other. Instead, too many business trips and trumped-up charges of harassment from a disgruntled coworker threaten their marriage and possibly put their three precious daughters at risk.

With their life in disarray, God is tugging at their hearts to pursue other dreams. Can Corinne and Jesse pick up the pieces of what was once a wonderful life before it all crumbles beneath them?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1BdaEcG

About the author:

Deborah Raney's books have won numerous awards, including the RITA, National Readers Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, and the Carol Award, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. She and her husband, Ken, recently traded small-town life in Kansas-the setting of many of Deborah's novels-for life in the (relatively) big city of Wichita, where they enjoy gardening, antiquing, movies, and traveling to visit four children and a growing brood of grandchildren who all live much too far away.

Find Deborah online: website, Twitter, Facebook

MY Review:
This book was interesting even though I did not read the first book in the series. The grandparents, Audrey and Grant struggle to adjust to running the Chicory Inn. One of their daughter's is struggling with infertility another is having marital problems. When problems arises at Jesse's job it changes the course of his family;s future. Audrey struggles with balancing  a career and worrying about her grown children.
To find out how God works in each of their lives you need to read the book.

I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my review. 

AS WATERS GONE BY

About the book: 
As Waters Gone By (Abingdon, May 2015)

How can a marriage survive when separated by hundreds of miles and impenetrable prison walls?

Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out. On a self-imposed exile to beautiful but remote Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, Emmalyn has just a few months left to figure out if and how they can ever be a couple again.

Nudged along by the exuberant owner of the Wild Iris Inn and Café, a circle of misfit people in their small town, and a young girl who desperately needs someone to love her, Emmalyn restores an island cottage that could become a home and begins to restore her heart by learning what it means to love unconditionally. Yet even as hope begins to find a place within the cottage walls, Emmalyn still wonders if she's ready for Max's release. She may be able to rebuild a cottage, but can she rebuild a marriage?

About the author:

Cynthia Ruchti has more than three decades of radio broadcast experience with Heartbeat of the Home radio and currently serves as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers.

Find Cynthia online: website, Twitter, Facebook

My Review:

In the beginning of reading this book it was hard for me to get into if you know what I mean. But then I started to really enjoy it. The way the author describes the people and place made me feel like I was there.

The author weaves a story not only about Emmalyn and her husband but of others on the island. I really enjoyed the stories of Cora and the owner of the Iris Inn. As you read you will find how God works in the lives of other and if willing we too can be used by God to do the same for others.

I would recommend this book to my friends. 

I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my review.

AMISH PROMISES

Amish Promises (Neighbors of Lancaster County) Paperback – May 5, 2015

by Leslie Gould  (Author)

Journey Down a Quiet Lane in Lancaster County Where Love and Heartache and Friendship and Healing Meet
When Joel and Shani Beck arrive at their new home, they're looking for peace. Shani is thrilled to have Joel back from Iraq, but he needs time to heal, and the quiet of Lancaster seems just the place. They can't imagine any trouble with their Amish neighbors, the Lehmans, but things get off to a rocky start when their son is involved in an accident that injures one of the Lehman boys.
 
Eve Lehman has run her brother's household ever since the death of his wife, but Tim's a stern patriarch. Despite his protests, she's drawn to the new neighbor, Shani, and the two begin to form a strong friendship forged on faith and family. Things seem like they've quieted down until Joel's single and handsome army friend Charlie catches Eve's attention--a man unlike any Eve has ever met. Suddenly life for both families becomes more complicated than any of them could have ever imagined.

My Review:

This book was a nice love story between an Amish woman and a English (non Amish) man. But it was more than that. It was a story of love, promises, death, war and PTSD. Life is not easy whether you are Amish or an Englisher. The book centers on two neighbors and their friends. The Amish neighbor is a widower with several kids. His never married sister lives with him to take care of the kids. She had promised her sister-in-law on her death bed that she would always care for her children.

The other neighbor is a family whose husband was injured while serving in Irag. He still recovering from his injuries and having problems coping with what happened in Iraq. His wife is expecting their second son and trying to work while caring for her family. 

While reading this book the story involves other people into both family lives. There are struggles and pain but loving your neighbor solves a lot of life difficulties. 

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House for my review.

HUTTERITE DIARIES

HUTTERITE DIARIES BY LINDA MAENDEL

Author: Linda Maendel

Few outsiders know anything about the Hutterites, a Plain Christian group related to the Amish and Mennonites. Maendel’s story, Hutterite Diaries, invites readers into deeper understanding of this community of faith, calling us to take seriously the example of Jesus and the early church in our daily living. Hear straight from plain Christians as they write about their daily lives and deeply rooted faith in the Plainspoken series.

What would it be like to share all your possessions and live in Christian community?

In Hutterite Diaries, Linda Maendel offers a rare glimpse into the daily routines and communal faith of her people, the Hutterian Brethren. From stories of working together to bring in the fall potato harvest to laugh-out-loud tales of sisterly love laced with revenge, Maendel invites readers into her Bruderhof, or colony, nestled on the prairie of western Canada. Here children and adults work, play, eat, and worship together, crafting a community of goods and living out an alternative to the individualism and consumerism of mainstream society.

Few outsiders know anything about the Hutterites, a Plain Christian group related to the Amish and Mennonites. Maendel’s story invites readers into deeper understanding of this community of faith, calling us to take seriously the example of Jesus and the early church in our daily living.

My Review:

This book was interesting. I had never heard of the hutterites  before reading this book. The author lives in a Hutterite Colony. She shares the lifestyle and the ways of  the community life.
They do share everything in common but each family lives in their own homes. they share all meals together and have church services each day. They believe they are living the life of the early church as described in Acts of the bible..While the author goes in more detail of their way of life, I ways left wondering what was their true belief in Jesus and His Word.
I wish I had heard of the hutterites years ago because I found out I once lived close to one of the colonies.

I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my review of this book.

CALLED TO BE AMISH

Called to Be Amish: My Journey from Head Majorette to the Old Order (Plainspoken) Paperback – February 9, 2015

by Marlene C. Miller (Author)

Fewer than one hundred outsiders have joined the Old–Order Amish—and stayed—since 1950. Marlene C. Miller is one of them. In this rare memoir, Marlene recounts her unhappy and abusive childhood, how she throws herself into cheerleading and marching band, and how she falls in love with Johnny, the gentle young Amish man who helps her lace her ice skates.

Against the wishes of both sets of parents, Marlene and Johnny get married and begin a family. Follow the author on this unusual journey to find out how God’s love called her out of bitterness and depression and into the warm embrace of her new Amish community.

Accompany her as she dons an Amish dress and prayer covering and gets baptized. Learn how she endures the strain of ten children, a hundred-acre farm, and accidents and tragedy, and find out how she comes close to walking away from it all. Turning Amish has proven to be anything but plain and simple for this former majorette. But nearly fifty years later, Marlene is still living out God’s call as an Old Order Amish woman.

My Review:

This book is the real life story of Marlene and her journey to becoming an Old Order Amish woman. She grew up in a dysfunctional family. The only loved shown to her as a child came from a few christian relatives. As a teenager she meets her future husband, an young Amish man.Through the story you learn how they marry and later live as an  Amish family. While life is not easy for them you gain insight into their Amish way of life.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for this review.

The Heart of the Amish

Life Lessons on Peacemaking and the Power of Forgiveness

by: Suzanne Woods Fisher

About

"Powerful! That's the first word that comes to mind after reading this excellent book. You will be inspired to make changes in your life."--Chandler Gerber, featured in the film From One Second to the Next 
We have all been hurt and we all have someone we need to forgive. But sometimes it's hard to let go of our hurt and anger in order to truly forgive and move on.

For the Amish, forgiving others in order to live at peace is woven into the very fabric of their faith. From daily annoyances to heartbreaking tragedy, they exhibit an incredible capacity for forgiveness that often baffles us. How do they do it? And how can we have the same attitude and ability to forgive?

Through true stories gathered from a variety of Amish communities, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher shows you how the Amish are able to release their pain and desire for revenge, and live at peace with others. Her in-depth, personal research uncovers the astounding yet fundamental way the Amish can forgive anyone from the angry customer at the grocery store to the shooter at Nickel Mines. You'll learn how to invite God into your story, apply lessons from the Amish to your own circumstances, and find the freedom that comes with true forgiveness.


"Fisher's stories of the Amish will arm you with tools to forgive and find the path to reconciliation as they draw you closer to God."--Elizabeth B. Brown, author of Living Successfully with Screwed-Up People

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of Amish Peace and Amish Proverbs, as well as many novels about the Amish, including the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

My Review:
This is a wonderful and encouraging book on forgiveness. For most of us forgiveness doesn't come easily but for the Amish it is a way of life. This book is filled with stories of forgiveness given or granted both with which follows amazing grace by all involved.
I found myself underlining certain passages through out the book. Some of these quotes helped me to understand the forgiveness process. One such statement is, "The more often you practice forgiveness, the more forgiving you become." This book is transforming and I would recommend it to all my friends.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Books in exchange for this review.