Along Wooded Paths - Tricia Goyer

GENRE: AMISH

PUBLISHER: B & H PUBLISHING

PUBLICATION DATE: OCTOBER 1, 2011

RATING: 10 OUT OF 10

Following directly on from Marianna’s decision to remain in Montana at the end of Beside Still Waters, the second in the Big Sky trilogy explores the difficulties Marianna is having not only in deciding between Englisher Ben and her beau back in Indiana, but also in her spiritual journey. Two men show her two paths she can take in her life – should she remain with her family’s Amish faith and cut herself off from the rest of the world, or is it worth joining the English world to be with Ben and experiment with reading an English Bible, playing instruments and attending prayer meetings? As she and her family get to know their English neighbours better, it is not just Marianna who is forced to answer difficult questions about the way they have chosen to live and whether this is the only way to please God. Matters are complicated further when an old friend from back home pays a visit and ends up staying longer than planned, forcing Marianna to speed up her decision making and figure out whether staying in Montana is best for her, spiritually and emotionally, or if she should finally return to Indiana.

It’s not often that I read a series of books in the Amish genre where each book picks up where the last one finished. In fact, Tricia’s Big Sky trilogy reminds me of Beverly Lewis more than anyone else who writes Amish novels, and that’s a big compliment for an author who is a newcomer to the genre! But I don’t think that Marianna’s story could have been condensed into one single book. After finishing Beside Still Waters I was itching to read the next instalment to find out what turns Marianna’s life would take next. The first book in the series rather ended on a cliff-hanger, so if you haven’t started this series at the beginning I’d recommend going back to Beside Still Waters to avoid any conclusion. While some series can be read out of order, I wouldn’t recommend this for the Big Sky trilogy.

While I felt that this story was a little more slow-moving than Beside Still Waters, and Marianna dallied over her decisions and could be quite indecisive in places, it was wonderful to read a book that was so driven and motivated by a character’s internal emotions and dilemmas, rather than the characters themselves being moved along by dramatic events in the plot. Tricia addresses many issues that are often skimmed over and avoided in other Amish novels, such as whether a prayer covering is really necessary for prayer, or whether those who are not Amish can still receive salvation through Christ. Although Marianna’s mother remains mostly stuck in her ways, hoping her daughter won’t be too influenced by her new English friends, her father finds himself querying some of the Amish teachings as he begins to read an English Bible and is given insight into some scriptures from Ben, an Englisher. We “Englishers” often enjoy reading novels in which the Amish and English get on perfectly well without ever addressing these issues, so it was interesting to read a book in which the Amish and English are forced to interact daily because of the practicalities of living in such a remote location, and in which such a situation causes them to question the lives they have been living. In particular, it was wonderful to see Marianna’s faith in God grow and change over the course of this series. I can sometimes be picky about the Christian fiction that I read, and despite being a Christian I still find some books to be verging on preaching in their attempts to display a Christian message. I had no such issues with Along Wooded Paths, and found myself becoming thoroughly engaged in Marianna’s spiritual journey, finding it far more real than many I’d encountered previously in Christian fiction. I hope that Marianna’s situation can speak to others who are having difficulties in their faith lives and encourage them to make the changes necessary to draw them closer to God.

But of course, where would an Amish novel be without a pinch of romance? Having left Aaron behind in Indiana in the first book in the series, Marianna finds herself falling for Ben, an Englisher and therefore entirely forbidden. Her father in particular is concerned about their closeness and it is in Along Wooded Paths that Marianna had to consider whether their friendship is entirely suitable. Friends and colleagues begin speculating about their relationship, particularly when Aaron comes to Montana for a visit, forcing Marianna to decide between the two lifestyles and two men, once and for all. I’m still not sure whether I was entirely surprised by Marianna’s ultimate decision, but there’s always the chance that she may change her mind in the third and final book in the trilogy, Beyond Hope’s Valley.

I’ve become entirely addicted to the Big Sky series, and like many other Amish fans, I’m wishing that time would go faster so that I could read Beyond Hope’s Valley and discover where Marianna’s life takes her next. Tricia Goyer has brought something new and refreshing to the Amish genre and I hope that novels like Along Wooded Paths will encourage new readers, particularly those who have been wary of the romance-orientated novels that the genre is often concentrated on. The spiritual and emotional depths of Tricia’s characters are something that I’m particularly fond of, and I have high hopes for Beyond Hope’s Valley in April 2012.

Review title provided courtesy of B & H Publishing.

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck - Kathleen Y'Barbo

GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: WATERBROOK PRESS
PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 21, 2O11
RATING: 7 OUT OF 10 

Making her debut into London society, Charlotte Beck receives more than she bargained for when she tumbles out of a window into the arms of Viscount Alexander Hambly. The American heiress and English noble find their lives forever entwined as a result of the night’s events, much to the dismay of both parties. Charlotte is known for her inappropriate antics, and while she’d like to escape from the expectations of her parents – a suitable marriage, home and family – by attending university, her father has other plans for her. Charlotte is to marry Alex, whom her father has a business proposition for. Although her father insists that she is not simply a pawn in a financial deal, and that he believes Alex is the perfect match for her, being the only man who can control her and make her stop talking, Charlotte is still unhappy with these plans. It is only when her father and her betrothed promise her that she may attend university before getting married that she agrees to the arrangement. But four years is not as long as she expected, and when she returns to her parents’ home she discovers that no one has forgotten her impending marriage, and there is no escaping it – unless she can convince her new husband to agree to an annulment. But Alex has not forgotten Charlotte and how amusing her teenage antics used to be. Without either of them realising it, Charlotte has already stolen his heart, and he is determined to show her exactly why she should remain married to him.

Charlotte is the sort of character will have you laughing out loud, no matter how restrained you try to be while reading this book. Her escapades – entirely inappropriate for a young woman of good breeding – were hilarious to read about, as were her interactions with Alex and his family. Alex and Charlotte have brilliant chemistry together, even if neither of them realised it to begin with. I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of this book, where Charlotte and Alex slowly get to know each other through Charlotte’s little accidents and near social suicides. They are certainly unusual characters for a historical novel, with Alex’s interest in astronomy and Charlotte’s painting skills being well thought out and described. In a way, Charlotte and Alex are two misfits in the world of courtship and balls, making them perfect for each other.

I also enjoyed the dual setting of this novel and reading about the characters experiences in both London and Denver. I’ve not read many historical novels written by American authors but set in Britain, so this definitely made a nice change. It was interesting to read about the differences between London and New York society, the debutantes, clothing of the period and expected etiquette for young ladies. The pieces of etiquette wisdom given at the start of each chapter are absolutely hilarious, as are Charlotte’s attempts to succeed in achieving them.

While I did love the characters, settings and events of the first part of this novel, I really felt let down by the latter part. As the second section of the novel begins, Charlotte returns from university to live with her parents pending her marriage to Alex. I’d been really looking forward to reading about Charlotte and Alex managing to adapt to married life, which I imagined would be a lot of fun to read about, giving their shenanigans in the first part of the book. However, in the four years that have passed between Part I and II of the novel, Charlotte’s character had undergone a complete transformation. I imagine that Kathleen simply wanted to show how Charlotte had grown up, but she had none of the spunk or ingenuity of the previous Charlotte. To be honest, most of the time she just came across as grumpy or selfish, and the chemistry between her and Alex was completely gone. Alex, on the other hand, was exactly the same as he had been in the first part of the book, which just succeeded in showing how entirely different Charlotte’s character was.

My other complaint with the second part of the book is that Charlotte suddenly has a fear of getting married, brought on by something mysterious that apparently happened to her biological mother during her marriage to Charlotte’s father, who is now remarried. This mysterious “something” had never before been alluded to in the book (or if it had, not enough for me to pick up on it) and seemed to come completely out of the blue. It was as if the author had felt that Charlotte needed a reason for her distrust of marriage, and threw this fear into the story in order to validate Charlotte’s behaviour. To make everything even more confusing, the whole issue is wrapped up two or three chapters after Charlotte’s fear is first revealed, when she has a discussion with her father and coincidentally just happens to come across a letter from her grandfather that explains everything. Then, of course, her fear is gone and she can stop being so harsh to Alex. Maybe if Charlotte’s misconceptions about marriage and the mystery surrounding her father’s first wife had been incorporated better into the story as a whole I wouldn’t have minded this part of the novel so much, but as it is I really felt that this part of the plot needed to be expanded in order for it to feel credible and not so rushed. On the whole, I think that the second section of the book needed to be at least fifty pages longer as all of the events felt a bit rushed and quite detached from the first part of the book. At times, it actually felt like I was reading an entirely different book.

While The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck began with a promising start, the section of the novel that focused on the actual marriage between Charlotte and Alex was a letdown. The chemistry between the characters petered out due to Charlotte’s change in personality, and events were rushed to their conclusion by the introduction of a mysterious and previously non-existent plot device that was over and done with far too conveniently. I’m afraid that I was a bit disappointed by this book, although more the second section than the book as a whole. Charlotte and Alex were originally wonderful characters, but their personalities seem to have got a bit lost along the way. Although I didn’t love this book, I would consider reading others by Kathleen Y’Barbo in the future as she creates great characters and families. Perhaps the difficulties I had with this book were not due to her writing but the four year gap between the two parts, in which much goes unexplained.

Review title provided courtesy of Waterbrook Press.

Double Take - Melody Carlson

GENRE: YOUNG ADULT/AMISH
PUBLISHER: REVELL
PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 1, 2011
RATING: 8 OUT OF 10


How could two girls who look so alike be so different? When rich city-girl Madison Van Buren runs into her lookalike at a cafe in an Amish community in Pennsylvania, she begins to wonder how her life would have turned out if she's been born into the slow-paced country life of Anna Fisher. Stressed out by college choices, a possessive boyfriend, a needy best friend and her divorced parents, Madison sees Anna as an escape into a simpler way of life. Anna is tempted by the lure of freedom from responsibilities, and not having to constantly do chores and care for younger relatives. Living in New York would give her the chance to find her old boyfriend, Jacob, who left the Amish several years ago and hasn't been in contact. But switching lives turns out to be a lot more complicated than Madison and Anna imagined, and their plans for a carefree escape from their troubles doesn't work out quite as they expected. Both of them have something to learn about life, relationships and even God.

Those who read my reviews may have noticed that I’m not particularly interested in YA fiction. But when I saw that Melody Carlson, Queen of Christian Teen Fiction, was jumping on the Amish bandwagon (or buggy, as may be more appropriate) I couldn't help but request a review copy. And despite my doubts about how well Amish fiction would transfer to the YA market - particularly with a cover that's just a tad too cheesy for my liking - this is definitely one that I'd recommend. It took me a few chapters to adapt to Melody's style of writing and fit back into the mindset of a teenage girl, but once I found myself settled in the story, I didn't want to put it down.

Ignoring the plausibility of two girls looking so alike and just happening to run into each other, I loved the "Parent Trap" style plot of this book. Who hasn't wondered what their life would be like in a different place? As a British teen captivated by American TV shows and books, I used to daydream about attending an American high school like the fictional ones I was so familiar with. Like Anna, I believed my life would be so much more exciting away from home. But Anna soon finds that life in a city is much more overwhelming than she thought, and that it's not going to be easy finding Jacob in a city packed full of people. Plus, Madison's phone is difficult to operate, the TV shows seem mindless and none of Madison's clothes are remotely modest. She also has to deal with Madison's boyfriend, whom she ropes into helping in her search for Jacob, and an old friend of Madison's who immediately figures out that Anna is an imposter.

Madison, on the other hand, discovers that the "simple life" isn't as relaxing as it sounded. Making up some ridiculous story about how she hit her head on the ice while skating and has forgotten a lot of basic Amish life skills, Madison has to learn how to do basic chores like cooking and washing dishes, as well as looking after half a dozen cousins. Thankfully, Anna's aunt and uncle don't seem to think that there's anything weird about "Anna" and are just thankful for the help while the aunt, Rachel, is nearing the end of her pregnancy. There are some really touching scenes between Madison and Rachel, who isn't popular in her community because she isn't the best homemaker and seems to be slacking in a lot of areas that other Amish women relish in. Madison - who has never had to wash her own dishes before, let alone bake a pie or change a diaper - admires Rachel and helps the other women in the community to appreciate her “aunt” and help her in the departments where she's lacking. There's also a little romance between Madison and a local boy who helps on the farm. It's not entirely necessary to the plot, but shows how teenagers can get carried away by their romantic daydreams.

I actually ended up preferring Madison's Amish adventures to Anna's search for her old boyfriend, mainly because I felt that Madison had more to learn from her experiences. Anna gets a bit of a shock when she meets Jacob and discovers that he really has become an Englisher, and it shakes her teenage fantasies about her and Jacob ending up together, despite him leaving their community. I'm sure every woman can remember a time when they thought a teenage crush would turn out to be the man of their dreams, so Anna's story is quite easy to relate to, if a little bit anticlimatic. On the other hand, Madison does what many Amish fanatics fantasise about - convert to the calmer way of life. But what is there that’s calm about cow stalls, outhouses and home births? Madison experiences a serious culture shock that causes her to rethink her “real” life, and make some changes when she returns to New York. Her experiences with Rachel's family are quite amusing, but I don't know whether I would have reacted any better in her place. While Anna's situation was more relatable, Madison's definitely made for a more entertaining read.

Despite my usual wariness of YA novels, Melody Carlson may have actually made a convert out of me. This is definitely a book that I'd want my teenage daughter to read, if I had one, and is one to pass on to those younger sisters and daughters who try to sneak a peek at your Beverly Lewis novel. Amusing and very true to life, Double Take is one for both teenage girls and the older Amish fans, particularly those who like to fantasise about living the simpler life.

Review title provided courtesy of Revell.

Anna's Gift - Emma Miller

GENRE: AMISH ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: STEEPLE HILL/HARLEQUIN
PUBLICATION DATE: SEPTEMBER 9, 2011
RATING: 9 OUT OF 10 

In the latest addition to Emma Miller’s Hannah’s Daughters series, Anna Yoder finds herself receiving a surprising marriage proposal. After watching all of her older sisters marry and leave the family home, Anna longs to be swept off her feet by a suitor, but believes this will never happen since she doesn’t have the pretty face or slim figure of her attractive sisters. So when handsome widower Samuel Mast asks her to marry him, Anna can’t help but wonder if he’s only interested in finding a mother for his children. As much as she enjoys spending time with Samuel and his children, teaching the girls to bake and cooking for his family, Anna isn’t quite ready to say yes. With the whole community speculating his proposal, she needs to know whether or not Samuel truly cares for her before she can make a decision. Soon, Samuel finds that he’s having to go through the motions of teenage courtship – and getting to know his potential bride a lot better!

Having read Courting Ruth, the first novel in this series, a couple of months ago I was pleased to have the opportunity to catch up with the Yoder sisters again. Although I skipped on to the third book in the series, I can’t say that I felt like I’d missed anything vitally important to the plot. As with all Love Inspired novels, Anna’s Gift is designed to be read as a standalone novel, although readers who are familiar with Emma Miller’s books will enjoy seeing brief appearances from previous characters. There are also some new additions in this book, as Anna’s younger sisters return from caring to their aging grandmother, and the sisters, grandmother and an elderly aunt return to Delaware to move into the Yoder home.

While I don’t think that I enjoyed Anna’s tale of courtship as much as Ruth’s, it was still a very sweet story. Anna was a very endearing character, and the development of her relationship with Samuel made a very fun read. This book had two of my favourite contrivances – snowstorms and children. When the community is struck by heavy snow while Anna’s mother is out of town, Anna finds herself spending a lot of time with her Samuel and his family, who are their closest neighbours. While normally an unmarried Amish couple wouldn’t be allowed to spend so much time together unsupervised (Samuel’s children and Anna’s learning disabled sister would not count), this set-up allowed for Anna and Samuel to get to know each other better before Samuel broached the subject of married to Anna’s mother. It’s not until later in the book that the have a proper courtship, which is a strange experience for both of them – Anna having never had a suitor before despite being older than the other courting teenagers, and Samuel having been previously married. It was interesting to read about a couple in such a situation, as few Amish romances have this set up of an older, widowed man marrying a much younger woman.

There were two very realistic issues explored in Anna’s Gift, the first of which related directly to Anna’s character. Not being slender like her sisters, Anna has always felt unworthy of a man’s attention, which is further proven by the fact that none of the boys in her community are romantically interested in her. So when Samuel expresses his desire to marry her, Anna can’t help but wonder if he just wants someone to cook, clean and look after his kids. After all, who would want her – practically an old maid, a bit larger than the other women her age and clearly been on the shelf for a while? Her aunt and cousins don’t make matters easier for her but continually suggesting that Samuel could never want her for who she is, making Anna more worried about whether she’s about to enter a marriage of convenience. While the concern over marrying someone for comfort rather than love is one often discussed in Christian novels – particularly historical romances – few realistically portray a young woman’s anxieties over whether her appearance makes her deserving of a husband. As someone who was always a bit too gangly and skinny as a teenager, with the added bonus of glasses and braces, I can sympathise with Anna’s worries over her looks, and I’m sure many other readers will find this makes her a relatable character.

The third book in the Hannah’s Daughters series also sees the return of Anna’s younger sisters, along with her grandmother and great aunt, opening up the floor to explore another very relevant issue – dementia. While it’s never overtly explained what illness Anna’s grandmother suffers from, or whether it is indeed Alzheimer’s, all of the women in Anna’s family have to adjust with their grandmother’s steady decline. From making inappropriate comments to strangers in the supermarket to believing that her son is still alive, she takes her toll on the Yoder family, particularly Hannah, who her mother-in-law is always finding fault with. I found the treatment of Anna’s grandmother very touching, especially seeing how the Amish make caring for their elderly relatives a priority in their lives. This part of the story will particularly resonate with anyone who has witnessed a family member struggling with dementia or Alzheimer’s, and some of the grandmother’s escapades will definitely put a smile on your face!

Not all Christian romance readers are fond of the shorter, category novels from Love Inspired, but I do encourage fans of Amish fiction to give Emma Miller’s series a try – you might find yourself pleasantly surprised! Anna’s Gift would make the perfect stocking filler for the romance fan or an introduction to the genre for a teenage girl. I thoroughly enjoyed the latest instalment in the Hannah’s Daughters series and definitely hope to see more from Emma Miller in the future.

Review title provided courtesy of Steeple Hill at Harlequin. 

The Journey - Wanda E. Brunstetter

GENRE: AMISH
PUBLISHER: BARBOUR PUBLISHING
PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 1, 2011
RATING: 4 OUT OF 10 

When the chance to work as a carpenter in an Amish community in Kentucky arises, Titus Fisher jumps at the opportunity. Always in the shadow of his perfect twin brother, Timothy, and watched like a little child by his mother, Titus feels it’s time to find where he belongs in the world. And since this offer follows his girlfriend Phoebe’s announcement that she still isn’t ready to join the Amish church, Titus feels that perhaps it would do him some good to be away from the ties he has back home in Pennsylvania. Soon he’s settling into the rhythms of life in Kentucky, despite the dilapidated trailer he lives in and his lack of a buggy, and he strikes up a good friendship with the Yoder family, who are employing him to work in their carpentry shop. But it takes him longer to warm up to Suzanne Yoder, an unconventional young woman who prefers being in the outdoors and woodwork to cooking and sewing. But Suzanne looks just like Phoebe, and Titus can’t help but look of Suzanne and remember how Phoebe broke his heart when she went to explore the English world. Will Titus’s memories of Phoebe put a rift between him and Suzanne, or will he learn to let go of the past and discover what God has planned for him in Kentucky?

I will advise that while I tried to start this book with an open mind, I’ve never been a big fan of Wanda Brunstetter. While she’s incredibly popular in the Amish genre, which contains many of my favourite books, I’ve yet to figure out what is so appealing about her books. While many of them contain standard romance plots, I often find her writing stilted and her characters lacking in personality. Despite this, I determined to give her works another try with The Journey, which many of my friends have praised. The plot of this novel, while being fairly predictable, did sound like it had promise, particularly with Suzanne being such an unusual character for an Amish novel.

Unfortunately I found it very difficult to enjoy this book. As with previous Brunstetter novels (On Her Own, Plain and Fancy and Kelly’s Chance, to name those that I’ve read) I found the dialogue very stilted and fake-sounding, as were the internal thoughts of many of the characters. This was particularly jarring as the majority of The Journey is dialogue. I would say that at least 80% of this book was dialogue, and while normally I love conversation-driven novels, there was barely any description at all. Books in the Amish genre really need descriptions of the scenery and day-to-day life to make them seem authentic. Sadly, The Journey was very lacking in this department and could really have been set anywhere, if for the occasionally Pennsylvanian Dutch word and mention of a buggy. The Penn Dutch speech was pretty irritating in that whenever a character said anything in Dietsch, another character would then repeat the same sentence back almost word for word so that the reader would understand what the word meant. This sounded incredibly fake, and happened too often for me not to notice.

The plot jumped around too much for my liking, leaping back and forth between Titus in Kentucky and his family back home in Pennsylvania, and occasionally over to Phoebe in California. It seemed really unnecessary to include Phoebe’s sections as they really didn’t add much to the plot, other than to show that she wasn’t enjoying herself in the English world. The scenes in Pennsylvania were much the same, and seemed to repeat a lot of what had happened to Titus in Kentucky as word of his new life spread to all of her relatives. More often than not, these sections ended up detracting from the plot rather than adding to it.

There were a lot of dramatic events in this book, far too many than is realistic. On several occasions characters are nearly run off the road in their buggies - by a motorbike, a horse and wild dogs - and if these events had been connected I wouldn't have minded, but they weren't! These three events were never given any sort of plausible explanation that linked to the plot, and seemed mainly to function to bring Titus and Suzanne closer together in the aftermath of their experience. The first two events I shrugged off, but I’ll admit that I nearly laughed out loud at the appearance of the feral dogs. There's also a situation surrounding some stolen money which is cleared up far too quickly and easily to be at all believable, and then is never mentioned again by any of the characters. It felt like the author kept trying to insert some sort of mystery into the book but then resolved the situations too fast to actually make the book mysterious. And don't even get me started on all the deaths and tragedies that occurred with this family – is it really possible for one family to suffer so many traumas? Some of them seemed quite unnecessary, and the way that the characters dealt with them seemed rather offensive to anyone who has lost a relative or a child.

I have a few minor complaints about this book which, coupled with my issues with the dialogue, plot-jumping and unrealistic nature of some of the events in this book, ended up taking away from what could have been a fairly enjoyable reading experience. Firstly, The Journey apparently follows on from another series of books as numerous references are made to Zach having being kidnapped as a child. Yet for new readers, this situation isn’t explained very well and left me feeling very confused. There’s nothing in the synopsis to suggest that this series follows another one, so new readers beware of this. I’d also like to caution that while this book is marketed as Christian fiction, the spiritual aspect is very minor. The characters only ever talked to God when they were in dire need of help, but otherwise never mentioned Him, which is particularly unsettling for a novel about the Amish where God is normally central to their community and way of life. There’s a semi-conversion scene towards the end of the novel, which is one of my pet hates in Christian fiction because it is so rarely done in a tactful and satisfying manner.

While I did not enjoy this novel, I have read several glowing reviews of it and would encourage potential readers to read those before making a final decision on whether to read The Journey. As much as I hate to write a critical review, this is my honest opinion and I think it necessary to share my views on a book from one of my favourite genres. I’ve read many wonderful new books from this genre that have released this year, and The Journey just doesn’t measure up to novels from newcomers like Kelly Long, Barbara Cameron or Ruth Reid. On a more positive note, fans of Brunstetter will probably enjoy this book as it’s much the same as her earlier novels, but this also means that readers who dislike her work will probably have the same reaction as I did.

Review title provided courtesy of Barbour Publishing.

Nobody's Child - Austin Boyd

GENRE: INSPIRATIONAL
PUBLISHER: ZONDERVAN
PUBLICATION DATE: AUGUST 1, 2011
RATING: 6 OUT OF 10 

Faced with numerous mortgage payments and medical bills, Laura Ann has to decide whether to risk losing the family farm or sell the one commodity in her means – her eggs. Sharing her secret with no one for fear of shame, Laura Ann makes several trips to harvest her eggs so that she can keep her daddy’s farm within their immediate family and stop it from falling into the hands of her manipulative and abusive uncle. But when a woman turns up on her doorstep claiming that she’s carrying Laura Anna’s child, Laura Ann is forced to face the full implications of her actions. How long can she keep her secret?

Just to set the scene here, I’m not your typical American reader. To begin with, I’m actually British, and what drew me to this book was the concept of harvesting eggs in exchange for money. In Britain there is absolutely no financial benefit to donating eggs, sperm or even blood; “donors” truly are making donations. So I started this book with a degree of ignorance towards this world in which reproductive organs can be used to produce money. This may mean that I was more shocked and surprised by the situations novel than your typical American reader, who will be more aware of these events than I am. But I’m sure that even those who are familiar with this system will be struck by this book and made to consider the consequences of the decisions that young women such as Laura Ann find themselves making.

Initially the story was very slow moving, and I actually put it down and read something else for a few days as a lot of the early chapters were spent developing Laura Ann’s character and introducing the members of her family. Personally, I felt that the plot didn’t really start until a good third of the way into the book. A lot was alluded to about Laura Ann’s financial problems and how she’d managed to pay for the mortgage and her dad’s healthcare bills. Yet despite all of the build up to the main plot and introduction of the main characters, I still felt like I didn’t really know the characters when the plot did get rolling. Laura Ann was fairly well developed, and her boyfriend, Ian, was a believable enough character, if lacking some substance. But I had this niggling feeling in the back of my mind as I read the book, as if I should be connecting with all the characters on a deeper level and had missed something essential. In a way it was almost as if I’d dropped into the middle of the series and had missed getting to know Laura Ann’s family members and neighbours. Even Laura Ann felt a bit distant, and I’m hesitant to suggest that this is because the author is male and she just didn’t come across as a hundred-percent realistic to the female reader.

Fortunately, the story really picked up around the halfway mark and I started to take an interest in the characters. The pacing in this book is rather bizarre, with the incredibly slow start, then a jump as the plot gets started, followed by a giant leap in the last eighth of the book in which everything seems to suddenly speed up and there’s a rush to the climax. The book definitely got a lot more interesting once Sophia arrived with the news that she was carrying Laura Ann’s child. Sophia was a fascinating character, maybe one of the most realistic out of all the characters in the book. There was still a slight feeling of detachment, which may be because the author didn’t want readers to get so attached to someone who wouldn’t be around for the whole book. To readers who have actually read the synopsis of this book, which will hopefully be most, the outcome of Sophia’s visit is quite easy to predict and hangs ominously in the background. But even this didn’t prevent the conclusion from being heartbreaking, particularly as Sophia was the character I’d become most attached to.

I’m impressed with the way that the author introduced the topic of harvesting eggs in exchange for money without verging on being “preachy” or pushing his own personal views on the readers. The court case at the end of the book enabled various opinions on this topic to be tossed around, allowing the reader to make their own decision on this ethical dilemma. Such sensitive issues can be tricky to discuss, even in the Christian community, and I do commend Austin for writing a novel which presented all of the facts without overtly presenting the “right” and “wrong” stances on this issue. That said, there was one moment at the end of the court case where the judge made a sweeping comment about whether or not children are viewed as a blessing or simply a commodity. While this statement was entirely valid and one that I myself have mused on in the past, the way in which this question was presented to the reader felt a little forced, as if the author wished to sum up the debate that had been going on throughout the book.

While Nobody’s Child isn’t one of the most gripping novels I’ve read this year, it enlightened me to many of the facts about the darker side to fertility treatment and the women who find themselves offering their reproductive organs in return for cash. IVF has long been a tricky issue in the Christian community, but Austin Boyd refrains from choosing one side in this debate, instead presenting readers with a realistic situation through the character of Laura Ann. I would recommend this to fiction readers who want to know more about the ethical implications behind IVF and harvesting eggs, but aren’t quite ready to go wading through journals and textbooks to uncover the details.

Review title provided by Zondervan.

Beside Still Waters - Tricia Goyer

GENRE: AMISH
PUBLISHER: B & H PUBLISHING
PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 15, 2011
RATING: 10 OUT OF 10 

Born on the day of the buggy accident that took the lives of her two older sisters, Marianna Sommers has always felt that she never measured up to her lost siblings in the eyes of her parents. She has consigned herself to the fact that once she leaves her family home and marries the man God has intended for her, she can start her life anew, a life in which she isn’t constantly being compared to her deceased sisters. Hopefully this life will be with Aaron Zook, who has recently asked her to take a buggy ride home from a singing with him. But before they get the chance to start courting, Marianna’s father announces that the whole family will be moving to Montana, in an attempt to avoid losing any more of their children. With two daughters gone to be with the Lord and a son left to join the English world, her parents are desperate to hang on to their remaining children. A trial period living in Montana appears to be a viable solution, no matter how much Marianna objects. And although she is given the option of remaining in Indiana with her extended family, Marianna knows that her mother is expecting another child and decides to move to Montana, at least until her new sibling is born. But after an argument with Aaron over her choice to leave, and his failure to reply to any of her letters, Marianna starts to settle into her new life in Montana. Despite initial reservations about the lack of discipline in the Bishop-less community and the close relationships her family begin to forge with English neighbours, Marianna finds herself drawing closer to God in Montana. When the opportunity arises for her to return to Indiana and Aaron, will she take it, or choose to remain in the new life she has made for herself in Montana?

Although I’ve been long aware of Tricia Goyer’s presence in the Christian fiction market, Beside Still Waters was the first of her novel’s that I’d personally read. I was intrigued to see that she was straying from her usual historical writing and making a foray into the world of Amish fiction, and I’m pleased to report that this venture has been a definite success! Beside Still Waters has to be one of the most original Amish novels that I’ve read this year, in a location that has previously been unexplored in this genre. In observing the Sommer family moving from Indiana to Montana, readers are able to understand the nuances and differences that are present in Amish communities. While one community may shun all non-business relationships with Englishers, another may be open to friendships with their non-Amish neighbours. It was fascinating to see how the small, rural community in Montana differed from those often featured in popular Amish fiction set in Pennsylvania or Ohio. Even Marianna’s home community in Indiana had distinct differences. In a genre that is already becoming saturated, new Amish authors need to make their work stand out from the crowd, which Tricia has succeeded in doing through placing her characters in a new setting and a more liberal community.

One of Marianna’s main problems with life in Montana is the closeness to the English, particularly young Ben Stone, whose relationship with his Lord and Saviour challenges her pre-existing views of Englishers. Back in Indiana, she would never have been allowed to work and live so closely with outsiders who might cause her drift away from her Amish beliefs, but Ben actually ends up helping Marianna to develop her personal relationship with God. Although her friendship with Ben sometimes confuses Marianna and causes her to reconsider some of the rules she has always followed in her stricter community back home in Indiana, a connection begins to blossom between them. Her family and friends are cautious about her spending too much time with a young English man, but since the community is in such close, daily contact with local Englishers, their relationship does not seem too strange. Tricia’s observations on the ways that the Amish treat outsiders were particularly interesting. While some books focus purely relationships within Amish communities, and others show Englishers who come to “find themselves” in Amish country and end up converting to the faith, I felt that Beside Still Waters showed something completely different. Because their community is so small and rural, the Sommers’ nearest neighbours are Englishers and they often have to call on Ben for help in a crisis, rather than their Amish friends, because he lives closer and has transport. But it is also acknowledged that their home community in Indiana is much stricter, and Marianna’s friendship with Ben would never have been allowed to develop there.

In discussing this novel with my book group, my friends and I found ourselves considering which male protagonist we hoped Marianna would end up with – were we Team Aaron or Team Ben? While Aaron is your typical young Amish man, building a house for his future wife and family and attending singings, he fails to understand Marianna’s need to be with her family in Montana, and the two of them end up parting not on the best terms. I found his behaviour rather immature, and some of the events that transpired later in the book made me even more wary of him and his commitment to Marianna. On the other hand, Ben isn’t Amish but displays many of the qualities often displayed in Amish men. I personally found him to be a much more appealing character than Aaron, even if he lived a different lifestyle from Marianna. But considering that there are two more books in this series, will Marianna and her potential beaus come to mature in future instalments? I’m looking forward to discovering whether Aaron will grow up a bit, and whether Ben’s closeness to the Amish will make him consider becoming one of the community.

I’m pleased that Tricia Goyer has decided to begin penning novels for the Amish genre. If Beside Still Waters is a good example of her work then I believe that readers of this genre will quickly be adding her to their list of favourite authors. Tricia will be revisiting Montana in October 2011 with Along Wooded Paths, and I’m sure that many readers are eagerly awaiting this instalment in order to find out where the wooded path takes Marianna next in her life.

Review title provided by B&H Publishing.

Lady in the Mist - Laurie Alice Eakes

Having seen one too many young men disappear into the mist on British ships, Tabitha Eckles has resigned herself to a solitary life. As a respected midwife, she’s the one woman in her town who can walk unaccompanied in the middle of the night without having rumours whispered about her. Unfortunately, her comfortable and quiet life is interrupted during one of these long, midnight walks. Returning from a birthing that went terribly wrong, Tabitha finds herself alone on the beach in the company of a mysterious English man, whom Tabitha suspects may be involved in the press-gangings that have been becoming ever more present in their peaceful costal town. But it’s not long before Tabitha discovers the identity of this mysterious yet charming young man – he’s Domonick Cherrett, an English gentleman who has fallen from grace and is now indentured servant and butler to Tabitha’s mayor. Knowing that an indentured servant would never be allowed to wander the beach at night, Tabitha remains suspicious a she pursues a friendship with Dominick, who has reasons of his own for wanting to become involved with the town midwife. Soon these two unlikely friends become embroiled in more mysteries than they expected – and an unexpected romance begins to bud between the spinster midwife and indentured English nobleman. Matters are complicated further when Tabitha’s long-lost fiancé returns from the sea and Dominick finds himself struggling over whether he could go home to his family with Tabitha or if he should leave her to her simple life in America – or whether he actually wishes to return to England at all. Can Tabitha and Dominick put aside their preconceived ideas about love and rank and – more importantly – learn to trust each other?

It’s always wonderful when you start reading a novel with the hope of being entertained and distracted from your busy life, only to be blown away by the discovery of a new favourite author. Laurie Alice Eakes’s novel had that exact affect on me, and I can’t verbalise how pleasing it is to uncover a gem of a story like this one. I came to this book with no idea what to expect, knowing very little about midwifes or the post-revolutionary war years in the United States. It was fascinating to learn about this period in American history, and although I never felt overwhelmed by the neatly intertwined historical detail, I do feel as if I’ve been enlightened somehow and will definitely be looking out for more books set in this time period.

It was particularly amusing to read a novel in which the Brits are the “bad guys”, being British myself. Yet despite the reservations that Tabitha and her friends had about the British, she had excellent chemistry with Dominick Cherrett, the typically ridiculously handsome and wittily charming British hero, whom even I fell in love with despite my reservations on minor royals thanks to studying at the University of St. Andrews. Their relationship is initially based on mutual distrust and suspicion, as the two of them try to deny their feelings for each other due to their very different backgrounds. The indentured noble who falls for the spinster midwife was a refreshing and original twist on the traditional plot of the prince falling for the servant girl.

The spiritual lives of the characters play a fairly large part in the book, as Dominick comes to terms with the corruption he found in the traditional English Church, and Tabitha learns to trust God despite the many grievances she and her family have suffered over the years. While I was particularly interested in Dominick’s struggles – which instead of being with God, were with the Church – I will admit that I felt that the focus on their spiritual struggles sometimes took away from the main plot. I occasionally found myself skim-reading the sections where Tabitha and Dominick talked about their thoughts on God, particularly towards the end of the story when it could have come close to detracting from the climax of the action. This may be a matter of personal preference, but I felt that the spiritual aspect needed to be more integrated so that it didn’t feel as if it was interrupting the plot. However, this is a minor issue that didn’t impinge on my enjoyment of the novel.

Laurie Alice Eakes is definitely an author to keep your eye on in the genre of historical fiction, and I’m looking forward to reading more from the Midwives series. She truly knows how to set the atmosphere of the period and create an excellent chemistry between her characters. Dominick and Tabitha are by far one of the most unique couples I’ve encountered in my reading of historical romances, and they were surrounded by a wonderful cast of minor characters, particularly the servants with whom Dominick worked. I hope that Laurie chooses to revisit these characters at some point, but if not, I’m sure that her next group of characters will be just as engaging. 9/10

Review title sent courtesy of Revell.

If my review has made you want to get hold of this book and read it for yourself, pop over to The Christian Manifesto and enter yourself for the chance of one of three copies!

Love Me Back to Life - Missy Horsfall & Susan Stevens

Mallory Carlisle's life is already a mess when she starts to have the nightmares. She and her husband are drifting further apart as he works longer hours and makes more business trips, she's racking up credit card debts and her extended family is just as dysfunctional as ever. But when Mallory starts having disturbing dreams that cause her to act weirdly around her loved ones, she begins to wonder whether they're linked to something that she actually experienced. When a news story causes her to have a panic attack at a Bible study meeting, her friends urge her to see a therapist to understand what's really going on in her life. Slowly, Mallory comes to terms with the childhood memories that she'd suppressed, and begins to put her trust in God for healing and release from the hurt she's been carrying. Only through God can she put her life, her marriage and her family back on track.

This was a truly devastating story. I had to put it down at times and read something else as Mallory's story simply broke my heart. While I don't have any first-hand experience in dealing with childhood abuse, I felt that the authors really captured Mallory's hurt and pain. The road to recovery was difficult, but I admired her bravery and enjoyed watching her pull her life back together and come to terms with the changes she needed to make.

I would have to say that I never really warmed to Mallory's husband, Jake. They were suffering from marital difficulties at the start of the book, and having never seen them happy together, it was difficult to like him. Although I could sympathise with the confusion he felt at Mallory pushing him away as she fell deeper into her emotional turmoil, I sometimes felt like he didn't make enough effort. Jake did, thankfully, redeem himself and realise that he had contributed to the family problems, but I wish I'd had more of a chance to read about "changed" Jake to truly witness his transformation of character.

I was impressed with the authors' choice to tackle such a difficult subject. While some may consider Christian Fiction to be full of romance, happy endings and fluffy bunnies, the market can feature some pretty taboo topics. Missy and Susan definitely deserve credit for being brave enough to bring to light the fact that childhood abuse can affect even the most pious of Christians, and for showing how both therapy and God's love can help victims to overcome their hurts. However, I do wish that the authors had stuck with the original issues - abuse, marital problems and credit card debt. They also threw in several other problems, either as events in the novel or in mentions to past experiences, including a childhood death, a miscarriage, a sudden illness, and the death of a grandparent. There was actually one point where I found myself thinking, "Really? Could these characters have any more to deal with?" I'm sure that the authors could write wonderful novels on these other subjects, but in this case they felt hastily thrown together. As a result of featuring so many issues in one novel, some of them were never truly concluded and they sometimes overshadowed the wider issue of Mallory's abuse.

I would like to caution that this is very definitely a Christian novel. While some inspirational books merely feature a few Bible verses and references to praying and attending church, this isn't one of them. Mallory frequently seeks God's guidance, meets up with her pastor's wife and fellow Church members to discuss her difficulties and is counselled by a Christian therapist. I lost count of the number of Bible verses that she mentioned in the diary entries at the end of each chapter. This was a new experience for me as I hadn't previously read a book so focused on a character's spiritual journey, or read about Christian counselling. I felt that this was a realistic novel about a woman reaching out to God for help in her time of need, but it probably isn't one to pass on to non-Christian friends.

Boldly tackling topics that are often hidden away in Christian circles, Love Me Back to Life is a heart-breaking tale of God's healing power and love. While I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the many difficulties that Mallory found herself pitted against, I definitely think that Missy Horsfall and Susan Stevens deserve credit for writing such an honest and realistic account of one woman's struggle to overcome childhood abuse. 7/10

Many thanks to Barbour and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

An Amish Love - Kelly Long, Kathleen Fuller & Beth Wiseman

Best-selling authors Kathleen Fuller and Beth Wiseman are joined by Kelly Long, who entered the Amish genre last year with her debut Sarah’s Garden, in this romantic novella collection. An Amish Love features three interlocking stories of love, starting with an accidental marriage in Kelly Long’s A Marriage of the Heart and moving on to broken hearts embarking on a new relationship in What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller. The anthology finishes on an optimistic note for the future with a late in life couple falling in love all over again in Beth Wiseman’s Healing Hearts.

From a glance at the front cover and the synopsis of this collection, one can be forgiven for assuming that this is a light, predictable selection of stories about the Amish. Even I expected this, and I’ve been an avid reader of Amish romances for almost two years now. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that each author was bringing something new and original to the genre.

Kelly Long, whose debut novel I absolutely adored, places her protagonist, Abby Kauffman, in an unusual situation and shows us how love can blossom in the most unexpected places. After a newcomer to the community, Joseph Lambert, fails to give Abby the attention she believes she deserves, she accuses him of misbehaving with her. But the joke is on her when her father forces them into a marriage of convenience in order to protect her honour – and much to her shock, Joseph agrees to this arrangement! While I’ll freely admit that the premise of this novella is a bit unbelievable, I loved watching Abby and Joseph’s relationship develop. Kelly brings something unexpected but most welcome to the Amish genre with the undeniable attraction and chemistry between her characters. As much as I’m a fan of “sweet” romance, I’m often disappointed by inspirational authors who fail to acknowledge this important aspect of relationships – bravo to Kelly for doing the opposite! 9/10

Kathleen Fuller’s story is definitely my favourite in this collection, especially as she shows us the flawed side of the Amish. While we uphold the Amish as being people of forgiveness, Kathleen dares to admit the obvious – that forgiveness doesn’t come easily or painlessly. Christopher Miller left the Amish after his fiancée was killed in a car accident, and he still holds a grudge against the driver of the car when he finally returns five years later. So it doesn’t sit well that his younger sister is engaged to be married to this man. Through the help of Ellie Chupp, who lost her eyesight in the same accident, he slowly learns to let go of his deceased fiancée – and to forgive and ask for forgiveness himself. While this story focused more on the developing relationship between Chris and Ellie, rather than romance, there was something simple and beautiful about the flawed nature of all of the characters that really appealed to me. Kathleen is a new author to me and I will definitely be looking out for more of her work. 10/10

I wasn’t quite so fond of Beth Wiseman’s addition to the collection. I found that it became a bit over-the-top and cheesy towards the end, but I truly appreciated the fact that Beth decided to focus on an older couple. Too many romance novels focus on young couples in their prime, and it often makes us forget how important it is to keep romance alive within marriage. Levina and Naaman Lapp have been married for over thirty years, but once all their children have left home they realise that they’ve drifted apart. Naaman takes a trip to visit family in Ohio and doesn’t return for almost a year – and when he does, their relationship needs even more work. Slowly, they learn to fall in love again, and Naaman is able to regain his wife’s trust. As someone who is currently reading a pile of marriage-preparation books, it was encouraging to see someone acknowledging the strain that raising a family can put on marriage and how important it is to set aside some time just for the two of you. However, there was a subplot about the possibility of Naaman being in trouble with the law that just didn’t seem to fit with the feel of the novella and spoiled this story a bit for me. 8/10

This collection is perfect for anyone who is already a fan of Amish fiction, but would also suit those who want to experiment with this genre but don’t know where to start. An Amish Love features three of the best authors of this popular genre, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to discover new stories about our beloved Plain folk. Overall rating: 9/10

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Murder in Plain Sight - Marta Perry

There are secrets buried in Amish country...

Did a sweet-faced Amish teenager brutally murder a young woman? To save her career, big-city lawyer Jessica Langdon is determined to defend him—against the community's bitter and even violent outrage. Yet without an understanding of Amish culture, Jessica must rely on arrogant businessman Trey Morgan, who has ties to the Amish community… and believes in the boy's guilt.

Jessica has threats coming from all sides: a local fanatic, stirred up by the biased publicity of the case; the dead girl's boyfriend; even from the person she's learned to trust the most, Trey Morgan. But just when Jessica fears she's placed her trust in the wrong man, Trey saves her life. And now they must both reach into a dangerous past to protect everyone's future—including their own.

While so many of the Amish novels that are currently saturating the market are focused on love and romance, Marta Perry tackles an entirely different subject - can the Amish kill? When a local English woman turns up dead in a barn, along with an unconscious Thomas Esch clutching a hammer, the residents of Lancaster don't doubt for a second that he committed the crime. But his English neighbour, Geneva Morgan, is convinced of his innocence. Trey Morgan doesn't share his mother's opinion but grudgingly decides to shadow the big city lawyer that she hired in order to protect his mother's involvement in the case. Jessica Langdon isn't pleased with Trey's presence, merely wanting to settle the situation in order to keep her job in Philadelphia, but a series of disturbing threats and incidents cause her to look to Trey for help. Was the murder more than a drunken mishap? Are Jessica and Trey getting themselves involved in something sinister and dangerous?

This is only the second novel of Perry's that I've read, but I'd definitely recommend her to any fans of romantic suspense or Amish fiction. Marta certainly understands the Amish and portrays them accurately, and she's also excellent at getting your heart thumping. I was reading this late at night but couldn't bare to put it down in case something exciting happened in the next chapter! While I did suspect the murderer early on in the story, this didn't detract from my interest. I was intrigued by the connections between the threats made against Jessica, and wanted to know how everything somehow linked back to the Morgan family. Geneva Morgan was a wonderful character, as was Leo Frost. I always appreciate having well developed secondary characters in the background to move the story along. Geneva held the story together, much like the grandmother in Perry's Hide in Plain Sight (#1 in the Three Sisters Inn series from Love Inspired Suspense), and I thought it was realistic that Jessica have Leo aid her with her legal work, as she couldn't possibly handle such a complicated case on her own.

The only minor setbacks to the mystery that I'd have to mention would be being able to spot the killer early on (although maybe I just read too much Nancy Drew as a child!) and the semi-monologue that he gave at the end of the novel when he revealed himself. Like I commented in my review of Hide in Plain Sight, it just seemed a bit cheesy and predictable. I can't really put my finger on what I didn't like about what he said or the way he said it, but it irked me in some way. And while I enjoyed the romance between Jessica and Trey, there were a couple of the typical "I touched him and felt a spark shoot up my arm" moments that you always get in romance novels that I wish authors would get rid of; they're just too over-used. Their Happily Ever After ending also seemed a little bit rushed.

But despite the minor issues I had with this book, I did throughly enjoy it. If I don't get a review copy of its sequel, Vanish in Plain Sight (June 2011), then I'll probably end up purchasing it myself as I have a feeling that the loose ends that weren't completely tied up at the end of this novel will be explained in #2 in the series. Although a bit rusty in places, this is an excellent addition to the growing Amish genre and a pleasant (or perhaps not!) break from the typical baking escapades and romantic picnics. 8/10

Many thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

A Prairie Christmas Collection - Various

Apologies for the lack of posting, but I have a good excuse - I got engaged on New Year's Eve, and had to tell everyone in my family! My boyfriend (well, now fiancee) and I had already planned a trip to visit my grandparents and my aunt this week but a lot of our time was taken up making preliminary wedding plans, so I didn't get the chance to read this review. This one is particularly appropriate as it's definitely focused on love and romance...

Experience Christmas on the historical American Great Plains as retold by nine different multi-published authors, including Tracie Peterson and Deborah Raney. Follow pioneers, immigrants, and orphans through their adventures, heartaches, challenges, victories, and romances. You are sure to find more than one favorite among the nine holiday romances in this unique collection to warm your heart and inspire your faith.

This is a wonderful collection of historical romances, the perfect Christmas gift for anyone who is a true romantic at heart or simply an admirer of the good old days of wagons and bonnets. From stories of love at first sight to newly married couples overcoming problems together to widowers and spinsters finding a love they never thought they'd experience, there is sure to be more than one story in here to delight an avid inspirational historical romance reader.

Having spent most of December reminiscing with the first season of Little House on the Prairie, I was excited when I remembered that I'd received a review copy of this book from Barbour. And I definitely wasn't disappointed with this collection! While I'm not normally a fan of short stories, each of these were at least 50 pages long and had room for plenty of character development, descriptions of the great plains of the prairie and even some sub-plots. My personal favourites were "The Christmas Necklace" by Maryn Langer, which involved a mystery surrounding a woman who falls from wealth and ends up working as a maid; and "Circle of Blessings" by Deborah Raney, in which a female college student falls for her tutor and has to prove to her father that he's worthy of her affection.

I appreciated the range of different stories in this collection, featuring everything from girls barely out of their teens to older women suffering from past heartbreaks. While one might expect repetition when the setting and time period of each story is limited, I'd like to assure potential readers that this is not the case. There was only one story that I felt was a bit too contrived and predictable, and bizarrely it was the first one, "Take Me Home" by Tracey Bateman! While it was cute, I felt it was veering towards being sickly sweet. This may just be a matter of personal taste, and I'm glad that I continued reading as I was introduced to some wonderful new authors. I was surprised to discover that the final story, "Cold As Ice" by Jill Stengl was linked to "Take Me Home", featuring some of the same characters. In a nice way, these two sandwich the rest of the stories together.

If you're a fan of historical romances or would just like to relax with some short stories during the cold nights before Christmas, I'd definitely recommend putting this book on your wishlist for next winter. 9/10

I have a more detailed review, including my thoughts and ratings of each individual story at GoodReads. Click here if you're interested.

Many thanks to Barbour and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

A Time to Love - Barbara Cameron

When Jenny is injured in a car bomb attack overseas, she awakens beneath one of her grandmother's Amish quilts---and discovers something even more comforting: an invitation to recuperate back home in Lancaster County. Pennsylvania life proves healing in many ways---until she unexpectedly falls in love! After traveling the world, could she ever settle here? 

Barbara Cameron twists the typical storyline of an "English" woman falling in love with an Amish man in her first novel in the Quilts of Lancaster series. Jenny has always felt a special connection to her grandmother's Amish community, despite her father leaving the faith as a teenager. When she's injured while reporting from a war-torn country, Jenny decides to recuperate in Lancaster, where she feels at peace. There she reconnects with Matthew, a man she became friends with on her childhood summer visits, whom she discovers she still has a crush on. But Jenny's still hurting, both physically and emotionally, and she's not sure if she's ready for a relationship - let alone one with a widower who has three children and belongs to a completely separate part of society. It's going to take the help of the handsome farmer himself, his adorable children, his meddling sister and Jenny's ever-faithful grandmother to convince Jenny that God has brilliant plans for her future, no matter how bleak the repercussions of her accident may look. 

Jenny is the anti-heroine: she's insecure about her looks, worried about her future and cares more about others than herself. She's a woman that we should all be able to relate to. I loved that Barbara Cameron dared to create a character who struggled with her movements and speech; Jenny struggles with things that we take for granted yet she still manages to make new friends and fall in love. Her lifestyle is also unconventional, having spent most of her adult life in war-torn countries reporting on how children are suffering. Cameron really makes us feel the heart that Jenny has for the children she meets, and how she wonders if she's let opportunities disappear from her life because of her career. More and more women in today's society are getting married late and put off having families because they want to focus on their jobs, like Jenny, which is what makes her an appealing and modern character.

Her love interest, Matthew, is also appealing. He's an old-fashioned gentleman, always eager to help Jenny and constantly looking for opportunities to visit her, which is most endearing! Matthew is father to three children, and I have to admit that I like the storyline of a single woman falling in love with a man with a past and a brood of kids. The children added humour and lightness to the story and served to show us what a loving woman Jenny is. Not only does she fall in love with the Amish and Matthew, but Jenny becomes enamoured with his children. Annie in particular was incredibly cute and I'm sure every reader will have a soft spot in their heart for her.

I was incredibly impressed with Barbara Cameron's venture into the genre of Amish fiction and especially pleased with her unique take on the genre. Jenny had previous connections with the Amish community through her grandparents which made her involvement with the People, and her interest in Matthew, all the more believable. I also loved how Jenny wasn't a typical romantic heroine and had the same struggles that we all have - and much more. This is a fantastic novel and I'll definitely be looking out for the second in the series, A Time to Heal, in March 2011. 10/10

Many thanks to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

A Simple Amish Christmas - Vannetta Chapman

Annie Weaver always planned to return home, but the 20-year old RN has lived in Philadelphia for three years now. Her time of rumschpringe is about to come to an abrupt end, bringing for Annie an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She returns home and finds herself face-to-face with a budding romance with an Amish farmer and Annie has several important choices to make.

Vannetta Chapman's debut novel is far from "simple." Annie is an unconventional heroine, full of doubt and constantly striving to do the best she can for her family and her community. Samuel is insecure and and still hurting from a long ago accident that claimed his family. The protagonists of this Christmas tale have to learn that God's grace can wipe away their pasts and bring something new and wonderful into their lives - together.

A Simple Amish Christmas is full of quirky and lovable secondary characters (some of whom captured my heart in such a way that makes me wonder if Chapman plans to expand on their stories in another novel?) and has a wonderfully Christmassy and chilly setting which makes you want to wrap up under a blanket (or perhaps an Amish quilt!) with a cup of hot chocolate. Chapman has captured the essence of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania perfectly, not only in its landscape and culture but also the spirit of community that is present among the Amish. Annie's family and friends welcome her back with open and arms and encourage her to use her nursing skills to help those in need. This is a far cry from the likes of Beverly Lewis's novels where characters are shunned or flee their families because of past transgressions. Instead, I was reminded of Amy Clipston's Kauffman Amish Bakery series, where the focus is on dealing with day-to-day problems that anyone could face, inside or outside the Amish community - a pregnant teenager, a troublesome home-birth, a car accident, a misunderstanding between a new couple. I have a feeling that Chapman could be following in Clipston's footsteps to become the next bestseller in the Amish genre - and pride of place on my bookcase!

Although I found this a leisurely and unchallenging read, this debut novel is not the "Simple Amish Christmas" story it sells itself as. Annie and Samuel have to learn to trust God and each other and overcome their fears and doubts in order to reach happiness in this endearing romance peppered with challenges, subplots and snowstorms. Vannetta Chapman is an author to look out for, especially if you're a fan of the Amish genre or just a hopeless romantic like me. 10/10

I'm very grateful to have had the chance to review this book from NetGalley and Abingdon Press.

Diary of a Wimpy Vampire - Tim Collins

Like Edward Cullen in "Twilight", Nigel Mullet was transformed into a vampire when he was still a teenager, and will remain this age forever. Unfortunately, Nigel became a vampire at the awkward age of fifteen, and must spend eternity coping with acne, a breaking voice, and an ineptitude with girls...In this, his excruciatingly funny diary, Nigel chronicles his increasingly desperate attempts to be noticed by the love of his life, Della Sparrow, the constant mortification caused by his vampire parents (not to mention the worry that they might accidentally eat one of his friends), and the frustration one feels when you've got the whole of boring eternity stretching out in front of you and you can't even have a lie in (vampires don't sleep). Forced to hang out with the Goths and emo kids due to his pale skin and social awkwardness, and constantly battling his embarrassingly overwhelming desire to sink his fangs into Della's neck, will Nigel ever get his girl? Fantastically witty and hugely enter taining, this fun and accessible diary will appeal to any fan of "Twilight" or "Adrian Mole", teenage or otherwise...

I got this book through the First Reads program at GoodReads. This book was amusing enough but I'm afraid I'm probably not the target age group. I could imagine a 12 or 13 year old boy - one who is fed up with all of the girls in his class swooning over Edward Cullen and has a warped sense of humour - finding this funny, but I'm not sure how well it would do in the female audience. It had several one-liners that made laugh out loud and I liked how Collins kicked holes in the Twilight premise - who would really want to be teenager for all eternity? - so I'll admit that found it rather amusing, but I don't think I'll be recommending it to any of my friends! I think that this book would be most appreciated by preteen boys who're looking for a laugh, particularly those who enjoyed Mark Haddon's Agent Z series. 6/10

The Postmistress - Sarah Blake

Letters of love, telegrams of loss – the postmistress awaits them all

The wireless crackles with news of blitzed-out London and of the war that courses through Europe, leaving destruction in its wake. Listening intently on the other side of the Atlantic, newly-wed Emma considers the fragility of her peaceful married life as America edges closer to the brink of war. As the reporter’s distant voice fills the room, she sits convincing herself that the sleepy town of Franklin must be far beyond the war’s reach. But the life of American journalist Frankie, whose voice seems so remote, will soon be deeply entangled with her own. With the delivery of a letter into the hands of postmistress Iris, the fates of these three women become irrevocably linked. But while it remains unopened, can Iris keep its truth at bay?  

I was fortunate enough to win a proof copy of this book in a competition over at GoodReads. And what's better than free books? Getting to review them and have your opinions heard! 

Growing up, I was surrounded by WWII memorabilia. My dad was a bit of a fanatic and this rubbed off on me - I remember devouring Teary Deary's Horrible History books on the subject and watching TV adaptations of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Carrie's War. As an adult I still have a keen interest in WWII novels and books such as Kommandant's Girl and The Book Thief are currently on my Keeper shelf. Sarah Blake's novel was a slight change in my WWII literature as it followed three American women and this isn't an aspect I've typically explored before. Being British and having friends in Europe, I've mainly read books set on this side of the world, so it was interesting to see the events of WWII unfold across the Atlantic. Admittedly, I did prefer the scenes where Frankie was traveling across Europe, and it was fascinating to see her uncovering the truth of the war through the lives of the common people. It made me wonder whether we in Britain were also so ignorant to how minorities were being treated by the Nazis. Did we really not understand what was happening to the Jews or were we simply pretending not to notice? Having visited Auschwitz-Birkenau last September and attended seminars with the Holocaust Educational Trust, this is an issue that is very close to home for me. 

Although I was fascinated by Frankie's discoveries and work as a radio broadcaster, I didn't find the other two characters - Iris and Emma - as engaging. While I sympathised with Frankie and her struggle to decide how to confront Emma about her husband, I never really felt connected to Emma herself. Her story demanded sympathy but I didn't feel like she herself was fleshed out enough. Iris was the same - she felt a bit two-dimensional. Despite her apparently being the title-character of the Postmistress, the story definitely seemed to revolve around Frankie. This made me think, is Frankie really the Postmistress, with the letter that she can't bring herself to deliver? This idea intrigued me. 

I truly found Frankie's sections of the novel exciting and unputdownable, and although I enjoyed the setting of Cape Cod, I never really felt connected to the other characters there. I also felt that there was too much unneeded sex, or discussions about it, injected into the story. I enjoy a good romance and even a well-written sex scene if appropriate, but it didn't seem to flow well with this story and seemed a bit awkward in places. It almost seemed as if Blake had slipped into a Mills & Boon voice which made a couple of moments a bit cheesy and amusing - perhaps not the right tone for this book. 

Despite finding two of the main characters rather hard to relate to and care about, and in spite of the awkwardly set up sex scenes, I did enjoy this book and think it's a great debut effort from Sarah Blake. I would look out for her novels in the future and am now more interested in reading American-based WWII novels. 7/10

Dreaming of Amelia - Jaclyn Moriarty

Amelia and Riley have transferred to Ashbury for their final year of school, and everyone is completely obsessed with them. Glamorous, talented and totally devoted to one another, the two of them drift through school in their own world. But there's more to the couple than meets the eye - they have secrets. And some of them are dangerous to share. As Riley starts to lose his grip on Amelia, the repercussions affect everyone around them.

A spellbinding story about ghosts, secrets, madness, passion, locked doors, femme fatales, and that terrifying moment in the final year of high school when you realise that the future’s coming to get you.

Although I've been busy studying for exams and arranging to move into my new flat, I have had time to read a couple of excellent new books, including Jaclyn Moriarty's latest teen novel. I was lucky enough to get sent a proof copy from my lovely friend Anne, who wanted a young person's opinion for a review she was writing. Here are my thoughts.

I've been an avid fan of Jaclyn Moriarty since I read her first novel, Feeling Sorry for Celia, when I was thirteen. I've always liked the epistolary style of writing and Moriarty is one of the few authors who can pull this off successfully, in my opinion. Dreaming of Amelia is a particularly unique version of this style of story-telling in that the majority of it is written in the form of an English exam. Although this is interspersed with emails, blog posts and letters, for the most part of the story we follow four characters as they sit their final English exam - Lydia, Emily, Toby and Riley. Lydia and Emily first appeared in Moriarty's second novel, Finding Cassie Crazy, and both played cameos in Becoming Bindy Mackenzie. I was particularly pleased to read about Lydia again as she is definitely one of Moriarty's quirkiest characters. Emily was, as ever, hilarious to read about, particularly as she is constantly mixing up words when she writes. Her exam paper was wonderfully over-dramatic. Toby also featured in Becoming Bindy Mackenzie, although it took me a while to remember where I'd heard of him before, and it was great to see his character developing. He was especially interesting to read about as he turned his exam paper into a story about a historical figure that he'd been researching, which later added to the "ghost" element of the story - I won't tell you exactly what I mean by that as I don't want to spoil it, but it was a nice surprise when the two stories overlapped in the end. Riley is one of the new characters in this novel and I never really felt like I got to know him properly. However, I have a feeling that was Moriarty's intention - he and Amelia are meant to be mysterious, which explains why all the students at Ashbury are so fixated by them. 

In a sense, Riley and Amelia seemed to be a plot device to get the story rolling. Although they were at the centre of the novel, there were several other small sub-plots occurring simultaneously. Lydia wants her ex-boyfriend back, Toby is worried about his divorced father and Emily is convinced that there is a ghost haunting the Art building. At times I found it hard to believe that two new students could really cause so much fuss, but then I remembered when two incredibly attractive, blonde German exchange students came to my school for a year - yep, everyone was obsessed.

The ghost aspect of the novel intrigued me. I'm not exactly a fan of fantasy or ghost stories and I wasn't sure how Moriarty was going to successfully pull of a ghost story in a modern setting without making it horribly cheesy. What actually panned out impressed me - the idea that each of us has a metaphorical "ghost" haunting us. It wasn't until near the end of the story that I realised that this was what Moriarty was trying to say and I was quite pleased with this conclusion. Of course, there is an actual "ghost" in the story (well, I believe that there was) but it managed to fit into the plot without seeming too out of place or unbelievable.

All in all, I'm very pleased with Moriarty's latest novel. If I have to be totally honest, I think it's impossible for me not to like any of her books. Moriarty is one of the few writers from my teen years that I still love as an adult - her characters are insanely quirky yet realistic, she utilises a different epistolary style for each novel and each of her books surrounds some sort of mystery. I honestly wish that my high school years were as exciting as those that I've read about at Ashbury. Another 10/10 from Jaclyn Moriarty!