The Splendor of Ordinary Days By Jeff High

Readers of Jan Karon’s Mitford series and Patrick Taylor’s Irish Country series will fall in love with Jeff High’s funny, heartfelt Watervalley series.

The pastoral charm of small-town Watervalley, Tennesse, can be deceptive, as young Dr. Luke Bradford discovers when he’s caught in the fallout of a decades-old conflict…
After a rocky start as Watervalley’s only doctor, Luke Bradford has decided to stay in town, honoring the three-year commitment he made to pay off his medical school debts. But even as his friendships with the quirky townsfolk deepen, and he pursues a romance with lovely schoolteacher Christine Chambers, several military veterans’ emotional wounds trigger anger and unrest in Watervalley.

At the center of the clash is the curmudgeonly publisher of the local newspaper, Luther Whitmore. Luther grew up in Watervalley, but he returned from combat in Vietnam a changed man. He fenced in beautiful Moon Lake, posting “Keep Out” notices at the beloved spot, and provokes the townspeople with his incendiary newspaper.  
 
As Luke struggles to understand Luther’s past, and restore harmony in Watervalley, an unforeseen crisis shatters a relationship he values dearly. Suddenly Luke must answer life’s toughest questions about service, courage, love, and sacrifice.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451474104?keywords=jeff%20high%20books&qid=1444326527&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

After growing up in rural Tennessee, Jeff High attained degrees in literature and nursing. He is a three time winner, in poetry and fiction, of an annual writing contest held by Vanderbilt Medical Center. He lived in Nashville for many years, and throughout the country as a travel nurse, before returning to his original hometown, near where he now works as an operating room RN in cardiac surgery.

This is book three in the Watervalley Series.

Keep in mind when reading my review, I thought it was a Christian book because the tour was done thru a media outlet that usually does only Christian books. So I was very surprised by the content of this book.

The book has a very slow start. There were more than a few chapters before a plot was clearly developed. I had trouble getting into the book at first. There was also more than a few words in this book that I think should never be in a christian book. The author also wrote about alcohol consumption a few times. With that said the character development was very good. I think everyone has people in there life similar to each character that was in this story. I also like the fact that the book takes place in Mennonite country.

I give this book 3 stars. 

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Miriam and the Stranger By Jerry Eicher

Miriam Yoder is living a happy life as the beloved school teacher in the small Clarita, Oklahoma Amish community having accepted the fact that she will likely never marry. But when a local freelance reporter enters her world, Miriam is astonished to find herself attracted to the handsome Englisha man.

The very next week, widower Mose Stoll arrives from her home community of Possum Valley, Ohio, in search of a second frau. Mose has spoken with Miriam's father and is ready to meet Miriam in person. If he finds no serious flaw in Miriam, Mose plans to marry her and take her home to Possum Valley.

When Miriam follows her heart instead of her head, she finds herself facing excommunication. Suddenly her happy life has been turned upside down with no possible solution...unless God intervenes.

Jerry Eicher's many fans (more than 700,000 books sold) will delight in this concluding volume in his Land of Promise series.

Pick up your copy here..

http://www.amazon.com/Miriam-Stranger-Promise-Jerry-Eicher/dp/0736958835/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1444154154&sr=1-1

Jerry Eicher taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. He writes of his experience growing up Amish in his memoir My Amish Childhood. Jerry has been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies. He lives with his wife, Tina, and their four children in Virginia.

This was a sweet ending to the Land of Promise series.

I did not care for Mose at all he was not a likeable character at all.

But I did however love Miriam and Tyler and could not read this book fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. You will LOVE it.

I truly loved the ending.

I gave this book 5 stars two times. I HIGHLY recommend this book as well as the whole series.

I was given a copy of this book for my honest review.

Luther and Katharina By Jody Hedlund

She was a nun of noble birth. He, a heretic, a reformer…an outlaw of the Holy Roman Empire.  

In the 16th century, nun Katharina von Bora’s fate fell no further than the Abbey. Until she read the writings of Martin Luther.
 
His sweeping Catholic church reformation—condemning a cloistered life and promoting the goodness of marriage—awakened her desire for everything she’d been forbidden. Including Martin Luther himself.
 
Despite the fact that the attraction and tension between them is undeniable, Luther holds fast to his convictions and remains isolated, refusing to risk anyone’s life but his own. And Katharina longs for love, but is strong-willed. She clings proudly to her class distinction, pining for nobility over the heart of a reformer. They couldn’t be more different.
 
But as the world comes tumbling down around them, and with Luther’s threatened life a constant strain, these unlikely allies forge an unexpected bond of understanding, support and love.
 
Together, they will alter the religious landscape forever.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/160142762X/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d1_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=1H6VX7VHXND6N54Q0VVK&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop

Jody Hedlund is an award-winning and bestselling author of inspirational historical romances for both youth and adults.

As a busy mama-writer, she has the wonderful privilege of teaching her crew of 5 children at home. In between grading math papers and giving spelling tests, she occasionally does a load of laundry and washes dishes. When she's not busy being a mama, you can find her in front of her laptop working on another of her page-turning stories.

She loves reading almost as much as she loves writing, especially when it also involves chocolate and coffee.

If you like historical fiction this is a romance that you will definitely love. The setting takes place in a time where the Catholic church had Abbeys and Martin Luther spoke of reforming the Catholic Church. Longing for freedom Katrina escapes an Abbey. Searching for a new life. I was on the edge of my seat reading, wondering if Katrina will find freedom, love and marriage that she so desperately longed for. You will long with Katrina for her to find the life that she dreamed she would one day have. Each character was introduced and developed very good. The author has a way of writing that will pull you into the time period that she is writing about. Each setting that the book brings you into is described in great detail and gives you the feeling that you are actually there and witnessing the story unfold first hand. Jody has an incredible knack for writing historical fiction. I enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. I gave this book 3.5 stars. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review. 

Just Show Up by Jill Buteyn and Kara Tippetts

Kara Tippetts’s story was not a story of disease, although she lost her battle with terminal cancer. It was not a story of saying goodbye, although she was intentional in her time with her husband and four children. Kara’s story was one of seeing God in the hard and in the good. It was one of finding grace in the everyday. And it was one of knowing “God with us” through fierce and beautiful friendship.

In Just Show Up, Kara and her close friend, Jill Lynn Buteyn, write about what friendship looks like in the midst of changing life seasons, loads of laundry, and even cancer. Whether you are eager to be present to someone going through a difficult time or simply want inspiration for pursuing friends in a new way, this eloquent and practical book explores the gift of silence, the art of receiving, and what it means to just show up.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Show-Up-Suffering-Together/dp/1434709531/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443033468&sr=8-1&keywords=just+show+up+kara+tippets

 

The late Kara Tippetts was the author of The Hardest Peace and blogged faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com. Cancer was only a part of Kara’s story. Her real fight was to truly live while facing a crushing reality. Since her death in March 2015, her husband, Jason, is parenting their four children and leading the church they founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Jill Lynn Buteyn is the author of Falling for Texas, an inspirational novel, and a recipient of the ACFW Genesis Award for her fiction work. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Bethel University. Jill lives near the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her husband and two children. Connect with her on social media and at Jill-Lynn.com

I have no words for this book, I am not sure how to write a review that will do it justice. WoW comes to mind.

As does the comment ," we all have hard in our lives or we have a friend that has hard in their life. This was such an emotional and hard read.

I love the two authors part their while hearts in this book.

Very sad to type this but Kara Tippets is no longer with us she has gone on to be with Jesus, knowing that a head of time will change a lot as you are reading this book.

Author Jill really tells us how to Just Show Up. I love that about her writing, don't ask how you can help Do something. Just show up.

I read this book in a few hours, I laughed, I cried, and I really was part of the community.

I must tell you if you only read one book this year make it Just Show Up.

I gave this book 5 stars two times. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Saving Laurel Springs By Lin Stepp

In a heartwarming novel set amid the lush splendor of the Great Smoky Mountains, Lin Stepp reunites two kindred spirits in a charming story of first love and surprising second chances. . .

See ya later--and love you forever, Rhea Dean. Those are the words Rhea's childhood sweetheart, Carter Layman, used to say whenever they parted. Not that she places much stock in words anymore. After all, Carter drove off to college in California, promising to make a fortune to help save their families' vacation resort. Instead he stayed there and married someone else. It fell to Rhea to keep Laurel Springs going and she's done just that, working long hours on the camp grounds, buoyed by the beauty of her Smokies home.

Now a widower with a young son, Carter has achieved huge success as a games developer. But he always planned to return to the spring-fed lake and the soaring mountains, to the covered bridge where he and Rhea made wishes and traded kisses. He's coming home to turn Laurel Springs into the place they planned to build together. And as he reveals the truth about his past, Rhea must decide whether to trust in the man--and the dreams--she's never forgotten.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Saving-Laurel-Springs-Smoky-Mountain/dp/161773280X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444005439&sr=1-1&keywords=saving+laurel+springs

Dr. Lin Stepp is a native Tennessean, a businesswoman, and an educator. She is on faculty at both Tusculum College and King University, where she teaches psychology and research. Her business background includes over 20 years in marketing, sales, production art, and regional publishing. But closest to her heart is her beloved series of contemporary novels set in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Visit her on the web at linstepp.com.

Set in the Great Smoky Mountains a really good story of love and forgiveness.

I have a little trouble getting into the book in the beginning  but it started to get more descriptive and colorful and I enjoyed it.

I have read Lin's books in the past and her style of writing  is one that is easy reading and you can get caught up in.

Pick up a copy of her latest and enjoy her story of forgiveness and love.

 I gave this book 4 stars. 

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

The Imposter By Suzanne Woods Fisher

Katrina Stoltzfus thought she had life and love all figured out: she was going to marry John and live happily ever after. Those plans started to crumble when her father moved the family to Stoney Ridge, then completely collapsed when John decided to marry someone else. Katrina is devastated. How could she have felt so loved, yet been so deceived?

As she struggles to face a future without him, a widow asks for her help to start a new business and Katrina quickly agrees. She needs time to heal her broken heart, to untangle her messy life, to find a purpose. What she doesn't need is attention from Andy Miller, a farm hand who arrives at the widow's farm just when help is most needed--and who always seems to say the right thing, and be in the right place, at the right time. Is Andy
for real, or too good to be true? Deceived once before, Katrina is determined to keep her feelings in check. 

When a cascade of events is set in motion by some surprising information, the little Amish church is turned upside down. Soon, everyone has a stake in the outcome, and the community struggles to find the best response to an imposter in their midst. Can they forgive even the most deceitful deeds?

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher introduces her loyal fans to a brand-new series set in their favorite town--Stoney Ridge. As always, Fisher delivers endearing characters and plot twists that keep readers turning page after page after page.

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Imposter-Novel-Bishops-Family/dp/0800723201/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1443289687&sr=8-3&keywords=the+imposter

In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results.

Suzanne has loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.

After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn't even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. "That's why there's no food in this house!" said her slightly insensitive sons.

Undaunted...Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple awards). With help from an agent, she went on to sign contracts with Revell Books for twenty plus books.

Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never to confuse the two.

Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

                                              A MUST READ!

My all time favorite character was Preacher David, a preacher I wish I had. He was so easy to love and you just wanted to get to know him better with every page. His family was not perfect and made mistakes but he stuck by their side and showed the Gods grace and mercy.

I am a huge fan of Fisher, I have read and own everyone of her books and this one did not disappoint.

Do not miss this first book in The Bishop's Family series. It's one that you will not put down until the very last page.

Fisher is a fantastic voice in Amish Fiction and you won't want to miss this book.

I gave this book 5 stars. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

The Bishop's Son By Kelly Irvin

Two men offer Leila two very different futures. Will she choose with her heart or with her faith?

Leila Lantz has been in love with Jesse Glick from the day she first saw him at his father’s store, but she can’t make sense of his intentions. One day he wants to come courting, the next he seems to be putting distance between them.

Jesse may be the bishop’s son, but his faith has been wavering of late. If he is so unsure, is it fair to give Leila false hope for a future he doubts he can provide?

Then there’s Will, Jesse’s cousin. He has been trying to keep his feelings for Leila a secret, but he also knows Jesse is wrestling with his faith. Would declaring his feelings for Leila be in her best interest or simply serving his own selfish desires?

Leila knows she can choose Will and be secure in her own future. But when her heart speaks, it’s Jesse’s name she hears. When will God make His will known to her? Could leaving everything she knows—even her own faith—be a part of God’s plan?

Pick up your copy here...

http://www.amazon.com/Bishops-Son-Amish-Bee-County/dp/0310339545/ref=mt_paperback?_encoding=UTF8&me=

Kelly Irvin is the author of The Beekeeper’s Son, the critically acclaimed first novel of the Amish of Bee County series. Kelly is also the author of several Amish series including the Bliss Creek Amish series, the New Hope Amish series, and the Amish of Bee County series. She has also penned two romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine. The Kansas native is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Journalism. She has been writing nonfiction professionally for thirty years, including ten years as a newspaper reporter, mostly in Texas-Mexico border towns. She has worked in public relations for the City of San Antonio for twenty years. Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-seven years. They have two young adult children, two cats, and a tank full of fish. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories and read books by her favorite authors. Website: kellyirvin.com, Twitter: @Kelly_S_Irvin, Facebook: Kelly.Irvin.Author.

 

Ready to go back to Bee County Texas ? It was nice to get to reminisce with some old characters from book one in the series in this book. As well as get to meet new ones.

It was one of the books that could be a stand alone but you won't want to miss book one The Beekeeper's Son.

Looking for a good Amish love story, you might have found it.

I liked the characters old and new. In this 4 star book.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.