Book Review~Love's Abundant Harvest

About the Book: Lucy has lived a difficult life.  Raised Old Order Amish by an overpowering mother, she received a disfiguring scar on  her cheek as a child. Very shy, and with no marriage prospects, her parents arrange for her to marry Sam Wagner, a widower.  Lucy moved to a new town after her wedding, and now lives a miserable life with her new husband, who is verbally abusive. Pregnant, Lucy fears the life her child will have being raised by her husband.

Manny is Lucy's neighbor, a widower himself, still grieving the loss of his wife. When he meets Lucy, he is immediately drawn to her sweet nature, and is also very concerned for her.  He suspects she is being abused by Sam, and so he begins stopping by each day to deliver the mail.  One night, a fire destroys most of the farm, and Sam is found dead. Will Lucy open up to Manny, and is there a future for the two of them?

My Thoughts: Love's Abundant Harvest, by Beth Shriver, was a wonderful story.  There aren't too many stories on abuse in Amish families, as it is kept quiet within the family. My heart ached for Lucy as she dealt with daily life with Sam, who was just horrible to her. Thankfully she had her grandmother and her grandmother's friends to go live with when Sam died.  They helped her get through the difficult time, and helped get Manny and Lucy together. Love's Abundant Harvest was a story of  love, loss, and trusting God to get you through everything.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Charisma House/Booketeria in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review~A Heart's Promise

About the Book: Emmie makes a promise to her friend that, if fulfilled, could mean the end to her dreams of a future with Isaac.

Emmie Croftner let Isaac Liddle go to avoid telling him about her past. But Isaac remains determined to win Emmie's heart and hand. Though Emmie resolves to keep her heart in check, it hurts when she sees that another woman has set
her bonnet for Isaac.

Then Emmie's dear friend extracts a costly promise: if anything happens to her in childbirth, Emmie will marry her widower and raise the baby herself. And it seems Emmie may have to fulfill that promise. But can she live happily without Isaac?

My Thoughts:  A Heart's Promise is Book Five out of Six in Colleen Coble's Journey of the Heart Series.  I have really enjoyed every book in this series.  They are quick to read, with each installment at just around 100 pages.  The characters are so real and believable, I feel like I am going through their joys and trials with them. In this book, my heart breaks for Emmie, who is so sweet and naive. She is hard on herself for the situation she is in, but thankfully has these wonderful friends around her that are loving her and helping her. I usually feel quite spoiled while reading in this series about the living conditions the characters have to deal with.  The women were so brave to venture out west to live in this new, hostile territory.

About the Author: 

 
USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble has written several romantic suspense novels including “Tidewater Inn,” “Rosemary Cottage,” and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series.
Find out more about Colleen at http://www.colleencoble.com/.

You can read more reviews of A Heart's Promise at Litfuse. Purchase your own copy at Thomas Nelson Publishing.


Will the promise Emmie makes to her friend mean the end to her dreams of a future with Isaac? Find out in book five, A Heart's Promise, of Colleen Coble's A Journey of the Heart series. Emmie Croftner let Isaac Liddle go to avoid telling him about her past. But Isaac remains determined to win Emmie’s heart and hand. Can she live happily without Isaac?

. . Take a day off and head to the beach with a new giveaway from Colleen: five books (books one–five in Colleen's A Journey of the Heart series) and a beach bag to tote your new books in!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of A Heart's Promise
• A Lands' End beach tote
• A copy of A Heart's Betrayal
• A copy of A Heart's Disguise
• A copy of A Heart's Obsession
• A copy of A Heart's Danger

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 31st. Winner will be announced August 3rd on Colleen's website.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed here are my own.

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Book Review~Halfa Moon

ISBN: 978-1-4582-1185-9 | List Price: $17.99 | Format: Softcover | Page Count: 243
ISBN: 978-1-4582-1184-2| List Price: $35.99 | Format: Hardcover | Page Count: 243
ISBN: 978-1-4582-1183-5 | List Price: $3.99 | Format: eBook Page Count: 243

About the Book:  Halfa Moon is the story of Meg Randallman, starting when she is a young child and tragedy strikes her family. A sudden move, a new father, and an abusive, neglectful mother are just a few of the things Meg has to deal with as she is growing up. Thankfully, she has a warm, loving relationship with her step-grandmother, who teaches her everything she needs to know about life and love. 

Meg lives a life of affluence, and as a child genius, graduates High School at only 15 years old.  She goes on to graduate from a top college, and gets a job at "the Lab".  She quickly is in a dangerous position, with a murderer on the loose wanting information she has access to. Will Meg be targeted next?  Will she ever find her father, who she was taken from all those years ago?








My Thoughts: Halfa Moon is a great story, full of mystery, danger, and a little romance. There was a lot going on in the story lines of this book, but not too much that I got confused. The story is written in first person from the viewpoint of Meg herself, which I liked. There are many different relationships going on in the story, some very dysfunctional and others warm and loving.  

Halfa Moon is a perfect book if you are looking for a clean, Christian read. It is hard to put down and keeps you guessing until the very end. 

About the Author:  

Joan Bannan is a native Californian, who still lives in Northern California. She was born Joan Freiburghouse in Modesto. Then when she turned eighteen, she became Joan Mangini for the next twenty-four years. When she wrote her first book she changed her last name to Bannan -- her grandmother's maiden name. She thought her mother's maiden name was too boring and that Freiburghouse would not fit on book covers.

Joan is a Christian. Her faith influences her writing, but she does not consider herself an evangelist nor does she feel called to explain her faith to her readers. However, her faith greatly influences her characters and the theme of each novel. She says, "I can't help it. I believe the world that is not seen is the real world. I allow my characters to be aided by divine intervention that is considered coincidence in the visible world. Christian friends call this type of coincidence, "a God thing.'"

There are two frequently asked questions that Joan is asked: "Are your novels based on true stories?" and "How do you write?"

Her stories are based on true stories and true characters, but they are greatly embellished by her imagination. Many of her characters are inspired by combining the personalities of more than one person.

Joan's novel writing is "whenever I have a moment," and "primarily a Pantser," though she has been whipped into shape by instructors to create basic novel structure before she ventures too far into each story. A Panster is a title used by writing instructors to describe an author who writes, "by the seat of her pants," rather than by a detailed outline. Joan finds she needs to enter a scene before she can imagine what needs to be there, what her characters will say to each other, and discover who else will show up.

 Connect with Joan:

• Visit her website at http://just-joan.com 
• Follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/justjoanbannan

• You can contact Joan on Twitter: @justjoanbannan

You can purchase your copy of Halfa Moon at:

•  Abbott Press Hardcover, and Softcover, and eBook
• Amazon.com Hardcover, softcover, and Kindle
• Barnes and Noble Hardcover, paperback, and Nook Book

 *Disclosure:   I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

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Book Review~Amish Promises

About the Book: When Joel and Shani Beck arrive at their new home, they're looking for peace. Shani is thrilled to have Joel back from Iraq but he needs time to heal, and the quiet of Lancaster seems just the place. They can't imagine any trouble with their Amish neighbors, the Lehmans, but things get off to a rocky start when their son is involved in an accident that injures one of the Lehman boys.

Eve Lehman has run her brother's household ever since the death of his wife, but Tim's a stern patriarch. Despite his protests, she's drawn to the neigh neighbor, Shani, and the two begin to form a strong friendship forged o faith and family. Things seem like they've quieted down until Joel's single and handsome army friend Charlie catches Eve's attention-a man unlike any Eve has ever met. Suddenly life for both families becomes more complicated than any of them could have ever imagined.

My Thoughts: Amish Promises is the first book in a new series, Neighbors of Lancaster County, by author Leslie Gould.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was an interesting blend of Amish and English trying to live next door to each other, with their lives intertwined through a series of events. The English family has so much they are going through, with the husband suffering from PTSD and physical injuries. The Amish family is struggling themselves, grieving the loss of the mother of the family.  Trouble within each family is heightened as trouble brews between the two families. Forgiveness, acceptance, and trusting God are strong themes in this story.

Amish Promises is available to purchase at Baker Publishing Group and retailers online.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest review. 

Product Review~Nutrabear Vitamin D3 Gummies

Vitamin D made a huge difference in  my life-I was very deficient a few years ago, and since taking a supplement, I have more energy and less illness. Although I have no problem swallowing pills, gummies are just more fun to take!  I've found that my family members are much more likely to take their vitamins if I set out a bottle of yummy gummies!

Nutrabear Vitamin D3 Gummies are vegetarian, 100% Gluten and Gelatin free. They contain no milk, egg, peanut or soy.  They are made will all natural flavors and colors.They are made in the USA in a GMP certified facility. These gummies are safe for kids and adults, and are in a cherry peach flavor.  Taking Vitamin D can improve your bone and dental health, immune system, and help improve your body's absorption of calcium.  One serving contains 800 IU of vitamin D.

Above is a picture to show you the size of the gummies. My family is in love with these little bears!  The cherry peach flavor is so yummy!  They taste like candy, and are not too chewy, more of a softer gummy.  There is no aftertaste. I highly recommend Nutrabear's Vitamin D3 Gummies, and will be checking out their other products as well.

You can purchase Nutrabear Vitamin D3 Gummies at Amazon.

*Disclosure: I received this product free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review~When Chicks Hatch

If you're looking for a great summer read, look no further-When Chicks Hatch, by author Heather Randall, is it! This novel includes the stories of five women, all intertwined.  They are regular women, like you or me, going through crisis in their lives.  The problems they are facing are ones we could face-pregnancy out of wedlock, surrogacy, infidelity, loss of a child, and troubled marriage. This is Christian fiction, so it is clean, but deals with mature issues. Follow the women as they deal with struggles in their lives, learning to live with faith and strength.

I enjoyed reading When Chicks Hatch from start to finish.  It was a quick read-there was so much going on I didn't want to stop reading! I must admit to being confused a few times in the very beginning, as there are so many characters and stories going on.  Once I got everyone straight, it was a delight to read.  Author Heather Randall does an excellent job of creating relatable characters with interesting story lines. I look forward to reading more in this series, Chicks of Corbin Bridge.

You can purchase When Chicks Hatch on Amazon and on the author's website.

Connect with author Heather Randall:


Website: http://www.heatherrandall.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherRandallBooks

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CWAreviewCrew/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherMRandall
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/heather-randall/19/8bb/b61
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+HeatherRandallCWA/posts
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/heathermrandall/
Instagram: instagram.com/cwaheather
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11475687-when-chicks-hatch?ref=atw

*Disclosure:   I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Book Review~A Faith of Her Own

About the Book: Jeremiah thought leaving Middlefield was the hardest thing he'd ever do. That was nothing compared to returning home. When Jeremiah left his Amish community to pursue his dream of becoming a veterinarian, he left more than just his faith behind-he walked away from his family and his childhood friend, Anna Mae. Now that he's returned to help out his mentor and work in a Yankee veterinarian practice, Jeremiah must face his past-and the people he betrayed.

Anna Mae had finally put the loss of Jeremiah and the broken vow between them behind her. Even though she supported her best friend's pursuit of his dream, she never let on how his departure left her questioning her own place in the Amish world. With his return, new questions arise, along with feelings she'd never fully acknowledged before.
As their rekindled friendship begins to turn into something more, Jeremiah and Anna Mae must examine their own faith and their relationship with each other and their families. With both of them torn between loyalty to their loved ones and being pulled in different directions, they must decide whether to heed God's call, even if it means being apart forever.

What I Thought:  I have read several of Kathleen Fuller's Amish fiction books, and have yet to be disappointed.  Once again, the author has done a wonderful job writing a captivating story in her newest release, A Faith of Her Own. In this book, the main characters of Anna Mae and Jeremiah are both likable characters that are very relateable.  They are both struggling at the point their lives are at, with big decisions to be made.  My heart ached for them both as they seemed to feel they had to choose between family and their dreams.  Along with them, there are other characters in the book  interacting with them that have their own side stories going on.  I especially liked Amos, and would have loved to see all his drawings in the barn!  A Faith of Her Own is easy to read, and hard to put down!
 
About the Author
Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including A Man of His Word and Treasuring Emma, as well as a middle-grade Amish series, The Mysteries of Middlefield. Website: www.kathleenfuller.com Twitter: @TheKatJam Facebook: Author Kathleen Fuller

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed here are my own.