Christian faith

Award-winning author Janice Thompson, who also writes under the name Janice Hanna, has published nearly eighty books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children’s books and more.

Emmalyne Knox and Tavin MacLachlan were destined to be together . . . until the tragic deaths of Emmalyne’s youngest sisters. Family tradition mandates that the youngest daughter should remain single to care for her parents in their old age, and now that daughter is Emmalyne. Her father unyielding, Emmalyne surrenders to her duty, heartbroken. Tavin leaves town, equally devastated.

Years later, Emmalyne’s family moves, and she and Tavin meet again. Their feelings for each other are as strong as ever, but their painful past and Emmalyne’s father still stand between them. Soon both families are in the midst of the growing conflict rising between the workers at the granite quarry that Tavin’s father owns and operates. When a series of near-fatal accidents occur, Tavin must figure out who is behind the attacks before someone gets killed.

Bound by obligation, yet yearning for a future together, can Emmalyne and Tavin dare to dream that God could heal a decade-long wound and change the hearts of those who would stand in the way of true love?

The Quarryman’s Bride is a fascinating tale of love lost and faithful choices.  I must admit, I found it hard to identify with Emmalyne’s choice but loved her faithfulness and spirit.  That alone kept me turning page after page, hoping to find that Emmalyne’s choice was rewarded in some way.  I’m not sure that I could have remained so positive or cheerful if so many things had been taken away from me, and yet that was Emmalyne’s charm.

While Emmalyne had a tough choice to make in the beginning, it didn’t get any easier later, when her family returned to the quarry.  This time she purposely chose the hard road and tried to follow God’s wishes, not her own, and that upped the fascination factor for me.  

I really enjoyed The Quarryman’s Bride.  It’s a great story, full of faith, emotion, and taking up one’s cross – something that many of us don’t do enough.  With side plots of union troubles relating to the quarry and the stereotypes relating to the mentally ill, this book is not lacking action or intrigue, either.  It’s not just a great beach read – it’s a great anytime read.

To read other reviews in this blog hop, click here; or, click here to purchase your copy now.

With her heart – and her loyalty – on the line, can she let true love in her life?

Regina Beswick was born to be a princess.

Carley Marek’s world shatters when she survives a horrifying accident, and she doesn’t know how to pick up the pieces. Trying to rejuvenate her career, she takes a trip to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to stay with a friend in an Old Order Amish home and write an article about the Amish culture. Although she expected to ask questions and be an impartial observer, she finds herself becoming a part of the community as she helps a sick child’s family and begins to fall for Dr. Noah, a man shunned from the very family she’s visiting. With all of these new pieces to the puzzle of her life, where can Carley go from here?

Beth Wiseman has written the best Amish novel I’ve read in years. True to the Amish culture of central Pennsylvania, this book does not romanticize their lives, nor does it make their culture seem foreign or strange. She creatively uses the characters and the plot to keep the reader in suspense while introducing real-to-life drama. Carley’s turmoil and questions regarding her past experiences and her faith are real and are not resolved in a paragraph. She struggles to understand the mystery surrounding the events of Noah’s shunning and the difficult ramifications his family faces because of that years later.

Plain Pursuit will challenge any reader to seek out forgiveness and to understand how they, too, can be a “child of promise.” If you’ve ever been interested in Amish culture or have questions about how God relates to His children, this is a book for you.

For more information about Plain Pursuit by Beth Wiseman, go here.
For more information about Thomas Nelson products, go here.

** Thomas Nelson has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Meeting the family that her mother had kept hidden from her, Holly comes face to face with her real life and blood legacy. She also falls for the charming Zach, a handsome Mennonite veterinarian who is everything she’s ever wanted in a husband: confident, kind, successful, and authentic. And Zach proposes marriage. Is this too soon? Is this the right choice? Mother and Amish grandmother think she’s rushing into too much of a lifestyle change. Holly is in love with Zach and that precludes everything. Until she meets an attractive Amish man. And an old suitor shows up.

Pennyslvania Patchwork is the moving, richly told story of one woman’s heart, her faith and trust, and the choices she makes. Never easy, but one choice can change your destiny.

Pennsylvania Patchwork is about the choices that we make and how they affect our lives.  A dramatic saga about three women, this book picks up right in the middle of conflict.  A prologue catches the reader up to speed with what happened in the first book of the series, and soon that reader will be hurtling through Lancaster County faster than a runaway horse and buggy.  

Pennsylvania Patchwork is a tangled web of emotions, mistakes, grace, and forgiveness.  It’s a story full of wisdom and seeking to live God’s way, no matter how you might dress to do so.

I really enjoyed this story.  Although it did take me a few chapters to figure out the full backstory for each character as I haven’t read the first in the series, I got up to speed quickly and fell in love with their situation.  I could relate to each character, despite all being from different backgrounds and generations.  I want my children to be faithful adults like Mommy Anna.  Like Esther, I don’t want to hold grudges from past hurts and want to make right past issues.  Like Holly, it’s sometimes confusing to be faced with multiple options for a dream – what is the best way to choose?  Because each person felt so realistic, I felt as if I had a vested interest in the choices that they made.  Near the end, a few of those choices felt as if they’d been made very quickly. This high-action part of the plot kept me at the edge of my seat, however, as my eyes flew over the pages.

Having been in Lancaster County just a few short weeks ago, it was fun to read about a group of Amish where the lifestyle and location is so familiar to me.  I definitely will be watching for Kate Lloyd’s next book.  This is one of the best Lancaster County Amish stories I’ve read in a long time!

Author Kate Lloyd is a passionate observer of human relationships. A native of Baltimore, Kate spends time with family and friends in Lancaster County, PA, the inspiration for her novels. She is a member of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society. Kate and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest. Kate studied painting and sculpture in college. She’s worked a variety of jobs, including car salesman and restaurateur.

Learn more about Kate at http://www.katelloyd.net

I received a free copy of Pennsylvania Patchwork from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

What’s it like when the man you married is already married to God? asks Pastors’ Wives, an often surprising yet always emotionally true first novel set in a world most of us know only from the outside.

After the war, nearly dead from his injuries, it appears Seth got married. Oh, he’s got a lot of excuses, but his wife isn’t happy to find out Seth doesn’t remember her. Callie has searched, prayed, and worried. Now she’s come to the Kincaid family’s ranch in Colorado to find her lost husband.
Callie isn’t a long-suffering woman. Once she knows her husband is alive, she wants to kill him. She’s not even close to forgiving him for abandoning her.

Then more trouble shows up in the form of a secret Seth’s pa kept for years. The Kincaid brothers might lose their ranch if they can’t sort things out. It’s enough to drive a man insane–but somehow it’s all making Seth see things more clearly. And now that he knows what he wants, no one better stand in his way.

This is a rollicking adventure full of humor and drama!  Connealy has penned a Western like no other.  From forgotten wives to “crazy” cowboys, you won’t want to put Over the Edge down.  

The story of the Kincaid brothers continues in this, the third adventure in the series.  Connealy does a wonderful job of weaving each brother’s story together, layering the depth, emotion, and sheer hilarity of a man who’s traumatized enough to forget his own wife.  

Personally, if I was forgotten by my own husband, I’m not sure I could chase after him, but Callie has the strength of character and stubbornness needed for this monumental task – and her courage in the face of adversity makes her totally lovable.  Seth, on the other hand, appears to be so addled that one can’t help but feel for him.  You want to cheer him on just as you groan with frustration that he’s losing his grip on reality – again.  When these two are joined with several other brothers, children, ranch hands, a few bandits, and a missing fortune, you’ve definitely got a winner.

I’ve had the good fortune of reading the first book in this series, and I loved it as much as I did this one.  Now, having read the third, I can’t wait to get my hands on the second one.  You won’t want to miss a single one, either – this series is just plain fun.

I received a free copy of Over the Edge in exchange for an honest review.

You can read other reviews on this bloggy hop here.  To begin your cavernous adventure now, purchase your copy here.
Mary Connealy writes fun and lively “romantic comedy with cowboys” for the inspirational market. She is the author of the successful Lassoed in Texas, Montana Marriages, and Sophie’s Daughters series, and her novel Calico Canyon was nominated for a Christy Award. She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her husband, Ivan, and has four grown daughters.

Visit her on her Web site maryconnealy.com

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess—just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

Once Upon a Prince, Book Trailer – Rachel Hauck