A Love Undone Review

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A husband and son abandoned to forge a path alone.
A young woman who sacrificed her dreams.
How will the God of grace and hope help them find their way? 
At nineteen years old, Old Order Amish Jolene Keim was on the brink of happily-ever-after when everything changed, stealing the future she expected and burdening her with an unbearable decision. For the next ten years, Jolene throws herself into family life—and then she meets Andy Fisher. The horse trainer and father to a sweet nine year-old challenges her and holds up a mirror to issues Jolene has been unwilling to face.
 
Andy is cautious about his deepening friendship with Jolene, but he believes she knows the truth about him – that he is a grass widower. As a man whose wife has abandoned him six years past, he is unable to divorce or remarry according to the Amish ways. Andy has wrestled with God concerning his reality, and he had found peace with the solitary future facing him…until he met Jolene.
 
As Andy and Jolene find themselves confronted by difficult choices, will they trust in God's guidance—or will the allure of their deepening friendship only lead to further temptation?

A Love Undone is the newest release by Cindy Woodsmall. While its not my favorite of hers I still enjoyed it. The characters stand out and are easy to become attached to. The plot to A Love Undone was unlike any I have read. I used to feel like if you have read one or two Amish fiction books then you had read them all (every Amish book I picked up seemed to have the same plot). But now as I start to find new Amish authors (or new-to-me ones) I have fallen in love with this genre. Cindy is one of the authors that made that happen. I feel like when I pick up one of her book I will always get something new. That being said I really did enjoy A Love Undone. The only thing I wish was that she had spent a little more time on the end, it seemed to me that it ended a little... um quickly? I don't think that's the right word. I don't know but, I just felt like I wanted it to end in a different way or something. But all in all A Love Undone is definitely worth your time.

4 out of 5. An Afternoon Snack that you will be sure to enjoy. 

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Tried & True Review

Saddle up for a wildly fun ride with the Wilde sisters!
Kylie Wilde is the youngest sister--and the most civilized. Her older sisters might be happy dressing in trousers and posing as men, but Kylie has grown her hair long and wears skirts every chance she gets. It's a risk--they are homesteading using the special exemptions they earned serving in the Civil War as "boys"--but Kylie plans to make the most of the years before she can sell her property and return to the luxuries of life back East.

Local land agent Aaron Masterson is fascinated with Kylie from the moment her long hair falls from her cap. But now that he knows her secret, can he in good conscience defraud the U.S. government? And when someone tries to force Kylie off her land, does he have any hope of convincing her that marrying him and settling on the frontier is the better option for her future? 

Tried & True by Mary Connealy is yet another amazing comical historical romance. Like with all of the other books I have read by Mary Connealy, the moment I picked up this book I was caught. I didn't put Tried & True down until I had finished the whole thing. I don't know if Kylie Wilde and Aaron Masterson are my favorite characters of Mary's but the come real close. :) I loved everything about the Wilde sisters and I can't wait to read Shannon's story! If you have ever read a Mary Connealy book and loved it then this one will not disappoint. And if you haven't read one of her books before then 

what are you waiting for?!?!? 

5 out of 5. One really amazing Afternoon Snack!! 

I got a free review copy of Tried & True from Bethany House Publishers in return for my honest review.

Litfuse Publicity is have a contest! Enter here.

Hit Review

After receiving a full-ride scholarship to Mills College for Girls, it appears Sarah's future is all laid out before her … that is until she walks into a poetry class led by Mr. Haddings, a student teacher from the nearby University of Washington. Suddenly, life on the UW campus seems very appealing, and Sarah finds herself using her poetry journal to subtly declare her feelings for Haddings. Convinced Mr. Haddings is flirting back, she sets off for school in the rain with a poem in her back pocket—one that will declare her feelings once and for all.

Mr. Haddings has noticed Sarah's attention; the fallout from any perceived relationship with a student is too great a risk, and he has decided to end all speculation that morning.

But everything changes when Mr. Haddings feels a thud on his front bumper when he glances away from the road, and finds Sarah in the street with blood pooling beneath her.

Hit by Lorie Ann Grover is a fast intense read. The story is made more real by the fact that its based off of something that happen to the authors daughters best friend. I really enjoyed the story but I just wish that it was a bit longer. More fleshed out I guess. I felt like I needed more. More of a back story and more of an ending. But then without those things it makes you focus more on the accident itself and thats what this whole book is about. 

4 out of 5. An enjoyable Afternoon Snack.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Destined for Doon Review

 

In this sequel to Doon, Mackenna Reid realizes she made a horrible mistake in choosing to follow her dreams of Broadway instead of staying in the enchanted land of Doon. To make everything worse, she's received her Calling—proof she and Duncan are each other's one true love—and it's pure torment, especially when visions of the very alluring Scottish prince appear right before she goes on stage. So when Duncan tells her an ancient curse threatens to overtake Doon and the new queen and Kenna’s best friend, Veronica, needs her to return, Kenna doesn't have to think twice. With darkness closing in on all sides, Kenna and Vee must battle a world of nightmares in order to protect the kingdom. But it will take the ultimate test of courage for Kenna to salvage her happily ever after.

Destined for Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Landgon was a really fun adventure. The kingdom of Doon is simply enchanting, just as it was in the first book. I enjoyed  being able to dive back into the world of Doon once again. I find it so great that Carey and Lorie are able to stuff one book so full of creativity and fun. The characters are pretty enjoyable to spend time with and I can't wait to read the third book in this series.... really I can't wait! The way this book ended frustrates me so much because I need to know what happens! But alas waiting is what I must do so I shall... but I won't be very good at it. 

4 out of 5. an Afternoon Snack that was pretty fantastical. 

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

Honor Review

“Who will you be, if not the lady of High Oaks?”

When unexpected circumstances leave Honor Penworthy destitute, she is forced from her Maryland plantation—and the slaves she hoped to free. With no marketable skills, her survival hinges on a marriage arranged through the Quaker community to artisan Samuel Cathwell. Samuel is drawn to Honor, but he has been unwilling to open his heart to anyone since losing his hearing as a child.

A move west brings the promise of a fresh start, but nothing in Honor’s genteel upbringing has prepared her for the rigors of frontier life with Samuel. Nevertheless, her tenacity and passion sweep her into important winds of change, and she secretly becomes involved in the Underground Railroad. Samuel suspects Honor is hiding something, but will uncovering the truth confirm his worst fears or truly bring them together?

Strong women. Brave stories.

Set against the backdrop of dramatic and pivotal moments in American history, the Quaker Brides series chronicles the lives of brave heroines fighting to uphold their principles of freedom while navigating the terrain of faith, family, and the heart.

Honor by Lyn Cote was really good. I finished the book the same day I got it (yes that means I had a late night. I lost sleep for this book!).  I really enjoyed the story line as a whole but I had trouble with both the beginning and the end. They both seemed to move a little too quickly for me. Honor seemed to be able to communicate pretty well with Samuel very quickly. The ending might have just seemed like it ended to quickly because I was enjoying Honor's story so much. But despite the slightly rushed feeling I got I really liked the book and I can't wait to read the second in this series. 

4 out of 5. A delightful Afternoon Snack.

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest review.

Thief of Glory Review

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Author Bio

A boy coming of age in a time of war…
the love that inspires him to survive.
 
For ten year-old Jeremiah Prins, the life of privilege as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies comes crashing to a halt in 1942 after the Japanese Imperialist invasion of the Southeast Pacific. Jeremiah takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings when his father and older stepbrothers are separated from the rest of the family, and he is surprised by what life in the camp reveals about a woman he barely knows—his frail, troubled mother. 

Amidst starvation, brutality, sacrifice and generosity, Jeremiah draws on all of his courage and cunning to fill in the gap for his mother. Life in the camps is made more tolerable as Jeremiah’s boyhood infatuation with his close friend Laura deepens into a friendship from which they both draw strength. 

When the darkest sides of humanity threaten to overwhelm Jeremiah and Laura, they reach for God’s light and grace, shining through his people. Time and war will test their fortitude and the only thing that will bring them safely to the other side is the most enduring bond of all.

Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer is one of the most haunting story's I have read in a long long time.The characters, Jeremiah, Rachel, Pietje, Elsbeth, Laura, and everyone else throughout the book all took a piece of my heart, each in a different way. 

I finished this book almost a week ago and even now I'm not sure about how to write this review.

 Did I like it? Yes and no. Yes, because its so real and beautifully written. No, because it was its so... real. So really the only reason I could give for not liking this book is because of the realness of this book. Which is what most people like about books. Who wants to read a book that's fake, right? That's why my no is also in my yes column. 

But this book broke my heart! And then it kinda mended it by sticking it back together with gum, which we all know doesn't last very long which is why I'm having a hard time getting over this book. And why this review sounds really confusing...  Sorry. Maybe I should just end by saying I'm still deciding if I love it or not but I do know that I like it. A lot. So read Thief of Glory and if you can sum up your feelings better I can (which right now is probably everyone in the world) come write a better review than me. So to sum it up. 

• Haunting
• Real
• Heartbreaking
• Beautifully written
• Like it a lot
• 3.5... 4... I don't know.... out of 5.

An Afternoon Snack that I am still thinking about.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Through the Deep Waters Giveaway!

A past filled with shame can be washed away with a love that conquers all
Born to an unloving prostitute in a popular Chicago brothel, timid seventeen-year-old Dinah Hubley was raised amidst the secrets held in every dark, grimy room of her home. Anxious to escape, Dinah pursues her dream of becoming a Harvey Girl, waiting tables along the railroad in an upscale hotel. But when she finds out she isn’t old enough, her only option is to accept a job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Eager to put everything behind her, Dinah feels more worthless than ever, based on a single horrible decision she made to survive.

The Clifton offers a life Dinah has never known, but blinded to the love around her, Dinah remains buried in the shame of her past. When a handsome chicken farmer named Amos Ackerman starts to show interest, Dinah withdraws further, convinced no one could want a sullied woman like her.  Despite his self-consciousness about his handicapped leg and her strange behavior, Amos resolves to show Dinah Christ’s love. But can she ever accept a gift she so desperately needs?

A few months ago I reviewed Through the Deep Waters (read my review here). I absolutely loved it! Now the publisher is letting me have a giveaway for you! Fun, right!?!

The contest starts on July 31, 2014 at 6:00am EST and ends on August 20th, 2014 at 11:59pm. One winner will be chosen at random on August 21st, 2014 and will be alerted by email. Enter by clicking here. And, if you're inclined to do so, please follow my by blog for more reviews and hopefully more giveaways! Good Luck!