The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher & My Review

As a child caught up in a crisis, Lainey O'Toole made a split-second decision with far-reaching effects. Fifteen years later, when her car breaks down in Stoney Ridge - the very town in which that decision was made - she is forced to face the past and discover how her decision has impacted so many.

Bess Reihl is less than thrilled to be spending the summer at Rose Hill Farm helping her intimidating grandmother Bertha recover from surgery. It doesn't take long for Bess to realize that her grandmother coaxed her to Stoney Ridge for an entirely different reason. But once Bess meets hired hand Billy Lapp, the summer starts to hold some promise.

Lainey's and Bess's worlds are about to collide, and the secrets that come to light will shock them both.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the best-selling author of The Choice and The Waiting. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is the host of the popular internet radio show Amish Wisdom and lives in California.

My Review:

I read this book in a couple of hours! It was easy to read, and it kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next. I loved that Bess is pretty mature, and that she just continues to grow in maturity over the summer.

Bertha is a character! She made me laugh at times, but also made me appreciate her deep morals and loving heart. It was pretty funny to see Bess becoming a bit like her grandmother at times.

I will definitely be recommending this book (as well as the rest in the series) to my family and friends :)

The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fisher & My Review

The Waiting

by 

Suzanne Woods Fisher

Synopsis:
 Jorie King has been waiting for Benjamin Zook to return home to Lancaster County so they can marry. When news arrives that Ben has been killed, Jorie finds comfort in the friendship of his brother Caleb. That friendship ripens into love, and it seems that they are meant to be together.
But when the unexpected happens, their worlds are turned upside once more.
Will Jorie trust God to lead her into the arms of a new man?
A multi-faceted story about complex people leading the simple life.

***Available October 2010 at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group***

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.
Suzanne has always loved to write since she was a young teen. Writing, for Suzanne is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article that she writes, she hopes that readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind.

My Review:
I can't believe that I didn't post a review of this earlier! I really really enjoyed this book, and I had trouble putting it down. I finished it in record time because it sucked me in.
I'm surprised that the synopsis leaves out a couple of details that don't give away the story. One, Caleb is actually married at the start of the story, but his wife (Jorie's dear friend) dies. Two, Caleb has a child.
Jorie is a fascinating character who has an amazing strength and is willing to stand up against prejudice and loves her family beyond compare.

Things Left Unspoken by Eva Marie Everson & My Review

Things Left Unspoken

by

Eva Marie Everson

Synopsis:
 Jo-Lynn Hunter is at a crossroads in life when her great-aunt Stella insists that she return home to restore the old family house in sleepy Cottonwood, Georgia. Seeing the project as the perfect excuse for some therapeutic time away from her self-absorbed husband and his snobby Atlanta friends, Jo-Lynn longs to get her hands into a noteworthy and satisfying project. But things are not what they seem, both in the house and within the complex history of her family. Was her great-grandfather the pillar of the community that she thought he was? What is Aunt Stella hiding? And will Jo-Lynn's marriage survive the renovation? Jo-Lynn isn't sure she wants to know the truth, but sometimes the truth has a way of making itself known. The past comes alive in this well-written and thoughtful novel full of secrets, drama, and family with a hint of Southern drawl.


***Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group***

 Eva Marie Everson was born and reared just outside of Savannah, Georgia.
She's an ex-nurse and a seminary graduate, and is married with kids and grandkids.
If she had all the time in the world, she'd lay on the couch and watch old movies all day.




My Review:
I read this quite awhile ago, but I do remember a few of my original thoughts of the book.
Something that annoyed me was that it seemed like Jo-Lynn was a young woman in maybe her twenties or thirties, but in reality (from memory) she's in her fifties.
However, the story was a really gripping read, and I really enjoyed it. I was really rooting for Jo-Lynn the whole way through, and was totally surprised by the secrets revealed.

The House on Malcolm Street by Leisha Kelly & My Review

Publisher's Description
It is the autumn of 1920 and Leah Breckenridge is desperate to find a way to provide for her young daughter. After losing her husband and infant son in an accident, she is angry at God and fearful about the future. Finding refuge in a boardinghouse run by her late husband's aunt, Leah's heart begins the slow process of mending. Is it the people who surround her - or perhaps this very house - that reach into her heart with healing?


**Available 2010 at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group**

Leisha Kelly is the author of several bestselling historical fiction books, including Emma's Gift, Julia's Hope, and Katie's Dream. She has served many years on her local library board, continuing to bring good reads and educational opportunities to her community. Once a waitress, cafe manager, tutor, and EMT, Leisha is now a busy novelist and speaker who is active in the ministries of her church. She lives with her family in Illinois.


My Review:
I really enjoyed this book. The one thing that annoyed me was Leah being so unsociable and (at times) rude, but at the same time I can sort of sympathize with how hard it would have been to have lost your husband and son, and then to have lost your home. Her daughter was absolutely precious! It is amazing how a child's faith can be so much stronger than an adult's faith. I loved seeing Leah grow and start to mend. Aunt Marigold was a sweetheart, and she was an encouragement even when she meddled.
I've read Leisha Kelly's Wortham Family series and loved them, and I'm hoping that she'll bring out a sequel to this book!

A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin & My Review

From the back cover:
Major Jack Novak has never failed to meet a challenge - until he meets army nurse Lieutenant Ruth Doherty. When Jack lands in the army hospital after a plane crash, he makes winning Ruth's heart a top-priority mission. But he has his work cut out for him. Not only is Ruth focused on her work in order to support her orphaned siblings back home, she also is determined not to give her heart to any man.

As the danger and tension of World War II rise to a fever pitch, Jack and Ruth will need each other more than ever. Can Jack break down her defenses? Or are they destined to go their separate ways?

From the English countryside to the perilous skies over France, A Memory Between Us takes you on a journey through love, forgiveness, and sacrifice.


**Available September 2010 at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group**

About the Author:
SARAH SUNDIN is the author of A Distant Melody.
Her great-uncle flew with the US Eight Air Force in England during WWII. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children.






My Review:
I loved A Distant Melody, and I loved this book as well!
Sarah is a spectacular writer and sucks me into her books right from the start.
Even though I didn't know all of Ruth's story, I cared about her even from the little that I knew about her. And when I found out the whole story, I admired her for her courage to keep on going. I can understand why she felt the need to hide her past, but it's so frustrating to see people judged by their past and not being allowed to move past it.
This is the 2nd book in a series, but I think it would read quite well as a stand-alone. However, a lot more things make sense if you have read the 1st book.
I am definitely recommending this to everyone I know!

A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman & My Review

The 1920's are drawing to a close, and feisty Katie O'Connor is the epitome of the new woman - smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jake fits all of her criteria for a husband - good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and head-over-heels in love with her. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Luke McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face to face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jack? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?

A Hope Undaunted is the engrossing first book in the WINDS OF CHANGE series from popular author Julie Lessman. Readers will thrill at the highly charged romance in this passionate story.


**Available September 2010 at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group**


My Review:
I love all of Julie Lessman's books!
This one was really good because it shows them all as very human and flawed, but they all still love each other and work through things. I thought it was interesting that Katie felt that her father loved the other two more than her. I found it interesting because Charity also felt that in her book (A Passion Redeemed).
I loved Katie. She was silly and headstrong, but I felt like I identified more with her than the others.
I wouldn't recommend these to anyone under 17 or 18, but I love recommending them to older girls :)

Making Waves by Lorna Seilstad & My Review

When spunky Marguerite Westing discovers that her family will spend the summer of 1895 at Lake Manawa, Iowa, she couldn't be more thrilled. It's the perfect way to escape her agonizingly boring suitor, Roger Gordon. It's also where she stumbles upon two new loves: sailing, and sailing instructor Trip Andrews.

But this summer of fun turns to turmoil as her father's secrets threaten to ruin the family forever. Will free-spirited Marguerite marry Roger to save her father's name and fortune? Or will she follow her heart - even if it means hurting the family she loves?

My Review:
I picked up this book not expecting much, and I was blown away! It was written well and I got lost in the story. I found myself getting frustrated at Marguerite for not breaking things off with Roger, but I felt sorry for her because her mother was quite opinionated and all about keeping up appearances. I got quite frustrated with her mother because she didn't seem to really understand Marguerite, so it was probably good that she's not a major player in the book.
I'm so glad that I read this book! I can't wait for more books by Lorna Seilstad.


**Available September 2010 at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group**