Simple Pleasures by Marianne Jantzi

I am a big reader of Amish fiction and nonfiction. I am really intrigued by their way of life and enjoy learning what they do during their days. Usually, I only get to read about this in fiction books or when I get the opportunity to read a very few nonfiction books on the Amish. I am thrilled that this series is sharing the thoughts and hearts of so many women. I don't know how I haven't heard of this series before now, with this being book 4! It is so fresh and delightful to read.

Marianne Jantzi is an Amish homemaker with children about the same ages as mine. I enjoyed her stories that were parts of her journal entries. It flows differently than most books because it is grouped together based on themes, not necessarily in order of events. It does mean that the ages of the children and stage of life change throughout the same chapter or the same section, but I didn't find that to disrupt the flow of her stories.

I liked the thoughts that she shared about motherhood, teaching, and being a wife. Her husband seems to be a funny man. One of my favorite stories has to do with the chickens getting a steak dinner! 

The whole book is wonderful, but I really liked the recipes in the back, as well as the FAQ page where she answers questions about the Amish. I was so glad she put a schedule of her day in the book, too. It was neat to see how different it is from my own schedule. It's hard work, but it seemed so much simpler and the calendar less crowded.

This series is allowing Amish, Mennonite, and Hutterite writers to share their lives with readers. I've never even heard of Hutterite, so I'm looking forward to understanding more about these women!

Read more reviews about this book at http://litfusegroup.com/author/mjantzi.

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

MARIANNE JANTZI

Marianne Jantzi is an Amish writer and homemaker in Ontario, Canada. Formerly a teacher in an Amish school, Jantzi now educates and inspires through her “Northern Reflections” column for The Connection, a magazine directed mainly to Amish and plain communities across the U.S. and Canada. She and her husband have four young children and run a shoe store among the Milverton Amish settlement of Ontario.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Simple Pleasures: Stories from My Life as an Amish Mother(MennoMedia, March 2016)

Young Amish homemaker Marianne Jantzi invites readers into her family’s life on the snowy plains of Ontario.

The mother of four young children and wife of a storekeeper, Jantzi writes about her daily routines and heartfelt faith with equal measures of wit and warmth. Sewing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, and helping to manage the store take up most hours in her day, but Jantzi finds time to pen columns for the Connection, a magazine beloved by Amish and Mennonite readers across the United States and Canada. Never sugarcoating the frustrations of motherhood, Jantzi tells it like it is, broken washing machine and bickering children and all. But through her busy days, Jantzi finds strength in simple pleasures of family, fellowship with her Amish community, and quiet time with God.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

The Goodbye Bride by Denise Hunter

• When I'm looking for a book that is going to be relaxing to read after a long day and provide me some laughs, I know Denise Hunter will never fail me. I tend to save her books to read when I have just finished a crazy week.
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The Goodbye Bride is definitely a sweet romance story. I'm not a huge fan of romance books, but for some reason I love the way Denise Hunter writes her stories. They never seem too sappy or drawn out, which makes me enjoy them so much. The characters are easy to like and i was immediately drawn to Lucy and Zac. I also appreciate that Denise Hunter leaves a little bit of mystery in this book. She doesn't immediately come out and say what all has happened, but instead leaves a bit of mystery surrounding their personal stories. There were moments where I wanted to flip forward just to find out because I'm a bit impatient, but I resisted.

This is the second book in the Summer Harbor Series, but it really can stand alone. However, I suggest not missing a book in this series! And the even better news is that there's another book coming out in September so it's not an incredibly long wait for the next one in the series.

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I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

5 Habits of a Woman Who Doesn't Quit by Nicki Koziarz

5 Habits of a Woman Who Doesn't Quit is a book that left me encouraged and challenged. I walked away really appreciating the honesty and transparency that Nicki Koziarz shared within the pages of the book. She didn't hesitate to share the good and the bad. I look for authors who are transparent and honest because I know they aren't afraid to share their struggles. That encourages me so much.

Nicki Knoziarz takes the book of Ruth and brings out something in it that I've never seen: Ruth was not a quitter. She could have been, but she did not. I never really noticed that aspect of Ruth. She has 5 habits that she has found through Ruth:
Habit One: She accepts the assignment of refinement.
Habit Two: She follows through with her commitments despite how she feels.
Habit Three: She stays open to the movement of God.
Habit Four: She gives others what she needs.
Habit Five: She moves forward in faith.

There so many nuggets of wisdom throughout this book. I loved the part on comparison because I am easily intimidated when I compare myself to others. Then I shy away from what I know God has called me to do because I begin to compare myself to others who are doing something similar.

Another thing I loved was when she talked about giving people what you need. That has stuck with me in the heat of my frustrations... and it even works with my children, too!

This book would make a great book for women to use as a study. It offers many opportunities to be real, honest, and transparent: something I know that so many women are looking for today.

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I received this book free from B & H Publishers and Lifeway in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Sit, Stay, Love by Dana Mentink

I'll admit that I was a little on the fence when I first saw this book. I couldn't decide if it'd just one of those dog books that are cheesy or if it'd be something I'd actually enjoy and remember. When it came in the mail, I still was a bit hesitant. However, I'm not one to skip out on a book, so I was determined to keep an open mind and read it. It was an easy book to read and it was quite enjoyable. I liked all of the characters and Cal and Gina were absolutely funny.

This book included some things that I was thrilled, yet surprised to read. It does include a dog, Tippy, but it was wonderful to read about how she included baseball and a few other things. I loved Cal's uncle and all he had done.

As I was reading this book, I thought about how perfectly timed this book was in its release. It would make a perfect beach read or car trip book. It's lighthearted and just a good book to read when you're relaxed. If I had to offer one opinion, it would be about the cover. I understand why the dog is on the front, but to me it just made the book look like it was a quirky dog book. Since I've read the book, I think it's absolutely cute. However, I would suggest adding more than just the dog to the cover to make the readers gravitate towards the book without question.

Read more reviews about this book at http://litfusegroup.com/author/dmentink. 

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Harvest House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

DANA MENTINK

Dana Mentink lives in California, where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Dana is an American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year finalist for romantic suspense and an award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Literary Contest. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third and fourth grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with her husband, two daughters, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sit, Stay, Love (Harvest House, April 2016)

Take one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog, and you’re ready for a lesson in love . . . Tippy style.

Pro baseball pitcher Cal Crawford is not a dog guy. When he inherits his deceased mother’s elderly dog, Tippy, he’s quick to call on a pet-sitting service.

Gina isn’t thrilled to be a dog sitter when her aspirations lie in the classroom. Furthermore, she can’t abide the unfriendly Cal, a man with all the charm of a wet towel. But with no other prospects and a deep love for all things canine, she takes the job caring for Tippy.

As Gina travels through Cal’s world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too…

Discover the charming story of Tippy, the dog who brought a family together.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

A Treasure Concealed by Tracie Peterson

I hated to finish this book knowing that I'd have to wait awhile longer to read the next book in the series. I absolutely loved this book and the complete storyline. I think I experienced the wide array of emotions throughout the book. At one point, I couldn't help but cover my mouth at the shock and horror of what had taken place. I just wanted to cry for Emily Carver and her dad and mom. In fact, there were several instances when this reaction happened, which surprised me because I don't normally have such a strong reaction to books unless it is well written.

Tracie Peterson is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I enjoyed the setting in Montana, following the life of a miner and his family, who is hoping to strike it rich. Caeden easily won me over by his sweet spirit and his generosity towards the Carver family. I was endeared forever towards the end of the book and how he treated Emily and her father.

I had nothing but disgust for a few characters. I couldn't believe how brazen they were and complete tricksters. I couldn't stand the thought of them continuing on in this story because of how mean they were!

Tracie Peterson did a great job at engaging me from the very beginning of the book. There was never a boring point in the story where I felt like I wanted to just set the book down for awhile. I am really looking forward to this series.

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I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Playing the Part by Jen Turano

I should preface this review by saying that I am not a girl who enjoys mystery books, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wouldn't necessarily qualify it as a mystery book because the history and the humor definitely was the main focus. However, there was some mystery but only enough to make the story so incredibly hard to put down. I found myself looking for excuses to be alone so that I could just read!

I have read some books by Jen Turano so I fully expected this book to be just as good (if not better) than her previous ones. I absolutely love her writing style because they are a good mixture of humor and serious. She is engaging and draws the reader in to her story from the very first pages. I also appreciate that she continued to bringing other characters from her previous books. I hate not knowing what previous characters are up to in a series! I'm endeared to an author when they tie the whole series together with some familiar things from book 1.

Although this book is the third book in the A Class of Their Own series, it definitely can stand alone. The reader wouldn't have the same level of excitement over seeing some familiar names pop up from the previous books, but they would definitely not be lost and could enjoy the book. I'm pretty certain, though, it would make them go out and by the first two books in the series! I am always impressed when authors write a book in a series that can stand alone and doesn't leave the reader confused and frustrated and trying to figure out who is who.

Now I'm left waiting to see what Jen Turano writes next.

To read more reviews on this book, go to http://litfusegroup.com/books/playing-the-part.

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JEN TURANO

Jen Turano, author of the Ladies of Distinction series and the A Class of Their Own series, is a graduate of the University of Akron. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Playing the Part (Bethany House, March 2016)

Can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day?

Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan’s interest turns threatening. Lucetta’s widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta’s life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson’s estate to hide out.

Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there’s much more to him than society knows.

Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail’s matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can’t ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it’ll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.