The Promise by Beth Wiseman

I will never forget a good friend of mine recommending Beth Wiseman's book. I enjoyed her writing so much that I have not missed a book she has written since then. She is very impressive as an author because she can bridge so many different fiction genres, like Amish fiction and contemporary fiction.

This cover made me not certain if I'd like this book or not. It looked suspenseful, which I knew was included in the book. However, I was a little nervous at the amount of suspense I was going to be reading, since I'm not much of a suspenseful book lover.

The storyline for this book is AMAZING! I kind of cheated (because I do that) and read the author's note first. I like knowing how the author came to write this story before I read it because it helps me to put it into perspective. I'll say one thing about the author's note...DON'T MISS IT! Wow! The courage Beth had and her honesty in that section made this book even more unforgettable, in my opinion.

I didn't want to put this book down. It is suspenseful, but probably in a different way than you would normally think. Mallory Hammond is a determined girl who has to learn the hard way. It absolutely broke my heart to watch her chose this path for her life, not knowing the amount of fear and consequences she was going to experience. After reading the author's note, I think Mallory will become a dear character to every reader. Tate's selflessness is pretty amazing, too, especially as the reality of Mallory's situation began to hit.

This is a book that has been hard to set aside and forget about. After finishing it, I still find myself thinking about this scenario and wondering how many others have had to learn this lesson the hard way.

Read more reviews on this book at http://litfusegroup.com/author/bwiseman.

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

The Amish Garden by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Tricia Goyer, and Vannetta Chapman

Anytime I see these four names anywhere on an Amish book, I always get it.  I have yet to be disappointed by any of these four authors.  The way I see it, if you put all four together, you have a book that will be a hot sell!

This is a book of novellas, with each author taking one novella each.  As the title hints at, the main focuses are the gardens.  I like the new thoughts about the garden that I had while reading this book.  We've always had a garden an I'll admit I haven't always enjoyed the hard work it takes to grow one, but I think I'll be reminded of these stories this summer as I'm working away. 

In each of these stories, you see the characters grow and mature, in the same way that their gardens and plants are growing and maturing.  They are finding out what really matters in life and in one case, learning to do something she's not so good at.  Of course, there is romance within these pages.   I like how even the romance never felt rushed or hurried,  but was well-developed.  I think it's quite impressive to develop everything quickly and rather realistically within a few pages.  Each author accomplished that in their section of this book.

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

Need You Now by Beth Wiseman

I am so glad that I got to review the first part of this ebook but am so thankful I have the full book sitting on my desk to finish.  I don't think I would have been able to wait to finish it until the release date! This book is full of real life circumstances to a "normal" marriage. It's full of real temptations, of raw pain, and hiding that pain to the point that its no longer felt. It's full of good choices and bad choices. Most importantly, it's a story of a woman who seeks appreciation, isn't aware of what is being hidden from her by her children, and needs God now.

Darlene has decided that now that the children are older and don't need her as much, now would be the perfect time to get a part-time job. However, that part-time job turns into a full time job which she loves. It's not that she doesn't need the money, which she explains very delicately to Brad. It's that she wants to make a difference in somebody's life. So she takes on a job at a special needs facility where she becomes a one-on-one aide for Cora. Cora's dad has lost his wife a few years ago and is normally a man who is not very friendly. However, as he sees Cora relax around Darlene and even laugh, he can't help wanting to know that women a bit more deeply than he should.

In the meantime, the reason Darlene and Brad moved to the country is to protect their older son from the friends he was hanging out with and the choices he was making. Her daughter Grace is trying to hide her pain that no one knows that she feels so deeply, and Ansley is just a special girl with no problem in particular that anyone can explain fully. They just know that something is a bit "off."

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Need You Now (Part 1 ebook) by Beth Wiseman

I am so glad that I have this book sitting on my desk to finish because I don't think I would have been able to wait to finish it until the release date!  This book is full of real life circumstances to a "normal" marriage.  It's full of real temptations, of raw pain, and hiding that pain to the point that its no longer felt.  It's full of good choices and bad choices.  Most importantly, it's a story of a woman who seeks appreciation, isn't aware of what is being hidden from her by her children, and needs God now.

Darlene has decided that now that the children are older and don't need her as much, now would be the perfect time to get a part-time job.  However, that part-time job turns into a full time job which she loves.  It's not that she doesn't need the money, which she explains very delicately to Brad.  It's that she wants to make a difference in somebody's life.  So she takes on a job at a special needs facility where she becomes a one-on-one aide for Cora.  Cora's dad has lost his wife a few years ago and is normally a man who is not very friendly.  However, as he sees Cora relax around Darlene and even laugh, he can't help wanting to know that women a bit more deeply than he should.

In the meantime, the reason Darlene and Brad moved to the country is to protect their older son from the friends he was hanging out with and the choices he was making.  Her daughter Grace is trying to hide her pain that no one knows that she feels so deeply, and Ansley is just a special girl with no problem in particular that anyone can explain fully.  They just know that something is a bit "off."

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I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

An Amish Wedding by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Kelly Long

Three different stories in one book but they all tie together with one theme: three young Amish women want to have a wedding that was absolutely perfect.  What is perfect in their eyes?  Well, Priscilla could have done without all of the pre-wedding disasters, such as the one with her wedding dress, her house, and a sick friend.  Naomi wonders where her perfect husband is.  She seems to find perfect matches for all of her friends, but can't seem to locate her own true love.  Rose is engaged but isn't for sure if she's in love with her fiancee.  She doesn't have all of those feelings that she thinks a woman should have for her soon-to-be husband.  So, with that said, will these three women find their way to the wedding of their dreams?  Will their definition of "perfect" change?  Which one of the three girls finds a secret about their fiancee?

I love to read anything about the Amish and Amish fiction, so it was no suprise to me that I loved this book.  If you are a fellow Amish fiction lover, pick up this book.  It's a quick read and you won't want to set it down.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”