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 Plain Man by Mary Ellis

I loved Caleb Beachy. He is the prodigal child that you are so glad that came home. We first meet Caleb in the book Sarah's Christmas Miracle. It's not a must to have read it in order to understand this story. I liked the back story, though, which I think is why I liked Caleb even more.

I liked how real Caleb was. He wasn't the perfect Amish man who dealt with little issues.  He dealt with things that we have to deal with every day... believing that Jesus has truly forgiven us of our sins, no matter what it is.  I also liked what was hidden under his arm sleeve of his shirt.  I have yet to read an Amish book with that aspect. Josie was one strong woman to forgive and love him.  I liked her and the way she related to Caleb.

Sarah and Adam were always a sweet couple, but there were times that Adam got on my nerves a little.   I liked Sarah's attitude and wonder if another book will come out that includes the Beachy family again. I hope so!

Mary Ellis has become an author that I search out.  She never fails to have me laughing and when I finish the book, I can't help but say how good of a book she writes.

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

The Amish Groom by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner

I am hooked on this new series by Mindy Starnes Clark and Susan Meissner.  I like how this series focuses on the Men of Lancaster County.  I didn't realize how refreshing it was to read an Amish book from the perspective of a man!  Many of the books I've read are dealing with the woman's perspective.

The cover of this book is beautiful to me.  I like both the front and the back.  Inside, I found the pages to be interesting, too.  I liked the gray that was over the top of the pages to highlight the authors and page numbers.  Or some reason, it was enough of a difference that it was very appealing.

Tyler was an easy guy to like.  The story was very well-developed within the first part of the story and I felt an instant connection with him, despite never going through what he had been through.  My heart hurt for him and his relationship with his father and what all had happened in his life. I liked how his grandmother and grandfather and uncles and aunts raised him and loved on him.  His brother, Jake, was an easy-to-like guy. 

Rachel is a sweet Amish girl that I really wanted to see happy.  I wanted Tyler's life to be figured out and to see Rachel happy again.

I am looking forward to reading the next book, The Amish Blacksmith. It looks like it will be focused on Jake, which I'm glad!  I read it comes out in August....I hope that's true!

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Mindy Starns Clark Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of the inspirational Million Dollar Mysteries, the Smart Chick Mysteries, and three standalone mysteries, as well as the nonfiction books The House That Cleans Itself and A Pocket Guide to Amish Life. Her novels include A Penny for Your Thoughts, Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels, A Dime a Dozen, A Quarter for a Kiss, The Buck Stops Here, The Trouble with Tulip, Blind Dates Can Be Murder, Elementary, My Dear Watkins, Whispers of the Bayou, Shadows of Lancaster County, and Under the Cajun Moon, plus other books!

Mindy is also the author of numerous plays and musicals which have been performed all over the United States. She has written textbooks, articles, short stories, and more than 75 computer software manuals. A former singer and stand-up comedian, Mindy lives with her husband and two teenage daughters near Valley Forge, PA. She enjoys speaking to churches, civic groups, and libraries across the country. Her unique blend of humor and insight make her an audience favorite.

Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker, and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include The Shape of Mercy, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the 100 Best Novels of 2008 and a Carol Award winner. She is a pastor’s wife and the mother of four young adults. When she's not writing, Susan writes small group curriculum for her San Diego church. Visit Susan at her website: www.susanmeissner.com, on Twitter at @SusanMeissner, or at www.facebook.com/susan.meissner.

ABOUT THE BOOK

New from bestselling authors Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner, The Amish Groom (Book 1 in The Men of Lancaster County series) explores the men of an Amish community in Lancaster County, how their Amish beliefs play out in their unique roles, and the women who change their lives.

Born to an ex-Amish mother and an Englisch father, 23-year-old Tyler Anderson was raised as a military kid until the age of 6, when his mom passed away. His dad, shipping off to yet another overseas post, placed Tyler in the care of his Amish grandparents, an arrangement that was supposed to be temporary. It lasted a lifetime.

Rachel Hoeck is the young woman waiting for Tyler’s proposal. She senses that though he loves her and wishes to make a commitment to her and his Amish beliefs, part of him still wonders whether an Amish lifestyle is truly for him. When an opportunity to connect with his father unexpectedly arises, a visit to California causes Tyler to question everything, including a future with Rachel. Will the new girl in his life, Lark, cause him to remain in the Englisch world? Or will he choose to be an Amish groom after all?

A poignant novel of hoping for romance and searching for identity, set in a beloved Amish community.


If you would like to read the first chapter of The Amish Groom, go HERE.

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

London Dawn by Murray Pura

This series is one of my top ones that I've read so far in 2014.  It has topped my list in this genre of book.  I can't help but want to watch Downtown Abbey again after reading these books.  London Dawn starts off with a lot of action, and picks up exactly where the last one left off. 

Catharine and Albrecht are having to escape Germany and an unsuspected traitor is revealed.  I was very shocked at who the person was that had betrayed their secret plans and hiding places.  Edward has a heart change, of which I was very glad about. I also liked the news his wife had to share that brought about this heart change.  The Danforth family is brought together because of the war and fighting for their homeland. 

I'll warn you.... just as in real war, not everyone makes it out alive.  I did cry because I didn't want anything bad to happen to any of them.  My heart broke for Jane.  I really liked the ones that had died and it was hard for me to say goodbye to them.

This is the third book, and final, in the series, the Danforth of Lancashire.  I'm looking forward to what Murray Pura will write next.  He does write such wonderful books, but I'm a bit partial to this genre of books. I selfishly hope that he writes more with the Danforth family and/or a least in this style.

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

Beneath the Dover Sky by Murray Pura

This is one of my favorite series I've read in such a long time.  I am a huge Downton Abbey fan and these books remind me so much of my that.  It's written beautifully and is very engaging.  I have a hard time putting this book down because I don't want to step out of their world!  It's just so different from today and it's so much fun to imagine life back then.

One of my favorite things about Murray Para's writing is that he writes with so much history.  That's one of my favorite things to study and learn about and I love how historically rich his novels are.  This is my first series I've read by him, but I have already purchased his other series.  I just know they will be as good as these!

Beneath the Dover Sky is the second book in the Danforth of Lancashire series.  It picks up in 1924, just as Hitler has been thrown in jail and is looking toward being released.  He has quite a following despite being in jail and is working on releasing a book, in which the great theologian and German professor, Albrecht Hartmann is asked to write a book countering his.  Catharine and her son are given opportunities to move ahead in life and to never forget their husband/father, but to find a family again.

This book really focuses a lot on Catharine and her suitors, but it also involved her siblings, as well,  They each play a role in the making of history and have their own obstacles to overcome.

I like how connected I feel to the entire family, not just one character.  With not all of them under the same roof, I thought I would feel a little disconnected. I didn't though, thanks to their letters home.

I can't wait to read book 3 that is already out and to read his Snapshots in History series.

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

A Bride for Noah by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

After reading the Amish of Apple Grove series that was co-written by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith, I immediately researched to find out if they would be writing any more books together.  I had sincerely hoped so because that series had been so much fun to read. 

I was excited to start this book and had high hopes for this new series, the Seattle Brides series.  I was certain I wouldn't like them as much as the Amish series, but I really liked this book.  I learned a lot about lumberjacking and starting a town from scratch.  I also got to learn about the Duwamish tribe, which I found interesting.  I found their custom for declaring a wife interesting.  Who would have thought poles would determine who the girl would marry!

I was so glad to see that the humor found in the previous series was just as rich in this book.  That's part of what makes these books so much fun to read.  Who doesn't like a good laugh?  Evie Lawrence had so much spunk.  I had fun picturing her stubbornness with Noah and watching them figure each other out.  Uncle Miles was that uncle that you can only smile and shake your head at because you never know what crazy plan he has cooked up next. 

I am looking forward to watching many more women become brides in this new land officially named Seattle.

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

The Amish Canning Cookbook by Georgia Varozza

I have always wanted to learn to can foods.  My mother does and we grew up eating canned tomatoes, corn, beans, etc.  When I saw this book as one being offered for review, I immediately wanted to read it and try some recipes.

 

I did the apple pie filling and the bread and butter pickles.  They were easy and I can hardly wait to grab a jar and use it in the near future.  I'm thinking the apple pie filling will come in handy at Thanksgiving and will shorten my time in the kitchen.

 

Looking through this book, I was surprised by the things that can be canned.  I honestly had never thought of canning soup...even though it comes in cans at the stores.  I guess that should have been quite obvious to me, but it wasn't.  (Perhaps that tells my age.)  You can even can pickled three-bean salad.  Let's just say that it takes a lot of self-discipline to not want to eat these things right away!

 

I want to do the tomato sauce and the barbeque sauce next, along with some jelly.  I know that some of these things will be perfect for Christmas gifts.

 

I liked the history of canning that is found in the beginning.  If you're new to canning, like me, you will definitely appreciate the information on how to get started.  It explains the different canners and what all you need.

 

Once you choose what kind of canner you are going to use, there is a whole chapter on each canner that explains the process in a step-by-step way. 

 

There is even a chapter on "What went wrong" to answer any questions you have about whether your can is safe to eat or not.  It also explains what could have went wrong with your canning process based on how your can looks.

 

This is a cookbook that will be used over and over and will also be given as a wedding gift to many ladies!  I want to get her other cookbook "The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook."  I know I'll use it a lot.  The Amish eat clean and from the gardens, which I like.

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

Millie's Treasure by Kathleen Y'Barbo

I like the mysterious look of this cover.  It caught my eye right away and I couldn't wait to read it.  Of course, I've been very interested in anything that Kathleen Y'Barbo writes so that was also another reason I was so excited to read this book.

 

The second book in The Secret Lives of Will Tucker series, I think this book had everything a reader could possibly want.  I personally liked how both Millie and Kyle lived their lives trusting the Lord  It wasn't a personal relationship with the Lord that came out of just having tough times.  It was just them living out their faith in the Lord.

 

The books starts in 1888 but goes back to 1837.  That's quite a gap in years, but Kathleen Y'Barbo does such a wonderful job weaving the two different time frames together into a beautiful story that is seamless.  Millie is such a strong character.  She's one that is easy to like and I formed a bond with her right away. 

 

I can't wait to read the next book in this series.  They are so captivating that it's extremely hard to put down.  It's hard to compete with the first two books in this series, but I know that somehow she will top both of those!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

RITA and Carol award nominee Kathleen Y’Barbo is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than forty novels, novellas, and young adult books. In all, more than one million copies of her books are currently in print in the US and abroad, and her books have been translated into Dutch, German, and Spanish, to name a few.

Kathleen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. She holds a BBA from Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School and a certification in Paralegal Studies, and is a former member of the Texas Bar Association’s Paralegal Division.

A tenth-generation Texan, Kathleen Y’Barbo has four children of her own as well as seven bonus kids she gladly inherited when she married her own hero in combat boots. Kathleen is proud to be a military wife, even if it did mean giving up her Texas drivers license.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From bestselling author Kathleen Y'Barbo comes Millie's Treasure, the second book in The Secret Lives of Will Tucker series, a new set of novels involving romance, adventure, and hidden identity.

Memphis 1890--Bookish heiress Millie Jean Cope is as clever as she is beautiful. Unfortunately, though adept at solving puzzles and cryptograms, she doesn't realize her new fiancé isn't who he claims to be, but instead is a charming scoundrel. The infamous Will Tucker is presenting himself as a British gentleman, Sir William Trueck, though in reality he is a crafty criminal looking for a hidden map to a secret treasure.

Pinkerton agent Kyle Russell has been on Tucker's trail for years. At last Kyle believes he has Tucker cornered, but he is uncertain whether the lovely woman on the con man's arm is an unsuspecting victim or willing accomplice. Finding reasons to spend time with Millie is easy. Keeping himself from falling in love with her is another issue entirely. A fun and entertaining story of how God can shine the light of truth on the most cryptic circumstances.

If you would like to read the first chapter of >Millie's Treasure, go HERE.
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I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers and CFBA in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

 

 

Mountain Homecoming by Sandra Robbins

I like the sleek look of this book.  The girl on the cover fits beautifully with the mountains behind.   I think it's a wonderful depiction of what the story within is about.

I liked the setting of this book as the Smoky Mountains.  Knowing that Sandra Robbins lives  here and sees this every day makes this a book of experience.  Having been there many times, it was easy to picture in my head.  I could easily relate to Rani and her ideas of her future husband because I think we, as girls, tend to make that list as we are growing up.

I liked how Matthew dealt with his past, but wanted to protect Rani.  He protected her at great cost, even giving her up.

Robbins writes both with history and suspense and adds her own flair to her book that was refreshing.  I like reading authors that I've never been introduced to before because it's nice to experience new styles of writing.  It changes things up and is quite refreshing.

This is the second book in the Smoky Mountain Dreams series.  I am looking forward to reading book #3 and checking out book #1 in the series.

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

Ring of Secrets by Roseanna M. White

Wow!  I was hooked on this book from the beginning.  I loved how Roseanna M. White explored the first spy ring in America and was able to add historical accounts into this fictional book.  You could easily see that White had spent a lot of time researching these accounts. 

Set in 1779, I immediately like Winter Reeves but my heart pounded on all of her spy escapades!  I found myself flipping pages just to make sure that she's safe and isn't caught.  Bennet Lane is easy to like and likes the challenge of Winter.  I liked seeing Winter through his eyes, as a girl who is full of mystery but just can't seem to tear himself away from her...despite being on the opposite side of the fence as her.  With Winter helping the spy ring and Bennet looking to expose the spy, it makes for an intriguing, fast-paced story that will have you turning page after page and pulling long nights.  Yes, I might have just described myself while reading this book!

This is the first book in her Culper Ring Series.  This was a refreshing book in a time period that I haven't read about in a while.  I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment in this series.

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

Love Comes to Paradise by Mary Ellis

I think the cover of this book is beautiful and bright.  It's eye-catching and it kept drawing me to read it.  Well, that and the fact that I am a big fan of the books by Mary Ellis!

I have been waiting for this book to come out ever since I read the first one in The New Beginnings Series.  This book picks up with Nora King who goes off to chase Elam Detweiler.  Leaving Harmony, she goes to Paradise to track down Elam.  This is where the twist happens.  A new boy, Lewis, finds her intriguing and is up to the challenge of winning her heart.

I never bonded to well with Elam in the last book and didn't really think he deserved Nora.  I was pulling for Lewis and hoping that his tactics would make her fall for him and not send her running to Elam.  I was impressed that Nora thought that she could give up Lewis just because she had made some wrong choices earlier in her life.

Mary Ellis writes with such beauty.  Many times, with lots of series books, I have to hunt down the previous ones to remember what had happened in the book before.  I didn't have to do that with this book at all and I was very impressed that she jogged my memory with such few words!

Any Amish fiction lover needs to grab this whole series.  Now...to wait for book #3 due out in September.

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

A Home for Lydia by Vannetta Chapman

I am attracted to the cover of books.  I'll admit that flaw of mine!  I think that's why I like to comment on the covers when I find ones that I really think are beautiful and catch my attention.  This book was one of them.  I loved the picture of the girl on the cover.  She has the prettiest eyes and a sweet smile.  The pictures of the lake and house are just the right size.  The girl, though, captured my attention and made me want to see what story she had to tell.  It was a very relaxing cover to me, which I always like to see when I'm reading.

Now...onto the book.  This book is the second in the Pebble Creek Amish series.  I am new to not only Vannetta Chapman but to this series, but I did not feel lost or confused at all.  She did a great job making sure you felt like you knew what you needed to know, even if you started on the second book of the series.

I liked the way you can easily relate to her characters.  There were some that I grew to love more than others.  It was neat to watch them "grow up" and mature right before your eyes.  I liked Lydia's temper, even though I know I shouldn't.  It's more fun to read about someone else losing their temper than it is for me to actually do it, I guess!

I am very excited to see what happens in the next book and am definitely going to be reading the first book now!

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

A Quilt for Jenna by Patrick E. Craig

I really enjoyed reading this book.  Since I really enjoy Amish fiction, I knew I had to read this one, too.  I think the cover on this book is beautiful, from the slick feel of the book to the glossy look of a picture of an Amish woman who is full of sadness and grief and a beautiful quilt.  

This is the first book in Patrick E. Craig's new series, Apple Creek Dream series.  I am looking forward to the rest of the books in this series.  A Quilt for Jenna had something for every reader, romance, suspense, and mystery.

My most favorite part of this book, which really surprised me, was the air of mystery that went from the beginning of the book to the end.  I normally don't like the mystery to be sustained and like to peek in the back of the book to see what happened (yes....I'm a bad reader!!!) so I can prepare myself.  However, I didn't look forward at all in this book and actually found that I enjoyed the mystery that surrounded Jenna's death and the story of the little girl and Reuben.  I liked how the story would tell the back story and history and then tell what was happening in the present and the urgency of the present.

I have never read anything by Patrick E. Craig.  I am very excited to read the rest of the series.

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

Under the Summer Sky by Lori Copeland

Lori Copeland is now one of my new favorite authors.  I have only read one other book by her and now I am hunting down her other books.  She is such a wonderful author that has you serious one minute and cracking up laughing the next.

I enjoyed Trinity and Jones and the circumstances in which they meet.  I found the first chapter quite hilarious when she was thrown in a barrel in a river.  I like how spunky she is and how she never came off as rude, even to her great-great grandmother. 

Pauline was a lady that I grew to love, as well.  She wasn't my favorite character at first because she could be so harsh, but she grew on me.  By the middle of the book, I had come around to enjoying her.

And good old Jones.  Just Jones.  He has a tender heart overall, so don't let the first couple of chapters fool you!  I like how he doesn't swoon over girls, even though he is apparently quite the catch.  I like his ruggedness that I have pictured in my head, along with his humor.

I'm very much looking forward to reading more by Lori Copeland.  I can hardly put her books down!

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

A Plain & Simple Heart by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

I have wanted to read this series since the first book in the series came out.  The cover of the first book made me want to read it.  I just couldn't put the Amish world with the western world and didn't know how that even came to pass.  However, time went by and I forgot about the book.  When I saw the second book in the series, I was reminded that this was on my to-read list. 

I love how this book looks and I love the storyline.  I never would have put these two very different worlds together, but it made for a great story.  Since I still haven't read the first book (I do own it now, though, and plan to read it), I was not attached to Jesse at all.  That probably made Colin very endearing to me and I really was hoping that Rebecca would not find Jesse and would like Colin instead.

I laughed at the predicament that Rebekah found herself in as she started her journey to find Jesse.  I loved her temper coming out, as well.  And though I didn't like the older ladies in the temperance movement, I began to like them and their quirky ways. 

I'm excited to go back and finish the first book now and read all about Emma and Luke and how Rebekah came to live in Apple Grove.  I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

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

Living in Harmony by Mary Ellis

What a great beginning to a brand new series by Mary Ellis!  This is the first book in her "The New Beginnings" series that involve 4 sisters who have suddenly become orphans after their parents died in a house fire.  Two of the sisters stay in Lancaster, but 2 (Amy and Nora) go with Amy's fiance to Maine to be with his brother and sister-in-law.  Amy's fiance, John, is convinced Maine is where they need to be, despite the rules being stricter than Lancaster.

I really struggled with liking John for most of the book.  By the end, he won me over, but there were many moments where I disliked him.  He came across as selfish and self-absorbent to me.  Amy was sweet and I thought that she could do better.  I was glad that things changed for both of them at the end of the boo.

I am looking forward to reading her second book in the series as she goes further with Nora.  I suspect something might happen with John's brother, Elam, and I can't wait to see what happens with them and how their family responds.  I do hope there is some reconciliation with his family and that they become a bit more understanding with both of them. 

I also would like to hear more about how Amy and John fare in the new life together.  I really liked Sally and Thomas.  I struggled some with liking Thomas, but I also began to like him as he softened in his ways a bit.  This is another great book by Mary Ellis that is quite enjoyable to read.

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I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion about this book.