The River by Beverly Lewis

Book Description:  She looked once more at the dreaded river. Since Anna's death, it had been such a barrier . . . a place and a moment she could not seem to move past.

            A line I can't move beyond...

           The River 

Tilly and Ruth, two formerly Amish sisters, are plagued by unresolved relationships when they reluctantly return to Lancaster County for their parents' landmark wedding anniversary. Since departing their Plain upbringing, Tilly has married an Englisher, but Ruth remains single and hasn't entirely forgotten her failed courtship with her Amish beau.

Past meets present as Tilly and Ruth yearn for acceptance and redemption. Can they face the future in the light of a past they can't undo?

My Thoughts:  The River by Beverly Lewis is another must read book! especially for all those Amish readers out there.

I find that the title of this book, The River, tells a lot more than the reader is expecting.

Tilly and Ruth are sisters and they are both "used to be" Amish.  Tilly has married an Englisher but Ruth still remains single even though she still remembers her Amish boyfriend.  

It seems that the river has a life of its own...it took the life of sweet Anna and it also is a barrier, a line, so to speak, between what was and was could be.  Interesting!

Ruth and Tilly are both seeking, trying to get on with the present but yet there is just something that holds each of them on the sidelines of life.  

Sometimes as humans we want to be and try to be all we can but "a river" comes in and sweeps away some of our dreams and our inspiration.  But with faith in God we can get past the river.  

Another grand read by Beverly Lewis!  This book also makes for great present!

*This book was provided by Bethany House*

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers 
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764212451
• ISBN-13: 978-0764212451

The Hope Jar (The Prayer Jars, Book 1) Wanda E. Brunstetter

Book Description:  Michelle Taylor is not who her new family in Lancaster County believes her to be. The Lapps were looking for their long-lost granddaughter when they met Michelle and she assumed the identity of Sara Murray. Once homeless and hopeless, Michelle has come to love her new Amish friends and even considers the idea of romance among them.

My Thoughts:  It was like Christmas in July when I saw this in my mailbox.  I had been waiting for this new book by one of my favorite authors, Wanda E. Brunstetter.

I love prayer jars.  Prayer jars are a fairly new thing where one has a jar with a lid and one fills the jar with prayers.  Some people pray over the whole jar, others take out each piece of paper and pray over each individual request.  I like the latter.  

A prayer jar keeps our request ever before the Lord.

Anyway, Michelle Taylor has had quite a sad life and she also has assumed the identity of Sara Murray.  Michelle doesn't mean harm she just really needs help.

So when the Lapps find whom they assume she is their long lost granddaughter, Sara Murray, well quite an adventure in life, love and faith blossoms for Michelle who finds that living among the Amish is a real.to.life dream.

Such a grand read!

Loved, loved all the "perks" that Mrs. Brunstetter fills this story with.  Life lessons for the lonely and not so lonely at heart.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing 

and was under no obligation to post a review."

• Series: The Prayer Jars (Book 1)
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Shiloh Run Press (August 7, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1624167470
• ISBN-13: 978-1624167478

More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer

Book Description:  Many consider Evangeline Hamilton cursed. Orphaned at a young age and possessing a pair of mismatched eyes--one bright blue, the other dark brown--Eva has fought to find her way in a world that constantly rejects her. Yet the support of even one person can help overcome the world's judgments, and Eva has two--Seth and Zach, two former orphans she now counts as brothers. 

Seeking justice against the man who stole his birthright and destroyed his family, Logan Fowler arrives in 1880s Pecan Gap, Texas, to confront Zach Hamilton, the hardened criminal responsible for his father's death. Only instead of finding a solitary ruthless gambler, he discovers a man not much older than himself with an unusual family. When Zach's sister, Evangeline, insists on dousing Logan with sunshine every time their paths cross, Logan finds his quest completely derailed. Who is truly responsible for his lost legacy, and will restoring the past satisfy if it means forfeiting a future with Evangeline?

My Thoughts:  I love the title of this book because it makes a statement that is true about so many things in life:  More than Meets the Eye! But the ironic things about Evangeline Hamilton is that her eyes don't match in color...one is bright blue and one is dark brown.  So some people think she is cursed.  Some people are so, well, stupid, when it comes to accepting others even by their eyes color.

This is a great historical romance with Logan Fowler trying to find the culprit who destroyed his family only to find Zach Hamilton the man in question is rather young and Zach's sister, Eva (Evangeline) is a ray of sunshine.

Logan is rather confused about a situation he thought was a all mapped out to be just as he thought.

So his well laid plans are well, More Than Meets the Eye!

*This book was provided for review by Bethany House*

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (June 5, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764212834
• ISBN-13: 978-0764212833

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

The Wood's Edge: A Novel (The Pathfinders) by Lori Benton

Book Description:  At the wood’s edge cultures collide. Can two families survive the impact? 
 
The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths. 
 
On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples. 
 
When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?

My Thoughts:  Lori Benton is a new author to me.  I was intrigued by the cover of this book and the title.  The Wood's Edge stirs up thoughts of something happening, a secret of some kind.

Well, as I began reading I was not disappointed because in this historical novel as Ms. Benton not only describes colonial life in a real life way but the story begins with a "secret."  A dead child and a stolen child!  I think it's interesting that there is one brown child and one white child...I had read how twins can be very different in appearance and this is an interesting feature of this story.

I wasn't sure how the relationship between the stolen child and the left behind child would come about.  But Ms. Benton's writing brings it all together in a most unusual way, yet true to life.

This was quite one interesting read.  Without giving away any spoilers, it is about twins and how one twin misses/feels the absence of the other. But yet, there is so much more to this read that one should really read the book for herself to get the "whole" picture.

It's a great read about God's grace and mercy and His love for mankind.

• Series: The Pathfinders
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (April 21, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601427328
• ISBN-13: 978-1601427328

Big Trucks: A Touch-and-Feel Book: Getting the Job Done Together (Touch-and-feel Trucks) by Thomas Nelson

My Thoughts:  Since we have a toddler/preschooler in the family I love these books that incorporate more than reading.
This book has a touch and feel part to some of the pages.  Such as on the first two pages when the strong truck is digging the child can feel the sand around the bottom of the pages.  
On the next page the child can feel the rubber tires of the truck.
And then on the next page the working vehicles have mirrors.
The next couple of pages have metallic glittery looking parts to the trucks and then back to sand on the road.
It's a great book for the child who loves trucks and working construction vehicles.

*This book was provided for review by BookLook*

• Grade Level: Preschool and up
• Series: Touch-and-feel Trucks
• Board book: 12 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Multilingual edition (July 3, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140031058X
• ISBN-13: 978-1400310586

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

So good and so easy!