Fun Friday

 

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

 

Naomi's Gift by Amy Clipston

 

Book Description: Take a trip to Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, where you'll meet the women of the Kauffman Amish Bakery in Lancaster County. As each woman's story unfolds, you will share in her heartaches, trials, joys, dreams ... and secrets. You'll discover how the simplicity of the Amish lifestyle can clash with the 'English' way of life---and the decisions and consequences that follow. Most importantly, you will be encouraged by the hope and faith of these women, and the importance they place on their families. Naomi's Gift re-introduces twenty-four-year-old Naomi King, who has been burned twice by love and has all but given up on marriage and children. As Christmas approaches---a time of family, faith, and hope for many others---Naomi is more certain than ever her life will be spent as an old maid, helping with the family's quilting business and taking care of her eight siblings. Then she meets Caleb, a young widower with a 7-year-old daughter, and her world is once again turned upside-down. 

My Review:  I love Christmas stories!  There's just something about the "magic" of the holiday.  And Amy Clipston once again pens a fascinating and heartwarming story set in the small village of Bird-in-Hand, Naomi's GIFT.

My heart goes out to Naomi . . . she lives for everyone else.  She's a hard working, kind hearted Amish lady.  She's one of those women that can easily bake, cook, clean, quilt and love her family.  But Naomi is "riddled" by sadness.  She longs to be married and have a family of her own but after two attempts of being "burned" by love, Naomi feels that she will probably be an old maid.  Not that she minds, but she just longs to love and be loved.

The story begins with Caleb, a widower, and his 7 year old daughter stopping at the farmer's market before visiting his aunt and uncle.  His daughter, Susie, takes off once they enter the market and heads directly for the quilts.  The quilts that Naomi makes.  It is here at the quilts that the distraught Caleb finds his lost daughter.  It is also where he and Naomi meet and Naomi is distraught by Caleb's eyes!  Oh!How! Those eyes speak!  Such sadness but "that" look says ever so much!

Caleb and Susie continue on their way, leaving Naomi to go on with her life only to meet Susie and Caleb at church.  Love this love story! 

This small book is packed with the"magic" of Christmas....a wonderful combination of love, adventure and His story!

Dead Wrong (Agatha's Amish B&B) FREE ON AMAZON KINDLE UNTIL OCT. 31

 FREEBIE ALERT: On Amazon for Prime readers

Book Description:  When Agatha Lapp’s brother and sister-in-law are tragically killed in a buggy accident, Agatha relocates to the new Amish community in Hunt Texas, nestled in the Texas Hill Country.  She’s there to make a success of her brother’s dream--an Amish B&B. Agatha is friendly, efficient, and capable. She's also a fifty-five year old widow who has learned to be independent. When she discovers Russell Dixon’s lifeless body in Cabin 3, she runs next door where retired detective Tony Vargas lives. The police determine that her guest died of natural causes, but as Agatha and Tony put together the events of the previous two days they become convinced that the police are Dead Wrong.

My Thoughts:  I love books penned by Vannetta Chapman.  I also love cozy mysteries so this book is a win-win for me.

And THIS book cover!  It speaks of simplicity but, yet, there's that red color all throughout the cover.  Do you see the little red Amish buggy to the right of the house?  And that house!  It's so big and elegant.  What a nice B&B!

Then there's the name of the B&B-Agatha's Amish B&B.  A reference to Agatha Christie maybe? 

Agatha Lapp is one fiesta Amish woman and ever.so.efficient.  If I were half as efficient as Agatha I'd have to get up pretty early in the morning to get it all done.  And she does it all with ease and grace not to mention solving a mystery.

And the setting of the story takes place in the Texas hill country.  Such a beautiful area.

This is a fun read.  Even though it's a cozy mystery the lightheartedness of the story brings the reader to a happy place of all.is.right.in.the.world.

I loved, loved this story!  

*This book was provided for review by the author 

and I was not required to write a favorable review*

• Series: Agatha's Amish B&B (Book 1)
• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Vannetta Chapman 
• ISBN-10: 1734046007
• ISBN-13: 978-1734046007

Fun Friday

 

Lost in Darkness (Of Monsters and Men) by Michelle Griep

 Book Description:  Travel writer Amelia Balfour’s dream of touring Egypt is halted when she receives news of a revolutionary new surgery for her grotesquely disfigured brother. This could change everything, and it does. . .in the worst possible way.

Surgeon Graham Lambert has suspicions about the doctor he’s gone into practice with, but he can’t stop him from operating on Amelia’s brother. Will he be too late to prevent the man’s death? Or to reveal his true feelings for Amelia before she sails to Cairo?

My Thoughts:  When I signed up for this blog tour I did not read the book description well or it didn't register.

So, as I began reading this novel I was expecting something ever so different.  My mistake not the author's.  

This is about Frankenstein.  Frankenstein, the title character in Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel Frankenstein, the prototypical “mad scientist” who creates a monster by which he is eventually killed. Lonely and miserable, the monster turns upon its creator, who eventually loses his life. 

The story begins innocently enough but as the reader continues in the story, it definitely takes on a different aura. 

This is the most unusual story but great for this time of year.  If you enjoy all things monster and kind.of.innocent then you'll love this read.

Even though this is the most unusual story, especially for a mystery/romance reader such as me, I found the story fascinating and so close to the original Frankenstein story with a few exceptions.  Unfortunately, I also found this story extremely sad.

Michelle Griep is a master story teller so you may love this novel.

*This book was provided for review by Barbour*

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}