A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund

 

Book Description:  Michigan, 1880

Annalisa Werner's hope for a fairy tale love is over. Her husband failed her in every way and now his death has left her with few options to save the family farm. She needs a plentiful harvest. That, and a husband to help bring it in. Someone strong, dependable. That'll be enough. A marriage for love...that's something she's given up on. So her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom. Then a man appears: Carl Richards, from their home country of Germany and a former schoolteacher--or so he says. He's looking for work and will serve on the farm until her husband arrives. With time running out, she accepts his help, but there's more to this man than he's admitting. He's also gentle, kind, charming--unlike any man she's ever known. But even as Carl is shining light into the darkness of her heart, she knows her true groom may arrive any day. 

My Thoughts:  I was intrigued by this book cover on A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund.  How many books have a handsome, noble man depicted on the book cover?!?! Hardly any that I've seen.  So, with this handsome guy peering over his shoulder, I'm wondering what this read has in store for the reader?

Annalisa Werner and her small daughter are having a hard time surviving with a husband and father who doesn't care about their well being.  Then one day Gretchen sees her Papa laying down on the ground and calls to her mama, Annalisa, to come see Papa.  Annalisa finds her husband, Hans, dead.  Well, it sure looks like someone murdered him.  But why?
This is the beginning of this intriguing story.  
The reader is told of Hans untimely death, then the story goes to the old country where Annalisa's father lives.  Without  a husband Annalisa writes to her father for help.  This is where the Noble Groom comes into the story.
Annalisa thinks she just needs a man who is dependable, she does not need love. This is a fast paced story with quite a cast of characters and romance.  Carl is a good man but is he the groom for her?
And, Oh!What!A!Story!
For the reader who enjoys a good, clean, Christian romance with a mystery.

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers 
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764210475
• ISBN-13: 978-0764210471

Rock Harbor Search & Rescue by Colleen Coble

 

Book Description:  In Rock Harbor Search and Rescue, a middle grade fiction novel based on Colleen Coble’s bestselling Rock Harbor series for adults, kids will enjoy the mixture of pets, adventure, suspense, and a mystery. 

Emily O’Reilly is obsessed with all things Search and Rescue. She volunteers with the team and goes on rescue missions with her stepmom. She is even selling homemade jewelry to save up for her own Search and Rescue puppy. But when an expensive necklace is stolen from a renowned jewelry artist at Rock Harbor’s fall festival and Emily is accused of the crime, it looks like she’ll never get her puppy and be able to join the Rock Harbor Search and Rescue team. 

Emily isn’t willing to give up on her Search and Rescue dreams that easily, and she sets out to find the real culprit and to restore her reputation. With a few suspects in mind, Emily is determined to uncover the truth, but she isn’t prepared for the secrets she and the Search and Rescue dogs sniff out in the process. This exciting mystery is filled with twists and turns that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and have them pining after a Search and Rescue puppy of their own!

My Thoughts:  I always enjoy a story written by Colleen Coble.  So, when I had the opportunity to read her new book with co-author Robin Caroll I knew it would be fantastic!

This is a youth read and I had to keep this in mind as I read about Emily, her dad, stepmom and siblings.  Emily's dad is very concerned about Emily being responsible for the jobs she takes on.  

As the story beings . . . Emily and her stepmom, Naomi,  are on a search & rescue mission when Emily is told that she can have her own search & rescue puppy if she can pay half the money ($150).  Emily then comes up with the idea to sell her homemade jewelry at the next community wide sale.  This is where the mystery "happens."

Of course, as an adult I was slightly put out with Emily's dad . . . didn't he trust her?  But then I remembered that the authors are trying to make a point with young readers that parents are there to guide and help their children.

I loved learning about search & rescue dogs and their owners with a mystery thrown in!  I kind.of knew who was behind the theft but I think younger readers will be kept guessing.  I, also, liked the idea that Emily had to pay half for the expensive dog.  A great lesson in not living the "entitled life."

This is a great read for ages 8-11 (but adults and older teens may love it too!  I did!).

• Age Range: 8 - 11 years
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400321069
• ISBN-13: 978-1400321063

Fun Friday

 

Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends 4 Seasons Cookbook: Over 200 Recipes for Eating with the Seasons

 My Thoughts:  Over 200 recipes that can only be classified as good eating.  Having visited the Amish country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I can attest that the Amish do have some of the best recipes in the country.                             

In this cookbook which is smallish and lies flat, author Wanda Brunstetter has complied these recipes into seasons:  Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring so that you, the cook, can get the best produce and ingredients that are available for that season to make these recipes.  There are main dishes, desserts and side dishes.  Also, tips on what produce makes the best dish. These recipes are in a quest for good healthy meals and dishes.  There are so many good recipes that I can't choose just one.  So, I'll be trying many of these fine dishes.  

Mother's Day is coming in the next few days and if you have a mom that enjoys cooking and trying new dishes she may truly love this cookbook.  A win-win in my book.                                                      

Hint**It's easy to order this cookbook on Amazon.

*This book was provided for review by Barbour Publishers*

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

 

Miracles and Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Moms by Nancy B. Kennedy

 

Book Description:  Hear touching and inspiring stories from women who have taken on the toughest, yet most rewarding, assignment of their lives--motherhood!

In Miracles & Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Moms, fifty mothers--from new moms to seasoned moms--share their most memorable moments. From the hilarious to the heartbreaking, these stories reveal the depth of a mother's love and her delight at wearing the title of ''Mom.''One mother tells a lyrical bedtime tale of her daughter's adoption. Another shares a stark story of taking in a runaway Amish boy. The mother of an autistic boy shares her story of three magical days with him, and yet another takes a startling phone call from her adult son, who has made a heart-stopping decision.  "God believes in mothers," one woman says in relating the harrowing birth of her child. In these stories, God does indeed speak clearly to the heart of mothers. One mother awakens in the middle of the night burdened to pray for her son. Another mother hears a voice calling her to go to her pregnant daughter, no matter that they are separated by many miles. Lives are changed--and saved--by the faithful actions of loving mothers. The mothers in these stories all have one thing in common--they adore their children, they are in awe of them at times, and they wouldn't trade a single moment of their lives.

My Thoughts:   This is an interesting read with many different "voices." 

Fifty moms, from the newbie to the well seasoned mom, give their "take" on the ups and downs of motherhood.

I enjoyed all the memories but the one that caught my interest the most was the memory by Lori Gard, Mother's Day Mania.  In this memory Lori recalls a special Mother's Day  . . .  "The day carries so many expectations and so much pressure.  I'm not sure I can handle more that one day of special treatment per year -  it might just do me in."  

As you can see there is quite a bit of humor intermingled throughout these memories.

So, whether you're new to motherhood or a more experienced mom, this is a most wonderful read that will inspire you and, maybe, like me, make you know that you're not the only mom on the planet who experiences the griefs and joys of motherhood.

This would make an excellent Mother's Day gift for that special mom or grandma on your list and then write out on decorated paper your special memory of your mom or grandma.

About the Author:

I am a long-time writer and editor. For many years, I was a financial writer for magazines and newspapers, including the online Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, and for companies in the financial services industry, including Merrill Lynch. Before that, I edited the Wall Street Journal and Barron's for a Dow Jones financial data service.
My newest book, Miracles & Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Moms, released from Leafwood Publishers in March 2013. In it, I share fifty stories of memorable moments from moms who are in all phases of motherhood, from new moms to empty nest moms. It is the third title in the series, following collections of stories from doctors and military chaplains.
My book of weight loss success stories, How We Did It: Weight Loss Choices That Will Work for You (Leafwood, 2012), tells thirty stories of personal weight loss success and examines the many paths people took to success -- every weight loss plan you can imagine from Atkins to the Zone.
My two children's books, Make It, Shake It, Mix It Up and Even the Sound Waves Obey Him, pair simple science activities with stories of faith. I also write articles and personal essays for books and magazines, including the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, many of which you can read at my website www.nancybkennedy.com.

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Leafwood Publishers 
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891124047
• ISBN-13: 978-0891124047

Hadley Beckett's Next Dish: A Novel by Bethany Turner

 

Book Description: Celebrity chef Maxwell Cavanagh is known for many things: his multiple Michelin stars, his top-rated Culinary Channel show To the Max, and most of all his horrible temper. Hadley Beckett, host of the Culinary Channel's other top-rated show, At Home with Hadley, is beloved for her Southern charm and for making her viewers feel like family.

When Max experiences a very public temper tantrum, he's sent packing to get his life in order. When he returns, career in shambles, his only chance to get back on TV and in the public's good graces is to work alongside Hadley.

As these polar-opposite celeb chefs begin to peel away the layers of public persona and reputation, they will not only discover the key ingredients for getting along, but also learn the secret recipe for unexpected forgiveness . . . and maybe even love. In the meantime, hide the knives.

My Thoughts:  A new book and a new to me author.  It's like Christmas!

This is such a fun foodie read with all the cooking of delicious dishes and all the temper tantrums, er, happy cooking times😊 makes this read down to earth real.

Hadley must have the heart of a saint to deal with the very grumpy, not so nice Maxwell.  

You know what happens to grumpy, not so nice people they end up losing their nice jobs.  And just like that Max is out and Hadley is in.  

Hadley brings a whole new southern charm that the people love.  

Poor Max has to eat crow and see if he can get his job back.  And this is where alot of the fun and humor begin.  So Hadley ends up working with Max again.  But this time Hadley is in charge.

This humorous, all about food and life, read makes for a fun afternoon in the sun.

I loved this story and think you will too.

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Revell; 4/2 edition (May 5, 2020)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800735234
• ISBN-13: 978-0800735234