Home to Paradise Book Review

The Coming Home Series

Book Three

SUMMARY:  When dream collide, will true love be enough?

     Rose Anna Zook has watched her two older sisters marry two Stoltzfus men and has always thought she and John, the third Stoltzfus brother, would marry, make a home together, and have children.  But John has other ideas.  He's enjoying his Rumschpringe in the Englisch world a little too much and isn't interested in returning to the Amish community - especially to marry.

     In this highly anticipated final book of the Coming Home series, Rose Anna is determined to bring her man back into the Amish fold.  John is equally determined to live his life free and unencumbered.  Who will win this battle of wills?  Will love prevail?

 

REVIEW:  How can two people so intent on staying in their own separate world break down the walls to, hopefully, find common ground?   John is determined to never go back to the Amish life style, even though it is harder than he thought and not as much fun.  Rose Anna is determined to never leave the Amish community and to do what she can to bring John back.  

    I like how Rose Anna realizes she is being manipulative and decided to let John come back on his own, if he ever does, even if it is without her help.  She does what she can to show him Christ's love but is there for him if and when he needs it.  Rose Anna's work with the abused women's shelter is very admirable.  She uses something she is good at (making quilts) to help those at the shelter gain confidence in themselves and their own abilities.  

     John is having a difficult time making ends meet so he works three jobs or more just to stay afloat.  I like how he finally finds a job he loves when he let's God work in his life.  Neil helps John repair a very difficult relationship, and in the end, helps John find where he truly belongs.

     My favorite part is how everything works out in the end.  God can bring happiness through sorry.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group and Abingdon Press 

for review without any compensation.

 

Barbara Cameron has a heart for writing about the spiritual values and simple joys of the Amish.  She is the best-selling author of more than 40 fiction and nonfiction books, three nationally televised movies, and the winner of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award.  Her books have been nominated for Carol Awards and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award from RWA's Faith, Hope and Love chapter.   Barbara resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

When Love Returns Book Review

The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy

Book Three

SUMMARY:  Riddled with doubt and lingering regrets, will Suzanne and Paul find strength in God to explore a second chance at love?

     It wasn't easy to move back to the Old Order Mennonite community from which quiet, responsible Suzanne Zimmerman was shamefully sent away as a pregnant teen.  Since returning twenty years later to take care of her mother, Suzanne and Alexa - the daughter she raised as her own - have spent months rebuilding relationships with her family.

     Now with the upcoming wedding of their biological daughter, Suzanne and Paul find themselves drawn to one another once again - but with new challenges to face.  They have been single parents with painful pasts.  Can Paul and Suzanne find the strength to rebuild the loving relationship that was torn apart by their teen pregnancy so long ago?

     Suzanne must also let go of Alexa as she heads back to Indianapolis to visit friends, and with hopes of finding her birth parents.  Leaving the bed-and-breakfast in Suzanne's apprehensive hands, Alexa embarks on a journey that will certainly change her life completely.  Can mother and daughter trust God to restore all things in His timing?

REVIEW:  This book is about reconciliation and restoration.  Even though most of Suzanne's family has reconciled with her and her return, there are a few relationships that still need to be mended.  Through love, patience and prayer, those tears are mended completely.  Even though Alexa wants to meet her birth family, she struggles with anger over the circumstances surrounding her abandonment and directs it towards her birth mother.  I love how even though all parties in this book do what they can to facilitate and manipulate events, God's perfect timing prevails.  

     This was a wonderful book and a sweet ending to this trilogy.

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah and Blogging for Books 

for review without compensation.

 

 Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling, award-winning author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope.  More than one million copies of her books are currently in print.  She lives in central Kansas where she and her retired military husband, Don, enjoy spoiling their granddarlings.

When Grace Sings Book Review

The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy

Book Two

SUMMARY:  When trouble roars into quiet Arborville, Alexa and Anna-Grace find themselves the target for discord and exposed secrets.

     Alexa Zimmerman wonders if the Old Order Mennonite community in Arborville, Kansas, will ever fully accept her.  Her family roots aren't what anyone thought when she first arrived, but she is hopeful that her culinary and hospitality skills will win the skeptics over.  The bed-and-breakfast she's operating needs to succeed, so Alexa agrees to allow Briley Forrester, the hotshot reporter from Chicago, to stay as a long-term boarder, not knowing his real motives for being among the Plain folk.

     But when Alexa agrees to host her cousin Anna-Grace Braun, the presence of extended family brings out Alexa's insecurities and sets Briley on the trial to uncovering a web of hidden truths.

      Plans for a secure future and the sweetness of young romance hang n the balance when Alexa and Anna-Grace have to face the truth that their secrets are interconnected, binding the two in ways they could not have imagined.  They must trust in a loving heavenly Father and His plan for their futures.

REVIEW:  Kim Vogel Sawyer does an excellent job in these books.  You must read the first one, When Mercy Rains, to understand Alexa's insecurities, Anna-Grace's hesitancy, and the secrets that bind them together.  I love how the author does not wrap up everything by the end of the book in a nice, neat bow but leaves you anxiously waiting for the next book to see how the events will play out.  I also like how the only romance is between Anna-Grace and her fiance' Steven, though feelings between Alexa and Briley are not ignored but also not blown out of proportion.  

     The one thing that is pivotal to the storyline, but also drove me crazy, was all the secrets everyone had.  Even though it would have helped matters greatly to voice them, the characters kept everything bottled up inside, causing all kinds of misunderstandings and misinterpretations.  When Steven's secret is finally revealed, the hurt Anna-Grace felt was much greater because he did not discuss it at all with her, his betrothed. 

     This is a great series.  I can't wait for the third book to be released next year to see how everything works out.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group and Waterbrook Multnomah for review without compensation.

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope.  More than one million copies of her books are currently in print and have garnered awards including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.  Kim lives in central Kansas with her husband, Don, and their four feline companions.  She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and her grandchildren.

Hopeful Book Review

Return to Sugarcreek

Book One

SUMMARY:  In the Amish town of Sugarcreek, love comes in many forms.  But will it come at all for Miriam?

     Miriam Zehr has worked at the Sugarcreek Inn longer than she cares to admit.  The restaurant is a favorite of town residents as well as the many tourists who come to taste the famous Amish fare.  Though she always tries to have a smile for every customer, deep down Miriam knows something's missing: a family of her own.

     Miriam has never felt particularly beautiful, especially because she's always been a bit heavier than other girls her age.  When Junior, the man she's pined for all her life, suddenly seeks her out, she's thrilled to be noticed ... until she realizes he's only asking her to help get the attention of Mary Kathryn Hershberger, her pretty friend.

     If Miriam helps Junior court Mary Kathryn, she'll get to spend a lot of time with him, but she might lose him in the process.  Are these few stolen moments worth a lifetime of sacrifice?  Is Miriam right to even hope for the life she dreams of?

REVIEW:  This book shows life can be difficult, whether we see it or not.  Miriam wants to have her own family but hasn't had a suitor.  Mary Kathryn is trying to hide from an abusive and controlling boyfriend and anyone of the male persuasion who wants to get close.  On the outside, both women look to have it all together but inside, don't.  

     Sometimes I had a hard time keeping my attention on the story.  I liked how Mary Kathryn was trying to stay safe but questioned some of her decisions: working in a job she hated, telling her parents where she was living when she knew they would tell her former boyfriend and his family, and going out with Junior but being resistant the whole time they are out.  Also, there were a few other stories mixed in, I guess from her Seasons of Sugarcreek series, that I had some difficulty completely following because I was not familiar with their backgrounds.  

     I did like how Miriam stepped in as a reading tutor to help Junior's sister, who was having a difficult time understanding what she read.  I also like how Junior, after being turned away as Mary Kathryn's suitor, stepped up to defend her when Mary Kathryn's former boyfriend showed up and started harassing her.  They didn't let their hurts get in the way of helping a friend in need.  

     This book also has a lot of extra features in the PS section with discussion questions, information about the author, a recipe and a sneak peek at the next book in this series.

     While this book isn't at the top of my list, it is still a pleasant read.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group for review without compensation.

 

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers' prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner.  She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.  More information can be found at www.shelleyshepardgray.com.