Reviewing: The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne

...from the publisher... Amanda Taylor isn’t a fan of Christmas, but as the owner of a local soap shop, ignoring the holiday season isn’t an option. To forget the pain of Christmases past, Amanda focuses on making the season bright for her customers at the Shelter Springs Holiday Giving Market. But when her beloved grandmother, Birdie, starts dating the dashing new resident of the Shelter Inn retirement community, Amanda smells trouble. Fortunately, Rafe Arredondo, the grandson of Birdie’s charming suitor, is equally dubious of the match. Unfortunately, he's just as fiery as his grandfather—and Amanda has zero interest in getting burned.

As a single father, paramedic and assistant fire chief, Rafe has more than enough on his plate. Sure, he and Amanda share a common goal in keeping their grandparents apart. Still, that doesn’t mean he should allow himself to feel as drawn to her as he does. Even if she is great with his young son. Even if she does help the burden of his own painful past feel a little lighter… But when their paths keep crossing at the holiday market, it starts to feel like fate, prompting them both to wonder if taking a chance on love might gift them everything they’ve been wishing for.

...my thoughts... I was hooked from the moment Amanda met young Isaac after a mishap with a radio controlled sports car and five bags of groceries.  After working all day, shopping for grocieries for Thanksgiving, the last thing she needed was to find herself reaching for the hand of Isaac's father, one handsome Rafe Arrendondo. She was just walking down the halls to her grandmother Birdie's apartment at the Shelter Inn retirement community minding her own business, after all! 

In the coming days she finds herself faced with the handsome assistant fire chief as if that one encounter was meant to keep them in mind of each other.  Both Amanda and Rafe have had past hurts and are definitely ready for nothing more than a passing friendship, at the very least. Fate, however, had other ideas. 

Amanda has dealt with her painful past by pouring herself into every civic volunteer role possible.  This year, once again, she is managing the Giving Market and pulling together a large community event in addition to running her own successful business. Rafe, after an on the job injury, is manning the first aid booth and observing the beautiful Amanda.  Isaac has his own designs on Amanda and isn't the least bit shy about wanting to spend time with her.  He seeks as many ways for his father to spend time with them.  As Amanda warms up to Issac and Rafe, she is alarmed that her grandmother has found romance with Rafe's grandfather.  The conflicting emotions she has for Rafe and his son, and observing the budidng relationship with the grandparents, she struggles to deal with the situations.  It is only when something happens to threaten Birdie's new happiness that Amanda realizes the true meaning of love.

I was touched by this story of love, forgiveness and second chances.  Set in the Christmas season makes it all the more magical. After all, how many times have wee heard that miracles do come true at Christmas?  I recommend this book for those who enjoy snuggling with a good book, warm afghan and cup of hot tea.   

Reviewing: Under the Starry Skies by Tracie Peterson Love on the Santa Fe

from the publisher:Sensible and independent, Cassie Barton never anticipated being on her own at thirty-two. But after the death of her father and the marriage of her sister, she's found joy in her work as a seamstress. When a minor accident leaves her unable to sew, she decides to use her time to compile a book of stories about the men working on the Santa Fe Railroad. But worry begins to grow in San Marcial as Mexican revolutionaries set out to destroy the railroad--and put many lives in danger.

With Europe at war and his longtime friend Cassie injured, railroad worker Brandon DuBarko is burdened by his troubles. He promised Cassie's father he would watch over her, but as their comfortable friendship slowly transforms into something deeper, he feels trapped by a secret from his youth. When a vengeful man reappears in Brandon's life, intent on causing conflict, Brandon must face his past before he can move forward.

As the danger intensifies, Cassie and Brandon must rely on God to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of a brighter future.

 my thoughts:  In true Tracie Peterson fashion, our heroine, Cassie  overcomes great trials when she is injured and can't perform her job as a seamstress.  In this heartbreaking story, she overcomes her struggles compiling stories of the men working on the Santa Fe Railroad.  Compelling and once again, Ms. Peterson has researched her work with results to entertain, enrich and give the reader a front row seat into the shaping of our country.  

Cassie's friend, Brandon Dubarko has also found troubles along the way in a vengeful man who re-enters his life.  Strong faith give Cassie and Brandon the strenghth and courage to face their trials.  Truly a wonderfully inspirational book.

Reviewing: The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley

 from the publisher:

Explore this delightfully cozy and joyful novel of second chances at the most wonderful time of the year, from USA Today bestselling author Pamela Kelley.

A feel-good novel as delightful and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, The Christmas Inn is bestselling author Pamela Kelley’s most heartwarming and magical book yet.

Riley Sanders didn’t plan on losing her job as a content marketing manager right before Christmas. When she calls her sister Amy to vent, she learns that their mother has broken her leg and could really use some help at the inn. Riley decides to head home to the inn, nestled along the shores of Cape Cod, in time for the Christmas rush. She is happy to help and needs something to distract her as mistletoe is hung and snowflakes begin to fall.

When she gets there, she not only finds delicious cookies and a crackling fire to lift her spirits, but also the sense of family she’s been missing all along. There’s Franny, a woman who has just lost her sister and has four unopened letters from her that she plans to use to open her up to new experiences on the Cape. And there’s Aidan, her high school sweetheart, now a widower, who is staying at the inn with his nine year-old son, Luke. What begins as a quick stay over the holidays to help her mom turns into something that means much more—a second chance at romance, a deeper sense of found family, and all the joy and wonder that comes with Christmas time on Cape Cod.

my thoughts:

The Christmas Inn is my first foray into Christmas reading this season.  I enjoyed the story from the beginning.  I felt the cold chill of winter when Riley's position as a contente editor is  replaced by artificial intelligence just before Christmas as makes her way alone to her apartment.  Her boyfriend, who is on track to make partner at his law firm, cancels their date, making the day that much colder. 

 If this were a made for television Christmas movie, I could almost cast the characters with todays favorite actors.  It is not, however, because it is a book and a book is always better. Pamela Kelley has developed likable characters that come alive on the Cape at Christmas.  

Life doesn't just happen in the big city.  After losing her job, Riley returns ho
me to help her mother recover from a broken leg. As she sends out resumes for a new job, she learns more about herself than she could possibly dream of.  Her life is in New York, her boyfriend is in New York.  As the story grows, so does Riley. Just as others before her, she has some decisions to make and soon.

The story is a little predictable, it is a Christmas romance story after all but there is always one little thing that keeps you interested because the story twists are just enough to keep you reaching for this heartwarming story.  So, grab that hot chocolate, or pretend you are visiting the local wine and cheese shop for that glass of Cabernet. It is time to start reading your Christmas to-be-read pile and The Christmas Inn is just the book begin. It has all the charm and elements to make you smile.

Reviewing A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson

...from the publisher...

 Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales.
She’s been working hard to put herself through law school, and she’s determined to stay focused on her goals.

 Then she receives a letter notifying her that she is a direct descendant of King Maximillian Konig V, the ruler of a small European principality called Montovia.
What? No. That’s the stuff of cheesy made-for-TV movies, not real life.
Still, curiosity gets the best of her, leading to a Christmas break trip chock-full of surprises, including a charming village, an opulent palace, family mysteries, royal jealousies, a handsome young member of Parliament, and the chance at a real-life fairy tale romance.

...my thoughts... 

Every year, Melody Carlson has a knack for writing a wonderful story to put us in the Christmas spirit.  This year is no exception.  A Royal Christmas is just such a story.  Meet Adelaide Smith, struggling law student, so close to finally finishing her degree she is leaving her barista job for good.  As fate would have it, she receives the letter that changes her life forever.  

This novella is heartwarming and yes, a bit enchanting but still contains a bit of intrigue and mystery.  All in time for the Christmas holiday season.  I enjoyed this story and  recommend this to all who enjoy a modern Cinderella story. This book, like all the other Christmas books I have by Melody Carlson will be read again and again.

Revisitng a Classic! Miracles on Maple Hill.

 My 4th grade teacher read this book aloud to us many years ago.  I eagerly waited every day after lunch recess when she would read us just one chapter.  I enjoyed it then and was happy to find this book again.   The family in the story is adjusting to the return of their father, who had been a Prisoner of War, likely the Korean War, based on the publication date of this book in the 1950's.  As fate would have it, they went to Maple Hill, the home where Lee, the mother spent many happy days as a child in the home of her late grandmother.  The family is transformed as father stays behind, fixing up the place and working with a kindly neighbor, Mr. Chris.  They work hard together on the maple sugar harvest, which heals father and brings the family closer.

This is a wonderful story of family values.  This family inspired me then as it does today because when we work hard together, the rewards are great.  I like the old fashioned notion of strong families sticking together through tough times.  It reminds me of my own large family growing up in that era, working in the garden, preserving our food and each of us having a job to do in the process, no matter our age.  It was worth it and the memories are savored.

 Some would say that some of the traditional adjectives are outmoded but frankly, the words as written are as defined in the true sense of the word. 

The cover of this book was illustrated by Beth and Joe Kush, a husband and wife team who illustrated many children's books including the five United States editions of the  Borrowers series by Mary Norton

Publishers Summary

Marly and her family are moving out to the country, back to her mother's grandmother's house, back to where she would say: "Now scoot, you two, for goodness' sakes! Up here, there's all outdoors!"

Moving so her father can start recovering from his time spent as a prisoner of war, as Marly and her family learn about the country life from their neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Chris, they do start adjusting and becoming happier. When Mr. Chris suffers a heart attack during "sugaring time," Marly's family helps to repay the kindness shown them by pitching in to keep the fires going, keep the sap moving, and bring in that year's harvest of maple syrup...even getting the whole school to join in their efforts.

Miracles on Maple Hill won the 1957 Newbery Medal.

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Reviewing: The Orchard by Beverly Lewis

...from the publishers...

For generations, Ellie Hostetler's family has tended their Lancaster County orchard, a tradition her twin brother, Evan, will someday continue. Yet when Evan's draft number is called up in the lottery for the Vietnam War, the family is shocked to learn he has not sought conscientious objector status, despite their Old Order Amish belief in non-resistance. The faraway war that has caused so much turmoil and grief among their Englisher neighbors threatens too close to home.

As Evan departs for boot camp, Ellie confides her disappointment to Sol Bontrager, the brother of her best friend and cousin to her new beau, Menno. In contrast to Evan, Sol is a conscientious objector. Despite Ellie's attraction to Menno, she finds herself drawn to Sol's steady presence as they work together in the orchard. Suddenly, it feels as if everything in Ellie's world is shifting, and the plans she held so dear seem increasingly uncertain. Can she and her family find the courage to face a future unlike any they could have imagined?

...my thoughts... 

  This book touched my my heart in a unique way. I was a young teenager during the time this book was set and I had two brothers who served in this war, as did neighbors and friends. I remember when the lottery was implemented.  I felt for Ellie's brother Evan who had probably the worst shock of his life when he landed in the barber's chair at boot camp! I have read other works of Amish fiction where Amish men who served, but as orderlies assisting medics in field hospitals, not in combat. It was a terrible time for all of us but for an Amish family who wouldn't have a phone or a daily paper, they were very out of touch with what was going on.

I enjoyed reading Ellie's story and her love for the family orchard.  Her love for the orchard was personal.  She would have loved taking over the orchard when her father retired, yet as a woman, that would have been unrealistic in her culture.  Throughout the story she grows into a wonderful young woman who changed from a young woman with dreams.  She dreams of the orchard and dreams of her beau, Menno.  Her feelings are as natural today as they would have been for any young woman in the 1960s.  As a reader, it is satisfying when the story wraps up neatly just as we think it should go.  Beverly Lewis, has, time and again written beloved characters whose situation we can identify with, even though we are not Amish.  I recommend this book to all who enjoy immersing themselves into a good story.

 

It's True....Everything Tastes Better from Scratch!

Everything Tastes Better from Scratch and this cook book reminds the reader and cooks nearby that this is just what we need to get the family back around the table.  I loved this book and recommend it to all who want to cook better food for themselves and their families.  A treat for all.  Applesauce  Oat muffins, Taco Pie, Breakfast Casserole, yum!

 A Quilt for Christmas is a heartwarming story that will melt the heart of any Ebenezer who has turned their back on life.  Melody Carlson has a tradition of writing Christmas stories that put me into the spirit of the season.  This story has been added to my "To be read each Christmas:" list. Melody has the gift of finding just the right characters we love and although they are fictional, if you look around you, there will be that special child or mother who needs you. 

Enjoy

Reviewing: Remember Me by Tracie Peterson

 from the publisher:

From the Yukon to Seattle, the hope of a new beginning waits just around the corner.

Addie Bryant is haunted by her past of heartbreak and betrayal. After her beau, Isaac Hanson, left the Yukon, she made a vow to wait for him. When she's sold to a brothel owner after the death of her father, Addie manages to escape with the hope that she can forever hide her past and the belief that she will never have the future she's always dreamed of.

Years later, Addie has found peace in her new life as a photographer, training Camera Girls to operate and sell the Brownie camera. During the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo in Seattle, Addie is reunited with Isaac, but after the path her life has taken, she's afraid to expose the ugliness of her former life and to move toward the future they had pledged to each other.

When her past catches up with her, Addie must decide whether to run or to stay and face her wounds in order to embrace her life, her future, and her hope in God.

my thoughts: 

Once again Tracie Peterson  delivers a story of a golden era in the history of our west.  This time, the story begins in her beloved Alaska, introducing us to Addie Bryant.  Addie endures a hardship life in Alaska with her brutal brothers and a father who looks on her as a disposable piece of goods.  She overcomes the unthinkable brutality of her brothers after the death of her father, becoming a strong woman.  Her character, developed after years of abuse was not that of a cowering woman afraid of shadows but that of a woman who is driven by a vow to never be abused again.

This is a book that gives the flavor of Alaska when the gold rush brought ruthless men into the wild, chasing after the riches gold fever promises.  Some are smart, and know when to quit and go home.  Isaac Hanson left Alaska with his family after satisfying their successful run.  He left behind Addie, who remains in his heart.

Addie, a beautiful woman determined to be successful in her own right, escapes her brothers, leaving Alaska for Seattle and a new life.  In that life, she uses her initiative to become the top photographer at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo in Seattle.  Addie embodies the successful woman who creates a life using all her talents and gifts.  In her heart, though, there is Isaac, who was her long ago love.

I liked this book for the glimpses of Alaska and Seattle, areas of our country the author has researched and written about extensively.  The scenery and events are so well written, her books entice the reader, perhaps, for a visit.  I have never been to Alaska, but it comes alive in this book, as does the Seattle in days gone by.  But most of all, the people in this book emerge as  vibrant and alive. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys rich characters and beautiful scenery.  I had a hart time putting it down. 

 

Sold On Love by Kathleen Fuller

Cute story for a dose of light fiction. Believable characters with struggles and joys. Friendships are valuable and sorting through true friendships can be a tough road. Kathleen Fuller has another entertaining book with a dose of reality on life's lessons. I enjoyed Harper and Rusty and their path through several hurdles to see each other for who they are. The blessings are that when the polish is wiped away, the person inside is even better than you originally wished them to be.

This is the third book in the series and this one leaves one more young friend in the C.C.'s group, and I hope Kathleen writes about her next. I am curious who will be the lucky young man in Maple Falls to discover her.

Beyond the Desert Sands by Tracie Peterson

 ...from the publisher...

Accustomed to an opulent life with her aunt, the last thing twenty-five-year-old Isabella Garcia wants is to celebrate Christmas in her parents' small silver-mining desert town, leaving her handsome beau, Diego Morales, behind in California. Adding insult to injury, she must bear the company of Aaron Bailey, the

disapproving Santa Fe Railroad businessman her father has sent to escort her home, who clearly finds her spoiled.

But she is surprised to see how much the town of Silver Veil has grown and how fragile her father's health has become. Then a surprise visitor shows up with news that entirely upends the comfortable life she's been leading.

Faced with all these changes, Isabella struggles to sort through her future and who she wants to be. But trouble is brewing, and there are those who hope she stays just as she is, even if it costs her everything.

...my thoughts...

Beyond the Desert Sands, by Tracie Peterson, is book two in her Love on the Santa Fe  series.  Fans of Tracie will enjoy this book.  The story focuses on a young lady who I had a difficult time liking at first.  She was deceived by romantic notions that overshadowed reality of a life that truly blessed her.  

From the start, when she reluctantly left California to join her parents, she was resentful, spoiled and deceived by romantic notions of love. Her deceptions clouded her judgment about her parents and a young man who would be there through thick and thin for her and her family.  This young woman had so much to learn that I had hoped that she would come to see Diego for the person he was and that she would see how much her parents truly loved her.  

I recommend this book to all fans of Tracie Peterson and to all the new readers who may have heard of Tracie but have yet to pick up a copy of her books.