Debbie Macomber's Window On The Bay Destined to Be a Bestseller

...from the publisher...

Jenna Boltz’s life is at a crossroads. After a messy divorce from her surgeon husband nearly twenty years ago, she raised her two children on her own, juggling motherhood with her beloved job as a Seattle intensive-care nurse. Now that Paul and Allie have gone to college and moved out, Jenna can’t help but wonder what her future holds.

Her best friend, Maureen, is excited for Jenna’s newfound independence. Now is the perfect time to finally book the trip to Paris they’ve been dreaming of since their college days. But when it comes to life’s other great adventure—dating—Jenna still isn’t sure she’s ready to let love in . . . until an unexpected encounter begins to change her mind.

When Jenna’s elderly mother breaks her hip, Dr. Rowan Lancaster saves the day. Despite his silent, stoic exterior, Rowan is immediately smitten with Jenna. And even though Jenna is hesitant about becoming involved with another surgeon, she has to admit that she’s more than a little intrigued. But when Jenna’s children approach her with shocking news, she realizes that she needs to have faith in love and embrace the unexpected—before the life she has always dreamed of passes her by.

..my thoughts... 

I predict that Window on the Bay will be a bestseller almost as soon as it is released.  Debbie Macomber is a popular writer who has the gift of hooking her reader into the story immediately.  This book is no exception.  It will appeal to the baby boomers who found empty nests where once the rooms were filled with laughter and needs to be filled.  Any woman might easily identify with Jenna and her best friend Maureen. Women who once had ideals and plans that were set aside to raise children and husbands.  While not every woman has put aside their youthful dreams, there does come a time when there are new things to discover upon entering a new stage in life.  Maureen and Jenna are still very vibrant and alive.  As each approaches new relationships and family dynamics, they are there for each other in ways only the best of friends can be.

This book was a quick read, as it was easy to get into and just as easily, I recommend it to all fans of Debbie Macomber books. 

Reviewing: A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund

A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund is a wonderful story about bringing brides from England to British Columbia in 1862.  The women who boarded the Tynemouth did so not knowing what their fate would be upon their arrival.  They left all behind and there would be no turning back once the ship sailed.

Our heroine, Mercy Wilkins, knew she was just one more burden to her family if she stayed at home and wasn't going to settle for life in the workhouse or on the streets.  But marriage was definitely not in he plans.  She was a gifted nurse, with no formal training except love for others and the desire to care for the sick.  It was her talent for nursing that led the wealthy Dr. Joseph Colville to seek her assistance among the sick aboard ship.   Working side by side worked out well for some time since they both had no intention of marrying.  The best intentions, however, don't work out at times.

I like this book because at the heart of this story is a young woman who had very little that she left behind.  She saw what her parent's lives were like with little or nothing coming in to support a large family.  Poverty caused her mother to do things that Mercy never wanted to emulate in her own life.  It took courage for  her to swallow her pride and board ship.  She, like the real life women who left England to help settle the western part of our world blazed the trail for life as we know it today.  This book is Mercy's story but there were others on board that ship and not all were poor, at least not financially.  For whatever reason that led the women to seek that new life, they were all starting over from scratch, with no class or society to dictate.

Once again, Jody Hedlund has written an amazing historical novel that I recommend with 5 stars. Her research, as usual, is impeccable and the story is one that is very compelling.  A Reluctant Bride is Book one in The Bride Ships series and already, I am eagerly waiting for the release of book two, The Runaway Bride in March 2020!
 

Tuesday Night Review: Wanda E Brunstetter's Amish Friends Gatherings Cookbook

If you enjoy reading Amish fiction and have wondered what it would be like to try your hand at making some of the delicious sounding food on their tables, look no more.  Wanda E Brunstetter's Amish Friends Gatherings Cookbook is filled with over 200 delightful recipes.    We love potlucks and this wonderful collection of recipes has earned its keep on the cookbook shelf.  A lovely tea concentrate to prepare and freeze for a summer gathering is one I liked trying.  Or, how about a nice bowl of Sweet Cheddar Popcorn, a nice switch from that bag in the microwave!  I recommend this cookbook for anyone who loves to cook and try new, and not so new recipes. 

Tuesday Night Review: The Brides of the Big Valley

...from the publisher...

In an area of Pennsylvania called The Big Valley, a uniquely blended Amish community thrives in which 3 distinct groups of Amish identify themselves by the colors of their buggy’s top—white, black, or yellow. Join New York Times Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter, her daughter-in-law, and granddaughter in experiencing the stories of three young women who search for faith and love
within this special place. Deanna is a widow who sees her second chance of love slipping away. Rose Mary is at a point in life where she must choose the path of her faith and the right man to walk with her on it. Leila is burdened with family responsibilities and wonders when she will ever start a family of her own.

...my thoughts...

Once again, three generations of Brunstetter women have brought three unique stories together in one book. I liked how each story was set in the same valley, allowing some of the characters from a previous story to spill into the next one.  I know that fictional characters are, well, fiction, but sometimes I wonder what might have happened to that person or how they may have adjusted to a trying situation.  Difficult situations are not always written about in Amish fiction yet the Brunstetter's are able to infuse these topics into their work.  These are the very things that make their stories believable for the challenges brought to bear. At the heart of each woman's story is their faith and how it renews and strengthens each of their paths as they become brides.

I recommend this book for all fans of Wanda E. Brunstetter and for those who are new to reading works written by her daughter-in-law Jean Brunstetter and  granddaughter Richelle Brunstetter. Together their collaborations are wonderful, while each has her own unique gifts.