A Haven for Her Heart

 ...from the publisher...

Homeless after being released from a women's reformatory in 1939Toronto, Olivia Rosetti is taken in by an angel of mercy, Ruth Bennington. The two discover they share a painful past and together decide to open a maternity home for troubled women.

Despite the success of the home, Olivia is haunted by her inhumane treatment at the reformatory and the way her newborn son was taken from her. She feels undeserving of love--until she meets businessman Darius Reed. Although his attention makes her heart soar, he can never learn of her past.

Greek widower Darius Reed is determined to protect his daughter from the prejudice that killed her mother. He'll ensure her future by marrying a woman from a respected Toronto family. But when Darius meets Olivia, he's immediately drawn to her beauty and compassion.  

Can love prove stronger than prejudice and past mistakes? Or will Olivia's secrets destroy any chance at a future together?

...my thoughts....

A Haven for Her Heart is a story that will touch your heart.  Set in 1939, it broaches the subject of women who found themselves in trouble with no place to go.  Canada was in the throes of World War II and sending its young men to serve across the Atlantic.   Olivia Rosetti gave more than her heart to her fiancee and it had devastating effects on her life.  He was killed in battle and she found herself pregnant, alone and unmarried.  Today, society doesn't have the same stigma as it did in a time when women in her situation could be arrested and suffer the treatment Olivia experienced.

Alone, forlorn after the birth of her son, she found herself seeking shelter in the church where she met Ruth. Ruth opened new doors and together they were an inspirational team.  I enjoyed this book, not only for the well written story but also for the well developed characters who emerged resilient and strong.  Thank you #Bethanyhouse and #netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Reviewing: Depending On You by Melissa Jagears

 ...from the publisher...

Can the joy and hope of Christmas restore their love before it’s too late?

Leah Whitsett’s life was ideal until the disastrous day she nearly died because of her husband’s deceit. When he returns home weeks

before Christmas, she knows the best gift she can give him is forgiveness, but how can she relinquish her hard-won independence knowing he plans to turn their family’s life upside down again?

Bryant has always known his wife was a gift he’d never deserved, but how can he provide for her in a town that no longer wants anything to do with him? He longs to atone for the misery he’s put his loved ones through, but when he brings a family member home for the holidays, he and Leah may end up even further apart.

With emotions high and their marriage at stake, will the season bring the hope they need…or are their rifts too large to mend?

...my thoughts...

Depending On You by Melissa Jagears is a story of forgiveness and second chances. This is book 3 in Melissa's Frontier Vows series, and I was happy to learn that Leah's story was about to be told.  Left for dead by some hired men exacting payment for her husband's dastardly deeds, I wondered what would become of her.  She had always been a devoted wife and mother and clearly didn't receive any of what she experienced for her husband's cowardly deeds.  Now, her husband Bryant is released from prison only to find Leah distant and not ready to welcome him home with open arms.  

She lost everything because of him.  Now running the local laundry, she has had to start from scratch, something Bryant would have to do too, only he has the added stigma of being an ex-convict and hard to hire. Bryant was humbled, and willing to work at any job to start over in a town that has a long memory when it comes to trusting an untrustworthy man.

Leah was not sure she would ever allow him into her heart again, but she allowed that he was a loving father.  Witnessing her daughter's marital struggles, Leah was touched by the ways Bryant's fatherly influence guided his daughters.  I could write on about the story line, but why spoil a good book for new readers?  I recommend this book to all who enjoy Melissa Jagear's books and hopefully to those who are looking for a good story that takes you back to frontier days.  While this book could stand alone, I recommend reading Romancing the Bride, book one, and Pretending to Wed. This is a good series and I like how Melissa tied everything together, happy endings in all.

                

The Dress Shop on King Street

...from the publisher...

Harper Dupree has pinned all her hopes on a future in fashion design. But when it comes crashing down around her, she returns home to Fairhope, Alabama, and to Millie, the woman who first taught her how to sew. As Harper rethinks her own future, long-hidden secrets about Millie's past are brought to light.

In 1946, Millie Middleton--the daughter of an Italian man and a Black woman--boarded a train and left Charleston to keep half of her heritage hidden. She carried with her two heirloom buttons and the dream of owning a dress store. She never expected to meet a charming train jumper who changed her life forever . . . and led her yet again to a heartbreaking choice about which heritage would define her future.

Now, together, Harper and Millie return to Charleston to find the man who may hold the answers they seek . . . and a chance at the dress shop they've both dreamed of. But it's not until all appears lost that they see the unexpected ways to mend what frayed between the seams.

...my thoughts...

 The Dress shop on King Street is Millie's journey back to those early days when life seemed to be full of dreams of owning her own dress shop. An excellent seamstress, she longed to create beautiful fashions in her own shop. Fate and circumstances changed her life forever when she left Charleston for Fairhope Alabama.  Along the way, she met her wonderful husband and began a life that may have seemed temporary at first, just until she was able to open that dress shop.  Then, after the birth of her daughters, she begins to straddle two worlds. As the story unfolds, so to does a mystery of Millie's true identity and links to a past that she was finally ready to rediscover.  

Millie is a wonderful character and this reader wanted to learn more about her.  Ashley Clark has captured the spirit of a woman who led a very private life because of the circumstances of her birth. Mysterious and beautiful, accomplished and shy. She held secrets in her heart, yet her husband loved her for who she truly was.  Her signature red hat was her trademark companion over decades that brought love, pain and changes in a world that was very different than that day in 1946 when she was looking into that dress shop on King street. I enjoyed reading this book and thank #BethanyHouse and #netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

 
 

 

Reviewing: Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green

...from the publisher....

 

Headstrong Johanna Berglund, a linguistics student at the University of Minnesota, has very definite plans for her future . . . plans that do not include returning to her hometown and the secrets and heartaches she left behind there. But the US Army wants her to work as a translator at a nearby camp for German POWs.

Johanna arrives to find the once-sleepy town exploding with hostility. Most patriotic citizens want nothing to do with German soldiers laboring in their fields, and they're not afraid to criticize those who work at the camp as well. When Johanna describes the trouble to her friend Peter Ito, a language instructor at a school for military intelligence officers, he encourages her to give the town that rejected her a second chance.

As Johanna interacts with the men of the camp and censors their letters home, she begins to see the prisoners in a more sympathetic light. But advocating for better treatment makes her enemies in the community, especially when charismatic German spokesman Stefan Werner begins to show interest in Johanna and her work. The longer Johanna wages her home-front battle, the more the lines between compassion and treason become blurred--and it's no longer clear whom she can trust.

...my thoughts...

Things We Didn't Say is Amy Lynn Green's debut novel and I expect it to be the first of many.  I was intrigued by this story line because it seemed to be a well kept secret that there were as many German P.O.W. camps in our country during World War II.  At least, it was certainly never mentioned in any history books I had, and that was one subject I didn't slack off on my homework.  The first time I heard of these camps, I was an adult and heard someone tell of a relative whose father had spent time in a camp within my own state.  So, years later, I found myself intrigued by Amy's book I found myself not only enjoying the story but doing a little research, only to find there were many camps within our country.

Amy did a wonderful job on her research and her characters are well developed.  Johanna, and Peter's correspondence make up a lot of the story and it was intriguing to see the story from each viewpoint.  Johanna, a linguist specialist, strives to do the best she can at a job she clearly didn't want in the beginning of the book.  As time goes, she gets more and more involved in the lives of the prisoners as she translates their own correspondence from their families and does her best to improve their lot within the confines of the camp.  Stefan Werner, who seems to represent his fellow prisoners, seems to have a pulse on everything that goes on inside.  Johanna, for her part, seems to become more distant to her community, the more involved she becomes in her work.

Peter, Johanna's close friend, is my favorite character. He is a young, Japanese American, whose family was cruelly placed in an internment camp at the start of the war.  His desire to fight for his country is hampered by his being recruited to a Japanese language school.  His letters have a calming effect on Johanna and the true meaning of his friendship is mired in her desires to go study in Oxford, long her goal but now sidelined by this war and her job.  She is brilliant, but, as with many who are brilliant, there are some things she just didn't see.  This book is compelling, and gives you a ringside seat into a very real piece of our country's history. 

Amish Friends From Scratch Cookbook: Timely New Cookbook by Wanda E Brunstetter

 

...from the publisher...

Why does nothing compare to the memories of Great-Grandma’s food? Could it be because she made everything from scratch? Amish and Mennonite cooks contribute recipes that celebrate the value of skipping the factory-made shortcuts and cooking from scratch. Over 270 recipes are organized into traditional categories from main dishes and sides to desserts and snacks. Also included are kitchen tips and stories about growing up around an Amish kitchen. Encased in a lay-flat binding and presented in full color, home cooks of all ages will be delighted to add this cookbook to their collections.

...my thoughts...

Some of my earliest memories are being in the kitchen with my family.  Everyone had a job to do no matter how small we were.  Nothing compares to enjoying a good home cooked meal from scratch, eaten around a large table. Amish  Friends From Scratch Cookbook is reminiscent of copying those favorite recipes by hand on a three by five inch card to share.  My box is overflowing still with treasures from my family and friends.  This new collection of recipes gathered by Wanda Brunstetter is full of recipes that have been tried and tested.  

One recipe to note especially, is Coffee Shop Brownies....from one chocolate lover to another, they are quite good!  The Buttermilk pancake recipe conjures up memories of my dad on a Saturday morning making his special pancakes. Other recipes that are noteworthy are Delicious  Cream Cheese and Marshmallow Creme Fluff.  Those are two things I thought were found only in the grocery store!  If you are looking for tried and true recipes for your family, I recommend this cookbook. Consider adding this to your gift list for budding cooks in the family. You may benefit by an invitation to enjoy one of these good recipes around the table.

The Blended Quilt...Heartwarming New Book by Wanda Brunstetter

 

...from the publisher...

 Sadie Kuhns has a lot happening in her life. She is creating a unique quilt by blending a traditional Amish pattern with a Hawaiian pattern as a tribute to her time spent in the islands, and she is working on a self-published book. But her relationship with Wyman Kauffman has stagnated after six months of courtship. He can’t seem to commit to a profession that would secure a future, and he is jealous of the time Sadie gives to her own pursuits. Is there really any reason to drag this courtship out? Only time will tell in this new novel from New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter, writing with her daughter-in-law Jean Brunstetter.

...my thoughts...

I enjoyed reading the Blended Quilt by Wanda and Jean Brunstetter. The Amish people are set apart from the world we live in with their plain lifestyle.  However set apart their world is from us, human nature prevails.  Behind those prayer caps and black suspenders are people who live and love just as we do.

Sadie wants to marry Wyman and although he loves her, his inability to settle into one job is cause for concern.  I  thought he was a selfish young man who seemed to have everything handed to him by his parents, including a good job that he felt was beneath him.  Sadie, for her part, decides to move on and busies herself with her quilting.  A talented quilter, she is encouraged to write her book on quilting.  What starts out as a project to share her love of the art of quilting with others turns into a living room filled with boxes of books it is up to her to sell.  Sell she does on a whirlwind book tour that opens both Sadie and Wyman's eyes to what is really important.

If you like books that are encouraging and uplifting, I recommend The Blended Quilt.  It represents much more than a quilt patterned after both plain and Englisch styles.  It represents finding that what we really want may be closer than we realize.

 

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Speaking for Myself is Positive and Inspiring!

 ...my thoughts...

I just finished listening to Sarah Huckabee Sanders Speaking for Myself! I knew she had one of the most challenging jobs as White House Press Secretary to President Trump.  This book not only confirms it but also confirms that it takes a special person for this role.  Sarah is just such a person.

Raised by amazing Christian parents former Arkansas Governor Mike and his wife Janet Huckabee, she grew up in the spotlight.  She modeled her parents leadership and gave 110% to our country and to our president. Juggling her children, marriage and career was possible by her strong commitment and faith.  I enjoyed listening to this book so that I could hear her story in her voice.  Her love for her husband and children are the main priority in her life.  Leaving a powerful career may have been hard but there is a lot to be said about knowing how quickly your children grow up and leave is something I admire.

...from the publisher...

Sarah Huckabee Sanders served as White House Press Secretary for President Donald J. Trump from 2017 to 2019. A trusted confidante of the President, Sanders advised him on everything from press and communications strategy to personnel and policy. She was at the President’s side for two and a half years, battling with the media, working with lawmakers and CEOs, and accompanying the President on every international trip, including dozens of meetings with foreign leaders―all while unfailingly exhibiting grace under pressure. Upon her departure from the administration, President Trump described Sarah as “irreplaceable,” a “warrior” and “very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job.”

Now, in Speaking for Myself, Sarah Huckabee Sanders describes what it was like on the front lines and inside the White House, discussing her faith, the challenges of being a working mother at the highest level of American politics, her relationship with the press, and her unique role in the historic fight raging between the Trump administration and its critics for the future of our country.

This frank, revealing, and engaging memoir will offer a truly unique perspective on the most important issues and events of the era, and unprecedented access to both public and behind-the-scenes conversations within the Trump White House.

Mike Huckabee's The Three C's that Made America Great: Christianity, Capitalism and the Constitution Worth Reading

 ...my thoughts...

I haven't really studied Civics since I was in the 8th grade.  I keep hearing that Civics is no longer being taught in our schools. That is a shame.  Granted, the topic can be dry but as an American citizen, it is important to understand that there was a lot going on after Independence Day in 1776 besides the war so courageously fought for our freedom. The United States of America was established. 

  Our founding fathers, for better or worse felt it was so important to draft a blueprint for our country that would withstand the test of time.  I believe, heartily, that they did. The constitution may not be perfect and to remedy this, we have had it amended more than once and likely we will see that happen again.  We are not perfect but I wouldn't trade our country for any of the others beyond our borders.

Those who fought to create this great country did so with great hardship so that we could live in a free country.  The Three Cs of Christianity, Capitalism and the  Constitution are important values that make us the great country we are today. The framers of our constitution managed to craft a document that has withstood the test of time.  I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about the history of our country. I would add that this book would be a wonderful supplement to their teen's U.S. History curriculum.

...from the publisher...

Forces on the Left seek to fundamentally change our nation by disregarding the principles upon which it was founded. Members of the media and liberal politicians seek to damage our economic, political, and educational systems for their gain. The Three Cs That Made America Great: Christianity, Capitalism, and the Constitution  exposes the Left's plan to undermine the Christian values on which the nation was built

reveals how attacks on Christianity are part of the political agenda of Liberals

provides a clear understanding of capitalism and how free markets benefit all people

reveals how Liberals undermine capitalism with their socialistic policies

shows how the Constitution’s purpose to restrain government and protect individual liberty

unmasks the efforts of the liberal Left to subvert the power and relevance of the Constitution

exposes the current corruption in government and culture which undermines the principles on which the nation was founded

America faces a war of values that will determine its future and likely decide if it will continue as a great nation on the world stage. Mike Huckabee and Steve Feazel sound a needed alarm to Christians and conservatives to answer the call to action and push back against the forces that desire to move America from its heritage and founding principles. It is time for God's people to take an active role in the political arena, not with violence, but with votes and voices that proclaim and defend the values that made our nation the brightest light of freedom the world has ever known.

Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler

...from the publisher...

When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband's death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again, even if it meant she would never have a family of her own. Then Aaron Zook comes home with her brother when the war ends two years later.

Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron resolves to move West and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can't get out of his mind.

Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win--the one for the heart of the woman he loves.
Welcome back to the Amish community at Weaver's Creek, where the bonds of family and faith bind up the brokenhearted.

...my thoughts...

Softly Blows the Bugle brings all promises of a good series to fruition. Jan Drexler's story of the Amish Community at Weaver's Creek has been a treat to read.  The timing of this series, during, through and  at the end of an important time in our country's history is worth reading.  The Amish, pacifists at the core of their faith, were impacted by the Civil War, however remote it was geographically.  The remnants of a terrible war scattered across the continent and touched the lives of the untouched.   

 I watched Elizabeth Kaufman's plight with interest since The Sound of Distant Thunder, book one in the series. Her marriage to an abusive Englischer separated her from her beloved family. Loneliness became her normal way of life.  When  Aaron Zook came home with her brother, it seemed to me that her life was about to change.  Yet, it was not Aaron who captured her attention and that took the story to another level.  One where someone portrayed a life of someone who was just too good to be true.  

Considering the war had ended, there were those who pursued the leftover treasures to plunder.  To those most crafty, there were ways to fill their coffers, bit by bit stealing from those who had just enough to add to a pile of ill gotten wealth.  Jan Drexler's engaging style of writing keeps the reader's attention until the puzzle is solved and the hearts are truly won.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction.  Although this book could be read as a standalone, it recommend reading The Amish of Weaver's Creek series. 

Reviewing: Forever by Your Side (Willamett Brides Book #3) by Tracie Peterson

...from the publisher...

After years of schooling on the East Coast, Constance Browning returns to Oregon and the reservation where she grew up with her missionary parents. She is accompanied by Thomas Lowell, her best friend and colleague, and together they embark on a project to catalogue the native peoples of Oregon for the Bureau of American Ethnology. But Connie and Tom have another purpose--to prove her parents are not involved in a secret conspiracy to goad the oppressed tribes into a doomed war.

Connie finds life on the reservation much bleaker than she remembered, and she is glad to have Tom by her side. But she also becomes reacquainted with Clint Singleton, the government agent on whom she had a crush as a girl. Now that she's back, Clint finally seems interested in her, but Connie is no longer sure of her feelings. As tensions on the reservation rise and war looms ever closer, Connie and Tom search for whoever is truly behind the uprising. With danger unfolding amid shocking revelations, Connie will also have a revelation of the heart.

...my thoughts... 

Fans of award-winning author Tracie Peterson will relish reading Forever by Your Side.  There is a bit of mystery involved in the story and Constance, teaming up with Thomas are determined to solve it. Getting to the bottom of the situation proves dangerous and leads to suspicions that are unfounded.  As the truth unfolds, Constance and Thomas learn more about their feelings toward one another in the midst of their peril.  Sometimes, that great love of your life is right where you are.

Historical fiction is a genre I enjoy.  There are parts of the history of our great country that we are not proud of, yet they did occur. Forever by Your Side is book three in Tracie Peterson's Willamette  Brides series. This book is recommended to those who enjoy reading the history of the Pacific Northwest.

Reviewing: An Ivy Hill Christmas: A Tales From Ivy Hill Novella by Julie Klassen

 ...from the publisher...

Richard Brockwell, the younger son of Ivy Hill's most prominent family, hasn't been home for Christmas in years. He prefers to live in the London townhouse, far away from Brockwell Court, the old family secret that haunts him, and the shadows of his past mistakes. But then his mother threatens to stop funding his carefree life--unless he comes home for Christmas. Out of options, he sets out for Ivy Hill, planning to be back on a coach bound for London and his unencumbered bachelor life as soon as the festivities are over.

But Christmas in the country presents unforeseen surprises, including encounters with an orphaned apprentice, the first love he disappointed years ago, and Arabella Awdry, a young lady who is far more appealing than he recalled . . . and determined to have nothing to do with him.

Will Christmastime in Ivy Hill, with its village charm, kissing boughs, joyous songs, and divine hope, work its magic in his heart...and hers as well?

...my thoughts...

Can a confirmed bachelor change his selfish ways?  Can he give up the high life he is accustomed to in order to satisfy the wishes of a mother who openly plans to marry him off? Going home for Christmas isn't always easy because it can be a reminder that one is not living up to the potential his family has planned.  Richard Brockwell is a dreadful man who gives not a thought to his fellow man and because this is a book about Christmas, and Christmas in old England, one knows that he is about to undergo a change.  I think it all starts when he allows a stray dog into his heart.  From that moment, little clues seem to emerge in his thoughts that he knows are a little out of character for him.

 I admit I didn't like the character at all in the beginning and was skeptical of the outcome.  This is a story of second chances and forgiveness with a bit of romance mixed in to keep our interest piqued. However, the love is not confined to Richard and Arabella but also includes a young apprentice who captures the heart of everyone in the story.  Kindness never goes unrewarded, because it makes a lasting impression on the lives we touch, even inadvertently.  This is a lovely story for our upcoming Christmas holiday season and Julie Klassen's An Ivy Hill Christmas: A Tales From Ivy Hills Novella would be a wonderful addition to your Christmas reading list.