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The Christmas Ring–sweet story of faith
The Christmas Ring
by Karen Kingsbury
narrated by Paige McKinney
I actually chose to listen to this book because I have an antique ring that looks just like the one featured on the cover of The Christmas Ring. Kingsbury’s tale centers around efforts to recover a family heirloom (from D-Day) lost four years prior. Vanessa is the widow of Alan, an Army Ranger medic. To honor Alan and his principles, Vanessa and her daughter Sadie actively support a lot of causes to help military families. On her way back from taking Sadie to college to begin her freshman year, Vanessa stops at an antique store to look for the ring. She doesn’t find it, but she does meet Ben who is a widower. They start a friendship which both of them think might move into something more serious.
In this book the characters rely on God through prayer and Scriptures to help them in their various struggles. Relationship dynamics are an important part of the story; faith and trust are two major themes.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Christian, Fiction
Notes: 1. Has been made into a movie
2. Paige McKinney is a good narrator for this audiobook.
Publication: October 21, 2025—Thomas Nelson
Dating Can Be Deadly–quilts and goats at the county fair
Dating Can Be Deadly
by Amanda Flower
In Holmes County, the Amish and the Englisch have their own traditions, but in general they get along well. The Holmes County Fair draws both groups in. Protagonist Millie Fisher, known to her friend and sidekick Lois Henry as the “Amish Marple,” has been widowed for a number of years and has gradually become comfortable with that role. So, this year, Millie enters a special quilt in the fair and allows her grandson to show her two mischievous goats Phillip and Peter in the goat competition. With the fair as the background, there are many threads in the plot of this amusing cozy mystery. When Millie and Lois discover the body of one of the quilting judges and the shredded quilt of the inimitable bishop’s wife, Ruth, the two sleuths are compelled to investigate.
There are lots of ups and downs in the plot as suspects are found in the most unlikely places. There are romances for both ladies. The most compelling part of the plot for me deals with a little abandoned Amish boy whose grandfather doesn’t want anything to do with him. Millie’s heart goes out to the sweet, fearful child, and she is stuck in the middle of a legal, moral, and Amish cultural dilemma.
As always, Englischer Lois with her colorfully dyed, spiky hair and her best childhood friend Millie, a faithful Amish widow are as different from each other as they can be. They remain devoted to each other. They find themselves involved in a case that leads them into lots of adventures. Lois is famous for her tote bag in which she carries something for every emergency. Millie’s investigative skills are top notch as are her matchmaking skills. This is another fun book in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #5 in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series. Amanda Flower brings new readers into the series quite well, but I recommend reading the previous books in the series because they are good and they make the humor more predictable.
Publication: October 24, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
As soon as she said that, my guard went up. Lois had said to me once that any time an Englischer said something was very simple, it was the opposite, and they typically spoke in a way that was meant to be ambiguous.
“Sometimes when a person turns their passion into an occupation, they begin to resent it. I don’t want that to happen to me.”
You are only poor when you want more than you have.
The Good Luck Cafe
The Good Luck Cafe
by Annie Rains
Moira has been hurt—badly. So devastatingly, that she has never shared what happened to her and how she reacted with anyone. Even Gil, who rescued her, only knows part of the story. Now he is town mayor and one of the nicest people in town. Except he has not stopped the town council’s plans to demolish her mother’s coffee shop on the main street through town and replace it with a parking lot. Everyone agrees that it will be sad to lose Sweetie’s Bakeshop, but the driving and parking situation in town has become dangerous.
Gil has always been attracted to Moira, but she pushes him away because of her secret and her concern that her mother will lose the business she loves. Moira is a dispatcher for the town’s 911 emergency services, works from home, and loves her job. Gil has done a good job as mayor. He is also a great big brother to his brother Doug who has Down syndrome. Goldie, Gil’s golden retriever, adds fun to the story.
Around this basic plot, Annie Rains creates and develops some great characters in The Good Luck Cafe. There is a lot of tension over the parking lot controversy, the upcoming mayoral election, and the relationship of Moira and Gil. Denise, Gil’s high school nemesis, decides to stir up trouble. Also, Doug wants to move out on his own and solicits Gil’s help in persuading their parents to allow it while his mother wants Gil to convince Doug to continue to live at home.
All through the book you will find a heartwarming story and a clean romance. Both Moira and Gil have a support group of friends. Moira meets with her Book Club on Thursday nights and the associated men meet at the local tavern to enjoy each other’s company along with some friendly teasing. Most of them go way back as friends.
This is my second book in the Somerset Lake Series. If the next book were available, I would have followed up with an immediate read of it after The Good Luck Cafe. I will just have to be satisfied that there are two more books in the series that I can go back and pick up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: 1. #4 in the Somerset Lake Series, but can definitely be read as a standalone.
2. Although it is a clean and fun romance, it does address a few serious topics which I will not list because they would be spoilers.
3. I was simultaneously reading a book for my book club, but I read several chapters of this every day to keep the story going.
Publication: March 14, 2023—Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Memorable Lines:
When Doug was growing up, it had seemed like acquiring every new skill was a challenge. Doug never gave up though. He wasn’t a quitter. Gil had learned everything he knew about perseverance from his brother.
“Trust me, when you feel like you want to be alone you really need to be with the people who love you.”
“Relationships are hard, and they can be messy, but sometimes the things that complicate our lives are the things that make life worth living.”
The Sugarcreek Surprise–trusting again
The Sugarcreek Surprise
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
I was glad I returned to Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Creektown Discoveries series to read the second book, The Sugarcreek Surprise. Part way through the first book in the series, Brunstetter found her pace and upped her style. She maintained and even improved on it in this fictional tale of two young people who have been hurt by life and are afraid of renewed suffering if they give life a second chance—outside of the protective shell each one created.
Paul is betrayed by the woman he has been courting who drops him for his best friend. Lisa has survivor’s guilt when, as a child, her parents and grandparents are in a fatal car crash, but she alone survives. Fortunately, these two are mentored by loving relatives and friends. Life is not easy for either one of them and even more surprises are thrown their way as they cautiously try to open up to others.
I enjoyed this trip to Walnut Creek and Sugarcreek, Ohio. Lisa is a school teacher and I found the differences in her classroom
and the typical Englisch classroom fascinating. School extends only through eighth grade for the Amish. Although the children are typical for their ages in mischievousness and enthusiasm, they arrive with basic manners and parental expectations for good behavior. Paul has an excellent work ethic and is skilled in carpentry. Both are committed Christians and practice their faith through Amish customs. They learn to pray more and trust God more. Witnessing how Amish practices play out in our current world is interesting. This book makes it clear that there are benefits and hardships to contemplate about both Englisch and Amish lifestyles.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Barbour Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. #2 in the Creektown Discoveries Series, but could be read as a standalone because the main characters first appear in this book.
2. The book ends with recipes and discussion questions
Publication: March 1, 2022—Barbour Publishing
Memorable Lines:
Even snippets from the past, which sometimes flitted through her mind, caused Lisa to feel fearful and despondent. She’d convinced herself that the only way she could be happy was to keep her focus on the present and refuse to give in to thoughts of the past.
The Lord knows each of us very well. He also knows what needs to happen for each of us at the proper time.
“Fear doesn’t stop death; it stops life. And worrying doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles; it takes away today’s peace.”
The Christmas Calendar Girls–an advent calendar that helps others
The Christmas Calendar Girls
by Samantha Tonge
Fern, Davina, and Cara bond over children who attend the same school in Birchwood Estate. With different personalities and strengths they value each other rather than hold jealousies. In The Christmas Calendar Girls by Samantha Tonge, the ladies work together to save the food bank that is a lifeline for so many in the community, from the addict to the unemployed parent struggling to provide.
It’s the busy Christmas season and late to begin a project to raise money, but Fern has an idea to save the food bank and engender community spirit and good will. Her friends jump on board to help.
All is not smooth sailing, however, with the project and its changing deadlines or in the “calendar girls’ ” personal lives. Fern is a widowed journalist trying to find a new normal for herself and her daughter Lily. Perhaps she is ready to have a relationship again. Kit, a former client of the food bank, stirs her heart, but is he ready for romance? Davina has always been close to her twin boys, but the more sensitive of the two begins pulling away and the pair get into a fight at school. Cara is fantastic with food, very creative, and a doting, stay-at-home mom. Suddenly she seems to have lost it all as she burns foods, uses the wrong ingredients, and forgets school notices and weather appropriate clothing for her kids. She fears the onset of early dementia.
Watching these characters grow as they lean on each other and gradually reveal their secrets and rooting for them as they try to help those less fortunate, makes for a gentle, interesting, and inspiring story. Birchwood Estate will never be the same.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Aria for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Publication: October 3, 2019—Aria
Memorable Lines:
That’s what Cara’s homely place was like…If it was a person it would have been a welcoming aunt, who always had your favorite biscuits in and never forgot to send birthday money.
“Bringing everyone together, friends and family, over food and drink, with the purpose of helping people facing difficult times…your idea really does encapsulate everything that the festive season should be about.”
Sometimes I worried I’d never meet another man. I didn’t need one to look after myself and Lily. But I wanted the company. The closeness. I missed that.
education pathways 