Need You Now by Beth Wiseman

When big-city life threatens the safety of one of their children, Brad and Darlene Henderson move with their three teenagers from Houston to the tiny town of Round Top, Texas.

Adjusting to small-town life is difficult for the kids, especially fifteen-year-old Grace who is coping in a dangerous way.

Married life hasn’t always been bliss, but their strong faith has carried Brad and Darlene through the difficult times. When Darlene takes a job outside the home for the first time in their marriage, the domestic tension rises.

While working with special needs children at her new job, the widowed father of one of the students starts paying more attention to Darlene than is appropriate. Problem is, she feels like someone is listening to her for the first time in a long time.

If Darlene ever needed God . . . it’s now.

Experience a family’s triumph over lies, betrayal, and loss while still clinging to the One who matters most.

My thoughts...

I really liked this book, it's the first Beth Wiseman book I've read and it makes me want to check out her Amish stories. The main character is easy to get to know, Darlene, a wife and mom who loves her husband and children dearly. Their lives have gotten better since leaving the city and her children seem to be adjusting well. Things are good so she takes a full time job. Then things begin to fall apart. I could feel Darlene's pain as she faces a problem with her oldest daughter and discovers things about her husband that sends her to the arms of another man.

The characters are realistic and likeable, God is intertwined throughout the story. Overall, a very enjoyable book.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall

Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather. Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge.

But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time amongst the cherry trees with the Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite are drawn.

Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm?

My thoughts.....

Not only is the book cover charming but the story itself is, it's such an enjoyable read. This book has it all... heartbreak, betrayal, romance. The characters are so real, interesting, and likeable. Each has their own problems to deal with and reading their story is compelling and inspiring.
I learned about the differences between the Amish and the Mennonite communities and could visualize the cherry blossoms.

If you love Amish fiction you'll love this book!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Prize of my Heart by Lisa Norato

Massachusetts, 1815.
Will His Love Endure Once He Learns Her Secret?

Three years ago, Captain Brogan Talvis's late wife abandoned their son, leaving no clue as to the boy's whereabouts. After searching relentlessly, Brogan discovers his son was adopted by a New England shipbuilder. And the man's daughter, Lorena Huntley, acts as loving guardian to the child.

Lorena, who hides a dark truth, finds herself falling for the handsome captain and ex-privateer who's come to secure ownership of one of her father's ships. She's unaware of Brogan's own secret when another's deceit has her sailing toward Europe against her will.

Haunted by thoughts of Lorena in peril, Brogan is compelled to choose between the boy he longs for and the woman who has captured his heart.

My thoughts...

Set in 1815 Massachusetts you can't help but fall in love with the characters in this heartwarming story. Norato did her research well as you feel you are right in the midst of the shipping industry.
This book has secrets you can't guess, there are many twists and turns that makes it a fun read even though you know there is a romance brewing. A good clean read full of biblical truths. I enjoyed it!

ISBN: 978-0-7642-0942-0
Price: $14.99

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Stand By Me by Neta Jackson

Sometimes the person you most need is the one least like you.

Kathryn Davies is a bright young woman from a prominent Phoenix family. But after making a leap of faith at a Christian music fest, dropping out of med school, and moving to inner city Chicago, her family has all but disowned her. Kat’s enthusiasm for her newfound faith tempers the sting of their rejection.

When Kat discovers SouledOut Community Church, she longs to become a part of the multi-cultural church family. But her tendency to say whatever she’s thinking and her eccentric ways step on the toes of nearly everyone she meets—especially Avis Douglass, a woman she admires but who seems distant.

Avis is known for her mature faith and her reliance on listening to God more than people. Married to a kind and successful businessman, she is the principal of one of Chicago’s highest performing elementary schools, and a founding and active member of SouledOut. But the country’s economic downturn has thrown both her and her husband’s jobs in question. And Avis hasn’t heard from her youngest daughter in months—an estrangement that gnaws at her every day. Where is God in all this?

Kat’s flamboyant zeal for living a “radical” Christian life is a stark contrast to Avis’s quiet crisis of faith. But in God’s own mysterious ways, the two women discover they need each other in ways neither of them expected.

My thoughts...

Loved this book! Neta Jackson is one of my favorite writers, this book did not disappoint me. Getting to know one of the original Yada Yada Prayer Group women even better is such a pleasure. This series of books are at the top of my list and "Stand By Me" is right there with them. We all have problems but some people have more than their share and it seems like Avis is one of those people but God intervenes in an unexpected way and hope is restored. Kat is young and sometimes annoying to the people around her but her motives are pure. The relationship between these two women progresses slowly and Avis reminds us, the older women are to mentor the younger women in Christ.

I highly recommend this book as well as the original series, you will love every character, certainly identify with at least one of them, and look as forward to the next book as I am!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.