Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Naomi's Hope by Jan Drexler


When the future is threatened by the past, can Naomi trust herself to make the right choice?






Hey Readers, I have another amazing book I just finished that I need to tell you about.
My newest "Must Read" is Naomi's Hope by Jan Drexler and it was a heartfelt story that you must read if:

  • You have read any books by Suzanne Woods Fisher or Jan Drexler  :)
  • You like Amish Fiction
  • You want to read a heartfelt story of love, loss and faith
  • You are just looking for a great story.

So here is the story, 
Naomi’s hope is the story of Cap Stoltzfus who had just arrived to the Indiana Amish community.  He is a bit intrigued about his new neighbors Naomi Schrock and her son Davey. Cap having lost his wife and son several years ago, immediately takes a liking to Davey because his son would have been about his age. When he discovers that Davey’s mom Naomi is single, it just gives him another reason to hang out with his new neighbors.

Naomi tried not to think about Cap, with his golden brown eyes. Not that it really matters though, She knows that she is not pretty and that no one would ever want her especially since she is slightly cross-eyed.  But she has come to the realization that she was meant to be single... At least she has Davey. When a new Preacher arrives and becomes part of their community, She immediately dislikes him but she is not sure why.  She knows that Cap does not trust him because they grew up together and he was a bully when he was younger, but maybe there is more to it. The more Naomi and Cap watch the new Preacher, the more worried they are because it appears that he has a hidden agenda.
Cap is excited that Naomi seems to be warming up to him. It hurts him to see how guarded and over-protective she is with Davey. She finally opens up to him and tells him how she adopted Davey when she found him after the rest of his family were killed in a horrible tragedy.  Everything appears to be going well within the community and between Naomi and Cap when suddenly, The Church is divided. It appears that the people from one side of the county were convinced that they should not have to travel to go to church, when Naomi’s side just had a few miles to walk to get there.
 Then a family comes claiming they are Davey’s living relatives on his mother’s side and that they have been looking everywhere for him.  Naomi is torn between letting her son go with this family that claims to be his relatives or forcing him to stay with her. She does not want to be selfish and has left the choice up to him, but will Davey go with this family? Will Cap be able to comfort Naomi either way?

When everything around them is going wrong, will they be able to hold on their faith, knowing God is always watching out for them?


What did I think?
So this is book 3 of the Journey to Pleasant Prairie series but it definitely could be read as a stand-alone. This book is the classic case of Do not judge a book by its cover, the cover does not look very exciting but even though the plot is simple it is intriguing as well and made the book hard to put down. The author does a great job writing the story from both Cap and Naomi’s point of view. The book is filled with everything; romance, faith, love and a tiny bit of suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and overall would rate the book, 5 out of 5 stars*****




If you would like to check out the first two books in the series or other books by this author , Here is the link:   http://www.jandrexler.com/books.html


Happy Reading :)


  I would like to thank Revell , A division of Baker Publishing Group for allowing me to review this book in exchange for a free copy, I was not required to write a favorable review, just an honest one.





Thursday, June 15, 2017

The Divide by Jolina Petersheim


Leora wrestles with the decision between having faith and taking action, Just how much will her shifting landscape change her?





Hey Readers,
I have a new book to add to your "Must Read List".
It is an interesting, thought provoking new book called The Divide by Jolina Petersheim.
I would recommend this book if you:
  • Like Post Apocalyptic stories  
  • Wanted to read a book with suspense, romance and faith.
  • Read the first book,  The Alliance
  • Want to read a Mennonite story that is unlike ANY Amish/Mennonite story you have ever read.


So let me tell you a bit about the story.
The Divide by Jolina Petersheim  is the gripping conclusion of the Alliance. It is the story of  Leora Ebersole  a young Mennonite girl  who is living in a very difficult time.  There was an EMP attack that destroyed anything that ran on electricity and has left the world in chaos. The Mennonites were not as affected by the attack because they lived off the land and there lives did not revolve around electronics ( such as cars, cell phones, refrigerators, stoves, grocery stores, etc..) But when the people on the outside ( Englischers) discovered that they had food, they raided and attacked the Mennonite community, The Mennonites were given a choice, fight or run. Because the Mennonites are against any violence, they decided to leave their homes and find a new place to live.
 *WARNING*  Possible Spoiler alert if you have not read the first book, because this book begins where the last book left off.
It has been 6 months since they left their homes and already they are facing extreme hardships. Winter is upon them and they do not have enough food.  They are finding it harder to keep their faith but they know that God will take care of them and sustain them. Then tragedy strikes the community.  Several members have gotten sick and died. Leora is really having a hard time accepting that this is what God wants for her and her family and many times she second guesses their decision to run.  But everyday she gets up and helps were she can and then goes to the front gate  to see if her Englischer friend Moses Hughes has returned but she fears that he is dead.  When her Grandmother dies, she is devastated and decides to go with her brother and venture outside the community to see what's left of their home.  When they arrive , They are heartbroken when they see what is left, The Englischers had burned their home down and trashed their fields. The only good thing that came out of her trip was that she discovered that Moses had been severely injured, But was alive and was a part of a militia camp several miles away.  Leora is torn between searching for Moses ( whom she fell in love with) or returning to the community. After a couple of minutes, they decide to go back to the community but before they can get home, they are met with opposition when a solider with the ARC (The Agricultural Resurgence Commission) tries to take them to a work camp. Forced to make a horrible decision, Leora decides to use violence to guarantee hers and her brothers freedom. When she gets back to the Community, she tries to pretend that nothing happened but her actions weigh heavy on her heart.  As the days continue and several more of the members die due to the sickness,  Leora is having a even harder time holding onto her faith and the things she was taught since she was born. Surely, God does not want them living like this, But what should she do?
Should she go and find Moses? Should she stay and marry her friend Jabil, who has asked for her hand and has patiently waited for her?
But then they discover an even greater threat, The ARC are convinced that the Mennonites are the key to learning to live off the land and want to capture them and make them work at a work camp. Can Leora, Moses and the Community protect its members without violence or will they perish by the hand of the enemy?

You will have to read the book to find out! ( I can't give away everything that happens in the story)


So what did I think? 
First this is a continuation of the story started in The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim and I would not recommend reading this book as a stand alone because you should know what happened before so that you will be able to understand the events that occur during this book, I still like the characters, how they have to stick together in order to survive and how even though at times, both Leora and Moses question and wrestle with their faith, they did not give into the lie that God did not care about them.
 I also liked way the Author describes the scenery and landscapes in the book.  But what I did not like was all the violence and bloodshed in the book. No it was not graphic but it was more then I wanted to read about. I do understand that we cannot be naive and if an event like this happened, that there would be violence but still, I did not enjoy reading those parts. Overall, It was a great conclusion to an interesting story.  I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. ****


If you would like more info on this book or the first book in the series, Here is the link:
http://www.jolinapetersheim.com/books/







Happy Reading :)


I would like to thank Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was not asked to write a favorable review, Just a honest one.

 

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Threads of Suspicion by Dee Henderson


 "God appreciates justice even more then we do, so it makes sense that He'd be interested in helping us find it." - David Marshal, Threads of Suspicion




 Hey Readers,
I have a new book for you to check out called Threads of Suspicion by Dee Henderson. It is a interesting book showing the difficulties and trials that go into solving a crime, Especially one that has gone cold.
I would recommend this book if you:
  • Like any other books by Dee Henderson
  • Like to watch Police TV shows such as CSI or Conviction
  • Like to play the game of clue or solve mysteries with lots of twists and turns
  • want to read a new book =)



So Threads of Suspicion by Dee Henderson is the story of Lieutenant Evie Blackwell who has just joined the newly formed Missing Persons Task Force. Their job was to investigate cold cases where a missing person was never found and hopefully find the person or bring closure to their families. Because this Task Force was set up by the Governor, The political stakes are high so this team will have to quickly show results.  Evie is given the case of Jenna Greenhill, a college student who disappeared after attending a concert about ten years ago. Evie begins her investigation by looking into events before and after Jenna’s disappearance but nothing stands out. It appears that Jenna went to a Triple M concert with some friends of hers and then went home and was reported missing by her best friend three days after. As she looks at the reports, everything shows that Jenna was a sweet college girl who was liked by everyone but as Evie looks deeper than the reports, she finds people in Jenna’s circle that disliked her, who said that she was a two-faced cheater who liked to get what she could not have.  So which was it? She could not be both, Could she?   
Evie decides to look at it from a different angle; Maybe Jenna was taken by someone who has done this before. The crime seemed to be flawless, no clues anywhere, so it was definitely pre-meditated. Since it occurred after a concert, could it be someone who liked music? Could it have been someone jealous of Jenna’s musical talents?  As Evie digs deeper into her theory that Jenna's disappearance was connected to the concert, she discovers that there were a couple of other disappearances in the surrounding states that all occurred after a Triple M concert.    Could they be looking at a serial killer? If so why has he or she not struck in years?
As Evie pulls the threads of the case hoping to unravel the mystery behind Jenna’s disappearance, will she be able to find out who did it and protect the next girl?                            


What did I think? 
First this is book 2 in the Evie Blackwell Cold Case Series but I read it as a stand alone. The cover is kind of creepy and you find out what exactly is pictured but the story itself is not creepy at all.  The overall plot is good and it is very interesting how they go about solving a case that seems to have gone cold with no leads. The middle of the book seemed to lag a bit in the middle but being realistic, When solving a crime or a puzzle there are times when it seems like nothing is happening, so I guess it just made it more realistic. There is nothing graphic about the crimes except they do find a body. I liked Evie's partner David and his Girlfriend/fiancé Maggie but I was disappointed at the outcome of Evie and Rob's relationship. Overall it was a good book, I give it 3 out of 5 stars.***


If you want to find more info on this book or any of her other books, Just click on the link below. http://www.deehenderson.com/






Happy Reading :)


  I would like to thank Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy. I was not asked to write a favorable review, Just a honest one.