Saturday, December 14, 2019

An Amish Christmas Bakery




A "sweet" collection of stories by four authors.  I love any story, book or movie about the Amish.  I received this to review and was immediately immersed in the Christmas season within the Amish community.  I was in the mood for Christmas with 9 inches of snow on the ground and the fireplace making it nice and cozy inside.  I grabbed my cup of tea to enjoy and enjoyed I did.

The stories were all based in bakeries as the title indicates.  Who could resist reading about pies, cookies and cakes?  I was remembering my visits to Amish bakeries in Shipshewana.  I have never gone at Christmas but this book made me realize I am missing out.

I enjoyed all the stories.  Each one was a Christmas gift to read. Cookies and Cheer reminds us to not let the true  meaning of Christmas be lost in the Christmas madness.  Loaves of Love tells us to remember who you are and don't get caught up or trapped by the Christmas rush.  Melting Hearts expresses the true gift of Christmas is love and forgiveness.  Cakes and Kisses clarifies that GOD makes no mistakes.

Psalm 139:13-16 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.


I received this book for free from Celebrate Lit to review.

About the Book

Book:  An Amish Christmas Bakery
Author: Various Authors
Genre: Amish Fiction, Romance
Release Date: October 2, 2019
Amish Christmas BakeryFrom bestselling authors in the Amish genre come four delicious novellas perfect for celebrating love, joy, and the holiday season.
Cookies and Cheer by Amy Clipston
As Christmas draws near, Alyssa Byler dreams of a window display for the bakery where she works. When she decides to design and build a sugar cookie nativity scene, all she needs is the right cookie cutters-and handsome blacksmith Kyle Smoker is the one she asks for help. Using Kyle’s handmade cutters, Alyssa creates a striking display that brings more tourists to the bakery than she can handle.
And when shoppers request handmade cookie cutters of their own, Kyle finds himself overwhelmed by the demand. As Christmas approaches, Alyssa realizes she’s been too caught up in work to focus on the true meaning of Christmas-and too distracted to explore the feelings she has for Kyle. Together, they put aside the holiday rush and spend their time celebrating the season that has brought them together.
Loaves of Love by Beth Wiseman
As the only girl in a family of eight, Katie Swartzentruber has been left in charge of her family’s bakery while her mother recuperates from surgery. At first, Katie doesn’t think tending to the bakery alone will be difficult. She’s worked alongside her mother for years. But Christmas is coming, and with the holiday comes a flood of patrons, both regulars and tourists. When Katie becomes overwhelmed with the orders she is receiving, she is tempted to move her Old Order family into the modern world by purchasing propane ovens to help with the workload. She finds help from an unexpected source-childhood friend Henry Hershberger, who has harbored a secret crush on Katie for years. He’s been afraid to tell her how he feels, but he’s sure that this Christmas is his moment. As the demands of the bakery only get more intense, both Katie and Henry have to decide what really matters . . . and find the courage within themselves to go after it.
Melting Hearts by Kathleen Fuller
Mattie Shetler is an expert baker, so when her aunt Carolyn begs for help during the busy Christmas rush, Mattie eagerly packs her bags and heads to Birch Creek. What she doesn’t know is that her uncle has also asked for help with the bakery’s new expansion, and he’s asked none other than Peter Kaufman, Mattie’s sworn enemy. As the two work side by side, though, Mattie discovers not all is as it seems. With Christmas just around the corner, Mattie and Peter open their hearts for the greatest gifts of the season: forgiveness and maybe even love.
Cakes and Kisses by Kelly Irvin
Martha Ropp works hard at her family’s bakery, making cakes and pies in preparation not only for Christmas but the many community weddings, including her sister’s. To help during this busy season, Martha’s mother hires Ambrose Hershberger to make deliveries. Martha remembers Ambrose as a gentle giant from her school days, but soon discovers that still waters run deep. The more they work together, the more they want to spend time together outside of the bakery, but both Martha and Ambrose are too timid to make the first move. That’s when the town matchmakers step in.

Click here to get your copy.

Read an Excerpt

Read an excerpt of An Amish Christmas Bakery here.

Blog Stops

The Power of Words, December 7
The Avid Reader, December 7
Quiet Quilter, December 9
Life as Lanhams, December 10
Britt Reads Fiction, December 10
D’S QUILTS &BOOKS, December 10
Emily Yager, December 11
Texas Book-aholic, December 11
Older & Smarter?, December 13
janicesbookreviews, December 13
Bigreadersite, December 14
Batya’s Bits, December 14
For Him and My Family, December 14
Splashes of Joy, December 15
Lighthouse Academy, December 15
Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 15
EmpowerMoms, December 16
Hallie Reads, December 18
Mary Hake, December 18
A Reader’s Brain, December 20

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Rebel Bride by Shannon Mcnear




This book is part of The Daughters of the Mayflower Bride Series.  Each one has been fascinating to read as I love history and they are based on historical events.  This book is during the Civil War in Tennessee.

Can two individuals even think of a future together when they are on opposite sides?

Pearl had a lot on her plate without her cousin dropping off injured Union soldiers.  How will she cope?

 Joshua finds himself injured and in enemy territory.  Who can he trust?

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."

This Bible verse is one that Pearl and Joshua could learn from.  We are never alone.  GOD gives us strength.

I received this free to review from Baker Books.



Sunday, November 17, 2019

Lake Season

Great story that gives you two stories for the price of one.  Molly and Adam both were hurt from the past.  They carried this burden every day, a heavy load to carry.  A letter long forgotten brings healing and love.

Molly and her siblings sacrificed to fulfill their parents' dreams.  In the process, Molly was able to fulfill hers.

Adam hid who he was.  But at what cost?

The book took me to the lake.  I wanted to stay at the B&B.  It sounded so relaxing and quaint.  Have you ever stayed at a B & B? I have a few times.  It is a great experience.  Who wouldn't enjoy Miss Della's muffins?

I received this free to review from Celebrate Lit.

Blog Stops

The Power of Words, November 12
Mia Reads, November 13
Back Porch Reads, November 13
Carla Loves To Read, November 14
All-of-a-kind Mom, November 14
Among the Reads, November 14
Genesis 5020, November 14
Wishful Endings, November 15
CarpeDiem, November 15
Older & Smarter?, November 16
Cultivating Us, November 16
Inside the Wong Mind, November 16
Sara Jane Jacobs, November 17
Avid Reader Nurse, November 17
For Him and My Family, November 18
Jeanette’s Thoughts, November 18
Splashes of Joy, November 18
Robin’s Nest, November 19
Mary Hake, November 19
Baker Kella, November 19
Simple Harvest Reads, November 20 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
SusanLovesBooks, November 20
Vicky Sluiter, November 21
Quiet Quilter, November 22
Andrea Christenson, November 22
Pause for Tales, November 22
Hallie Reads, November 23
Texas Book-aholic, November 24
janicesbookreviews, November 24
A Reader’s Brain, November 24
Inklings and notions, November 24
Batya’s Bits, November 25
Livin’ Lit, November 25
Remembrancy, November 25

About the Book

Book: Lake Season
Author: Denise Hunter
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 12, 2019
Lake SeasonA lost letter, a new love, and old secrets beckon this summer at the Bluebell Inn.
When their parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her siblings pull together to fulfill their parents’ dream: turning their historic Bluebell, North Carolina home back into an inn. The situation would just be temporary—three years at the most—then they would sell the inn and Molly could get back to chasing her own dreams.
Adam Bradford (aka bestselling author Nathanial Grey) is a reclusive novelist with a bad case of writer’s block. Desperate for inspiration as his deadline approaches, he travels to the setting of his next book, a North Carolina lake town. There he immediately meets his muse, a young innkeeper who fancies herself in love with his alter ego.
Molly and Adam strike up an instant friendship. When Molly finds a long-lost letter in the walls of her inn she embarks on a mission with Adam to find the star-crossed lovers and bring them the closure they deserve. But Adam has secrets of his own. Past and present collide as truths are revealed, and Molly and Adam will have to decide if love is worth trusting.

About the Author

Hunter Denise
Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom, which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly approaching an empty nest. To learn more about Denise, visit her website DeniseHunterBooks.com; Facebook: AuthorDeniseHunter; Twitter: @DeniseAHunter; Instagram: deniseahunte of one!! 

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