The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma Review, Giveaway and Facebook Live

{MORE ABOUT THE MELODY OF THE SOUL}
The Melody of the Soul (Gilead Publishing, January 2018)
Anna has one chance for survival—and it lies in the hands of her mortal enemy.
It’s 1943 and Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian living in Prague, has lost nearly everything. Most of her family has been deported, and the Nazi occupation ended her career as a concert violinist. Now Anna is left to care for her grandmother, and she’ll do anything to keep her safe—a job that gets much harder when Nazi officer Horst Engel is quartered in the flat below them.
Though musical instruments have been declared illegal, Anna defiantly continues to play the violin. But Horst, dissatisfied with German ideology, enjoys her soothing music. When Anna and her grandmother face deportation, Horst risks everything to protect them.
Anna finds herself falling in love with the handsome officer and his brave heart. But what he reveals might stop the music forever.

You can purchase a copy here.

{MORE ABOUT LIZ TOLSMA}

Best-selling novelist Liz Tolsma is the author of several World War II novels and prairie romance novellas. She also works as a freelance editor. She lives in a semirural area of Wisconsin with her husband and two daughters. Her son serves with the US Marines. All of their chidlren came to them through international adoption. Her other passions include walking, gardening, camping, and reading.

My Thoughts:

I finished this book a couple of days ago and I am still trying to put my feelings into words. This book touched me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I actually had a dream that I was helping Anna escape and I was being chased by German soldiers. I woke up out of breath and scared out of my wits! I couldn't imagine how scared the Jewish people were living through that time period.

Anna and Horst are a very unlikely pair. A Jewish Christian and a Christian German soldier. Both are enemies by birth yet united spiritually by choice. Together we join them as they try to survive the German occupation in Prague and keep others from the death chambers.

Frederick Delius a British composer said that Music is the outburst of the soul. He couldn't be more correct. I grew up not only listening to music, but singing in choir at church. Besides reading, I turn to music when I am sad, or need encouragement. So, it doesn't surprise me that during this most horrible time in history music was not only a comfort to the Jewish people enduring the Holocaust but the German soldiers who were just doing a job out of fear for their own death or acceptance by family. Although sadly some, nearly all of the German soldiers just hated the Jewish people.

My Bottom Line:

This is an emotionally charged story that will impact how you see those that are different from you. And how hate of someone who is different whether in looks or beliefs can affect how we see ourselves and how God sees us. Seeing hate consume others places a child of God in the position to go along with those who hate, or choose to love as He has loved us. 1 John 4:19 - We love because He first loved us. (NIV)
This is a must read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Keep kleenex close, and be prepared to be challenged as not only a human but a believer. I highly recommend it! I know it's just January but I know this will be on my favorites list for 2018.

Travel back in time to 1943 and meet Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian and concert violinist whose career is ended because of Nazi occupation in Prague. Don't miss the new historical novel, The Melody of the Soul, by Liz Tolsma. Though musical instruments have been declared illegal, Anna defiantly continues to play the violin. But Officer Horst Engel, quartered in Anna's flat and dissatisfied with German ideology, enjoys her soothing music. When Anna and her grandmother face deportation, Horst risks everything to protect them.

Join Liz Tolsma and other bookworms for a Facebook Live event on February 6, plus enter to win Liz's prize pack giveaway!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• One copy of The Melody of the Soul
• A garnet bracelet
• A box of Czech Republic chocolate

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 6. The winner will be announced at Liz's Facebook Live Party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Liz and other readers, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and Facebook Live party via social media and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 6th!

The Pretender: A Blackguard in Disguise by Ta'Mara Hanscom

About the book:

My Jean-Marc’s uncle was married to an English woman, and she told us once, a very long time ago, that in this world there are men of two kinds. The one, the knight, is the man possessing only strength and quality of moral character. He will never ask a lady to compromise her honor for less than a vow, and never, ever will he consider another once he has captured her heart. A knight keeps his vow, even when it hurts, and the honor of a knight is a thing a country is built upon. A knight comes along only seldom these days.
Now, a blackguard is a man who can be found quite easily, for it is an easy thing to be a blackguard. He attempts to trick the young ladies into taking him home and caring for him, making them believe their honor can be given away as a mere trifle, offering no vow, and making only human demands. The blackguard is to be avoided at all costs, for to settle for someone like him is to settle for something less than ideal.
In the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, Tillie Caselli promises to marry Noah Hansen. Theirs’ was a love intended to last, and their promises were never to be broken. But when there’s an illusion of unfaithfulness, the result is an error in judgment—an error that changes the course of lives.
Epic romance, global adventure, ethnic passion, and Christian values inspire this new series.




My Thoughts:

This is one of those times when choosing a book based on the attractiveness of it's cover is not always a good thing. When I received the request to review this book the story sounded intriguing and the cover really piqued my interest so I agreed to review it. I barely read through chapter one when I realized that this wasn't really a story, it was just words on a page and I was bored to tears. I tried several times to get into the book but just couldn't. I finally gave up and put it down. I honestly hate doing that and hate saying that, but it is the honest truth for me.
Unfortunately, I can't recommend this book.



Despite just meeting each other, Tillie and Noah's lives have been mysteriously intertwined for many years in Ta'Mara Hanscom's The Pretender. From the moment they met, Tillie and Noah wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but a deliberate omission will keep them apart-and that same omission will be responsible for the escape of a murderer, and a bride's deception.


Join Ta'Mara in celebrating the release of the second printing and new covers by entering to win her $75 prize basket giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

A copy of The Pretender

A $75 Amazon gift card

A decorative box containing measuring cups, ten recipes from the book, a potholder, a kitchen towel, pepper and salt grinders, kitchen utensils, and an olive oil dispenser

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on October 11. The winner will be announced October 12 on the Litfuse blog.

Beyond Hope's Valley - Reviewed

Book Blurb:
After an extended stay in Montana, where Amish traditions are different than in her home state, Marianna Sommer returns to Indiana for two reasons, first to help her brother and his girlfriend prepare for a baby and their wedding. Second, to plan her own wedding to Aaron Zook -- a marriage she’s been dreaming about ever since childhood. And yet, although she had missed the idyllic farms and families of her upbringing, Marianna is surprised that Indiana is somehow making her long now for Montana.

As months pass, secrets that were hidden in winter’s frozen grasp thaw and take on a life of their own. The truths about a child, about a past relationship, and about God’s plans are being revealed. Walking through a valley of questions, Marianna must hold on to hope as she decides where and with whom her heart truly belongs.

My Thoughts:  Marianna has returned to Pennsylvania after being in Montana. She has returned to help her brother and his girlfriend prepare for a baby, and to plan for her own wedding to the man she has dreamed of marrying since childhood, Aaron Zook. Things don't go as planned because what is done in darkness come to the light, and things get quickly put on hold.
Tricia's characters are real and full of depth. As with Beside Still Waters and Along Wooded Paths this book is rich in detail and depth. If you haven't read the first two you will want to to get a better feel for the characters and story. If you have read the previous ones you don't want to miss this one! Tricia has definitely done her homework and written a novel that will have you turning pages! I highly recommend this!

Blue Moon Promise - Reviewed

About the book:
Book Number One in the Under Texas Stars series

A love like Lucy and Nate’s only comes along once in a blue moon . . .

Lucy Marsh's worldly resources are running out, but she's fiercely determined to care for her younger brother and sister. When she discovers that their father's recent death was no accident, Lucy is eager to leave town. She accepts a proxy marriage she believes will provide safe refuge. But trouble follows her to Texas where her new husband is surprised to suddenly have a wife and children to care for.

Nate Stanton always hoped he'd marry someday, but running the family ranch meant he had no time for romance. When his father deposits Lucy Marsh—a city girl—on his doorstep, with two siblings in the bargain, he expects ranch life will send her running on the first train out of town. But Lucy is made of tougher stuff than Nate imagined. When danger moves in, Nate finds he'd give anything to protect Lucy and the children he's grown to love. Even if it means giving up his ranch.



About Colleen:http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Best-selling author Colleen Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.

For more about Colleen and her other books visit www.colleencoble.com

Link to buy the book: http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595549153&title=Under_Texas_Stars_#1__:_Blue_Moon_Promise

About the party: PLEASE USE THIS TEXT & HTML CODE FOR THE BUTTON – THE GRAPHIC & LINK ARE EMBEDDED!

Blue Moon Promise is a story of hope, romance, and suspense . . . immersing the reader in a rich historical tale set under Texas stars.

To celebrate Colleen is teaming up with her publisher Thomas Nelson for a "Blue Moon Promise" Facebook Chat party where she will giveaway a KINDLE Fire and a Texas-sized gift basket (fabulous Texas treats and fun Lucy-inspired housekeeping products)!

Click the banner, RSVP today for the Facebook Party and mark the date on your calendar!http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Invite your friends and don't miss Colleen's evening of chat, trivia, prizes, and more.

Button Code:
Kindle Giveaway and More! Save the Date - 3/13!

Blog tour schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13458569/bluemoonpromise)

My Thoughts: Loved, Loved, Loved this book! Lucy is living in Chicago with her siblings Jed and Eileen working as a seamstress. She arrives home one day to find out the boarding house she's been living in is being sold and she has one week to find another place to live. In walks Henry Stanton with a plan of his own. He wants a wife for his son and he proposes to Lucy that she marry his son Nate right then and there, the children will have a place to live, as will she, and Nate gave him power to act on his behalf. Lucy's world begins to spin out of control. She's not sure she should do this but she does, and when she returns to Texas with Nate's father Nate is shocked and a tid bit mad, to say the least. Lucy is determined to prove she can be a ranchers wife, not to mention there are some bad guys after them.

Colleen pulled me in from page one and didn't let up until the last page! I fell in love with little Eileen and Jed. I can't wait till the 2nd book in this series. I highly recommend this book!

Mornings With Jesus - Review & GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Book Blurb:
"Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence. Fohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifr those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day life. With a warm and friendly voice, 365 short devotional writings on the character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing near to Him and inviting His presence into their day. Spend time with Jesus at the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way throughout the year. Each day’s selection includes: • a Bible verse • an entry based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity • a “faith step” that will inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives

Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/8BbyO

Blog tour schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452857

My Thoughts: I am really enjoying this devotional. The ladies that have contributed have written inspiring daily readings. Today's reading for February 24th talks about wise counsel, how King Rehoboam, Soloman's son made a bad decision on whose advice to take. Camy Tang who wrote today's devotional asks, how can we know that the counsel is wise? God gave us His spirit, and His spirit nudges us in ways that we don't always understand but it is toward His will. That is so true!

I have an extra copy of this book to giveaway! To enter you must be a follower of my blog and say so in your comment, leave an email address where I can reach you. To receive an extra entry you can tweet about this give away then come back and leave the tweet link in a comment. You can also blog about it and come back and leave the blog link in a comment. The giveaway will start today, Friday, February 24th and I will pull the winner on Friday, March 9th. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

The Sound of Red Returning - Reviewed

Book Blurb:
After losing everyone she loves, concert pianist Liesl Bower has nowhere to go but to escape into her music. Searching for the peace she usually finds in her concertos and sonatas, Liesl can't shake the feeling that she is being haunted by her past . . . and by someone following her. When she spots a familiar and eerie face in the audience of a concert she's giving for the president in Washington, DC, the scariest day of her life comes back to her with a flash. It has been fifteen years since Liesl watched her beloved Harvard music mentor assaulted on a dark night in Moscow and just as long since the CIA disclosed to her that he'd been spying for Russia. She had seen that man--that eerie face--the night Professor Devoe was attacked. And now he's back--and coming for her.

On the run and struggling to rely on the protection of CIA agent Ava Mullins and handsome newspaper reporter Cade O'Brien, Liesl learns she is the prey of an underground cell of Russian KGB agents determined to restore their country to its former Soviet might. But what she doesn't know is that she is in possession of something--a piece of sheet music--that Russian intelligence is now frantic to find. Inside that music is a secret code, the hidden transcriptions of her deceased mentor, that clearly identify a Russian mole operating inside Israel's Department of Defense, a mole with enough power and access to execute a daring assassination that no one would see coming.

Caught in a deadly conflict between American and Russian undercover agents, this innocent young pianist is just trying to survive her own personal trauma. Through it all, Liesl must learn that no matter how dark her world grows or how fiercely her enemies pursue her, God is still in control--if only she can yield herself to His grace.

Win a Kindle Fire from @SueDuffy2 and @KregelBooks in the "Red Returning" Giveaway!

Sue Duffy and her publisher, Kregel Publications, are celebrating the release of The Sound of Red Returning by giving away a Kindle Fire prize package worth over $200 to one lucky winner!!!! (1/23-2/11)

Enter the Sue Duffy’s Giveaway today and you could win:



* A brand new Kindle Fire with Wi-Fi

* The Sound of Red Returning (Book One in the Red Returning series) by Sue Duffy



To enter click one of the icons below. But, hurry! The giveway ends on 2/11. Sue will be announcing the winner of the “Red Returning” Giveaway on February 13th on the Litfuse website!

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. 

Blog Tour Schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452833

My Thoughts: This was a very intriguing and interesting book. It pulled me right in from the beginning. Liesel was a character that you care about right from the beginning. The love story is not mushy or overly done. There is lots of action to keep you on the edge of your seat. This was the first book I have read of Sue Duffy, but it won't be my last! I highly recommend it!

Shadow of Your Smile - Susan May Warren

About the book: The Shadow of Your Smile

A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.
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After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it whttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifould. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/books/the-shadow-of-your-smile.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414334834/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=sprightly-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1414334834


About Susan: Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim withhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder ofwww.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at:www.susanmaywarren.com.



Come Back to Deep Haven and Win a $200 Visa Card from @SusanMayWarren!

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.



Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

• The entire set of Deep Haven Books

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

You can catch the other bloggers on tour here http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13448479



My Thoughts: Noelle and Eli have suffered a devastating loss, one parents should never have to go through, the loss of a child. Eli is a police officer and feels responsible for the death of his daughter and so he has chosen to spend his time fishing, "helping" a female friend whose husband was killed the same night his daughter was killed. Everything comes to a head when Noelle goes into the city and on the way home is involved in a burglary at a coffee shop. She is severely injured and looses 20 years of her life.
This book wrapped itself around my heart and didn't let go. These characters became apart of me, and I hurt for them and with them. As the pieces come together Eli and Noelle find healing, and it was a beautiful thing to see. Highly recommended!

Litfuse: Lasting Impression ~ Reviewed

A fake. A forger. More than anything, Claire Laurent longs for the chance to live an authentic life, to become the woman she wants to be. And she'll be given that choice. But will it come at too costly a price?


Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville only a year after the War Between the States has ended, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe. She considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But after he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged the man. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville's society, Claire believes her dream to create a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach--but only if her fraudulent past remains hidden.


The Federal Army has destroyed Sutton's home and confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him and to right a grievous wrong reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined--as well as the woman he loves.Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves--and each other--for who they really are.



Tamera Alexander is a best-selling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in Nashville Tennessee, along with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.


For more information please visit www.tameraalexander.com

Enter to win one of Tamera's fabulous prizes and RSVP for Facebook Party on 11/15!

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764206222/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=sprightly-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0764206222&adid=1SZK3Y9GZE37X3HZPY6J

A Lasting Impression Giveaways and Facebook Party!

Beginning November 4th, Tamera's celebrating the release of her novel with a KINDLE FIRE Giveaway. Then on November 15th she'll be wrapping up the release of A Lasting Impression with a lavish Southern-Style Author Chat Party on Facebook!
One grand prize winner will receive:

A Brand New Kindle Fire (shipped as soon as it releases)http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
A copy of A Lasting Impression and 3 other special books Tamera wants you to have (for Kindle)But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on November 15th. Winner will be announced at A Lasting Impression Facebook Party on the 15th. Tamera will be wrapping up the A Lasting Impression celebration with an author chat and giving away Southern Food Baskets (Loveless Cafe Food Baskets, books, Amazon & Starbucks gift certificates, and copies of Christy Jordan's Southern Plate cookbook), six gift certificates to Starbucks and Amazon.com, and copies of A Lasting Impression! So grab your copy of A Lasting Impression (it's okay if you don't have one yet- you might win one!) and join Tamera on the evening of November 15th for an author chat, a trivia contest (How much do you know about the 1860's?) and lots of Southern-inspired giveaways:
http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13436980

Enter to win one of Tamera's fabulous prizes and RSVP for Facebook Party on 11/15!

My Thoughts: Claire is a gifted painter and she wants to paint what she wants but her father is determined to have her make copies of other artists work so he can sell them to pay for their expenses. One night while Claire is out their place is destroyed, her father is injured, and she is shipped off to Tennessee. She had decided that she no longer wanted to make reproductions, she wants to paint something of worth, make a name for herself. Tamera brings to live a beautiful novel, set in a beautiful place. I felt like I had enjoyed a great meal after I had finished it.

GLAEN REVIEW

Book Description: In a world where love is romanticized by vampires and far-off adventures of undying love-at-first-sight, audiences don’t always have the opportunity to read stories that reflect God's design for love. Author Fred Lybrand takes an in-depth look into relationships and dating, plus a little common sense for the real day-to-day world, in his latest book, Glaen.

Lybrand has chosen a unique and effective way to present his knowledge of human relationships and romance by creating a storyline that allows readers to walk alongside believable characters as they discover and explore an exciting and more effective way to relate to those with whom they will share life’s most intimate relationships. Having spent more than twenty-four years as a pastor, Lybrand is deeply involved in caring for people, and he wants others to know the freedom that can be found in relating to others truthfully and without pretense.

Glean introduces the character of Annie Hughes just as she suffers the loss of one of life’s foundational relationships—her parents’ marriage. As a graduate student, Annie suddenly finds herself at a loss to understand how any relationship finds and maintains lifetime staying power, especially a relationship as intimate as marriage.


When Annie meets her professor new writing professor, a rather unconventional teacher named Glaen, her life is set upon a path of both self-discovery and the exploration of romantic relationships. She begins this class with the intention to help others but quickly learns that she must first develop a teachable spirit, and her own faith proves to be the pivotal starting point for her journey. Annie then begins to honestly explore how men and women relate to one another as God designed them to do.

Lybrand’s character development of Annie Hughes allows him to outline several foundational truths. Using Annie’s “research” and “journal” entries as the vehicle to present thought-provoking ideas to the reader, Lybrand first uncovers the lies of a secular world-view and then counters those lies with the truth of God’s design for the marriage relationship. These observations are made even clearer as the reader observes Annie’s interaction with other couples and friends who are in the process of dating and considering marriage. As she questions her friends’ choices, she also takes an honest look at the relationships she is developing within her own life.


Annie’s discoveries are both simple and profound, and truth itself proves to be the foundation upon which all relationships hinge. The discovery that truth can only operate effectively within a relationship when people relate to one another without pretense and unrealistic expectations proves to be life-changing for the characters in many ways.

The life changing principles found in Glaen are the gems Lybrand wants readers to take from the story and experience in their own lives and relationships. Thus, Glaen is a book that demands a second reading, as those who read its story will want to go through it again and highlight and examine the truths Annie uncovers throughout her journey. This book will serve as a great teaching tool for parents to use with their children as well as for church leaders guiding couples who are seeking a more satisfying marriage relationship.

My Review: As a woman who has was married to the same man for over 20, who was my childhood sweetheart, who I am now divorced from I found this book very interesting. You have Annie whose parent's are separating, which from watching my own children is devestating at any age; her best friend thinks every guy she's with is "the one" which is just unnerving, and you have her little sister who treats her boyfriend as arm candy, and you have Annie who just isn't sure about herself in a relationship. I really liked this book. I found it to be very refreshing and unique. While this is a great book to read and enjoy it would also be a great book for a single's group to read and discuss, a couple's small group. I highly recommend this book!

My Review of The Choice by Suzanne Fisher

Book Description:

Lancaster County has always been her home--but where does her heart belong?

One moment Carrie Weaver was looking forward to running away with Lancaster Barnstormers pitcher Solomon Riehl--plans that included leaving the Amish community where they grew up. The next moment she was staring into a future as broken as her heart. Now, Carrie is faced with a choice. But will this opportunity be all she hoped? Or will this decision, this moment in time, change her life forever?

A tender story of love, forgiveness, and looking below the surface, The Choice uncovers the sweet simplicity of the Amish world--and shows that it's never too late to find your way back to God.

My Review: Ms Fisher is a new author to me, yet Amish fiction is not. I must say I was quite taken by this book. Carrie is a character you can't help but fall in love with. While there is definitely some difficult issues being dealt with in the book, there is warmth and laughter. I think the Christian Fiction Amish writers have some NEW competition in Ms. Fisher! If you like Amish fiction I highly recommend this one!