Book Review: The House that Love Built

The House that Love Built

By Beth Wiseman

Book Description: Brooke has only loved one man, her late husband. Owen’s rebuilding after a painful divorce. Can a mysterious house bring them together for a second chance at love?

In the charming town of Smithville, Texas, Brooke Holloway is raising two young children on her own, supporting them by running the family hardware store. The last thing on her mind is falling in love. But she’s intrigued when a stranger moves to town and buys the old Hadley mansion. She’s always heard that house holds a secret—maybe even a treasure—and she can’t wait to see inside. When she meets the new owner and they spend time together, she can’t deny the attraction. Could God be giving her another chance at happiness? Or is she betraying her late husband’s memory by even thinking that way?
Owen Saunders bought the Hadley place to spite his cheating ex-wife. She’d always wanted to restore an old house in Smithville. Now he’s going to do it without her. But if anything needs restoration, it is Owen’s heart. Then he meets Brooke and her kids and finds himself tempted by love. Can he bring himself to trust a woman again?
Throw an eccentric uncle into the mix, along with the town’s teenage troublemaker, and even a finicky cat—and one thing becomes clear: God is bringing them all together for a reason.
My Thoughts: Beth Wiseman is such a great romance writer. I've read almost all of Beth Wiseman's Amish novels, and I have loved each one. The House That Love Built is the first of her contemporary novels that I've read and I was not disappointed. I love this new book and wasn’t at all disappointed by the fact that it steers away from her previous books. As always Beth draws you in and makes you feel like you are part of the story. She makes you feel as if your walking right along side the characters as you follow their journey.
I love that this story isn't just about the main characters, Brooke and Owen, but about everyone who comes to the old house.It seems it is not only the house that needs fixed up, but also every character needs some hope, healing or forgiveness. Although some other reviewers find that it takes away from the story some and makes the book to muddled but I found it to be refreshing and loved getting to know other other characters.
I truly enjoyed this story and cant wait to see what Beth writes next.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

“Spring in Your Step” Mom Meet-Up with Children’s Claritin

 

I love being part of the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew. This Spring we were given the opportunity to host a “Spring in Your Step” Mom Meet-Up. With our baby due any day now, I took the opportunity to get a small play date in before school ends and the busy days of summer (and a new baby) starts.

I invited a few mommy friends over and as we let our kiddos play we got to talking about summer allergies. My little girl is covered in eczema patches right now due to her allergies. So it started the topic of how we as parents treat their symptoms and still give them the chance to play! Our family was already a Claritin family because that’s what my Dr. prescribed me for my allergies and what my daughter takes for hers. We swapped tips and tricks we had as well.

And as an added bonus Claritin was nice enough to send a few ice/heat pads for me to share with my friends. As well as a few allergy tips for the busy spring/summer days ahead!

Thank you to a fellow mom crew member for the picture below. (we were in a hurry and I forgot to take a picture before passing out my goodies. LOL)

How are you treating your child’s (or your own) allergies this summer?

Book Review: The Winnowing Season (Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series)

 

THE WINNOWING SEASON by Cindy Woodsmall

Book Description: The tornado that devastated Kings’ Orchard pushed Rhoda, Samuel, and Jacob to make a new start in Maine. Are they strong enough to withstand the challenges of establishing an Amish community—and brave enough to face the secrets that move with them?

On the eve of their departure to begin a new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked to discover that choices made by her business partner and friend, Samuel King, have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district’s bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful that the Kings will be influenced by the way her leaders see her, and not what they know to be true—that Rhoda’s intuition is a gift from God.

Jacob King won’t be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes in her, and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of his own—one he’ll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the once-abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally.

Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series asks: can the three faithfully follow God’s leading and build a new home and orchard in Maine? Or will this new beginning lead to more ruin and heartbreak?

My Thoughts: I love anything By Cindy Woodsmall so I’m a bit biased, but how can I not love her writing! She draws you in and has you hooked from page one! I really enjoyed book one of this series and anxiously awaited book two and it didn't disappoint me. It was great to read more about Jacob’s past and how it affects his relationship with Rhoda, as well as his family. I felt the confusion and heartbreak of the main characters as they dealt with the obstacles God placed in their way. I cant wait for book 3! What is in store for the King’s and Rhonda? What will Leah eventually chose? I want to know more.

Below are a few things that might interest you about the book above, the Amish Vines and Orchards series, as well as the Author herself -



Read an excerpt: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/books/amish-vines-and-orchards-series/the-winnowing-season/excerpt/

What you missed in book one, A Season for Tending:

In a community where conformity flourishes, seeds of Rhoda’s odd behavior were planted long ago. Can she cultivate her relationships with the same care and tenderness that she gives her beloved garden? 

Old Order Amish Rhoda Byler’s unusual gift and her remarkable abilities to grow herbs and berries have caused many to think her odd. As rumors mount that Rhoda’s “gift” is a detriment to the community, she chooses isolation, spending her time in her fruit garden and on her thriving canning business. 

Miles away in Harvest Mills, Samuel King struggles to keep his family’s apple orchard profitable. As the eldest son, Samuel farms with his brothers, the irrepressible Jacob and brash Eli, while his longtime girlfriend Catherine remains hopeful that Samuel will marry her when he feels financially stable, 

Meanwhile, Samuel’s younger sister Leah is testing all the boundaries during her rumschpringe, and finds herself far from home in Rhoda’s garden after a night of partying gone badly. But Leah’s poor choices serve as a bridge between Rhoda and the King family when a tragic mistake in the orchard leaves Samuel searching for solutions. 

Rhoda’s expertise in canning could be the answer, but she struggles with guilt over the tragic death of her sister and doesn’t trust herself outside her garden walls. As the lines between business, love, and family begin to blur, can Rhoda finally open up to a new life? And what effect will this odd, amazing woman have on the entire King family?

My Review of book one: http://kryssiruss.blogspot.com/2012/09/book-review-season-for-tending.html

Book three, For Every Season Releasing September 17, 2013.
Find Cindy Woodsmall:

• on Facebook: Cindy Woodsmall
• Website: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/

Disclosure: "I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review."

Book Review: Threads of Grace (A Patch of Heaven Novel)

 

Threads of Grace (A Patch of Heaven Novel) by Kelly Long

Book Description: Grace’s beauty almost cost her everything. This new start is all she has left.

When Grace Beiler was only a girl, she was married off to an older Amish man in order to save her family’s farm. Years later, she finds herself newly widowed and a mother to a young son. She has finally fled her sad past and plans to settle into a quiet life in Pennsylvania.

As soon as she arrives, she captures the attention of Seth Wyse, the most eligible bachelor in Pine Creek. Seth is candid about his feelings for her, and for her son Abel, but Grace is determined to protect her heart. Her determination falters when her brother-in-law reveals the troubling contents of her late husband’s will.

Seth offers Grace his hand in marriage, and thus a means of escape. But despite his having saved her from another loveless marriage, Grace is slow to trust her new husband. And as the months wear on, Seth wonders if he has made a mistake. But God is quietly at work in their hearts, and Seth and Grace soon discover that threads of grace bind them together in a tapestry rich in hope and love.

My Thoughts: Diving back into my favorite genre, here is another great Amish Fiction book. Another reviewer said it best - “What unfolds is a true love story, one of overcoming a painful past and learning to trust in each other and God.” Now most faith based fiction has a slight conflict and resolution but really doesn’t hit on the darker topics of life like Abuse. Lets face it when you think of the Amish you think of good Godly people who would never do wrong. But humans are flawed and I love that Kelly Long can bring the gritty dirty topics to light even in an Amish community. I really enjoyed her story of how Grace with Seth can overcome her abuse past and forge a true godly of loving relationship and redemption. I personally cant wait to pick up the other book in this series and Kelly Long has joined my list of favorite authors.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”