Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Summary from BN.com: Amish-raised Ada Rupp knows it's time to make a commitment to the faith and join the church, especially if she wants a future with the handsome Amish widower Will Gundy. But when she has the chance to travel to Switzerland as the caregiver of a young child, she leaps at the opportunity. Anxious to learn more about her forebears, Ada enlists the help of a young Mennonite scholar named Daniel, but even as she develops feelings for him, she cannot get Will from her mind—or her heart. At a crossroads, Ada must decide what she is willing to give up from the past in order to embrace her future. First off, I'm just going to say that I am not a fan of the title of this book nor am I of the cover. Both do really nothing for the story and in fact have good potential to turn readers away. I really didn't feel like a nanny is best way to describe Ada throughout the story. That being said, the story is a great book. The authors take this book into new levels w...

Summary from BN.com: Bestselling author Lori Copeland sets her brand-new story in North Carolina the months after the Civil War. In the midst of chaos, there is also a sense of possibility and the hope of love when: Sisters Beth and Joanie run from a vindictive uncle toward healing Trella, a pregnant young slave, leaves a plantation for freedom Gray Eagle, a Cherokee military scout, finds refuge for the young women Captain Pierce, a quiet man of faith, heads for a plot of land and a new life Samuel, a black soldier, longs to follow his father’s preaching legacy The intersecting lives and tales of these engaging characters and those they meet along the way create an uplifting story of tested faith, growing seeds of love, and the challenge and gift of believing God’s promise of a future. I hate to admit that this is not Copeland's best work. I felt many times the story to be cliched, stereotypes were being used and characters were underdeveloped. I wa...

Summary from BN.com: As an Amish midwife, Abigail Graber loves bringing babies into the world. But when a difficult delivery takes a devastating turn, Abigail is faced with some hard choices. Despite her best efforts, the young mother dies-but the baby is saved. When a heartless judge confines Abigail to the county jail for her mistakes, her sister Catherine comes to care for her children while Daniel works his fields. Catherine meets Daniel's reclusive cousin, Isaiah, who's deaf and thought to be simple minded by his community. She endeavors to teach him to communicate and discovers he possesses unexpected gifts and talents. While Abigail searches for forgiveness, Catherine changes lives and, in return, finds love, something long elusive in her life. And Isaiah discovers God, who cares nothing about our handicaps or limitations in His sustaining love. An inspirational tale of overcoming grief, maintaining faith, and finding hope in an ever-changing world. I swear this is like...

Summary from BN.com: Counselor Tina Milano has been visiting Milly's Tea Shop regularly for the past several months. She has many friends but no steady man in her life. Zack Cooper is a local farmer who provides Milly with fresh fruit and vegetables. As a single parent, Zack is doing his best to raise his teenage son and daughter on his own. When the kids get in minor scrapes with the law, Milly gently encourages Zack and Tina to work together to draw the teens back before their rebellious natures land them in even hotter water. At first Tina sees the relationship in only a professional capacity, but soon her friends notice the luscious scent of romance in the air and decide to help things along. Tea for Two is a faith-filled novel that explores the delight of second chances, warm friendship, and unexpected romantic encounters. This book was a cute romance that involves a Christian counselor, single dad, rebellious teens and a lovely tea shop. The story isn't really ground...

Summary from BN.com: A dusty carved box containing two locks of hair and a century-old letter regarding property in Switzerland, and a burning desire to learn about her biological family lead nurse-midwife Lexie Jaeger from her home in Oregon to the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country. There she meets Marta Bayer, a mysterious lay-midwife who desperately needs help after an Amish client and her baby die. Lexie steps in to assume Marta's patient load even as she continues the search for her birth family, and from her patients she learns the true meaning of the Pennsylvania Dutch word demut, which means 'to let be' as she changes from a woman who wants to control everything to a woman who depends on God. I shouldn't have been surprised at how much I enjoy this book. Every Mindy Starns Clark book that I've read includes such a good mystery story that I find myself completely sucked in as I try to solve it along with the characters. Lexie's search to find out w...

Summary from BN.com: Bobbie McIntyre dreams of running a ranch of her own. Raised without a mother and having spent most of her time around men, she knows more about wrangling than acting like a lady. The friendship of her new employer awakens a desire to learn more about presenting her feminine side, but ranch life keeps getting in the way. Ranch owner Jace Kincaid figures the Lord is testing his faith when a female wrangler shows up looking for work. Bobbie has an uncanny way of getting under his skin, though, and he's surprised when she finds a home next to his heart. But when his cattle begin to go missing and his wranglers are in danger from some low-down cattle thief, can Jace trust God, even if it may mean giving up on his dreams? I am probably not the right audience for this book. This was one of those books that I just didn't really enjoy. I couldn't get into the story, I didn't feel anything for the characters and I pretty much found myself not really conne...

Steph Vandergrift is in need of a job. She left everything behind to elope with Middleburg attorney Rick Manfred, never imagining he would stand her up at the altar. Now, hoping just to get by until she can decide what to do next, Steph thinks she’s found the perfect position at the local tea shop. Kendall James, one of the kindest and most eligible bachelors in the area, meets Steph and proceeds to pursue her. But by the time Steph feels able to consider dating again, her runaway fiancé returns and tries to win her back. Steph is wary, but she and Rick always seemed to blend so well. Are they truly meant to be together, or does God have something else in mind? Is there nothing more comforting than sitting at a cozy tea shop with a warm cup of tea, scones and a conversation with a good friend? Well I don't know about you but I really enjoy doing that to relax. And that's exactly what this new book from Trish Perry has been able to accomplish. A cozy read about a ligh...

When New York marketing executive Samantha Collins finds herself unemployed, she moves out of her pricey Manhattan apartment to sleepy Harmony Grove, Pennsylvania. She plans on running the bed-and-breakfast she had bought as an investment in Lancaster County. However, when the manager she lets go is later found murdered on the property, Samantha's troubles take a serious turn. A handsome local wishes to befriend her, but can she trust him? And when her ex-boyfriend shows up, wanting to reconcile, can she cope with him in the middle of this crisis? Samantha must learn to depend on the Savior she has recently taken into her heart. And she'll need all the help she can get, because the secrets she uncovers in Harmony Grove threaten her livelihood, her safety, and ultimately her life. First I must start off by saying that even though this book is set in Amish country, it is NOT an Amish book. There are some Amish characters but this is not a book about the Amish nor does...

Jayne Tate loves her life as it is-living in a big city, working as a reporter for a fast-paced newspaper, and dating a guy who knows nothing about her past. When her father passes away though, she's forced to take another look at what she wants out of life. After losing out on the big career opportunity she was hoping, for she decides to escape to Oregon Amish country, seeking solace and maybe a big story. Even in this land of buggies and bonnets, Jayne finds life more complicated than she expected. Can she persuade herself that her growing friendship with the mysterious and handsome Levi Burkholder is just about research? And what's a latte-drinking, laptop-using, motorcycle-riding reporter to do when this new life starts to change her? Why can't all Amish fiction be like this? I had a blast reading this book by this talented debut author. Everything that I don't like in Amish fiction never showed up at all. Lodge describes her books as "urban Amish, totally not ...

Packer Throme, determined to demonstrate that power comes only from above, leads his people in a war against the dreaded Drammune. The evil Hezzan of Drammun will kill without remorse for the secret of the Firefish...and so will dark forces lurking within Nearing Vast. As army faces army, and navy faces navy, all are drawn inexorably to the source of the epic struggle... the feeding waters of the Firefish within the Achawuk Territory. One final surprise awaits Packer Throme there in the foreboding place where the struggle for the dominion of the world will be settled at last. I have admitted several times that I am not a big fantasy fan. There's nothing wrong with the genre, it's just hard for me to be able to get into the story. However, I have really enjoyed the Trophy Chase series and now with the third and final book, I was sad to see everything come to an end. Polivka takes the reader on another sweeping adventure above the Trophy Chase where Packer has to once again battl...

Falsely convicted of bank robbery, drifter Johnny McAllister is sent to a rehabilitation program in the home of a California judge. When he goes to Judge McMann's home, his aim is to be a model prisoner, hoping to be released early and return to his life's mission: to kill the man who wiped out his family 15 years before. He's planned for everything - except his encounter with Ragan, the beautiful and kind housekeeper, and with the generous folks of Barren Flats. But can Johnny let go of his anger and embrace a new life? One that would include Ragan as his bride? This tender story reveals how even the hard law of the land doesn't stand a chance when God's mercy and true love come to reside in a heart. I enjoyed this book a great deal more than the second book in the Western Sky series, A Kiss for Cade. Both Johnny and Ragan are multi-dimensional characters that the reader gets to know and feels compassion for. Copeland also puts an interesting historical plot to mix...

Famous bounty hunter Cade Kolby is forced off the trail to decide the fate of his late sister's orphaned children. He's not just returning to his hometown and nieces and nephews, but also to the fiery redhead he loved and left 17 years ago. The last person Zoe Bradshaw wants to see is Cade. She tries to be cool and polite, even as the attraction between them flares up again. Only this time, Zoe is determined to not let Cade get close to her heart. But the townsfolk have other ideas. They want to see the little orphans with a mother and a father, and they form a plan that includes the possibility of a kiss... If you're still in the lovey dovey mood after Valentine's Day this book will be perfect for you. Are you a fan of romances set in western settings this book is for you. If you like gun slinging cowboys who are chasing after outlaws, you'll want to read this book. Pretty much, while this book has plenty for fans of the typical western romance, there's a ...

Meet Sonny Miller, a recent college graduate with plans to get her master's degree in psychology. With the intention of resolving some family drama and putting her academic interests to the test, Sonny cleverly invites her mother, Teresa, and her mother's estranged twin, Aunt Melanie, to the quiet and quirky beach house. They both show up...and with surprises of their own. Teresa, a successful opera singer, brings her latest protege, Irina, and Melanie brings along secrets about Teresa and the identity of Sonny's long-gone father. It's time to go back to the beach house with a new set of characters. This time it's a mother-daughter story with summer romances, past secrets and self discovery along the way. The story had many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. There were times when I thought I knew what was going to happen and was delighted to see that the story didn't go in that direction. Serious topics such as eating disorders and kleptomania are...

Daniel Borden is a thirty-year-old government accountant who lives a quiet life and plays by the rules. But when events transpire that shatter his orderly world and a team of assassins mark him for death, Daniel must flee for his life. While on the run, Daniel encounters Laura Sky. Carefree and easygoing, Laura is everything that Daniel isn't. But when the killers assigned to eliminate Daniel find him at Laura's bed-and-breakfast, gunfire erupts and the two set out on the run once again. I enjoy books that take me along for the ride. By that I mean books where the reader isn't left behind, they get swept up in the action. Brandt Dodson's books are always like that and his latest work is no exception. Daniel and Laura are characters that engage the reader and make you feel for them. You really get to see into their lives and see the struggles that they make. The two are living separate lives until they get thrown together and have to join forces to survive. The boo...

The Next Best Thing to a New Jane Austen Novel! In her debut novel of what she calls “spirited romance for the Jane Austen soul,” author Linore Rose Burkard tells the intriguing story of Miss Ariana Forsythe, a young woman caught between her love for a man who doesn’t share her faith and her resolution to marry only a fellow believer in Christ. Trouble at home sends the young woman to her aunt’s townhome in the fashionable Mayfair district of London. There she finds worse troubles than those that prompted her flight from home. Ariana is soon neck–deep in high society and at odds with Mr. Phillip Mornay, London’s current darling rogue. Then a scandal changes Ariana forever. Her heart, her faith, and her future are all at stake in an unexpected adventure that gains even the Prince Regent’s attention. Will Ariana’s faith survive this test? And what about her heart? For it’s Ariana’s heart that most threatens to betray the truths she has always believed in. When she finds herself backed ag...

Hot British Guy + Beach Vacation = Happy Tiffany has recently lost her mother to cancer. She decides that she and her father need to get away, to relax and cope together. A beach vacation out in San Diego seems to be just the thing to help them out. Meanwhile Jeremy's girlfriend Eve has decided she's going to be spending her vacation out at the beach as well. He decides to go visit her and finds out that due to a mix up, Eve and Tiffany are sharing the beach house. What ends up happening after that is a tale of comedy, romance, mixed in with a little surf and sand. Seeing as how it's winter and 20 degrees outside right now, I wish that I could escape inside the setting of this book. A week at a beach house by the ocean would be a relaxing vacation right now. And that is what reading this book was like. I could picture myself walking on the sand, listening to the waves, sitting out on the deck, watching the sunset, eating fresh seafood. Trish Perry paints a marvelous ...

I've Found My Prince Ren Young is still getting over her divorce. While happy for her friend Kara who has found the guy of her dreams, Ren is still wary about getting back into the dating scene. She wants to adopt a little boy from her class whose mother is in jail. Overcome by the stress of trying to get the adoption straightened out, she succumbs to exhaustion and faints in Walmart. Then she has the fantasy of every woman by waking up in the arms of a handsome medical guy. Tru Sayers is everything Ren needs, wants, and more. But her past and emotions keep her from being able to fully reach out to him. Will she let this almost perfect guy slip through her fingers? I was glad to be reunited with the characters from The Guy I'm Not Dating. This group of friends is one that I wish I could hang out with. They're older than me but they seem like a really cool, down to earth group of people. I really like Ren, she is a character you really feel for and that you want goo...

Not how I would want my honeymoon to turn out Packer and Panna Throme are supposed to be basking in their new marriage and enjoying their honeymoon. Unfortunately this is interrupted by Packer being summoned to help fight the Drammun and defend Nearing Vast. Whisked away from his beloved, Packer must spend months aboard the Trophy Chase fighting the pirate Scat Wilkins. Meanwhile Panna refuses to stay at home twiddling her thumbs. She finds herself having to fend off the two faced Prince Mather who has sold his allegiance to the Drammun. And then there is someone who was thought to be dead, who is plotting their revenge on the Thromes.... I think I might have to rethink my views on fantasy fiction. This series has gotten me hooked on the idea of different worlds and realms. I enjoyed the first book in this series and I was thrilled to continue the adventures of Packer and Panna in the sequel. Once again Panna is my favorite character. She is such a strong female character and a ...

I 'm giving away a bran d new copy of today's book! Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Thursday , April 10. Good luck! You'll Feel Blessed After Reading this Book Daisy is a romantic. She owns a secondhand wedding boutique that sells old wedding dresses to new brides. In her shop, one can find out the story behind the dress they are buying and learn about the love story the dress helped to create. But there's one dress she won't sell - the dress she was supposed to have been married in. There the reader enters Daisy's world where she lives in a remodeled old hotel with several delightful and interesting characters. From Father Laurent who blesses the hearts tucked in the wedding dresses to Roaslina who helps out with the dresses and cooks a neighborhood Sunday dinner, they help to bring life and happiness to Daisy. She herself is still getting over her heartbreak when Fa...

The best mystery novel of the year Miranda Miller can't remember anything that happened to her before she was five years old. All she's known is a life in the city with her aunt. Now an adult with a family of her own, mysterious circumstances involving a tattoo she never knew existed and a grounds keeper dying bring her back to Louisiana. There she discovers she's now the owner of her grandparents' estate. Secrets abound on the plantation, dating back to centuries before Miranda was born. She also discovers the reason why her childhood memory left her and the shocking truth about her family. Ok I will admit it. Books set in Louisiana dealing with Cajun and bayou subjects scare me to death. Something about swamps and voodoo give me the creeps and make me want to leave my lights on. This book definitely gives the chills due to the setting which was described so perfectly I could imagine myself being there. This is the BEST mystery book I have read this year. ...