The Matchmaker by Sarah Price A Review

ABOUT THE MATCHMAKER
When Emma's interference in her friends' lives backfires, will the consequences be more than she bargained for?

Emma Weaver is twenty-one years old and has found a passion for playing matchmaker with her Amish friends.  Her neighbor, Gideon King, warns her about interfering in people's lives, but she disregards his advice and plans to set up Paul, the son of the Amish bishop, with her friend Hannah.

But when Paul misinterprets Emma's attention, believing she has feelings for him, he begins asking her to ride in his buggy after Sunday singings and shows up at her house for Friday evening visits.  As she tries to repair the damage that's been done and mend the hearts that have been broken, she finds herself in trouble with the community.  Will she learn her lesson and stop meddling in the affairs of others?  Will she find a love of her own?

Series: The Amish Classics (Book 2)
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Realms (February 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1629980048
ISBN-13: 978-1629980041
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In 1969, Sarah Price was born in Pennsylvania and lived on the land of her ancestors, Johannes Preiss and "King Tammany", otherwise known as Tamanend, a chief of the Lenni Lenape nation in the Delaware Valley.
In the early 1970s, her family moved to Morristown, New Jersey where she still resides with her husband, two children, and assortment of animals.
Ms. Price has advanced degrees in Communication (MA), Marketing (MBA), and Educational Leadership (A.B.D.).
Ms. Price was a former full-time college professor. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, she now writes full-time.

MY REVIEW
  I did not like The Matchmaker by Sarah Price at all. It’s the retelling of Emma by Jane Austen. I have watched the real Emma many times and love it, but the retelling in an Amish setting just doesn’t work.
  For one thing the Amish wouldn’t be prideful and trying to get their way the way Emma does in this story. The characters and story line were not well done. It was a book that was really lacking in many areas.
  I really don’t like the retelling of classics because it doesn’t show any talent of the author. All they have to do is copy the story and put in a few words of their own. They don’t figure out the plot or story line at all. It has already been done.
  So I do not recommend this book. I haven’t read any other books by Sarah Price and may not.

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Thank you to Booketeria for providing this book for review. 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

A Simple Song by Melody Carlson A REVIEW

ABOUT A SIMPLE SONG
Katrina Yoder loves to sing, but her Amish parents view singing as vainglory and a sin. Katrina's best friend, Bekka, is convinced Katrina should try out for American Star, a televised singing competition that Bekka has been secretly watching. Katrina resists the temptation until her father's health worsens. He desperately needs a surgery the family cannot afford. Katrina decides she must go against her parents' wishes to win the money needed to help her father. But how will she handle herself as an Amish teenager out in the world?

Teen girls will be swept into the excitement as Katrina ventures out of her quiet Amish world to become a reality television star. Will she be successful? And will she be accepted back into her community when it's over?

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Revell (June 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800722256
ISBN-13: 978-0800722258
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melody Carlson has written around 200 books for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her books range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including the Rita and Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/


MY REVIEW
  A Simple Song by Melody Carlson is a sweet little read. I found the characters of Katrina and Bekka quite likable and fun to read about.
 In A Simple Song we see the very strong love Katrina has for her singing and above that the love for her Dad.
  The Amish are not suppose to enjoy singing and not to sing anything out of their hymn book. Katrina has such a sweet, pure voice and her Dad needs an operation on his back that would cost so very, very much. So Katrina is pushed to use her singing talent to go on a T.V. show and try to win top prize.
In A Simple Song you will laugh and cry with Katrina as she ventures out into the English world to try and win to get money for her dad’s operation.
 It was a fun book to read and I enjoyed it and the last chapter was the best. I love the way it ended and how many things Katrina learns in the outside world. This book is a very enjoyable read that I recommend for all.

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I received my free copy from Donna Hausler from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group for my review. 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

Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter A Review

ABOUT GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY

Join Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus, an Amish couple who are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives. Financial struggles. Arguments. A suspected pregnancy. A last-minute trip to Middlebury, Indiana. A deadly encounter at a Philadelphia bus station. Will their love and faith be enough to bring them back together again, against all odds?  Book 1 of the 6-part serial novel--The Discovery-A Lancaster County Saga.

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books (February 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616260858
ISBN-13: 978-1616260859
Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 4 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of over 60 books with more than 6 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today. Wanda’s books have been translated into four foreign languages.
http://www.wandabrunstetter.com/

MY REVIEW
   I’ve read several of Wanda E. Brunstetter’s books and have enjoyed them. Goodbye to Yesterday is an O.K. book but it is very short and doesn’t give you much to read and relate to as a story. You only learn a few things and then the book is over. I realize this is a 6 part book, but don’t feel it is worth reading the rest of the story. There isn’t enough meat {so to speak} in the story to keep my attention. They say short and sweet is best, but I don’t like a short story unless it gives you something to wait for in the next book.
  What they tell you in the synopsis Financial struggles. Arguments. A suspected pregnancy. A last-minute trip to Middlebury, Indiana. A deadly encounter at a Philadelphia bus station. Is just about the whole book.
  I like Amish books, but this one really isn’t what I expected or what I find interesting. So I really don’t recommend it.

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Thanks to Handlebar Marketing for providing this book for review. 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

Healing Love by Laura V. Hilton* A Review

ABOUT HEALING LOVE
Life gets a lot harder for Amish midwife Kristi Lapp when a buggy wreck lands her in the hospital and leaves her with a pronounced limp. Among her biggest concerns is the well–being of her dog, Chinook, as she is no longer able to keep up with the high–energy Siberian husky. Adding insult to injury, she fears she’ll never marry for love, for what man would willingly wed a woman who needs help with even the most basic of household tasks?
Shane Zimmerman moved to Seymour for a fresh start. The veterinarian is still reeling from the loss of his young wife, who died in childbirth—an aneurysm, the autopsy determined, but he still blames the midwife and the herbal remedies she administered. He meets his next–door neighbor, Kristi, when he discovers her wrecked buggy and takes her to the hospital. Eager to deepen the friendship that forms between them, he offers to take care of exercising her dog. But the harsh words of Kristi’s father discourage him from pursuing a relationship further—for the time being. Shane isn’t Amish, although his grandparents were, and Ira Lapp would rather his daughter marry an aging Amish widower than a young Englischer.
Despite all the forces that would keep them apart, Kristi and Shane can’t deny the strong attraction between them. So, their on–again, off–again relationship persists, as Kristi submits to physical therapy for her leg and Shane reevaluates his reasons for being Englisch. But will they find a way to stay together? Or are their differences too divisive to resolve?

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Whitaker House (September 3, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1603745068
ISBN-13: 978-1603745062
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
     Laura V. Hilton is a pastor’s wife, mother of five, author and book lover. Although for her formal education she studied marketplace issues -- she holds a degree in business -- reading is Laura’s lifelong passion, and writing a gift she’s developed to the delight of her growing fan base and to the glory of God. Prior to The Amish of Seymour Series for Whitaker House, Laura published two novels for Treble Heart Books: Shadows of the Past and Hot Chocolate. She’s also a contributor to the Zondervan’s It’s The Year Life Verse Devotional.

     While she did not grow up in an Amish community, Laura has become an expert in Amish customs and traditions, learning from her Pennsylvania Amish grandparents. She’s a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) for whom she reviews primarily Amish fiction for the ezine, Afictionado, Laura is also on staff at the Christian Suspense Zone and a professional reviewer for the Christian book market. She’s written for a wide variety of Internet sites including Dancing Word, Faith Webbin, A Romance Review, and Christian Review of Books. At last count she’d published over 1,000 reviews.

     A stay-at-home mom who home schools her children, Laura, her husband Steve, and their children live in Arkansas.  To read her daily book reviews go to: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com. For other Laura V. Hilton news: http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com.


MY REVIEW
  Healing Love by Laura V. Hilton is a very sweet, enjoyable book. It started out slow, but soon was well worth reading.
  I enjoyed how Kristi and Shane got to know each other. They lived next door to each other, but never really met.
Kristi has a buggy accident and Shane is the one who finds her and gets her help. Then he finds out she won’t be able to walk or run her dog, so being the good neighbor he helps.
  Shane and Kristi find out that they share more than their love of animals and find out they are kindred spirits.
  Shane is a vet, but is missing love in his life. His wife died after only being married a few years.
  Kristi is a midwife and finds herself alone in life.
If they fall in love one of them has to leave their way of life to join the other. Will Shane forget his modern conviences of being a vet to live with the Amish? Will Kristi leave the Amish and be shunned to be with Shane? Her family has already lost her older brother to the world. Will she put her family through more heartache and pain?
  There just doesn’t seem to be a way this couple can find true happiness. Will there love for each other heal their hearts or will it be just to much for them to go through?
Very good book. I recommend it for your Amish reading pleasure.

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Thank you to Whitaker House for providing this book for review. 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