A Simply Enchanted Life

Plain Peace by Beth Wiseman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have waited so long for another book in the Daughters of the Promise series!

Beth Wiseman is such a fantastic writer and this particular series is one of my favorites. I enjoy getting to go back and see characters I’ve met in passing or read about before.

If you’re looking for a great book series in the Amish genre I would recommend this one for sure.

Anna’s parents died in a car accident and she is being raised by her grandparents. They’ve always provided her with a stable home but she longs for love—a near impossible feat since everyone is afraid of her grandfather who happens to be the bishop. Sure, they have loved her but she longs for a family of her own, children and a husband.

Jacob is determined to win her affections though and is determined to earn her grandfather’s trust; despite a poor first impression. Unfortunately it seems that everything he does backfires and diminishes his standing with the bishop even more.

This book was really good and it had some serious moments, light-hearted moments, a bit of romance and even some laughs along the way. I love a book that includes a range of emotions, reactions and situations because it is much more realistic.

I was very interested in the inclusion of Lucy from a previous book. Lucy is an English woman who had a child by a married Amish-man. Ivan ended up being killed in an accident and his wife moved on with someone else while Lucy is pretty much ostracized as the scandalous harlot by her own mother and those around her. I’m interested in knowing if her storyline will be explored further in future books because I would love to see her come full circle as a daughter of the promise. I want to know how things conclude with her mother’s issues and her making friends with the bishop’s wife.
I will definitely be reading more from this author and I’m really hoping she continues to write more in this series.
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Beth Wiseman is hailed as a top voice in Amish fiction. She is a Carol Award winner and author of numerous bestsellers including the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. She and her family live in Texas.
http://bethwiseman.com/

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

My Mama & Me: Rhyming Devotions for You and Your Child by Crystal Bowman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Super cute! I enjoyed the little devotions presented in this book and my daughter really enjoys it as a bedtime story. Colorful illustrations will keep your little one interested. It is more appropriate for toddlers than for older children but it introduces them to the idea of a devotion time. Simple and cute.

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Crystal Bowman is a former preschool teacher, author, and speaker. She graduated from Calvin College with a degree in elementary education and studied early childhood development at the University of Michigan. Her writing career began in 1990 as a lyricist for children's piano music. She began writing children's books in 1993 and has since written more than 70 books for children and 3 for women. She has written books for many popular children's series, such as Little Blessings, BOZ the Bear, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), and I Can Read!

 Crystal and her husband, Bob, have enjoyed 38 years of marriage and are the parents of 3 grown children and 1 grandchild. They live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida



I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Miner's Lady by Tracie Peterson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




I loved this book! I really did!

I enjoyed everything from the beautiful cover to the story.

This author takes the time to really build her characters so that you get to know them and care about their outcome.

I have only read two of three of this series, I’ve not yet had a chance to pick up The Icecutter’s Daughter but these books are standalone stories in the series so it doesn’t really matter which order you pick them up to read!

This book had a Romeo and Juliet twist with Chantel’s younger sister falling for the sworn enemy of the Panetta family. No one really knows why this ridiculous feud still exists but both families are determined to see that it remains intact.

When an accident happens in the mines, Chantel’s father learns a valuable lesson in faith and forgiveness. It’ll take a miracle to get these families on speaking terms though or maybe even a tragedy—it’s sad but oftentimes a tragedy is the only way to get stubborn people to put aside their hate and see the truth.

I loved this book so much that I don’t want to ruin the plot but just know that you’ll get romances for both sisters and while there are bitter moments you’ll still be pleased with the ending. Fantastic! I can’t wait to read more by this author.
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Tracie Peterson is an award-winning, best-selling author of over 95 books. Having given her heart to Jesus at the young age of six, Tracie has always felt called to some form of ministry, and writing fulfills that mission field.

Tracie received her first book contract in November, 1992 and saw A Place To Belong published in February 1993 with Barbour Publishings' Heartsong Presents. She wrote exclusively with Heartsong for the next two years, receiving their readership's vote for Favorite Author of the Year for three years in a row.

In December, 1995 she signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers. Tracie now writes exclusively for Bethany House Publishers. She has co-written with a variety of authors including Judith Pella, Judith Miller, James Scott Bell and her daughter Jennifer.

Learn more about Tracie at http://www.traciepetersonbooks.com/

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Aloha Rose by Lisa Cox Carter

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I was so interested in this book.

I’m a sucker for a good story about adoption or children.

To be honest—I’m a sap and I enjoy pretty much anything that tugs at the heart strings.

I really looked forward to and wanted to enjoy this story. It seemed to have everything I was looking for in a great story.

However, I am going to admit that I couldn’t bring myself to finish this book. The description sounds fantastic and I've loved every other book that I've read in the Quilts of Love series. This one just wasn't a hit for me.

I don’t always read Christian literature but when I do, I expect a higher standard. I was rather surprised to see the acronym “snafu” and the term “flipping” and “bimbo” used in the Christian genre. I was a big turn off to me to the point that I had to walk away from even finishing. Had this not been a Christian book I would have been able to overlook but I feel that it was highly inappropriate for the genre.
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When Laney Carrigan's adoptive parents encourage her as an adult to seek out her birth family, her only clue is the Lokelani quilt in which she was found wrapped as an infant. Centering her search on the Big Island, she battles fears of rejection from a family that abandoned her once before while her faith struggles to embrace God's love.
Along the path to her true heritage, she meets Hawaiian cowboy/helicopter pilot, Kai Barnes. Kai is determined to protect the people he's come to regard as family against a woman he suspects of being nothing more than a gold-digger, but he finds himself drawn to Laney in spite of his reservations. He's spent his entire life seeking forgiveness from past mistakes and longs for a second chance at happiness.

Laney's painstaking journey to find restoration and a place to belong among the breathtaking allure of the Big Island will lead her closer to her past and maybe even something more.


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Lisa Carter has been published in MomSense and Christian Parenting Today. Lisa is currently teaching music at a preschool and enjoying the enthusiasm and joy for life for which preschoolers are famous. She and David have two beautiful daughters.

Find out more at: http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com

I received this book free from the publisher through a fantastic program called Litfuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts and opinions I have expressed are my own. To view other reviews and learn more about this tour please visit the Litfuse group by clicking here

Katie's Forever Promise by Jerry S. Eicher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jerry Eicher has quickly made his way to my favorite authors list this year.

I was so excited to read this series but also a little sad to say goodbye to these characters.

I often have trouble relating to or enjoying books written by male authors as I feel they do not usually adequately appeal to my emotions but I feel that Eicher captures each character and breathes life into them on the pages.

I can’t wait to read more by this author. I will be picking up past and future titles!

Katie is trying to move on with her life following the news of Ben’s arrest. Part of trying to move on is venturing back out into the dating world—much to the disdain of her sister who has a crush on the same boy that has asked Katie out.

From the get go I was a bit concerned about Katie’s relationship with Norman. I was worried about Katie still having feelings for Ben and also about Norman’s controlling ways. I suppose I can say that I’m not a bit surprised how that situation ended but I still felt badly for how it ended.

I don’t want to ruin too much of the storyline for those of you that haven’t yet read the book but I appreciated that characters in this book had some serious flaws. So many authors try to make everyone peachy keen and perfect and it can become hard to relate. These characters were real. They had faults and problems just like everyone does and only through the guidance from the Lord were they able to overcome them.

I feel like this particular author provides a lot of insight, motivation and inspiration for a person to continue growing their relationship with the Lord. Katie and her family all offer sweet assurances about the importance of a relationship with Christ and places importance on His will above all others.

If you’re looking for a new Amish series to read and you’ve not yet read them. I would strongly suggest this series. It’s a delightful read that will make you keep reading until you’ve finished all three books.
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Jerry Eicher’s bestselling Amish fiction (more than 210,000 in combined sales) includes The Adams County Trilogy, the Hannah’s Heart books, and the Little Valley Series. After a traditional Amish childhood, Jerry taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. Since then he’s been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies. Jerry lives with his wife, Tina Eicher, and their four children in Virginia.
I received this book free from the Author and Harvest House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own

The Christmas Quilt by Vannetta Chapman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I wanted to read this book, largely because my mom is a quilter and I thought it would be a neat story for us to share.

The stories and tradition that surround quilting is quickly becoming a lost art with so many people not learning to sew or rely on quilting machines to do the work for them.

I enjoyed this story and will pass this along to my mom to read now that I’ve finished.

Now, one thing I will say about this book is that I became a little confused about the family dynamics. I believe that I must have missed a previous story involving these characters. I eventually worked things out but I will admit that I was a tiny bit confused.

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Leah is pregnant with twins and her sister in law is watching out for her. Annie had been a nurse but returned to the Amish faith when she fell in love with her husband, Samuel.

Leah is at odds with Adam for reasons that I never truly added up to me but I know that many times pregnancy is a difficult time for couples so I overlooked this but I really would have liked just a little more character building. Perhaps this is lack of refining is due to the fact that it seems this is an extension of an existing story and therefore I wasn’t already connected to the characters.

When Leah ends up in preterm labor with her twins she finds herself settling in for a long hospital stay. Annie stays by her side and the two of them begin to work on a quilt for the twins.

It is during her hospital stay that Leah has a change of heart about her attitude towards her husband and she begins to draw closer to the Lord as she and Annie quilt each square to represent the fruits of the spirit.

I thought the book was good. I was able to read it at a fast and steady pace because I was interested in how things would wrap up and I was really hoping for a feel good happy ending. I chose to give this book a solid 4 star rating simply because I felt that it lacked a bit of character depth. Otherwise, I really enjoyed!
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Vannetta Chapman has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather's birthplace in Albion, Pennsylvania. Chapman lives in the Texas hill country with her husband.

Find out more at: http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com

I received this book free from the publisher through a fantastic program called Litfuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts and opinions I have expressed are my own. To view other reviews and learn more about this tour please visit the Litfuse group by clicking here

Bible and Prayers for Teddy and Me by Christina Goodings

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is one of the cutest little Bible storybooks that I've seen in a long time.

The padded hardcover just feels perfect for a bedtime story book.

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and there were many stories to choose from both the Old and New Testament.

My toddler is enjoying this book. It is on that note that I have to go back to bragging on the illustrations because they're just so stunning that they keep my little one engaged in the story. I would definitely recommend this for Christian parents to read to their toddler and preschoolers.

You can get this little book in pink or blue for a little girl or for a little boy.

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I received this book free from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

City on Fire: A Novel of Pompeii by Tracy L. Higley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Suggested Age: 18+
Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction

Tracy Higley is one of my favorite authors so I was very honored and excited to review this book for booksneeze!

I thought it was kind of cool that two of the characters in this book were named “Ari” and “Paris” since I have two daughters named Arie and Paris! I thought it was a funny coincidence (and not at all very important to this review other than I thought it was neat!)

Anyway, loved the book and I can’t wait to read more of Tracy’s work!


Ariella is a young girl who has witnessed the destruction and demise of her family. As she tries to flee the war torn land she is taken captive and sold into slavery. Nine years passes by and Ariella seizes the opportunity for escape—cutting her hair and masquerading as a young man she joins the gladiators.

When her troupe finds themselves in Pompeii it becomes increasingly difficult to conceal her true identity. An older Jewish man who is serving as a slave guesses her predicament and befriends her. He begins to share the gospel with her and promises to pray for her safety.

After time she meets Cato; a young man who is determined to stand for right and fight against the evil that plague the city of Pompeii. Cato finds out about her predicament and desires to help her but he is torn and doesn’t know how to help. Especially since Ari views him and all other romans as bloodthirsty killers.

Cato however turns his life over to Christ; despite the threat of death or severe punishment for aligning himself with fellow Christians. This action is the turning point in the story. In the midst of all of this terror there is finally a thin thread of hope—though, Ari is not yet aware and as true life, you only come to the morning through the shadows!

This book had some seriously dark content and I would suggest it for a more mature audience. The vile state of man in ancient Pompeii, especially by Christian standards was very depraved; if not reprobated! Details were not explicit but some may still find the debauchery hard to digest. However, I feel that revealing such depravity was historically accurate and essential to the telling of this tale.

Beautifully written and intriguing; I strongly suggest this book to readers who are fans of Historical fiction. I’ve never been disappointed in any Higley book but I think this is one of her best.
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Tracy L. Higley started her first novel at the age of eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. She has authored nine novels, including Garden of Madness and Isle of Shadows. Tracy is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Ancient History and has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Italy, researching her novels and falling into adventures. See her travel journals and more at TracyHigley.com

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.”