A Simply Enchanted Life

Threads of Grace by Kelly Long

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



After reading books one and two in the A Patch of Heaven series in just two days—I was really eager to pick up Threads of Grace. I had a feeling that this book would continue with Seth’s story and I was not disappointed. These books are absolutely fantastic and Kelly Long is quickly becoming a favorite for me as she’s very unique and paints a vivid romance with real emotion.

Seth has taken an interest in a young widow, Grace. Grace is the mother of a young autistic boy that Seth has also taken up with. Grace has a secret however and she’s determined never to marry again—that is until her brother in law shows up and begins to threaten her.

Seth offers to marry Grace and she accepts out of desperation. Though their marriage was rushed, Seth truly cares for Grace and he is determined to heal the wounds of Grace’s past. Only, he has no idea just how deep these wounds go nor of the horrors that this young woman has faced in her lifetime. Though this book was fiction there were times when my heart nearly broke for this young woman.

This book was so touching and heart wrenching. Unfortunately, domestic abuse exists in all religions and in all walks of life and this book certainly had a dark undertone of abuse and despair. There was also hope though—hope for women who have suffered from domestic violence and emotional abuse. I was so happy with this book and with the conclusion. There were no false pretenses of hope for an abusive partner and instead focused on other hopes and truths. I really hope that there will be more books in the A Patch of Heaven series!
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Kelly Long is the author of Sarah's Garden, the first novel in the Patch of Heaven series. She was born and raised in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania. She’s been married for nearly 25 years and has five children.
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.”

Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Lilly’s Wedding Quilt is book two in in the Patch of Heaven series by Kelly Long. I have enjoyed this series so much that I devoured the first three books in just a few days’ time. I am really hoping that there will be more books in the series. Kelly Long has a way of drawing you in with her vivid writing. It is, in my opinion, a little more spine tingling in the romance department. However, it isn’t trashy. It is very tasteful and yet deliciously enticing. It is the right amount of romance with enough reserve so that it is still wholesome.

Sarah is getting married to Grant Williams and Jacob is completely shattered. When he finds himself a victim of a gunshot wound, it is the local school teacher that cares for him and shelters him from possible arrest. While covering up for Jacob, the community demands an answer to his whereabouts. Lilly takes a stand and announces to the community that he was with her. The problem is—this means people will now question both Jacob and Lilly’s reputation. Knowing this, Jacob steps in with a marriage proposal for Lilly and though she knows that he still loves Sarah—she accepts. Lilly has loved Jacob for years but he always had his eyes on Sarah. She is determined to make Jacob love her and though he has feelings for someone else; he takes his marriage vows seriously and with God’s help begins a journey of finding love with Lilly.

Lilly understands Jacob on a level he never thought possible. She understands what he responds to and starts to chip at the the icy exterior he has built over his heart. Honestly, the romance in this book was spine-tingling. Jacob has to be one of my new book crushes. Holy WOW! He is one deliciously written book character. I nearly wanted to step inside the pages and steal him away from Lilly! Sarah was a fool for giving up this gem! Although, Lilly is a much better fit for him. If you like Amish romance and wanted a little something more tantalizing and yet tasteful, this is the book to read!

I did think that some of the things in this book might be a little off for an Amish community but I still enjoyed it. I was able to overlook the few things that I thought were probably a bit inaccurate. Overall though, masterfully written and alive with emotion. This is going on my favorites shelf!
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Kelly Long is the author of Sarah's Garden, the first novel in the Patch of Heaven series. She was born and raised in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania. She’s been married for nearly 25 years and has five children.

Sarah's Garden by Kelly Long

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was really excited to read this series. Kelly Long has a way of making me want to jump into a book and run away with a fictional character. I have to say—she makes an Amish man sound pretty enticing! I cannot believe how fast I’m reading through this series. I gulped down this book and moved right on to the next which I finished in one day! If you’re looking for Amish romance that is a little more vivid in the romance department—Kelly Long sure has that area down pat. It’s still tasteful but just a little bit sensuous!

Sarah's Garden by Kelly Long is the first book in the Patch of Heaven series and takes us into the lives of the King family. Sarah takes comfort in her garden and feels as if she doesn’t really fit in with the women in her community. She isn’t great at quilting fabric—instead she looks at her garden as her quilt. This makes her unique and it catches the interest of the new veterinarian in town. Problem is—he’s not Amish and as much as Sarah wants to deny her feelings, she’s pretty interested in the Doctor.

At the urging of her family, she tries to put the thoughts of Grant Williams out of her mind but after a stolen kiss here or there it just isn’t possible. When Grant makes the decision to leave and let Sarah go so that she is not shunned from her family and taken from her faith—Sarah’s world comes crashing down around her. It is then that her family tries to set her up with her best childhood friend, Jacob. Jacob has always been in love with Sarah and is determined to step in and be there for her if he can. Thing aren’t so easy for Sarah to accept though and while she seeks peace—Grant is seeking something else entirely. I don’t want to spoil it, in fact I’d like to tease you perhaps and make you wonder…

Does Grant return and steal Sarah’s heart or has she found peace in the arms of her best friend? I’ll leave it for you to decide (and hopefully to read!) I think you’ll love it! Just the right touches of romance to make you wish you were able to snag the heart of some handsome man out in the middle of Amish country. A delightful read that has been an absolute pleasure and honor to add to my growing collection of Amish fiction.
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Kelly Long is the author of Sarah's Garden, the first novel in the Patch of Heaven series. She was born and raised in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania. She’s been married for nearly 25 years and has five children.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was so excited that I snagged this book from Booksneeze. I really wanted to read it and had in fact already pre-ordered this book as it looked like something I would enjoy—I was right! I loved it! This set of 3-in-one novellas was fantastic and the recipes in the back of the book look fantastic! As a matter of fact—I have “Rosemary’s Kaffi Cake” in the oven as I type up this review!


A Taste of Grace- Fern Zook’s parents died in years past and she now lives with her aunt who is training her to be an herbalist. Fern’s prayer is to find someone who can love her and when Abram Fisher shows up on her doorstep seeking treatment for his little sister—she begins to wonder if he might be the answer to her prayers. I have to say—Abram sounds like a total cutie and if I weren’t married already I’d be contemplating how to go about snagging a fictional book character :)
A Spoonful of Love- Hannah King is struggling to run a successful bed and breakfast while still providing care for her dad who has suffered from a stroke. Her brother is busy with a family of his own and cannot devote the time to doing repairs around the inn and things have fallen into disrepair. Then Stephen shows up—a young man running from a painful past. Stephen has to learn how to forgive himself before he can move on with his life—hopefully with Hannah!
A Recipe for Hope- Eve Bender doesn’t get along so well with her mother, Rosemary. It’s going to be a challenge for these two ladies to live together while Eve’s home is being rebuilt but with a little bit of hope and a whole lot of prayer—hearts may find peace and a mother and daughter’s relationship might be repaired. Rosemary has to come to terms with a secret she has carried for years before she can mend her relationship with her daughter and Eve has to come to understand why her mother has always kept her at a distance. This little tale was bittersweet but beautifully concluded!
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Kelly Long is the author of the Patch of Heaven series and the historical Amish Arms of Love. She was born and raised in the mountains of northern Pennsylvania. She’s been married for twenty-six years and enjoys life with her husband, children, and Bichon.
http://www.kellylongbooks.com/


Amy Clipston is the best-selling author of the Kauffman Amish Bakery series. Her novels have hit multiple best-seller lists including CBD, CBA, and ECPA. She and her family live in North Carolina.
http://www.amyclipston.com

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

A Marriage of the Heart by Kelly Long

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Marriage of the Heart is three Kelly Long Amish novellas—available for the first time in one collection. Since it is a 3-in-1 collection I will be reviewing each story individually within this review. Something I have never done previously! So, bear with me if it is rough around the edges!

A Perfect Secret:
Rose has accepted her best friend's marriage proposal but she secretly wishes for something more. While she loves him as a friend she desires to feel that spark of romance from him. That moment when he will kiss her and the world stops moving. Instead, it seems to her that he isn't attracted to her and simply proposed because they were friends. Then, she finds out a secret that Luke has been carrying and her entire perception changes. She is intrigued by the "new Luke" and she is desperate to get to know that side of him, even as it threatens to tear them apart. This was a sweet little story about the unknown when it comes to romance and how you can know someone as a very close friend for years and still miss the inner workings of their mind and heart.

Christmas Cradles:
The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh. As a midwife, Anna knows this lesson well. She prays that the Lord will give her patients protection and safe deliveries on a cold winter night, Christmas to be exact! Covering for her aunt who is also a midwife, Anna braves bad weather to attend to three births in the community. With the poor weather, she is relying on Asa Lapp to get her to the homes of her patients safely. It is her first time meeting Asa as she is not from the same Amish community, therefore she doesn't know the true reasons for his brooding personality. What she does know is that she is completely intrigued by this man. As she spends the evening with him going from home to home...she can feel herself falling for him. Likewise, he is falling for this quirky and determined midwife! Our past has a way of creeping up on us though and a dark secret threatens to ruin this budding romance. Can Anna trust in the Lord enough to hear him out? Or will she judge him for past sins that are quickly bubbling to the surface?

I really enjoyed this story and though it was over pretty quickly and seemed a little rush, that is pretty typical for a novella. I think you will not be disappointed at the conclusion! If you're like me, you might even develop a little book crush on the obviously handsome Asa with his husky voice and dreamy personality!

A Marriage of the Heart:
Abby is a beautiful and yet manipulative girl who finds herself married to a wonderfully patient man. Despite the fact that she trapped him into marrying her. Joseph is genuine in his desire to get to know Abby and even to love her but Abby is eager for the ways of the world. Joseph has had his fill of the world though, having been "English" he wants for nothing more than to forget his past. A past that he hopes Abby can never finds out. Abby is reluctant at first but she can't help but to start to fall for her new husband and she is surprised by the desire in her heart to learn to cook, to sew, to do all the things a good Amish wife should do for her husband. With his help and gentle patience, he slowly wins her heart and helps her find her true self and in turn, he relies on Abby to help him confront his dark past.
Joseph's character was so dreamy to read about! I think I developed at least two crushes in this collection of novellas. Kelly Long certainly knows how to paint an appealing Amish-man! I think this was my favorite out of the three stories. I kept hoping that things would work out for Abby and Joseph. I was not disappointed with this story in the least! It met all the criteria I look for in a good Amish romance!

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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

About the Author:
Kelly Long is the author of Sarah's Garden, the first novel in the Patch of Heaven series. She was born and raised in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania. She’s been married for nearly 25 years and has five children.



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Arms Of Love by Kelly Long

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Arms Of Love is the first book I have read by Kelly Long and I must say that I really enjoyed it! This book is set in the Revolutionary Pennsylvania and touches on the persecution that the Amish endured at the hands of both the Patriots and the British.

The main characters in the story are Adam Wyse, a troubled young man with a dark past and Lena Yoder, the love of his life. Adam, though he is troubled, is an honorable and caring man who is loved and admired by Lena's mother, Mary. Though she cares for Adam deeply, she worries about the welfare of her daughter if she should move into the Wyse home, as is the tradition of a young Amish couple. Adam's father is very abusive of him and Lena was an unfortunate witness to a brutal beating of Adam. Mary is fearful that Lena may also be subject to abuse if Adam were to continue to live in the home and she makes Adam swear a vow to her as she is on her deathbed that he will leave Lena until he can afford to build his own home. Adam agrees as he fears for his own sanity. He is plagued by nightmares that he can't explain and is missing gaps in his early childhood.

Lena's father has been imprisoned by the Patriots for refusing to surrender their last cow that the family needed for milk and Adam is determined to help him. However, Samuel sees a darkness in Adam and he is determined to let it be known that he wants Adam to leave his daughter alone. So, reluctantly, Adam breaks things off with Lena. At the urging of her father (and to the meddling of Adam's father) Lena agrees to marry Adam's brother, Isaac.

Adam is desperate to find out the reason behind his father's hate for him and also to find a resolution to his own violent desires and tendencies as well as a reprise from the horrible nightmares that haunt him. In doing so he wishes to fulfill the promise he has made to Lena's mother and hopefully win back the heart of his one true love.

This story was filled with raw emotion and even passion which I found very refreshing for a christian romance novel. I'm in no means saying it was raunchy but it was nice to see real characters that strongly desired and longed for each other. It gave a realistic human element to the story that made it very easy to connect with the characters.

I will be looking into other novels written by this author in the future!

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



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