A Simply Enchanted Life

In no particular order. These are the top ten books I have read this year

The Butterfly and the Violin|A Mother's Secret|Christmas at Rose Hill Farm

A Love Undone|Where Treetops Glisten|Children of the Eclipse|The Daughter of Highland Hall

The Queen's Handmaid|A Miracle of Hope|Seasons of Tomorrow

My choice for the best book cover of 2014 goes to Tracy Higley's The Queen's Handmaid!

Christmas at Rose Hill Farm: An Amish Love Story by Suzanne Woods Fisher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
★: Didn't Like it
★★: It was Ok
★★★: Liked it
★★★★: Really liked it
★★★★★: It was amazing

Suggested Age:12+ Genre:Christmas Fiction, Christian Fiction, Amish Fiction

 

The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Suggested Age: 12+
Genre: Christian,Amish Fiction

I really enjoy Suzanne Woods Fisher as an author. I also really enjoyed the first part of this series, The Letters. I was very excited for this book and while it wasn’t a disappointment I do feel that it wasn’t as good as book one.

I felt that the ending was a bit rushed and there were questions I wanted answered and I’m afraid I’ll forget those questions by the time book three comes out. Little things like if Jimmy got his horse back.
Overall the story was enjoyable and I very much liked the spinster sister’s role in the story. I thought they added a bit of humor and they made me smile.

Though I didn’t enjoy the book as much as book one I did still like it. Such is life; you’ll sometimes like one book better than another. It is still worth reading!


Bethany Schrock has a childhood secret and she’s determined to solve the mystery before she allows herself to settle down.
She can’t figure out why she feels so melancholy and she has a feeling that figuring out exactly where her mother is and why she abandoned her will answer her questions.

I had this really bad feeling and even though it’s a book my heart just sank when I started putting the pieces together on that situation. A good author evokes emotion in her readers and I certainly was worried about Bethany when I read about the anxiety that plagued her.

As if this dark secret wasn’t hounding her—Jake is still causing her quite a bit of grief and turmoil. I’m curious how all of that is going to wrap up. I have to say—I got chills when I read about Naomi’s perception of him!

Bethany is pretty likable and she’s spunky. Overall you’ll really be rooting for her and also for her to get with Jimmy. As I got to know her more I simply couldn’t imagine him with anyone else!

As always, I am impressed with the nuggets of wisdom and scriptures that Suzanne Woods Fisher weaves into her stories. You can tell that she knows her Bible verses! Overall I give this story a solid three stars and I will definitely be picking up the next installment!
View all my reviews|Read an Excerpt

Amazon|CBD|Barnes&Noble

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace.

She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California.

For more information, please visit suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher. Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your iPhone or iPad! Download the Free App! http://bit.ly/134r55G

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 the blog tour for The Calling please visit the Litfuse group by clicking here

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher is celebrating her newest book, The Calling, by giving away TWO iPads, TWO Kindles, and TWO Nooks!

 




Two grand prize winners will receive:

• An iPad


• The Letters and The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Four second place winners will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX or a Nook HD—winner's choice!


• The Letters and The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 8th. All winners will be announced February 10th at Suzanne's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Suzanne's blog on the 10th to see if you won one of the great prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Keeper was on my top 10 list for 2012 so I was very excited to return to Stoney Ridge with this new series by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

I really enjoy authors who return to the same community for new series of books. It makes me feel as if I’m building a lasting connection with an entire community and not just one character.

I cannot wait to read more of this series when they are released! The Calling is book too in the Inn at Eagle Hill series and is set to be released in 2014. You can keep up with information and release date as it becomes available by clicking here.

Rose is a plain woman who has lost her husband and now lives with her children and her ailing mother-in-law. She is determined to pay back the debts that her husband is responsible for and to make amends for his poor decisions.

This leads her to open a bed and breakfast in the basement of her home—much to the disdain of her mother-in-law. In fact, there isn’t much that Rose can do without incurring the wrath of Vera Schrock.

There is also a potential love interest in Galen King. Galen is a bit younger than Rose and that leads to some apprehension for both of them. I really enjoyed Galen’s character. He had an old soul feel to him and just seemed very genuine.

Unlike most Amish stories—this particular tale also had a sideline story involving Rose’s English guest to her bed and breakfast. The inclusion of an Englisher isn’t that unusual in an Amish tale except that this one didn’t show any hint of swaying some innocent Amish girl away from the faith. Rather, she had her own story and conflicts and I thought that was interesting.

Win an iPad, Kindle or Nook!

Overall, this was a 5 star book. I was interested immediately and kept reading well into the early morning hours. A mark of a good book is one that you have trouble putting down!

Suzanne has a way of enriching the lives of her characters (and her readers) with the words and wisdom found in the Bible and I appreciate the spiritual applications. If you have yet to read this author then I highly suggest her books and I’m eager to watch this particular series play out!
View all my reviews|Read an Excerpt

Amazon|CBD|Barnes&Noble
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher. Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your iPhone or iPad! Download the Free App! http://bit.ly/134r55G

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 the blog tour for A Big Year for Lily please visit the Litfuse group by clicking here

Suzanne Woods Fisher is celebrating the release of the first book, The Letters, in her new series by giving away 2 iPads, 2 Kindle Fires and 2 Nook HDs! Wow!

Two grand prize winners will receive:

• An iPad
• The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Four second place winners will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HD or a Nook HD - winner's choice!
• The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 17th. All winners will be announced August 19th at Suzanne's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Suzanne's blog on the 19th to see if you won one of the great prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

A Big Year for Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again I had the pleasure of reviewing a book in the Lily Lapp series.

These are super cute and enjoyable to read with your children!

The lessons that Lily learns and the mischief that she gets into reminds me a lot of my own ten year old daughter so I look forward to sharing this story with her. I am sure that she will enjoy this story just as much as I have!

These are still enjoyable by an adult because it feels as if we’re reading about our own children. It captures the authentic joy, thoughts and emotions that we have all lived through during our own childhood.

Lily Lapp is turning ten and she is growing up fast! We follow her through some bitter trials at school—a rivalry with a peer and the challenge of dealing with a bully. We also see her coping with growing up—the boredom and discomfort of being unhappy with her toys and her confusion at a cousin’s first crush.

There are up and down times but there are a lot of fun times and of course a lot of love from Lily’s family. I think this little book shows the importance of having family to fall back on and the importance of that bond.

Win an iPad Adventure Pack

The third of four charming novels that chronicle the gentle way of the Amish through the eyes of a young girl, "A Big Year for Lily" gives children ages 8-12 a fascinating glimpse into the life of the Amish--and lots of fun and laughter along the way. It combines Mary Ann Kinsinger's real-life stories of growing up Amish and the bestselling writing of Amish fiction and nonfiction author Suzanne Woods Fisher

Little ones love to be like mama and these books give the avid Amish fiction reader a way to pass on an age appropriate story to introduce them to the genre.
View all my reviews

Amazon|CBD|Barnes&Noble
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher. Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your iPhone or iPad! Download the Free App! http://bit.ly/134r55G

Learn more about Lily at http://adventuresoflilylapp.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 the blog tour for A Big Year for Lily please visit the Litfuse group by clicking here

Suzanne Woods Fisher is celebrating the release of A Big Year for Lily, book three in the beloved Adventures of Lily Lapp series, with a giveaway extravaganza!

 
One winner will receive:

• An iPad Adventure Pack (includes a fun stand and an art kit) 

Twelve winners will receive:

• Special prizes specially picked by Lily (something new each day)! Suzanne will announce the winners on July 29 on her blog!

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 27th. All winners will be announced July 29th at Suzanne's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Suzanne's blog on the 29th to see if you won one of the fun prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

The Lesson by Suzanne Woods Fisher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hrmm, what can I say about this book? I’m trying really hard to reflect on this book without taking book two into account as well but it is really hard as it is a three part series. I am so discontented with the cliffhanger in The Haven and the fact that we skip years ahead in The Lesson and see an outcome (in passing really) but no hints to how things came to be. As a matter of fact—this book is about an entirely different sister so of course everything truly is in passing. I have so many unanswered questions about Sadie and Will. Joe-Joe is mentioned in passing but it feels as if he is a disconnected part of the family which was very disappointing to me as well. I don’t know—I just feel cheated I guess. I wanted to know how everything happened and I don’t feel like that happened. It feels disjointed and I hate even admitting it because I really adore this author. I just—I’m having a hard time figuring out what to say. If I could read The Keeper and The Lesson and forget that I really got pulled into the story of The Haven—I wouldn’t feel this way I think. It is definitely a very good book but I would have enjoyed it better if the book leading up to it had been concluded.

M.K. has grown up but in many ways she’s still an unsettled little girl. At nineteen she has yet to commit to baptism into the church and her family is worried that she may leave the faith. When M.K. bumps into the hypochondriac school teacher with her scooter—Alice is convinced that she is injured and needs time away. The Bishops decide that M.K. is the only one for the job—much to her disdain. M.K. would much rather spend her time figuring out the mysteries of life and newcomer to the community, Chris Yoder is a mystery that M.K. is determined to crack!

I really did enjoy M.K.’s story but for the reasons outlined above I simply cannot give a five-star rating. Rather, I have chosen four stars. The last part of the book was the redemption of this story as I was almost certain that I was going to give this book a three-star rating. So, my suggestion is—if you pick up this series, either skip the second book or be prepared to put aside your feelings and enjoy the third book for the story in which it is meant to be enjoyed for rather than carrying emotional baggage from the second book over into this one.
View all my reviews

Amazon|CBD|Barnes&Noble
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is the host of internet radio show Amish Wisdom and a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher. Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your iphone or ipad! Download the Free App!

Stoney Ridge Seasons

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 blogs participating in this blog tour, click here

Celebrate the release of The Lesson with Suzanne Woods Fisher by entering to win one of TWO iPads!

Two winners will receive:

• A brand new iPad
• A $15 gift certificate to iTunes

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 20th. Winner will be announced on 1/22/13 at Suzanne's Blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.