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!

A Miracle of Hope by Ruth Reid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow, just…wow. That’s how I’ll describe this one. Ruth Reid is quickly becoming a favorite and I love her “supernatural” twists that she incorporates.

I do want to say that some people may be put off by mentions of violence or crimes against women in Christian books.

I give this warning simply because I wouldn’t want someone to pick up this book on my recommendation without me making them aware that there are some violent situations presented.

This book is beautifully written, intriguing and kept me up all night because I could not put it down.

Lindie is pregnant out of wedlock and her brother is eager to cover up her “indiscretions” and arranges a marriage with a widower in another church district.

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Lindie agrees and steps into the role as stepmother to Josiah Plank’s daughter, Hannah. Hannah is deaf and Lindie is struggling to learn sign language while dealing with debilitating morning sickness.

Josiah has vowed to never love again but he needed a mother for Hannah and he can’t help but be concerned for Lindie’s health. She barely eats and can’t keep anything down. When he accidentally walks in on her as she bathes he realizes that she has become dangerously thin and takes her to the doctor. This is one of the events that begins to change the dynamics of their relationship.

Josiah is secretly falling in love with Lindie and with her baby; something he vowed not to do. Lindie is also falling in love with Josiah but she fears that he will never understand her secret and may reject her.

All the while, Lindie has noticed that Hannah seems to have the ability to talk to God in a way that most people cannot and when Hannah predicts a tragic event—Lindie begins to turn to God in earnest. She is looking for a miracle that only He can provide.

I don’t want to spill too much more because I want you to sit in sheer anticipation of the next twist the way that I did!

If you’re looking for Amish fiction with a twist then I suggest reading books by this author. I’ve noticed that she has gotten better with each book that has been released. As a newer author on the market I knew that she was one to keep my eye on and so far she has not disappointed. I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next!
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Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA best-selling author of the Heaven on Earth series. She's a full-time pharmacist who lives in Florida with her husband and three children. When attending Ferris State University School of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, Michigan, she lived on the outskirts of an Amish community and had several occasions to visit the Amish farms. Her interest grew into love as she saw the beauty in living a simple life.
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. This giveaway is being sponsored by Litfuse
as part of a blog tour for A Miracle of Hope by Ruth Reid. To view other reviews and learn more about this tour please visit the Litfuse group by clicking here

An Amish Miracle by Beth Wiseman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


How I enjoy the novels like this!

It breaks the monotony of a single author from time to time and allows you to see individual stories within a larger story.

I think it gives a bit of character depth that isn't achieved by a single author.

This was a quick read and I enjoyed it very much. I'm pleased to have this book in my collection of Amish fiction!

Always in My Heart by Mary Ellis:

Hope Bowman believes that God is punishing her for giving up the son she had as a teen. She carries grief and anger in her heart for being forced to give him away and also from not being allowed to share this event with her husband. He is understandably upset that she never told him of this child or the events surrounding the birth. God must make a work in the hearts of this family and bring them peace.

Always His Providence by Ruth Reid:

I think this was actually my favorite story out of the three. Rosa Hostetler is in danger of losing her home. As a young widow she has trouble accepting the fact that she is actually a widow and is rather stubborn about letting the church know as she feels that she shouldn't use the widow's fund to help her pay her bills.

Her husband passed away and asked his close friend to watch out for Rosa. She is hesitant to open her heart to him—especially if she loses her home and has to move to her aunt’s house in another district.

These characters just came to life to me and I nearly wish that this tale had been a full size novel!

Always Beautiful by Beth Wiseman

This story addressed an issue that plagues a lot of young women—worry about their weight. Becky feels that no one will love her because she’s a bit on the heavy side. She takes drastic measures and begins cutting out entire meals to shed the pounds.

The truth is though, there are two young men who are both smitten with her—just the way she is!

Becky has to learn to love herself before she can ever accept the love of others. An important lesson for any young lady!
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Mary Ellis grew up close to the Amish where she loved their peaceful agrarian lifestyle and strong sense of Christian community. She and her husband now live by the largest population of Old Order in the country where they take weekend trips to research her books. Mary enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming.

Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA best-selling author of the Heaven on Earth series. She's a full-time pharmacist who lives in Florida with her husband and three children. When attending Ferris State University School of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, Michigan, she lived on the outskirts of an Amish community and had several occasions to visit the Amish farms. Her interest grew into love as she saw the beauty in living a simple life.

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

An Angel by Her Side by Ruth Reid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I couldn’t wait to pick up this book! I really enjoyed the first two books in the Heaven on Earth series by Ruth Reid and I knew that this one would be another fantastic read! This author keeps getting better. She perfectly blends the Amish genre in seamlessly with angel fiction and the result is amazing. The second and third book really shows that the author is finding her niche. If you’re looking for a great series to read this year then I strongly suggest these books.

Katie Bender is a twenty-nine year old school teacher and borders on “old maid” status in her Amish culture. After the death of her fiancée—Katie accepts that it may not be God’s will for her to marry and have children and teaching becomes a passion for her. That is—until the school and her community is hit by a devastating storm that destroys everything in its path.
Seth Stutzman arrived in the community before the storm and as fate would have it—he is the one who helps Katie and her school children escape from the school’s storm cellar. His presence in Hope Falls is a mission as well. He is there to help his brother-in-law who is still grieving the loss of his wife. The situation that Seth finds in the home is an emotionally charged train wreck. Amos has become bitter and depressed and his children are also suffering.

Amos has stopped going to church and refuses to help with rebuilding the community. Despite struggling with a hidden learning disability and a dark secret that has destroyed his confidence—Seth is determined to do his part. He jumps in on the relief efforts and finds encouragement in an old man that no one seems to know. Perhaps he is from a neighboring community?

What is unknown to Katie and Seth is that the friendly and helpful old man named Elias is actually an angel. He is watching over Katie and Seth and even Amos—protecting them from the fallen angel, Razzen who is bent on destroying lives and turning this family away from God and away from each other. I particularly enjoyed the struggle and the battle scenes that raged between Razzen and Elias. It is a very interesting and unique concept taking place within the story.

This book was a smashing hit. Once again I was pulled into the community of Hope Falls and hung on every bit of dialogue between the characters and also between the angel and demon. I thought it very interesting that these characters were not your run-of-the-mill-perfect characters that are often presented in books and rather had very real issues. Amos had his depression, Katie was often overbearing and Seth struggles with dyslexia. Very real characters that you can relate to! If you’re looking for new Amish fiction to read that is unique—Ruth Reid’s Heaven on Earth series is well worth the read!
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Amazon|CBD|Barnes&Noble
Ruth Reid is a full-time pharmacist who lives in Florida with her husband and three children. When attending Ferris State University School of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, Michigan, she lived on the outskirts of an Amish community and had several occasions to visit the Amish farms. Her interest grew into love as she saw the beauty in living a simple life. You can learn more about Ruth by visiting her site at ruthreid.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

The Promise of an Angel by Ruth Reid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The Promise of an Angel" is the breakout novel in the "Heaven on Earth" series by a new author, Ruth Reid. I really enjoyed the book. It was unique in that it combines two genres - Amish Fiction and Angel Tales - into one book. Unlike the second book, which I also enjoyed, you can really tell that this book was written by a relatively new author. There were small issues with the book, such as redundant words or sentences that just didn't read well. Ruth Reid still shows promise and I will be reading more of her stories in the future.

In this book we meet Judith Fisher and her friends, family and community. When Judith's younger brother is hurt in an accident, everyone blames Judith as she was watching him at the time. Furthermore, they think she's lost her mind when she insists that an angel assisted her brother on the day of the accident. The entire community scorns and mocks her, including the boy she loves. However, she does find a friend in the Bishop's son, Andrew. Andrew, as we find out, is dealing with his own private pain. I won't ruin the ending for those that haven't yet read it, even though it was a bit predictable. The book was still quite enjoyable. I think Ruth Reid shows promise which is evident in the improvements in the flow of the second story, "The Brush of Angel Wings" -- definitely a writer to keep our eyes on. I think she'll do well and will delight us with many unique Angel and Amish tales in the future!


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Brush of Angel's Wings by Ruth Reid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



‘Brush of Angel's Wings’ by Ruth Reid is possibly the best book I've read this year. A relatively new author, I was a little scared to read this book. However, I was pleasantly surprised. This book isn't your typical Amish book. It is a mixture of two genres - Amish Fiction and Angel Fiction, which makes this book very interesting.

In this book we meet two angels: the good angel, Nathaniel and the evil fallen angel Tangus, who is constantly provoking Nathaniel's wards, Rachel and Jordan. Rachel isn't your typical Amish girl either. Being the youngest daughter, unmarried and not very good at domestic skills, she's more taken to helping out on the farm in the wake of her brother's death as she's the only remaining child at home for her parents. Her parents, however, have different ideas for Rachel and hire Jordan to help out on the farm in hopes that Rachel will become more focused on finding herself and also a good Amish husband. Jordan on the other hand isn't exactly Amish. He's the son of a shunned Amish lady who's last wish was for her son to get to know her family as his own father has abandoned them. When tragedy strikes and all hope seems to be extinguished, Tangus does his best to lure Rachel and Jordan down the path of despair. However, Nathaniel has not yet given up and is determined to bring the pair to Christ.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I cried with Rachel when she experienced overwhelming loss and I felt Jordan's sheer hopelessness. The message of God's love and salvation being extended and the peace that follows was wonderfully refreshing and delightful to read. It was also interesting to see the attacks of Satan brought to life through the dialogue of Nathaniel and Tangus. I give this book 5 stars. I can't wait to go back and read the first debut novel, "The Promise of an Angel" and will certainly be on the lookout for future releases from this Author.

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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