A Simply Enchanted Life

Ray of Light by Shelley Shepard Gray

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book even though I had not read the first in the series.

Honestly, I didn’t realize it was part two when I requested and when I realized I was scared I wouldn’t be able to follow along but I had no issues whatsoever.

This was also the first time I had read anything by this author or about new order Amish so it was a real treat to read something different. I will definitely be picking up the rest of this series.

I thought the characters were realistic and very well fleshed out. I liked that they seemed real and had real issues rather than this perfect idyllic life that often prevents the readers from forming a connection with the characters.

It has been two years since Amanda’s husband died and she thought she would never find love again—until she met Roman. Their romance is brief however as Roman is simply on vacation and though they both care about one another it is uncertain whether the romance will blossom once they are long distance.

Roman returns to a home full of chaos. It seems past sins are resurfacing and secrets are bubbling to the surface. In all honesty—this poor family has more chaos and drama than a daytime soap opera. Everything from a wife that no one was aware of to a hidden past that was spent outside the Amish faith to problems with alcoholism.

But, as the book title suggest—eventually a ray of light arrives as the healing warmth of God envelopes those that seek Him. I won’t say how the romance or the turmoil ends up but I think people will be satisfied.

I’m also looking forward to book three—I really cannot wait to see what happens with Elsie, a young Amish woman with a degenerative eye disease that is blinding her. I want to see how things turn out for her and I’m really hoping she finds love as it seems her family thinks of her as incapable of loving or having her own family. I sure hope she proves them all wrong!!! This book is well worth the read.
View all my reviews

Amazon|CBD|Barnes&Noble
Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the "Sisters of the Heart", "Seasons of Sugarcreek", "Secrets of Crittenden County", and Families of Honor series. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

Learn more at http://www.shelleyshepardgray.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

Rachel Hauck is celebrating the release of Once Upon a Prince with a fun "Royal Wedding" Giveaway and connecting with readers at her May 28th Facebook Party.

One "royal" winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck
  

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 27th. Winner will be announced at the "Once Upon a Prince" Facebook Author Chat Party on May 28th. Connect with Rachel for an evening of book chat, wedding trivia, laughter, and more! Rachel will also be sharing a sneak peek at the next book in the series and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I’m shamelessly admitting that I read this because of my fascination with Kate and William. I know, I’m an adult but it truly is like a modern fairy tale where the regular girl meets a prince and falls in love.

So, of course this book appealed to the little girl in me that still believes in fairy tales and dashing princes that sweep a fair maiden off her feet.

This book was so cliché—honestly though? Cliché was to be expected and I felt like a little girl again only this time I was reading a fairy tale that was a little more suitable for an adult. I really enjoyed this story and I wouldn’t hesitate to read another book by this author.

Susanna wanted nothing more than to marry her longtime boyfriend and settle down. The problem is? She didn’t realize that she was settling for the idea of love instead of true love. Her heart was broken when she was dumped but part of her was also relieved because deep down she knew that she was looking for true love.

She never expected true love to be a prince that is bound by duty to marry another royal. The truth is, Nathanial never expected to find love at all and now he’s torn between duty and his heart. Ultimately, both Susanna and Nathanial learn that placing their trust in God and submitting to his will for our life will always do us good rather than harm. God has us in the palm of his hand and if we submit to his will then he will give us the desires of our heart.


I truly enjoyed this story. It wasn’t just about finding love but also about pleasing God. While it was a bit cliché as I mentioned earlier—it was to be expected and I wouldn’t have been pleased with any other outcome to the story. I wanted a fairytale and that is exactly what I got!
View all my reviews|Read an Excerpt



Amazon|CBD|Barnes&Noble
Rachel Hauck is the bestselling author of Carol Award winner "Sweet Caroline", and RITA Finalist "Love Starts With Elle", and of the critically acclaimed fiction collaboration with multi-platinum country artist Sara Evans, "The Songbird Novels". She lives in sunny, though sometimes hurricane plagued, central Florida with her husband and their ornery pets. Rachel earned a degree in Journalism from Ohio State University and is a huge Buckeyes football fan. She is the past President of American Christian Fiction Writers and now sits on the board as an Advisor.

Find out more about Rachel at: http://RachelHauck.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. This giveaway is being sponsored by Litfuse
as part of a blog tour for Once upon a Prince. To view other reviews and learn more about this tour please visit the Litfuse group by clicking here