Letters to Katie by Kathleen Fuller - a book review

Kathleen Fuller has done it again!  Letters to Katie is a heart touching tale of secrets, unrequited love, family struggles and relationships.  This book is part of the Middlefield Family series. We are reacquainted with characters from the previous two books.  It was nice to see them again.  Here’s what the publisher says about it:

“Everything changed between them the first time he called her Katie.

Katherine Yoder has loved Johnny Mullet since they were children, but he never actively returned her affections. Like so many things in their world, he assumes Katherine will always be there. Once his horse farm is a success, then he will court her in earnest.

For several weeks, Katherine has been plagued by severe headaches and dizziness. While resting at home, Johnny unexpectedly visits, but when dizziness strikes, she loses consciousness. She awakens hours later in a hospital bed, unable to remember how she got there.

Seeing Katherine injured and vulnerable stirs something in Johnny, and his guilt compels him to spend time with her while she heals. Soon his heart begins to stir with questions: Does she even remember why he'd come to her house that day?

As Katherine struggles to recall recent memories of Johnny, a surprise visitor arrives in her already unsteady world—a man named Isaac who claims they had been writing letters to each other, even considering marriage, before her illness.

With two men vying for her attention and her memory still elusive, Katherine has never felt so divided. The answer may lie behind a door she never considered opening.”

 Of course, as with most romance novels, we always have a happy ending, so this one was no surprise.  But the journey to get there was very engaging.  Actually, there could have been a couple of endings that would have still qualified as happy,  so we aren’t really sure which is going to come about.  I liked the dialog between Katherine and Johnny.  The tension between Sawyer and his englisher grandmother was portrayed in a very respectful manner.  Will they learn to accept each other? 

Fuller also gives a glimpse of how some unscrupulous people try to take advantage of the Amish, who they perceive as uneducated and easily fooled. 

You’ll have to read it to find out how the letters fit in to the story. But I will tell you it is very sweet.
Go HERE to read an excerpt.

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone who likes reading Amish romance.
Go to the Amazon search box in the right column to find it if you'd like to purchase it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above 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.”

All in Good Time by Maureen Lang - a book review

All in Good Time by Maureen Lang

 

This is the second book by Maureen Lang that I’ve read and is part of her Gilded Legacy series.  I didn’t really like the first one, so I was pleasantly surprised when I began reading this one and realized how much I liked it.  Her descriptions of the time period are so vivid, you feel you are part of them.  It combines romance, intrigue, mystery, deception and faith all intertwined with the social issues of the times.

This is what the publisher says:

“Dessa Caldwell has a dream: to open Pierson House, a refuge for former prostitutes in Denver’s roughest neighborhood. But after exhausting all charitable donations, Dessa still needs a loan, and nearly every bank in town has turned her down. Her last hope hinges on the owner of Hawkins National Bank.

Henry Hawkins has a secret: though he owns the most successful bank in town, his initial capital came from three successful raids on Wells Fargo coaches. Now he’s the most eligible bachelor in Denver, but to protect his criminal past, he’s built a fortress around his heart. Not even the boldest matchmaking mother can tempt him . . . until the day Dessa Caldwell ventures into his bank requesting a loan.

Though he’s certain her proposal is a bad investment, Henry is drawn to Dessa’s passion. But that same passion drives her to make rash decisions about Pierson House . . . and about whom she can trust. One man might hold the key to the future of her mission—but he also threatens to bring Henry’s darkest secrets to light. As the walls around their hearts begin to crumble, Henry and Dessa must choose between their plans and God’s, between safety and love.”

 Dessa works tirelessly trying to fulfill the dream of her late mentor,  Sophie Pierson.  She feels God has called her to continue Sophie’s quest and is very determined not to let anything stand in her way, including love.  As the story unfolds, Dessa and Henry are drawn closer together and we begin to see little cracks on their amour.  They both face dangers for different reasons but the author interweaves their stories so well that eventually you can’t tell where her story starts and his ends. 

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to her next one. There are discussion questions in the back that make it perfect for discussion groups, especially with the social issues that a major focus of the book.

 

Read an excerpt here.....

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above 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.”

Unbreakable by Nancy Mehl - a book review

Unbreakable by Nancy Mehl

 

"Gentle and unassuming, Hope Kauffman has never been one to question the traditions of her Mennonite upbringing. She quietly helps her father run Kingdom Quilts and has agreed to the betrothal he arranged for her with the devout but shy Ebbie Miller.

Despite the attempts of Hope and other Kingdom residents to maintain the status quo, changes have already begun to stir in the small Mennonite town. The handsome and charismatic Jonathon Wiese is the leader of the move to reform, while Ebbie insists Kingdom must remain true to its foundation. When Hope's safety is threatened by a mysterious outsider, she can't help but question what she's always been taught about the Mennonite tradition of nonviolence.

As it swiftly becomes apparent the threat Hope faced is only the beginning, the town that's always stood so strong finds itself divided. With tensions high and their lives endangered by an unknown enemy, will Hope and the people of Kingdom allow fear and division to break them or will they draw on the strength of the God they serve?”

 

Unbreakable is the second in Mehl’s Road to Kingdom series.  The story focuses on Hope, a young Mennonite girl who is caught between her upbringing and new ideas and her traditional thinking fiancé, Ebbie and the progressive thinker, Jonathon.  Her once peaceful community falls victim to a series of hate crimes.  The community is divided as to how to respond.  Do they do as they have always been taught or do they break tradition and fight back?  As the story progresses, it becomes very easy to deduce who is responsible, but the author doesn’t tell us until the end.  The predictability of that spoiled the mystery for me.  There were times that I wished Hope would just make up her mind and take a stand, one way of the other.  She never really decides between  Jonathan and Ebbie until the very end.

It was an enjoyable book but probably not one that i will put aside to read again.  I’ve read several Amish fiction books so it was interesting to see the differences between them and the Mennonites.

You can read an excerpt here

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House  through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above 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.”