Review & Giveaway - - Summer Reading

Summer Reading

by Jenn McKinlay

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 16, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

 

For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she’s tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there’s no place Sam, who has dyslexia, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library’s interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.

Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he’s never known. He’s taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn't interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can’t stop thinking about her.

An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she’s always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.

PJ's Thoughts:

Summer Reading has all the elements I look for when adding books to my summer reading list. There's a small island, reunited best friends, a heroine at a professional crossroads, a fractured sibling relationship, and a nerdy, romantic hero who captured my heart right along with Sam's.

The first thing I have to mention about this book is Sam's dyslexia and how it's handled. The author uses great care and sensitivity, coupled with research, knowledge, and first-hand assistance to craft this character. Then she takes it a step further by creating a reading experience designed to be more accessible to readers with the same diagnosis. I have never encountered a novel where the author - and publisher - used the cover, font, spacing, margins, even foregoing italics for bold print within the text of the book, all to enhance the reading experience for neurodivergent readers who pick up this book. Kudos to them!

I loved the gradual evolution of the relationship between Sam and her 14-years-younger half-brother, Tyler. As someone with four younger brothers, I can attest to the fact that the author nailed the angst, attitude, and vulnerable uncertainty of Tyler. The bond of understanding, and affection, that gradually formed between brother and sister was one of my favorite parts of the book, some scenes bringing me to tears while others (self-appointed chaperone) had me laughing out loud.

And then there's the food. Sam's Portuguese dishes had me drooling (do not read this book while hungry) and scrounging through the kitchen every half hour. Much like Tyler. Bonus for readers: there are recipes! 

I was very curious to discover how McKinlay would handle a dyslexic heroine who did everything in her power to avoid books falling for a library director who was never without one. I hadn't counted on Ben. I adored him and I adored who he was with Sam, how he respected her and found ways to share his love of books with her in a manner that did not cause anxiety or make her feel less than. How he offered his assistance and encouragement to help her achieve her dreams. As a fan of this author's works, I also loved the fact that the book Ben shares with Sam in Summer Reading is an actual novel written by McKinlay. (Check out my review of Paris is Always a Good Idea)

The romantic relationship between Sam and Ben unfolds organically, with a nice balance of sweetness, sizzle, and emotional depth. Both characters are on a journey of growth that had me aching with them at points and cheering them on at others. There were some emotional stumbles along the way though they worked really well together to communicate their way through them. Except in the latter part of the book where an emotional blow for Ben causes him to walk away. We see the aftereffects from Sam's perspective but I wanted to understand Ben's thought processes as well, especially when their communication had been so open throughout the novel. It all turns out okay in the end but I felt a little shortchanged by the exclusion. Still, it's a small blip in the overall scope of a fun, thoughtful, and feel-good story and a sweet gesture from Ben convinced me that his heart was in the right place even if his head hadn't been. All's well that ends well and these two definitely ended well. 

Summer Reading is a book I enthusiastically recommend adding to your summer reading list.

Have you read Jenn McKinlay yet?

Do you have a favorite setting for your summer beach/pool/backyard reads?

What elements do you look for in a summer book?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 19 will receive a print copy of Summer Reading.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Thank you to Berkley for today's giveaway. 

Review & Giveaway - - The Enchanted Hacienda

The Enchanted Hacienda

by J.C. Cervantes

Publisher: Park Row

Release Date: May 16, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

When there’s magic all around you, the possibilities are endless…

When Harlow Estrada is abruptly fired from her dream job and her boyfriend proves to be a jerk, her world turns upside down. She flees New York City to the one place she can always call home—the enchanted Hacienda Estrada.

The Estrada family farm in Mexico houses an abundance of charmed flowers cultivated by Harlow’s mother, sisters, aunt, and cousins. By harnessing the magic in these flowers, they can heal hearts, erase memories, interpret dreams—but not Harlow. So when her mother and aunt give her a special task involving the family’s magic, she panics. How can she rise to the occasion when she is magicless? But maybe it’s not magic she’s missing, but belief in herself. When she finally embraces her unique gifts and opens her heart to a handsome stranger, she discovers she’s far more powerful than she imagined.

With unforeseen twists, romance, and a heavy sprinkle of magic, The Enchanted Hacienda is a captivating coming-of-age debut exploring identity, unconditional family love, and uncovering the magic within us all.

PJ's Thoughts:

This story is, in a word, enchanting. Other words also come to mind: immersive, uplifting, magical, welcoming, all-encompassing, romantic, transformative. I lost myself completely in these characters and their story, especially Harlow. I'm firmly convinced the Hacienda Estrada is in full bloom south of the border. J.C. Cervantes brought it, and her characters, vividly to life with exquisitely detailed descriptions that encouraged layers of visceral feelings within me to the surface. This was not just a reading; it was an experience. 

Reading this coming-of-age story also brought home the fact that there is no age limit to people discovering, exploring and accepting their individual truths. I loved watching the gradual flowering of Harlow, nurtured by the unconditional love and support of her family and best friend, as she slowly opened her heart to love and herself to unanticipated possibilities. It was joyous, empowering, and not without pain along the way. But as the goddess whispers to Harlow in her darkest hour, "There is magic in heartbreak. Because every transformation begins here." The transformation of Harlow, of Ben, and of their love was one that broke my heart before putting the pieces back together, stronger than before. The romance is strong in this book, intertwining with Harlow's individual growth to achieve a satisfying balance between one person's coming-of-age journey and one couple's journey to a hard-won happily ever after. 

There is also magic in the words of Cervantes. Every word, every thought, every touch is well thought out and essential to the overall story as well as the evolution of its characters. Each character, whether primary or secondary, has a vital role to play in Harlow's awakening. Each one stirred something elemental within me. I could write at least three more paragraphs about the impact of these characters on Harlow's life - and on me - but that is something that should be experienced first hand by each reader. 

This book is Cervantes' adult fiction debut, one that has landed her solidly on my must-buy list. I don't know if there are more Estrada family books planned but I really hope that there are. I'm nowhere close to being ready to say good-bye to this family or to the other Estrada women begging for their stories to be told. 

I've read The Enchanted Hacienda twice. I loved it the first time through. I loved it even more the second. I am confident that I will return to it again and again, whenever I need a comforting reminder to believe in myself, in love, and in the magic that surrounds us all...if only we believe. 

This one has my enthusiastic recommendation. It's one of my favorite books I've read so far this year and has earned a place on my Best of 2023 watch list. 

~~~~~~~~

Do you enjoy magical elements in the books you read?

Have you watched the movie, Encanto? This book mirrors the joy, warmth, and complexity that touched my soul while watching that film. Many times. ;-)

Each of the women in the Estrada family has a magical power that is tied closely to a flower. What magical power would you choose to have, if any, and what flower would you want it to be tied to? 

One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, May 18 will receive a hardback copy of The Enchanted Hacienda. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Many thanks to Park Row Books for their generous donation of today's giveaway. 

Winner - - Highlanders Hold Grudges

 

The randomly chosen winner of

an e-book copy of

Highlanders Hold Grudges is:

Rachel

Congratulations!

Please send your email address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review & Giveaway - - The Garden of Lost Secrets

The Garden of Lost Secrets

by Kelly Bowen

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: May 16, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

1940 - Stasia always found comfort in the idyllic French countryside where she spent her childhood summers, roaming the gardens of an old chateau and finding inspiration for fairy tales full of bravery and adventure. But these days are much darker, and with Nazis storming across Europe, she soon finds herself one of the most hunted agents of the Resistance. The only safe haven she can think of is Chateau de Montissaire. But she’s about to discover that it just may be the center of her biggest mission yet.
 
Present day - When Isabelle purchases a crumbling chateau in Rouen, it’s not just a renovation project—it’s a chance to reconnect with her sister, Emilie, the only family she has left. What she uncovers instead is an intriguing mystery… As the siblings piece together the incredible truth behind the books written by their great-grandmother Stasia, they discover an exciting story of courage in the face of treachery and an explosive secret that will change everything they believed about their family.

PJ's Thoughts:

Kelly Bowen has written another compelling, dual-timeline, WWII/Present Day novel that sucked me in and refused to let go. In the present day, we get dreams realized, complicated family dynamics, a possible romantic connection, and an unexpected - no, shocking - revelation about a beloved great-grandmother. I enjoyed Isabelle's journey but the heart of this book takes place some eighty years earlier, in the days leading up to WWII and those that followed during and after the Nazi invasions across Europe. 

Nobody lives through a war and emerges unscathed. Childhood friends, and later sweethearts, Stasia and Nicholas certainly don't. What befalls them over the course of four years, both individually and as a couple, is immense. It can't help but change them, sending each on different paths of growth and evolution. Bowen conveys these changes in organic, breath-stealing, deeply emotional ways as the world they've known implodes around them. The changes are particularly immense within Stasia as the scenes in the Netherlands show in gut-wrenching ways. 

Friendship - and it's impact on each of these characters - is a key facet of this book. The bonds between Stasia and Nicholas, Stasia and her school friend Margot, and Nicholas and fellow seaman Oscar are strong and enduring whether they are together or not. Their trust, admiration, respect, and affection, forged in the fires of combat, and in the perilous streets of Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, have an incalculable impact upon the lives - and actions - of each of them. I was with them every step of their journeys, feeling their fear, devastation, anger, and determination. These characters were developed to the point where I was almost certain that if I had researched their names in historical documents I would have found evidence of their daring, patriotic exploits...and of their enduring love.

Bowen's books are well researched and authentic to time and place. Reading this novel was like watching the triumphs - and horrors - of WWII come to life across my mind. There are scenes that broke my heart and left me sobbing. Others that still haunted me weeks after reading them. Ultimately, I was left with admiration and respect for those ordinary (but in reality, extraordinary) citizens who, without being asked, put their lives on the line daily while helping to save the world from the evil of the Nazi empire, expecting nothing in return. Those like Stasia who, after the war, built new lives, not forgetting, but never divulging, their roles in winning the war for freedom.  

I highly recommend The Garden of Lost Secrets. 

Do you enjoy WWII novels or movies?

Are there any authors writing in this era that you would recommend?

Have you read Kelly Bowen yet? Either her WWII novels or her historical romances?

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 17 will receive a print copy of The Garden of Lost Secrets. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Thank you to Forever for the generous donation of today's giveaway.

 

Last Chance Winner - - Moorewood Family Rules

 

Anne Golden

This is your last chance to claim your copy of

Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon.

Please email your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

no later than 11:00 PM, May 13.

A new winner will be chosen after that time.

Review & Giveaway - - Highlanders Hold Grudges

Highlanders Hold Grudges

by Julie Johnstone

Wicked Willful Highlanders - Book 1

Publisher: Julie Johnstone

Release Date: May 11, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

 

He kidnapped her to save his clan, not to lose his heart.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and no one is more desperate than Highlander Alasdair MacRae. His clan is on the verge of disaster, thanks to continuous raids from the lying, thieving, murdering MacKenzies. Their latest strike has left Alasdair’s family on the precipice of starvation and his brother badly wounded. The time has come to hit back, and what better blow to deliver than to kidnap his enemy’s daughter and use her to negotiate much-needed peace. His plan is simple: wed the lass. It’s well-known that she’s beloved by her father, and the doting Highlander certainly won’t go to war with Alasdair’s clan if he’s married to the man’s daughter. Once the vows are spoken, he plans to send her to a nice little cottage on his land, where she can live her life as she wishes, and he can live his as if he’s not wed. But his plan meets an obstacle he didn’t foresee, and suddenly, Alasdair finds himself fighting to protect a woman he thought was his enemy and questioning whether he’s wooing the lass to see out his scheme or to truly capture her heart?

When Maeve MacKenzie discovers her adoring father has denied his own heart’s desire so that she may find hers, she resigns herself to stop delaying and finally honor the betrothal to her childhood friend. Their union will strengthen her clan and give her father a second chance at love. But when tragedy strikes, she’s snatched from her home by Alasdair MacRae: the barbaric Highland beast who long ago awakened cravings in her that are impossible to forget. As the heiress of a strategic fortress coveted throughout the Highlands, she’s well-aware the Highland fiend wishes to gain her castle. She has no intention of falling prey to his transparent ploy to woo her, though, and every intention of escaping him. Except the blasted Highlander still possesses an extraordinary ability to kiss, and beyond that, he has the nerve to display seemingly honorable qualities at every turn. How’s a lass to know if it’s all simply a ruse by a cunning, too-handsome foe or if the man she believed to be her enemy is really her greatest hope?

Winning Maeve’s love isn’t something Alasdair ever expected to want, but the sharp-tongued, iron-willed lass ignites a yearning in him that can’t be denied. And when enemies threaten to take her from him forever, Alasdair will do whatever it takes to make her his, even if he has to fight a war to win his bride and lay claim to her heart.

PJ's Thoughts:

Scottish Medieval Romance is one of my favorite sub-genres to read and, in my opinion, Julie Johnstone is one of the best authors currently writing it. Highlanders Hold Grudges launches a new series for Johnstone, showcasing all the storytelling facets I most enjoy about her books.

I love all the layers within Maeve and Alasdair. These two are far from one-note characters. They have honor, loyalty, and a fierce determination to do right by their clans. Enemies to lovers is a favorite trope of mine and one Johnstone uses to delicious effect with feisty banter, sweet emotion, and sizzling desire. I love how Maeve and Alasdair slowly come together with hard-won admiration, respect, and affection, though not without some substantial mountains to climb on the way. Some of those mountains come in the form of well-developed secondary characters who enrich the story while also providing either conflict or support. 

This is Medieval Scotland where feuding clans were the norm and consequences could be deadly. Johnstone takes full advantage of that with plenty of intrigue, adventure, and danger to keep her characters on their toes. Her descriptions are vivid, the characters authentic to the era in which she writes, and the intensity of the life or death stakes they face impossible to ignore. She takes me on an emotional roller coaster of a ride, always making me feel like I'm right there in dense forests, cool waters, and tightly-guarded castles as characters who have captured my heart fight for their lives and their love. And I love every minute of the journey.

If you enjoy high-stakes romance, intriguing characters, honorable heroes, strong heroines, and hard-won, happy endings, give this book a try. I highly recommend it. 

I'm already looking forward to Johnstone's next book and the breath-stealing adventure she's sure to have planned for her characters...and me. 

Amazon - https://amzn.to/40uYl7N

Goodreads - https://bit.ly/3LLxKiO

BookBub - https://bit.ly/3AMTrZr

~~~~~~~~~

Have you read Julie Johnstone yet?

Do you enjoy Medieval Romance?

The Scottish Highlands account for 49% of my ancestry DNA. Maybe that's why I feel such a draw to these characters. Do you feel a connection to a certain place or group of characters? 

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 13 will receive an e-book of Highlanders Hold Grudges.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Second Chance Winner - - My Heart Will Find You

 

The second-chance winner of

a hardback copy of

My Heart Will Find You by Jude Deveraux is:

Katie Chapman

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review - - The Comeback

The Comeback

by Lily Chu

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Release Date: May 9, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

Ariadne Hui thrives on routine. So what if everything in her life is planned down to the minute: that's the way she likes it. If she's going to make partner in Toronto's most prestigious law firm, she needs to stay focused at all times.

But when she comes home after yet another soul-sucking day to find an unfamiliar, gorgeous man camped out in her living room, focus is the last thing on her mind. Especially when her roommate explains this is Choi Jihoon, her cousin freshly arrived from Seoul to mend a broken heart. He just needs a few weeks to rest and heal; Ari will barely even know he's there. (Yeah, right.)

Jihoon is kindness and chaos personified, and it isn't long before she's falling, hard. But when one wrong step leads to a shocking truth, Ari finds herself thrust onto the world stage: not as the competent, steely lawyer she's fought so hard to become, but as the mystery woman on the arm of a man the entire world claims to know. Now with her heart, her future, and her sense of self on the line, Ari will have to cut through all the pretty lies to find the truth of her relationship…and discover the Ariadne Hui she's finally ready to be.

PJ's Thoughts:

This is a book that probably wouldn't have landed on my radar had I not received an email from a publicist whose opinion I value. She loved it, thought I might love it, and sent me a copy. Celebrity romcoms aren't books that I typically gravitate to and I freely admit that I know next to nothing about the K-pop industry so this one would have likely slipped on past me without a look. I am so glad it didn't. I gobbled up this book in one greedy gulp, wanting it to never end. 

RomComs have evolved over the years as anyone who reads them can attest. Yes, there's humor in this book but there's also much more. For Ari, there's the stress of a career she hates, the weight of fulfilling her father's expectations, the heartache of a broken relationship with her sister, and the navigation of an industry where she will always be an "other," which only makes her work that much harder to succeed. She basically has no personal life...until she's thrown off stride by the unexpected arrival of Jihoon. Where Ari is focused and driven, with sharp edges, Jihoon is shy and endearing, more in touch with his emotional side. But don't mistake that for a lack of depth or drive. There are many layers waiting to be revealed within this man and his surprisingly complicated life.  

Chu skillfully guides her characters through a gradual, relatable evolution, complete with complex family dynamics, soul-searching career decisions, heart-opening romantic connection, necessary character growth, and compelling, world-stage challenges, laying it all out in a way that completely immersed me, the reader, in their world. I laughed, cried, ached, and celebrated right along with them. I wanted so badly for these two people from different countries but, really, different worlds, who complement one another so beautifully, to find a way to move forward in happiness and creative fulfillment, individually but also together. Spoiler alert: they do, but you'll have to read the book to discover how it all comes about. 

Lily Chu now sits firmly on my must-buy author list. I've already downloaded her debut, The Stand-In and am looking forward to whatever she writes next. This is an author with a bright future. 

Review - - CORNERED

CORNERED

by Suzanne Ferrell

Neptune's Five - Book 3

Publisher: Suzanne Ferrell Productions

Release Date: May 9, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

August, 1941
America remains neutral in the war in Europe, but signs of the Axis army’s expanding power grab have many in America believing their involvement in the war is only a matter of time. In preparation for that event, they begin gathering information from all areas of conflict.

A Moroccan Mission
A descendant of the Pirate Blackbeard, Warren Smith, aka Chief, has spent his life on the sea, and now he pilots the Folly for the undercover Neptune Five team. As war rages in Europe, danger lurks everywhere, even in remote parts of the world. The Neptune Five embark on a perilous mission to map safe passage up the Sebou river in Morocco to a crucial airstrip, without drawing the attention of the Vichy French navy or the Nazis soldiers stationed there.
Enter Elizabeth "Betty" Devereaux, a missionary nurse with a secret. She knows the Sebou river and needs to deliver life-saving medical supplies to the Bedouins living along the shores. She agrees to guide the Folly's crew up the river. As Betty and Chief navigate the treacherous waters of Morocco, they find themselves drawn to each other despite the dangers threatening to tear them apart.

November 1942

America has entered the war. On the eve of Operation Torch, the invasion of Morocco, Chief and the Neptune Five team has another mission—to find Betty who has gone missing. They fear she’s landed in the hands of the Nazi SS. With the help of the Bedouin resistance fighters the team races across the desert to a kasbah fortress prison to free her before she’s killed.

PJ's Thoughts:

Suzanne Ferrell's Neptune's Five has become one of my favorite romantic suspense series and book three, CORNERED, one of my most anticipated books this spring. After two clandestine, highly suspenseful missions ferreting out spies stateside, the team heads to Morocco for something new. This time, they are the spies, gathering intel in the months leading up to America's entry into WWII. There's plenty of action, suspense, danger, and a bit of romance to keep readers flipping pages right up to the breath-stealing conclusion. 

Ferrell's grasp of time and place in this book is impeccable, bringing to the page the tension, secrecy, and danger of missions such as those assigned to the Neptune's Five team. Her descriptions of the foreign locales allowed me to visualize everything experienced by the characters, from weather to terrain to customs, dangers, and more. I really felt like I was right there with them every step of the way, whether navigating treacherous rivers, outsmarting the enemy, or racing across deserts to rescue one of their own. The secondary characters are well developed, adding another layer of complexity to the story, especially the villains. The author doesn't shy away from atrocities perpetuated by Nazis, which may make some of the scenes difficult to read. Good triumphs over evil - with justice served in a particularly satisfying way - but there is also pain in the journey to get there. Such are the realities of war. 

I love the complexity of this team, the nuances of the individual members, all of whom come from a variety of backgrounds, the range of ages, experience, and skills. It lends a realism and authenticity to these characters, making them more approachable and engaging. By now, I've become invested in all of them and feel like I'm coming to know them better with each book published. 

The romance between Betty and Chief is one that hits quickly then slowly plays out over time in a series of letters. Typically, I prefer face-to-face growth between a couple but in this case the tensions, heightened emotions, and sacrifices of war lend believability to their unconventional "courtship." The letters provide a viable method of getting to know one another while separated, allowing both of them to reveal the depths of their feelings and fears, creating a strong bond between them that deepens into an enduring love. It gave me everything I needed.

While CORNERED can be read and enjoyed as a standalone, it's my opinion that you'll have a much better understanding of the characters if you read the books in the series in order. I highly recommend them all. 

Review - - Courage in the Storm

Courage in the Storm

by Laurel Blount

Publisher: Berkley 

Release Date: April 25, 2023

Reviewed by Hellie

Since witnessing the murder of her beloved parents, Miriam Hochstedler suffers from paralyzing anxiety and a deep-seated fear of the Englisch. Unwilling to venture beyond her family’s Tennessee farm, she forms a close bond with a badly injured gelding. Like Miriam herself, the traumatized animal seems unlikely to recover—until skilled horse whisperer Reuben Brenneman arrives.
 
A survivor of an abusive childhood, Reuben understands fear better than most. He’ll do whatever it takes to help a terrified animal, but his compassion doesn’t extend to the church that turned a blind eye to his family’s suffering. Once he finishes this job, he’ll return to the Englisch world, putting his Amish heritage behind him forever. 
 
As Miriam works alongside Reuben, battling the horse’s fear—and her own—an unexpected friendship blooms and deepens into romance. But the Amish faith that sustains her inspires only distrust in Reuben, and the Englisch world he’s chosen has already broken her heart once. 
 
Falling in love was easy. But staying together will take all the courage they have.

Hellie's Heeds:

First, you don’t need to have read the other two books in the series to bond with these characters or feel the story deeply. I imagine it may deepen the experience even more–and I completely plan to read the other two books as soon as I’m able–but this is my first book of Laurel Blount and it won’t be my last. Second, you’re going to spend a lot of time going, “The hero must look like Robert Redford.” Unless you’re a millennial and have no idea who I’m talking about. But if you ever saw a trailer (or the movie) of The Horse Whisperer, you know this is the plotline of this book. However, I never read that book nor saw that movie either–I just thought, “Gorgeous blonde guy with muscles and blue eyes…and crinkles at the corners. That’s Robert Redford, man.” Third, if you haven’t read the other two books in the series before reading this one, you’re going to want to read the others…because boy howdy, the world building for this series is wonderful.

The background of the stories is that there was a mass shooting by a white guy, who kills two Amish storeowners–the heroine’s parents–in the first of the series. Each of the books deals with the children/siblings who are recovering from their loss as well as the community where this evil happens. Additionally as the community is trying to grieve and move on, a movie company has come to the area to shoot a movie of the story…and bring up the emotions, fears, and anger in the community. The heroine of this book was the daughter who happened to witness the shootings, being she was in the store when it happened, but the shooter didn’t kill her. Miriam has not left the farm since the Incident. She’s terrified, broken, and unable to live her life normally–and worries she will never be able to do so ever again. She lives with her brother and sister-in-law, where she keeps chickens and makes quilts. 

Reuben, our hero, has reluctantly returned to the Amish (of which he used to belong) after living for years as English. He is a wonder with horses; and he is repaying a favor to one of the few Amish men he respects, who helped him escape an intolerable situation when he was a child. He will need to spend several weeks on the farm in order to help a horse that had been in a carriage accident and is now terrified, broken, and unable to live a normal horse life. Within a few moments, Reuben realizes the key to curing the horse will involve Miriam, but first he will need to get Miriam to trust him–an Englisher. 

If this all starts to sound impossible, it is. Reuben has very good reasons for not being Amish any longer–and does everything in his power to separate himself from his previous life. Miriam has very good reasons to distrust anyone not Amish and cannot help her fear around Reuben when he is every inch looking like the very thing she fears most. The horse…well…the horse only wants to protect Miriam and here we are in a triangle where no one seems able to bend to let the healing begin, but eventually it does. Laurel Blount does an amazing job of having three very distinct characters (and yes, the horse is one of these characters) with very jagged edges and very different experiences that all feel very similar in scope and insurmountable…and yet slowly, carefully, the pieces begin to line up and new growth begins to take shape, leaving the characters stronger than they were before. 

Now obviously Amish romance has its own tension…there’s no kissing on the first page or heavy petting (as the old folks might say) and certainly no sex scenes, but there is sexual tension and the sexual tension feels heavy and wonderful, even if no one is so much as undoing a button. This may be Christian fiction, but it’s not do-gooder Christian fiction where you might be made to feel guilty about the sexual tension. It’s normal; it’s right for these characters; and we know they are going to get married first before they consummate it–and that’s okay. (I’ve read my share of Christian romance where it felt a bit on the self-righteous side and I didn’t care for it, but this book did not do that at all. Considering how difficult it is to write sex scenes and love stories because of the need of this balance, of highlighting the joy of love and lovemaking while also not coming across as preachy or moralistic, this book nailed it out of the park.)

This book hit all the right notes for me; and I hope it does for you as well. I would love it if these books were turned into Hallmark movies because the drama and sweetness of the stories feels right up Hallmark’s alley…and the Amish twist would give them something new to the whole small town Christmas trope they’ve done ad nauseam. 

Oh, I almost forgot: my favorite character: the Bishop. The Amish Bishop…seriously…he’s like the main meddler in Fiddler on the Roof–and the book is worth reading for him alone. I now demand all my romance novels have a character like that guy. Go read it now.

 

Last Chance Winner - - My Heart Will Find You

 

Last call for the winner of

My Heart Will Find You by Jude Deveraux.

Nikki

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

no later than 11:00 PM, May 8.

A new winner will be drawn if the book is not claimed by that time.