"A Promise for Miriam" Pebble creek series by Vannetta Chapman

A Promise for Miriam by Vannetta Chapman


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Pebble Creek Amish series book #1 by Vannetta Chapman "A Promise for Miriam"

A Promise for Miriam, the first book in a brand-new romantic series from popular author Vannetta Chapman, introduces the Amish community of Pebble Creek and some of the kind, caring people there. As they face challenges to their community from the English world, they come together to reach out to their non-Amish neighbors while still preserving their cherished Plain ways.

Miriam is a schoolteacher and very proud of what she does, she has stayed single and these students are like her children, now 26 and way beyond getting married stage she meets a new father who is also new to Pebble creek as he moves to the area with his daughter, Grace. Gabriel Miller is a widower and has a rough time raising his daughter alone after his wife died three yrs ago. His daughter does not speak and hasnt for three years and this is a challange for Miriam as she learns to care about each of her students.

Aden is a young man that Miriam has grown up with and he hopes to marry Miriam and even leaves the community and then returns hoping she will have missed him and decide to accept his offer of marriage. His father has a large house and many acres that makes an impressive home.

Gabe sees Miriams heart and knows he could learn to care for her as a frau, but thinks she could do better with Aden and he is always dropping hints about this young man to Miriam.

The story has much about Gabe and his daughter but also emcompasses changes to the area from an outsider wanting to refurbish an old building in town and make it into a "Amish Abbey" and captilize on the amish. There had been similar changes where Gabe had lived before and he was able to help form a committee after talking with the bishop and try to get the town to compromise on what the plans were so all would be better for it.

Miriam comes to have feelings for Gabe and we watch them dance around one another as their feelings for one another grows. Grace hopes they might get closer but she doesnt see them doing what a courting couple would.

Miriam and Gabe finally work together to help Grace "find her voice" and this brings them closer too.

You will enjoy this story as I did of a devoted teacher who really wants love of a family and finally gives her heart away to the father of one of her students....




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"A Family to Cherish" by Ruth Logan Herne

A Family to Cherish by Ruth Logan Herne


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"A Family to Cherish" by Ruth Logan Herne

Men of small town Allegany County find their soul mates....

One of these is Cam Calhoun a widower with two adorable girls that he dotes on. Cam works as a teacher at the local high school and also does work refurbishing homes at which he is noted to be the best in the area.
Cam Calhoun and Meredith Brennan had a past caring for one another in high school before she left town abruptly and now 14 yrs later she is back.
Meredith affectionately known as "Mere" is single and has a secret that she does not want anyone in her hometown to know--you can't live 14 years without some things happening that you might not be so proud of and this was one thing that Mere was definately not proud of.
Watching this story unfold with Cam and Mere refinding a closeness that they both had promised themselves "would not happen". Two little girls wrap Mere in a feeling that she has not known before, they need a mom and cannot remember much of theirs that died when they were so small. Daddy protects them and loves them but he doesn't have the "women's touch" needed sometimes.
Meredith comes back to her hometown wanting to establish a business in an old Senator's mansion that needs some work before opening and thus Cam is her man for the job. She plans a Wellness Spa that will as she says "Feed the soul" as well as the body of the women in town.
Cam has deep guilty feelings because his wife died years earlier of Pneumonia and he feels his indifference to her health and not caring enough killed her.
Through this story we will see Cam and Mere work together at the mansion and also work together on the relationship between them which is instant attraction followed by cautious feelings. Needless to say the girls are the glue that puts these two together many times but true love will cement it.
Ruthy knows how to pull a story together and this one was a pleasure to read.




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Tricia Goyer Big Sky series book #3 "Beyond Hope's Valley"

Beyond Hope's Valley by Tricia Goyer





Book#3 in Tricia Goyer Big Sky Novels, "Beyond Hope's Valley"

I was anxious to read more of the story of Marianna when I picked up this book. A simple but complex young woman.

The continuing story of Aaron and Marianna who grew up in Indiana, and even as children they liked one another, the community just knew these two were meant to be together...but. Life doesnt always go the way we plan and as an adult Marianna finds herself going to Big Sky country in Montana to live for awhile which gets extended.
While she is gone Aaron is a lonely man and mistakes come when you are lonely and feeling lost,this was the case of Aaron and Naomi.
Naomi was hurt and lost when Levi the love of her life left the amish community, Naomi assumed he would not be back.
Mistakes made can change lives through all time and you will want to read how Levi finds his way back to the amish life and to Naomi whom he realizes is the love of his life and he does not want to go through life without her by his side.
Marianna also returns to Indiana but she has changed and the biggest is the way she views her relationship with God...next -meeting a young man who showed her many things about God and the Bible, this book explores a relationship between an amish girl and an english man of God.
I found myself turning pages faster to find out what would happen next as the lives of these people had so much emotion to them, I hope you enjoy this tale as much as I did.
We all have our valleys to go through in life but knowing that God is with us unconditionally always helps me to weather a storm and look towards the calm on the other side....




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Debut Novel by Becky Wade "My Stubborn Heart"

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

this was a debut novel and quite a story to begin with.
I could not tell which one of this couple had the most stubborn heart, I think they both did, what did you think???

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships and in need of adventure. she is 31 and single still..
when her grandmother wants her to go to Redbud Pa and help her restore the grand old house that she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

It is here that she meets one-time hockey great Matt Jarreau, who has so many problems that he has come back to Redbud where he grew up to get out of the limelight. He now works refurbishing old homes and Gran ask him to help her working on her old home.

Kate and Matt have an instant "feeling" toward one another but become friends while they are working together.

When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between these two slowly shifts into something more, is God answering some longtime prayers? or will Kate be asked to give up more then she ever dreamed for...

I enjoyed the seniors that walked through this story with Gran, the dinners Matt learned to cook and enjoy, Kate's closness with God and wanting to do what she could to help even if it meant not getting her hearts desire. Thanks Becky for a wonderful story..




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The Marshal's Promise by Rhonda Gibson

The Marshal's Promise by Rhonda Gibson


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


LIH by Rhonda Gibson "The Marshal's Promise"

This is a story of a mail-order Bride..

Rebecca Ramsey has a stepmother that has no use for her and she feels she has no place in her own home anymore, therefore she writes letters to Jesse Cole and decides to become his bride.
She travels to Cottonwood Springs, New Mexico to start a new life.
when she arrives she finds out from the Marshall that her intended has died in a bank robbery gone awry.
Nowhere to go and not wanting to return home she decides to stay and looks for a job to support herself.
Now The Marshall has a ton of guilt from being the one that shot Jesse but he does not tell her all the circumstances at first. He also lost a love before they could marry and feels because he has a dangerous job he should stay single...
Reading this story of Rebecca and The Marshal, Seth Billings, you will see them both have feeling for one another yet hide them thinking that it cannot be.
The town takes a dislike to Rebecca just because she came to be the bride of Jesse whom was a member of the Evans gang at one time and stole lots of money. Some think he told her about the monies-some think she may have it and some are not sure what to think of this young woman.
Mystery-mayhem and romance in this book, you will want to read and find out what is the Marshal's Promise....




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4th of July 2012

Today I am thinking of Freedom and what it means to me and my family.  We take so much for granted as we get up each day in our air conditioned homes and drive to work in our nice cars.  There was a time and not so long ago there was no electricity in homes and the only mode of travel was by horse and buggy.
We need to remember those times and be a more thankful nation.


I wish to Thank God for the grace he shows us each and every day as we go about our busy days not even giving a second thought to our God that created this great country..

I wish to thank the men and women in the military that do their jobs so that we may have more freedom and be safe as we go about our busy days in America....

I am thankful that I grew up in a large family and that I have 5 sisters and 3 brothers who are there keeping in touch even though they are busy with their own families...

I am thankful that I have a nice home and all the creature comforts a body could want or need..

I am thankful that I am able to worship as I please -when I please and where I please.

I am thankful that I live in a country where your neighbor is supportive when you need that helping hand...

I am thankful for the beauty that is in our great nation,   from sea to shining seas-one coast to another.

I am thankful for friends .......Books......friends and Books.

What are you thankful for???????????????????????

Debut novel by Sherri Shackleford "Winning The Widow's Heart"

winning the widows heart by sherri shackleford


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


LIH "Winning The Widow's Heart" by Sherri Shackelford

This is a debut novel and a fantastic story

A Texas ranger tracking a bank robber meets a widow when the sherrif of a small town told him he should take a look in this area as he had seen man with horse like the robber was riding out that way.
Jack Elder expecting to find a band of outlaws in the small cabin breaks in the door and is shocked to find a woman in labor before him.

Elizabeth Cole grabbed a rifle and had it pointed at the door as the man broke through the door, I am not sure who was surprised the most. Elizabeth doubled over in pain telling him to get out or the man with his gun drawn looking for an outlaw.
He knew they were both in trouble as soon as he realized no outlaws were here and only a woman weilding a rifle towards him and very much in pain as all of a sudden her water broke and then she realized that the baby was coming and she was not ready for it.
Jack was going to find help at a nearby neighbors when a daughter from that family stopped by and she could help with the birthing. Jack felt a sigh of relief at this news.
He knew he could not leave though until everything was settled so he continued to stay and ended up helping as Elizabeth's strength was almost gone.
A baby girl was born that day and stole the hearts of Elizabeth and Jack too. He stuck around cutting wood and doing chores to help out and wondering how he was going to leave and catch the man he was after.
Elizabeth's husband had worked for the railroad and was gone a lot and when he was home he gambled in the nearby town and no one had much sympathy for her. She stayed close to home living alone and Jo, neighbors daughter, helped at times. Elizabeth's husband had died about 8 months ago but she still felt like she could not make any changes and had rough time taking care of the property alone.
After some time Jack had his suspicions about her husband and the robbery and putting it together he and Elizabeth both came up with the samd idea - that Mr Cole just might have been the robber.
The suspense and romance of the book held my interest and was happy to read the ending was a happy one.

I think we will be reading more from Sherri Shackleford...




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