The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen


Emma Smallwood has always helped her father who is a tutor of young boys, many times the boys would play pranks on her but she paid them no mind, letting them think they did not bother her.
Emma's father lost his wife and the school began to fail when there were no young boys to teach and Emma had the forethought to write The Westons to see if they might like to send their younger two sons to the school as they had done the two older ones before.
She soon got a letter inviting the tutor and his daughter to come to the Cornwall coast manor and live in residence and teach the two younger boys for a year.  The father was excited to make the move and soon they let their home out and moved to the Coast.
Many things happened after they arrived and it was even mentioned a ghost of the first Mrs Weston might be the culprit.  Emma did not believe in ghost so she was always on the lookout to see what might be happening.  at night a piano would be played and no one knew who was playing, items turned up missing from Emma and Henry's rooms.
A young ward Lizzie  lived in the Manor along with Philip, who had returned from university. a new wife for the Baronet and Henry the oldest son who was taking care of the running of the Manor at his fathers request.  Henry and Philip were the sons that the Smallwoods had tutored before and the reunion was a happy one for them.
Many ships crashed on the dangerous waters near the cliffs on the Weston properties and there was a very old church jutting into the sea that had been there many years and was slowly being destroyed by the sea.  Henry loved the old church and the history of it and went there often and even gave Emma a tour of it one day.
There was sibling rivally between the younger sons and the older sons and a mystery to the old manor that Emma felt seep around her while she was there.
Julie made this old manor and the coast come to life with the family and as all families seem to have some secrets this one did.  you will like reading and learning more of this story.


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The Lesson by Suzanne Woods Fisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series "Stoney Ridge Seasons" book #3 is~The Lesson~ by Suzanne Woods Fisher

I remember the fiesty little girl known only by M.K. from book #1 and she has grown up to be a young woman that marches to a different drummer.  This young woman is not your typical amish girl.  Most love to teach and would love the idea but when presented with the idea that she would be the teacher you would have thought her swarm of bees that she works with were buzzing around her coming in for the kill.
Reading the stories before this one will make lot of things plainer but still each book reads "good" on their own.  I loved the characters of this series Amos Lapp, is a wonderful honest hard working man that his daughters have wrapped around their fingers. M.K.(Mary Kate) is the youngest and now age 19, she has a restless soul and never seems to be satisfied but all through the book you can see she is working on finding the answers.
She rides a little scooter around the community and has been known to close her eyes and zoom down a hill just for the thrill of it.  She has grown up with Jimmy Fisher and some think he will be her husband when the time comes to marry.  To M.K. he is a close friend.
Chris and his sister Jenny move into the community and there is a bit of mystery of who he is and what his past was.  He is a hard worker and keeps to himself.  He finds a job with Amos Lapp who had heart problems and can use some help at his farm.  He sends Jenny to school where she meets M.K. the new teacher and she thinks this woman knows nothing about being a teacher and life is boring for a time.
You will enjoy reading this story and see how Mary Kate finds her Joy in Life from teaching and the young man that finally gets her attention.  Secrets are opened in book #3.  Love is found along with forgiveness when the Mother of Chris and Jenny shows up.  Amos finally makes peace with an old hurt and Fern(Amos second wife) seems to be the glue that holds all together.
I think "The Lesson" is a wonderful name for this book as many are learned.  Thanks Suzanne for a wonderful series, I hate to leave this family.


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Waiting for Morning by Margaret Brownley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

series "The Brides of Last Chance Ranch" by Margaret Brownley this book Waiting for Morning.


My first book read by this author and even though it is in a series I loved the story and it read fine alone.
The character of Molly Hatfield was of a fiesty young girl who is dedicated to caring for her brother that she has a ton of guilt about, thinking she caused the accident that made him be in a wheelchair.
She has decided she will always care for him and when a chance comes to go to Arizona to Cactus Patch and apply for job at the Last Chance she jumps in with both feet and all of her heart....
Miss Walker owns the Last Chance and is looking for an Heiress to take over the management of the ranch, her one stipulation the person can never marry.  She believes the ranch needs a persons undivided attention.  Molly thinking she would have a stable place for her brother Donny thinks this would be no problem for her.
This thought is before she meets and gets to know Dr Caleb Faribanks, the towns charming doctor who has a way about him and also has the only vehicle in town that he lovingly calls "Bertha".  The old girl has a problem that is bothersome as she backfires a lot and many think guns are going off which causes a few problems...  another problem when it is near the cattle they tend to stampede when they hear the terrible noises it makes.
It was at just one of these times that the good Dr and miss Molly met while she was on her way to the Ranch.
You will enjoy reading the story of Molly and the characters of the town and the Last Chance Ranch, I did.
Problems are solved and Hopes for the future renewed as Molly grows to love this Arizona ranch and she finds that Donny can become more independent and not take so much help with the Doctor's sharing his time and attention..Even The owner Miss Walker might just change her mind about a few things..come read.


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Though Mountains Fall by Dale Cramer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dale Cramer series "The Daughters of Caleb Bender" book #3 Though Mountains Fall.

 In the previous books 1-2 we saw how this family had moved from their quite amish community to the mountains of Mexico to Paradise Valley to avoid having their children made to go to public schools.
Life was hard in Mexico and they had to forge their way making homes and clearing lands for their planting.  hard work and perseverence had their amish community in Paradise Valley growing, others had came and it would be ideal if only there was not the problems of the Mexican soldiers who would steal from them and were dangerous around the amish young women.
We see that Miriam had fallen in Love with one of the mexicans and he with her and he spent much time with Caleb working with him and learning his ways.  They respected one another but that still did not make Caleb want his daughter to be close to this man.  Amish were meant to marry Amish and were shunned when they stepped outside of their faith.
When their existance is threatened, Caleb turns to the Mexican Goverment for help and the help he gets becomes more then what he expected and finally he wonders can they continue to live in this harsh land.
Watching helplessly as daughters Rachel, Miriam and Emma are drawn to their destinies, Caleb is forced to confront the most important decision of his life.
I enjoyed reading the stories of each of these women and you will too, in this third book we learn some of the things that have happened on the journey to Mexico and how it changed the lives of the Amish group

I was given this book by Baker Publishing group-Bethany House for an honest review, whic I have done above....Loved this series and in particular this book #3


http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15862844-though-mountains-fall

Betrayal by Robin Lee Hatcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series where the Heart Lives Book #2 "Betrayal" by Robin Hatcher


"Kindred spirits"  I would say this was Hugh Brennan and Julia Grace

She was owner of a small ranch that needed help after her husband died suddenly.  He had a brother that wanted the land and was always trying to get Julia to sell to him.  She felt a peace after the husband died and knew she wanted to remain on the lands.
Hugh Brannen had a quest in his soul to find his sisters, they had been torn apart when his mom died and he at the age of 13 promised to care for them and keep the family together, this proved more then a boy could do and they were sent west on the orphan train to find new homes and parents.
Hugh's father found him and brought him to live with him and taught him the life of a pick-pocket and Hugh ended up spending time in prison when he did as he was told.  after getting out and eeking a living out moving across the lands he was determined to find his sisters.
One cold windy day their paths crossed when Hugh stopped at Julia's ranch for water for his horse and noticing the horse was lame he asked for work and to stay awhile to rest his horse.
Julia needed help though she could not afford it and decided he could stay for room and board if he would help her.  they needed one another and this was good arrangement.
You will enjoy reading this story as I did of Hugh and Julia getting to know one another and finding forgiveness and Love to share making their lives less lonly.


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