The Christmas Admirer 
by Laura V. Hilton (Goodreads Author) 

Paula-O Osborne's review 

Apr 27, 2017  ·  edit

it was amazing

The Christmas Admirer by Laura V. Hilton

Benaiah Troyer and Susanna King have know each other since they were children and Susanna always thought they would get married.
they began to court seriously as they got older but when his parents died he knew he should take care of his family and give up his hope of marrying so he broke up with Susannah and broke her heart.
They both loved each other and as time went on it was hard to live in the community and see one another often....very often because Benaiah worked for her father and ate at their table many times.
Susannah's father had been a widower for many years and she handled the household for him, one day out of the blue -he let her know he was going to remarry and they would move out of state.
no notice- no seeing him court someone, now how was she to handle this? She had waited hoping Benaiah would eventually come to terms with things and marry her, but if she moved out of state there would be no chance. Benaiah kept sending mixed signals to Susannah and she just knew he still loved her but she did not know how to get him to accept that marriage would be a good thing between them and help his family too.
She wanted to stay but papa said no.
You will have to read and see how this story ends with happiness for all.

READING PROGRESS

April 21, 2017 – Started Reading

April 24, 2017 – Finished Reading

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                                         ~LIFE AND DEATH LOVE AND BIRTHS~
                                                  written by Pauline C Osborne April 2017

THREE DEATHS IN THE FAMILY

GOD KNOWS WHEN OUR TIME ON EARTH IS UP

THREE BIRTHS IN THE FAMILY

HE KNOWS WHEN TO REPLENISH WITH BIRTH

SO SMELL THE ROSES AS YOU PASS

TAKE TIME AND MAKE LIFE LAST

GIVE PRAISES FOR ALL YOUR BLESSINGS

EVEN WHEN YOU ARE NOT SURE YOU HAVE ANY

GOD GIVES US WHAT WE NEED

NOT ALWAYS WHAT WE WANT

ALL ARE PART OF "LIFE"

The Ebb Tide by Beverly  Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beverly Lewis writes The Ebb Tide

I like reading stories of the amish , seeing their faith in everyday life and relationships along the way.
In this story Sallie is a dreamer, always wanting to see far away places and she has taken a job to save monies hoping to do just that. She puts off joining church so she can have an adventure before she settles down.
When a young man in the community needs financial help for surgery, Sallie knows she cannot just save for a trip -she must help-she gives up her dream and helps.
Later an opportunity comes for her to be a nanny near a beach and she things seeing the ocean will be her adventure. She is to live with the family for the summer and help with the baby and his sister.
While there she meets a mennonite young man that she soon forms a friendship with.
Should we put ourselves in a relationship that we know is not where we should be? She would not have had a dilema in her life if she had not let herself get close to this young man BUT was it wrong or right?
Choices must be made in life and we have to be responsible about them.

I received this book from Bethany House publishing for an honest review. Thank you.


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Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar


Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar

I enjoy reading about bibical stories in fictional style. I can picture Lydia living everyday life and falling in love with a charming man, then to find out he and his mother had plans that were to hurt Lydia and her father was so sad. Trust is a big issue and when it is broken life takes on a different outlook.
I felt along with Lydia the betrayal. I admired the way she moved in a different direction yet still made purple and did well as a woman in the trade.
thanks Tessa for your research and the work you put into this book.


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Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series "Heart of the frontier" book #1, Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson

I like reading this author and the story of Grace is one you don't want to miss.

Three young women Grace-Hope and Mercy head west on the Oregon trail, Grace marries The Rev Martindale to be a marriage in name only as he needs a wife only to go to the mission field.
He was a man that seemed to be full of himself and was always "Right", the sisters did not seem to miss him much when he died early on and was buried along the way, Now the sisters hope to stay at the Whitman mission over the winter as many have been ill and died when Measles affected the train.
Grace is a healer and works helping many but while at the mission the good doctor does not want her helping him. His ways are different from hers. At the mission they also meet a tribe of indians called Cayuse , many were not happy with the good doctor and thought he was killing their people with poison. There is tension between the mission and the indians.
This is a complex story and you will enjoy reading how the girls live and work at the mission. Grace meets a man named Alex that becomes a great friend over time.



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 I was given a book to read and review by Bethany House publishing, it is my honest review.

Tim&Tiffany parents to this petite baby girl born March 1st, 2017 Florence KY.



She is first in the hearts of many
Her  job will be to charm
of that she sure has plenty
indulge and don't be alarmed...

Emma Jane is a fifth generation
Many cousins will adore
kisses and hugs , what elation
this girl cannot ask for more...

up to the time she is grown
Love will surround this princess
her home will be her throne
from the very first caress...

Tearoom for Two by Susan Page Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Guidepost book "Tearoom for Two "by Susan Page Davis

I picked up this book because of the author that I have read before. a little different story for me.

This is a book of mystery and I enjoyed meeting the two women who had been friends and now were widows and needed to make changes in their lives.
They decided to buy a large victorian house in their hometown and use part of it for a business of a "Tearoom", the other businesses on the street were thrilled to have them open this and many came to visit the tearoom.
The mystery begins when one of the ladies stops at the flea market and buys a teapot...you will like the story that goes with the seller -the buyer-the police-the neighbors. A mystery that is a lot of fun to read about.

At the end of the book , I read that a small town near where I live had been behind this story where a couple had started a tearoom in their home and did quite well with it...a plus for me.


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Wild Horse Springs by Jodi Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series Ransom Canyon,book #5 "Wild Horse Springs" by Jodi Thomas



I have started reading this author again after some time apart. "Awesome stories that you want to read all in one setting BUT you put it down to savor those larger then life characters that Jodi puts in her stories. I loved this one with Dan Brigman the sheriff and Brandi Malone a beautiful young woman who sings from her heart.
There is a lot of adventure and mystery in this one and you are going to have so much fun coming along for the journey...
I had not read others in this series but you can bet your boots -I will be going back to find some.
Thanks Jodi for your amazing stories.


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West Winds of Wyoming by Caroline Fyffe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series Prairie Hearts, book #3 "West Winds of Wyoming". by Caroline Fyffe.

I like reading stories our on the Prairies. This one tells the story of Feisty little lady Nell Page. Nell and her brother live and work the ranch alone and sometimes it is so hard that when widower Charlie Rose comes looking for work they need to hire him.
The Cotton Ranch is struggling and with the help of Charlie maybe they will be able to make the next mortgage payment.
the era of 1800's is a time when neighbors helped one another when they could. When a young girl comes in on the stage all alone and she is blind and not very talkative, the town comes together to help her.
Caroline writes a delightful story that keeps you wanting to read "just a little bit more",I know I did.


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Amish Weddings by Leslie Gould
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series Neighbors of Lancaster County book #3"Amish Weddings" by Leslie Gould


I have enjoyed reading this series, little different type amish book with neighbors being English and how their lives became intermingled with the amish.
At first it was hard trying to keep them apart when the children just wanted to play together and be friends.
Later there were some hard feelings when an amish girl falls hard for an english boy, He thinks they cannot be so he joins military and leaves for a time.
this book tells of Rose Lehman who has always wanted to marry Reuben who is the son of a bishop. When a young english man comes to town -she becomes ennamored by his good looks and charm and tells herself there is nothing wrong with being friends, then nothing wrong with flirting a little and before she knows it she is in over her head.
Reuben is a little older then Rose and once courted her sister who hurt him when she changed her mind about him. Rose finds him to be a wonderful man but he is quite and does not show affection much and as a young woman she craves the attention she gets from Trevor.
I wanted to yell at Rose a few times in the reading...

I received this book from Bethany House Publishling and have given my honest opinion of this book.


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                                                   Christmas day December 25th,2016


                                               God gave us his son to come as a babe
                                                  in early morn long ago in a stable
                                                       Shepards came bearing gifts
                                                       wanting to see the new King.

                                                   In awe all looked on this tiny one
                                                       as the sun began to rise
                                                           Mary now a Mother
                                                      And Joseph gazed at the babe...

                                                          Thank you God above
                                                              for sending this "true Love"
                                                                   to show the way
                                                                we can find our way home.

                                                       

Hot Chocolate by Laura V. Hilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hot Chocolate by Laura V Hilton
Cocoa Tanner's husband is murdered and she soon moves from chicago to Grand Rapids Michigan. She wants to depend only on herself and make her dream come true to have a coffee shop, She named it "Common Ground". catchy name. Life is good.
she has a three yr old daughter that she wants to make a living for them without anyone's help,not even God.
Bill James lost his wife and twins in a car accident and now makes work his # one priority to keep the memories away. When the Common Ground opens close by his work he likes to stop in each day for some "Good coffee". He is the first customer and soon Cocoa runs and puts her arms around him and smiles jubilantly making Bill smile too. WOW what a beginning.

Come read the story of how these two who needs no other, soon learn to depend on one another. Bill has a daughter and the two little girls soon become fast friends.

Thank Laura for another wonderful story to read and enjoy...


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For the Record (Ozark Mountain Romance #3) 
by Regina Jennings (Goodreads Author) 

Paula-O Osborne's review 

Dec 13, 2016  ·  edit

it was amazing

Read from December 03 to 06, 2016

Series Ozark Mountain Romance,book #3 "For The Record"-by Regina Jennings


This is a wonderful story with characters you are going to learn to love as they ramble around in the town of Pine Gap in Missouri.
A new deputy has come to town and everyone has to take a gander and check him out, including the town reporter Miss Betsy Huckabee.
Betsy lives with her brother and his family after her parents died and she feels she has too many chores in the home -when she would rather be out and about gathering news to put in the paper that her brother owns and she does some part time work for him to make up for her room and board.
She has dreams of living in the city and needs to save monies for her dream, she makes up a fictional hero in the new deputy and turns in articles to newspaper far off in Kansas hoping no one in their little town will ever see them. She is elated when the newspaper likes them and ask for more.
The deputy has a secret that he hopes never gets out and when he finds Betsy writes for the newspaper he tells her nothing must be said about him. He moved from Texas and wants no one to know where he is now.

In the Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar


I enjoy reading Bibical fiction books and Tessa does a great job with research making us love the characters she creates from the ones found in the Bible.
Everyone knows the story in Hebrews about Ruth and Boaz....

These two in this book made me see them in a new way. After all..the people that walked the earth so many years ago were just like you and I, this story shows us they were human too.

Ruth had a difficult life with her family , one (Grandfather) made her life enjoyable -their bond was quite close and she was devastated when he died and left them.
soon after she married Mahlon and became close with her mother-in-law Naomi. He loved Ruth and taught her many things while they were together but times were hard in those days and their lives together were so different then what we know now.
Both he and his brother became ill with fever and when they died and the grief was so hard for Naomi and her daughters-in-laws,that she decided they should move back to Israel. Along the way she wanted the girls to return to their families and not go further but Ruth chose to stay . This is when we have her voice "Ruth insists upon staying with Naomi. "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you," Ruth tells Naomi. "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God."
After the journey they settled on lands of Naomi's husband and each day Ruth would go out and glean from the fields to help them live. Boaz had many fields and was a wealthy man in those days and when he saw Ruth working -he told his workers to leave some behind for her.
When Naomi saw that both Ruth and Boaz seemed to care for one another she wanted them to be together and she told Ruth to go lay at his feet and uncover them. once he saw that she had done this he knew she wanted him for a husband and he was pleased.
Reading the story of the love that these two shared is a wonderful story,Thanks Tessa for sharing your talant with us.


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Mattie's Pledge by Jan Drexler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

this is a series"Journey to Pleasant Prairie" book #2, Mattie's Pledge written by Jan Drexler

I like reading about prairie stories but Mattie was a challenge, she was always searching never content. Jacob Yoder was an old friend that she has known from childhood and she trusted him. He was the one constant that helped ground her.
Now the family is moving again to another amish community in another state across the prairies.
She has always dreamed of going west ...farther west.
This book will take you into the mid 1800's amish lifestyle. Times are tough and the trip west is very rough. On this journey Mattie will meet a charming english man who is a sheep in wool clothing if you get my drift. He charms Mattie with tales of the West each time they happen to meet, trying to entice her to leave her amish community and go with him.
I enjoyed learning from Jacob about the sheep he took with them on their journey and the
tenderness he had with the children. Mattie stole my heart and I yearned for her to find happiness and to lose the wonderlust she always seemed to have....life took many turns for her until she knew in her heart of hearts that she would always be amish,she could not leave her family and then to be content.

Thank you to Jan for a wonderful story, I read and reviewed with my honest opinion .
I look forward to reading the next book in this series.


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Vow Unbroken by Caryl McAdoo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series Texas Romance,Book #1 "Vow Unbroken" by Caryl McAdoo


Susannah Baylor has had to be strong since she lost her husband ...she has a large Cotton crop to sell so she will have monies for her family to live on another year, seeds to buy and lands needing planted again in the spring She is "Hopping mad" when a man tries to cheat her after promising a good deal then leaving her high and dry as how to get her full wagons to market.
But they must go...she sets out with her young nephew and daughter , stopping at a friends house on the way. The friend tries to talk her out of it ...she cannot go alone on this dangerous mission -then when sees she is going one way or the other. She is told go see Henry and hire him to go with her. Well if would not hurt to have a man alone so she does and lo and behold ,after some talking ,he decides to help her.
This trip along the Trace takes many turns ...some comfortable and some not so comfortable. Along the way Susannah and Henry get to know one another much better.
Henry had lost his Mom not long ago and Susannah can see that his mother taught him many things because he is a gentleman in every way.
This story is quite the adventure and you are going to love meeting this couple and the little girl that is quite mature for her age. I know I did.

This was a new author to me but I will definately look for more of her work as I read many books. I am hoping to meet these characters again as I look for more Texas Romance books by Caryl McAdoo.


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Amish Wanderer by Laura V. Hilton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amish Wanderer written by Laura V Hilton


a little about this author:

Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor. Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as the Amish of Jamesport series, The Snow Globe, The Postcard, and The Birdhouse. Other credits include Swept Away from Abingdon Press’ Quilts of Love series. Laura is contracted for another three book Amish series set in the Jamesport area, with the first book, The Amish Firefighter, planned for April 2016. She has self-published a Christmas novella, Christmas Mittens. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer and blogs for Putting on the New and Seriously Write.

My thoughts after reading,
Bethany feels as if the world is passing her by and she will never get to be a "Frau".
There have been many things happening in the life of her family...A brother was killed in an accident and her mother is in a state of grieving,she wants no holidays or birthdays remembered.just let the days go forward with work and little enjoyment.
Next, her father has problems and is hospitalized , they think he is getting dementia when many strange things were done with his knowlege.
The family is devestated.
One morning when she goes out to do chores she finds a young man asleep there. Soon she realizes it is someone she knew before , He had left the community, Silas. Ah she had such a crush on that boy,now wonder what is going to happen with him at their home looking so "Bedraggled".

Bethany wants to Love and be loved -to have a home and family of her own. She has a secret too and wants to leave the community before "Hen" gets out of jail and wants to do what he has done before to her...she is frightened and not sure how to make him stop hurting her. She feels many in authority just keep telling her to be submissive and it confuses her.
BUT
Silas is different and she knew him from before and feels OK around him, she is wondering if he might feel the same about her and he might be "The One".
Silas has problems of his own and is scared to try and have a relationship with Bethany and stay in this place, His family was abusive and he had left it hoping for a better future.
This story about Silas and Bethany is one of Love and forgiveness.
This story has many a twist and just when you think you know what will happen, it moves again in a different direction.
After reading this book,I am sure you will want to read more of her.


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From This Day Forward by Lauraine Snelling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series Song of Blessing book#1 "From This Day Forward", by Lauraine Snelling

I so enjoyed going back to Blessing and to the characters that I had fallen in love with from the Red River series. Ingeborg is such a strong character and she leads the young women in the area by example. She had so much heartache from the early years yet she stayed strong by her strong faith and the friendship of family and friends.
You will be so blessed to read these books by Lauraine Snelling
This book tells the story of Deborah and her love for a man that cares for her but is afraid to make a commitment. Can she ever get him to get past his heartache from an abusive home before he and his brother were taken in by the Valders and saw a love that he had always wanted in his life.
His brother had overcame his past and had a good life with his wife and family and he is always trying to show Toby that he too can do this if he will only accept Deborah's love. Many in the town are trying to get the two together also.
You will enjoy reading this story of small town living and characters that are just like your neighbors next door.

I received this book from Bethany House publishers and thank them for the awesome read.


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Newton and Polly: A Novel of Amazing Grace by Jody Hedlund
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Newton and Polly is written by Jody Hedlund

Jody writes about John Newton and his time of being a sailor but also a time when his faith was not that strong, almost non-existent. John cared about himself to the extent of leaving his father and others wondering how he could just walk off and not be responsible.
When he first heard the caroling of Polly and her friends -He became smitten and wanting to know more about this girl not caring if he did not report back to his ship on time or not.
His actions made him,be picked up and bound to a ship as a sailor for several years.
Many times he would leave with an alloted time to come back and he would not, he drank excessively and gambled with the shipmates. His work was shoddy and he knew it.
When He and Polly met , she too liked this young man but knew she could not become involved with a non christian.  Her heart was torn.

Step back through the pages of history, to uncover the true love story behind a song that continues to stir the hearts and ignite the faith of millions around the globe, "Amazing Grace".


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                                                          Tempus Fugit

                            As September has zipped right through her days and now is sailing forward to October I am at a loss as to how fast time is going since I became a senior.
                           I want the days of my youth when I ran and played with my siblings,no thought for how a meal would be there to feed us....no thought for how the roof over our heads got paid....no thoughts other then happiness for the day.  no thoughts of tomorrow,I would sleep soundly and awake to a day of school-homework-playing again...I had no worries as I do now...
                        Generation after generations life goes on...Grandpa and Grandma leave us and soon we are the grandparents, smiling and happy to play with the grandchildren.  Proudly smiling as our children work a good job-have children& strive to be a good citizen ...paying their bills and living "The Good Life".  It is their turn to be responsible, making their children have no thoughts of where a meal would come from,knowing they could sleep soundly and live the carefree life of a child.
                         I am reminded of the verses in the Bible of "A time to live and A time to die", we will all die to this world-yet only by accepting the grace of our father in heaven-We can live eternally.
                         Our lives on earth are so short compared to what we can have afterwards.
                          I have met many people on my journey moving forward, in jobs that I have had, in neighborhoods where I lived.  In church where we met and Love was shared.
                          I hope your journey has been a good one and that you are ready to live that eternal life ahead, I want to meet you again my friends and family.....Accept and live.