Review of "Courting Cate" by Leslie Gould

Rating: 4 Stars

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Summary: When This Couple Gets to Courting, Sparks Will Fly!

In Paradise, Pennsylvania, Cate Miller is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Her sweet and flirty sister, Betsy, on the other hand, seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!

But the sisters' wealthy father has made one hard-and-fast rule: older Cate must marry first, before younger Betsy can even start courting. Unfortunately, untamable Cate has driven away every suitor--until Pete Treger comes to town, that is.

Prodded by the men of the area, Pete turns his attention to winning Cate's hand. But is his interest true or is there a scheme at play? - Bethany House

Review: Leslie Gould offers a fresh spin on Amish fiction with "Courting Cate," the debut novel of "The Courtships of Lancaster County" series.  The intrigue of Amish life and beauty of pastoral back roads is present in the novel, but the premise makes "Courting Cate" stand out from the other Amish fiction novels that I have read.  

It seems that the Amish are usually portrayed in the media as old-fashioned and quaint, strict, or rebellious. Gould avoids the cliches and creates believable characters, who, despite their lifestyle, are not much different from average Englishers.  It is refreshing to see the Amish engaged in normal activities like hiking and kayacking. 

Cate Miller is a devoted Amish who does not fit into the stereotypical Amish mold, with her penchant for business, love for books, and sharp tongue. Cate's abrasiveness could be a turn-off, but her first person perspective allows readers to understand her emotions.  She grows and softens over the course of the novel as she battles insecurity and anger.  Like Cate, I questioned Pete's motives during their courtship. My speculation about the outcome of their relationship kept me interested until the end.  The resolution felt a bit rushed, leaving me wanting another chapter.  Hopefully, Cate and Pete will make appearances in the upcoming novels in the series. 

Leslie Gould kept me interested and entertained and broke the preconceptions that I have about most Amish fiction.  "Courting Cate" is a quick and entertaining read that I definitely recommend, and I look forward to the upcoming books in the series. 

I received a complimentary e-copy of this novel from NetGalley, courtesy of Bethany House.  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.”

Review of The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

Rating: 3 Stars

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Synopsis from WaterBrook Multnomah: After Gideon coldly broke her heart, can the warmth of the season revive Mattie’s hopes?
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Mattie thought her childhood sweetheart adored her until he abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve. Three years later, will learning the truth behind his rejection restore her Christmas joy – or open the door to even deeper heartbreak? Spend Christmas with the Amish in this story of love, romance, heartache, and restoration.
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Review: The Christmas Singing is a quick weekend read, great for busy readers during the holiday season.  Its hard cover and attractive dust jacket also make it a nice gift for fans of Amish fiction.  Readers who enjoy reading Amish fiction will likely appreciate this novella's journey with Mattie and Gideon.  
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I have often been turned off by the tragedy and grief that have been present in many of the Amish fiction novels that I have read in the past.  I hoped that The Christmas Singing would be an exception. Within the first hundred pages, I felt that nearly every main and supporting character had some past or present heartbreak, grief, or physical malady.  I found myself exasperated with some of the more "depressing" details.  Physical and emotional issues are parts of real life and should be included in fiction as well; but in a short novella, I felt that the details cluttered the plot and diverted my focus.  The ending was promising with a tidy and happy resolution.  
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There is potential for a few additional novellas featuring some of the characters from this novella whose stories need conclusions.  Readers who enjoyed The Christmas Singing and its predecessor, The Sound of Sleigh Bells, can read more of Aden's story in the February 2012 release of The Scent of Cherry Blossoms. 
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Click Here to Read an Excerpt from The Christmas Singing. 
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah 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.”

The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson

Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis from Summerside Press: Cleveland, Ohio, 1928. Secrets bind the notorious Cardano family together, but Detective Rollin Wells is close to exposing the family’s dark secrets. The Cardanos are working in the hills south of Cleveland, and when Rollin travels to Sugarcreek to investigate, he discovers that the Cardanos want him dead.

Rollin hides out in an Amish home, trying to uncover why the Cardanos are in Amish country and who is collaborating with them. As he gets closer to the truth, he also attempts to find out what a beautiful Amish woman named Katie Lehman—a woman who reminds him of the girl he once loved—is hiding.

Will Katie trust him with her secret…and her heart? Or will the Cardano code of honor silence them both?


Review:  The Silent Order is a refreshing and exciting departure from the traditional Amish and historical fiction novels.  I was first drawn to the setting of the novel - 1928 Ohio. The 1920s was both an exciting and turbulent time in history, yet I have read so few novels set during that period.  My interest was further piqued by the summary.  How often do we see the mafia, detectives, and the passive Amish community in the same plot?  My expectations were set: this was not going to be a traditional Amish fiction novel.  I was not disappointed.

Melanie Dobson's writing and suspenseful story-line gripped me from the beginning.  The novel maintains a steady pace until the end, woven with secrecy, danger, and of course faith and a bit of romance.  Both main characters, Katie and Rollin are likable and well-developed.  They each wear scars from their pasts, and they are bound by the losses and traumas they suffered at the hands of cruel men.  As Katie's and Rollin's lives cross in Amish country, they reveal hidden secrets to each other and the reader.  In the midst of peril and fear, they experience healing, which provide heartfelt and tender moments.  The Silent Order is a fast and intriguing read that I highly recommend!

The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher PLUS Book Giveaway!

B Squared's Review:

Amish novels have become a staple in the Christian fiction marketplace during the past several years.  After reading several predictable Amish fiction novels, they have not been on the top of my reading list.  The synopsis of The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher intrigued me and enticed me to give Amish fiction another try.  

In the quiet Amish community of Stoney Ridge, Pennsylvania, past secrets are revealed and lives are connected in unexpected ways.  Lainey O’Toole, a young English woman finds herself stranded in her hometown of Stoney Ridge on her way to culinary school. Expecting to stay just a few days, Lainey soon realizes that God has other plans for her future.  Bertha Reihl is a past acquaintance of Lainey’s and a staple in the Amish community with a reputation for her stubborn streak and her sweet roses.  Bertha coaxes her teenage granddaughter, Bess, to live on her rose farm for the summer.  Like Lainey, Bess’s journey to Stoney Ridge is ultimately a life-changing journey.  As their lives entwine, Lainey, Bess, Bertha, and their families are forced to confront consequences of their past decisions while reexamining their faith and discovering the power of love and forgiveness. 

The Search is a quick and enjoyable read that offers a departure from the more formulaic Amish novels that I have read in the past.  Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone novel.  Characters from The Choice and The Waiting make appearances in The Search, but each novel focuses on different characters and situations.  Fisher writes the novel from several different perspectives, primarily those of Lainey and Bess.  As I read the novel, I found myself more drawn to Bess’s character.  Over the course of the book, Bess blossoms into a compassionate and strong young woman.  Her journey is heartwarming and inspiring, and I hope that her story will continue.  I felt less connected to Lainey, who makes several life-changing decisions, but easily transitions into her altered lifestyle.  I would have enjoyed a closer look into Lainey’s adjustment to her new life.

Suzanne Woods Fisher reintroduced me to Amish fiction, and I plan to read The Choice and The Waiting.   In today’s technological world, the Amish lifestyle is often viewed as idyllic and simple.  It is often hard to imagine that the Amish have faults and face daily challenges like the rest of society.  Amish fiction offers readers a glimpse into the lifestyle that we find fascinating as outsiders and takes us on a journey to the picturesque farmlands, without leaving our modern comforts.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse 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.”
About the Book:
Fifteen years ago, Lainey O'Toole made a split-second decision. She couldn't have known that her choice would impact so many.

Now in her mid-twenties, she is poised to go to culinary school when her car breaks down in Stoney Ridge, the very Amish town in which her long-reaching decision was made, forcing her to face the shadowed past.

Bess Reihl is less than thrilled to be spending the summer at Rose Hill Farm with her large and intimidating grandmother, Bertha. It quickly becomes clear that she is there to work the farm--and work hard. The labor is made slightly more tolerable by the time it affords Bess to spend with the handsome hired hand, Billy Lapp. But he only has eyes for a flirty and curvaceous older girl.

Lainey's and Bess's worlds are about to collide and the secrets that come to light will shock them both.

"Beautifully written, 'The Search' is a skillfully woven story that takes readers through unexpected twists and turns on the long country road toward truth. Fans both old and new will find themselves immersed in this heartwarming--and surprising--tale of young love, forgiveness, and coming to grips with the past."

About Suzanne:
In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results.

Suzanne has loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.

After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn't even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. "That's why there's no food in this house!" said her slightly insensitive sons.

Undaunted...Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple awards). With help from an agent, she now has numerous books under contract with Revell. Also look for Suzanne's Amish non-fiction, Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World, a non-fiction book of stories and examples about the Old Order Amish, as well as Amish Proverbs, and coming in Spring of 2011, look for Amish Values for Your Family. The Choice and The Waiting are the previous books in the Lancaster County Secrets Collection.

Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never to confuse the two.

Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

Buy the Book:
http://www.amazon.com/Search-Novel-Lancaster-County-Secrets/dp/0800733878/ref=sprightly-20

Blog Tour Schedule: 
http://litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/the-search-by-suzanne-woods-fisher.html

Win a Free Copy of The Search, Courtesy of B Squared!

Contest ends January 31, 2011.

To enter our contest for a chance to win The Search:

Leave a comment with your email address. Restrictions apply.*   

* Entries without email addresses are not valid.

* Due to shipping costs, this contest is only valid for persons with a mailing address in the contiguous United States.

Bonus Entries:

If you are a current or new follower and indicate this in your comment, you will receive one bonus entry. 

Contest Deadline:

The contest ends on January 31, 2011 at 11:59pm EST.  Comments left after the close of the contest will not be valid. 

The winner will be announced on February 1, 2011 and notified via email.

Disclosures:

We are not responsible for lost or damaged items.  Books are conveyed “as-is.” 

Chances of winning are based on the number of entries received by the deadline.  Each entry will be assigned a number based on the order in which it is received.  A number will be drawn randomly at the conclusion of the contest.