Anna's Crossing By Suzanne Woods Fisher My Review

I love historical fiction and this book was full of it! It was also full of adventure, romance, and all the good stuff I've come to expect from Suzanne Woods Fisher's books. Although it came out in 2015, I hadn't left a review for it online, but after giving it a second read I just had to share!

Description

When Anna König first meets Bairn, the Scottish ship carpenter of the Charming Nancy, their encounter is anything but pleasant. Anna is on the ship only to ensure the safe arrival of her loved ones to the New World. Hardened by years of living at sea, Bairn resents toting these naïve farmers--dubbed "Peculiars" by deckhands--across the ocean. As delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions afflict crew and passengers alike, Bairn finds himself drawn to Anna's serene nature. For her part, Anna can't seem to stay below deck and far away from the aloof ship's carpenter, despite warnings.

When an act of sacrifice leaves Anna in a perilous situation, Bairn discovers he may not have left his faith as firmly in the past as he thought. But has the revelation come too late?

Amish fiction favorite Suzanne Woods Fisher brings her fans back to the beginning of Amish life in America with this fascinating glimpse into the first ocean crossing as seen through the eyes of a devout young woman and an irreverent man. Blending the worlds of Amish and historical fiction, Fisher is sure to delight her longtime fans even as she attracts new ones with her superb and always surprise-filled writing.

via Revell Books

Both Anna and Bairn have their own characteristics that keep building up throughout the story and into the ending. Anna's strong but silent-type character comes through with her bravery and faith, while Bairn is the gruffer, lost-his-faith-long-ago sort who we see grow throughout the story.

Both characters come together in what makes for a great and thrilling read that I highly recommend!

You can grab your own copy below.

 Get It On Amazon

Get It On Barnes Noble

Get It On Indie Bookstore

An Amish Heirloom: A Novella From Some Favorite Fiction Writers

*I received a free copy of this book through Zondervan Fiction on Netgalley in exchange for my honest review, All the review opinions below are my own :)

An Amish Heirloom

Four Novellas by authors Amy Clipston, Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Kelly Irvin.

I was so pumped to get a chance to review this book, written by four of my favorite authors. I've read each of their novels before and love how they always interlock these shorter stories into their regular novel storylines. You get to hear about secondary character's lives, the same Amish community and how connected everyone is inside...

A Legacy of Love by Amy Clipston

Description: Local volunteer firefighter Leon King agrees to repair his ex-girlfriend Susie Bontrager’s grandparents’ antique rocking chairs for her future home with her fiance and is forced to acknowledge that his feelings for her have not quite gone away. As Susie spends time with Leon, she begins to recognize she is marrying the wrong man for all the wrong reasons.

My Review: In A Legacy Of Love, we get to see another member of the volunteer firefighter squadron we hear so much about throughout Amy Clipston's books. Recognizing characters from other novels like Jamie King (another volunteer firefighter starring in another novel) is always fun, and I love Leon and Susie's story - one that's relatable for any couple. Once you find that one true love, nobody else can hold a candle to them. 

The Cedar Chest by Beth Wiseman

Description: Decades after inheriting her great grandmother’s cedar chest, Emma Fisher decides to pry it open only to discover a beautiful love story in the form of letters between her great-grandparents. But as Emma immerses herself in their story, family secrets are revealed, and she must decide whether to share them to preserve family history or honor her great-grandparents’ decision to leave them hidden. 

My Review: This was absolutely my favorite story in the book. Getting a glimpse into these old letters the characters read and how it coincides with their own coincidences is such a thrill! Especially since the letters have some pretty shocking truths in them - and a really exciting story! Couldn't put this one down for long, and I'm sure you'll feel the same way!

The Treasured Book by Kathleen Fuller

Description: For the past two years, Shane Broyles has felt God leading him to join the Amish. He’s staying with his friends Noah and Ivy Schlabach in Birch Creek, OH, where he is reunited with Lucy Fisher, an old friend of Noah’s family. Shane and Lucy have never revealed their feelings for each other, but when they stumble upon an antique Bible at a flea market, they feel drawn to each other and to the mystery of the contents found within.

My Review: This story was a romance all the way through! I absolutely love it when Amish fiction authors bring 'Englishers' into the story and especially love it when they join the Amish faith for love. I won't reveal whether this character actually does in the end, but Shane has a big-city life to leave with a lot of success. Moving from New York to Birch Creek is a big step and I love how this story progresses from two old friends to two people realizing they could be more, despite differences. 

The Midwife’s Dream by Kelly Irvin

Description: Iris Beachy serves as a midwife in her district where she longs for a family of her own. When her friend’s brother Mahon Kurtz seeks her help in delivering the baby of two young teenagers who have sought refuge in their town, they begin to see each other in a different light. Unprepared for parenthood, the young couple leaves their baby girl behind in an antique crib quilt resembling the one destined for Iris when she becomes a mother. Mahon and Iris come together to take care of the baby as they try to find her parents, and they begin to see new possibilities for their future.

My Review: Once again we get to peek into the lives of secondary characters, this time in Kelly Irvin's book Upon A Spring Breeze. Main character Aidan ended leaving his fiance Iris for Bess in the novel, and in this story, we get to see Iris's story unfolding. It's really a beautiful love story about two old best friends, patience, and forgiveness. I love Iris's character as she gets through one storm of emotions after another and still stays strong. Also loved the buggy ride in chapter 8 - the conversation will have you laughing at times!

If you'd like to grab up a print or e-book copy of this book, you can find it on Amazon, BN or Indie Bookstore. I just know you'll be glad you did!

Some Really Cozy Shoes

Let me begin by saying that I am typically NOT a cozy shoe kind of gal.

I love shoes and I love all kinds - flats included - but seeing as how I can't shell out thousands for a pair of designer shoes that combines the comfort and style I love together - I usually end up sacrificing the comfort. That's why I just had to try these out! These shoes from Hotter claimed to combine them both.

I slipped this on just this morning to head out to the park with the kids. Now let me be clear - I play with my kids at the park. I get in the sand, I push the swings and I even get in on the sliding action sometimes. So needless to say I'm not easy on my shoes.

So these shoes were really put the test when I ventured into the sandbox with my 4-year-old to hunt for rocks. Rocks of all kinds. And I will say for certain these shoes did not disappoint. 

Not only were they sturdy and stable, but the soft insoles were absolutely incredible! It's been a while since I've felt so comfortable in a pair of shoes actually...

Featuring beautifully soft leather materials, cushioned insoles (and I mean cushioned!) these slip-one were a dream! Not only that, but they are so cute too! I especially love the giant bow on them - makes them feel a little less practical, a lot more fun.

Want to grab a pair for yourself? There’s plenty of styles to choose from and some great sales happening over there right now, so go and check it out —> https://www.hotter.com/us/en/womens-casual-shoes 

A post shared by Debbie Jean (@debbiejeanmcmullen) on May 14, 2018 at 11:19am PDT

Snowflake's PetTastic Dog Collar Review

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It's finally starting to warm up around here. The plants are sprouting, the trees are blooming and we've been spending most of our days out in the sunshine! Of course, Snowflake, our Maltese Bichon always comes with us and loves his walks, especially to the park where he can sniff absolutely everything to his heart's delight!

We got to review this nifty dog collar from a company called PetTastic. The collar itself features a neoprene lining that whisks away sweat and eco-friendly plastic buckles.  It also has a little loop for an ID tag (a requirement where we live), and quite a few cute designs to choose from. Ours was from their Spring/Saint-Patrick's day collection. But there are a ton to choose from on Amazon.

via PetTastic

Snowflake is a small dog and so it's often difficult to find a collar for him that will be both comfortable and practical - as in one that will not be too tight, but not slip off on our walks. So far this collar has done its job well - and I really love how simple it is to take on and off with its huge plastic buckle. 

It also has a great leash loop - typically they're really small and hard to latch o smaller dog collars, but this one is big enough to easily clip the leash on and off.

I must say, he looks pretty stylin' in it too! ❤

If you'd like to check these out for yourself (well, your dog!) they're sold on Amazon here 👉 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0799MFZNQ

Teaching Your Child To Read Curriculum Review

There is nothing I love more than sitting down with a good book! That's why it's so important for me to have my kids reading on their own. I can't count on both hands the number of times a great book has gotten me through a  tough time in life, daydream an hour away, or just made me laugh.

Both of my oldest kids started reading before age 5. They just caught on quick, and seeing as how we do so much reading in this house, I think they just naturally took a liking to it. My youngest is different though. She wants to read and loves having stories read to her but can't sit still for very long. Unlike her older siblings, we don't just sit there and sound out words together. She wants to know what it says and know it NOW! So picking up words and sounds can be tough for her.

"She wants to know what it says and know it NOW! So picking up words and sounds can be tough for her."

So when I got the opportunity to review this book, Learn to Read - 101 Fun Lessons To Teach Your Child To Read, I was excited. And not disappointed either!

Not only is this workbook full of fun, colorful lessons with games and activities to teach reading, it's also full of lesson plans to use with your child. Short lessons :) 

The book gives small instruction as you move through each lesson. It has you review a previous lesson a little bit to reinforce concepts, and then move onto something new. I also love that it teaches through both phonics and sight words, something that I find has helped my kids to read much more fluently and quickly.

 "I also love that it teaches through both phonics and sight words, something that I find has helped my kids to read much more fluently and quickly."

It also uses something else I love - dotted reading. As shown in the picture above, there's a dot under each word which your child must point to when reading it. This is great for reinforcing concentration and sight words. It's also used to break words up phonetically is earlier lessons (see photo below), something very important to grasp when learning to read!

It also features great guidelines for parents or teachers at the beginning of the book, along with some additional resources you can use alongside the book to help your child even further. Although I have to say that the book by itself is pretty good. It's also great to use as a reading curriculum guide, using the lessons in the book to start, and printing additional worksheets you can find online to reinforce concepts. I've found books like this to really be helpful in our homeschool.

"It's also great to use as a reading curriculum guide, using the lessons in the book to start, and printing additional worksheets you can find online to reinforce concepts. "

It's also inexpensive. You can pick up a copy off Amazon for just a few dollars - a small fraction of the price that most phonics programs cost!

You can get yourself a copy here.

Hope you enjoy and happy reading! **Please note that I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All words and opinions are my own.**

The Promise by Susan Lantz Simpson: A Book Review

Psst! I received a free copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley.

Book Synopsis

In the beautiful spring warmth of Southern Maryland’s Amish country, love always finds a way to bloom . . .

 
Like most Amish young women, Phoebe Yoder has dreams—but not of a courtship—at least not yet. She dreams of caring for the tender-hearted alpacas at her Englischer neighbor’s farm and learning the business herself. But that longing falls away the moment her baby sister goes missing. In that horrifying instant, desperate for her sister’s safe return, she whispers a promise to Gott: she will give up her dreams and marry Micah Graber, a man she doesn’t love, but who is determined to make her his wife.
 
Benjamin Miller hasn’t been back in Southern Maryland for long before he meets Phoebe and begins to imagine what a fine life they could build together—beginning with an alpaca farm of their own. But he can see that Phoebe’s brash vow is all she will consider, no matter what her heart wants. As Ben falls for her gentle manner and sweet, sad eyes, he comes to understand his daunting task: to convince Phoebe that together, they can make a new promise that will never be broken . . .

My Thoughts

Seeing as how Susan Lantz Simpson was a new author to me, I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this book. I tend to stick to my favorite authors when it comes to Amish fiction. All too often I’ve read books where the authors clearly don’t research the Amish at all, or just barely, and the result is pretty horrible. Given that, I must say that I was seriously impressed with the writing - and couldn’t put the darn book down!

Simpson obviously knows her stuff and writes a captivating story. There are a few different characters and quite a few details going on in this story, which I love, and she manages to keep all the stories going and straight. I love her descriptions of her characters and how she understands the intricacies of the Amish community.

That being said, I must say that about 70 percent through the book I started to get a little frustrated with the main character, and when you read this book you’ll see why. But hold out until the end, because it’s worth the emotional roller coaster of a ride! I also wish the character of Belinda would have been explained and shown a bit more.

Overall, however, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and definitely plant to pick up Susan Lantz Simpson’s books. She has definitely made it onto my “go-to” list of Amish fiction authors.

Grab A Copy For Yourself Here!

Amish Promises by Leslie Gould - My Review

Amish Promises by Leslie Gould

My Book Review

Description

When Joel and Shani Beck arrive at their new home, they're looking for peace. Shani is thrilled to have Joel back from Iraq, but he needs time to heal, and the quiet of Lancaster seems just the place. They can't imagine any trouble with their Amish neighbors, the Lehmans, but things get off to a rocky start when their son is involved in an accident that injures one of the Lehman boys. Eve Lehman has run her brother's household ever since the death of his wife, but Tim's a stern patriarch. Despite his protests, she's drawn to the new neighbor, Shani, and the two begin to form a strong friendship forged on faith and family. Things seem like they've quieted down until Joel's single and handsome army friend Charlie catches Eve's attention--a man unlike any Eve has ever met. Suddenly life for both families becomes more complicated than any of them could have ever imagined

My Review

I always enjoy Leslie Gould's books - I recently finished the The Courtships of Lancaster County Series - and love her style of writing. This book was a little different since it not only featured Amish people as main characters, but brought an 'Englischer' family into the story. Another twist I liked was the fact that the Englisch father had been in the war, bringing more complexity to the chapters where the strict Amish father next door had to deal with befriending a soldier - not something most Amish look highly upon. It brought out a lot of emotion and added a lot of interesting layers to the book.

I also liked that the book wasn't only following one storyline. It follows both families though their own struggles and emotions, while still keeping the whole story in context and interesting.
So, all in all I definitely enjoyed the book, and would happily recommend it!

You can pick up a copy of the book here on Amazon here:

Amish Promises (Neighbors of Lancaster County Book #1)

Or on the Baker Publishing Website here:

Amish Promises