Book Review: A Gift From The Sea

Author: Anna Schmidt
Title: Gift From The Sea
Publisher: Love Inspired Historical
Publish Date: May 1, 2009
Book Blurb: A steadfast faith kept nurse Maggie Hunter going through the darkest days of the Great War. But her fiance's death overseas shattered her trust in God and her heart.

Now an injured man has washed up on the shores of her Nantucket home, and to save him, Maggie must put more than her skill and dedication on the line....Wartime tragedy cost Stefan Witte everything--and converted him to the cause of peace.


But to deliver vital information to American authorities, he must fight Maggie's stubborn refusal to believe or forgive. Soon he will risk his life to win her trust--and their heaven-sent future together.


Review: I was so intrigued by a historical set in Nantucket during WWI. I just wish the story delivered more. When Stefan is found washed up on shores, Maggie's parents rush to care for the man they much later learn is a German.

Maggie has lost all faith from the loss of her intended to the Great War, and is full of mistrust for the injured man.

I wish I could say I loved this book, but the story offered little to recommend it for me. It sort of plodded along with things happening that finally saw the two main characters coming to a common ground. (Love?)

For me the romance, and I couldn't figure out how it actually happened was lackluster. While I came to care for all of the characters, and your heart could break for Maggie's loss as well as Stefan's the story is perhaps too "clean" for it to have any oomph in the romance department.

The premise of a love that crosses the sides of a war might have worked if this were set in Europe or if it just had a little spice, and by spice I don't mean sex. I'm not a huge fan of super sexy romance, but it needed a few stolen kisses or something that really would have shown these two people falling in love. It went from I don't trust you to I love you without enough development for me.

The ending had some nice drama though, both for the couple and family.

It was a sweet little story, but it was just a little bit lacking.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: A Groom For Greta

Author: Anna Schmidt
Title: A Groom For Greta
Publisher: Love Inspired Historical
Publish Date: Oct 2, 2012
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley & the publisher

Book Blurb: Everyone in their small Amish community expects Greta Goodloe to marry her longtime sweetheart—Greta included. So when he publicly ends their engagement, in front of newcomer Luke Starns no less, she is utterly humiliated. At least she can take comfort in matchmaking between Luke and her quiet schoolmarm sister. Yet the more she tries to throw them together, the more Luke fascinates her. A serious, no-nonsense schoolmarm should be exactly what Luke wants in a wife. Still, he can't help but be charmed by Greta's warm smile and impulsive ways. Does he dare to stray from the sensible choice and take a chance on happiness?

Review: This was one of the best romances I've read in a long time. I couldn't put it down until I finished reading it and considering that it is 280 pages, well that's really saying something. Lately I've been having a hard time reading books the length of a Harlequin Romance!

So what was it about this story that made it stand out from all the others I've been reading

Greta, Lydia and Luke were really engaging characters. Greta at first seems a little flighty and flirty but that isn't the case really. She's really just a people person. And Luke and Lydia both appear serious but they have their own secrets too. Luke's deals with his past life in Canada, and Lydia's deals with a certain someone that we meet near the end of the book.

I also liked the setting of the book, Depression Era Florida.

It is so nice to read Amish stories that aren't always set in PA or OH!

Plus, even though Love Inspired is a Christian line, this book was pure sweet romance, which isn't something that you get with a lot of Amish fiction out there. This is really a love story between Greta and Luke, and it has some ups and downs do to the way the two of them find each other.

Greta has just been jilted by her sweetheart, just a few days before they planned to announce their engagement and Luke thinks he wants to wed Greta's sister Lydia. How the two finally decide to court is quite amusing, but you'll have to read that for yourself. I will give you a hint that Lydia has something to do with it.

But things aren't always easy and fires and secrets make their courtship a little bumpy.

Anna tied the story together nicely without making things too obvious. This is a great afternoon romance and one that I can see myself revisiting again down the line

Rating: 5 flowers