TLC Book Tours Book Review The Writing Desk

About The Writing Desk

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (July 11, 2017)

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress comes a new captivating novel of secrets, romance, and two women bound together across time by a shared dream.

Tenley Roth’s first book was a runaway bestseller. Now that her second book is due, she’s locked in fear. Can she repeat her earlier success or is she a fraud who has run out of inspiration?

With pressure mounting from her publisher, Tenley is weighted with writer’s block. But when her estranged mother calls asking Tenley to help her through chemotherapy, she packs up for Florida where she meets handsome furniture designer Jonas Sullivan and discovers the story her heart’s been missing.

A century earlier, another woman wrote at the same desk with hopes and fears of her own. Born during the Gilded Age, Birdie Shehorn is the daughter of the old money Knickerbockers. Under the strict control of her mother, her every move is decided ahead of time, even whom she’ll marry. But Birdie has dreams she doesn’t know how to realize. She wants to tell stories, write novels, make an impact on the world. When she discovers her mother has taken extreme measures to manipulate her future, she must choose between submission and security or forging a brand new way all on her own.

Tenley and Birdie are from two very different worlds, but fate has bound them together in a way time cannot erase.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Rachel Hauck

Rachel Hauck is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Wedding Dress, which was also named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and two pets and writes from her ivory tower.

Connect with Rachel

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Review: I read Rachel Hauck's The Wedding Dress ....geeze....back in 2012. I'm not sure how I missed out on all her other novels since then, but I'm glad I foud The Writing Desk.

Its a story told from multiple points of view; Tenley and Birdie, the two heroines from the present and from 1903 respectively and then Jonas and Elijiah are the men in their lives.

Ten and Birdie are linked through an old desk that they find themselves using for writing. Ten has already had a bestseller while Birdie wants desperately to get published.  That's where the similarities between the two women stops.

Ten is quirky and self conscious. I couldn't understand her attachment to Holt, from the very beginning this guy didn't seem right for her, and it made no sense why she didn't turn him down when he proposed.

Then there's Birdie, who doesn't want to marry the man her family has chosen for her. She has another in mind, but when they meet again he is about to propose to another.

This is a faith based romance, but its not done in a preachy fashion. In fact, for the most part, I wouldn't think of it as such, more so as a clean romance, that is absolutely beautifully written.

The story moved easily between the time periods and the characters. It is one of the few books I've had a hard time putting down this year. I loved both heroines that I had to find out if they had their happily ever afters. (Truth be told, I liked Birdie best, because she had spunk for the time period that she lived in)

Birdie's story is really the heart of the story, her love for Elijah and how they finally came to be a married couple. Its also the story of Birdie and her writing, which is really amazing. They had a hard time getting to where they were.

Through most of the book, I found myself wondering how Birdie's story tied in with Tenley's. That reveal didn't happen until the book was quite nearly finished.

I wasn't totally thrilled with the outcome of Tenley's story. She had her happily ever after, but I wanted a little more for her

I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves good clean romances with historical elements.

Rating: 5 flowers

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Book Review: A Hopeful Heart

Author: Amy Clipston
Title: A Hopeful Heart
Publisher: Zondervan
Publish Date: June 7, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Booksneeze

Book Blurb:

In A Hopeful Heart, the first novel of the new Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series from best-selling author Amy Clipston, Hannah finds herself at a crossroads in her life. Her community offers her love and support after the untimely death of her husband, but an Englisher offers her the chance of a new life after her unexpected tragedy. Wealthy businessman Trey Peterson is surprised by his attraction to the gentle Amish woman who works as a housekeeper in the Lancaster Grand Hotel. They share a common bond of loss and are able to offer each other comfort and support as they journey through their grief.

Joshua Glick wants nothing more than to offer his friendship and love to Hannah and her family. Not only is he her late husband’s brother and business partner, he has always been in love with Hannah.

A Hopeful Heart is filled with surprising twists as Hannah tries to balance her life in the Amish community and her growing love for an outsider.

Review: Hannah Glick is a widow who finds two men vying for her love, a handsome Englischer  widower and her late husband's brother.

This was definitely a story that turned out to be different from what I expected. Most Amish stories I've read deal with finding love in the Amish community or the youth finding love and deciding whether or not to stay with the faith.

Hannah is not the typical Amish heroine, she's older and she's questioning her community.

While I loved the story there were several things that bothered me that could have been rectified if the book were a little bit longer. Her relationship with Trey Peterson developed into a marriage proposal without much of a courtship...and her decision regarding that proposal left me a little shocked.

I know romance novels require a happily ever after, but somehow this one didn't quite work for me. I think it had to do with how intensely unlikable Josh was, as well as her mother-in-law Barbie, who seemed downright evil and not at all Christian in her treatment of Hannah.

I commend Amy Clipston for going against the norm with her resolution, I just wish we could have seen more of why they were falling in love. It was hard for me to fathom how losing a spouse could be the basis for a loving relationship.

But like all good Amish novels there are more characters involved then just the hero and heroine. I loved Hannah's daughters, Amanda and Lillian. These girls are twins but polar opposites, especially in their beliefs. I hope we get to see what becomes of them in later books, especially Lillian, whose relationship with her mother is strained because of Trey Peterson. Her young son Andrew is sweet too.

This was a good introduction to a new series, yet it was also somewhat unsatisfying.

Rating: 3 flowers

ARC Book Review: The Memory Jar

Author: Tricia Goyer
Title: The Memory Jar
Publisher: Zondervan
Publish Date: Oct 23, 2012
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley

Book Blurb: Every year, 30--40 young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive 'resident' status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides! Sarah Shelter has lived in West Kootenai for the last ten years and wonders if she will ever fall in love. Since the tragic death of her best friend, she carries her memories in a jar along with the small items connected to them. For just as long, she's also been carrying around her emotions instead of allowing them to penetrate deep into her heart. Now she's met a kind and gentle man who may be able to break down the wall. But can Sarah risk her heart to finally achieve her dreams?

Review: This was one of the best Amish romances I've read in a long time. There is really so much to love about the characters and the story here. Let me share them!

1. Sarah's friendship with Patty. Even though Patty died several years before the story starts, her friendship shapes Sarah's life. She still makes her who she is today. The flashbacks really help bring their friendship into perspective.

2. Jathan is so very human. He struggles to do not only what his family wishes for him but also what he wants to do.

3. Sarah's faith. Sarah isn't a typical Amish woman. This story is Christian fiction and yes, her faith is important, but you see it more personally with her than as a community. I like how her faith helps her deal with Patty's death and even with the issues with Jathan.

4. The memory jars! I really loved the concept. I thought it was sentimental and touching. Sarah has many things that we often wish we had, something that connects us to a special moment in our lives.

A great book to start the series! I can't wait for more! Oh and the cupcakes made me so very hungry!!!

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: A Life Of Joy

Author: Amy Clipston
Title: A Life Of Joy
Publisher: Zondervan
Publish Date: January 31, 2012
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: Take a trip to Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, where you'll meet the women of the Kauffman Amish Bakery in Lancaster County. As each woman's story unfolds, you will share in her heartaches, trials, joys, dreams ... and secrets. You'll discover how the simplicity of the Amish lifestyle can clash with the 'English' way of life---and the decisions and consequences that follow. Most importantly, you will be encouraged by the hope and faith of these women, and the importance they place on their families. In A Life of Joy, the fourth installment in the series, eighteen-year-old Lindsay Bedford has reached a crossroads. Should she stay in the small Amish community she's known and loved for four years or return to the English life in her hometown in Virginia where her older sister is a college student? An extended visit to Virginia might just tip the scales as Lindsay reconnects with friends, joins a new church, works on her GED, and is pressured by her sister to stay and 'make something of herself.' Will Lindsay leave her aunt Rebecca and become English or settle in Bird-in-Hand and join the Amish church? Legions of Clipston fans want to know. Full of well-researched Amish culture, Clipston's book is true to form, delivering the best of the Amish fiction genre wrapped around a compelling story, with characters who will touch the hearts of loyal fans and new readers alike

Review: A Life Of Joy is quite different from most of the Amish fiction out there. Why? The main character, Lindsay, grew up English, and came to Lancaster County to live with her sister and aunt when her parents died. Her older sister Jessica, left the Amish way of life behind, but Lindsay embraced it. This story revolves around Lindsay and her struggle to decide whether she wants to join the Amish church.

This story has a lot of family struggles. Lindsay and Jessica don't see eye to eye on how they want to live their lives. Jessica is very much a worldly girl and she often foists her view on her sister, who is very comfortable living the "plain" life.

Linsday has many challenges to face. Her parents good friend is hurt in a fall, and she is sent back into the "English" world for a summer. This is really her rumspringa (running around time), for those familiar with the Amish Culture.  Her aunt Rebecca discovers she's pregnant shortly before she leaves, and she almost successfully keeps the difficult pregnancy from her, so she can enjoy Virginia. I can understand why Rebecca would do that, though at times I struggled with the reasoning of the Amish to not tell people when they are "In the family way."

There are times when you aren't sure if Lindsay is going to return to Pennsylvania, but her heart belongs in Bird-In-Hand. She no longer fits in with her old friends in Virginia, but she does take the time to explore things when she is there. What she learns is not very surprising, because she really seems to have embraced the Amish way of life.

I really enjoyed Clipston's characters. They seemed more real than some in other Amish fiction. Their struggles where more "real life." This is Book 4 in the Kaufmann Amish Bakery series. I haven't read the other 3 books, but I definitely want to go ahead and find them. I love books set in Lancaster County. It is a place I'm familiar with from family vacations. Reading books set in this location always makes me feel like I'm back there.

If you like Amish fiction and are looking for an author besides Lewis or Brunstetter, Amy Clipston's series will delight you.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: The Winter Of Candy Canes #3

Author: Debbie Viguie
Title: The Winter Of Candy Canes
Publisher: Zondervan
Publish Date: Sept 23, 2008
Book Blurb: They’re fun! They’re quirky! They’re Sweet Seasons—unlike any other girls’ books you’ve ever read. You could call them alternative, God-honoring chick lit. Join Candace Thompson on a sweet, lighthearted, and honest romp through the friendships, romances, family, school, faith, and values that make a girl’s life as full as it can be.
Seasons change and so will life for at least one park employee.
Christmas is coming! And an elf outfit and the minty scent of what seem like a gatrillion candy canes aren’t the only adjustments for Candace. Her biggest worry what to get her boyfriend for Christmas turns into a much larger project after Candace is reminded that real needs can be hiding right around the corner. Can this elf capture the true meaning of Christmas in time to make a difference? --
 
Review: The Winter of Candy Canes is book 3 in the Sweet Seasons series and its really a fun Young Adult story. Its part romance, part chicklit, and part fun with a Christian theme.  If you aren't big into books that are a bit heavy on religion, then this might be a turn off.

Candace, the series' heroine is more religious than most teenagers I've encountered in my life, but she's not really obnoxious about it, so it works well for me. Her friends and boyfriend are all the kind of kids parents wish their teenagers had.

Tamara, her BFF is a girl with more money than she knows what to do with, but she isn't spoiled and she doesn't have terrible parents either. Wow! Then there's Becca, the girl who has a sugar allergy and addiction. She was totally lovable and funny.

The story is set around the fictional amusement park, The Zone. Just reading this made me long for a park like this. (One that had activities year round, rather than just summer and Halloween).

All the characters are fun and the challenges they face really remind us of what the Christmas holiday is all about, and these kids face a lot of challenges in the 194 pages of this story, some aren't very significant, like what to buy someone for Christmas but others are larger like deciding to help someone that's less fortunate.

It is a cute and super funny story that is suitable for just about any age and a great story for the holiday! I know I'll be watching out for the other three books in the series.

Rating: 5 flowers