Harlequine Blog Tour: Amish Christmas Blessings

AMISH CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS:

The Midwife’s Christmas Surprise/

A Christmas to Remember

by Marta Perry, Jo Ann Brown

Explore the Amish community this holiday season with two tales to warm your heart.

The Midwife's Christmas Surprise by Marta Perry

Three years ago, the man Anna Zook hoped to marry left her and their Amish community for the English world. Now devoted to proving her abilities as a midwife, Anna has given up on marriage and children for herself. But when Benjamin Miller returns, now a changed man, can delivering a Christmas baby reunite these two hurting hearts?

A Christmas to Remember by Jo Ann Brown

When a little girl leads shop owner Amos Stoltzfus to an Amish woman in distress, he rushes them to his family's farm. “Linda” has no memory and doesn't know if the sweet child is her daughter or even her kin. As Christmas arrives and Linda's identity is revealed, will Amos be able to claim his holiday guests as his own?

Review:  Amish Christmas Blessings has two sweet stories that will warm you heart. I'm a huge fan of Marta Perry so I have to say The Midwife's Christmas Surprise was my favorite of the two stories, though both were great.

In The Midwife's Christmas Surprise sees a couple reunited.  Three years prior Anna had a blossoming relationship with Benjamin Miller, who is the son of the mid-wife that she is apprenticing with.

His return brings joy and sadness. I liked that things didn't just come together easily for the two of them. Annie has issues being accepted as a midwife by those that are used to having Elizabeth taking care of the birthing of the babies.

Benjamin has a secret from his years away that's keeping him from telling Anna how he feels. 

There was enough conflict between the local gossips and a person from Ben's recent past that made the story interesting.

For a novella, everything was paced nicely and with enough development of the characters that the story was more than satisfying.

The second story A Christmas To Remember was just as good, but the amnesia story line felt a little bit far-fetched for a novella that only spans about a week.

Amos discovers Linda and Polly when Polly tries to steal a loaf of bread from his family store. 

I love how kind Amos' family was to Linda and Polly. These are two strangers that could have been anyone.  They take to her so well and do their best to help her find her family.

I loved the conclusion of the story even though its hard to believe that love came to Linda and Amos so quickly.

If you love Amish romance, this is definitely a must read for the holiday season.

Rating:

TLC Book Tours Book Review: How Secrets Die

Author: Marta Perry
Title: How Secrets Die
Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: June 28, 2016
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley & TLC Book Tours
Book Blurb: As Laurel Ridge embraces a stranger hungry for answers, a sinister truth is awakened

A hard-hitting reporter, Kate Beaumont unearths the deepest lies and brings harsh truths to light. But the story that lures her to the gentle town of Laurel Ridge, Pennsylvania, is closer to her heart than anyone knows. The details of her half brother's sudden death have never made sense. She owes him justice, yet the one man who can help her is the stubborn sheriff she can't stand.

Protecting his town is Mac Whiting's top priority. Everything else—including pacifying a beautiful crusader on a mission best left resting in peace—is secondary. But as Kate's search embeds her in his world and attracts a skilled criminal, she needs Mac's protection. Drawn together by deadly secrets, they must find a way to trust each other before a killer silences them both.

Review:  I'm a huge fan of Marta Perry's books. I've read several of her Amish romances and one of her Amish mysteries. This is the first contemporary novel she's written that I've read.

This book is romantic suspense that's more suspenseful with a touch of romance.  That's actually how I like my romantic suspense. I prefer the mystery to be front and center.

Kate comes to Laurel Ridge looking for answers to her half brother's death. Kate isn't the most likable heroines. In fact, for most of the book, I found I didn't like her much at all. She seemed to have a chip on her shoulder and really did her best to plow into her investigation head on no matter how many toes she steps on or who she annoys. (She annoys a lot of people and gets herself in a fair amount of trouble on her quest for answers)

Laurel Ridge reminded me of a northern Mayberry. It was a small town with a small police force. Mac is very protective of his town. He keeps that peace in town and Kate isn't making things easy for him. He knows that if he want the peace he's going to have to work with her.  Together they try to find answers to the questions that Kate has from watching her half brother's video diary.

I liked that the relationship between Kate and Mac was kept to a minimum even though there was chemistry there.

There were enough twists in their investigation to keep me interested though I admit from the beginning I had an idea where the killer was going to come from, but I was totally surprised at who the killer was.

I was glad that Kate got closure in the end, but I wasn't happy that her brother's name wasn't officially cleared. That left me feeling a little upset. I though Jason deserved to be vindicated totally not just to his sister.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: Murder In Plain Sight #12

Author: Marta Perry
Title: Murder In Plain Sight
Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: Nov 16, 2011
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provide By: NetGalley & The Publisher
Book Blurb: Did a sweet-faced Amish teenager brutally murder a young woman? To save her career, big-city lawyer Jessica Langdon is determined to defend him—against the community's bitter and even violent outrage. Yet without an understanding of Amish culture, Jessica must rely on arrogant businessman Trey Morgan, who has ties to the Amish community… and believes in the boy's guilt.


Jessica has threats coming from all sides: a local fanatic, stirred up by the biased publicity of the case; the dead girl's boyfriend; even from the person she's learned to trust the most, Trey Morgan. But just when Jessica fears she's placed her trust in the wrong man, Trey saves her life. And now they must both reach into a dangerous past to protect everyone's future—including their own.

Review: Marta Perry proves once again that she's one of the best voices in Amish fiction. She captures the feelings of the Amish quite well, as she does with her other books about the culture, but she really works the "Englisch" into this story with credibility.
 
Jessica is a Philly lawyer that is used to big cities, like Boston and Baltimore. She isn't really familiar with Lancaster County and the Amish, even though Philly is only about an hour and a half away. As she seeks to help with the accuseds defense, she finds herself understanding the culture more, and uncovering some interesting secrets involving the case and the family that retained her for the case.
 
This is really a perfect "cozy" mystery. It is just suspenseful enough to keep the pages turning. The characters are all quite lovable. Trey is described as arrogant in the blurb, but after the first few pages, it is easy to tell that he's protective of those he loves. At times it makes him come across as a bit of jerk, but for the most part, it endears you to him. This is a guy that really cares about his family and the people of the community.
 
Jessica comes from an opposite background. You really feel for her. She doesn't fit in with the big law firm she works for and her father is far from loving. It's through the Morgans and her work with the Amish that help her to open up.
 
The case involves a young Amish boy accused of beating a girl to death with a hammer. As the story unfolds Marta leaves clues that help point Jessica on the path to his innocence. I just wish a few more had been cleared up at the end. Like who drugged Thomas? Why him? This was probably my only gripe with the story.
 
The romance between Jessica and Trey develops nicely too, through a series of rather unpleasant events. Jessica is almost killed at least two times in the story and receives more than a few threats to quit the case.
 
Marta Perry was on my "must read" list for her Amish romances, but now she's on my "must read" list for all of her books.
 
Rating: 4 flowers
 

Book Review: Leah's Choice

Author: Marta Perry
Title: Leah's Choice
Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: Nov 3, 2009
Rating: 5 Stars
Book Blurb: All of Pleasant Valley seems to think the newcomer from Lancaster County is the perfect match for Teacher Leah. After all, so few new families come to their separate Amish community, and fewer still unmarried men. Daniel Glick is a widower with three young children to look after-clearly he's in need of a wife.


Daniel's past haunts him. Though he cannot miss the beauty in Leah's bright eyes and patient ways, he also sees a reminder of his pain-filled marriage. Leah, too, has a burden to bear. Years ago, she was engaged to Johnny Kile, and she was heartbroken when he decided to leave the Amish community. Since then she has immersed herself in teaching, forgetting any hopes of having her own family. When Johnny returns, seeking reconciliation, Leah must decide between two pathways, either of which will completely change her life.

Review:  Leah's Choice is the 1st book in the Pleasant Valley series and though all of the books can be read as stand alone novels, this one really lets you get to know all the characters in the series. This story is more a saga of families than a romance, though certainly Leah does fall in love, it really is the relationships between her and the many other Amish people that makes this story so great.

Anna is Leah's sister and she's having her rumspringa "running around time" and its becoming very apparent that she's likely to not stay with the Amish and Leah struggles to help her sister, just as she struggles to deal with the return of the man she was once engaged to. Johnny, jumped the fence 10 years before and now he's back, working on a project to help cure diseases that affect the Amish. Then there's Daniel Glick, a widower who just moved to Pleasant Valley.  He's very likable but his determination to keep his problems to himself seems to be a detriment even before Marta gives us an explantion for his actions.

All the characters lives touch whether it be the trouble that Anna gets into, or the problems Daniel has with his children and their grief or Johnny trying to win Leah back and start a relationship with his estranged family.

Leah's happiness was something you long for, all throughout the book. You want things to go right. Yet, they don't. Sometimes they go very wrong, but she soldiers on, helping her students and her family and you love her more for it, because you hope you would do the same.

Marta doesn't sugarcoat the Amish ways and reading this book really gives the reader a better understanding of their way of life and it really makes the characters more real and more likable. They may be different but it is easy to see that the only thing that separates them from the "Englischers" is their religious beliefs.

This was a wonderful read...the other books in the series can't come out fast enough!

Book Review: Rachel's Garden

Author: Marta Perry
Title: Rachel's Garden
Publisher:  Berkley
Publish Date: March 2010
Rating: 4 stars
Book Blurb: It has been almost a year since the Amish community of Pleasant Valley lost Ezra Brand to tragedy. Now his wife Rachel struggles to raise their three children and run their farm.
Rachel's friends and family have come forward to help. But all of their constant advice, however well intentioned, puts undue pressure on Rachel. And when Gideon Zook, Ezra's best friend, asks her permission to build the greenhouse Ezra had always promised her, she finds his presence too painful a reminder of losing her husband.

As spring turns to summer, and Rachel puts her heart into growing the plants that have always brought her joy, can she discover the courage to embrace new beginnings?

Review: Rachel's Garden is the second book in the Pleasant Valley series of books by Marta Perry. It focuses on the lives of Rachel Brand and Gideon Zook who's lives are effected by an accident that claimed the life of Ezra Brand. Ezra was Rachel's husband and Gideon's best friend.

The book shows Rachel learning to forgive herself and coming to grips with the fact that Erza's death was an accident and just because Gideon survived doesn't mean he was to blame. She's also working hard at keeping the family farm going, with the help of her husband's two brothers.

Marta really gives us a wonderful picture of Amish life in this story, and it is wonderful that you can read these books out of order, without being lost. Leah's story was the first in the series, and though she's a prominent character in this book, the stoy is Rachel's and hers alone.

The book also shows how children cope with the loss of a parent in a society where photography isn't allowed. It was heartbreaking when each child had a hard time remembering their father. Gideon and Rachel both helped them with tales of their dad, until his face was fresh in their minds again.

It was really refreshing to see how each of Rachel's children coped with their loss. The other part of the story that was particularly touching was Joseph's pet goat Dolly's pregnancy, especially the part where Dolly gives birth. There won't be a dry eye for miles as you read about her birthing twins.

There's also some suspense to keep things interesting and Marta does this well, as she also writes for Love Inspired's Supsense line of books. She gives the reader just enough to keep them wondering what's going to happen next without putting them on the edge of their seats.

All in all, this was an excellent read, as most of Marta's books are. It definitely leaves you wanting the next book in the series. Plus it is nice to learn a bit more about the Amish way of life.

Book Review: Promise Forever

Promise Forever is a great example of why I love the Love Inspired line of books. Its also a reason why I count Marta Perry as one of the authors that I buy without question.

Its really hard to write a romance novel without sex, while creating a story that's believable to the readers. Marta does this well and this story is no exception.

The heroine is "Island Girl," Miranda Caldwell who had a brief marriage to "richy" Tyler Winchester when she was eighteen. The marriage ended and Miranda had a child she didn't tell Ty about. Eight years late a photo ends up in Ty's hand with "your son" written on the back.

Its what happens when Ty ends up back on the island that makes the book so wonderful. Through Miranda, Ty learns to love and trust and above all other things, he learns to be a father to Sammy. He even realizes that he never lost his love for Miranda and that discovery really makes this story special.

The other thing that I loved about Promise Forever was the story of the missing dolphin and how a near tragedy brought it back to the family.

I like that faith plays a part in the book without centering on a religion. The other thing about this line is that anyone can read them without there being a fear that it will be too smutty.

This was an excellent read and one I'd recommend to other friends