A Perfect Amish Match (Indiana Amish Brides #3) by Vannetta Chapman

A Perfect Amish Match by Vannetta Chapman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a short and very pleasant read that besides handling the typical Amish romantic problems, also handles a serious issue. Alzheimer's.

There was not a lot of 'preaching' perhaps a tad more than I'm comfortable with, but that and the serious side-story aside, I love this book and I generally love this author.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen

Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wanted to update this review to mention that there is information on how much of this book is historically accurate and how much about HGB in Park Avenue Summer is true...I wish the editor had put some of that information in the front of the book!

It is rather rare for me to give out 5-star reviews -this book is getting one from me. I would give it more if I could.
This book is difficult to describe since it hits so many buttons - it is historical ( takes place in 1965), it is a bit biographical, it is a romance and it is a mystery all rolled into one book.

If only 25% of the history behind this book is true (the creating of the modern Cosmo and the life of Helen Gurley Brown) then I would still be thrilled and still have loved this book! I am also feeling compelled to go read some more about HGB and the making of modern COSMO.

While I initially thought that this book may only appeal to us older women who lived (or lived close enough) to this new era for women, I realize that this book should appeal to anyone who likes stories of smart, strong and manipulative women. I admit that the one thing I didn't like is that whenever HGB went into a tailspin., she ran to her husband to help bail her out -but on further reflection, I think that that is a good thing in a marriage. It shows that we, as women, can balance the strong with needing support---we really can't do it all, it just feels like we have to!!!

The romance and life of Alice, who is our female protagonist, very nearly takes a back seat to whatever else is going on. But in a subtle way, we find her life being played out in very interesting ways---damn this review really stinks because I just can't find the words of why I loved this book so much.

I'm just going to recommend the heck out of this book --- especially to those who came of age in 1965.

*ARC supplied by the publisher; however, I will be buying my own copy.


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The Amish Spinster's Courtship by Emma Miller

The Amish Spinster's Courtship by Emma  Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Emma Miller is an author of many types of Amish books, mainly straight on romances. I may not have read them all, but the ones that I have read have never received less than a 4-star rating from me and this book is no exception.

I giggled while reading this book and I cried too -and I can say that it takes an exceptional book to bring out that much emotion in me.

There is very little sermonizing in this book but it is a very clean romance (naturally) so if you are hesitant to read this because of its religious overtones -don't be. I am the least religious person you will have ever met and I love these books. Ms. Miller does a fine balancing act mixing a bit of religion with the everyday.

The main plot is one that you expect -confident boy meets a shy and slightly awkward girl, the boy immediately takes a liking to the girl, there is a huge misunderstanding that eventually gets straightened out and we have our HEA! There is a slight secondary plot concerning Loveys mother and a pregnancy and that was interesting. I only wish the author had given a tad more story over to that.

This book is well worth the time that is taken to read.

*ARC supplied by publisher.


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Chocolate Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Chocolate Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If it weren't for the fact that I got this from NetGalley I most likely would not have bought this book. I thought the last book about Ross really bit the big one. (see my review of Banana Cream Pie Murder) .

I see that a lot of people really love this book, so while it's not my glass of wine, it may be yours!

This book tries to explain in more depth why Ross took off shortly after the wedding to Hannah -keyword tries. And it does, sort of.

Okay, pros and cons of this book:

Pros
It is a cozy and simple book - nothing complicated about it at all.

It has cats in it.

It has cool Minnesotan phraseology in it.

It has great snowy weather in it.

It has the usual character's in it.

It has food in it---a LOT of food.

It shows Ross as a real nutcase. Interesting.

There is no swearing.

There are no exchanges whatsoever of any kinds of body fluids. No sex--not even kissing.

There is an interesting sort of cliff-hanger.

It has a lot of food/recipes in it and this time, not all the foods are cookies or bars.

Cons

The discussions of food can put you in a real food coma, literally. How the heck do they eat so much and how the heck do they NEVER make a new cookie/muffin/bar/egg dish that never comes out crappy or burns or people just don't plain like it? It would be a little more realistic.

The police work is so simple that I would think that this is taking place on an Amish farm somewhere. And of course, Hannah doesn't listen to the cop when finally a murder (at 80%) happens.

The recipes take up at least 50 pages of the Kindle version (my estimation since this is an ARC I'm going from). So, while you are paying for 300 pages of mystery, that is not what you are getting and it shows.

The minutia is enough to drive one crazy.

There is a cliff hanger (of course)

No new character growth.

Sorry but you are going to have to make up your own mind on this one.


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