A Precious Gift (Walnut Creek #2.5) by Shelley Shepard Gray

A Precious Gift by Shelley Shepard Gray
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 This book would have been an easier read if I had read the first books in this series. And it would have helped if the author had spent a few paragraphs explaining just how and Amish and an Englisher would marry and the Amish not be shunned by his community.

Other than that it was a good read and would be an excellent read for younger teenagers since it delicately (! not so much!)uses teen pregnancy as a learning tool.

This was NOT a religious book but it was a moral one.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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Amish Front Porch Stories: 18 Short Tales of Simple Faith and Wisdom by Wanda E. Brunstetter (Goodreads Author), Jean Brunstetter, Richelle Brunstetter

Amish Front Porch Stories: 18 Short Tales of Simple Faith and Wisdom by Wanda E. Brunstetter


An excellent series of very short stories that will hit you spiritually and have you keeping your faith. I am not of this faith yet I find these types of stories to be soothing rather than too preachy.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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Vacation by Jane Green

Vacation by Jane Green

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this witty, deeply honest tale of married life, New York Times bestselling author Jane Green delves into the heart of the holidays—and the winter of one woman’s discontent . . . Just when she’d sworn off men for good, Sarah Evans met Eddie. Sarah was a magazine editor, living in Manhattan, and loving her life—except for the heartbreaks. A successful real estate developer, Eddie was a breath of fresh air, a meeting of minds—and bodies. Soon came wedded bliss, baby number one—and the proverbial move to the suburbs . . . You just sit there like a slob while I do all the work. Nine years later, this is increasingly what goes through Sarah’s mind when she looks at Evan, propped in front of the TV with a beer, ignoring their two children. The truth is, she misses her old life. She misses the old Eddie. She can’t help wondering if she’d be happier alone . . . When Eddie’s job sends him to Chicago indefinitely, Sarah shocks him by suggesting a trial separation. But she knows it’s just a precursor to divorce—even if Eddie chooses to think of it as a “vacation.” Yet a lot can change—on both sides—as time goes by. And once Christmas arrives, Sarah and Eddie might re-discover gifts they’d forgotten they had . . .

REVIEW:

Unfortunately, this book is being misdescribed in that it is an 83-page NOVELLA and not a complete book. As of this review, both Amazon and Goodreads have incorrect information on this book. The original novella is found in the book: This Christmas.

For the most part, I merely like Ms. Greens' writing. It keeps me reading and amused. Nothing earth-shattering about any of her books -just good, reliable, dependable, and entertaining reading. And this novella is no different!

It is an amusing story of a woman who gets to that part of her life where she just starts questioning almost everything. Most of us have been at that point one time or another. The big thing she is questioning is her husband, and because of that, they decide to take a little vacation from their marriage. Now the husband is questioning their marriage but in a good way.

There is a small issue at the end where we seem to skip a few steps, but nothing major. I also have an issue with British writer's not doing their homework when writing a book set in the United States and using BritSpeak in place of Americanisms.

All in all, an excellent novella that is heartwarming, amusing, and just perfect when you need a quick read.
*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes

Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I would have read on to see how this book was going to turn out but gave up very early in it for the simple reason that I am tired of so many authors doing sloppy research. But this one took the cake.

When an author can't do research into something so simple as to Norman Rockwell's birthplace (my very favorite artist BTW) or where his museum is, I do not finish the book. He was born in NY, not Vermont, his main museum is in Massachusetts -Stockbridge to be exact although there is one in Rutland VT that displays his covers. Frankly, even before that part, I was disgruntled with the writing and plotting.

*ARC provided by the publisher.


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Marriage on Madison Avenue (Central Park Pact, #3) by Lauren Layne

Marriage on Madison Avenue by Lauren LayneMy rating: 4 of 5 stars

"From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne, comes the final installment of the Central Park Pact series, a heartfelt and laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that’s perfect for fans of Sally Thorne and Christina Lauren.

Can guys and girls ever be just friends? According to Audrey Tate and Clarke West, absolutely. After all, they’ve been best friends since childhood without a single romantic entanglement. Clarke is the charming playboy Audrey can always count on, and he knows that the ever-loyal Audrey will never not play along with his strategy for dodging his matchmaking mother—announcing he’s already engaged…to Audrey.But what starts out as a playful game between two best friends turns into something infinitely more complicated, as just-for-show kisses begin to stir up forbidden feelings. As the faux wedding date looms closer, Audrey and Clarke realize that they can never go back to the way things were, but deep down, do they really want to?"

REVIEW:

I'm sorry to see this trilogy go. I really loved it and the women Naomi, Claire and of course Audrey.

And if this is the first book in this trilogy that you picked up...don't worry there is enough back-story to get you up to snuff. (almost too much back-story for the person who has read the first two books-almost!) I would actually love to see a book about Elizabeth who was a secondary character in this book, I think she deserves love!


At any rate, this book is steamy but clean (no bodily fluids discussed) it taught me just exactly what an "influencer" is and also taught me to respect and understanding for non-traditional jobs. I'm a Babyboomer and I find it difficult to understand these types of careers, but this author went a long, long way to help me see. This is going to be the perfect book for women who grew up with this as the norm.

The real story is as old as man -three women loving the same man who dies and the women discover each other at his funeral. They vow to take care of each other and to keep them from falling for inappropriate men.

I loved this very fast reading book and was engaged in the story for every minute of it -the only reason I gave it less than five stars is that I really dislike too much angst and inner dialoguing and this book has too much for my personal taste.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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The More the Merrier: An Amish Christmas Romance by Linda Byler

The More the Merrier: An Amish Christmas Romance by Linda Byler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A Heartwarming Christmas Romance Set During the Great Depression
It’s 1931, and times are tough for the Miller family, who are raising eight children in the midst of the Great Depression. When Eli Miller passes away unexpectedly, and then a fire destroys their barn, Annie has no idea how she’ll make ends meet. The Amish community rallies around her and the children, as is their custom, but as days turn into weeks and then into months, Annie’s friends and neighbors return to their own routines and seem to expect Annie to do the same. Annie knows she needs to stay strong for the children and figure out a way to keep everyone warm and clothed and fed, but she is heartbroken and exhausted. She reminds herself that God will provide, but every day feels like an uphill battle.
When Annie receives a letter from a widower with six children of his own, she tries to put it out of her mind. Her critical mother reminds her that it's too soon to start a new friendship with a man, and warns her that blending a family will be complicated. In the weeks and months to follow, Annie must learn to make her own decisions—and accept the consequences, good and bad—face her past, and embark on a new journey that will transform her and her large, complicated family. When life seems especially complicated one summer, she finds herself saying that by Christmas everything will start to come together, but she has no idea the challenges—and ultimately blessings—headed her way. 

REVIEW:

I would suggest that this writer do a little more research before taking pen to paper. I also suggest that she send her books to Beta readers before going to an editor or at least using an editor. The misspellings, added words and other grammatical errors made for a difficult read...(what exactly is "sie" when introducing a new character BTW?). It would have helped to have the dictionary of Amish Words at the beginning of the book instead of the end.


There were too many historical inconsistencies and inaccuracies in this book. The writing was flat and very much unlike anything else I've ever read or experienced with the Amish. I understand that their faith was a bit more liberal than usual---but this went a little too far for the typical reader to grasp. Do Amish children really go to a school that has multiple grade levels that isn't a one-room schoolhouse? Did the author research just exactly what a single dollar was worth during the Great Depression? No American would have paid a dollar for a dozen eggs. A dollar back then was the equivalent of over 14 dollars. RESEARCH!!! Make it believable.


It's nice to know that the author is/was Amish and writes her novels with pen and paper, but the tools don't matter when the story is flat and difficult to read and believe.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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The Trouble with Becoming a Witch: A Novel by Amy Edwards

The Trouble with Becoming a Witch: A Novel by Amy Edwards
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I really disliked this book and would never recommend this to anyone else because:

It was boring, repetitive, unbelievable, memoir-ish but fiction, overly angsty, filled with religion and it has a very political bent.

There is really no plot, just another woman bemoaning how her husband doesn't understand her -actually he was just an idiot -they both were and frankly I think they deserved each other. They were supposed to be in their 30's but acted and talked like young teenagers and the husband had ideas that you would have seen in the 1950's and I found it to be unbelievable for that particular religion. Though I do know that there are very religious families, this just seemed to be very cliché.


*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I really must commend all the readers and reviewers that read and loved this book. I am at 81% right now and have the most incredible headache from reading this tome! I don't know what is pushing me more -the fact that I can't 'not' finish an ARC? That everyone else loved it and I am really disliking it? That I have more questions than the book has answered?

My problems are many:

Firstly, I am a Baby Boomer and that means my favorite horror writers will always be Stephen King, Robert McCammon and those of that ilk. I am not averse to reading new horror authors if they can be unique. When a modern author tries to do what they (the original kings of the horror genre) did and can't do it well and I can see it in the first 100 pages or so, it does not bode well.

Secondly, I have issues with some of the, well for lack of a better term, the time period. It is supposed to be (I am assuming) modern times. But some of the things the author talks such as Special Education, Floods or High Waters for pants, or amazement at a school having a computer lab rings of the entire book being written back in the '70s, not just the first few chapters which do take place in the '50s.

Thirdly, many many characters and more than I could keep straight as well as the different...er...dimensions, moods, evil people and what-not. I also had a lot of problems relating these characters to 7-year-olds.

Lastly, The usage of capitalization in the middle of words is unique and is what finally brought this migraine on. It, in my opinion, is extremely difficult to read in this manner, but I can see why the author wants us to read these parts with difficulty. A bad move -he could have used italics but I'm not the author.

IF I finally finish the entire book and I change my mind about any of this I'll let you know.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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