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| Avon Inspire; 272 pages; $12.99; Buy Link |
Yes, many of blog readers will probably recognize her name as I have been a fan of the author's titles for several years now. "A Sister's Wish" is the third installment of the "Charmed Amish Life" series. Like the other two books in the series, this is a love story. I remember reading the first book, A Son's Vow, but I don't remember if I have read the sequel, A Daughter's Dream.
Set in Charm, Ohio, the story centers on a young Amish woman named Amelia, the youngest daughter of the Kingsinger family, who gets mixed up with Simon Hochstetler, who has just returned to town. Amelia is a sweet and kind girl, so it isn't too shocking that her family wants to protect her from Simon and his wild past.
Final Thoughts: The novel opens up with a neat two-page illustrated map of Charm, Ohio. The prologue begins thirteen years in the past when Simon original left home. After that, the book jumps to the present day, focusing on the love story between a grownup Simon and Amelia.
Similar to her other works, Shelley Shepard Gray uses a fast-paced narrative with short chapters to keep the readers interested in the story. However, I didn't get really interested into the novel until around chapter 5 or 6; then I just flew through the pages. Overall, A Sister's Wish is a nicely written third installment of the Amish series.
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| Avon Inspire; 288 pages; $12.99; Buy Link |
At the same time I started reading the book last week, I ran across several Christmas movies airing on the Hallmark Channel already. I guess there are a lot of people who love watching holiday romances.
For me, I started reading Christmas-themed titles in early September. Most of these weren't by my decision alone, as I got stuck in book blog tours with specific dates to when I needed to post my reviews.
"An Amish Family Christmas" centers on Levi Kinsinger returning to the Amish community to pick up the pieces of his former life. He befriends Julia Kemp, a young widowed neighbor who asks him to help her with a Christmas project. What starts out as a friendship, quickly turns into romance between them.
Final Thoughts: At under 300 pages, this a fast-paced little read, and from my understanding it is the final installment of the series. While the story is well-written, I thought the plot was slightly cliched, reminding me a bit too much of those made-for-Hallmark holiday movies, but less cheesy.
Overall, I liked reading "An Amish Family Christmas." I was hooked into the story right from the get-go and I finished reading the entire book in one afternoon.
*I received complimentary copies from the publisher for my honest review and they are 100% my own opinions. I received no other compensation for this review and I am not required to give a positive review. I am also not associated with the publisher or author in any way.
About the Author: Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.
Oh, Billy, these two novels sound SO WONDERFUL!! I can tell they're also very heartwarming, which might be a cliche, but I don't care. I LOVE such stories!! They give me the warm fuzzies!
ReplyDeleteI've already entered the giveaway, and will keep my fingers crossed. (And my toes, too! Lol.)
Thanks for featuring these books! Those covers are SOOO nice, too!! :)