Review: An Amish Kitchen by Beth Wiseman, Kelly Long, and Amy Clipston

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads.com

Fern has a green thumb for healing herbs and flowers, but longs for love to bloom in her life. The next-door neighbor's oldest son Abram comes running into Fern's kitchen seeking help for his little sister. The crisis soon leads to a promise of romance until an incident threatens to end their growing attraction.

Nearby, Hannah runs her parents bed and breakfast, Paradise Inn but her life feels nothing like Paradise. She longs for a man of integrity to enter her life, but never expected him to knock on the front door looking for a room. Will she be able trust Stephen with her future once she discovers his mysterious past?

When a storm blows a tree onto Eve's farmhouse, she has little choice but to temporarily move her family into her parents home. Outside of cooking together in the kitchen, Eve and her mother can't agree on anything. But this may be just the recipe for hope in healing old wounds.

My Review

I so enjoyed reading these novellas. They were all so sweet, fun, and entertaining. My favorite was the first story by Kelly Long since the romance was wonderful.

(ARC was provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)

Review: Perfectly Matched by Maggie Brendan

My Rating: 2 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads.com

Anna Olsen knows it's time to leave her sister's increasingly crowded house and start a life of her own. Following her sisters' examples, she becomes a mail-order bride, and after a short correspondence with clock maker and jeweler Edward Parker, she moves to Denver to become his wife. Almost immediately it's painfully apparent that Anna and Edward are very different. Anna is a free spirit who would rather be painting and enjoying the company of friends than cleaning house. Edward is a consummate perfectionist who, on their wedding day, hands Anna a list of chores that need to be done around the house daily.
Can this mismatched couple see past their differences to a harmonious future? Or will their disparate passions create obstacles neither is willing to surmount?

My review

I usually enjoy mail-order bride stories, but this one didn't keep my interest. The pacing was slow, bogged down by boring details. The plot was not compelling and the characters seemed two dimensional.

(ARC was provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)

Review: Love's Awakening by Laura Frantz

My Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads.com

In the spring of 1822, Ellie Ballantyne leaves finishing school and returns to the family home in Pittsburg only to find that her parents are away on a long journey and her siblings don't seem to want her to stay. Determined to stand her ground and find her place in the world, Ellie fills her time by opening a day school for young ladies.
But when one of her students turns out to be an incorrigible young member of the Turlock family, Ellie knows she must walk a fine line. Slaveholders and whiskey magnates, the Turlocks are envious of the powerful Ballantynes and suspicious of their abolitionist leanings. As Ellie becomes increasingly entangled with the rival clan--particularly the handsome Jack Turlock--she finds herself falling in love with an impossible future. Will she betray her family and side with the enemy?

My Review
This was a well-written book- lots of rich historical details during a turbulent era. I enjoyed reading about the two main characters, but felt as if there was a huge backstory that was only hinted at... but those hints made me wish I had the missing information needed to understand the relationship. I also felt that because the details of the previous history between Jack and Ellie were not shared, it was hard to feel the connection between them or understand their falling in love, or even trusting each other.

(ARC was provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)

Review: A December Bride by Denise Hunter

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads.com

What started as a whim turned into an accidental - and very public - engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the facade in Chapel Springs this holiday season - for the sake of her career . . . and his heart?

Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy, the best friend of Layla O'Reilly's ex-fiance would be the last person she'd marry. But the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency, a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map. Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she'll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she's landed her client. For Layla, it's the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it's his last chance to win her heart.

My Review

Wow, the chemistry and tension is great in this sweet novella! It was nice to read from both characters' perspective. Layla does have a strong/stubborn personality, and it was a nice moment when she released the hurt and blame she was harboring towards Seth. Their interactions and dialogue were fun and witty. The predicament was a little contrived, but it was easy to look beyond that since the author made it so fun. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that the beginning is kind of choppy and disjointed, and Layla's bitter thoughts became repetitive, but the story smooths out later on, and Seth's perspective was much more compelling.

(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)