Review & Giveaway: The Amish Christmas Sleigh by Kelly Long, Amy Lillard, Molly Jebber

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

A SLEIGH RIDE ON ICE MOUNTAIN by Kelly Long
For solitary toy-maker Sebastian Christner, hiring Kate Zook as his new housekeeper is simply the right thing to do. Now she can support her special-needs brother. But one taste of her independent spirit is showing him undreamed-of holiday joy—and making him long to give her a home for always...
 
A MAMM FOR CHRISTMAS by Amy Lillard
Bernice Yoder has far too much to do to entertain holiday dreams. Even if she can help Jess Schmucker outwit his three mischievous young daughters, it's impossible to imagine the handsome widower can see her as anything but a scolding schoolteacher. He never guesses how a magical Christmas Eve will open his eyes to love or how Der Herr will awaken their faith and hope.

AN UNEXPECTED CHRISTMAS BLESSING by Molly Jebber
As much as Charity Lantz's children need a father, the young widow isn’t sure her new neighbor Luke Fisher can ever be the right choice. They’re having more disagreements than snowflakes in December. Besides, he's never given a sign he wants to be more than friends. Can Gott show them a way past their misunderstandings to a forever love?

My Review

I enjoyed reading this collection of Christmas stories. There's something about the Christmas theme that brings a special spirit. The cold snowy setting is fascinating to me since I've never lived in snow before! The characters in A Sleigh Ride on Ice Mountain were multi-layered, there was more than meets the eye to Kate and Sebastian. A Mamm for Christmas featured some scheming children and their completely oblivious father. It was sweet how Bernice fell in love with the whole family. A similar plot was found in An Unexpected Christmas Blessing, but Luke is the one fighting the idea of marriage. This is a collection that fans of Amish fiction will want to read for the holiday season. 

(Thank you to CelebrateLit Publicity for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

About the Author

Molly Jebber is an educational, motivational, and Women’s Christian Connection speaker. She was raised in a small town in the Midwest, and insists if you had blinked twice, you would’ve missed it. She loves God, her family and friends, sunshine, swimming and traveling to the Amish communities.  Creating historical Amish characters and throwing them into difficult situations and joyous times has been challenging and fun for her. The greatest reward she’s experienced in becoming an author is meeting wonderful people from all over the world who’ve been encouraging and supportive.

Kelly Long is the author of the acclaimed Amish Patch of Heaven series and has been a finalist for the coveted Carol Award from the American Christian Fiction Writers. Her novel Lily’s Wedding Quilt was a 2011 Goodreads Favorite Book of the Year.  Born and raised in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania, she’s been married for nearly twenty-five years and has five children. Please visit her at kellylongbooks.com

Amy Lillard won the 2013 Carol Award for her first Amish romance Saving Gideon. She was also a Maggie Awards finalist. Born and bred in Mississippi, she now lives with her husband and son in Oklahoma. Visit her at amywritesromance.com

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Blog Tour 

Dec 2: Rhonda’s Doings
Dec 3: Simple Harvest Reads
Dec 3: Seasons of Opportunities
Dec 4: Jeanette’s Thoughts
Dec 4: Heidi Reads...
Dec 5: The Power of Words
Dec 6: Texas Bookaholic
Dec 7: Cassandra M’s Place
Dec 7: Debbie’s Dusty
Dec 8: D’s Quilts and Books
Dec 9: The Giveaway Lady
Dec 10: Big Readers Site
Dec 11: Bergdum
Dec. 11: Just Commonly
Dec. 11: Singing Librarian
Dec 12: Rockin' My Mom Jeans
Dec 13: Griperang’s Bookmarks
Dec 14: Readers Cozy
Dec 14: Book Bites
Dec 15: Quiet Quilter
Dec 15: Henry’s Happenings
Dec 16: A Greater Yes
 

Review: The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection by Mary Connealy, Angela Bell, Angela Breidenbach, Lisa Carter, Rebecca Jepson, Amy Lillard, Gina Welborn, Kathleen Y'Barbo, Rose Ross Zediker

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Come along on a romantic journey jam-packed with all the angst of marriages founded upon practical choices as well as coercion. Meet nine couples who barely know each other before they find themselves suddenly married—to please family, to stem the tide of gossip, to save the land—and joined for life. But can love grow when duty comes before romance?

My Review

Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite fiction themes, and here is a fabulous historical collection chock full of them! All the stories had vibrant characters with great chemistry, realistic settings, and well-rounded plots that wrap up nicely for the length of a novella. The majority I would rate 5 stars, a few would be 4 stars. My favorite was "The Sweetwater Bride" by Mary Connealy, focusing on Tanner, the son of Silas and Belle from her earlier book The Husband Tree. He is scouting his land in the harsh mountains and discovers Debba McClain, living alone on her family's hidden ranch, forgotten and completely isolated from society for five years. His protective instincts immediately creates a bond which takes a romantic turn as they get to know each others strengths and their attraction develops. Unfortunately, Tanner comes up with a creative way to get her off her land to meet his family, which puts him in hot water not only with Debba but also his mother when she finds out his methods. I highly recommend this collection and will definitely be reading it again.

(Thank you to Barbour Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

Review: Gabriel's Bride by Amy Lillard

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis from goodreads.com

Rachel Yoder has two choices: marry Gabriel Fisher or move to Ohio. As an orphan, Rachel doesn’t have much to offer; any match she can make will be a good one. She just didn’t plan on Gabriel with his big hands and permanent frown.

As a widower Gabriel needs help caring for the farm and his six children. But he never thought he’d marry a slip of a girl who barely reaches his chin.

Yet as time passes, Gabriel finds himself thinking about a real marriage. They have spoken vows to God and each other, but can he risk his heart with Rachel?

My Review

There is a wonderful ensemble of characters featured in this novel, each with distinct personalities. My favorite was Gabriel's young son Samuel, who has Down's Syndrome but seems high functioning. He is so sweet and is the one that helps Rachel feel welcome in her new family... which offsets the pranks of two other sons who are conflicted about their new mother. Gabriel was hard to understand, but his flaws are realistic, I'm sure. He didn't do a very good job welcoming his new wife or romancing her after he fell in love. The chemistry and communication was lacking in their relationship, which affected how much I enjoyed reading about it. Overall it's a sweet story with a happy ending.

(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)