Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Intriguing Conclusion to Suspense Series -- Cold Vengeance

Cold Vengeance JustRead Takeover + Review Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Cold Vengeance by Nancy Mehl hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Cold Vengeance

Series: Ryland & St. Clair #3

Author: Nancy Mehl

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Genre: Romantic Suspense

When a renowned crime podcaster vanishes without a trace, former FBI behavioral analysts turned private investigators River Ryland and Tony St. Clair are called upon to track her down. As they wade through the evidence she left behind, they unearth a startling connection--she may have discovered the existence of an unknown serial killer, and he will stop at nothing to carry out a deadly plan.

As the pair delves deeper, they soon find themselves the target of a relentless enemy determined to silence them. With their lives--and hearts--on the line, can they confront the evil that threatens them before it consumes them both?

USA Today bestselling author Nancy Mehl brings her Ryland & St. Clair series to an explosive close with a pulse-pounding story where the stakes are high and silence is deadly.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop

More Books from this Series:

My Review

Cold Vengeance is Nancy Mehl’s intriguing conclusion to her Ryland & St. Clair series. It picks up right where the previous two books concluded and takes you on an exciting and suspenseful ride.

In the earlier installments in the series, the professional and personal relationship between River Ryland and Tony St. Clair has already been well established. As they are dealing with the life-threatening danger of a serial killer who has River clearly in his sights and also puts Tony's safety in jeopardy, a new client for their fledgling private investigation business presents River and Tony with a whole new set of unsolved cases and even more risk.

A big part of what makes this story so engaging is the way the author leads the reader down paths that build and grow and keep you guessing. There are plenty of twists and turns that make figuring out all the “who-dunnits” extremely challenging! There is definitely a romantic element built into the story, but it is a low-key, comfortable level that never overtakes the suspense. And woven throughout the story is a very clear theme of faith that is presented in a way that flows naturally without any appearance of being artificial or forced.

I highly recommend Cold Vengeance to fans of inspirational suspense fiction. I would definitely suggest reading Cold Pursuit and Cold Threat first for all the pieces of the story to fit together.

Thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of the book through JustRead Publicity tours. I am happy to share my own honest thoughts in this review.

About the Author

Nancy Mehl

Nancy Mehl is the author of more than fifty books, a Parable and ECPA bestseller, and the winner of an ACFW Book of the Year Award, a Carol Award, and the Daphne du Maurier Award. She has also been a finalist for the Christy Award. Nancy writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson.

Connect with Nancy by visiting NancyMehl.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive the complete paperback set of the Ryland & St. Clair series and a $15 Amazon gift card!

Cold Vengeance JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight July 24, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on July 31, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Fun and Creativity -- Happily Ever After on Huckleberry Hill

Happily Ever After on Huckleberry Hill is book #12 and the last -- so far -- in Jennifer Beckstrand's fun Huckleberry Hill series. And the story may include the most creative collection yet of Anna's antics as she works to make just the right love connections for her grandchildren and their young friends.

You never know when you turn the page what new activity you will find Anna and Felty involved in as they go about their mission. There is sitting yoga, painting, astronomy (or is it astrology), and archery, to name a few. And what could be more fun than a "popsicle sticking" party? Will Anna's special potholders play a significant role in this instance of matchmaking? (If none of this makes much sense to you, you probably have not read other books in this entertaining series.)

I highly recommend Happily Ever After on Huckleberry Hill to any fan of delightful Amish stories. In fact, if you haven't read the previous books, I would suggest you give them all a try. I'm not sure what Huckleberry Hill stories we have yet to look forward to, but the author has hinted on social media that we may not have seen the last of Anna and Felty. I, for one, certainly hope that is true!

About the Book

Already boasting a bushelful of happily matched grandchildren, irrepressible octogenarian matchmakers Anna and Felty Helmuth never give up on sparking true love on Wisconsin's Huckleberry Hill.

Sensible and cautious, Naomi Coblenz lives to help everyone else be happy—particularly when it comes to her twin sister, Ruth. So Omi certainly can’t admit she’s always loved handsome Bo Helmuth, since he and Ruth have begun courting. To look out for her sometimes-thoughtless sister, Omi even poses as Ruth on a ride home alone with Bo. But it doesn’t take Bo long to see the truth—and really notice Omi for the first surprising, hopelessly-wonderful time . . .

Bo thought he was in love with the vivacious Ruth. But he can’t stop thinking about Omi’s kindness and understanding, especially since she refuses to hurt her sister. And he can’t figure out a way to tell Ruth they aren’t really suited for each other. His only hope is that his
ever-resourceful Dawdi and Mammi can help faith guide the way—and at last claim a happy ending for all.

About the Author

Jennifer Beckstrand is the RITA-nominated and award-winning author of The Amish Quiltmakers Series, the Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill, The Honeybee Sisters series, The Petersheim Brothers series, as well as a number of other novels and novellas. Novels in her Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series have been RITA® Award and RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award finalists. Huckleberry Hill won the 2014 LIME Award for inspirational fiction and Huckleberry Hearts was named a Booklist Top 10 Inspirational Fiction Book of the Year. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people.

Jennifer has four daughters, two sons, four sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, and eleven adorable grandchildren. She lives in the foothills of the Wasatch Front with her husband and plays pickleball and cuddles her grandchildren when she’s not writing.

Please visit her online at JenniferBeckstrand.com.

Where It All Started -- First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill

If you have read any of the books in Jennifer Beckstrand's Huckleberry Hill series, then you are well acquainted with Anna and Felty Helmuth, the Amish grandparents who have dedicated much of their time and effort to matchmaking for their grandchildren. First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill is the tenth Jennifer has written in the series, and in it she takes readers back to a time long before the Helmuths became grandparents to share the early days of their relationship.

Just like all the other stories, this one is a delight to read. And it gives some fun history of things like Felty's unexplained enjoyment of Anna's unusual recipes and the infamous license plate game. Of course, the story wouldn't be complete without a little taste of grandparent matchmaking, so Felty's and Anna's fun love story is "bookended" with just a little hint of of what will be coming in the next book -- Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill.

I highly recommend First Christmas on Huckleberry Hill to any fan of delightful Amish stories. In fact, if you haven't read the previous books in the series, I would suggest you give them all a try. (The order of the books is not terribly important in reading, but FYI, this is #10 in publication order.)

About the Book

Before irrepressible eighty-somethings Anna and Felty Helmuth became Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin’s most-beloved matchmakers, they were mismatched young lovers facing seemingly impossible obstacles…

She can’t cook, sew, sing, or clean. And no matter how hard young Anna Yoder tries, she’d much rather help people in trouble than be a well-behaved pretty face and properly perfect Amish maidel. So she instantly reaches out to her old schoolmate, Felty Helmuth, when their Amish town ostracizes him for his Korean War army service. He's still the only one who's ever understood Anna—and liked everything from her green Jello carrot salads to her love of books. And this holiday season, she can't help hoping that somehow she and Felty can find a way to be the perfect match…

Felty sensed he was called by Gotte to serve his country, though it went against his community’s peaceful ways. Troubled by his wartime experiences, he is resigned to being an outsider avoided by most eligible Amish girls. But lively, intelligent Anna has grown into a warm-hearted generous woman who accepts Felty for who he is. And in the face of family and community opposition, he and Anna will take a leap of faith to prove they are made for each other—and a lifetime of happiness.

About the Author

Please visit her online at JenniferBeckstrand.com.

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Another Chance at Love -- Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill

Jennifer Beckstrand keeps the same theme going through all the books in her Huckleberry Hill series -- matchmaking by the most caring and fun mammi and dawdi in Wisconsin! But she manages to keep the stories fresh by going a little different direction, with just a little different twist, in each of the stories. Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill finds an additional character playing a big role in the matchmaking dilemma, in the person of a 13-year-old boy who is not happy with the fear of losing his dad to an unwanted stepmother.

This may be my favorite in the series so far. Jennifer Beckstrand has given us an engaging story filled with fun and with struggle. In addition to Anna and Felty and their beloved granddaughter Martha Sue, the story is complete with competing potential husbands and a couple of spirited and sneaky kids who make the matchmaking adventures extra fun and extra challenging. At some points you can't quite be sure which match-up Annie is really working toward -- or whether she herself is sure which is the main plan and which is a back-up plan. But after lots of twists and turns, of course, everything works out just as it should.

I highly recommend Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill to any fan of delightful Amish stories. In fact, if you haven't read the previous books in the series, I would suggest you give them all a try. (The order of the books is not terribly important in reading, but FYI, this is #11 in publication order.)

About the Book

As Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin's most irrepressible matchmakers, eighty-somethings Anna and Felty Helmuth never quit a challenge -- especially when one heartbroken couple is about to part . . .

Martha Sue Helmuth wishes she could just relax and enjoy her extended visit with her beloved grandparents. Instead, she is nursing a broken heart over gentle widower Yost Beiler. Yost’s thirteen-year-old son, Jonah, refuses to accept Martha Sue, and she refuses to risk coming between them. For now, she is just trying to avoid her Mammi’s choice of yet another eligible suitor. But when Yost moves himself and Jonah to Huckleberry Hill to change Martha Sue’s mind, she can't help dreaming that somehow, some way, she and Yost will have a miraculous second chance to be together . . .

After his wife’s untimely death, Yost did everything he could to help Jonah through his grief. He hopes that Martha Sue's outgoing family—and her generous ways—will show his son how loving and trustworthy she truly is. But Anna and Felty's matchmaking antics are inspiring Jonah to drive Martha Sue off for good. And when he goes too far, can Yost and Martha Sue find the understanding to forgive him—and the strength to prove they can overcome differences to make one joyous forever family?

About the Author

Please visit her online at JenniferBeckstrand.com.

Camping for Love? -- Home on Huckleberry Hill

The one thing you can be sure of in a Huckleberry Hill story by Jennifer Beckstrand is this -- you can't be sure what kind of scheme Anna and Felty Helmuth will come up with in their quest of matchmaking for their grandchildren! And Home on Huckleberry Hill just might involve their most unusual schemes of all!

In this story, the Helmuths' granddaughter, Mary Anne, is already married, so the matchmaking task involves keeping that marriage intact. In no other Huckleberry Hill story (or likely any other story) have so many friends, relatives, animals, camping supplies, and vehicles been involved in trying to salvage a relationship. Just when you think things might be working out, along comes another wrinkle in the story. And under most of those wrinkles you will find the creativity of a couple of loving, eighty-something grandparents.

As usual, Jennifer Beckstrand has crafted an entertaining Amish story filled with fun characters. Their stories are a delight to read as you watch them stumble and soar through all kinds of challenges. I don't think you can read a Huckleberry Hill story without a few chuckles along the way.

I highly recommend Home on Huckleberry Hill to any fan of enjoyable, out-of-the-box Amish stories.

About the Book

The irrepressible eighty-something matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin, Anna and Felty Helmuth, are at it again. And this time they’re willing to rough it to get the job done . . .

Mary Anne Neuenschwander knows she should be content with what Gotte has given her. She has a comfortable house, a fruitful farm, and a good, steady husband. But after nearly six years of marriage, she still longs for a baby. Yet her husband, Jethro, seems to care more about fishing than about his wife. Unable to bear Jethro’s indifference, Mary Anne moves into a tent in the woods where he won’t have to be bothered with her. But when her mammi and dawdi find out what she’s done, they’ll stop at nothing—including a little camping trip of their own—to help save their granddaughter’s marriage . . .

Jethro’s greatest blessing is his beloved wife, Mary Anne. Nothing else in his life has turned out anywhere near the way he expected. Rather than burden Mary Anne with his disappointment, he shields her by spending less and less time at home and more time on the river. But when he finds that she’s moved out, he’s shocked. What will people think? What is Mary Anne thinking? And what clever plans are her grandparents hatching?

About the Author

Please visit her online at JenniferBeckstrand.com.

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Healing and Love in Hope Harbor -- Sandcastle Inn

About the Book

Book: Sandcastle Inn

Author: Irene Hannon

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 2, 2024

Vienna Price never intended to return for more than a passing visit to Oregon and all the bad memories she’d left behind. But when your career tanks, home is where you go to nurse your wounds and chart a new course. Only temporarily, of course—because as much as she loves her quirky mom, anything more than a short stay would drive them both crazy.

A trip to Oregon isn’t in Matt Quinn’s plans, either, until a perfectly timed appeal for help arrives from his sister. What better place to decompress after a shattering loss than a quiet, seaside town named Hope Harbor? But R&R isn’t on the agenda when he arrives to find his sister’s new enterprise on life support.

Vienna, however, may have just the skills needed to resuscitate the foundering B&B—if Matt can convince her to hang around long enough to mend an inn . . . and his heart.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

Sandcastle Inn, where Irene Hannon takes us on our tenth visit to her fictional little town of Hope Harbor, Oregon, may be the best yet in the series. Or it could just be that it's the last one I've read and they are all equally fantastic stories. Either way, it's a great one!

As has happened in this entire series, the characters immediately drew me into their stories. Vienna and Matt both find themselves visiting family in Hope Harbor as they are dealing with their own deep losses. When their paths unexpectedly cross, and no matter their attempts to fight it, the magic of the charming town soon starts to do its work on the personal challenges they carry with them. Vienna and Matt eventually reevaluate their priorities and learn to start moving on from past suffering, leading to hearts healing and love blooming. And of course, none of it would have ever happened without the help of Charley the taco guy and his favorite pair of seagulls, Floyd and Gladys.

I highly recommend Sandcastle Inn and the entire Hope Harbor series to fan of great inspirational romantic fiction. This book, like each in the series, can be read as a standalone, but I would suggest reading them all to get the full benefit of the series.

Thanks to Celebrate Lit for providing a copy of the book. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.

About the Author

Irene Hannon is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than 60 contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. In addition to her many other honors, she is a three-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America. She is also a member of RWA’s elite Hall of Fame and has received a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work.

More from Irene

In my world, the approach of April signals not only tulips, dogwoods, and daffodils, but a return to my little seaside town of Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast. And this year marks a milestone. Sandcastle Inn is the tenth book set in this charming locale.

When I conceived of this series back in 2013, neither I nor my editor had any idea how long it would run—or that Publishers Weekly would deem my small fictional town “a place of emotional restoration that readers will yearn to visit.”

But visit they have. Hundreds of thousands of copies of the books have been sold worldwide, the novels have been translated into multiple languages, and taco-making artist/town sage Charley Lopez has become an iconic figure.

It’s been an amazing journey—with more books to come.

If you’ve never visited Hope Harbor and are reluctant to dive in at this stage, no worries. Each book stands alone, with a whole new cast of main characters. Each story also begins and ends in each book, with no hanging plot threads from book to book. The town is the unifying element in the series—along with a few secondary characters like Charley, the bantering town clerics from neighboring churches, and the seagull couple Floyd and Gladys, who always seem to be around when romance is in the air.

If you’re new to the series, Sandcastle Inn is a fine jumping-off point. This story features a hero struggling to recoup from a tragic loss and a heroine still reeling from an unplanned career detour. When they join forces to save a floundering inn, challenges ensue…and sparks fly. Because if it’s Hope Harbor, there has to be romance!

The book resonates with multiple other themes too—dealing with grief, moving on, changing direction, mending past relationships, taking a leap of faith. And of course there’s a happy ending.

It’s the kind of book that will put a smile on your lips and hope in your heart.

So I invite you to find a comfy spot, pour a mug or cup of your favorite beverage, and travel with me to Hope Harbor, where hearts heal…and love blooms.

Insider’s Tip: If you ever decide to book a stay at Sandcastle Inn, ask for the seaside room upstairs at the end of the hall that leads to the right. The view is stunning!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 4

Texas Book-aholic, April 5

Blogging With Carol, April 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 6

For Him and My Family, April 6

Jeanette’s Thoughts, April 7

Splashes of Joy, April 7

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 8

She Lives To Read, April 8

lakesidelivingsite, April 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 10

Southern Gal Loves to Read, April 10

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 11 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 11

Cover Lover Book Review, April 12

The Lofty Pages, April 13

Melissa’s Bookshelf, April 13

Blossoms and Blessings, April 14

Labor Not in Vain, April 14

Wishful Endings, April 15

By The Book, April 15

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 16

Pause for Tales, April 16

Batya’s Bits, April 17

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, April 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Irene is giving away the grand prize package of a full set of the Hope Harbor series (10 books) and a $50 Bookshop.org gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2ac75/sandcastle-inn-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Beautiful Story of Hope and Redemption -- The Songbird of Hope Hill

I've said it before, and I'll say it again . . . I always know I'm going to get a beautiful gentle story of hope when I see the name Kim Vogel Sawyer on the cover. And The Songbird of Hope Hill certainly does not disappoint!

The story definitely has its elements that are filled with anything but hope, but those seemingly hopeless places are just temporary stops along the journey. The characters have to struggle and grow through a variety of major challenges to reach their destinations of hope.

As the Overly family lives out sacrificially the mission God has given them at Hope Hill, countless young women (as well as some young children) are given a place to find a chance for better lives, even some who spend time and effort fighting against those opportunities. Birdie readily accepts the opportunity to hope for a better life but still finds it hard to believe that God would really forgive her and redeem her from the past she so regrets.

This story's music of hope keeps shining through for Birdie, Ephraim, and so many others in a beautiful display of God's grace and redemption. I highly recommend The Songbird of Hope Hill to fans of great inspirational fiction.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a copy of the book. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.

About the Book

Desperate to simply survive, Birdie Clarkson was driven to a life at a house of ill repute. Now she longs only for escape. So when Reverend Isaiah Overly and his son, Ephraim, appear and offer a better life, she jumps at the chance. Ignoring the furious raging of the madam, Birdie climbs into the back of the preacher’s wagon.

The men take her to Hope Hill, the haven the reverend and his wife, Ophelia, founded so women like Birdie can be taught skills to help them rise above their pasts. Soon a resistant Birdie finds herself singing in the choir Ephraim leads at revival meetings, even though she’s certain she’s the last person who should be representing God.

Reverend Overly teaches that no one is irredeemable, but even as Ephraim is falling in love with her, Birdie remains convinced that she’s past saving. After all she’s been through, can she ever believe that God’s redemption wipes every soul clean? And can Ephraim convince her that God loves her more than she can grasp—and that he does, too?

Inspired by historical events.

About the Author

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a highly acclaimed, bestselling author with more than 1.5 million copies of her books in print in seven different languages. Her titles have earned numerous accolades including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in central Kansas with her retired military husband, Don, where she continues to write gentle stories of hope. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find her petting cats, packing Operation Christmas Child boxes, or spending time with her daughters and grandchildren.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Thrilling Romantic Suspense -- Cold Pursuit and Cold Threat

Nancy Mehl is one of my go-to authors for great romantic suspense. Cold Pursuit and Cold Threat, the first two installments of her Ryland + St. Clair series, are great thrillers that are almost impossible to put down. From page one of each book to the very last sentence, the story is filled with gripping details that kept me wondering and guessing what was around the next corner.

In Cold Pursuit, River Ryland and her former FBI partner, Tony St. Clair, open a private investigation firm and immediately find themselves involved in a tragic cold case that becomes more and more complicated and dangerous to anyone near the case. In Cold Threat, River and Tony work alongside police detective Ray St. Clair (Tony's dad), trying to help him put pieces together to solve a different set of murders and again find themselves in life-threatening situations.

The plot, pace, character development and well-researched background information make for riveting stories. A very tantalizing technique that the author scatters throughout the stories gives the reader some of the thoughts, words, and actions of the "bad guy" without revealing who that is. And a strong faith element that is an important part of the characters' development is woven into the story in a very unforced, natural way.

I highly recommend Cold Pursuit and Cold Threat to fans of great inspirational romantic suspense. The books need to be read in order to fully understand the flow of details. I am anxiously waiting to see how this series wraps up in Cold Vengeance, due to be released in summer of 2024.

About Cold Pursuit

Ex-FBI profiler River Ryland still suffers from PTSD after a case went horribly wrong. Needing a fresh start, she moves to St. Louis to be near her ailing mother and opens a private investigation firm with her friend and former FBI partner, Tony St. Clair. They're soon approached by a grieving mother who wants them to find out what happened to her teenaged son, who disappeared four years ago. River knows there's almost no hope the boy is still alive, but his mother needs closure, and River and Tony need a case, no matter how cold it might be.

But as they follow the boy's trail, which gets more complicated at every turn, they find themselves in the path of a murderer determined to punish anyone who gets in his way. As River and Tony race to stop him before he kills again, an even more dangerous threat emerges, stirring up the past that haunts River and plotting an end to her future.

About Cold Threat

Twenty years ago, several people were murdered in Des Moines, and the only evidence left behind was a snowman ornament hanging ominously on a tree in the victims' front lawns. With a suspect behind bars, the killings have come to an end--or so everyone thought. But now crimes with a similar MO are happening in a small Iowa town, and a local detective believes the killer is back and ready to strike again.

With little time left on the clock before they have another murder on their hands, private investigators River Ryland and Tony St. Clair must work alongside Tony's detective father to find evidence that will uncover an evil that has survived far too long. As the danger mounts and the suspect closes in, it will take all they have to catch a killer--before he catches one of them.

About the Author

Nancy Mehl (NancyMehl.com) is the author of more than fifty books, a Parable and ECPA bestseller, and the winner of an ACFW Book of the Year Award, a Carol Award, and the Daphne du Maurier Award. She has also been a finalist for the Christy Award. Nancy writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Fun Amish Romance -- His Amish Sweetheart

Recently I picked up His Amish Sweetheart, a book that has been on my TBR (to-be-read) pile for a long time, because I was certain it would be a fun, light-hearted read to follow some heavier stories I had recently enjoyed. And of course, Jennifer Beckstrand delivered just what I was expecting! This book finishes up her delightful Petersheim Brothers series.

This book, like the first two in the series, has many of the common elements of Amish romance novels . . . but it also has an extra spark of fun in the form of a pair of young twin brothers who are usually about the business of creating and working out plans of matchmaking for their older brothers. Of course, the ultimate objective of those great plans is to get all the brothers married and moved out of the house so Alfie and Benji can move out of the basement and have a real room again. In this book, Austin, the last unattached brother, is their person of interest, and they are afraid he is about to make the wrong choice. The accounts of their shenanigans -- some successful and some not so much -- keep the story lively and entertaining. All the characters in the story are well developed and play their necessary roles very well.

I highly recommend His Amish Sweetheart to fans of Amish fiction or to those who might want to try the genre in a setting that will bring a smile!

About the Book

Fondly nicknamed “The Peanut Butter Brothers," Andrew, Abraham, and Austin Petersheim skillfully run one of Wisconsin's most cherished family businesses. But their mischievous younger twin siblings have a talent all their own—for matchmaking . . .

Between work and keeping his little brothers out of trouble, Austin Petersheim barely has time to think, much less court the most popular maidel in town. But if he can establish a local market to direct-sell his family's goods, he'll stand out as a potential husband. He's so grateful for the help of his longtime friend, Hannah Yutzy, who has such practical ideas—and is so easy to talk to . . .

While Austin embarks on his plan, his siblings have a plan of their own: to give Austin and Hannah a little nudge to show them they're made for each other. When their antics wreak havoc with a rival family emporium, Hannah must help Austin set things right. And as she does just that, Austin is stunned to realize his best friend could be his perfect wife. Now he'll just need the courage and faith to find out if she agrees . . .

About the Author

Jennifer Beckstrand is the RITA-nominated and award-winning author of The Amish Quiltmakers Baby, the Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill, The Honeybee Sisters series, The Petersheim Brothers series, as well as a number of other novels and novellas. Novels in her Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series have been RITA® Award and RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award finalists. Huckleberry Hill won the 2014 LIME Award for inspirational fiction and Huckleberry Hearts was named a Booklist Top 10 Inspirational Fiction Book of the Year. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people. She and her husband have been married for thirty-six years, and she has four daughters, two sons, and seven adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten. Please visit her online at
JenniferBeckstrand.com.

Friday, March 8, 2024

Fascinating Biblical Fiction -- The Peasant King

I recently participated in a "Blind Date with a Book" activity at my local library which opened a door to a new-to-me author and a relatively new-to-me genre in Christian Fiction. The book I "dated" was Peasant King, by Tessa Afshar, and it was a fantastic encounter! I have to admit that it took me just a minute to get into it because it was pretty different from what I usually read. But after that little bit, I got caught up in the story and really enjoyed it!

This is a story of Biblical fiction, set in the ancient world of the Persian Empire. Jemmah and other family and friends are involved in dangerous scenarios as they set out to rescue her mother, who has been kidnapped by the enemy, and then working their way back home to Persia. They find themselves struggling through those dangers alongside Asher, who turns out to be a “secret prince” with connections to the enemy Median king. As they fight one kind of battle after another, Jemmah and Asher find themselves sharing their deepest secrets with each other. Those experiences develop into an unexpected love and an understanding of how God is using them as small pieces in a great work He has promised for His people.

I really enjoyed the developing story of Asher’s and Jemmah’s growth in dealing with their own internal demons and how that made for a perfect, unrushed story of strength and love for both of them. The author’s use of verses of scripture at the beginning of each chapter was a meaningful way of weaving these individuals’ lives into God’s grand plan for His people.

I highly recommend this book to readers who are interested in seeing the intersection of ancient history and Biblical accounts, as well as anyone who enjoys great inspirational stories. I plan to meet up with more of this author's work in the future.

About the Book

Jemmah has always thought of herself as perfectly ordinary . . . until she faces extraordinary circumstances.

When her mother, the Persian king’s famous senior scribe, is kidnapped, Jemmah and her sister must sneak undetected into enemy territory to rescue her. But infiltrating their adversary’s lands proves easier than escaping them. Fleeing through dangerous mountain passes, their survival depends on the skills of a stranger they free from prison: a mysterious prince named Asher.

Asher is not who the world believes he is. Despite his royal blood, he has had to climb his way out of poverty to forge success from nothing. A manufacturer of some of the best weaponry in the East, Asher has only one goal: to destroy his father. But following his escape from prison, Asher is irresistibly drawn to Jemmah, unaware that she guards her own secret.

Jemmah must convince Asher to give up everything he has worked for, all for the sake of a higher purpose he’s not sure he believes in. The fate of the Persian empire—and possibly the Judean people—hang in the balance and in the persuasive power of one ordinary woman.

About the Author

TESSA AFSHAR’s books have been on Publishers Weekly, CBA, and ECPA bestseller lists and have been translated into many languages. Her Bible study, The Way Home: God’s Invitation to New Beginnings, won the ECPA Christian Book of the Year in the Bible Study category. Tessa’s novels have been the recipient of the ECPA’s Bronze Milestone, Christy, and INSPY Awards. She holds a master of divinity from Yale, where she was elected to serve as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship for one year. Tessa is a devoted wife, a mediocre gardener, and an enthusiastic cook of biblical recipes. Learn more at TessaAfshar.com.