Dual Timeline Amish Story -- Piecing It All Together

Leslie Gould's Piecing It All Together is a great start to her Plain Patterns series. 

The dual timeline provides an intriguing element to the story and brings to light interesting pieces of history. Although the setting is primarily Amish, there are interesting characters in both time periods from a variety of  backgrounds. While romance is not the main theme, there is a nice amount of it woven into the plot. And both stories work together to form a very cohesive and engaging read. 

Fans of well-written Amish fiction should enjoy this captivating story. I look forward to more installments in this series.

Thanks to the author and her publisher, Bethany House, for providing a copy of Piecing It All Together. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.   

About the Book

When Everything's Fallen Apart, Can She Piece Together the Truth?

After Savannah Mast's fiancé dumps her a week before their wedding, she flees California for the safety of her Amish grandmother's farm near Nappanee, Indiana, where she used to spend her summers. Savannah intends her stay to be brief, but when an Amish woman goes into labor in the middle of a blizzard and needs Savannah's help, she finds herself unexpectedly entangled in their family's drama. The woman's oldest daughter, Miriam, goes missing and Savannah's childhood friend Tommy Miller is implicated.

Jane Berger, the local historian and owner of a nearby quilt shop, tells her a similar tale of another woman's disappearance in the 1800s, inspiring Savannah to do all she can to help with the search for Miriam. But when Tommy's own cousin testifies against him, she isn't sure who she can trust.

And when events stir up painful memories of her mother, she must face her own truth: that her engagement isn't the only thing in her life that is broken.

About the Book

Leslie Gould (www.lesliegould.com) is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of over 35 novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds an MFA in creative writing and, besides writing fulltime, teaches at Warner Pacific University. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and are the parents of four adult children.

Awesome Conclusion -- Two Steps Forward

Two Steps Forward is Suzanne Woods Fisher's awesome conclusion to her The Deacon's Family series.

The neat thing about a conclusion to a series from this author is that you probably haven't seen the last of the story. For example, several of the characters in this book were introduced in earlier visits to Stoney Ridge through this or other series, and some of them are much better versions of themselves than when we first met them. But there is nothing that gets old about revisiting these people and places -- it's much like going back home to catch up with familiar friends and family and the new goings-on in their lives. In addition to some of the romance and regular day-to-day fare you expect in an Amish story, these books include well-written plots that involve difficult and complicated issues that might come up in either Amish or English settings.

I highly recommend Two Steps Forward -- as well as Mending Fences and Stitches in Time -- to fans of great Amish fiction. This story could be read as a stand alone, but would probably be best enjoyed as a part of the series.

About the Book

Sylvie needs a man of substance to help her run her business.

What she gets is Jimmy Fisher.

Back and broke in Stoney Ridge, Jimmy Fisher has coasted through life as long as he could on charm, good looks, and deep-set dimples. They always worked just fine for him--until they didn't. His smile has no effect on the violet-eyed beauty he met at the Bent N' Dent, the one with that stunning horse. She's offered him a job, but nothing else.

The last thing Sylvie Schrock King needs around Rising Star Farm is a grown boy working for her, especially her neighbor Edith's son. The woman holds a serious grudge against Sylvie, and hiring Jimmy Fisher will only fan the flames of Edith's rancor. But Sylvie is desperate for help on the farm, and Jimmy understands horses like no one else.

While Jimmy's lazy smile and teasing ways steal Sylvie's heart, Edith is working on a way to claim her land. Has Sylvie made another terrible mistake?

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 30 books, including On a Summer Tide and On a Coastal Breeze, as well as the Nantucket Legacy, Amish Beginnings, The Bishop's Family, The Deacon's Family, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, among other novels. She is also the author of several nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and Amish Proverbs. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Facebook @SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor and Twitter @suzannewfisher.