Just in time for a summer break these wonderful ladies give us novellas to enjoy over a glass of sun-tea and a shaded cool breeze. If you are looking for an escape this just may be the book for you.
If you have yet to read the penned work by these authors this is a great introduction to their other penned novels.
Four novellas penned by wonderfully gifted authors give the reader stories that make the heart smile. Each novella occurs during the summer. We find love, romance, and the sweetest characters, all giving the reader a glimpse at faith weaved stories of forgiveness, hope, and second chances.
These stories are well penned and have a gentle pace, giving us characters to enjoy and leaving us wanting to know more about them. What I love is that are stories for any age. These could easily be shared with YA readers who love Amish novels. Each novella is short enough to enjoy in an afternoon's reading.
It's nice to take a break away from what I normally love reading and find something totally different. These stories give us a window into a life that seems on outside so different, but easy going. As we see through these characters their lives are anything but easy going. They face trial and tragedy just as we do. They make choices just as we do, good and bad, both leaving consequences. But what I love with these novels is that we see a truth in these characters as they grow over a summer's time span. We see characters who grow in knowing themselves better and also having a desire to know those around them. That is a characteristic that is missing in much of our world today that is surrounded by cell phones and computers.
I found these novellas to be sweet and intimate stories. While I enjoyed each of them, my favorite would probably be, Lakeside Love. I love the idea of sharing a story that brings us to the Biblical story of Leah and Rachel.
In all of these novellas we can see that the characters don't always see clearly as what they should do, but there is God before them making a way. Mostly we see that God has a plan and in His perfect timing He reveals our steps as He guides us to seek Him as we journey through the unknown.
This book was a gift from Thomas Nelson for sharing my review with you.
Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish Novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), The Protector, recently made the New York Times best-seller list. A native of Texas, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Colorado and taught school for ten years. She and her husband have two children and live in Southern Ohio. www.shelleyshepardgray.com
Amy Clipston is the award-winning and bestselling author of the Kauffman Amish Bakery series. Her novels have hit multiple best-seller lists including CBD, CBA, and ECPA. Amy holds a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan College and works full-time for the City of Charlotte. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and three spoiled rotten cats. www.amyclipston.com
Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including A Man of His Word and Treasuring Emma, as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. www.kathleenfuller.com
Kelly Irvin is the author of several Amish series including Bliss Creek Amish series, the New Hope Amish series, and the Amish of Bee County series. She has also penned two romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No child of Mine. the Kansas native is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Journalism. She has been writing nonfiction professionally for more than thirty years, including ten years as a newspaper reporter, mostly in Texas-Mexico border towns. A retired public relations professional, Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-nine years. They have two children, two grandchildren, and two cats. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories and read books by her favorite authors.
