Category: book review

Thankful written by Shelley Shepard Gray is the second book in the Return to Sugarcreek Series.

Christina Kempf has always known that God chose Aden Reese to be her husband. As children, he was there to save her life when she fell through ice while skating and he has been by her side ever since. After his parents tragic death in a car accident, the Kempf’s raised Aden as one of their own and everyone sees them as brother and sister. Christina has never given up hope that Aden will one day ask her to be his wife.

Aden had always planned to court Christina. He loved her gentle ways and her faith. Losing his Mother and Father changed everything except his love for her. Her parents generously welcomed him into their home and treated him like a son. He could not betray their kindness by admitting his feelings for the girl who is like a sister but so much more.

Pressured by her parents to court, Christina begins to accept the attentions of Sugarcreek’s young men and now Aden must make a choice. Will he stand by and watch the love of his life slip away? Or will he risk losing the trust of the family he holds dear to tell Christina how he truly feels?

Thankful is wonderfully written with the stories of three families intertwined in Sugarcreek. I loved how Shelley intertwined their stories and gave a wonderful picture of life in Sugarcreek. Christina and Aden’s romance was beautiful. They had loved each other for so long but were so timid and scared to admit to it. I love how they grew through out the story and began to feel more comfortable in their feelings for each other and their strength. Thankful is well written and pulls you right in. Loved every moment of it!

You can find more reviews of Thankful on the Litfuse blog tour here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 4.5/5

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade follows the love story of Ty Porter and Celia Park. Ty has always been irresistible to Celia – she has loved him since high school. When their paths cross again after college she falls head over heels. This time, Ty seems to feel exactly the same way. Their whirlwind romance lands them at a street corner Las Vegas wedding chapel.

The next morning finds them waking up to marriage certificate and a dose of reality. Celia is ready to be Ty’s wife but Ty is not ready for that commitment. He is a professional bull rider, he lives on the road and he has long planned to settle down with his hometown girl he has known since childhood. They part ways but not on good terms and with a broken heart.

Five and a half years pass by. Celia has buried her dreams so that she can afford to raise her daughter. Ty has achieved all of his goals – or thought he had until he looks again into the eyes of the woman he could not forget and into the face of the child he never knew he had.

How much will Ty sacrifice to win back Celia’s trust and prove to her that their marriage can still become the love of a life time.

Meant to Be Mine had an incredible story line. You could feel the pain Celia felt when her heart was broken again by Ty. The years she sacrificed to ensure her daughter had everything she needed was heartbreaking even when you were frustrated with her for not sharing such important information with Ty. You almost want to reach out and shake her to tell her that it is not right. I loved how Ty did everything he can to make Celia trust him and win the trust of his daughter. Being a parent is one of the most important things a person can do and it was important to see them bond and grow their relationship.

I could not put this book down – I was just to curious to see how Celia and Ty’s relationship ended (no worries – I won’t spoil it for you!).

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 4.5/5

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Daises Are Forever by Liz Tolsma is set in World War II and is the story of a young American caught in Eastern Germany with her family who must hold on to hope and love in a war torn country.

Daisies are Forever is the story of Gisela Cramer, an America living in Eastern Germany with her cousin Ella Reinhardt when the Red Army invades. They must leave their home to escape to the safety of Berlin. Ella, a nurse, refuses to leave sending her young daughters with Gisela.

During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards – an escaped British POW. She pretends that she is his wife in order to preserve his safety amongst other Germans especially one particular wounded German solider, Kurt who has suspicions about Mitch’s identity. Kurt also has feelings for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her marriage.

Their journey to Gisela’s mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship as they strive to keep Ella’s daughters safe in order to reunite them with their Mother. During this journey, Gisela and Mitch begin to develop feelings towards each other beyond friendship. Once they reach Berlin, their struggles are far from over. They must learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.

In this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that even with destruction all around them that some things last forever.

Daises are Forever is an incredibly powerful and moving novel. There were times I cried and had to put my novel down, other times I had to re-read chapters to ensure I read it correctly. The fact that the novel was historically accurate made it harder to understand how people can treat others in such a way and even so much more important to read it to help stop it from happening again. I can only begin to imagine how real this story would be for so many people and it is heart breaking. I loved how the lives of Gisela and Mitch are showcased and that through all odds they are able to find love even if it is challenged at all times. A definite must read for all historical fiction fans.

To find more reviews of this novel, visit the Litfuse blog tour here. To purchase a copy of the book you can do so here.

Rating: 5/5

Liz Tolsma‘s latest WWII historical fiction novel, Daisies are Forever, is getting rave reviews. 

“. . . compelling and fast-paced tale about the atrocities and tremendous losses. . . .” —Library Journal

“Excellent storytelling, accurate historical reporting and gritty, persevering characters make this WWII-era novel a must-read.” —CBA Retailers + Resources

Liz celebrating the release with a Kindle HDX giveaway!
One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 31st. Winner will be announced June 2nd on Liz’s website.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Liz’s website on June 2nd to see if you won.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.