An Amish Winter (Love Inspired) by Vannetta Chapman and Carrie Lighte

Book Description:

Can love warm their hearts?

Snowstorms and babies bring couples together

in these two sweet Amish novellas.

In Vannetta Chapman’s Stranded in the Snow, widowed single mother Faith Yoder and her baby find temporary refuge from a snowstorm with Elijah King’s generous help. And in Caring for the Amish Baby by Carrie Lighte, after her trip south for the winter is delayed, Amish spinster Leah Zehr must work with Jonathan Rocke to care for her sick friend’s baby.

From Harlequin Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

My Thoughts:     Two Wonderful Novellas

Stranded in the Snow by Vannetta Chapman

Elijah King has set a very important plan and timeline for himself. When he meets Faith Yoder, he is pretty sure she will play a part in his plans. However, our plans don't always turn out the way we expected, especially since Faith and Elijah see eye to eye on very little. This fact just may put a slight damper on Elijah's plans. 

Caring for the Amish Baby by Carrie Lighte 

Leah Zehr has her entire vacation mapped out and she can’t wait for it to begin. However, Leah has just a slight detour that she needs to take before her long awaited vacation begins. That’s the plan, or rather it was the plan. One thing is for sure.  Leah is absolutely certain that Jonathan Rocke is most definitely not part of the plan.

An Amish Winter is comprised of two novellas that share quite a few common threads. First, the pacing was just right. Neither story felt rushed, and the characters and plots were well developed. Second, they each have romance, humor, sadness, as well as a message of faith, and these themes are well balanced throughout the stories. Third, each story brings up how no matter what our plans are, we need to always seek God’s will. When we do that, we will find that His plans will always be far better than anything we could ever think or imagine. The authors have each created beautiful stories that will entertain you and bless you making these two wonderful novellas that you won’t want to miss.

****I received a copy of this book, but I was not required to write a positive review. All comments and opinions are my own. 

The Amish Christmas Gift (Hidden Springs Book 2) by Laura V. Hilton

 Book Description:

Past relationships and close quarters stir up old emotions, making Christmas the perfect time for a magical connection in this heartwarming second chance Amish romance.

Elsie Miller has witnessed -- and experienced -- Levi Wyse's forgetfulness too many times to count. But even after they broke things off, Elsie never forgot the handsome Amish toymaker or her love for him. So when Levi's sister asks her to help keep him organized for the busy Christmas season, Elsie agrees. But she didn't expect working alongside Levi to reignite those old feelings.

Secretly, Levi's heart will always belong to Elsie. But she deserves a better man, one who isn't so absentminded . . . or responsible for a terrible tragedy. Now, she's at his workshop every day and as Christmas draws near, his reasons for staying away become harder and harder to remember. Will the spirit of Christmas heal past hurts and give Elsie and Levi the greatest gift of all: a future together?

About the Author:

Laura V. Hilton is an award-winning author with more than twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she's not writing, she reviews books and writes devotionals for Seriously Write.

Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye. They currently live in Arkansas.

When she's not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, and her favorite holiday is Christmas.

To learn more about Laura, read her reviews, and find out about her upcoming releases, readers may visit:

lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com

www.familyfiction.com/authors/laura-v-hilton

www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q

booksbylaura.blogspot.com

My Thoughts:  A Heartfelt Story

I love happy endings.  So just about every book I read is predictable in the sense that there will be a happy ending.  Quite frankly, if I didn’t think that would be the end result, I wouldn’t bother reading it.  Even though I know the story I’m reading will have a happy ending, I look forward to the journey in getting to that happy ending. That’s what makes a story, and that is something that Laura Hilton is a master of in her writing.

The journey that Elsie and Levy take is inspiring, romantic, fun, surprising, and moving.  I love how the author entwines a spiritual message in her stories.  In this case, the faith based messages involved Levy’s struggle for forgiveness and Elsie’s struggle to trust God’s will.  Between the funny moments, the romantic moments, and the surprising moments that were snuck into the story every so often, there were reflective moments where I was able to identify with Elsie and Levy’s feelings and struggles of what God wanted for them.  

The story also includes a variety of interesting supporting characters.  They were integral to the story and added much to the fun and romance.  Although they enhanced the story, they did so without overshadowing the main characters.

Ms. Hilton has again written an entertaining and inspirational story where entertainment and inspiration are well balanced. There isn’t too much of one or too much of the other.  The combination is just right making The Amish Christmas Gift a wonderful heartfelt story that will entertain you, bless you and inspire you to try out some new recipes that are included in the story. Enjoy!