Book Details: 

Title: Mona Lisa Smiles 

Author: Kate Lloyd

Publisher: Union Bay Publishing

Pages: 310

Release Date:  March 26, 2024

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction/Women's Romance Fiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

With Papa dead and Mama in assisted living, Mona Lisa Buttaro plans to sell Booty’s, the family restaurant, as well as the family home, but her quirky brother, Joey, is a roadblock. Mona Lisa persuades him to work at the restaurant, but his phobias about germs dominate his thoughts. Yet, if she sells the place, where else could Joey work?

Mona Lisa hires former classmate Cliff McFarlane to do repairs on the family home. Newly sober and single, Cliff was in the popular crowd that excluded her in the past, but she is still attracted to him—not that she’d let him know. Mona Lisa wonders if she should give up all men—unless she can find one like Papa, her idol.

Then she uncovers an outrageous discovery: while alive, Papa made monthly payments to a half-sister Mona Lisa never knew existed.

Mona Lisa realizes her father was a liar—not unlike herself. She harbors her own shameful secret.

My Thoughts: Wonderful

Mona Lisa Smiles is a wonderful read! I was captured on the very first page and could not put it down. The characters were so diverse, and each had things they were dealing with that completely captured my interest. They also had me feeling about them in different ways. Both Mona Lisa and Cliff had me on an emotional roller coaster. One minute I felt what they were going through, and the next minute had me shaking my head at them. I had no clue if a relationship was even possible for them. However, that curiosity, along with the ups and downs, the intrigue, and the unexpected, all kept me reading. And although I was left with some questions about Joey, I was not disappointed in the least. This is a wonderful read that should not be missed.  

I received a copy of this book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

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About the Author:  Kate Lloyd

Bestselling author Kate Lloyd is a passionate observer of human relationships. A native of Baltimore, Kate and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest, the location of her newest novel, Reinventing Ruthie. A Lancaster Family Secret, follows but is not a sequel to A Lancaster Family Christmas. (Both are stand-alones.) Another captivating book is Stage Fright, a delightful story with twists and turns as a woman ventures through England with her church choir. From Rome with Love is an intriguing Christmas book that will keep you guessing. Kate spends time with family and friends in Lancaster County, PA, the inspiration for her novels Leaving Lancaster, Pennsylvania Patchwork, and Forever Amish, the third book in the Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy, and also A Letter from Lancaster County and Starting from Scratch. Kate studied art, art history, and Italian in college. She has worked a variety of jobs, including restaurateur and car salesman. Kate enjoys travel and walking with her cairn terrier, Piper, who plays an important role in her last two novels.

Readers are invited to stop by Kate's Website: www.katelloyd.com

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/katelloydbooks

Instagram: @katelloydauthor

Pinterest: @KateLloydAuthor

Unforgiven: (Amish Romantic Suspense Story with Forgiveness and Second Chances) by Shelley Shepard Gray

Book Details: 

Title: Unforgiven 

Author: Shelley Shepard Gray

Publisher: Revell

Pages: 292

Release Date: May 21, 2024 

Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance/Amish Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

Ex-con Seth Zimmerman has spent the last three years making amends by helping the vulnerable in his former Amish community. Lately, this mission includes calling on Tabitha Yoder, whose divorce from her abusive husband has isolated her from the community. Even though she never comes out of her house to talk to him, Seth knows she watches him from the window while he chops wood, clears her driveway, and drops off food.  
 
An uneasy friendship is just starting to take hold between them when small gifts begin to appear at Tabitha's home--gifts that can only be from her ex-husband. Seth might be Tabitha's only hope at maintaining her hard-won freedom from the man whose violent outbursts had almost cost her life. But coming to her rescue might mean he ends up behind bars once again.  

Get swept up in this emotional story of two outcasts who may be each other's only hope for happiness and redemption from New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray.

My Thoughts: Heart-wrenching

Although Unforgiven is totally heart-wrenching, it also includes deep messages of love, faith, forgiveness, healing, and second chances. There is so much that drew me in from the start and did not let me go until the very last page. Author Shelley Shepard Gray has masterfully written a story that includes some delicate subjects, which deeply touched my heart. She also describes the characters in a special way that connects the reader to them and makes you feel as if you know them personally.

Tabitha had been through a very difficult situation, which made her close herself off and become a complete recluse. Seth had also been through some very tough times. But instead of making him a recluse, it made him seek ways to help the vulnerable, which included Tabitha. 

Eventually, a friendship slowly began developing between the two. Situations that had put both of them somewhat as outsiders in the community, in a sense, helped their friendship grow. As it did, doubts came in as well as an unexpected return from the past. How Tabitha and Seth worked through it all kept me on the edge of my seat and turning pages as fast as I could. And in the end, I was left saying, "Wow! That was awesome!"

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.  All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

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About the Author:  Shelley Shepard Gray

Shelley Shepard Gray is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author. She's published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.

Shelley lives just an hour from Holmes County, where many of her Amish-themed novels are set. She currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds on one of the many trails in the Cleveland area.

She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.

Shelley also spends a lot of time on line! Please visit her website, www.shelleyshepardgray.com to find out her latest news or to sign up for her newsletter. Shelley can also be found on FaceBook, Instagram @shelley.s.gray, or on Twitter @ShelleySGray.

Mary's Calico Hope (The Heart of the Amish) by Anne Blackburne

Book Details:

Title:  Mary's Calico Hope

Series: The Heart of the Amish Book 5

Author: Anne Blackburne

Publisher: Barbour

Pages: 258

Release Date:  June 1, 2024

Genre: Amish Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

Mary Yoder Is Content Despite Challenges Thrown Her Way
 
Full of faith, hope, and romance, this new series takes you into the Heart of Amish country.
 
If God wills it, Mary Yoder will do it, even if that means using crutches for the rest of her life. She was badly injured in a buggy accident as a child. Still, she is content living in the Dawdi Haus connected to her parents’ farmhouse and with her work weaving baskets and raising specialty roosters whose feathers she uses to make excellent trout lures. She is truly happy at twenty-nine, but. . .she wouldn’t mind finding a husband—if the Lord wills it. Along comes Reuben King, a Mennonite doctor. They are attracted to one another, but how could they ever be together? She’s a baptized Amish woman, so it seems impossible. Also, he wants her to have surgery to improve her mobility and lessen her day-to-day pain. She’s sick and tired of surgeries! But if God wills it, she’ll do it. And just maybe there will be a way for these two unlikely souls to connect.

My Thoughts: Absolutely Wonderful

Mary's Calico Hope is full of faith, hope, and romance, and that description fits the book to a T. The book also has wonderful characters, which author Anne Blackburne exceptionally describes in a way that just draws you into the story. 

In Mary's case, I could feel her strength and determination, as well as her hurts and fears. But most of all, I could feel her strong faith as she always looked to God's will. Even when God's will left her feeling like nothing would work out in a certain way, she stayed true to her convictions while pressing forward. 

As for Reuben, his deep care and kindness truly touched my heart. And just like Mary, his trust in God's will kept him true to his faith and convictions, even when he had no clue where the path would take him. 

More than anything, Mary and Reuben's interactions and conversations deeply touched me as they got to know each other. Watching their relationship blossom was so sweet and endearing, even when they knew it might not go anywhere. But again, God's will was always at work, and that brought in a little unexpected twist from an unexpected source. It was the icing on the cake, which added an extra special touch, that made this such a wonderful story. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

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About the Author:  Anne Blackburne

Anne Blackburne lives and works in Southeast Ohio as a newspaper editor and writer. She is the mother of five grown children, has one wonderful grandchild, and a spoiled poodle named Millie. For fun, when she isn't working on Amish romance or sweet mysteries, Anne directs and acts in community theater productions and writes and directs original plays. She also enjoys reading, kayaking, swimming, searching for beach glass, and just sitting with a cup of coffee looking at large bodies of water. Her idea of the perfect vacation is cruising and seeing amazing new places with people she loves.

https://www.anneblackburne.com/.  https://twitter.com/AuthorAnneB.  https://www.facebook.com/anneblackburneauthor/ 

The Widow's Unexpected Suitor (Pinecraft Seasons Book 2) by Lenora Worth

Book Details: 

Title:  The Widow's Unexpected Suitor

Series: Pinecraft Seasons Book 2

Author: Lenora Worth

Publisher: Love Inspired

Pages: 207

Release Date: May 21, 2024

Genre: Amish Romance/Contemporary Christian Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

She thought she’d never find love again

Until he built a foundation for it…

Amish widow Lilah Mehl wants to make sure her daughter has the wedding she’s always dreamed of—even if it means building a new gazebo. Hiring widowed carpenter Noah Lantz to work on the project is easy, but ignoring their attraction proves more challenging than expected. As the gazebo takes shape, so do new feelings…but is love more than they bargained for? 

My Thoughts: Kindred Spirits

Widow Lilah Mehl has her plate completely full of preparations for her daughter Sarah's upcoming wedding. With just a few weeks to go, and much to Lilah's surprise, Sarah announces that she wants a gazebo built for the wedding and that she has chosen widower Noah Lantz as the builder. As the wedding prep gets moving at full speed ahead, Lilah and Noah find themselves spending more and more time together. As they do, they find that the loss of their spouses has given them a special connection as kindred spirits. However, their blossoming relationship is constantly and surprisingly interrupted by events and people.  All of these had me wondering if the wedding would ever take place, if the gazebo would ever get built, and if Lilah and Noah's relationship would ever fully bloom. Be assured that the answers to each of these questions can be found in this sweet, endearing story of faith, love, hope, healing, and second chances. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.  All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

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About the Author:  Lenora Worth

Lenora Worth is an ACFW Honor Roll member. She writes inspirational fiction for Harlequin's Love Inspired and sweet romance for Tule Publishing. She also writes for Kensington Books. She helped launch the Rodeo Knights Western Romance imprint. Her LIS Body of Evidence made the NY Times Bestseller list and she is also a USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling author. In 2016, she received a Romantic Times Pioneers of Fiction Award. Three of her books have been nominated for the ACFW Carol Award and she is an RWA RITA finalist. Lenora has written 80+ books and has an estimated 3 million books in print. She loves cheesecake, shoe shopping, walking on the beach and reading. 

https://www.lenoraworth.com/

The Proposal Plot (An Amish of Marigold Novel Book 2) by Kathleen Fuller

Book Details: 

Title: The Proposal Plot 

Series: An Amish of Marigold Novel Book 2

Author: Kathleen Fuller

Publisher: Zondervan

Pages: 320

Release Date:  May 7, 2024

Genre: Amish Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

A headstrong young businesswoman. An unlucky-in-love bachelor. And the chaperoning assignment that keeps pushing them together.

For someone so strong-willed and certain, Ella Yoder has never been more unsure of her life. It's been a year since she convinced her father to move with her and her younger sister Junia to Marigold, Ohio, to open E and J Grocery. Ella's got a keen eye for running a business and has big dreams to expand. But her plans are stalled because Junia refuses to lift a finger at the store--or listen to her about anything.

Nelson Bontranger knows one thing for sure: creating his own artisan deli meats is his passion. Well, maybe one other thing: he's sworn off women forever. After two bouts of heartbreak, he's not willing to open up himself to a third. When he eyes his own butcher shop next to E and J Grocery in Marigold, he's surprised to learn that Ella has had her eye on the property for some time. He doesn't trust this stubborn, pushy young woman--and for her, the feeling is mutual.

Against their wishes, Ella and Nelson's paths continue to cross when Nelson's nephew Malachi falls head over heels for Junia. Nelson and Ella are brought together to keep the lovebirds in check, but somewhere along the line, their frustration turns to something altogether more pleasant. But they will both need to come to terms with past pain before they can find their future happiness.

My Thoughts: A Pure Delight

Author Kathleen Fuller is a master at helping the reader completely get to know the characters. and the Proposal Plot is no exception. She introduces us to some wonderful characters, both main and secondary, with such varying personalities that it makes you wonder how in the world their relationships will ever mesh. And yet, it always works out in the most entertaining of ways. 

Ella absolutely annoyed me to no end. Her take-charge, bossy attitude, along with her justification of both, had me feeling some type of way, and I could not fathom how she would ever redeem herself. However, she did in fact manage to do so, which helped me change my mind about her. Nelson, on the other hand, was my favorite. He had me sympathizing with his feelings, struggles, and insecurities, and I wanted to see him overcome everything. With their night and day personalities, I found myself laughing and smiling on more than one occasion as I watched these two interact. Add in the contributions of the secondary characters, along with some unexpected twists and turns of events, and you are left with a very entertaining story of love, faith, and new beginnings that is a pure delight to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.  All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

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About the Author:  Kathleen Fuller

With over a million copies sold, Kathleen Fuller is the USA TODAY bestselling author of several bestselling novels, including the Hearts of Middlefield novels, the Middlefield Family novels, the Amish of Birch Creek series, and the Amish Letters series as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. Visit her online at https://kathleenfuller.com/; 

Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/kf_booksandhooks/; 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriterKathleenFuller; 

The Mysterious Amish Bachelor: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance (Indiana Amish Market Book 4) by Vannetta Chapman

Book Details: 

Title: The Mysterious Amish Bachelor  

Series: Indiana Amish Market Book 4

Author: Vannetta Chapman

Publisher: Love Inspired

Pages: 223

Release Date: April 23, 2024 

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance/Amish Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

He has a secret.

She’s set on discovering it.

After paying the price for a crime he committed ten years ago, Noah Beiler wants a fresh start—which means hiding where he’s been for the last decade from his Amish community. But Sarah Yoder is determined to uncover his past. As Noah and Sarah work together and grow close, Noah’s history is the only thing standing in their way. Will revealing the truth set them free, or are some secrets best kept buried?

My Thoughts: Wonderful and Heartwarming

Secrets are very powerful. They have the ability to hold one back, push one forward, cause feelings of guilt, and so much more. And although anyone who harbors a secret has at least one reason for doing so, it often carries a heavy burden, which is sometimes made heavier by the reactions of others. Such is the case for Noah Beiler. 

Author Vannetta Chapman has such a wonderful way of writing that draws one in right from the start. My heart was deeply touched by Noah's story. And while Sarah worked at finding out just what that story was, Noah, in turn, worked at finding out what Sarah's story was. Following their interactions was at times funny, but at times painful. But as new discoveries were made, forgiveness, second chances, new beginnings, faith, and love broke through. Chapman has written a wonderful and heartwarming story that deals with a topic that is rarely found in this genre, and she has done so flawlessly. It's a must-read, for sure.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

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About the Author:  Vannetta Chapman

Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She is the author of over twenty novels, including the Pebble Creek Amish series, Shipshewana Amish Mystery Series, and Plain and Simple Miracle series. Vannetta is a Carol award winner, a Christy finalist, and she also received more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She currently writes Christian suspense, Amish romance, and Amish mystery. She was a teacher for 15 years and resides in the Texas hill country. For more information, visit her at: 

webpage -- www.VannettaChapman.com 

blog -- http://vannettachapman.com/blog

facebook -- www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks

pinterest -- http://pinterest.com/vannettachapman

instagram -- https://instagram.com/vannettachapman 

twitter -- https://twitter.com/VannettaChapman

Dating an Amish Flirt (Surprised by Love) by Rachel J.Good

Book Details: 

Title: Dating an Amish Flirt 

Series: Surprised by Love, Book 6

Author: Rachel J. Good

Publisher: Zebra Books

Pages: 338

Release Date:  April 23, 2024

Genre: Amish Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

With her sweet nature and delicate beauty, Rachel Glick attracts boys like bees to a flower—despite her best attempts to discourage them. Downhearted since her beloved brother’s death, and isolated as the sole caretaker to her invalid mother, Rachel would welcome the friendship of other girls. But her unfair reputation as a flirt leaves her snubbed. Yet she’s only ever loved Josh Yoder, her childhood best friend. Why he distanced himself from her in eighth grade, she’ll never understand. And now, though he’s been a blessing doing repairs around her farm, he is courting another girl, so there is no going back . . .

Josh has been in love with Rachel since he was a boy. But he can never forgive himself for hurting her—or for the reason behind it. He can only do his best to lighten her burdens and hope others see her good heart. Still, the sight of her fills him with fresh longing, much as he tries to focus on his girlfriend and forget the past. Yet when jealousy flares, igniting trouble, they both must look to faith to do what’s right—and bring joyous futures for everyone . . .

My Thoughts: Beautiful and Inspiring

I was drawn to this story once I realized that my assumption of the flirt's identity was completely inaccurate. As I began reading, I was drawn even more deeply into the story, and my heart immediately went out to Rachel. How she innocently became the topic of gossip, which led to her being snubbed by others, was heartbreaking.  Even her childhood best friend, Josh, was guilty through his avoidance, albeit due to some major guilt he harbored. And yet, through all of this, Rachel's sweet spirit never wavered. 

This inspiring story is beautifully woven together with romance, faith, and forgiveness, and the result is a beautiful and touching story that is sure to touch your heart. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

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About the Author: Rachel J. Good

USA Today bestselling author Rachel J. Good writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. She grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for her Amish novels. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family events. Rachel has several Amish series, including Surprised by Love, Unexpected Amish Blessings, Love & Promises, and Sisters & Friends as well as stories in many anthologies. Rachel can be found online at: RachelJGood.com.