Monday, December 12, 2016

The Angel of Forest Hill

Book description:  "When Old Order Amish Rose Kurtz is asked to leave her family, travel deep into West Vir­ginia, and help Joel Dienner with his children in the wake of tragedy, the quiet young woman recognizes a home where she might find kindness instead of criticism and hope replacing harsh words. She agrees to stay in Forest Hill and become Joel’s wife for the sake of his family needs, but their marriage is to be a partnership, one built from need, not love and affection.

As the years pass, Rose continues to beckon Joel to join life again, to take joy in his growing children, and to awaken his heart to the possibility of new love. Joel hopes that Rose can move beyond deep-rooted hurts to see the beautiful Christmas ahead, their season. But will the arrival of a beautiful widow and a series of misunderstandings reverse how far Rose and Joel have come?"

My review:  I really enjoyed reading this book, but I was very disappointed in the length! I couldn't believe when I got to the end that it was finished.  The author had a great plot that was not nearly developed as fully as it could have been. There was a lot of room for the growth of her characters as well. I felt like I was rushed through the story. This is not typical of Cindy Woodsmall and it really surprised me. I think it is considered a full-length novel, but it is more like a novella to me. If you like short stories, this book is for you. It has a great story-line as well as great characters. I just wish I could have gotten to know them better. I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

A Royal Christmas Wedding

Book description:  " Truitt aches for true love—the kind she once shared with Prince Colin. Can she dare to hope for happily ever after, or is a fairy-tale ending beyond reach?
College volleyball star Avery Truitt has not seen her former flame, Prince Colin of Brighton Kingdom, since he suddenly pushed her away five years ago. But now, the sadness of losing her father and the joy of her sister Susanna’s pregnancy have brought Avery back to Brighton just in time for Cathedral City’s enchanting Christmas season.
Avery knows she can’t avoid seeing Colin—now the Kingdom’s most eligible bachelor—whether or not her heart is ready to relive the pain. But seeing him again might bring her the closure she needs after all this time.
When Colin finds himself at the center of a centuries-old Brighton tradition, he must decide whether to follow the path laid out before him or follow his heart to the only woman for whom he would ring the Pembroke Chapel Bell.
Can Colin convince Avery to meet him at the chapel on Christmas morning—as tradition dictates—or will Avery run back to her St. Simons home and pursue a coaching career as planned?
In the fourth installment of the Royal Wedding Series, New York Times bestselling novelist, Rachel Hauck, weaves a charming story of holiday romance as two broken hearts seek the love they once knew."

My review:  This has been a wonderful series to read! This fourth book in the series did not disappoint! A modern day fairy tale with characters that seem like family make for a book that you can't put down. It was great to catch up with some of the characters from the previous books as well. I hate to see the series come to an end. I especially enjoyed the bell ringing tradition that brought a little bit of the unexpected into the book. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that it is obviously the final book in this series. I highly recommend this whole series and look forward to reading more by this author! I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher through the Booklook Blogger Program. All opinions are my own.