...enjoyed The Harvest of Grace

The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

I am a sucker for a good Amish Romance, I'll admit it! This did not disappoint. I was a bit nervous in receiving it, as it is the third installment of the "Ada's House" series and I hadn't read the other two. No need to worry, though, as this book stood on it's own quite nicely, filling in some of the back story without being completely tied to the previous books. So, it wasn't imperative to have read the previous books in the series, though I would like to read them now, for sure.

I love the character of Sylvia Fisher ~ she isn't your typical Amish heroine, as she is very strong willed, and determined to do things her way. She loves running her family's farm with her father; so much so that when her beau, Elam proposes to her, she declines, nervous about what her life will become, once she has become a wife and mother. Imagine how she feels when Elam chooses her sister for his new bride!

Sylvia's life eventually takes an unexpected turn, and she leaves her family farm to work for the Blanks an older couple in need of assistance on their dairy. The Blank's son, Aaron has left to attempt to rehabilitate from alcoholism. When he returns, he and Sylvia clash, battling over every little thing. Is there a way for them to compromise for what is best for everyone on the Blank farm? Will they be able to set aside their differences for the good of the family? Will Sylvia ever return to her home or find the love that she aches for?

I enjoyed this book and it's complex characters. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, even if I do read it backwards.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com http://booksneeze.com/ book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


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...Loves TJ and The Time Stumblers!

When I first received this book, I wasn't really sure what to make of it. Obviously, it's a bit below my reading level, and at the time, I felt it was probably a bit above the listening level (they were 3 and 5). It was missing in action for a while, and reappeared after cleaning my house. Ooops. So I figured it might be fun to try and read it to my kids while we were camping. Turns out, this is a great book for kids (and I'd say it's great for even 4 to 6 year olds like mine). It is highly entertaining, silly, fun and even carries a good message, without being overly preachy..

TJ has a little problem. She has two new constant companions named Tuna and Herby. Not only are they kind of annoying, they are also invisible to everyone around her. They are on a mission from the future, doing a history project on TJ and they are stuck. If that wasn't bad enough, it's TJ's first year in Junior High in a new city, and making friends isn't going well. She really likes her new neighbor, but he happens to be the boyfriend of Hesper Breakahart, teen tv star, which, as one could imagine, doesn't make Hesper all too happy. Plus, Tuna and Herby keep getting in the way, making more trouble for TJ.

Much of the lingo and inside jokes went over my kids heads, but they liked when the different characters got into sticky situations, or turned into a fish, and they laughed themselves silly over Tuna and Herby's failed attempts to make their futuristic gadgets work properly. Some of the stereotypical names and characteristics may have been a bit much, but my kids are too young to understand them, for the most part. they just sounded silly to them.

Overall, we enjoyed reading this Time Stumblers book. In fact, my kids liked it so much that I purchased the rest of the Time Stumbler series from their book fair. We look forward to finding out what other misadventures TJ, Tuna and Herby get into, and learning along with TJ on how to grow up with integrity, honesty, thoughtfulness and respect for others!

I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.