Wonderful Lonesome

Olivia Newport tells the story of Abigail Weaver and Willem Peters in Wonderful Lonesome. Based on an actual Colorado Amish settlement in the early 1900s, Wonderful Lonesome is quite different than most of the Amish fiction in the market today. I would say it is more like Dale Cramer's Daughter' Of Caleb Bender trilogy than Lewis' or Brunstetter's works.
Abbie is a single woman who does the housekeeping and baking for the widowers and bachelors in her small community. With only 12 households and no minister the community must decide how to proceed. Should they continue to look for a minister? Should they disband and go back east? Or should they surrender their beliefs and join the Mennonite church? To complicate matters the county is experiencing a serious drought. Each family will have to decide what "Gotte's wille" is for them. Willem would like for Abby to marry him, but she will not join with him in exploring the Mennonite faith.
This book makes one think about what is most important, faith, family or community. The decisions each family makes affect all of the other's lives. I believe anyone interested in the Amish or in Historical fiction would enjoy this book.
 I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to offer a favorable review.

Daughter Of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

I loved Carrie Turansky's Daughter Of Highland Hall. Set in Edwardian England,it is the story of Miss Katherine Ramsey's Debut to society.With her Aunt as sponsor, she will begin by being presented at court and then join the  social gatherings with all the cream of society, hopefully ending the season with the prize, a proposal of marriage to one who will someday have a title and wealth.
Jon Foster is the son of a medical missionary. He has plans to finish his medical training and return to India to take the place of his father. Jon's sister is engaged to Katherine's guardian, William Ramsey. When Jon finds himself temporarily homeless, he joins the Ramsey's household.
The Daughter Of Highland Hall will take you from the halls of Buckingham Palace to the streets of London's lower East End. I found the characters to be delightful and the story line thoroughly enjoyable. Fans of Upstairs Downstairs and Downtown Abbey will surely love this book. I found myself reading slowly , enjoying each page, not wanting the story to end. I am delighted to see that there will be a third book, A Refuge at Highland Hall due out October 2015.
I was given this book by the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to give a favorable review and was not compensated for my review.

The Secrets Of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen

Lois Leveen's novel The Secret's Of Mary Bowser sheds light on a little known area of history. Based on the true story of Mary Bowser, a freed slave who voluntarily returned to the south to spy for Abraham Lincoln. She was a brilliant woman who could remember everything she heard or read.  Although not much is known about Mary Bowser,  Leveen has written an informative and captivating book.I enjoyed reading Mary's story.

A Bride In Store by Melissa Jagears is a delightful story with both humor and drama running neck and neck throughout the story. Eliza Cantrell has left her controlling fiance and lazy brother in order to live her dream of owning a store. The fact that she must be a mail order bride is a minor factor. Leaving a week early, her train is robbed and she is left penniless and scarred.And the final straw...her intended groom is missing, leaving her to run his store with the assistance of the kindest man she has ever met.
Melissa Jagears has written an entertaining story that manages to ask some hard questions...what will you sacrifice for your dreams, both Eliza and Will Stanton, her fiances partner have worthy dreams, but must learn to ask G-d for His will not theirs. This is the second book I have read by Melissa Jagears, and I look forward to reading more of her tales.
I was given this book by the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to give a favorable review.

A Bride For Keeps by Melissa Jagears

Melissa Jagears' A Bride for Keeps tells the story of mail order bride Julia Lockwood and her intended groom Everett Cline. Everett's first three attempts at getting a mail order bride have resulted in disaster, so he vows to live alone. His neighbor Rachel Stanton is lonely and encourages Julia to come west and be Everett's bride.
 Both Everett and Julia carry deep wounds from their past, how can they overcome all of their misgivings and find love.
 A Bride For Keeps is a lively tale filled with humor and sadness. I loved meeting all the people of Salt Flats Kansas. They are a very realistic group of people and I look forward to continuing their tale in A Bride In Store.

A Simple Faith by Rosalind Lauer

A Simple Faith by Rosalind Lauer is a welcome trip back to Halfway Pennsylvania. We were first welcomed to Halfway and the King family in a Simple Winter. Although the King family makes a cameo this story features nursing student Haley Donovan and psychologist Dylan Monroe. On her way home from the hospital Haley witness an accident between an SUV and a van full of Amish. Elsie Lapp and Ruben Zook were passengers on the van. A Simple Faith is the story of how Englishers and Amish deal with the aftermath of the accident.
Rosalind Lauer brings to life the people of Halfway and draws one into their lives. The people are very real and I found myself laughing and crying along with them. I love the vivid descriptions of each persons trauma, whether physical or mental and the revelation of unrelated trauma in other people. I am looking forward to reading A Simple Hope, the next book in the Lancaster Crossroads saga.

For Such A Time by Kate Breslin

Kate Breslin's For Such A Time is a "modern" retelling of the story of Esther from the Bible. Stella (Hadassah) is rescued from the firing squad at Dachau, by SS Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt.He believes her to be an Aryan mistakenly branded as a Jew. He takes her to be his private secretary. Meanwhile, her uncle Morty who raised her is in the Jewish ghetto run by Aric. To complicate matters, Captain Herman (Haman) has lost his position as commander of the ghetto and the right to live in the big house to Aric.
I cannot say I enjoyed this book, due to the subject matter (the Holocaust). But I could not put it down. The story is very engaging and draws one along. I hope that Kate Breslin continues to write as I believe her to be a gifted storyteller.

Added on august 9, 2015
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First let me state I am of Jewish decent. I read this book with an open mind as Kate Breslin was a new author to me. I believe this story to be plausible as there were many Germans forced into the Nazi ranks. Some were just mindlessly following which still goes on today. One just has to look at our Nation's view on abortion, and the whole Planned Parenthood atrocity. And I know this will anger many, but a Jew who
accepts Christ is not abandoning their Faith, but embracing Yeshua Ha Mashiach, their Messiah. Please stop bashing Kate Breslin, if you do not like the book, don't read it. There are many books I don't care for or find offensive, I simply ignore them. Kate writes a very good story.
Just my 2 cents worth.

For all of the nay-sayers, For Such A Time is not beyond the realm of possibility: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3193520/Read-real-life-story-Auschwitz-prisoner-Helena-Citronova-falling-love-SS-guard-Franz-Wunsch-amid-controversy-Kate-Breslin-novel-Time.html