Book Review - Unforgiven

Set on the periphery of Amish country of Crittendon County, Kentucky, Unforgiven by Shelley Shepard Gray focuses on ex-con Seth Zimmerman and divorcee Tabitha Yoder. Unforgiven by their congregation and community for very different reasons, but facing similar separation from their families and former friends, both of them struggle with the consequences of their actions. Seth has longed to make Tabitha his wife since he was a student in her classroom, only a couple years younger, but unable to reach the woman who married Leon Yoder. Since Leon beat her near to death and she found the nerve to divorce him, Seth has taken up the habit of silently and consistently showing care for Tabitha. With time, Tabitha begins to warm up to and finally gets the nerve to speak to Seth, but the confidence Tabitha has begun to find is squelched when Leon is released from jail.

The interactions and building trust between Seth and Tabitha would have carried this story, as they struggle to forgive themselves in the face of what their former Amish community members will not. The addition of the family dynamic for each of them adds depth to the characters and their interactions, made more rich with the addition of the girl Seth protected on the fateful night that landed him in prison. Gray gives us characters we can relate to with interpersonal struggles that captivate. Some of the abruptness of interactions seem appropriate for the social style, but I did feel that there were times when it interfered with the flow of the story. Hence, four stars instead of five. Still, Gray leaves me looking forward to her next book, which hints at more of the story for dear Bethanne.

Unforgiven by Shelley Shepard Gray is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House       Christian Book        Amazon       Barnes & Noble        Walmart

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Among the Innocent

Ten years ago, the peaceful Amish community outside St. Ignatius, Montana was rocked by a family’s gruesome murder. Leah Miller is the only survivor, left orphaned and taken in by the town’s police chief and his wife. Now Leah is an officer on the force and responding to a phone call about a missing girl, a girl whose family farm sits right next to the one that belonged to Leah’s family. A girl whose secrets and circumstances seem a little too familiar to Leah. She’s not the only one who recognizes the similarities; her new police chief, Dalton Cooper, is holding on to the secret that he was best friends with the man who took the blame for those murders. And there’s no way Harrison could have been responsible for what happened to Leah’s family and what has now happened to Beth Zook, since he’s dead now. One thing is certain, though: the murderer is not finished with Leah Miller.

Mary Alford pens intense suspense in Among the Innocent. My attention was piqued from the very beginning and held throughout the entire pulse-pounding sequence of events. This was the first I’ve read from this author, but it certainly won’t be the last.

Among the Innocent is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House        Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - From This Moment

Family is the root from which From This Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer grows. Jase Edgar thought he finally had the family for which he had longed, until his fiancée died. Running from the memories and the loss, he uproots from San Antonio to take a youth minister position in Kansas. Maybe ministering to the youth in the small church will also minister to his hurting heart and shaky faith. But how can he minister to them when he's not so confident in God anymore?

New church custodian Lori Fowler has her eye on the new youth minister, but how could he ever notice her? Her strained relationship with her father and tendency to emote through a rollercoaster relationship with food have destroyed her confidence. But Lori's friend Kenzie needs both Lori and Jase to help her find the owner of a ring that she has found, and the Lord's hand is undeniable in the way relationships are restored and repaired along the way.

Kim Vogel Sawyer explores a scope of love, longing, and belonging in From This Moment that speaks to everyone on some level. Jase's longing for a partner in life and a family, Lori's longing for restoration of her relationship with her father and for the strength to overcome destructive food relationships, and Kenzie's urge to return to her Amish family and share God's grace through Christ with them. This is a story that will resonate with the reader long after the story ends.

From This Moment releases February 23, 2021 and is currently available for pre-order from your favorite local bookseller or online at:

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Softly Blows the Bugle

When Elizabeth Kaufman's brother, Jonas, returns from the Civil War with a friend in tow, Aaron Zook is a broken man. His missing limb is the only visible reminder that life after the war is very different from his life before, but it is not the only thing gone from Aaron's life. His father, grandfather, and family farm are gone as well, leaving Aaron as untethered and unsure as he is unsteady. Elizabeth knows she shouldn't be glad that her husband, Reuben, is a casualty. However, she is relieved that she is no longer subject to his cruelty. She has found peace in her singleness and is prepared to live the rest of her life taking care of her parents, siblings, and their families. She certainly has no feelings for Aaron Zook, and Aaron has no intentions to stay in Weaver's Creek. Of course, our feelings and intentions are pliable in the Author's hands.

Jan Drexler offers up this story as the third installment in her series, The Amish of Weaver's Creek. While I try to read series books in order, even going to the very beginning before reading a book for review, I managed to look over that tidbit before beginning Softly Blows the Bugle. I was well into the book before I realized the oversight, and too committed to stop long enough to read the first two books, The Sound of Distant Thunder and The Roll of the Drums. There were a few instances that I felt I might have gained some insight by reading those books first, but Softly Blows the Bugle reads well as a stand alone book. The author builds Weaver's Creek in a way that is beautifully mapped in my mind. Her characters have depth and quickly become familiar to the reader.

Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler is currently available from your favorite bookseller. Feel free to click the links below to by from these online retailers:

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/AmazonBugle

Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/BNSoftlyBlowsBugle

Christian Book: https://tinyurl.com/CBBugle

Thank you to the publisher and the author for allowing me a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions within this review are my own and are completely genuine.