Review: "This Time Around" by Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson, & Kathleen Fuller

Do you read novellas? They've often gotten me out of a reading slump. You can read one in just a couple hours - great for an evening after a long day at work! Of course, romance novellas are my favorite, and This Time Around offers three great stories!

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"an amish wedding" by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller & kelly long

About the book: As Priscilla prepares for her wedding to Chester, her best friend Rose and older sister Naomi do their best to help her. But when things begin to go wrong, Priscilla doubts whether God really intends for her to marry Chester.

Meanwhile, Rose finds herself engaged to her longtime friend, Luke—a good man, but not one who ignites feelings of passion within her. And Naomi, whose heart was badly broken in the past, meets a man who just might be worth trusting her heart to.

In these intertwining stories, three Amish women learn what it means to trust their futures to God.

My take: As with any anthology, I enjoyed each of these stories to varying degrees. The first story, "A Perfect Secret" by Kelly Long, was my favorite. Rose and Luke's journey intrigued me, and the story contained some good mystery elements along with the romance.

I also enjoyed Kathleen Fuller's "A Perfect Match." I've read several Fuller books, and I've liked each of them.  This is the most "straight up romance" of the three, and Naomi's matchmaking ways made me chuckle.

The final story, "A Perfect Plan," was my least favorite. The plot just didn't interest me, though the story was written well. Chester and Priscilla faced obstacles as they prepared for marriage, but none of those obstacles seemed like they might actually drive them apart. And since the story takes place after the two have already fallen in love, I just didn't care too much about what happened.

If rating these separately, I'd give "A Perfect Secret" 5 stars, "A Perfect Match" 4 stars, and "A Perfect Plan" 3 stars. So that averages out to a 4-star book. I do think that Amish fiction fans—especially fans of any of the authors—will really like this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product free for review from Amazon.com through its Vine reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"treasuring emma" by kathleen fuller

When Emma's mother dies--two short years after Emma's father's death--Emma finds herself at odds with her sister Clara, who thinks they should turn the workshop on the family property into a yarn store. Then, suddenly, Adam--the only man Emma has ever loved--returns to Middlefield, and a visiting relative of Clara's husband Peter also shows interest in her. As Emma tries to understand her feelings and deal with her sister, she learns what it means to truly rely on God.

I've read and reviewed several other Kathleen Fuller novels, but Treasuring Emma just may be my favorite. I think it's because this book deals more with family dynamics than romance (though romance is still a major part of it). I absolutely loathed Emma's sister Clara for most of the book--she was incredibly controlling, unappreciative of her husband, and conniving--and I wondered if Fuller would be able to redeem her. She did, and the Clara-Peter story line turned out to be one of my favorites. A few characters from Fuller's "Hearts of Middlefield" series make cameo appearances in Treasuring Emma, and it was fun to check in with them again. The story ends in a way that nicely sets up a second book, and I can't wait to read it!

Who should read it? Fans of Amish books, Christian romance, or family drama.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze 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: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"an amish love" by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller, and kelly long

An Amish Love is a collection of three romance novellas set in an Amish community in Pennsylvania.

A Marriage of the Heart by Kelly Long: Abigail sees marriage to Joseph as a way to escape her disapproving father. Joseph sees marriage to Abby as an entryway into the community his family abandoned years before. After they marry, they learn what it means to truly love someone.

What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller: Five years ago, a tragic accident caused Ellie to lose her sight and Christopher to lose his fiancée. When Christopher returns to Pennsylvania, he finds himself drawn to Ellie. But will the truth about the accident keep them apart?

Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman: Naaman left his wife and family to “find himself.” When he returns home, his wife Levina has a hard time trusting him. As Naaman seeks to reconcile with his wife and his community, a mysterious man threatens to destroy the progress Namaan has made.

Of the three stories, I expected Long’s to be my favorite (I am, after all, a sucker for the “first comes marriage, then comes love” plot line) and Wiseman’s to be my least favorite. I should quit making predictions because the reverse was true! Though I enjoyed Wiseman's the most (largely due to the mystery surrounding Naaman's return), all were well-written and entertaining. I read each novella in approximately one hour … a great way to unwind after a long day! If you like Amish romance, I'm sure you'll enjoy An Amish Love.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze 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: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"a summer secret" by kathleen fuller

Mary Beth Mullet just wants to escape her annoying siblings. So, even though her parents forbade her to enter the rickety, abandoned barn near their farm, Mary Beth creates a hideout for herself inside the barn. Her twin, Johnny, soon discovers Mary Beth's secret ... and the two quickly realize they aren't the only people using the barn. When they learn who is in the barn, they are determined to help--even though that means lying to their parents.

A Summer Secret is book one in Fuller's "Mysteries of Middlefield" series, and a few of the characters from Fuller's "Hearts of Middlefield" series make an appearance, which I found enjoyable. This book is geared toward teenagers, but I would have enjoyed it most around the age of eight. The "mystery" isn't at all scary or even that mysterious. Still, it was a quick, enjoyable read (as long as I didn't get hung up on the "mystery" part of it), and I think it would be highly appropriate for preteen and teenage girls.

Who should read it? Teenagers or those who enjoyed Fuller's other books.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

"an honest love" by kathleen fuller

A few months ago, I reviewed Kathleen Fuller's Amish romance A Man of His Word. I really enjoyed it, so I jumped at the opportunity to review the sequel, An Honest Love.

An Honest Love focuses on two couples (though only one is mentioned on the back cover copy). Following a broken engagement, Anna moves to Middlefield and opens an Amish gift shop. She meets Lukas Byler, who immediately goes about winning her heart. As their relationship progresses, Anna must decide whether to share her secret with Lukas--a secret that she fears could make him leave her. Meanwhile, Lukas's sister Elisabeth begins working for their brother-in-law (Gabe from A Man of His Word), and she strikes up a friendship with Aaron, who also works for Gabe. Aaron, who got into drugs and alcohol during his rumspringa, feels like an outcast in the Middlefield Amish community, and Elisabeth makes it her mission to reintegrate him into the community. But will their friendship turn into something more?

Once again, Fuller delivers an engaging, romantic story. And, once again, I was more interested in the sub-plot (Aaron & Elisabeth) than in the main plot. That's not to say Anna and Lukas weren't interesting, but I was definitely more invested in Aaron and Elisabeth as characters.

Should you read it? If you enjoy Christian romance. And don't worry; you don't need to have read book one first.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

**Note: The back cover copy is misleading--you know how they say not to judge a book by its cover? Well, in this case, don't judge it by its back cover!**

an amish family christmas by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller, and barbara cameron

An Amish Family Christmas is comprised of three intertwining novellas that take place in Paradise, Pennsylvania.

A Miracle for Miriam: Seth shattered Miriam’s confidence when they were 14. Five years later, he returns to their Old Order Amish community with a renewed faith in God. He is intrigued by Miriam, but she doesn’t know if she can trust him again.

A Choice to Forgive: Lydia (Miriam’s sister) has been widowed for two years. When her husband’s brother Daniel—who was Miriam’s first love—unexpectedly returns to Paradise, Lydia fears her attraction to Daniel will dishonor her husband’s memory. When she learns of the  secret Daniel and her husband had been harboring, she must choose whether to forgive either of them.

One Child: Sarah & David lost the baby she was carrying one year ago. When a young Englisch couple is stranded at their house, the wife goes into labor. Sarah and David will have to rely on their faith and each other to save the young family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Of the three stories, One Child was my favorite, though all were well written and entertaining. Each novella can be read in one sitting, making this a great book to pick up on a snowy evening. Also included are several authentic Amish recipes that I’m anxious to try! 

I received a free copy of this book for review from Thomas Nelson.

a man of his word by kathleen fuller

Moriah Miller is a young Amish woman who is very much in love with her husband and their life. Unbeknownst to her, her husband Levi isn't as enthralled with the Plain way of life. He leaves her for a life among the Yankees, unaware that she is carrying their child until after he leaves. Levi's brother Gabe has secretly loved Moriah for years, and he pledges to care for her and the baby no matter what.

I don't really want to say more than that for fear of giving away major plot points. Yes, this is a romance novel, so it's obvious who will end up together simply from the book's description. I can't recall reading a romance where I was surprised at who ultimately ended up together. So what makes this book interesting is how the two characters end up together. There is also a subplot involving Moriah's brother Tobias that I actually found more entertaining than the main story, which is saying a lot, as I loved the main story!

The one complaint I have is that things wrapped up rather quickly. I enjoyed the slower pace of events throughout most of the story, so when things sped up, I felt a little cheated. However, that's a small complaint and shouldn't deter anyone from reading this book. Of all the books I've reviewed for Thomas Nelson, this is the first that I absolutely couldn't put down. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Christian romances, and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

***Update*** If you want to read this book, please don't read the description Amazon has listed on the product page. Not only does it give away a major plot point, but it also is inaccurate!