A Sister's Wish and An Amish Family Christmas

I've shared Shelley Shepard Gray's books with you here before.  This time around, we have two!

A Sister's Wish
Two Amish boys grow up together.  One in a stable, loving family; the other, not so much.  One stays and joins the faith; the other goes a bit wild during his youth, leaves the faith, and the town he grew up in.  Now Simon is back, ready to commit to the faith, the Amish lifestyle, and Lukas' kid sister.  It's not surprising that Lukas thinks Simon isn't good enough for her.

Amelia is tired of being the baby sister of the family, having all her siblings try and make decisions for her.  She also understands that while Simon's past may have shaped him, it doesn't have to define his future.

I like the way the author weaves a complex story, with Simon reconnecting with his sister, Tess, and struggling with his problems, rather than just a simple romance.

An Amish Family Christmas
A struggling single mom presents herself to the world as a widow.  But just when things start going well for Julia and little Penny, the past catches up with them.

Shelley Shepard Gray doesn't shy away from difficult issues.  One of her character's, Tess, finally gets The Refuge up and running, a place for people to get help.  Drawing from her own experience as a runaway, she creates an inviting place where support groups can meet, and people can find resources.

Levi has returned to Charm, but he's still struggling to find his place after his father's death.  His brother and sister in law live in the family home and run the family business.  Nothing really "fits" for him until he befriends Julia and Penny and starts thinking about making a life with them.  But can he accept Julia's secret?

These books handle mature content in a wholesome way, and I have no problem passing them on to my 16 year old daughter, Brianna, to read.

You can find A Sister's Wish  and An Amish Family Christmas on Amazon, and you can connect with author Shelley Shepard Gray via her website, and also on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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Joyful book review and GIVEAWAY

In May, I got to review the book Thankful, book 2 of the Return To Sugarcreek series by Shelley Shepard Gray.  Today, I have book 3, Joyful to share with you.

I liked this book.  I liked the idea of personal sacrifice for the sake of family.  I liked that Elizabeth was both proud and feisty, willing to take on a difficult task to provide for herself and her grandmother, without asking anyone else for help.

Joyful not only tells the story of Randall and Elizabeth, but also mentions characters from Thankful, and hints at another story begging to be told (Pippa and Bud).

The author does a good job of capturing what a sick/injured man is like, and provides enough tension in the story to keep it interesting.  The supporting characters are well rounded, too.  I liked Grandmother and Kaylene and Levi.

In short, this is a pleasant read, that doesn't require you to have read the other two books first (I haven't read the first one, myself).  If you like Amish fiction, you're sure to like Joyful.


Don't miss Shelley Shepard Gray's newest book in the Return to Sugarcreek series, Joyful. USA Today raved: "A sweet, straightforward story about how love can be tested by family, faith, and personal insecurity. Enjoyable and heartwarming."

Click the banner for a chance to win books 1-3 in Shelley's Return to Sugarcreek series! 
Winner announced on Shelley's blog on 9/30.

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Thankful book review and GIVEAWAY

Although Shelley Shepard Gray's book, Thankful, is book 2, it stands alone as it's own story.  It's a story set in a peaceful, Amish community.  The Kempf family takes in Aden after his parents die, and as time goes by, he struggles with his attraction to the family's eldest daughter.  He feels he cannot repay the Kempfs for their hospitality by confessing his affections.  Christina has feelings for Aden, too, but they've always just been friends.  She doesn't want to risk losing that friendship by admitting her true feelings.

As an adoptive mom, I found the thread of trauma in the story very interesting.  Christina was showing off as a child, and fell through ice in the local pond.  Aden rescued her.  The family celebrates every year, although it makes both Aden and Christina uncomfortable.  Also, Christina still has nightmares, but she doesn't tell anyone about them.  A lot of parallels can be drawn to the adoption world there.  

In Thankful, New York Times bestselling author, Shelley Shepard Gray captures the beauty, devotion, and warmth of Amish life in this engaging tale of family, commitment, trust, and love set in the beloved community of Sugarcreek.

Enter to win the first two books in Shelley's Return to Sugarcreek series, Hopeful & Thankful.

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Whispers in the Reading Room

I like historical fiction so when the opportunity to review Whispers in the Reading Room by Shelley Gray, I jumped at the chance.  I haven't done as many reviews this year, and I was missing getting lost in so many good books.

Whispers in the Reading Room begins in 1893.  Lydia's father has died, leaving her and her mother almost penniless.  Lydia's mother is using the one asset she has left, Lydia, to bring back the lifestyle she was accustomed to.  She insists upon keeping up the appearance that they have money so Lydia can catch a wealthy husband to take care of them.

Lydia is hard to puzzle out.  On the plus side, she's a librarian.  She enjoys her work and takes pride in being good at it.  On the down side, she knows little about the man she's betrothed to, and seems content to let her mother rule her life.  At some points, you get the impression that the author is trying to make her a strong female lead, but at other points she cries or faints and loses credibility.

Sebastian, who is not her betrothed, is a more interesting character.  Tough exterior, pulled himself up by the bootstraps sort of chap, with insecurities and a good heart.

Sebastian's staff, mainly Vincent and Bridget, also figure into the story heavily.  Both Lydia and Sebastian are loners, and they slow to accept the friendship of others, but Vincent and Bridget are both loyal, helpful people, who do a great deal for Sebastian and Lydia.

I ended up devouring this book the day it arrived, spending the children's naptime reading, and reading past my own bedtime.  I enjoyed it, and would recommend it as a good, light read.

I thought the name Shelley Gray seemed familiar, and sure enough, the author is the same Shelley Shepard Gray that wrote Thankful and Joyful, Amish fiction titles that I reviewed last year.  Turns out, she is a prolific writer, with many books published, including some Christmas titles, which caught my eye.  You can connect with Shelley through her website, Facebook, or Goodreads.

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The Loyal Heart

I've mentioned before that I'm getting into genealogy.  When the Little Ones were visiting their mama, I had a chance to do some work on our family history, and I found a Civil War ancestor.  So when I picked up The Loyal Heart the next day and started reading, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in a Civil War era POW camp.  The pact that wartime friends make over their friend's grave turns out to have lasting importance for them.

The bulk of this story takes place in Texas.  Phillip (one of the pactees) has died.  Another of the pact members, Robert, goes to his home in Galveston to check on his widow and see if there is any way the remaining pact members can help her.  The widow, Miranda, was pretty much at the end of her rope when Robert shows up.  She is managing her late husband's estate by turning their home into a boarding house.  The people of the town have spread viscous rumors about her.  Someone is sending her threatening letters.

The Loyal Heart is by turns suspenseful and romantic.  Robert and the other members of the wartime pact are able to help Miranda redeem her reputation and Phillip's honor, as well as keep her home and find happiness.  This was a good book, and I will be passing it on to my 16 year old daughter to read, as well.   We have enjoyed many of Shelley Shepard Gray's works of fiction.

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A Son's Vow

You know those books that make your chest ache when you read them?  This is one of those.  A small, Amish community is rocked by a terrible accident that takes 5 lives at the local lumber mill.  Accusations are flung, and families of those lost are at odds with each other.

This is a huge obstacle between longtime friends, Lukas and Darla.  Lukas is forced to step into his father's shoes and take over running the mill.  Darla faces overwhelming responsibilities caring for her siblings, since her father's death proved to be more than her mother could bear.

This book tackles domestic violence from an unusual angle.  Darla's brother is taking his grief and anger out on Darla, and leaving marks.  Lukas tries to put a stop to it, but Aaron won't listen to him.  Aaron finally snaps and accosts someone else, forcing him to admit there's a problem.

I enjoyed this book.  I particularly like the sideline of Hannah, the sweet Amish girl who works as a nanny for an "Englisher" couple.  While she's enjoying their baby boy, she's also starting to appreciate the virtues of their handsome next door neighbor.  A Son's Vow is book 1 in The Charmed Amish Life series from Shelley Shepard Gray.

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A Daughter's Dream book review and #giveaway

My only complaint about A Daughter's Dream is that it wasn't longer!  I picked up this book to take with me when I knew I would have to wait at an appointment.  I ended up reading during nap time and at bedtime in order to finish it in a single day.

A Daughter's Dream is the second book in The Charmed Amish Life series.  I reviewed A Son's Vow a few months ago, and it was nice to see many of the same characters, as well as meet some new ones.  I was surprised that this book did not follow the couple that I assumed would be the next book at the end of A Son's Vow.  Instead, we meet Jacob, who is not only new to Charm, but new to parenting, as well, as he's just taken on his 13 year old niece after the death of her parents.  Jacob meets Rebecca, who is one of two younger sisters of Lucas, who we got to know in A Son's Vow.

Author Shelley Shepard Gray made me chuckle in some parts, like when the schoolteacher tells Jacob that his niece is gifted and he replies, "I've always thought being smart was a gut thing."  Clearly, he expected the teacher to tell him Lilly was in some sort of trouble when she asked to meet with him.  She also threw out a zinger that made me really think in another part:  It was so easy to think that each day was going to be like the one before and the next one, too.  Before you knew it, another week had passed, then a month.  And if you weren't careful, you would have nothing to show for it.  Ouch.

Lilly settles into her new life with relative ease, and makes friends (both male and female) at school, and even with her tutor from the (non-Amish) high school.

I enjoyed Rebecca and Jacob getting to know each other in this book, and the teaser for the next book, A Sister's Wish, makes me anxious to read that one, too, when it comes out in September.

Would you like to win a copy of A Daughter's Dream??  Click the photo above to enter!

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