Christmas in Apple Ridge

Title: Christmas in Apple Ridge
Author: Cindy Woodsmall
Labels: Fiction | Contemporary
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
Publication Date: October 9, 2012
Recommended To: Women, YA, Adult
Contains: Clean romance.


Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle
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Blurb From Goodreads: Experience the holidays with the Plain folk of Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania, in these touching novellas centered around love, romance, heartache, and restoration from best-selling author Cindy Woodsmall.
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Since this is a three-in-one, I'm going to briefly review each novella individually.

The Sound of Sleigh Bells: I thought this novella was really good. It was an interesting read, and I loved that it had a secrecy strand running through it. The secret that Beth carried throughout the better part of the book added depth and built up the story well. It ended up not being quite as dramatic as I had expected--however I over exaggerate things in my head--but I thought it was a real life issue that can be relatable to the guilt felt by many people today. I loved Jonah to death. He was such a cool character with an awesome background. My favorite part was probably that they wrote letters to each other, which I love the idea of!

The Christmas Singing: This was probably the most unique Amish story I've read, hands down. Mattie is a professional cake decorator, who was once in love with Gideon before he brutally dumped her with the misleading belief that he was having an affair. As it turns out, the real story behind his reasons were heartbreaking and made the story so much more deep and real. Loved it!

The Dawn of Christmas: First off, I just need to say that I absolutely love the name Levi. Definitely one of my favorite guy names. Anyway, I thought this novella was very interesting and had a lot of unexpected twists and turns to it. It starts off with Levi getting hurt, and Sadie saving his life by coincidentally finding him. Both characters have scars from the past and an intriguing fear of commitment, that I think most people can identify with on some level. I thought this was really great and well worth the read.

Overall I thought these three novellas were fantastic, and definitely got me in the Christmas mood! Highly recommended! I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.

The Winnowing Season (Amish Vines and Orchards, #2)

Title: The Winnowing Season
Author: Cindy Woodsmall
Labels: Fiction | Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Recommended To: Woman, Adult, YA
Contains: Clean.

Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle
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Blurb From Amazon: The tornado that devastated Kings’ Orchard pushed Rhoda, Samuel, and Jacob to make a new start in Maine. Are they strong enough to withstand the challenges of establishing an Amish community—and brave enough to face the secrets that move with them?
          On the eve of their departure to begin a new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked to discover that choices made by her business partner and friend, Samuel King, have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district’s bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful that the Kings will be influenced by the way her leaders see her, and not what they know to be true—that Rhoda’s intuition is a gift from God.
          Jacob King won’t be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes in her, and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of his own—one he’ll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the once-abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally. Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series asks: can the three faithfully follow God’s leading and build a new home and orchard in Maine? Or will this new beginning lead to more ruin and heartbreak?
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Well, here I am again, reading books out of order. Haha. One would think I'd learn to stop and read in order, but nope. I guess what prevents me from learning my lesson and dropping this out-of-order habit is the fact that rarely do I come across a book in a series that can't stand alone enough for me to read and understand everything. The Winnowing Season is one of those books that can stand on its own two feet (so to speak) and not lose the reader.

The Winnowing Season is a continuation of the first book in the Amish Vines and Orchards Series, A Season For Tending. The first book compliments it by giving more back story into previous events, but The Winnowing Season has its own unique and individual story line as well. This is the kind of series I like--reading all the books in order gives you a deeper and richer experience overall, but you can still pick up any one of the books and read it separately.

This is definitely one of my favorites from Cindy Woodsmall. I've read several of her books, but this one really topped the rest, at least for me. I loved the character development, the real thoughts and feelings of the characters, the unique way each handled different situations. I felt like Woodsmall really brought the characters to life. Not only that, but there was a lot more controversy in this book than I personally have found in most Amish books--which I liked. There were all kinds of situations and dilemmas that arose, threatening each character in a different way. The ending impressed me as well--it wasn't quite what you'd call your typical happy-ever-after ending, and left me wanting to get my hands on the next book to find out what happens next. Definitely recommended!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms [Review]

Title: The Scent of Cherry Blossoms
Author: Cindy Woodsmall
Labels: Fiction | Contemporary
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
Publication Date: February 21, 2012
Contains: Clean as a whistle.
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository | The Publisher

My Rating: ★★★★★ (Fantastic!)
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Blurb From Goodreads: Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather. Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge.  
          But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time amongst the cherry trees with the handsome Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite are drawn. Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm?
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          I'm pretty sure I can summarize this book in these two words: utterly fantastic! This is now among my favorites, and definitely one of the most enjoyable books I've read...ever. Both Annie and Aden are fantastic, unique characters with a whole lot of personality.

          Aden and Annie are two young adults belonging to two different yet very similar religious communities, communities which forbid marriage outside of their own community. Despite this rule, the two take a liking to each other, falling a little more for the other each time their paths cross. Finally, after being driven to her grandfather's farm due to problems at home, Annie realizes her feelings for Aden have deepened a great deal. The two teeter on the fence line of going their separate ways in favor of their community and family peace, or committing to a relationship that could quite possibly hurt everyone they love and rip their communities apart.

          I'm really at a loss for how to convey the awesomeness of this book, so I'm just going to stop here. Basically, this is a great read for anyone who loves romance - from the mushy kind to realistic to practical romance. Get it. Read it. I received this book for free from the publisher. I was not require to write a review, nor a positive one. I was not compensated for this review.

The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall [Review]

          The Harvest of Grace is probably one of the best romances I've read in a long, long time. I was a bit surprised to find so many main characters, but each one distinct story, yet all woven together perfectly. I loved watching each couple grow together throughout the book, accomplishing their goals while overcoming their obstacles.

         At first, the Pennsylvanian Dutch words and phrases used - frequently - threw me for a spin and made it a little difficult for me in the first couple chapters. It was inconvenient to have to keep flipping to the back to look up a word or phrase in the glossary, but eventually I picked up on it and could remember what the words meant. Having never read a book with Amish characters, it took a little getting used to to understand the culture.

         I liked that Sylvia and Aaron (the major main characters) didn't immediately fall for each other, but slowly their unique relationship found it's way in that direction. There's not much more I can say about their relationship without spoiling the plot. I will say that I absolutely loved the last couple of chapters - an absolutely perfect ending to an amazing story!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.