The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren

It's another cold, snowy day in Deep Haven Minnesota. Noelle and Eli Hueston have been married for twenty-five years, but things have deteriorated in their marriage to the point where they are getting ready to divorce each other, just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. Eli has been spending his time away from Noelle as much as possible out on the lake in his fishing shack and when he is home he sleeps in his den. Noelle is involved in an accident on a very slippery road and hits her head on the road, knocking her out. When she wakes up in the hospital, she finds that she has no memory of her married life and doesn't even recognize her children or husband.

The Shadow of Your Smile is a book about faith, love, trust and rediscovery. Noelle and her husband are not the only people who are dealing with the pain of loss and finding their own place in the world, there are her daughter's best friend, their sons and another woman who has lost her husband. We learn about each of their lives and the path to discovering a new life for themselves as they learn to accept the loss of a loved one from their lives. This book will grab you and keep you reading until the very end. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read and an inspiring story of personal tragedy and strength.

This book was provided to me for free, to read and review by Litfuse.

Blame it on the Mistletoe by Joyce Magnin

Blame it on the Mistletoe is certainly a delightful story that just about everyone will enjoy reading. The little Pennsylvania town of Bright's Pond is the home of many diverse personalities each with a story to tell. Griselda Sparrow is a middle-aged lady who is just beginning to discover her wings. Agnes is Griselda's sister who has suffered from being morbidly obese and was moved into the Greebrier Nursing Home by way of a forklift. Griselda is taking flying lessons from Cliff Cardwell and she is questioning herself about her feelings for Cliff and also for her long time boyfriend Zeb Sewickey. There is quite a lot of strange things going on at the nursing home with elderly residents riding tricycles and smooching in the crooked gazebo that was built by a slightly odd little fellow named Leon Fontaine, who some people are beginning to suspect may be the source of a fountain of youth.

This book was provided to me to read and review by the publisher Abingdon Press and Net Galley.

When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall

When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall

Hannah Lapp is an Amish teenager who has fallen in love with a Mennonite man. Hannah's father would never permit a marriage for Hannah to a Mennonite so she keeps the engagement to Paul Waddell a secret from her family. Unfortunately, a horrific thing happens to Hannah while walking down a deserted road and this leads to so many more complications in her life. How she comes to deal with the many things that happen to her makes a very interesting read that for some may lead to many more questions about the Amish faith and how they take care of their own problems.

I think that this book by Cindy Woodsmall will bring questions and perhaps resentment to some people who read it. This is understandable, but perhaps it is better to step back and realize that the Amish community is not like the English world (English meaning those outside the Amish community). The book is very touching but at times harsh, but this is life in this community. The story will continue into other books, so there will be some resolution for Hannah.

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

Read Chapter 1 of The Christmas Singing

http://www.scribd.com/doc/69473983/The-Christmas-Singing-Chapter-1-Excerpt

A lovely Christmas Gift Idea

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

Mattie's sweetheart for many years Gideon broke off their engagement without an explanation of what was really happening to him. After three years of seperation, circumstances throw them back together again, but will Mattie be able to find it in her heart to listen to Gideon and try to learn the truth of what happened three years ago. Much has happened to both of these people, but does ether of them know the other person all that well?

I really enjoyed reading this book. Cindy Woodsmall has such a lovely way of writing about some of the ordinary day to day things that occur in an Amish community. This is a lovely, easy to read story about love, forgiveness and trust. It also has a lot of references about cakes since Mattie has her own bakery and makes cakes for many special occasions. Just reading about the cakes makes me hungry. At the end of the book are a few recipes for some cakes that sound wonderful. I just might make a cake or two soon.

This book was provided to me to read and review by WaterBrook Multnomah’s blogging for books.

The Road Trip by Jo Lynn Crozier

Imagine this, a woman named Liz wakes up too early in the morning with a terrible headache. Liz makes her way to the kitchen to get a hot cup of coffee. Heading back to the dining room to enjoy her cup of coffee and quietly visit with the Lord Liz hears a voice telling her that "My plan for you is ministry". Liz gulps and asks if He knows who He is talking to, as if the Lord would ever make a mistake. The Lord tells Liz that she is going to take a road trip with Him and Liz is excited to join the Lord on this trip. Liz is about to find out that the trip will be in a motorcycle sidecar with God as the driver.

The trips along the way take us to fantastic places that will open your eyes to so many of our basic beliefs and how God has given us so much and what He expects from us in return. These trips introduce us to angels, people, animals and even insects who will give you occasional humerous looks into the Lord's plan for all of us.

The Road Trip is a book that I recommend to everyone. The story is fun to read and inspires us to appreciate the fact that God is everywhere and always there for us.

This book was provided to me to read and review by Emanuel House Publishing.