The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen.

A difficult book to put down, Julie Klassen has woven a story that incorporates elements from her favorite author, Jane Austin. Like Jane Austin, Miriah Aubrey is a secret authoress, though this is not why she now lives in the gatehouse.

Mariah has been sent away from her family home and banished to the gatehouse of Windrush Court, the estate where her aunt lives. When her Aunt Fran gives her a key to a trunk and then has that trunk moved to the gatehouse prior to her dying, a series of secrets begin to unfold. Secrets that Miriah, Hugh Prin-Hallsey (the heir), Captain Matthew Bryant (the new tenant of Windrush Court) and a mysterious Captain Prince all have. As you move through the book, the secrets begin to be revealed. Don’t expect to find out all before you reach the end of the book though.   

Each of these characters has a story to tell that will eventually affect Miriah and the future of Windrush Court.

I suggest that you, the reader of historical fiction, take the time to enjoy The Girl in the Gatehouse. You may find it as difficult to put down as I did.

I received this book to review for free from Bethany House.

Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs

The sequel to Here Burns My Candle, Mine is the Night is also a standalone book. Set in 1746 Selkirk, Scotland the book tells the story of three women who find love, forgiveness and peace.

Lady Marjory Kerr has lost two sons to Prince Charlie when he led the rebellion against the Crown of England. Because of this act of treason, she has lost her home and title. Marjory finds that as she adjusts to the life of the common people, she cares more for those around her and eventually marries the man who faithfully served her family when she was Lady Marjory.

Her daughter-in-law, Lady Elizabeth, must return to dressmaking to support the household. An unfaithful husband has made her cautious of marriage until she meets Lord Jack Buchanan. Lord Jack recognizes that Elizabeth is a lady of quality even though she is employed as a dressmaker in his home.

Annie, the third woman, is a distant cousin of Marjory and has never married. Disappointed in love when Michael, a local tailor, married someone else, Annie has never sought the love of another man.  That is until the now widowed Michael and his son come to see what Annie means to them.

As each woman comes to terms with the situation they find themselves in, we find them developing into women full of caring and love. The reader will rejoice with them as they renew friendships, develop new ones, and find that life has not passed them by.

Liz Curtis Higgs stayed true to what 1746 towns in Scotland looked like. I had the opportunity to read Here Burns My Candle prior to Mine is the Night. I thoroughly enjoyed both books and recommend them to any reader of historical fiction.

 

Mine is the Night - Book Trailer

SneakPeek of Mine is the Night 

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

Plain Proposal by Beth Wiseman

With this A Daughter of the Promise novel, Beth Wiseman tells the story full of the lessons of forgiveness. Forgiving others as well as forgiving ourselves. We read about Miriam, Saul, Shelby and Miriam’s family as they learn those lessons.

Miriam is in love with Saul, who is considering leaving the Amish community. Her life begins to take a turn as she struggles with this love and eventually with the reason he wants to leave. Will she go with him?

 Add to this the arrival of her cousin, Shelby, who has been sent to live with her Amish aunt and uncle by her parents.  An Englischer, Shelby has left a troubled home and finds the meaning of love and family during her time with Miriam’s family.

Rather than give away surprises this novel holds for the reader, I will end by saying that becoming a Daughter of the Promise is a spiritual journey that a woman takes when she finds the true meaning to the words faith, hope and love.

Miriam and Shelby both find that they have strong faith, hope for their futures and a love for God with their whole hearts.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan

The Miracle of Mercy Land is a story about Mercy, Doc Philips and Tommy Taylor. Mercy and Tommy grew up in Bittersweet Creek. Mercy left Bittersweet and went to work for Doc Phillips at the Banner Newspaper in Bay City.

As the reader progresses through the book, the early life of the Tommy and Mercy is revealed. We also find that Doc Philips played a part in Tommy leaving Bittersweet.  The miracle referred to in the title is a revelation Mercy receives about her life and about life in general.

If given the opportunity, would we go back in time and make different choices? Are we aware of how the choices we make affect not only our own life and future, but the lives and futures of people around us? A strange book that shows up on Doc’s desk causes Doc to look back on choices he made years ago and causes Mercy to evaluate choices she must make today.

An interesting book that I would recommend. River Jordan’s writing style made it difficult to put the book down. I kept wanting to find out what was going to happen next.  

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

Seek Me with all your Heart by Beth Wiseman

The first in the A Land of Canaan series, Seek Me with all your Heart is a story about three Amish families who moved from Ohio and Pennsylvania to settle in Colorado. Each family had a reason for the move that they preferred to keep secret. However, as they spent time together and began to interact with an English member of the area, all the secrets come to light and they experience a new freedom in their lives.

Beth Wiseman deals with very real issues (bitterness, illness, financial issues, unforgiveness and loneliness) that many families face in today’s world, each issue particular to various members of the families. She brings them through heartache and tears into a life that is much better than they had ever thought possible.

I found this book very refreshing and dealing with more of todays issues than many of the other Amish fiction books that I have read. I look forward to reading more of the books in this series as they become available.

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