I have to admit that I can often grow weary of Amish fiction but I know I can count on Suzanne Woods Fisher to provide me with a solid story that will always hold my interest. “The Imposter” was no exception. My only problem is how to review it without spoilers.
Readers of Suzanne’s earlier novels set in Stoney Ridge will delight in the return to familiar places and characters but new readers will have no problem jumping right into her latest novel. As one might expect, readers get an intimate look into the lives of several featured Amish characters; however they might just learn a few surprising secrets this time. There are some rumblings among the church leadership and members with a couple of the men who want to make sweeping changes without input from others. Then of course there is the expected romance. Actually this time there are at least two of them, both of which progress naturally as the story progresses. In fact other story elements often take precedence over romance.
All-in-all, “The Imposter” is a very satisfying read with strong and likable characters and a well thought out plot that moved along at the perfect pace. Some elements of the plot were resolved nicely while others will continue on at least into the next book of the series. I cannot wait to read “the rest of the story”.
Note:Previously reviewed for Revell on October 26, 2015.
This book was provided for review by Celebrate Lit.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A heart once deceived should not be easily fooled again . . .
Katrina Stoltzfus thought she had life and love all figured out: she was going to marry John and live happily ever after. But as her plans crumble before her eyes, she struggles to face an uncertain future. When a widow asks for help starting a new business, Katrina quickly agrees. She needs time to heal her broken heart, to untangle her messy life, to find a purpose.
What she doesn’t need is attention from Andy Miller, a farmhand who arrives at the widow’s farm just when help is most needed–and who always seems to say the right thing and be in the right place, at the right time. Is Andy for real or too good to be true? She’s been deceived once before, and she isn’t planning on experiencing it again.
Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to Stoney Ridge for a tale of love, uncertainty, and trusting God to write your story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Letters, The Calling, the Lancaster County Secrets series, and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children’s series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.
GUEST POST FROM SUZANNE WOODS FISHER:
If you think you have a pretty clear idea of what an Amish bishop is like—stern, authoritative, patriarchal?—have another think. David Stoltzfus in The Imposter is warm, kindhearted, a reluctant farmer, and quite attractive!
Sound like an unlikely character for an Amish novel? Maybe so, but David Stoltzfus is modeled after a bishop I met, years ago. This real-life bishop might be the most intelligent, thoughtful, spiritually sensitive, and well-read man I’ve ever met. We spent a morning talking Bonhoeffer in his Spartan living room, warmed by his woodstove.
I wanted to present the character of a bishop that best represented this man I’d grown to admire. So when it was time to create a proposal for a new series, I suggested ‘The Bishop’s Family,’ starring David Stoltzfus who was loosely based on this particular bishop.
Very loosely.
David Stoltzfus is a handsome, widowed father of six who runs a local bulk food store. His children are surprisingly nonconforming, outspoken, and fiercely protective of their clan. The real-life bishop is a farmer, happily married with four independently minded children, and looks…well, to be candid, he looks a little like Benjamin Franklin.
But here’s what they have in common: they both love to read, they love their families, and they love the work God has given them of tending a flock.
The Imposter begins as David Stoltzfus moves his family to Stoney Ridge for a fresh start, a new beginning. Things don’t start off well: his eldest daughter, Katrina, faces a crushing disappointment, his prodigal son Jesse has a bent for troublemaking, and then David realizes something fishy is going on in the little church.
A new life awaits the Stoltzfus family, but not the one they expected. Or wanted. But they are needed in Stoney Ridge, each one of them. Even Jesse. J
I hope you’ll feel as though you’ve made some new friends as you get to know David and his children. One thing I can promise: this bishop’s family will surprise you.
To most people, Evelyn Brandt lives an enviable life. Married to a senator, she has a fabulous home, clothing, jewels, and moves among the elite. Although thankful for what she has, Evelyn feels out-of-place in her own life. Her husband has molded her into the wife he thinks his position requires with no thought of her desires. When it all comes crashing down on her, Evelyn realizes that even her husband was not the man she thought he was and perhaps had never been.
Although “Change of Heart” is primarily Evelyn’s (Evie’s) story, it is also Trevor Whitley’s story. It doesn’t take the reader long to figure out that Evie has always been the love of his life but because he believed his best friend was a better choice for her, he stepped back and avoided the new couple as much as possible. When he learned Evie’s devastating news, he couldn’t help but come to her rescue and stand by her side as more and more shocking facts come to light. But will the secrets of the past catch up to him and prevent another chance at love?
“Change of Heart” is an emotionally charged story that reaches into the depth of its characters’ hearts. Its many ups and downs kept me wondering how anything could ever work out for either Evelyn or Trevor. An excellent story of love, forgiveness, and redemption, this novel is one to warm the reader’s heart. I strongly recommend it and “Paper Hearts”, the first book of the series. I look forward to the next installment and hope I will not have to wait too long for it.
This book was provided for review by The Tyndale Blog Network.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A Colorado senator’s wife, Evelyn Brandt seems to have it all. But her carefully constructed life comes toppling down when the FBI crashes her society brunch with news that her husband has been arrested for embezzlement, and he’s far from repentant. It turns out this was only the start of his indiscretions—for which he has little regret.
As the weeks following the scandal turn into months, Evelyn withdraws, even shirking her duties with the philanthropic Valentine Volunteers. The inquisitive women of the group are determined not to let Evelyn’s divorce destroy her. They have big plans for her to use her long-forgotten artistic talent to reimagine the city’s iconic lamppost hearts. But doing so will force Evelyn to work closely with Trevor Whitney, her ex-husband’s former best…
Courtney Walsh is the author of Paper Hearts and the Sweethaven series. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, was a New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller and a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. In addition, she has written two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives with her husband and three children in Illinois, where she is also an artist, theater director, and playwright. Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.
Playing the Part by Jen Turano is a 352 page book in the Christian historical fiction genre. It is published by Bethany House Publishers and was released on March 1, 2016. To purchase your own copy, click here
MY REVIEW:
I always look forward to reading Jen Turano’s latest book and was thrilled to have a chance to review “Playing the Part”. I just hope I can do this wonderful book justice!
The third book in Turano’s A Class of Their Own series, “Playing the Part” features popular actress Lucetta Plum who finds herself forced to flee New York because of a man determined to make her his own – with or without marriage vows. Disguised and under cover of night, Lucetta and her dear friend Abigail Hart travel to the estate of Abigail’s grandson Bram. That my friend is where the adventure and hilarity really begins!
As Turano’s true fans know from the previous books in this series, Lucetta is just a bit eccentric. Well she has met her match in Bram who has to be at least equally unconventional. From his gothic and somewhat spooky mansion to strange and unexplained happenings within its walls and grounds, Lucetta is uncertain what to think about Bram. Honestly, the man is just too secretive to trust. There is absolutely no way she can fall for Abigail’s matchmaking efforts!
I loved the characters of Lucetta and Bram and it was fun to touch base with characters from the previous books in this series. I also loved the somewhat dark and mysterious story combined with frequent humorous scenes. Jen is uniquely talented in the way she manages to insert humor into a perfectly serious scene and makes it perfectly natural. Dialogue was often witty and I laughed often. Then of course there was the romance. It sometimes took a few detours along the way but the ending was perfectly satisfying.
Once again, I have to say that “Playing the Part” may be my favorite book by Jen yet! Of course I say that every time but my only explanation is that each one gets better and better. If you are not familiar with Jen Turano’s books, you have missed something special. Do yourself a favor and pick up “Playing the Part” or any of her other novels asap.
A digital copy of this book was provided for review by Celebrate Lit.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan’s interest turns threatening. Lucinda’s widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta’s life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson’s estate to hide out.
Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there’s much more to him than society knows.
Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail’s matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can’t ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it’ll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jen Turano is the best-selling, critically acclaimed author ofThe Ladies of Distinction series, and A Classof Their Own series, published through Bethany House Publishers. Her novel, After a Fashion, was chosen as a top pick from Romantic Times, as well as being named a top ten romance of 2015 from Booklist. It is also a nominee for Romantic Times 2015 Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her book, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, was chosen as a top ten romance by Booklist in 2013. Her seventh book, Playing the Part, will release in the spring of 2016, followed by a new four-book series, The Wallflowers. When she’s not writing, Jen spends her time outside of Denver with her husband and neurotic Cattle Dog, enjoying herself as an empty-nester since her son recently abandoned her for the college life. She can be found on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com. She is represented by Susan Brower of the Natasha Kern Literary Agency. Her books may be found in most fine bookstores, or follow the Baker House Publishing link to find additional places to purchase her work.
GIVEAWAY:
Jen is graciously giving away an entire set of this series! Click HERE to enter!
I always look forward to reading Jen Turano’s latest book and was thrilled to have a chance to review “Playing the Part”. I just hope I can do this wonderful book justice!
The third book in Turano’s A Class of Their Own series, “Playing the Part” features popular actress Lucetta Plum who finds herself forced to flee New York because of a man determined to make her his own – with or without marriage vows. Disguised and under cover of night, Lucetta and her dear friend Abigail Hart travel to the estate of Abigail’s grandson Bram. That my friend is where the adventure and hilarity really begins!
As Turano’s true fans know from the previous books in this series, Lucetta is just a bit eccentric. Well she has met her match in Bram who has to be at least equally unconventional. From his gothic and somewhat spooky mansion to strange and unexplained happenings within its walls and grounds, Lucetta is uncertain what to think about Bram. Honestly, the man is just too secretive to trust. There is absolutely no way she can fall for Abigail’s matchmaking efforts!
I loved the characters of Lucetta and Bram and it was fun to touch base with characters from the previous books in this series. I also loved the somewhat dark and mysterious story combined with frequent humorous scenes. Jen is uniquely talented in the way she manages to insert humor into a perfectly serious scene and makes it perfectly natural. Dialogue was often witty and I laughed often. Then of course there was the romance. It sometimes took a few detours along the way but the ending was perfectly satisfying.
Once again, I have to say that “Playing the Part” may be my favorite book by Jen yet! Of course I say that every time but my only explanation is that each one gets better and better. If you are not familiar with Jen Turano’s books, you have missed something special. Do yourself a favor and pick up “Playing the Part” or any of her other novels asap.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day?
Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan’s interest turns threatening. Lucetta’s widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta’s life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson’s estate to hide out.
Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there’s much more to him than society knows.
Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail’s matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can’t ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it’ll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.
Jen Turano, author of the Ladies of Distinction series and the A Class of Their Own series, is a graduate of the University of Akron. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.
Enter to win a copy of Playing the Part—five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced April 7 on the Litfuse blog!
When I first met Evie in “The Dandelion Field” she came across as a bit uptight. Nothing had changed when I began reading “The Hearts We Mend”. Widowed at a young age, Evie had raised a son virtually on her own and still had not let go of her loss. Now that her son Cody is embarking on a life of his own with a wife and an expected baby, Evie clings to her routines with everything in its place and scheduled time as if by maintaining control she can protect her heart. On the eve of Cody’s wedding Evie’s world is turned upside down by the new substitute janitor at her church where she also works. Jack’s scruffy appearance and casual approach to life make Evie want to stay far, far away from him but she gradually finds herself drawn into a life she never imagined and learns a lot about herself as a result.
I thoroughly enjoyed “The Hearts We Mend”, especially the changes experienced by Evie. The story was so beautifully written that I didn’t want to put it down – even to sleep. My how the housework suffers when I get into a good book! I liked Jack from the beginning and had hopes for him and Evie. The story took some unexpected turns but those helped shape the perfect plot. At risk of revealing too much, I will just encourage readers to pick up a copy of “The Hearts We Mend” as soon as possible. I think they will enjoy it too!
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Planning and Post-It notes are the epitome of Evie’s life. But when she meets Jack, her life gets more than a little complicated.
Thirteen years ago, Evie’s firefighter husband was killed in the line of duty, leaving her to raise their young son, Cody, alone. Now, Cody is marrying the love of his life, and as he packs up his belongings, the house feels as empty as Evie’s heart. But for all her planning and mad organizational skills, Evie could never have anticipated the dramatic shift her life is about to make.
Tattooed, rough-around-the-edges Jack raises quite a few eyebrows in the tight-knit community of Banister Falls. Where Evie’s life is stream-lined, Jack’s approach to living is moment-by-moment. But as Evie gets drawn into Jack’s world—a world that isn’t as safe or predictable as the one she’s worked so hard to create—he challenges her to open her eyes to the problems outside the walls of the church.
Jack doesn’t make Evie feel comfortable, but he definitely makes her feel something. Something she hasn’t felt since Max passed away—or, maybe ever. Because even though Jack isn’t anything like her late husband, he just might be everything she needs.
Kathryn Springer is a USA Today bestselling author. She grew up in northern Wisconsin, where her parents published a weekly newspaper. As a child she spent many hours sitting at her mother’s typewriter, plunking out stories, and credits her parents for instilling in her a love of books – which eventually turned into a desire to tell stories of her own. Kathryn has written nineteen books with close to two million copies sold. She lives with her husband and three children in Marinette, Wisconsin.
Celebrate the release of The Hearts We Mend with Kathryn and enter to win two of her books by signing up for her newsletter on her website (left sidebar). The winner will be announced March 23 via Kathryn’s newsletter.
Somehow I overlooked posting a review for this sweet, historical Christmas romance novella by Sharlene MacLaren. It is the perfect book for a cold evening by the fire after all the Christmas preparations are finished for the day. I apologize if my negligence prevented anyone from enjoying this experience during the past Christmas season. I hope you will add it to your Christmas reading list for 2016.
The book itself is quite attractive with snowflake illustrations on many of the page margins. Another illustration of a Christmas tree is placed at the end of each chapter. I thought it was a nice touch.
After two years, young widow Sadie Bennett still mourns her husband of only one month and finds it difficult to move on with her life without him. She especially hates Christmas and except for her job and church on Sundays has become mostly reclusive. However, this is one Christmas that friends and family, particularly Reed Harris, decide to bring Sadie back to the land of the living. She finds herself asked to participate in various Christmas projects and slowly feels her icy heart begin to thaw. Could a new love be far behind?
I enjoyed “Christmas Comes to Little Hickman Creek” both times I read it. I particularly liked how both Sadie and Reed prayed and listened to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit that directed and encouraged. Reed was a special hero whose patience and obedience helped lead to Sadie’s healing and a promise for the future.
This book was provided for review by The Book Club Network, Inc.
ABOUT THE BOOK (144 pages): Two years ago this Christmas, Sadie Bennett’s beloved husband was killed in a tragic accident at the local sawmill. What was once her favorite time of year now haunts her, with its cheerful trappings a cruel reminder of the love she lost. The young widow would like nothing more than to hibernate until the festivities are over. When she finds herself assigned to the committee tasked with picking a Christmas tree for the town square of Little Hickman Creek, she begrudgingly agrees but determines to fulfill her duties to the bare minimum. As the search for a suitable tree gets under way, Sadie is dismayed to learn that one of her fellow committee members is a man she’s worked hard to avoid. Reed Harris owns the local livery, and while he’s friendly enough, good-looking, too, Sadie isn’t ready to invest in another relationship. In fact, she may never be ready, unless a Christmas miracle manages to thaw her frozen heart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Born and raised in western Michigan, Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University, earning a degree in elementary teaching. In 1975, she married one of her childhood friends, and together they raised two lovely daughters. Now happily retired from 31 years of teaching,”Shar” enjoys reading, singing, traveling, and spending time with her husband, children, and precious grandchildren.
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Courtney Walsh is the author of Paper Hearts and the Sweethaven series. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, was a New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller and a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. In addition, she has written two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives with her husband and three children in Illinois, where she is also an artist, theater director, and playwright. Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.
Jen Turano is the best-selling, critically acclaimed author ofThe Ladies of Distinction series, and A Class of Their Own series, published through Bethany House Publishers. Her novel, After a Fashion, was chosen as a top pick from Romantic Times, as well as being named a top ten romance of 2015 from Booklist. It is also a nominee for Romantic Times 2015 Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her book, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, was chosen as a top ten romance by Booklist in 2013. Her seventh book, Playing the Part, will release in the spring of 2016, followed by a new four-book series, The Wallflowers. When she’s not writing, Jen spends her time outside of Denver with her husband and neurotic Cattle Dog, enjoying herself as an empty-nester since her son recently abandoned her for the college life. She can be found on Facebook at
Kathryn Springer is a USA Today bestselling author. She grew up in northern Wisconsin, where her parents published a weekly newspaper. As a child she spent many hours sitting at her mother’s typewriter, plunking out stories, and credits her parents for instilling in her a love of books – which eventually turned into a desire to tell stories of her own. Kathryn has written nineteen books with close to two million copies sold. She lives with her husband and three children in Marinette, Wisconsin.
Born and raised in western Michigan, Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University, earning a degree in elementary teaching. In 1975, she married one of her childhood friends, and together they raised two lovely daughters. Now happily retired from 31 years of teaching,”Shar” enjoys reading, singing, traveling, and spending time with her husband, children, and precious grandchildren.
