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MY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are a reader who mostly avoids Amish fiction because you think you cannot relate to what many think of as a perfect, sinless lifestyle that might be just a little boring, you really should give Laura Hilton’s novels a try. In them you will find Amish characters who struggle with the same problems and temptations that everyone else experiences – you know the old “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”. Yes the Amish deal with those issues too and Hilton writes about those issues beautifully and scripturally.<\/p>\n In “Love by the Numbers” Hilton’s characters come to life within the pages, especially Lydia and Caleb. Lydia has come to Jamesport to run her aunt’s gift store because she needs a safe place to stay due to false accusations made against her. Caleb was instantly attracted to Lydia and grew to care for her as he got to know her better but because of guilt from his own past he feels he is not good enough for her. Their story involves learning to trust God and to accept His grace in their lives.<\/p>\n There are several scenes in which Caleb and Lydia are strongly tempted by their attraction. Although the scenes are quite tastefully written and are not at all explicit, some readers may not want to share this book with younger teens.<\/p>\n I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every book I have read thus far by Laura Hilton and appreciate the honesty with which she writes. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.<\/p>\n I voluntarily reviewed a digital copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n ABOUT THE BOOK:<\/strong><\/p>\n Click to purchase<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n After her fianc\u00e9 dies in a buggy accident, Lydia Hershberger is invited to Jamesport to manage her Mennonite aunt\u2019s gift store while her aunt and uncle are on a mission trip. While there, Lydia gets acquainted with her aentie\u2019s best friend, Bethel Bontrager, and her grown son, Caleb. Lydia is surprised to find herself drawn to handsome clockmaker, Caleb Bontrager. But in spite of an instant flame of attraction between them, he doesn\u2019t seem interested. In fact, pesky Caleb treats her like he doesn\u2019t even like her.<\/p>\n Bright and sparkly. That\u2019s Caleb\u2019s first impression of Lydia. He\u2019s always been attracted to sparkly things. In fact, his affinity for those things, and the trouble they can cause, are exactly why he\u2019s determined to change his ways and settle down. With Lydia\u2019s aentie gone, he is handling the books for the gift shop and is forced to spend too much time in her presence.<\/p>\n When God offers Lydia a second chance at love and family, will she take it? Or will the secret Caleb harbors cause her even more heartbreak?<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to purchase your copy!<\/p>\n ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/strong><\/p>\n Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye. They currently live in Arkansas. One son is in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is a pastor\u2019s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children.<\/p>\n When she\u2019s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, her favorite holiday is Christmas.<\/p>\n GUEST POST FROM LAURA V. HILTON:<\/strong><\/p>\n Story Behind the Story \u2013 Love by the Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n Caleb was a minor character in couple of my Amish books \u2013 I think he first made a by name appearance in Amish Wanderer and Christmas Admirer. A minor character. Lydia was a very minor one-time appearance in those stories, too, a girl who happened to be in the room with Bethany and Susanna at a wedding. (This story is stand alone!) But I knew when Caleb first saw Lydia that they would end up together by the way he reacted to her presence. I wondered what their story was.<\/p>\n March and April is tornado season in Arkansas (and in many other states) and in 2011 we had a bad one. I was out and about that day, driving to the county seat with my five children, and there was something in the air. It was heavy, hard to breathe, and the sky was black off to the west. I\u2019m sure I broke speed limits racing to Melbourne, and then home again so we wouldn\u2019t be out in the storm.<\/p>\n Later that afternoon, tornado sirens went off. One went over our house \u2013 even from the basement we could hear the sound of a train roaring overhead. Scary. And still thanking God it didn\u2019t touch down. Highland, Ash Flat, and Evening Shade, Arkansas were hit hard. Buildings completely gone. When we drove out that way later in the week there were pickup trucks in the tops of trees. Other things in odd and unusual places. I always wondered how they got the treetop pickups down. I would\u2019ve stopped to watch if I\u2019d been out there when it was done. I did hear that some of those trucks weren\u2019t damaged at all. Unreal. My two sons and my husband both helped with clean up and my oldest son went with a crew to Joplin, Missouri, to help with clean up there.<\/p>\n There has been other occasions I\u2019ve been out in tornados. Once I was in the Walmart parking lot when a tornado went through a town west of it. We could see the funnel touching down from where we stood. It did hail when we were on our way home, praying our house was still standing. It was.<\/p>\n On a different note, in 2016 my oldest son came home with a kitten. She was the sweetest thing ever, and he named her Rosie. Sadly, I was highly allergic to her. I couldn\u2019t even be around the children after they played with her. They\u2019d have to go change clothes and wash their hands, otherwise I couldn\u2019t breathe. Rosie was full Siamese, blue eyes and all, and she was so adorable. I allowed my son to keep her in the shed. I was about four chapters into the story when Rosie found some poison (I think, not sure) and died. We all cried.<\/p>\n Also about the time I was writing this, a very dear friend of a lot of writers died. I told my street team I was going to name a character after her, and was told a lot of writers would be. I agreed. And a lot of their books were released already. But Aenti Judith in this story is named after Judy Burgi. I still miss her and pray for her family.<\/p>\n One of the verses my daughter had to memorize in Sunday School was 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. \u2018We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.\u2019 Perfect for the faith message in Love by the Numbers! I love how God always provides the perfect verse for my characters\u2019 faith messages. I\u2019m pretty sure this verse is one I never memorized, and I never would of thought of it on my own, but God put it in my daughter\u2019s lessons for Sunday School, so she had to memorize it \u2013 and thus I did too since I help my daughters learn their verses every week.<\/p>\n I hope you\u2019ll enjoy the story!<\/p>\n Because of Him,<\/p>\n Laura V. Hilton <\/em><\/p>\n BLOG STOPS:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pursuing Stacie<\/span><\/a>, February 13<\/p>\n Quiet Quilter<\/span><\/a>, February 13<\/p>\n Red Headed Book Lady<\/span><\/a>, February 13<\/p>\n Babs Book Bistro<\/span><\/a>, February 13<\/p>\n Blogging With Carol<\/span><\/a>, February 14<\/p>\n Among the Reads<\/span><\/a>, February 14<\/p>\n Reading Is My SuperPower<\/span><\/a>, February 15<\/p>\n Blossoms and Blessings<\/a>, <\/span>February 15<\/p>\n SusanLovesBooks<\/span><\/a>, February 16<\/p>\n Because I said so \u2014 and other adventures in Parenting<\/span><\/a>, February 16<\/p>\n Carpe Diem<\/span><\/a>, February 16<\/p>\n A Baker\u2019s Perspective<\/span><\/a>, February 17<\/p>\n Splashes of Joy<\/a>, <\/span>February 17<\/p>\n Locks, Hooks and Books<\/span><\/a>, February 17<\/p>\n Two Points of Interest<\/span><\/a>, February 18<\/p>\n vickysluiter.com<\/a><\/span>, February 18<\/p>\n A Reader\u2019s Brain<\/span><\/a>, February 19<\/p>\n Zerina Blossom\u2019s Books<\/span><\/a>, February 19<\/p>\n C Jane Read<\/span><\/a>, February 20<\/p>\n Daysong Reflections<\/a>, <\/span>February 20<\/p>\n margaret kazmierczak<\/span><\/a>, February 20<\/p>\n proud to be an autism mom<\/span><\/a>, February 21<\/p>\n Bibliophile Reviews<\/span><\/a>, February 21<\/p>\n A Greater Yes<\/span><\/a>, February 22<\/p>\n Texas Book-aholic<\/span><\/a>, February 22<\/p>\n Pause for Tales<\/span><\/a>, February 23<\/p>\n Have A Wonderful Day<\/span><\/a>, February 23<\/p>\n cherylbbookblog<\/span><\/a>, February 24<\/p>\n Debbie\u2019s Dusty Deliberations<\/span><\/a>, February 24<\/p>\n Simple Harvest Reads<\/span><\/a>, February 24<\/p>\n Christian Bookaholic<\/span><\/a>, February 25<\/p>\n Janices book reviews<\/span><\/a>, February 25<\/p>\n For The Love of Books<\/span><\/a>, February 26<\/p>\n Jeanette\u2019s Thoughts<\/span><\/a>, February 26<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/divider2.png\" "\\"divider2\\"")
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\n<\/a>Laura V. Hilton<\/strong> is an award-winning, sought-after author with almost twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she\u2019s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals for blog posts for Seriously Write and Putting on the New.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n