A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden

Posted on December 30, 2019 by bigreadersite

This was a wonderful Victorian mystery. I loved the ups and downs in the story. I loved how Annabel and the Inspector work together to solve her brothers murder. I loved learning some things about the art world during the Victorian era. I received a copy of this book from edelweiss for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

Publisher Description

A Paperback Original

From the author of A Dangerous Duet comes the next book in her Victorian mystery series, this time following a daring female painter and the Scotland Yard detective who is investigating her brother’s suspicious death.

A young painter digs beneath the veneer of Victorian London’s art world to learn the truth behind her brother’s murder…

Edwin is dead. That’s what Inspector Matthew Hallam of Scotland Yard tells Annabel Rowe when she discovers him searching her brother’s flat for clues. While the news is shocking, Annabel can’t say it’s wholly unexpected, given Edwin’s past as a dissolute risk-taker and art forger, although he swore he’d reformed. After years spent blaming his reckless behavior for their parents’ deaths, Annabel is now faced with the question of who murdered him—because Edwin’s death was both violent and deliberate. A valuable French painting he’d been restoring for an auction house is missing from his studio: find the painting, find the murderer. But the owner of the artwork claims it was destroyed in a warehouse fire years ago.

As a painter at the prestigious Slade School of Art and as Edwin’s closest relative, Annabel makes the case that she is crucial to Matthew’s investigation. But in their search for the painting, Matthew and Annabel trace a path of deceit and viciousness that reaches far beyond the elegant rooms of the auction house, into an underworld of politics, corruption, and secrets someone will kill to keep.

The Hadley Academy For the Improbably Gifted by Conor Grennan

Posted on December 27, 2019 by bigreadersite

I don’t read a lot of fantasy novels but I am glad I read this one and am looking forward to reading the next in the series. This is geared more for middle grade readers but it will appeal to most any age. There is a great cast of characters. Each of these characters finds out that they have a gift and end up at this school to learn to harness this gift to help the world. I did a lot of laughing and it can be very serious also. I received a copy of this book from Smith Publicity for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

Publisher Description

Young readers will find action, suspense, and a perilous battle between good and evil in The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted from New York Times bestselling author Conor Grennan. For ages 10 and up, this dystopian fantasy novel follows a boy’s unlikely journey to save humanity as he unravels his true identity and the responsibility it comes with.

Jack Carlson is dreading a class presentation when he suddenly finds himself transported to the Hadley Academy, a secret institution that tracks teens with unlikely gifts and trains them to protect the world from an unseen squad of killers. But Jack isn’t the only one who doesn’t know what he’s doing at Hadley. Despite indications that he is the one prophesied to end the ancient Reaper War, Jack appears to have no extraordinary abilities.

So when dark, mysterious forces grow, Hadley is in a confused panic. Much to everyone’s dismay, humanity seems to depend on Jack and his new teammates. Can Hadley’s rawest recruits push past personal struggles and enormous doubts, develop their dormant powers, and stop the spreading evil? And are they willing to commit to Hadley’s motto, “One Life for Many,” and make the ultimate sacrifice? The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted might be just the place for Jack after all.

This action-packed novel will captivate readers with its riveting plot, relatable characters, humorous dialogue, and dynamic illustrations. Fans of the Hunger Games, the Chronicles of Narnia, Divergent, Maze Runner, and Rick Riordan’s books will find themselves at home in the battle for good at the Hadley Academy.

A Plain and Simple Christmas by Amy Clipston

Posted on December 27, 2019 by bigreadersite

Amy Clipston never disappoints me when she writes an Amish Christmas story. This is a great story that shows that no matter what the problem is it can be solved. This family needed a miracle to become one again. I really enjoyed this book of healing. The characters are fantastic.

Read this story any time of the year to help improve your day. This story is very inspiring.

I gave this book a five out of five stars.

This ebook can be found for .99 on amazon(https://www.amazon.com/Plain-Simple-Christmas-Amy-Clipston-ebook/dp/B003V4B5A6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2WWF719QR7BKG&keywords=a+plain+and+simple+christmas&qid=1577419106&sprefix=%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1). It can also be found on Christianbook.com at https://www.christianbook.com/a-plain-and-simple-christmas-ebook/amy-clipston/9780310590385/pd/3463EB?event=ESRCG.

Publisher Description

Take a trip to Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, where you’ll meet the women of the Kauffman Amish Bakery in Lancaster County. As each woman’s story unfolds, you will share in her heartaches, trials, joys, dreams … and secrets. You’ll discover how the simplicity of the Amish lifestyle can clash with the “English” way of life–and the decisions and consequences that follow. Most importantly, you will be encouraged by the hope and faith of these women, and the importance they place on their families. In the tradition of her widely popular Kauffman Amish Bakery series, author Amy Clipston tells the tale of Anna Mae McDonough who was shunned by her family four years ago when she left her Amish community in Lancaster County, PA, to marry an “Englisher” (non Amish) man and move with him to Baltimore. Now, eight months pregnant when her first child, she longs to return home for Christmas to reconcile with her family, especially her stern father, who is the religious leader for her former Amish church district.So Anne Mae writes a letter to Kathryn Beiler, her brother’s wife, to enlist her help. Kathryn asks her husband, David, if she should arrange Anna Mae’s visit. David cautions her that a visit would cause too much stress in the family and instead suggests they visit Anna Mae and her husband in the spring. However, Kathryn arranges the visit anyway, believing in her heart that it’s God’s will for the family to heal.When Anna Mae arrives in Lancaster for Christmas, the welcome she receives is nothing like what she had hoped for.A book filled with love, the pain of being separated from one’s family, and the determination to follow God’s will regardless of the outcome, A Plain and Simple Christmas is an inspiring page-turner that will keep you guessing what happens next … right to the very last page.

Address For Murder by Tonya Kappes

Posted on December 25, 2019 by bigreadersite

Make sure to read the first book in this series so you know all the main characters that are in this great small town. Both books so far in this series are fantastic. I love that the main characters are all over 40 years old. The story that leads to the murder is great and how it is solved is fun. I love that this is based around a female postal worker. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

Discover the southern life of Bernadette Butler, along with the eccentric and lovable citizens, along with all the fur babies, who live in Sugar Creek Gap in this NEW southern cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes.

Mail Carrier Bernadette Butler makes sure she checks on all of her elderly customers on her mail carrier route during the colder months. It makes her feel good and lets face it, she’s trying to keep her mind off the feelings she’s having for her deceased husband’s best friend, Mac Tabor. Which makes putting everyone before her is easy.

Until she notices one particular customer’s dog is on the loose, Bernadette takes the dog back and something isn’t right. The door is open. Bernadette goes in to check on her customer only to find him murdered!

Bernadette knows someone knows something about the murder in the small knit community. Now that she’s help solve one murder, she can’t resist to try her hand at it again…of course not without the help of the FRONT PORCH LADIES and Vince!

All The Right Circles by John Russell

Posted on December 23, 2019 by bigreadersite

This was an interesting story. It takes place in the 1990’s. Jack was an odd character. I wasn’t sure if I really liked him. He tried to be a good guy but it didn’t always work for him. He was a lawyer for a big firm in Raleigh and knew a lot of secrets. The story goes back and forth from the past and the present. Sometimes I got a little confused as to what time period it was. All in all it was a interesting and informative story. I received a copy of this book from Smith Publicity for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a four out of five stars.

Jack Callahan is an outsider in his adopted hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. A successful lawyer, he’s spent years trying to move in all the right circles. But with his literary mother in a sanitarium, his society marriage on the rocks, and his biggest client—Raleigh’s family-owned newspaper the Criterion—facing a hostile takeover, he’s beginning to wonder if it’s really worth it.

Step by step readers are drawn into the “non-secret secrets” of an elite that wields power founded on intricate manners and unsolved crimes. Jack’s mentor, World War II hero Hugh Symmes, is haunted by family misdeeds during the Wilmington Massacre of 1898. His client, Ward Forrest, third-generation newspaper heir, portions out liberal duty against riches amassed during the Jim Crow past. His friend, African-American judge Kai-Jana Blount, weighs the call to higher office against deals with men her civil rights crusading family had opposed.

Together they face a threat from Wall Street raider Victor Broman, Jack’s former client, who is hell-bent to acquire the Criterion for shadowy patrons. Jack tries his best to “do the hero-ing”—but questions the costs. Eventually, he takes counsel from his friend Lowry, a mysterious Native American mystic, who unveils a different path, away from all the right circles.

The Wedding Dress Christmas by Rachel Hauck with a giveaway

Posted on December 21, 2019 by bigreadersite

This makes me want to read all the books in the wedding dress collection. I love the idea of a dress being handed down to brides that may not all be the same size or like the same style. The characters were great. This had a great amount of romance. It was too bad that we couldn’t hear any of Buck’s songs. I love country music. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

About the Book

Book: The Wedding Dress Christmas

Author: Rachel Hauck

Genre: Romance, Christmas

Release Date: October 22, 2019

The Wedding Dress Christmas Cover December covers quaint Heart’s Bend, Tennessee with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.

For JoJo Castle there’s no place like home. It’s her safe place. Her one-time love of adventure ended when life in the big city shattered her hopes and dreams. Now that she’s returned to Hearts Bend, she never wants to leave again.

Buck Mathews, the biggest country singing sensation in decades, has the world on a string – his guitar strings, to be exact. However, when news of his mother’s illness sends him back to Hearts Bend for the holiday season, he remembers how good it can be to live among family and friends.

Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. Leaving home, surrendering her heart again, is just too risky.

When she runs into her friend and high school crush Buck Mathews, she discovers Love might have other plans for her[BV1] .

Buck’s career is on the verge of an momentous leap. But seeing JoJo awakens feelings he’d buried long ago. Falling in love is easy, but winning her heart will take more than one of his melodic tunes and clever lyrics.

JoJo and Buck want opposite things for their lives, leaving no room for compromise. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmastime, overcome her fears andhis quest for greatness?

When a very special gown – the wedding dress – begins to make its presence known, JoJo and Buck’s hearts bend in a way neither ever thought possible.

Click here to get your copy.

About the Author

rachel-hauck-HR-5 Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner.

Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie.

Rachel has been awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.

A member of the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.

At home, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically.

A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.

She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.

More From Rachel

Hello Royal Rockstar Readers!

I’m thrilled to share The Wedding Dress Christmas with you. I’ve heard from so many how much The Wedding Dress has touched them, and as I noodled over new story ideas, my thoughts drifted toward the wedding dress and Christmas. What’s more romantic than a Christmas wedding?

This novella is set in Hearts Bend, Tennessee, the fictional town ofThe Wedding Chapel and The Wedding Shop. Even if you’ve never read one of books inThe Wedding Collection, you’ll enjoy this story, the mystery of the dress, and the women whose lives it changed.

I love weddings. They remind us of the purity and the hope of love, the power of commitment. Something powerful is released when two people pledge to spend their lives together, loving and serving one another in both good and bad times. Every wedding I attend reminds me of the vows I made to my husband and I sign up all over again.

Stories are a powerful reflection of life. Yes, fictional stories are often told with wild hyperbole, but that’s what makes them fun to read.

I also love wedding stories because they remind us of God’s love for us, and that one day there will be the grandest wedding of them all. Isn’t it wonderful that God planned a wedding before He created the earth?

In The Wedding Dress Christmas, JoJo and Buck have their issues, but love proves strong enough to conquer them all.

Thanks for going on this little tour with me and The Wedding Dress Christmas.

Yours,

Rachel

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, December 18

Through the Fire Blogs, December 18

Livin’ Lit, December 18

Robin’s Nest, December 18

Reading Is My SuperPower, December 19

By The Book, December 19

Wishful Endings, December 19

All-of-a-kind Mom, December 19

Among the Reads, December 20

Genesis 5020, December 20

Life as Lanhams, December 20

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, December 21

Daysong Reflections, December 21

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, December 21

Bigreadersite, December 21

Simple Harvest Reads, December 22 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Remembrancy, December 22

Britt Reads Fiction, December 22

She Lives to Read, December 23

Empowermoms, December 23

Inside the Wong Mind, December 23

Mia Reads Blog, December 23

Splashes of Joy, December 24

Christian Bookaholic, December 24

Hallie Reads, December 24

Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 25

Where Faith and Books Meet, December 25

Blogging With Carol, December 25

For Him and My Family, December 26

Hebrews 12 Endurance, December 26

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 26

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, December 27

My Devotional Thoughts, December 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 27

Mamma Loves Books, December 27

Betti Mace, December 28

Batya’s Bits, December 28

The Christian Fiction Girl, December 28

Quiet Quilter, December 29

mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 29

janicesbookreviews, December 29

A Reader’s Brain, December 30

Inklings and notions, December 30

Texas Book-aholic, December 30

Carla Loves to Read, December 30

Back Porch Reads, December 31

CarpeDiem, December 31

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, December 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a print copy of the book and a Visa gift card for $25. Swag!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/f1fe/the-wedding-dress-christmas-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Amish Wedding Promise by Laura V. Hilton

Posted on December 18, 2019 by bigreadersite

This author never disappoints me with her stories. I enjoyed reading about Grace and Zeke. I love when she adds the Amish children that have special needs in the story. I loved reading about how other people come to different areas to help out after a bad tornado hit. Both main characters had to work through some doubts about themselves. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

Could this bride’s wedding disaster be a blessing in disguise?

Grace Lantz always imagined her wedding day would be a blissfully happy occasion. But after a tornado swept through town, she finds herself relieved that the ceremony is delayed. After all, her groom-to-be hasn’t even bothered to check on her. Instead, it’s the handsome volunteer Zeke Bontrager who selflessly offers Grace his strong shoulders to lean on.

Zeke came to Hidden Springs to assist a community in need. He didn’t expect to meet his soul mate. Determined to ignore his feelings, Zeke promises to help reunite kind, beautiful Grace with her groom. But after spending time together, Grace confesses that she might not want to marry her fiancÃ© after all. Can Zeke convince her that her true love is standing right in front of her? And can she find the courage to follow her heart?

Echoes Among The Stones by Jaime Jo Wright

Posted on December 17, 2019 by bigreadersite

Each time I read a book by this author I wonder how it can beat the last book. This one definitely is even better. I did not want to put this book down because I needed to find out the mystery that took place in the past and the present. This author made me love stories that go back and forth from the past and the present. This builds up the suspense. I loved the characters. I also loved reading about the use of miniatures to look at a crime scene. I look forward to what this author will write next. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Publisher Description

After Aggie Dunkirk’s career is unceremoniously ended by her own mistakes, she finds herself traveling to Wisconsin, where her grandmother, Mumsie, lives alone in her rambling old home. She didn’t plan for how eccentric Mumsie has become, obsessing over an old, unsolved crime scene–even going so far as to re-create it in the dollhouse.

Mystery seems to follow her when she finds work as a secretary helping to restore the flooded historical part of the cemetery. Forced to work with the cemetery’s puzzling, yet attractive archeologist, she exhumes the past’s secrets and unwittingly uncovers a crime that some will go to any length to keep quiet–even if it means silencing Aggie.

In 1946, Imogene Flannigan works in a local factory and has eyes on owning her own beauty salon. But coming home to discover her younger sister’s body in the attic changes everything. Unfamiliar with the newly burgeoning world of criminal forensics and not particularly welcomed as a woman, Imogene is nonetheless determined to stay involved. As her sister’s case grows cold, Imogene vows to find justice . . . even if it costs her everything.

Darling Hedgehog Goes Down A Foxhole by Auralee Arkinsly with a giveaway

Posted on December 15, 2019 by bigreadersite

This children’s book is just wonderful. It is a perfect story for parents to read to their young children. I loved a Darling. I even really liked the fox. Darling wasn’t always the brightest young hedgehog out there. She definitely learns some very valuable lessons throughout this book. I loved the illustrations also. I received a copy of this book from Bookcrash for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

About the Book

Book: Darling Hedgehog Goes Down A Foxhole

Author: Auralee Arkinsly

Genre: Early reader chapter book

Release Date: September 13, 2019

Darling Hedgehog learns about the animal nature of things in high humor and carefree, cute, and winning episodes. This childhood story reads a bit like Aesop’s Fables or a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, for children 4-8 or preschool and kindergarten, as a read-to-me picture book, and first grade and second grade as a chapter book.

Pictures similar to the Mercy Watson series are characterized and painted in full-color, though the pages are set up like a chapter book.

This book helps to train children in natural wisdom, analysis, and discernment. It helps to balance the teachings of acceptance of everyone and friendliness to all. There may be good purposes for everyone to exist under heaven, yet all purposes may not be good for a child. So, beware, be discrete, and flee from crafty foxes especially when they are holding your parents in the pantry.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Auralee Arkinsly writes in good humor about serious subjects because kids of all ages can learn a lot from laughing. She is a strong believer in right and wrong but knows that getting onto the right path can mean falling down a slippery slope. She reckons if she can save some from the bumps and bruises, then she has done her job

More from Auralee

I’m so excited to launch my children’s book, Darling Hedgehog Goes Down a Foxhole with the Celebrate Lit crew! You are a river of hope for a new author.

So, here’s the story behind the story.

My friend and fellow author, Kathy Joy, left me a small hedgehog in a tutu as a going away gift on her guest bed after she had been visiting. I put it on the windowsill in my bedroom, and every morning, I would see it when I awoke.

I don’t know if you can relate to this experience, but I often wake up from a good night’s sleep with the gift of a problem being solved. Sometimes, I wake up with a creative idea. Well, one day, I awoke to find that I had the beginnings of a child’s story about where the hedgehog found her tutu.

Initially, it was a simple story about Darling Hedgehog finding a foxy friend who helps Darling find her calling.

I wrote out the story and then asked a talented neighborhood girl if she would like to draw the pictures for the tall tale. Having seen a lot of Julia’s sketches as she grew up, I thought that she might like to know what it felt like to earn money from her talents and at the same time, learn about the process of creating a book with an author to propose to a publishing company.

She agreed. Julia was in ninth grade. She was at the age where she was beginning to think about high school jobs and even to make plans for college and a career.

The same day we wrote out our contract, Julia sent me her first image of what she imagined Darling to look like. It clearly was not a mistake to hire this young artist!

When I awoke another morning, I believed God had given me another bit of advice. I needed to do better research on the nature of hedgehogs and foxes, their habitats and characteristics. The outcome caused the story to take a turn towards intrigue. It became a fable. It became an action-adventure animal story. It became better.

A librarian encouraged us to continue with it no longer as a picture book for very small children but as an early reader chapter book for second graders learning about similes.

I hope that we can teach children to notice facts and objective truth as they are being trained for life. So, I’ve accepted that my child’s fantasy had to grow some legs of gravity and wisdom. I’ve trusted my editors and beta readers that this is true, but I’m not above being told off.

Blog Stops

A Baker’s Perspective, December 11

A Diva’s Heart, December 11

Girls in White Dresses, December 11

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 12

For Him and My Family, December 12

Older & Smarter?, December 13

Emily Yager, December 13

For the Love of Literature, December 13

Just the Write Escape, December 14

Blogging With Carol, December 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 15

Bigreadersite, December 15

janicesbookreviews, December 15

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, December 16

Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 16

Blossoms and Blessings, December 17

Southern Gal Loves to Read, December 17

A Reader’s Brain, December 17

Aryn The Libraryan 📚 , December 18

Lights in a Dark World, December 18

Remembrancy, December 19

Inklings and notions, December 19

Lighthouse Academy, December 19 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 20

Live.Love.Read., December 20

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, December 21

Sara Jane Jacobs, December 21

The Christian Fiction Girl, December 22

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, December 22

Maureen’s Musings, December 23

With a Joyful Noise, December 23

Texas Book-aholic, December 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Auralee is giving away the grand prize of a set of Darling Hedgehog greeting cards!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/f33e/darling-hedgehog-goes-down-a-foxhole-celebration-tour-giveaway

An Amish Christmas Bakery by Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, Beth Wiseman and Kathleen Fuller

Posted on December 14, 2019 by bigreadersite

This was probably one of my favorite anthologies I have ever read. Each of the four stories in this book were all from some of my favorite Amish fiction writers. Each story was as good as the one before it.

Cookies and Cheer by Amy Clipston was wonderful. Alyssa and Kyle must each remember what the Christmas season truly represents again.

Loaves of Love by Beth Wiseman is the next book and also wonderful. Katie must learn that going a bit modern isn’t always what is best.

Melting Hearts by Kathleen Fuller is fantastic. Both Mattie and Peter learn that not all “friends” tell the truth.

Cakes and Kissed by Kelly Irvin was one that made me laugh and cry. Martha and Ambrose learn that differences don’t always matter.

These were all fantastic Amish stories.

I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

About the Book

Book: An Amish Christmas Bakery

Author: Various Authors

Genre: Amish Fiction, Romance

Release Date: October 2, 2019

From bestselling authors in the Amish genre come four delicious novellas perfect for celebrating love, joy, and the holiday season.

Cookies and Cheer by Amy Clipston
As Christmas draws near, Alyssa Byler dreams of a window display for the bakery where she works. When she decides to design and build a sugar cookie nativity scene, all she needs is the right cookie cutters-and handsome blacksmith Kyle Smoker is the one she asks for help. Using Kyle’s handmade cutters, Alyssa creates a striking display that brings more tourists to the bakery than she can handle.
And when shoppers request handmade cookie cutters of their own, Kyle finds himself overwhelmed by the demand. As Christmas approaches, Alyssa realizes she’s been too caught up in work to focus on the true meaning of Christmas-and too distracted to explore the feelings she has for Kyle. Together, they put aside the holiday rush and spend their time celebrating the season that has brought them together.

Loaves of Love by Beth Wiseman
As the only girl in a family of eight, Katie Swartzentruber has been left in charge of her family’s bakery while her mother recuperates from surgery. At first, Katie doesn’t think tending to the bakery alone will be difficult. She’s worked alongside her mother for years. But Christmas is coming, and with the holiday comes a flood of patrons, both regulars and tourists. When Katie becomes overwhelmed with the orders she is receiving, she is tempted to move her Old Order family into the modern world by purchasing propane ovens to help with the workload. She finds help from an unexpected source-childhood friend Henry Hershberger, who has harbored a secret crush on Katie for years. He’s been afraid to tell her how he feels, but he’s sure that this Christmas is his moment. As the demands of the bakery only get more intense, both Katie and Henry have to decide what really matters . . . and find the courage within themselves to go after it.

Melting Hearts by Kathleen Fuller
Mattie Shetler is an expert baker, so when her aunt Carolyn begs for help during the busy Christmas rush, Mattie eagerly packs her bags and heads to Birch Creek. What she doesn’t know is that her uncle has also asked for help with the bakery’s new expansion, and he’s asked none other than Peter Kaufman, Mattie’s sworn enemy. As the two work side by side, though, Mattie discovers not all is as it seems. With Christmas just around the corner, Mattie and Peter open their hearts for the greatest gifts of the season: forgiveness and maybe even love.

Cakes and Kisses by Kelly Irvin
Martha Ropp works hard at her family’s bakery, making cakes and pies in preparation not only for Christmas but the many community weddings, including her sister’s. To help during this busy season, Martha’s mother hires Ambrose Hershberger to make deliveries. Martha remembers Ambrose as a gentle giant from her school days, but soon discovers that still waters run deep. The more they work together, the more they want to spend time together outside of the bakery, but both Martha and Ambrose are too timid to make the first move. That’s when the town matchmakers step in.

Click here to get your copy.