Romance Books

This, the second in the Three Sister's Island trilogy is just as good as the first. Miss Roberts moves you right along with her wit. Once again I was sucked right into the story. Great little book.

This is a very charming book, the first in a trilogy. The heroine, Nell Channing, had to fake her own death to escape an abusive husband, but her trials aren't over yet. Landing on Three Sisters Island, she gradually finds friends, creates a career, meets the perfect man...but she has to deal with her past before she can enjoy her future. Along the way, she also finds out that she is an hereditary witch, and will play a part in averting a 300-year-old curse. I have read this book several times, and always loved it, but I have one small quibble...the silly rhymes used in witchcraft wouldn't convince a toddler, much less the powers of Air, Earth and Fire.

i just finished this book and i'm glad i picked it up. i haven't read a nora roberts book in some time.. as i can't really get into her j.d.robb series novels.. this book was fantastic.. the characters were well developed and i fell in love with zack.. sigh.. such a sweet, hunky man.. all the characters were pretty in depth. this was a pretty quick read for me, i just couldn't put the book down. and i loved the magic and witchraft.. i would love to visit sisters island!!

this book was very well written in that it pulled me in and i didn't want to come back to the real world.. esapism at its best! i can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy

I absolutely loved this book, and I can't wait to read the second in the trilogy. I loved the characters, the setting, everything! I have yet to read something by Nora Roberts that I dislike. Pick up one of her novels, you will not be disappointed.

Nell Channing is on the run! She has had to go so far as to fake her death to escape her abusive wealthy husband. When Nell lands on Three Sisters Island, she finds the place she feels at home. She finds a job at a café owned by Mia Devlin. The two hit it off and become fast friends. Mia is a witch. This is something she neither hides nor flaunts, but when it comes to light that Nell also possesses powers, Mia helps her develop them. While developing her gifts, Nell makes another friend of Ripley Todd, Zack's sister. Ripley is also a witch, but doesn't actively practice.

When the local sheriff, Zack Todd, meets Nell, he is determined to get closer to her. He plans to break thru all her barriers. While she likes Zack, she doesn't disclose her deception because she is afraid of being found. When her identity is revealed, her life is at risk. It will take the strength of the Three Sisters - Nell, Mia, and Ripley for her to survive.

I enjoyed this first installment of the Three Sisters. The practicing witches were a new aspect for me and interesting to read.

This is one in the triple series. I really enjoyed the entire series, great reading, very entertaining.

Three times a winner, Elizabeth Amber's well crafted and synergistic trilogy held me mesmerized and salivating from beginning to end. Bravo, Elizabeth!

In 1823 Lyon is the last Satyr sibling standing since his brothers married (see NICHOLAS and RAINE) two of the daughters of the Faery King. He would prefer to remain single, but like his brothers know he has no choice but to obey his monarch and wed his offspring.

Thus Lyon leaves his beloved Tuscany wine fields to head to Paris to marry Juliette Rabelais, the city's most infamous courtesan renowned for her cuisine and carnality skills that when combined is heaven. As the full moon is coming, he needs to return home, but he is unsure who seduced whom.

The third Lords of Satyr romantic historical urban fantasy with a bit of a mystery is much darker in tone than the previous two tales, but contains the same fast-paced excitement with strong characterizations. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the relocating Lyon travels to Paris to meet his new wife, a fallen woman with a murder charge hanging over her in his beloved Tuscany from three years ago. Fans of the mini series will know what that means to the couple. Elizabeth Amber provides a strong finish to a powerful saga.

Harriet Klausner

The storyline in Lyon is more satisfylingly complex than the one in Raine, but the sex was equally steamy (though different) in both and the writing quality was excellent in both. Lyon is mostly about the developing relationship (&sex) between Juliet and Lyon, but be aware that it includes a scene of M/M/F (Juliet and 2 identical paranormal versions of Lyon--sounds weird but it makes sense in the story).

Loved this book and was sorry when it was over.

The three Satyr brothers, Nicholas, Raine and Lyon, are heirs to a successful winery in Tuscany. They are also are half-human, half-Satyrs, born from the ElseWorld and living in the EarthWorld. They were sent to find three half-faerie daughters of a dying king.

The two older brothers have found their loves, and now it¢s time for Lyon to depart to Paris and find the third, and last, sister. But when he arrives he finds not one, but two trails of faerie scent, one leading to the river, and one leading to a woman named Juliette Rabelais, a courtesan.

At first, Lyon is confused about the two scents, but the one from Juliette is the strongest, so he sets out to get close to her, and fulfill his duty.

Known for her culinary skills, Juliette is not your typical courtesan. Fiercely guarded by her protector, M. Valmont, she hates her life, and longs for it to change. When she meets Lyon she is very attracted, but knows it could never work. When she cooks for Lyon on a Moonful night she discovers a man unlike any she has ever seen. But the night is nearly Lyon¢s undoing. Afterward he must battle to discover what has happened, and fix it before it¢s too late.

I have absolutely loved the Lords of Satyr books, and when they were first introduced, Lyon is the brother that attracted my attention. That¢s why I eagerly awaited the arrival of this book. But it¢s also why this review is hard to write.

I loved Lyon, just like I thought I would. He is strong and dominant, which makes me shiver. Juliette is a well-drawn character, not wanting to stay in her life, but knowing she has no choice. Together they are explosive, and perfect.

The problem for me was one scene with two male shimmerskins, which raised a major ick factor for me and made me shiver, and not in a good way. That scene almost cut it for me, but the strong finish of the book, and the creative way Ms. Amber wove in the fourth faerie scent, and set up another book made me shiver in a good way.

All in all, Lyon is a great addition to the series. I will probably read the book again, but will skip over that one scene, the only thing that kept this book from receiving a Recommended Read nod. The book did leave me waiting for the fourth book. The Lords of Satyr books are creative and well written, a trip into fantasyland that plumps up your senses. If you haven¢t checked them out yet, start from the beginning. Then sit back and enjoy the ride. You¢ll be glad you did.

Amelia
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

As a reader of several of Ms. Kingsbury's books and a huge fan of the Redemption series, I have to admit that the Fame books left me more than a little disappointed. By the start of the Sunrise series I had begun to wonder if the writer would ever return to her former "glory". But, thank God, with this book she has done it. With Summer she has managed keep the reader riveted without resorting to overly fantastical plot twists, and has brought us a touching, sometimes heartrending and ultimately heartwarming story of struggle, loss, acceptance and God's unchanging love in the midst of it all. Once again I feel as though I want to journey with the Baxter family as they navigate the road of life. Well done Karen Kingsbury! I look forward to reading the next installment...

Another great book by Karen Kingsbury! I am going to hate it when the Baxters are no longer around!

I appreciated this book because it deals with the fact that God does not always answer our prayers the way we would like for Him to, BUT He always is there in the midst of our pain and hurting. Karen Kingsbury is my favorite author of all time because she confronts issues that many of us face--divorce, death, unwed pregnancy, adoption...but shows the compassion, love, and forgiveness of God and shows that it is also possible for us to lavish the same attributes on others.

Karen Kingsberry is an outstanding author. "Summer" is just one of her many books. Her characters seem so authentic due to the fact that Karen takes them through many of the trials that occur in the lives of our family members or friends. What is more amazing is how these people overcome their trials which could easily be applied to our own personal lives. Her characters are interwoven as is the case of our relationships with others. As far as I am concerned, Karen should be on the New York Best Seller's List!

I love the Baxters, but have struggled with their books. Everything always works out for them. Yes, they faced Elizabeth's death in Reunion (Redemption Series-Baxter 1, Book 5) and Haley's drowning in Remember (Redemption Series-Baxter 1, Book 2). They struggled through September 11th like the rest of us; they're lives have been peppered with emotional and relationship dramas, but the ALWAYS come out on top! Prayers are answered with miracles. Even Kari's husband's murder made a perfect way for her to get back with her one true love, Ryan. Each story has been ideal and that has frustrated me to no end. Life isn't a fairy tale. We don't all live in Bloomington were the roses always bloom. In this book, the Baxters meet real life. It's wonderful!

I loved the authenticity of their struggles in this book. It goes beyond right-to-life issues or dealing with anencephaly. This book reveals how prayer challenges us. God doesn't always answer the way we want to. Why does prayer "work" sometimes and other times it doesn't? What happens when our family members DON'T support us? What do we do when our husbands don't say the perfect things or hug us at the right moments?

This was, by far, the best book of the Baxter dramas. It was real life. That means pain, but it also means joy through the grace of God. I love the Firstborn Series. The characters are so thoroughly developed. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND every book in this series.

First, I am glad I read the book; if you have a chance: read it. Now my reveiw: The sad emotions were forced and manipulative; yes I cried. But I was more angry about crying because the relationship in the story did not deserve it. The story is more a tragedy than any kind of best friends novel. The 'best friend' is a manipulative horrible person who we are supposed to embrace because she had a terrible childhood. I didn't buy it; To the title of my review: forced...I felt the author forced the emotions in the story, forced a relationship that just would not exist. The lead character was a doormat for her best friend. I enjoy other books in this genre - I enjoy a good story, but this was not.
**to be fair I will disclose I work in the business so my knowledge is over and above that of the author.

what a wonderful story..its been years since i've been so moved by a story. i can't wait to buy a copy for my best friends who would be able to identify with this story. i highly recommend.

Krisin Hannah quickly became a favorite author and "Firefly Lane" was another very well-written book with a good story and cast of characters, which led to many enjoyable hours of reading. I'll be waiting for her next book!

This is not the type of book that I would ordinarily pick up, but I had heard some good things about it from another blogger, and when I spotted a brand new copy at the library I figured I might as well try. I'm definitely glad I did, because I enjoyed this novel far more than I expected to. This is mainly a book about friendship, but it's so much more than just about these two characters, Tully and Kate. It's about growing up, family, relationships, love, fame, motherhood, and so much more. I think a lot of mothers will feel for both Kate and Tully - one takes the stay at home mom path, the other takes the successful, rich, and no husband/kids path, and they both end up being jealous of one another for their "road not taken". I have often wondered what I will do when the time comes to have children - will I continue with my career, getting the advanced degrees that I badly want and doing the work that I really feel driven to do, or will I decide to be a full-time mom, and make caring for my children and household the center of my life? Or will I try to do it all, as we women are told we can do, but so few are actually able to? I think this is something that every mother struggles with, and I'm sure I will too (heck, I struggle with it now, and I don't plan on having kids for several years). That is just one of the real life issues dealt with in this book.

The characters are very real for me in this book, and I think that's the main reason why I enjoyed it so much. This is not the type of book that can handle dull, lifeless characters - it is a completely character-driven story. Of course there is plot, and lots of it, but you really have to feel that Kate, Tully, and everyone else is real to get into the story. While I liked the way the characters were written, I actually didn't like some of them at all. Tully annoyed me in so many ways, as did Kate's husband (but not as much). I'm ok with that though - the fact that I was irritated so much by these characters' actions meant that I cared about what was going on in the story, and that is important.

One other thing - this "betrayal" they speak of? Well, let me just say that I was SO convinced that I knew what it would be; throughout the whole book I was positive that it was going to be this one thing, and I was going to be so mad that it was obvious to me, but then... shocker... it was something completely different from what I had expected. Totally threw me off guard (and made me hate Tully even more than I already did, by the way). I was VERY happy to see that my suspicions weren't correct and the book wasn't so predictable as I was anticipating.

So I would recommend this one. Not my favorite book by any means, but a really good, heartfelt story, with well written characters and a moderately fast pace.

"Tully and Kate (TullyandKate) who both feel they are outsiders meet when they are in junior high. They are complete opposites destined to one another thanks to residency on Firefly Lane. After a horrible experience happens to Tully she confides in Kate and the two become best of friends. A friendship that spans over 30 years. The two promise to do everything together and through trials and heartbreaks they end up keeping that promise.

Kristin Hannah references all the styles, songs and major events that happened during the 70's through today giving the reader memories of their own past. While some may feel she overdid her research I truly enjoyed the trip down memory lane.

Get ready to get addicted to the characters and feel like you too are a Firefly Lane Girl! This is a definite quick read and one that will have you laughing and crying over and over. Make sure to keep a box of tissues close, your best friend on speed dial and an afternoon to spend dedicated to this book because you will not want to put it down. This book will hit home!

Johanna Lindsey used to be one of my favorite romance novelists. Lately she's been disappointing. However, I will continue to read her novels hoping for a better one.

I'm a big Johanna Lindsey fan and have read all of her books, many of them several times. I love her Malory family series, especially the James and Georgina story. Most of Lindsey's books are good enough to read again when I am in the mood for a satisfying romance story.

But No Choice But Seduction doesn't fall into that category for me. This book lacked the humor, the steaminess, or the sexiness of her other books. The story is almost just a refresher course of who all of the Malory characters are, and not even about Boyd and Katey. There is really no story of the two falling for each other, no sexual tension at all, and the ending just happens out of the blue - almost as an afterthought.

Although I'm glad I read the book, I won't read it again. It really isn't worth a second read.

This is a Malory novel, but you don't need to have read the rest of the series to understand what happens in this book. It might help, though, to keep all of the family members straight. (Of course, I have read all of the other books - and still had trouble) This book centers on the brother-in-law of James Malory. Katey, at first, comes across as almost TSTL. She is really just kindhearted and naive. Boyd is your typical man. He sees something pretty and decides to make it his. This book left little to the imagination and seemed to try too hard. The tie-in with the Malory family was overdone (can't really explain without giving the one surprising thing away). I really like Johanna Lindsey's books, but this one was definitely not a favorite.

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I'll preface this by saying that I'm a big Johanna Lindsey fan in general and have read nearly all of her novels. In particular, I love her Malory family series. Probably my favorite story out of all the Malorys was that of James and his now-wife Georgina. I found myself laughing out loud with that book.

But No Choice But Seduction doesn't fall into that category, unfortunately. In this story, Lindsey chronicles the romance of Boyd Anderson (Georgina's brother and James's brother-in-law) and Katey Tyler. Katey is on a mission to see the world after being reared in a tiny Connecticut town as the youngest resident. Her childhood was rather boring, but her mother recently died, and upon her mother's death, Katey inherited a veritable fortune which could be attributed to Adeline's refusal to touch the money she inherited upon her father's death. Confused yet? Don't worry. It gets worse.

In order to entertain herself, Katey tells "stories." They're really white lies meant to embellish and exaggerate to spice up tiny Gardner's residents' lives. But Katey gladly says goodbye to Gardner when she takes over her newfound fortune and sails for England across the Atlantic. It just so happens that she took passage on Boyd Anderson's ship, The Oceanus.

Boyd is nearly immediately head over heels for Katey while she concocts another embellishment by telling him she's married. So Boyd (being the gentleman he is) stays away from her. But his lust for Katey never truly goes away.

Katey finds herself in a predicament when she rescues Anthony Malory's daughter, Judith, and finds herself thrown into jail. Boyd is indirectly the cause of this, but Katey decides he's entirely responsible and will not let go of her grudge. The Malorys feel indebted to Katey for rescuing Judith and take her in as a newfound family friend. When Boyd asks what he can do to obtain her forgiveness, she irrationally tells him that he must rent his ship out to her so that she can travel the world. Boyd agrees but only if he sails with her since the ship never sails without him. Katey reluctantly agrees.

Along the voyage, Boyd manages to seduce Katey, and the romance finally begins to take shape about halfway through the novel. Lindsey had too many coincidences...one includes how taken Judith was with Katey and then turns out to be her sister. Yes, that's right: Anthony Malory suddenly has a long lost daughter in Katey. Apparently, Anthony had an affair with Adeline in his rakehell days but had intended to marry her. Before he could propose, Adeline discovered she was pregnant, left the country, and then proceeded to have the child and raise her with another man she'd married. Of course, Anthony didn't know any of this.

This novel from Lindsey lacked the humor, steaminess, and sexiness of previous novels. James and Anthony Malory occasionally provide some entertainment as they throw barbs or punches at one another, but for the most part, I found Katey annoying and unlikeable. Her constant childish tendency to hold a grudge and her refusal to be logical at any point in time made her unapproachable as a character. And Boyd's refusal to "bother" Katey with his feelings was annoying as well. He came off as wimpy and, well, not too bright at times.

While I'm glad I read the book if for nothing other than another Malory happily ever after, I wouldn't choose it to read again. It simply isn't worth a second read.

I absolutely love the Malory family.
This book was not exciting and definitely not one of Lindsey's best. I felt extremely disappointed after reading it. I waited so long for Lindsey to come out with another one only to be disappointed. But hey every writer has a dud every once in a while. I commend your effort Lindsey and will still always be a faithful fan, you are an extremely good writer. I really enjoy reading all of your older books.
The problem with this one is the characters. Katey is a liar. I dont see any point to her made up stories, it gets to the point of ridiculousness. Yes she is a funny character, but she becomes frustrating. I didnt feel the love between her and Boyd and this was supposed to be a romance.

If you're expecting something similar to Ella Enchanted, don't. Mrs. Levine has taken a different twist, trying a more diverse setting than before. I, as a writer, found it interesting and helpful to see a book written from two points of view in the present tense. It took a little bit of time to get used to, but didn't drag the storyline.

If you are take an interest in philosophy, greek mythology, or bible study, you should consider this book for discussion. Though most wouldn't recognize the story, she takes a little bit from the old testament, a short story in which a man sacrifices his daughter to God. It made me wonder what Mrs. Levine herself believes about the Christian God, and if he is loving or not. But it also includes some other stories, like that of Demeter and Persephone. The ending was happy, and I was glad for that because a lot of stories involving gods and goddesses include unhappy endings, like when a god falls in love with a mortal, they get separated somehow and that's why we have storms.

In agreement with other reviews, it seemed a little too fast paced, and didn't have the humor and engaging descriptions of her other books. Gail Carson Levine's best writing is in Fantasy, where her books Ella Enchanted, Fairest, The Two Princesses of Bamarre and the Princess Tales take place. Her other books, like The Wish, Dave at Night, and Ever are good and worthy of high ratings, but not her author's best potential.

This is completely different from Levine's popular Ella Enchanted. I didn't find it as entertaining -- but that's clearly not the purpose of the book.

On a side note, aren't today's book covers terrible? I wish this, and Fairest, could have gotten a nice illustration like the original Ella Enchanted. It's implied that the story sets place in a Indian-like land, and describes the heroine's dark skin, but all we get is some eyeliner-wearing white model on a photoshopped background...bleh...

This book has a sweet and interesting story, but I wish that the author had developed it a bit more. The book was very short, and it could have been much longer. Though it has a romantic theme, it reminded me of a children's book just a little. However, it was fairly good; the story just needed a little more development.

*SPOILERS*

Bittersweet ending as always in Levine's gorgeous books. You know, I'm really not sure why I like her books so much, they have a lot of what I hate about fantasy books (random names, little exposition). Hers are just somehow really amazing, easy to read, and the stories are really engaging. Specific to this book, let's see, I really didn't like all but the last few of Kezi's chapters. She's boring. Olus is a REALLY interesting character and is great, Kezi isn't all that interesting until the end of her trial and on. Ever was really fast-paced, I remember her other books spanning much longer time periods, that was a drawback. I didn't like that a lot was crammed in and a lot was spaced out unnecessarily. I thought for sure there'd be a plot twist, isn't that what she's known for? =P Still, pretty happy with the ending, just wish she'd got to stay with her family. I also really wish we'd gotten resolution to Admat. Is she purposely leaving it vague as a parallel to God? I still think there should be a sequel, maybe from one of Kezi's kid's POV, that would be really intersting, one of them going on a quest to find Admat, struggling with their siblings, the mortal vs. immortalness. I really liked Kezi's abilities, they were sweet. That's pretty much it, wonder what her next project is going to be!

Kezi lives in the city of Hyte, with her Mati and Pado, and spends her days weaving and dancing and worshipping the all powerful god Admat. Olus lives in Akka, the land of the gods, and is the god of the wind and loneliness. He sets out to Hyte to live among the mortals, where he meets Kezi. He is inexplicably drawn to her, and their bond is forged when Kezi is promised to be sacrificed to Admat. Olus is determined to save her, and reveals his true self to her. Together, they set out to change their destiny.

Gail Carson Levine creates in Ever a completely different world from the one that her heroines from Ella Enchanted and Fairest live, with a new set of rules and gods and cultures, packing in as much information and details without giving the reader a sensory overload. The story moves rapidly, and is wonderfully simple and magical at the same time. Levine's trademark spunk and determination shine through in Kezi as she struggles to become a heroine and finds a way to survive.

The romance between Olus and Kezi is kept simple and chaste, and is a bit rushed, but pitched perfectly for younger readers. However, the religious ponderings and question concerning the existence of Admat will be very relevant to older readers, and does well in engaging them as well. Once again, Levine has woven another magical tale that will enchant readers of all ages.

This book had me hooked I couldn't put it down. I was wanting to know what happened next to Anne and her family issues.

I have been reading the Blaze romance series frequently for the last year, I think I ended up in a whole new league. I bought this book when it was on sale because the cover interested me, two guesses why! Does the book have sex? Yes! But it is not just about sex through the whole book, but relationships. It deals with the consequences of bringing in a third person into the bed. I could not put this book down and it created a sleepless night for me. I read the whole thing last night. Now, I am ready for another!

It is a tale about Anne and James Kinney. They are happily married. Anne and James have a great sex life that many would envy but it seems that there might be something missing. Alex Kenndy is James's best friend. He has been living in Singapore and is now coming back to the States for a visit. Alex will be staying with James and Anne. Anne has never really gotten to know Alex and is not sure what she thinks about him watching her with a look of lust. Besides what would James think if he knew his best friend was eyeing his wife. As it seems James doesn't mind. When Anne is given the chance to spice things up with two men will she give into temptation or pass it up?

Let me first off start by saying that Tempted is a very tasteful erotic novel by Megan Hart. Tempted shows that even the most perfect couples can fall victim to desires. I thought Anne was a great character as she showed emotions, conflict, and love. Also for me Anne seemed to be the strongest one in the book but at the same time James and Alex were able to compliment her, so that the story line was believable. Tempted was my first novel by Megan Hart. It was a good, quick read. I would check out other books by Megan Hart. So with this being said if you enjoy erotic novels or are willing to give them a try than check out Tempted.

Its about the main character, Anna, in her point of view. She is the luckiest woman in the world. She has a loving husband, James, and wonderful home, and a life to live for. Suddenly James gets a phone call from an old pal named, Alex, from Singapore. His company was bought out and now he needs a place to crash so he can get his own company up and running. So James and Anna agreed. At first Anna doesn't really approve of the extra company. For one when James and Alex get together James starts acting unlike himself. But worst of all Alex becomes extremely attractive to Anna until they both hatch a plan to share her. But Anna starts wondering if there is something more to the both of them than just having alittle fun with her?
I think this book was a cross between a threesome porn and a made up movie on Lifetime. An odd mixture of a woman dealing with her husband's weird antics, her families mishaps, and of course her own personal demons. I think this is a very good book to read and should be given a shot.

I've read two of Megan Hart's other books (Broken and Dirty) and really enjoyed them. I was excited and couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I was so disappointed. I'm taking my copy to the used bookstore for credit.

She gets gang raped when young, and as an adult, goes back to get revenge. She exposes her beloved rape son to the poisonous tongues of a small town. Hard to swallow. She is terrified by well meaning men, but not by her rapist when she stops her on a lonely road close to the place where the dirty deed occured. The book has a lot of nice moments but the inconsistencies are overwhelming. I gave up on page 337 so I do not know if it gets any better or even worse at the end.

I read this book a number of years ago, and decided to read it again. The second time around, it was still very interesting reading. Sandra Brown is definitely my type of author.

I personally thought this was her best work. That said, the format was a MP3 audio. If I had to read it, then maybe I wouldn't have felt so strongly. But I have no way of knowing.

I've read about 5 or 6 Sandra Brown novels, and this one was my favorite yet. A lot of Brown's novels follow the same template especially for the mystery/suspense ones. Where the killer/bad guy turns out to be a very minor charactor who you know nothing about until you find out who he is and then it goes into this big explaination about why he was the bad guy. Then of course the happy ending with the unprotected sex that they hope results in a pregnacy..haha. It gets kind of old. But this one isn't like that AT ALL. I'm not going to summarize it or anything, but if you are like me and enjoy reading Sandra Brown but find her books a little repetive, you should really read this one.

Jade Sperry is a happy high school senior with her whole life ahead of her. She thinks she is blessed and has more than anyone could hope for. She is pretty, popular, smart, and has a boyfriend that truly loves her. In one moment Jade's life takes a drastic turn when she is brutally raped and left for dead by three of her peers. This event shapes all her decisions and how she lives her life. Jade decides that she will extract her revenge on those that harmed her.

This is a really well written story. The one thing that was hard to deal with was that just when you thought Jade's life couldn't get any worse, it does. It is very intense and emotionally draining.

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This is another great book by Cindy Woodsmall. I can hardly wait to read the next installment. When the Morning Comes is about changes in life. You can think you have things all planned, but then something happens and everything changes. This book clearly demonstrates how tightly you need to hold on to your faith and to remember that although it seems like everyone is against you, God is always for you. This is also a lesson in learning from your choices. What you chose to do or not do will affect everyone around you.
Hannah Lapp was shunned by all the people in her Amish community except a very good friend. Even Paul, the boy she loved, turned his back on her. Hannah left the Amish life and began anew. She moved in with her Aunt and adapted to the English culture. She is called back to the Amish community for an emergency. Now we must wait to see what happens next.

Once again Cindy Woodsmall grabs the reader right from the start. I loved that Cindy starts this story exactly where the other story ended. Cindy has a way of taking the reader and having you see and feel Hannah's pain and struggle, which makes it real. It was fascinating how Hannah explores and discovers new things in this Englischers world. It's not like anything she was raised in. It's extremely hard to get used to, but she can't go back to being shunned in her Amish community. Lies were being spread about her and there was nothing she could do to make them go away. No one believed that she was faithful to her God - she did nothing wrong but everything was made to look and feel so terrible. She had left a note for Paul (the love of her life) and even called to see if they could be together, but he had begun to believe the lies also. She couldn't believe how fast he could turn on her - just like everyone else did. She was all alone to face a new life by herself. But, there was still one family member that might take her in - her aunt. She knew her aunt would understand her plight. Hannah had to reach out and try to connect with her - it was her only hope.

Back in Hannah's Old Order Amish community, they all start to regret their decision which forced Hannah to run off. They talked to one another and found out that she was telling the truth. How could they have abandoned her in her time of need? How could they live with themselves? How would this young woman make it on her own? Paul wants to run after her, but no one knows where Hannah went. Why hasn't she called or written? Everyone waited for the day that Hannah's heart was healed and she would want to come back to the community she was raised in. Then they could show her the love they had for her. Would they ever get that chance?

Cindy Woodsmall has many gems in her book mixed amongst the seriousness. The book has humor and gems of advice like "You need to forgive yourself. You need to believe what you did is not more powerful that what God can do from this point forward." Amen to that. Wow!

I loved how Cindy goes back and forth between the events in these two different worlds. In the first, the Old Order Amish Community, we see how life continues in this world while everyone deals with Hanna's disappearance. The second world is a new, exciting and terrifying world that Hanna has escaped to. Here, we see how she learns to take care of herself and find some peace in this unknown environment. She doesn't want to look back...she can't. It's just too painful!

You will be totally absorbed in this fascinating story of self-discovery, forgiveness, love and the really important things that make this life worth living. I can't wait to read the last installment of this series.

Nora St.Laurent
[...]

This author draws the reader into the story. The characters are so real that I found myself taking sides with some of the people as I read all night. I find myself anxious for the last book in this series to be released. I feel this author should win literary awards.

When the Morning Comes is as beautiful as When the Heart Cries. I have been a reader for about 30 years now and I can not remember ANY novel that held my attention like these two have. The characters are life like and there is always something on the next page that you can not wait to get to! I just finished up the second book a few nights ago. I got online to see if (hopefully) Cindy Woodsmall had a book to follow. Oh I am so very pleased! I can not wait until September to see what becomes of Paul and Martin! I have pre-ordered my book tonight. I am just amazed at how awesome Cindy's books are. If you are thinking about ordering the series...don't spend another minute. I promise you won't be able to put them down! Awesome work Cindy!

MY SITER ELLEN TURNED ME ONTO THE AMISH BOOKS BY BEVERLY LEWIS, ONE DAY IN BORDERS DISAPOINTED THE NEW ONE WAS NOT IN STOCK I RAN ACROSS CINDY WOODSMALLS FIRST BOOK SO I DECIDED TO BUY IT. WHAT A GREAT FIND, LOVED BOTH BOOKS. I LIVE IN NJ AND I LOVE GOING TO LANCASTER AREA AND SOME PARTS OF NJ HAVE MANY VENDERS AT FLEA MARKET WHERE THE AMISH LIVE. IF YOU EVER CAN MAKE THE TRIPYOU WILL LOVE IT AND THE WARMTH OF THE PEOPLE ARE WONDERFUL SO READING THE BOOKS ARE A NICE WAY TO SORT OF TAKE ME THERE IN BETWEEN VISIT TO MY FRIEND OVER IN PA.
THE FIRST BOOK I COULD NOT PUT DOWN AND THIS ONE WAS EXCELLENT AS WELL. IT SHOWS ANOTHER SIDE OF THE AMISH MY HEART BROKE WHEN HER FAMILY DID NOT BELEIVE HER ABOUT THE RAPE. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HER NEXT ONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW HER LIKE LEWIS. ENJOY!!!