Rutabaga's Reads 2026: Part 10

I’m back with my second annual Christmas in July compilation post. Hooray! It remains a new blog post tradition, but I hope more will pop up in the years to come. In the meantime, hope you’re having a happy Christmas in July! (^-^)

The Christmas House (Sept. 2, 2025) by Beverly Lewis.

<This is a standalone holiday novella with recurring characters from previous books.>

With Christmas fast approaching, 22-year-old Liz Lantz’s Christmas House Buggy Tours are booked up. Her younger brother, Adam, typically helps her, but he and their dad have been called away to help a relative with a house addition. Dat finds a young Amishman to work alongside her, but not knowing Matthew Yoder, she is apprehensive about this stranger coming on board. Matt proves to be charismatic, good with the customers and hard-working, taking care to groom King, the horse pulling the buggy. The buggy tours make it a point to go by the extravagantly decorated “Christmas House,” set up by the only non-Amish family (the Hyatts) in that area of Hickory Hollow. While nothing is wrong with a festive spirit, the ensuing traffic causes headaches and concerns for the area Amish. When Liz gives Ashley Hyatt a lift home, she learns more about them and the reason for their overdone Christmas display. It’s eye-opening, and she wonders how she can help their non-Amish neighbors feel welcome in their tightknit Amish community. Liz also struggles with her deepening feelings for Matt, whose faith and care for others lights up her heart like she never knew it could.

            Christmastime beckons readers to Hickory Hollow, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and a snowy winterscape. Lewis wins yet again with her homespun, Christian Amish romance. The contemporary holiday novella is unpretentious even with the loud light display and charms throughout. It highlights community, family and, of course, Christmas. Little though this book is, there is abundant holiday cheer, a strong faith base amongst the main and supporting characters and a generous assortment of homemade goodies. Tuck into this sweet tale, but don’t forget a sweet treat, too.

The Christmas Ring (Oct. 21, 2025) by Karen Kingsbury.

<This is a standalone holiday novella.>

Four years have passed since Vanessa Mayfield lost the family heirloom, a piece of costume jewelry christened the Christmas ring by her great-grandfather when he found it on D-Day. Four years since she became a widow. Vanessa meets Ben Miller (a widower) when she happens into the vintage store run by Ben and his father in Marietta, Georgia. Vanessa’s just dropped off her daughter, Sadie, at Reinhardt University and happens to need fuel while driving through Marietta. Their friendship easily turns into a whirlwind romance, but romance may not be meant to happen. Vanessa continues to wear her wedding ring. She also hasn’t told Sadie about Ben, and the annual Columbus Cares Military Dance approaches, which Sadie will be home for. Ben’s dad finds the item of a lifetime, a ring appraised at $25,000. It’ll fund the dream trip he’d always hoped to take with his wife and son to Italy, though his wife is also gone. Ben’s worked up the courage to take Vanessa on a real date and declare his love when he learns a terrible truth. It’s one he cannot ignore and finds him rushing back to Marietta the day before the annual military dance and fundraiser. “Love is the greatest diamond in the rough.” Love wins all ... hopefully.

            For those looking for a sweet and clean holiday romance, this might be the Christian fiction tale for you. The drama is never overly dramatic, the plot is uncluttered, and the novella’s whirlwind romance is whirlwind-y. It’s family-friendly and Hallmark-ready. Faith runs deep, compassion rings true, and appreciation for those serving and their military families is authentic. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really get into the story. This Christmas tale is too sweet, the whirlwind romance not convincing enough, which may be due to the lack that can happen in a shortened tale. I don’t regret reading it, but I’m glad that I checked it out from the library versus spending my own money on it.

Once Upon a Christmas Carol (Sept. 2, 2025) by Melody Carlson.

<This is a standalone holiday novella.>

She hates Christmas. With a Christmas Day birthday growing up in a dysfunctional home, Carol Langstrom’s birthdays were never days of celebration and excitement. She’d skip the holiday altogether, but as someone working in the interior design industry, the Christmas holiday is a decorating extravaganza for her rich, entitled clients. This year she’s fleeing to the Bahamas, but bad weather re-routes, and then subsequently strands, her to Michigan. She winds up connecting with an aunt she’s never met and takes shelter from the storm at her place in [fictional] Miller’s Creek, Michigan. She encounters Victor Clarkson when he picks her up from the airport. It turns out he’s the handsomest guy in the community and has a heart of gold. She expects to fly out as soon as flights start up, but there is a charm in this town that Carol’s never experienced. Her mom made out Aunt Maria O’Harney (née Banducci) to be the most selfish, but she’s quite the opposite. It’s with her aunt that she’s wrapped up in a new kind of Christmas, one with family at its core.

            I hail from and live in a winter climate, but even I would be aghast if my tropical getaway became a stranded stay-in. The Christian Christmas novella is decked out in holiday spirit, the joy of family and the comfort that comes in being loved, and it’s wrapped up in the peace of faith. That doesn’t mean the tale is without blustery winds, icy roads and small-town drama, but it strengthens the story’s charm and cheer. The pleasant, contemporary romance would fit right in as a Hallmark movie. Who knew that a wintry wonderland could transform holiday blues over a missed tropical escape into a Christmas that’s merry and bright?

Rutabaga's Reads 2024: Part 9

Welcome to my only Christian/inspirational fiction post of 2024. For those who do read Christian fiction, who are your favorite authors and why?

A Beautiful Disguise (Aug. 22, 2023) by Roseanna M. White.

<This is the first novel in a series.>

With a flair for the bold, Lady Marigold Fairfax’s wardrobe isn’t fashion-forward because she’s style-obsessed. Instead, her eye-catching choices as Lady Marigold disguise her alter ego as Lady M and also one of the founding members of The Imposters, Ltd., with her brother, Yates, and two friends, Gemma Parks (a.k.a. G.M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her high society stories) and Graham Wharton. Left with an estate (and an earldom for Yates) on the brink of bankruptcy after their father’s death, the brother-sister duo opened a private investigation firm for the elite to spy on the elite. They have collected many secrets and are shocked when Lieutenant Colonel Sir Merritt Livingstone finds their card and hires the anonymous group to investigate Lord Thomas Hemming, their late father’s good friend. He might be a traitor, as someone is leaking information to Germany as tensions mount (it’s England in 1909). Sir Merritt has been a dedicated man of the Crown with exemplary service, having recently spent a decade serving the reigning monarch in the Coldstream Guards, but pneumonia lands him a desk job in the War Office Intelligence Division where Lord Hemming also works. The Imposters, Ltd.’s investigative services are beyond compare, but will they find innocence in their father’s friend? Or something nefarious?

            From bejeweled ballrooms to covert intelligence offices in London to an acrobatic Tower in Northumberland, the first in The Imposters series is engaging from the first page until the last. It’s a story showcasing hard work, up to and including manual labor, in an aristocratic society where money isn’t oft seen as an issue, but for the Fairfax siblings, the burden to keep afloat and maintain appearances is a weighted one. White crafts a series starter replete with great characters and a forward-moving plot set in Edwardian England that is interspersed with romance and investigation and fueled by faith. It’s a delightful, inspirational fiction, sleuthing adventure!

            Favorite line: “She simply preferred not to sit like a letter of the alphabet and pretend a ruler was jammed into her corset.” (p. 211)

The Heirloom (Sept. 12, 2023) by Beverly Lewis.

<This is a standalone novel that’s a prequel to The Shunning.>

With grief over her mother’s passing still feeling fresh with her father already remarried and reeling after a breakup with someone she thought was the one, 19-year-old Clara Bender doesn’t feel like she fits in in her more progressive Amish community in First Light, Indiana. With a new stepmom, Clara isn’t needed to manage her dad’s household, and there are few available young men in her small community. When she comes across letters from her mother’s dear aunt Ella Mae Zook, and reaches out to this great aunt whom she’s never met, she soon finds herself invited to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania’s, Hickory Hollow and the Old Order Amish community where Ella Mae, the Wise Woman, resides. Clara’s arrival for a week turns into a summer, and it’s an answer to prayer, because Ella Mae isn’t ready to move from the home she made with her late, beloved husband. The two women form a close bond quickly over their love of Clara’s mother and quilting. Together, the two of them set to restoring an heirloom wedding quilt from 1911 that once belonged to Ella Mae’s mother. Clara finally opens up about the relationship that fell apart, and Ella Mae shares the “unspeakable” tragedy from her courting years. Clara makes quick friends, including Katie Lapp (features in The Shunning), Lettie Zook (granddaughter to Ella Mae) and Rosanna Ebersol (a shy 16-year-old). She also meets some eligible young men from Hickory Hollow. Will she become flirtatious Tom Glick’s sweetheart girl? Or might thoughtful Aaron Ebersol catch her heart?

            Lewis’ prequel to The Shunning is an intergenerational novel of healing, love, new beginnings and moving forward. If Clara follows her heart, she’ll stay in Hickory Hollow amongst the strict Old Order Amish with their straitlaced bishop, but her father’s been adamant that she’ll return to First Light at summer’s end, where their Amish community focuses more on grace than excessive rules. Lewis graces readers with another tender, heartstrings-tugging, clean romance. Make a sweet, minty batch of meadow tea, find your favorite lap quilt and settle cozily in for this gladdening tale.

To Spark a Match (Nov. 14, 2023) by Jen Turano.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

Even though she’s a member of the New York Four Hundred, with multiple unsuccessful Seasons and a penchant for catastrophe, Miss Adelaide Duveen has long since resigned herself to the wallflowers section at parties and accepts that she’s destined to remain a spinster forever at her overripe age of 23. She doesn’t view this dismally, for it allows her to concentrate on her favorites: cats and books. She delights in spy novels, and when she inadvertently stumbles upon Mr. Gideon Abbott engaged in a clandestine activity during a dinner party, Adelaide is all but convinced that she must help Gideon solve the case. This is the last thing that former naval intelligence agent Gideon wants. A well-known gentleman amongst the Four Hundred membership, he doesn’t want others to know the “accounting firm” he works for is a front for an investigation service. He also doesn’t want to risk others getting hurt. Considering he’s prevented Adelaide from pitching over a steep edge and put her out when she caught on fire, there’s no way Adelaide can be involved. He asks Miss Camilla Pierpont, a good friend of his, to take Adelaide in hand. Camilla, another member of the New York Four Hundred and an Incomparable when she debuted, has her work cut out for her. Adelaide’s putting up with it, because her mother’s overjoyed at Camilla’s involvement. Gideon, meanwhile, wonders aloud how Adelaide’s still alive, doing things like taking the El alone and shopping at Bainswright Books, which is in a seedier area of the city, and wandering down shady alleys unaccompanied. When Adelaide’s books are stolen right out of her hands, the potential for danger becomes real, and reinforces Adelaide’s drive to be part of the investigation. There’s clearly a spark between Adelaide and Gideon, but is it a spark of love or disaster?

            As someone who also loves cats (though I only have two, not 20+) and books, I definitely felt a kinship with Adelaide’s character. Turano’s stories are always charming, suffused with engaging characters, including forward-thinking, independent women, humorous dialogue and a fast-paced, energetic plot. Turano’s fans will sail through this fun, lighthearted romp amidst another matchmaking season. There is elegance and refinement mixed with sleuthing and adventure -- oh, and plenty of misadventure, too.

            Book One: A Match in the Making

Rutabaga's Reads 2023: Part 6

To balance the amount of YA novels that I read, here is a compilation of inspirational fiction novels. All authors included here are familiar-to-me authors.

The Orchard (Sept. 6, 2022) by Beverly Lewis.

*This is a standalone novel.*

The Hostetler family are orchardists in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and have been for generations. For Ellie, the orchard must be as beautiful as the Garden of Eden, such is her love of God’s beauty at work amongst the fruit trees. Her twin, Evan, as the youngest son, will one day manage the orchard that their Dat currently manages and their Dawdi before him. Once close siblings, Evan’s been continuing his Rumschpringe as Ellie’s about to be baptized. It’s 1970 and when Evan’s draft number is called up in the lottery for the Vietnam War, the family is shocked to learn that he never sought conscientious objector status, as would support the Old Order Amish belief in non-resistance and non-violence. The community reacts to this development with some community members and even some of their own relatives giving them the cold shoulder for Evan’s wayward ways. Though she’s seemed to catch the attention of another young Amishman, Ellie finds easy conversation with Sol Bontrager. Not only is he the brother of her best friend, Leah, he’s a conscientious objector and is already baptized. Sol’s steady presence is a balm in Ellie’s shifting world. With Evan serving in the Army, who will take over the orchard? Will Evan return home alive?

            With her peaceful, heartwarming, cleanly romantic, faith-based novels, it’s easy to see how Beverly Lewis continues as best of the best in Amish fiction. This novel explores ground I’ve not seen from her by adding a Vietnam War-era backdrop to the familiar Lancaster County setting. Her plot includes twists in Ellie’s relationships and the tumult that the Amish community endured because of their pacifism. The Hostetler family’s orchard is a gentle place of solitude, perfect for reflection or even falling in love, the story a soothing escape from the contemporary, despite characters facing uncertainty in a nation fractured by war. Another star story from my favorite author of Amish fiction.

To Disguise the Truth (Jan. 18, 2022) by Jen Turano.

*This is the final novel in a trilogy.*

The past is catching up to her. When Mr. Arthur Livingston arrives at the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency in September of 1887 determined to hire them to locate missing heiress Miss Eugenia Howland, Eunice Holbrooke knows her gig might be up. Despite the widow’s weeds she’s worn for seven years and the veils over her face, secrets are going to come to light. She is Eugenia. Arthur’s goal is to be known as a leading mining industrialist, even though his family name precedes him as a member of the New York Four Hundred. Mason Mines has been successful with Arthur in the picture, but that picture changed somewhat seven years ago when Eunice’s patriarch grandfather, who was a tyrant, even to his relatives, was murdered. James Mason had not a compassionate bone in his body, so the list of suspects isn’t short. Eunice refuses to return to Butte, Montana, but she isn’t quick to share why. Arthur, an annoyingly handsome yet irksome man, may not be the “scourge of the earth” that Eunice describes him as. In fact, both of them may be more sensitive and romantic than the other thinks. It won’t be easy to discover with Eunice prepared to avoid him; she even takes an out-in-the-field assignment that lands her in Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum, but Arthur is no ordinary gentleman. Confronting her past may set Eunice free, but it’ll be dangerous, as there’s still a murderer or murderess out there. Good thing Eunice is skilled with a gun and has boxing skills to boot.

            Turano’s stories are always a delight to read and this closing novel in The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency trilogy is no exception. Turano has a flair for writing historical fiction that is true to the times as far as setting/fashions/etc., while giving readers captivating characters, especially strong, independent women, witty dialogue, chaste romance and potentially dangerous situations that you know the main characters will make it through to a satisfying ending. The women of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency are definitely women I’d want on my case if I needed their assistance. The story moves fluidly with its clever writing, bustling plot and the banter of the characters. I’ve been reading Turano’s books for years now, and I don’t plan to quit!

            Book One: To Steal a Heart

            Book Two: To Write a Wrong

To Treasure an Heiress (Jan. 4, 2022) by Roseanna M. White.

*This is the second novel in a series.*

Adventure can be found amongst the Isles of Scilly, and Elizabeth “Beth” Tremayne has always felt the pull of adventure. Adventure pulls at her now as she seeks more of a pirate (Mucknell) or pirate prince’s treasure (Prince Rupert), long thought to be tall tales and Tas-gwyn Gibson’s storied blustering. Turns out there is truth to all of those tales, evidenced by the old collection of letters and a map Beth has found (letters from 1650, and it’s now 1906) and the silverware recently found. She’d been searching on her own, but after mistaken identity pulls others into the fray, there are now too many hands in the cookie jar. One of those involved includes the 26-year-old Marquess of Sheridan, Theodore (Theo) Howe, a man that Beth finds insufferable. Beth’s big chip on her shoulder is that the beloved, inherited trinket box she entrusted to Lord Scofield – who’s a vile man – got sold to Sheridan instead of returned to her, and Sheridan refuses to return it to Beth. Sheridan loves a good archaeological adventure and inserts himself into Beth’s adventure. He’s enamored with her, and Beth doesn’t despise him quite so much as she’d like to think she does. With the villainous Scofields (father and son, Nigel) and their dastardly ways a real threat, will Beth’s impulsive choices and the call for adventure find her in a dangerous trap?

            The second installment in The Secrets of the Isles is as fresh as I imagine the air was in 1906. Crisp and refreshing, fitting for an adventure. Beth is headstrong and impulsive where her brother is calm and grounded and Sheridan is good-hearted and patient (and a bit incorrigible, too!). Sometimes Beth’s strong will had me picturing a petulant child and not a young woman, but it’s part of what makes Beth Beth. I love the humor, laughing aloud at Sheridan turning whatever Beth says into a proposal (“That’s brilliant.” “I do.” “You do what?” “Weren’t those your marriage vows?” p. 147). White is adept at creating historical fiction characters that are of the time, but the lead female characters are filled with spunk, independence and assertiveness. The plot isn’t mired in extra tangents, the story of  tragic love and piratical adventure melding with newfound love and island adventures mixing with a secondary character’s struggle to forgive herself and release her internal shame, which may then open her heart to accepting someone who truly loves her. It’s not a sappy story, though it does have moments that make the reader say, “Awww!” Another strong inspirational, historical fiction novel from White.

            Book One: The Nature of a Lady

Rutabaga's Reads 2022: Part 25

Where there is a YA compilation, so, too, will there be an inspirational fiction (InspFic) post following. Presenting my second InspFic post of 2022 as we’re almost at the year’s en

The Beginning (Sept. 7, 2021) by Beverly Lewis. 

*This is a standalone novel with a crossover character.*

Love cannot be unrequited when one doesn’t know love is present. That’s how it’s turning for Susie Mast. She cares deeply for her dear friend, Obie Yoder, but when Obie takes an apprenticeship with a relative 100 miles away, she feels the loss of his presence in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She goes out with Del Petersheim briefly, but the spark isn’t there. She ends things, but doesn’t share the news with Obie, especially after hearing that he’s soon to be engaged. She writes her final letter to Obie and that is that (or is it?). Meanwhile, her Old Order Amish life keeps her continually busy. From busily maintaining the house and homestead so Mamma - whose health has been suffering - need not worry over it and taking her turn with her mom’s little shop and accepting custom orders for her needlework family trees, there’s little time for much else, though concerns loom over her. Concerns regarding her mom, certainly, and news dropped by her older brother, Allen. The deaths of her close-in-age brother, Eli, and their dat continue to cast long shadows. She has her younger sister, Britta, who’s a hard worker, but Britta has been distracted here lately, too.

            Britta is adopted. She’s always known this. Unlike the blonde hair of her family members, hers is a rich brown and can be unmanageably wavy. She has been curious about her origin, though she tries to hide the extent to how desperately she wants information. When Mamma finally shares, Britta is floored. Will learning the truth affect how others view her? Will she become unworthy in the eyes of the People? Will she use her upcoming Rumschpringe to venture into the English world?

            Beverly Lewis’ books continue to enthrall me. I’m always impressed by how Lewis writes her characters with such solid faith, and they share Scripture and lift up prayers so naturally. It never feels forced. A running theme for multiple characters is forgiveness. It’s okay to struggle with it, and it’s okay to be frustrated, but one doesn’t want that frustration to turn to anger. As always, a strong sense of family and community is present. Reading Lewis’ stories are like being gently folded into a dessert; there’s such care. This book - and all of hers - are great for readers who enjoy Amish fiction, light romance and faith-based novels.

The Deadly Shallows (July 5, 2022) by Dani Pettrey.

*This is the third novel in a series.*

A CGIS graduation ceremony in Wilmington, North Carolina, is rocked by a devastating attack with multiple fatalities. CGIS Agent Noah Rowley and his team arrive on-scene to end the violent attack, but he’s injured in the process. Coast Guard flight medic Brooke Kesler witnesses the attack and feels the weight of that trauma, but she jumps into professional mode when she’s needed on medical flights. The first flight carries the only surviving gunman, and he whispers a word to her that is nonsensical to her, but which puts a target on her back. Noah’s hospital room becomes a command center, but he spends most of his time with Brooke when she becomes a patient (he doesn’t want to say she’s a victim). Noah wants to protect Brooke, but the more they investigate, the more they uncover. The shooting may have been a distraction from a grander plan that could have even more horrifying consequences in the wrong hands. It’s not the end. It’s only the beginning.

            When it comes to inspirational, romantic suspense, Pettrey is my favorite. Her thrill rides in literary form take sharp turns and drip with mal-intent, but her protagonists are the types of folks you want to be your friends and your neighbors, members of your church. This contemporary fiction novel is written with intense realism and contains a tight plot. The swings in tension are balanced with calm moments and trauma with the busyness of investigation and research. Burgeoning romance between Brooke and Noah and Caleb Eason and Austin Kelly add a layer of sweetness that bolsters the book’s masterful storytelling. Book Three in the Coastal Guardians series is another exhilarating gem. For me, Pettrey’s books are always five out of five stars!

            Book One: The Killing Tide

            Book Two: The Crushing Depths

To Write a Wrong (Aug. 3, 2021) by Jen Turano.

*This is the second​ novel in a series.*

Though the general public doesn’t know it, Miss Daphne Beekman is a mystery writer by day. She has a nom de plume, as her publisher doesn’t believe her famed mystery novels will sell if readers discover the writer’s a woman. She moonlights as a member of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency. She prefers to do behind-the-scenes work, well away from any danger. This changes when Mr. Herman Henderson seeks the services of the women of the agency. Herman, too, is a mystery writer, though, as a man, he doesn’t need to hide behind a pen name. While he may have overlooked it at first, he’s decided that someone is definitely trying to do him in. The close call that sends him to Bleecker Street is one in which he was almost run over. Despite the exciting novels he pens, he tends to lead a quiet life, not wanting to tempt himself with his own adventurous lifestyle, lest he perish on an expedition like his parents did when he was a youth. Daphne and her friends and fellow agents go undercover to Herman’s house, posing as Herman’s secretary (Daphne) and household staff, to flush out the person who wants Herman dead. The unfortunate part about working closely with the potential victim is that Daphne and her friends may become victims, too. Even with the danger, a clear attachment is forming between Herman and Daphne. Instead of crafting edge-of-your-seat fictional mysteries, the two must solve their own real-life mystery before they can write their own story. And a love story can be mysterious and adventurous, too.

            In this second installment in the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, readers are treated to a delightful story featuring female sleuths in a faith-themed, historical mystery that’s also part romantic comedy. It is as entertaining and quick-witted as Turano’s other stories that I’ve read. Like the skilled storyteller she is, Turano seamlessly blends elements of danger, the focus of an investigation, the percolation of new romance and snappy banter with faith and belief in prayer. Daphne prays for courage and wonders if courage has passed her by when, in fact, God has been working on her this entire time. It’s encouraging to see growth like that, even in a fictional tale. And I can always trust that writing a wrong is exactly right when the right writer writing is Jen Turano!

            Book One: To Steal a Heart​

Rutabaga's Reads 2021: Part 3

Just yesterday, I posted my first YA compilation of 2021. Here is my first inspirational fiction post for the year.

Acceptable Risk (Aug. 4, 2020) by Lynette Eason.

*This is the second novel in a series.*

Serving in Afghanistan, Sarah (given name Rochelle) Denning is a military journalist with the Army, and she’s been taken hostage with multiple teenage girls. While she fears for the girls she’s surrounded by and the impending plan of selling them as Taliban brides, she also doesn’t want their kidnappers to find out she’s an American and especially that she’s the daughter of Lieutenant General Lewis Denning. Not that she expects Lewis to care anything for her since he disinherited her for joining the military. However, her dad does care, and he enlists former Army Ranger Gavin Black to not only rescue the group, but keep Sarah safe back on home soil. Home soil isn’t where Sarah wants to be, and she’s livid when she discovers that she’s been discharged after a false psychiatric evaluation initiated by her own father. She’s charging forward like an angry rhinoceros, but is halted in her tracks when she learns that her younger brother (not FBI Special Agent Caden Denning, who’s her older brother) has committed suicide. Dustin had been improving by long strides, even Caden agrees. With the help of Caden and Gavin, Sarah’s in investigative journalist mode and is hungry to discover the truth surrounding Dustin’s death. The discovery would be career-ending for some and career-gaining for Sarah … if she can avoid death herself. Is the truth she strives to uncover an acceptable risk?

            Can you handle the truth? Investigative journalism is not an arena I have a knack for, and that is a truth I can handle. Sarah’s investigative skills display her perseverance, but she isn’t lofty in the knowledge of her abilities, which I appreciate. Confidence is respectable, but arrogance is not. I could go without the “romance” angle, but since the story is marketed as inspirational, romantic suspense, it is to be expected and doesn’t overall take away from the speedy narrative. Adding in Eason’s mixture of familial love, betrayal, greed and danger with a sprinkling of faith makes for a tight story from beginning to end. Eason is a force when it comes to inspirational suspense, and I don’t plan to quit reading her stories. Ever!

            Book One: Danger Never Sleeps: Collateral Damage

On Wings of Devotion (Jan. 7, 2020) by Roseanna M. White.

*This is the second novel in a trilogy.*

Black Heart isn’t the monster the media and a distraught widow have made Major Phillip Camden to be, and nurse Arabelle (Ara) Denler knows it as deeply as the roots of her faith. Phillip is a man hurting, a man in need of mercy, a man who doesn’t expect to live, which is why he does not seek out friends or close relationships in or outside of Room 40, where he is a codebreaker (he is stuck with Lieutenant Drake Elton and Margot De Wilde as friends, though). His path unexpectedly crosses Ara’s in an event that is devastating to Ara’s planned future, but it’s the start of Ara encouraging Phillip on a path to healing. It is hard to move forward positively with the ongoing threats from Mrs. Lewis and an old acquaintance (Diellza Mettler) intent on using him in a nefarious plot. Ara’s struggle is that she’s never felt like enough, for the men in her life seem to always leave her. She figures she’ll not marry for love (because she does not perceive herself as physically beautiful), but for the inheritance she has, which is a very lonely thought to have. Ara remains convinced, though, that Phillip Camden’s heart is far from black. Does that mean that his heart can love?

            Like all the other books by White that I’ve read, I highly enjoyed this second story in The Codebreakers. Arabelle is a woman that, while professionally trained as a nurse and working as one, has her heart set on marrying and having a family. She is confident in that conviction, and since it is her choice, I see nothing wrong with it. (I’d have a far different opinion if she felt coerced into future motherhood, which is what Margot (from this book’s predecessor) does not want, and fortunately, Drake understands that.) What makes my heart hurt is that she thinks she’ll only be valued based on her inheritance, as Ara has convinced herself that her outward appearance is lacking. It’s partially because I live in a world where body positivity is encouraged, but mostly, it’s because I have had this internal struggle in years past, and I know I’m not alone, that I understand this infernal type of inner war. Sometimes those doubts still surface, and it is a lot of work to not be down on one’s physical appearance. And to watch Phillip is powerful, too. He’s a man broken to a man leaning on fragile hope before he accepts the Lord. He goes through a lot of darkness to become the man he is on the other side. There are trials, there is darkness and there is heartbreak, but there is also devotion and hope and faith.

            Book 1: The Number of Love

The Stone Wall (Sept. 8, 2020) by Beverly Lewis.

*This is a standalone novel.*

A direct descendant of the founder of the Beachy Amish church, 20-year-old Anna Beachy feels she is at a crossroads. It’s been a year, but she’s still stinging since she lost her beau to the world, and it’s clear she feels unsettled in the small Beachy Amish settlement in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania. When a letter arrives from her Mamm’s Old Order Amish cousins, Glen and Sadie Flaud, of Strasburg (in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County), with information about a job opening for a tour guide at the Mennonite Information Center, Anna jumps at the opportunity, though with humility and thoughtfulness. Despite Anna’s Beachy Amish upbringing (with allowances such as driving a car), she acclimates with ease into the Old Order ways, including the lack of electricity. And with a change in scenery and lifestyle come two potential beaus: one a Mennonite tour guide named Martin Nolt and the other a young widower named Gabe Allgyer. Gabe runs Peaceful Meadows Horse Retreat, where there are horseback riding therapy programs. Participants include Gabe’s adorable five-year-old daughter, Emmie, who became mute when her mom passed away two years prior. Anna is drawn to volunteer at the retreat and connect to little Emmie. But how will Anna balance the two relationships as each seems to grow in significance? Especially when one relationship would surely upset her Beachy Amish parents?

            No matter the conflict within a story by Beverly Lewis, she always manages to make the story, as a whole, calming and understated, which actually makes them all the more indomitable and timeless, no matter the decade the story takes place or the lifestyle differences between the Old Order Amish or me and my array of modern-day conveniences. The plotline for this story showcases an interesting divide – amongst Old Order and Beachy Amish – which many people may be unaware of, and Lewis weaves a potentially poignant connection with Anna and her Mammi Eliza (her grandmother), who’s lucid days and even moments have mostly been stolen by Alzheimer’s. Lewis doesn’t ignore that sadness and loss are involved in any life, but she naturally mingles in faith and love. She isn’t writing epic fiction, but her ability to continually produce captivating novels about the Amish is epic!

Rutabaga's Reads 2020: Part 2

The amount of inspirational fiction I read each year is a comparatively high percentage. I’ve never crunched actual numbers, so while it doesn’t surpass young-adult fiction, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s close. Here is the first inspirational fiction post of the year. You’ll likely notice that all of the titles were released last year; I simply did not get to reading them in 2019.

A Song of Joy (Aug. 6, 2019) by Lauraine Snelling.

*This is the final novel in a tetralogy.*

Life in Minnesota has taken a far different turn than Nilda Carlson could ever have imagined. Blessings abound on the farms that her family resides on, as do blessings in her city life in Blackduck with her wealthy employer, Mrs. Gertrude Schoenleber. Nilda misses spending time with her family and the satisfaction of a hard day’s physical labor. Yes, one’s busy from sunup to sundown, going to bed exhausted, but it’s rewarding to reap what one’s sown while working amongst family. Fortunately, working with Mrs. Schoenleber is rewarding, too. The experience she is gaining is tremendous, and she’s proactive with philanthropic opportunities, which are important to her, being a recent immigrant. Unfortunately, there is one Crawford Galt of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency who’s been sent to investigate a death. Galt’s presence doesn’t help Nilda’s nightmares, though an unplanned visit home appears to nix those. How can Nilda defend herself against one who’s come into this with a closed mind? Did the deceased’s mother send him?

            As if that were not enough on her mind, Nilda is realizing she has feelings for Fritz Larsson, the handsome schoolteacher and church organist who gives her piano lessons. But Nilda’s suddenly caught the attention of an affluent and rather pompous young man from the Twin Cities. What’s a gal to do? Will Nilda adopt the role of budding socialite and move to the Cities? Or will she remain humble and God-loving, one bare foot in the farm life and the other, elegantly-shoed one in the small city?

            I adore Snelling’s Under Northern Skies series. She writes so realistically that I catch myself thinking things such as, “I should go hitch up the buggy,” or “It’s time to churn butter again,” when, in reality, I know how to do neither of those things. The author has created a character in Nilda that has been given a wealth of opportunity while also keeping her humble and wanting to stay close to her roots, those roots being family, faith and hard work. I highly recommend this story and series to anyone who enjoys inspirational, historical fiction.

The Timepiece (Sept. 17, 2019) by Beverly Lewis.

*This is a sequel in an unnamed duology with recurring characters from other books.*

The arrival of Adeline Pelham has complicated things for the Miller family, already under scrutiny for Earnest’s lack of forthrightness 20 years previous. The oldest Miller, Sylvia (Sylvie), now no longer Earnest’s only daughter, is struggling. She sees her dad bestow interest in the things Adeline does that he never showed when Sylvie was learning them and notices how much more talkative he is around Adeline. Is Earnest trying to make up for lost time? Then there’s Sylvie’s beau, Titus Kauffman, who’s not only overly critical of this new development, but who tends to discount Sylvie’s trustworthiness by association of her dad’s Englischer past. Who doesn’t hold a judgmental attitude toward Sylvie or her family? Andy Zook. Will Adeline’s arrival be the last straw for Hickory Hollow’s Old Order Amish community? Or will God light a new path for the Miller family?

            Whereas I struggled with Sylvie in the first book, I tolerated her well in this installment. She has her own, very human, struggles in accepting Adeline, as do her siblings (all younger brothers), but as she grows, so her mind and heart do as well, opening up space for the love of a newfound half-sister. The fictional setting of Hickory Hollow in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, continues to sound idyllic. Lewis continues to be the gold medalist, in my opinion, of Amish fiction. She writes with faith, depth and heart without overlooking the tough stuff.

Vow of Justice (Aug. 6, 2019) by Lynette Eason.

*This is the final novel in a tetralogy.*

When FBI Special Agent Lincoln (Linc) St. John is told his partner, Allison (Allie) Radcliffe, is dead after an explosion, he is devastated. When he discovers that their boss, Henry Ogden, led everyone to believe she’s dead because Vladislav Nevsky won’t look for a dead person, and Allie has gone along with it, Linc is furious. It is only after talking to Allie that Linc calms and reluctantly agrees to go along with her “death,” keeping it even from his primarily law enforcement family. He makes sure to stick close to her as much as possible. Nevsky’s 17-year-old daughter, Darla, has evidence that could put her dad away for forever, and now she’s missing. Allie has made finding and protecting Darla her priority. She’s put Darla above taking down Nevsky and Gregori Radchenko, the latter of whom has very close ties to her past. Allie tries to do this while maintaining a low profile, but it’s hard to appear dead when one can’t stay ahead of the bad guys. They’ve checked vehicles and clothes for trackers, and there isn’t anything on or in Darla’s backpack. So how do Nevsky’s men know where they are? And when Allie finds herself confronting Gregori, will she choose justice or revenge?

            Concluding the Blue Justice series in a high-stakes, inspirational, romantic suspense novel, Eason shows us why she remains top of her game with the good guys dodging bad guys and bullets. The story leads readers on a swiftly-moving trajectory where to lag could get you killed and idle moments are few. As with the other books in the series (and a short story), I love that this series features siblings of a family, an entire family that I wish were my friends growing up. Although I enjoyed this story, I will express one disappointment. Eason normally keeps me guessing, but I knew who the unnamed bad guy was right away. I was reading along and thought to myself, “I bet this is a bad guy.” And I was correct.

            Book One: Oath of Honor

            Book Two: Called to Protect

            Book Three: Code of Valor

            Novella (in a multi-author short story collection): Code of Ethics

Rutabaga's Reads 2019: Part 13

This inspirational fiction compilation features stories from authors I’m already a fan of. No contemporary fiction here. You will find write-ups featuring historical fiction and/or Amish fiction.

A Season of Grace (Nov. 6, 2018) by Lauraine Snelling.

*This is the third book in a series.*

After a difficult beginning in America, everything is finally going right for Nilda Carlson. Together with her relatives, she works the family farm, which now includes a second house for her brother and sister-in-law and their family. When she and her brother, Ivar, first arrived in Minnesota, they were offered a warm place to stay in Blackduck at Schoenleber House. They made a good impression on the wealthy businesswoman and hostess, Mrs. Gertrude Schoenleber, as she invites them both to a social at her house. It’s a gathering of young people. The social brings a new surprise to Nilda’s life when Mrs. Schoenleber offers her a job. It’s a lot of work. Not only is she getting a crash course in learning English, she’s learning how to navigate the confusing worlds of both commerce and high society. Unfortunately, the same young man from her hometown of Valders, Norway, who tried to assault her, is in Blackduck. He asserts that he’s a new man, and Nilda would like to think it were possible. However, when she sees him mouthing to her “I’ll get you,” it definitely connotes that he has, in fact, not turned over that new leaf. Can she learn to forgive him even if he cannot be truly trusted?

            With life moving successfully forward for Nilda, Lauraine Snelling shines rays of hope and promise on the character, but she also adds danger with the appearance of Dreng. During the pinnacle encounter with him, the author creates an emotional scenario that isn’t stuck in 1910. It’s a theme that resonates even today. Yet again, I am impressed by Snelling’s ability to paint a canvas of words that are so realistic that I feel like I should be out felling trees (I’d be terrible at this) or canning beets (sounds messy, but I do love beets). This third in Snelling’s Under Northern Skies series is a powerful historical drama, and I loved every page of it.

            Book One: The Promise of Dawn

            Book Two: A Breath of Hope

An Hour Unspent (Sept. 4, 2018) by Roseanna M. White.

*This is the final book in a trilogy.*

Once London’s top thief, Barclay Pearce is reformed. Thanks to V, he and his family (not by blood) have been using their suspect skills to help their nation. It’s 1915, and World War I is going on. Barclay has been tasked with contacting a clockmaker-engineer. He is honest with Cecil Manning early on. He is to help Mr. Manning finish a prototype of something that could be a game-changer for the RNAS (Royal Naval Air Service), and with V’s connections to the Admiralty, Barclay can help Mr. Manning obtain the parts he needs. What he does not expect is Manning’s daughter, Evelina “Lina” Manning. She’s recently been dumped by her betrothed, suddenly ending their engagement, because he decided he was inspired to enlist in the army. Her mother blames the fractured engagement on Lina. But as she gets to know Barclay more, she may discover that she doesn’t know him at all. When her father leaves unexpectedly, Lina feels hurt and angry, but what if there’s more to his exit? With war going on, the race has long-since begun for any technological edge. Ideas are in supply. But it’s the great ideas that are in demand, and too many may know of Manning’s great idea. For England to obtain what it needs to help their war effort, they’re going to need a reformed thief.

            Since the first book in the Shadows Over England series, I’ve been hoping for Barclay Pearce’s story. “An Hour Unspent” is a concluding novel in an exquisite series of investigation, cunning, family and faith steeped with history. All the characters – even the supporting ones and especially those in Barclay’s family – are distinct. Roseanna M. White’s craft is strong and her female protagonists are mostly resilient. I am looking forward to what’s next in store from the author; next up is a main character that readers of this trilogy will recognize!

            Book One: A Name Unknown

            Book Two: A Song Unheard

The Tinderbox (Apr. 2, 2019) by Beverly Lewis.

*This is the first of two but is not a series and can be read as a standalone.*

Her father’s tinderbox has always resided on a top shelf, and it has always been locked. Sylvia “Sylvie” Miller hasn’t been tempted to know its contents since she was a young girl, but when she sees it’s unlocked as she’s dusting her father’s clock-making shop, curiosity gets the best of her. What she finds is innocuous save for one expensive-looking and well-crafted timepiece with an inscription of love from an unfamiliar name. When Earnest notices the tinderbox’s key has fallen out of hiding and notes fingerprints on the timepiece, he knows his secret of 20+ years has been found out. It’s a secret he’s kept all these years from his family and the ministerial brethren, but he can keep it no longer and lays down the entire story to Rhoda, his wife of 20 years. It rocks their marriage, to be sure. Rhoda convinces Earnest to at first keep it a secret, but it weighs heavily on them. After a goodwill trip to Maryland to help repair damaged horse stables, where he reconnects with a great uncle, he and Rhoda decide he should declare an admission of guilt. Will others in the community shun Earnest and his family? Will the Bann be temporary or permanent?

            Eighteen-year-old Sylvie, the eldest Miller and only daughter, struggles with the knowledge of her father’s past. Now wishing she’d heeded words from long ago and not opened the tinderbox, she and her family question all they thought they knew of Earnest. It complicates matters, too, that her betrothed, Titus Kauffman, is a son of their Old Order Amish preacher. How will her father’s history affect her future with Titus? Was it actually Titus who tattled on her father when he noticed Earnest talking to his Mennonite great uncle, a relative?

            Although not officially part of a series that I can tell, there are familiar characters from multiple stories, namely Ella Mae Zook, the Wise Woman. This Amish fiction story will have a conclusion in the succeeding novel, so it’s a duology without a series. The story ended in a direction I expected, so surprises were negligible, but it remained fast-paced for me.

            Despite the character’s faith, multiple characters need to find forgiveness for themselves and others. With all of the turmoil of Earnest’s secret and the rippling effect of its devastation once it’s out, I felt the story was less sunny-bright than usual. Where I struggled was with Sylvie. Without full-on complaining, she still managed to be brooding, not unusual, considering the circumstances, but not the type of character I expected. I don’t condone the secrets her father kept, but Sylvie is the one who gave into temptation, snooped into something that wasn’t hers and looked into something that she knew she shouldn’t. The story is classic Lewis with a twist. I look forward to the next story and, hopefully, positive outcomes all-around. Because right now, I’m not a fan of Titus. But that Andy Zook seems like a good fella. Wonder if his character is single?