Rutabaga's Reads 2025: Part 4

Last fall, I had a library patron ask aloud and disparagingly, “Who reads these books?” The books in question were these types: Christian/inspirational fiction. He was, specifically, poking fun at Amish fiction. I, confidently, because why wouldn’t I be confident in my own reading choices?, and forcefully replied, “I do.” “Really?” he asked. He was actually astonished.

            That’s a long-winded way for me to introduce my first Christian/inspirational fiction post of 2025. Do you read Christian/inspirational fiction? Why or why not?

Double Take (Jan. 9, 2024) by Lynette Eason.

<This is the first novel in a series.>

It’s been 18 months since Physician Assistant Lainie Jackson survived her would-be murder at the hands of her ex. She killed him in self-defense, she knows she did, but a man who looks like him (from a distance) is stalking her. Someone has gone to great lengths to make it look as though he was never deceased, and his parents and brother believe him to be in witness protection. Detective James Cross has worked with the Lake City Police Department for the past couple months, but he hasn’t told his family (parents, two brothers, Keegan and Dixon, and one sister, Steph). He was honorably discharged from the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division due to wounds sustained on active duty. When James rescues two young girls and takes a bullet, his family finds out he’s around when the story’s splashed on the local news. He’s been staying with his good friend and work partner, Cole Garrison, while he figures out his family dynamics. James has always known Lainie, she’s best friends with his sister, but it’s only recently that he’s recognized her as someone other than his little sister’s best friend. Lainie wants to look to the future, one with James in it. Unfortunately, Lainie believes she’s a quitter, but if she quits, she fails, and she’ll die.

            The first in the Lake City Heroes series hits the ground running from the first paragraph and only slows down enough to round a sharp bend on a mountain when your life is in danger. In other words, this high-octane, Christian romantic suspense novel never really slows down. Eason’s skill is such that she seamlessly balances suspense with care, laughter and faith. It’s faith that sustains, not faith that is preachy. The tale is gripping and swift-paced with protagonists you wish were your neighbors and friends.

Love on a Whim (May 7, 2024) by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

<This is the third and final novel in a series.>

Steady, level-headed Brynn Haywood is reeling after an impulsive marriage to a man named T.D. DeLima that she’d known less than 24 hours. She sneaks out while he’s still sleeping and flees to Chatham, Massachusetts, a Cape Cod seaside town. Her loyal best friend, Dawn Dixon Collins, thinks she needs to “fix” Brynn’s problem and find her a lawyer through her mom’s (Marnie Dixon) very good friend, Lincoln Hayes. Lincoln is preoccupied with his daughter’s lavish, over-the-top wedding that comes complete with repeat last-minute decisions from Lincoln’s ex-wife. To put it mildly, he wasn’t an involved parent. The arrival of Lincoln’s estranged son, Bear Hayes, further agitates the challenge-filled days leading up to the wedding. His automatic animosity toward the Dixons and his father’s generosity toward them generates friction. Then the wedding day arrives and Lincoln’s whereabouts are unknown.

            A matrimonial misadventure, a wedding with no spending threshold, individual wedding cakes and Dawn’s Double-Fold Vanilla Ice Cream mix together in this sweet, Christian contemporary romance novel and final in the Cape Cod Creamery series. It features friendship, faith and forgiveness with good humor folded in. Brynn may discover that her impulsive decision shows more resolve than she realizes she possesses, but it won’t be without upheaval. There’s a character that’s in the “dark corner of unforgiveness,” though, as another character states, “Apologies don’t have expiration dates.” This book is charming and is the right amount of sweet to fill the reader up. It’s a delightful ending to an ice-cream-filled series.

            Book One: The Sweet Life

            Book Two: The Secret to Happiness

One Wrong Move (Feb. 6, 2024) by Dani Pettrey.

<This is the first novel in a series.>

Two people forging different paths. A chain of heists that’s turned deadly. Taunting riddles. Andi (Miranda) Forester was once a brilliant FBI forensic analyst until she was set up, and her career was destroyed. She now channels her brilliance as an insurance investigator and encounters Christian O’Brady. He was immersed in a life of crime at a young age by his parents. He gained faith and walked away from his corrupt past to become a private investigator and security expert. The company Andi works for insures Tad’s galleries, and Christian’s the one who installed the security systems in each of the galleries. As the two work together to discover who’s behind the break-ins, they are targeted early on. But why would someone go to the trouble of leaving them riddles as they also try to kill them? Is there more than one entity at play, and they’re not on the same page? The notes are usually left in Andi’s name, save for one with Christian’s, so they also wonder which of them is the prime target. Meanwhile, Christian has convinced his brother, Deckard MacLeod, to take on Andi’s case and prove her innocence. Trouble is, Deckard is the one who ruined her career.

The first in the Jeopardy Falls series is a thrilling plunge at breakneck speeds featuring wholesome protagonists, murderous antagonists, intrigue, ever-present danger and faith with a dash of budding romances against a contemporary Southwest backdrop (Jeopardy Falls is a fictional town in New Mexico). The romance can be cringe (“He arched a sexy brow.”), but it passes quickly enough. I’d recommend any of Pettrey’s stories to readers familiar with Lynette Eason and to anyone who enjoys suspense novels that one knows will have a good outcome at the end.

"A Healing Touch" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

A Healing Touch (Oct. 1, 2024) by Suzanne Woods Fisher.*

<This is a standalone novel with overlapping Stoney Ridge characters.>

The kind of doctor who still believes in house calls, Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus is in tune with addressing her patients’ physical needs as well as their emotional ones. When newly widowed Bee Bennett, breeder of Dutch Warmbloods, is facing breast cancer, Dok connects her with Fern Lapp. Bee doesn’t think she needs to talk to anyone, especially an Amishwoman that she expects to have zero connection with. Annie Fisher is Dok’s painfully shy office assistant, but she’s got a great mind for medical information and a calm demeanor in intense situations. When Annie feels called to something else, Dok will move mountains to help her, and she’ll recruit her brother David, Stoney Ridge’s Amish bishop, to assist. Annie will also discover that there just might be a young man out there that she’d like to marry. He happens to be an Amish EMT in a nearby town. And when an abandoned newborn mysteriously appears on the front step of her clinic one cold morning, Dok’s world takes a very unexpected turn.

            Anytime I pick up a novel by Suzanne Woods Fisher, I trust that it will be an excellent read. Yet again, this trust remains firm. The characters are endearing, if sometimes loud (Hank Lapp) or nosy (Sarah Blank, Annie’s friend), the plot is well-defined, the writing is engaging, and the setting is as charming as your most perfect day. It’s a delight to delve into this tight-knit community, strong of faith, but with very human struggles, too (e.g. extreme shyness, even a lack of faith). The author mesmerizes us with this Christian, contemporary Amish romance that encourages the soul like good medicine.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Rutabaga's Reads 2023: Part 15

If you’re familiar with my blog, you’ll know that where a YA compilation post has cropped up, you’ll soon see an inspirational fiction (IF) compilation post. Presenting the second IF post.

A Match in the Making (Feb. 21, 2023) by Jen Turano.

<This is the first novel in a series.>

It’s the summer of 1888, and 25-year-old Miss Gwendolyn Brinley has accepted a paid companion position for the Newport summer season, which turns into an assistant matchmaker position, of which Gwendolyn has no experience whatsoever. Her thoughts of a relaxing summer away from being a paid companion to her dramatic cousin, Catriona Zimmerman, fly away after she’s tasked with the daunting prospect of finding advantageous matches for Mrs. Parker’s rich clientele (who pay Mrs. Parker in sparkly baubles, especially those from Tiffany & Co.). Traditionally, only the feminine set were aware of matchmakers, but after Gwendolyn overshares with Mr. Walter Townsend, she suddenly finds herself with Walter as the first male client. Walter is wealthy, handsome and annoying. An undeniably successful businessman, he’s looking for a new mother for his three unruly children (nine-year-old Oscar and five-year-old twins Priscilla and Samuel). Love doesn’t seem to be a factor in Walter’s pursuit of a new wife, only that he “rubs along nicely with her.” Gwendolyn encourages him to value love and get involved in his children’s lives, for he really doesn’t know them at all. Walter is struck by Gwendolyn – by her beauty, yes, but also by her confidence and her way with his children. As Ethel, Walter’s mother, puts it, Gwendolyn “certainly is uncommonly competent.” That is high praise from Mrs. Ethel Townsend, a Knickerbocker as well as a Townsend. As Gwendolyn’s Newport Season is besieged by society ladies, society matrons and the male set to boot, how will she find the love match she’s so determined to find for Walter? Will it come out that Gwendolyn is a woman of means, complete with an estranged grandmother in Boston society, and not a woman of low social status?

            As expected from a Turano novel, Gwendolyn is a dynamic character in a delightful historical fiction tale. The first in The Matchmakers series brims with a fun plot as Gwendolyn simultaneously wanders through society misadventures and puts critical thinking to play. Generously sprinkled with humor, self-assurance and tenderness, this novel is buoyant and the characters distinct. I always find Turano’s stories to read quickly, as she makes the adventures of the upper crust far more than poise, proper decorum and perfect comportment. She paints word pictures, dropping us into a time we wish we could visit (but I refuse to wear a corset).

The Secret to Happiness (May 2, 2023) by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

Her world is upside-down, her life is topsy-turvy. Callie Dixon (age 28) has recently been fired from her dream job as an executive chef after making a colossal mistake, and she fears that the symptoms she’s been experiencing (also recently) are signs of a chronic disease. She is floundering, though she struggles to admit it. She escapes to Cape Cod and her Aunt Marnie Dixon’s Main Street Creamery. The living space above the Creamery – small for Marnie and her daughter, Dawn (also 28) – is now like a shoebox with Callie there for an indeterminate amount of time. She doesn’t want to share her fear and is existing like an empty shell of the cheery, chatty person she’s always previously been, so Dawn drags her to a community class about the secret to happiness. The class is led by Bruno Bianco, a curiously gloomy fellow, and he gives her his book. They have some tough conversations, but Bruno is relentless and makes her face what she’s been avoiding. An unexpected bright spot in Callie’s life comes in the form of Leo the Cowboy. He’s a six-year-old who loves all ice cream. He’s got an important job at the Creamery; he’s their taste-tester! She does wonder who his single, mystery father is. She pictures a “round-faced, chubby computer geek,” and she’s impressed by Mystery Dad’s ability to give his son “all that he needed to make his life feel complete, his value and worth intact, with none of the pressure that Callie had felt from her own father.” What does Callie want in life? Has she been living for herself? Is there a secret to happiness?

            Emotional depth is ablaze in this second novel in the Cape Cod Creamery series. Callie’s steeply feeling the loss of her amazing career, fear of the future of her health and the nagging pressure of her dad, who seems to think life-altering events are as easily fixable as putting a bandage on a paper cut. Meanwhile, Dawn is stressing over a wedding venue and entrusting her mom to handle the ice cream making when Dawn and Kevin (Collins, 28) are on their African safari honeymoon. Dawn also wishes Callie wasn’t staying with them, as they’ve only ever been competitive with each other thanks to their dads, highly competitive brothers. There is faith and dawning realizations, emotional turmoil and happiness in unexpected places. It’s a sweet romance, though it’s not overly saccharine, with a hopeful tone sprinkled with new friendships and, progressively, optimism for the future.

            Favorite line: “Nothing is impopsicle.” – Dawn Dixon

            Book One: The Sweet Life

Yesterday’s Tides (Jan. 24, 2023) by Roseanna M. White.

<This is a standalone novel with familiar characters from previous series.>

Today is 1942. Yesterday is 1914. Two world wars. Two generations. In 1942, Evie Farrow is as familiar with England as she is Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Each day is much like the last one except for the Germans’ underwater missiles. When intelligence officer Sterling Bertrand washes ashore near her family’s inn, she determines that he will pull through despite his significant injuries, burns included. Inn-bound for weeks, Sterling is anxious to track a certain SS officer, but he’s also deeply intrigued by Evie, who holds secrets of her own. Why does a civilian receive hand-delivered correspondence from the Coast Guard (a.k.a. Coasties)? Why does the route of the SS officer he’s tracking trace a similar route that Evie’s traversed?

            In 1914, Louisa Adair is much more than the innkeeper’s daughter. She doesn’t only greet guests staying at the inn, including Englishman Remington Culbreth and Edgar Grenshaw, Rem’s cousin, she’s also the inn’s primary handywoman. There isn’t a cistern or a motor or a pipe that Louisa can’t manage. What’s not so easy to manage is Remington’s family. She isn’t good/sophisticated enough for Edith Culbreth. When Rem and Louisa are separated by an ocean, it doesn’t appear that their relationship will survive. Yesterday’s tides have ripple effects on the next generation. What will the outcome be?

            I can always count on Roseanna M. White to craft novels that make history interesting, contain clean romance and a detailed plot. This one holds the weight of family drama across generations, and it was initially confusing trying to piece together which of Evie’s nicknames for her family (not only by blood) matched which loved one. But putting those together was part of the puzzle, and I love puzzles. I love the incorporation of so many other familiar names from Louisa and Rem’s time, like Barclay Pearce and the Duke of Stafford. This Christian fiction, historical romance novel is smart and sweet with emotion that is raw and real, the prejudice and color issues of the time frustrating no matter the era. In this novel, the legacy of yesterday provides a good foundation for tomorrow. “Yesterday, today, tomorrow. Forever.”

"Lost and Found" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Lost and Found (Sept. 26, 2023) by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

<This is a standalone novel, but also takes place in Stoney Ridge.>

When she sees a poem mentioning her, Trudy Yoder sees it as a sign that her friendship with Micah Weaver is ready to turn romantic. They’re both passionate about birding, and they converse with ease. Then Micah turns aloof and is short with her. He’s so distracted that it’s like the problem at Wonder Lake is no big deal! What’s worse is that he wants to leave Stoney Ridge. Bishop David Stoltzfus is considering relocating the Old Order Amish community somewhere else. Things are tense with the Beachy Amish community that has settled amongst them. Micah researches and presents to David that McNairy County, Tennessee, might be an ideal place to re-settle. He volunteers to go on the trip to gather information, but his interest lies in distraught phone messages he’s gotten from Shelley, Trudy’s older sister, who fled to the outside world to become a singer. Trudy is devastated at the possible loss of Micah, who won’t stay if the Beachy Amish build at Wonder Lake, and of the Old Order community, as her father will never uproot without Shelley. Micah is a twitcher, one skilled at finding rare birds, so if anyone can find Shelley somewhere in Tennessee, it’s Micah. Micah’s been smitten with Shelley for years, so when he drops everything to find her, he leaves Trudy with nothing but the chores on Lost Creek Farm. Micah hasn’t been straight with Trudy, leaving Stoney Ridge for her sister, whose shadow she’s always been in. There’s a good chance Trudy will no longer have time for him. And Micah will learn that what you’re looking for may not match the picture in your mind.

            Undoubtedly, this Amish fiction tale from Woods Fisher is winsome with its close-knit community theme, faith base and family connectedness. Shelley’s potential return to the fold throws a wrench into Trudy and Micah’s friendship, while the liberal Beachy Amish threaten the Old Order community’s permanence in Stoney Ridge. There is much to untangle in this story. From characters who love birding and want to protect the land to encourage bird life to tensions between communities and peoples to the cleanest love triangle tale, this story  makes one think about family, community, nature, the traditions that have always been and looking ahead to forward progress. The story’s interspersed with Trudy’s Bird-Watching Log, which is very informative, and there’s no way to forget the endearing characters, including Hank Lapp (you can’t miss him, he’s SO LOUD!).

            Favorite line: “We don’t grieve as those who have no hope…but we do grieve.” --Amos Lapp

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Anything but Plain" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Anything but Plain (Oct. 4, 2022) by Suzanne Woods Fisher.*

*This is a standalone ​ novel with overlapping characters.*

Being the bishop’s daughter isn’t easy, but it’s especially tough for Lydie Stoltzfus. She never remains in a job for more than a month or two before getting let go. All she does is disappoint her family and her Amish community, which she’s decided makes leaving Stoney Ridge, Pennsylvania, a necessity. But first, she’s filling in at her doctor-aunt’s practice. Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus is Stoney Ridge’s only doctor. All Lydie has to do is be “reliable, dependable, nondistractable,” all things which she is not. As she works for Dok, Dok recognizes the symptoms of a disorder rarely diagnosed amongst the Amish. She asks Lydie’s dad, David, to have her tested, but he is adamant that she not be, because, “Labels are for cans and jars.” Dok encourages Lydie to read a book and it’s like reading a book about herself, which is often out-of-order within the conforming Old Order ​Amish community she lives in. Will Dok’s willingness to work with her convince Lydie she can stay? Or will she continue to think on how she’s going to say goodbye to her neighbor, Nathan Yoder? They both clearly care for each other, but Lydie believes she’s not good enough for him. As Nathan wonders about Lydie, he’s also focusing on his goal of Black Gold Farm becoming certified organic, but with his dad and older brother, Mick, the top users in farming chemicals in their community, he’s got his work cut out for him. Additionally, it wrenches his heart that Mick has seemingly captured Lydie’s heart.

            Every story I read from Woods Fisher grabs my interest, whether it’s Amish-driven, contemporary-focused or historical-based. Woods Fisher’s protagonists in this story are ones you want to root for. Lydie is a square peg trying to fit in a round hole, and it’s not an occasional thing, but an overwhelming, all-the-time thing she lives with. The story brims with compassion, but also contains the tension that so easily occurs when others try to “fix” instead of understand and support. Lydie’s character, with her strengths and her struggles in relation to a disorder not oft seen in storylines, is engaging and humble. Her dynamic with others is fascinating to read, whether the other party is trying to improve her, is frustrated with her or simply loves her. “Anything but Plain” roots deep into a reader’s heart with its sweet/spunky/salty characters (not to mention Hank Lapp, who’s just LOUD), the picturesque landscape of Stoney Ridge, the excitement and stress of a new Farmer’s Market and love that already has buds waiting to fully bloom. It’s a story that reminds us all to practice mindfulness, cherish others (differences and all) and focus on God as a farmer “walks the beans.”

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"The Sweet Life" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Sweet Life (May 3, 2022) by Suzanne Woods Fisher.*

*This is the first novel in a series.*

Life is not sweet for Dawn Dixon. Her fiancé, Kevin Collins, called off their engagement mere weeks from their wedding, because they’re “just not working.” Dawn goes to Chatham, Massachusetts, on what would've been their honeymoon and takes her mom, Marnie, along. Marnie is the opposite of Dawn’s super-structured, Type-A, must-have-a-plan personality. She's free-spirited and spiritual, prone to rash decisions like purchasing the Main Street Creamery as-is. She’s never made ice cream in her life; it’s Dawn and her late father that are the ice cream makers. Dawn is astounded and assumes it's because of the bombshell that Marnie dropped. Dawn agrees to help her with the Creamery; they’ll get it up and running by Memorial Day weekend and she’ll stay through Labor Day. Dawn takes a leave of absence from work, which is unheard of by everyone in Dawn’s life, as she’s been adamant about making partner. What neither of them realize is the hurdle and headache that dealing with the Historical Commission is, primarily one Mrs. Nickerson-Eldridge. Dawn and Marnie have a lot of help in transplant resident Lincoln Hayes. Will Dawn be able to go beyond creating something other than vanilla? And what will happen when Marnie’s impulsive purchase brings Kevin to Cape Cod?

            The first in the Cape Cod Creamery series wasn’t what I expected, but in a good way! The mother-daughter duo are complete opposites; they really are like oil and water, night and day. I found the dynamic exasperating, as Dawn is a micromanager and Marnie is too impulsive, bordering on irresponsible, and she can’t complete one project before trying out 10 more, but also endearing to watch them navigate working together, embracing differences and growing beyond their respective focuses. “The Sweet Life” is, at its heart, a story of new beginnings, new opportunities, growth and reflection. There may even be a chance for broken bonds to mend and new love to sprout. Faith is present, but never preachy. The only major issue is that each time I picked up the book, I wanted ice cream in the worst way! Still do!

            P.S. I was happy to see that my local library ordered this book for patrons, and it’s already checked out.

            Lines to make you think: “I’ve come to realize that having faith is a lot like drawing close to a fire. You back away from it and the coals grow cold. You have to tend the fire for faith to grow.” --Kevin to Dawn after she tells him it sounds like he’s “gone and got religion.” (p. 240)

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”