Book Review: The Blue Enchantress by M.L. Tyndall/5 Stars

About the book:

Betrayed by the man she longed to marry, Hope Westcott finds herself on an island in the Caribbean being auctioned off as a slave to the highest bidder. Raised in an unloving home and after enduring a difficult childhood, Hope's search for love and self-worth have led her down a very dangerous path. All she ever wanted was to find true love and to some day open an orphanage where she could raise children with all the love she never experienced as a child. But how can a woman with a sordid past ever hope to run an orphanage, let alone attract the love of an honorable man?

Determined to overcome the shame of his mother's past, Nathaniel Mason worked for many years to build his own fleet of merchant ships in an effort to finally acquire the respect of Charles Towne society. Ignoring the call of God on his life to become a preacher, he forges ahead with his plans for success at a distant port in the Caribbean, when he sees a young lady he knows from Charles Towne being sold as a slave. In an effort to save Hope, he is forced to sell one of his two ships, only to discover that her predicament was caused by her own bad behavior. Angry and determined to rid himself of her as soon as possible, Nathaniel embarks on a journey that will change the course of his life.

My thoughts:

I have always thought that MaryLu Tyndall had enormous talent when it comes to writing adventurous stories, but The Blue Enchantress was fabulous on a whole other level!  It was thrilling, captivating, and fascinating, and I simply could not turn the pages fast enough!  Hope Westcott truly was a sassy enchantress, as the title implies, and Nathaniel Mason was a handsome gentleman that has been smitten with Hope for years.  Their brief tale of adventure on the high seas, that turned into being shipwrecked on a deserted island, made this my favorite of all the Tyndall books I've read to date.  I have no doubt that the final installment of this series, The Raven Saint, will be an excellent conclusion to the story of the Westcott family.

5 Stars

Southern?  So-so; it starts in Charles Towne, but then, switches to the Caribbean.
Sass?  Hope fits this category to a T!

**Many thanks to Barbour Books for providing a copy for review.

Book Review: A Plain and Simple Christmas by Amy Clipston

About the book:

In the tradition of her widely popular Kauffman Amish Bakery series, author Amy Clipston tells the tale of Anna Mae McDonough who was shunned by her family four years ago when she left her Amish community in Lancaster County, PA, to marry an 'Englisher' (non Amish) man and move with him to Baltimore. Now, eight months pregnant when her first child, she longs to return home for Christmas to reconcile with her family, especially her stern father, who is the religious leader for her former Amish church district.

So Anne Mae writes a letter to Kathryn Beiler, her brother's wife, to enlist her help. Kathryn asks her husband, David, if she should arrange Anna Mae's visit. David cautions her that a visit would cause too much stress in the family and instead suggests they visit Anna Mae and her husband in the spring. However, Kathryn arranges the visit anyway, believing in her heart that it's God's will for the family to heal. When Anna Mae arrives in Lancaster for Christmas, she doesn't receive the welcome she expects and her world begins to fall apart, leaving her to question her place in her family -- and her faith in God.

A book filled with love, the pain of being separated from one's family, and the determination to follow God's will regardless of the outcome, A Plain and Simple Christmas is an inspiring page-turner that will keep you guessing what happens next...right to the very last page.

My thoughts:

A Plain and Simple Christmas was my first experience with author Amy Clipston. Her writing style was exactly what this title implies--plain and simple--but don't let that discourage you from reading this book. She has created very likable characters (with the exception of Henry, the dad), and the plot draws the reader in very quickly.

Even though I knew there would be a happy, tidy ending, that did not stop me from reading this book from cover to cover in one sitting. When I reached the mid-way point, the drama increased, and I started to really wonder whether or not Anna Mae and her Englisch husband would be received well by her family and friends. Thanks to some scheming and planning by her sister-in-law, her first few moments back in Bird-in-Hand were memorable. But it wasn't until their next day's visit that things started to get hairy. Personally, I've been through some of those family moments where the tension is so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Amy relayed that same tension through the pages, and I have to admit, I was a bit worried for Anna Mae dealing with all this stress...all while pregnant with a baby whose arrival is not far away!

Prior to reading this book, I had not read either of Amy's other Amish novels which share the same characters as A Plain and Simple Christmas. I never once felt that it was difficult to relate to the characters, nor did I feel that I didn't have enough of their backstory. This book very easily stood on it's own, and it's a great addition to all of the other Christmas novellas available this season. My rating is 4 stars.

**Thanks to Zondervan through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program for providing a copy for review.