Elinor by Shannon McNear

 I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but I must say, I was very pleased. Shannon McNear brought the characters to life in a very interesting way. She showed that people from different backgrounds are still the same. You have the compassionate, the selfish, and every other personality you can imagine in every group of people.

The story, though fictional, is a good idea of what may have happened. It is believable. The word pictures are well done also.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a Christian theme, you will enjoy this book. I give it a solid 4 out of 5-star review.

A Heart Adrift by Laura Frantz

 Laura Frantz has done it again. She will transport you back in time to the pre-revolutionary war in Virginia and you will feel like you are actually there. Her descriptions and the story flow make this a most interesting book.

I will let you read the synopsis for yourself, but if you like Christian historical fiction, then you will fall in love with this story. Well developed characters, a story that flows well and excellent editing all add up to a must-read book.

Every Knee Shall Bow by Bryan Litfin

 I requested to read and review this book through Netgalley.com. This review is my honest opinion.

This book was not what I was expecting. I do not like to leave negative reviews but my honest opinion was this is not the book for me. The book was hard to get started and then it was hard to keep going. I have to admit to skim reading in parts.

Another thing that bothered me was his use of the term Holy for people was bothersome, only God is Holy, we are called to be holy as He is. 

The book overall was a long read and too jumpy for me, jumping from one place to another, one speaker/character to another. It did not flow well for me. It seemed that a lot could have been cut and the book would have been more enjoyable to me.

I give this book a 2-star rating.

A Season on the Wind by Suzanne Woods Fisher

 I requested and was granted, a book to read and review. This review is my own, honest opinion.

This book is set in an Amish community and the main characters are both Amish and non-Amish. The story flows well and kept my interest throughout.

It had a bit of mystery and some romance. The one thing I really was disappointed in was the prologue as I felt more could have been said about Natalie though I guess her part mainly ended at the end of the book. Other than that I was glad to read this book. The editing was very well done and the main characters were nicely developed.

I also enjoyed that some of the people in her previous Amish books made an appearance in this book too.

I give this book a 4 out of 5-star rating. This does not mean it's not great, but I save 5 stars for the truly excellent books, rarely given by me as truly great books are rare.

The Healing of Natalie Curtis by Jane Kirkpatrick

 I enjoyed the book but it did not draw me in. The characters were not very well developed and the plot was slow and dragging. In the end, I was skim reading just to finish the book. I usually enjoy Jane Kirkpatrick books but this was not up to her usual standards.

The book started well, and all the history was interesting but it bogged down and was more like reading someone's travel blog. I was also disappointed that this was not more of a Christian book. In fact, if you are looking for a Christian book, you will probably be disappointed. God is rarely mentioned, and I felt that she was approving of Indian rituals as being of God.

I give the book 3 out of 5-stars mostly for the depth of the history. If you enjoy clean, history books, you will probably enjoy this book.

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox

 This book was given to me to read and give my unbiased, honest review and here it is.

I have enjoyed every book by Amanda Cox and this one is near the top of the list. She had merged yesterday's problems and secrets with today's problems and secrets in a very interesting way. The story goes back and forth in time to explain what is going on in these 3 generations of women's lives.

It starts with the grandmother and goes through her granddaughter's early 20s. The story is mostly told from the view of the grandmother and granddaughter, but the daughter/mother has her times also. 

It is a Christian book and shows how faith and the lack of faith affect us. It also shows what happens when some secrets are kept or kept too long.

I really enjoyed the book. It ended in a way that a second book could happen but doesn't have to. I would recommend this book. Very well written and edited.

A Picture of Hope by Liz Tolsma

 I requested to read and review this book via NetGalley. I am thankful I did. This is a fictional WWII story with an unusual, though not really believable twist.

I enjoyed the book and the ending was sort of predictable but getting to the ending was very enjoyable. This is a Christian book without being preachy at all. It shows how to use your faith in hard times.

If you enjoy historical fiction you will enjoy this book. I recommend this book and give it a 3.5 stars out of 5-star review.