Searching for Rose by Dana Becker

Searching for Rose by Dana Becker

Book Summary

Searching for Rose by Dana Becker has April hunting for her sister, Rose.  The two only have each other and always been close until Rose started dating, Ricky Devereux.  They had a fight about Ricky and his business dealings which caused the two siblings to not speak to each other.  If they had been talking, April would have noticed that Rose was missing sooner.  The last thing Rose told April was that she was going to the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia and mentioned the Metropolitan Bakery.  April makes friends the bakery owner, Carmen who also gives her a much needed job.  She also becomes friends with Joseph Young who works at the Amish diner next to the bakery.  Joseph helps April in her quest to find Rose.  Their questions hit a nerve because April receives a threatening message.  April has no intention of backing down and she wonders if she can trust Joseph.  April’s determination to find Rose puts a target on her back.  Will April find Rose or will the hunt cost April her life?

Reading Terminal Market

My Thoughts

Searching for Rose by Dana Becker is a unique Amish novel.  April has had a difficult life and made some poor choices.  The one person she has always been close to is her sister, Rose.  When Rose disappears without a trace, April becomes determined to find her.  She gets help from a bakery owner and an Amish man who works at the Amish diner next to the bakery.  I thought the characters lacked development.  Last names for our main characters would have been nice.  The pacing is slow in the first half of the book.  It does increase in the second half as the mystery picks up speed.  The mystery was interesting.  There are good clues to help readers figure out who is behind the crime.  There are also some disturbing details.  I would have liked a better wrap up to the mystery. It felt incomplete.  Searching for Rose is more of a romantic suspense than an Amish mystery (which is what I was expecting).  April and Joseph become close while looking for Rose.  Their relationship is a rocky one.  April has a hard time trusting people.   I did find some inconsistencies in the book that I hope were corrected before publication.  I did like seeing April trying to improve her lot in life.  It turns out that Searching for Rose will have a sequel.  I hope any unfinished issues from Searching for Rose will be resolved in the follow-up.  Searching for Rose is an Amish romantic suspense with a missing sister, an Amish Romeo, a kindhearted baker, and a shocking tale.

Metropolitan Bakery

Searching for Rose releases on August 25 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon*.  Thank you for joining me today.  Tomorrow I am a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Master of Illusion by Nupur Tustin.  It is the debut of A Celine Skye Psychic Mystery series.  I do hope that you have a cheerful day.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.

The Amish School Teacher by Jerry Eicher

Welcome!  I hope you have had lovely and productive week.  I picked up some new books this week that will be coming out in the fall.  Meet Isabel Puddles by M.V. Byrne is the debut of A Mitten State Mystery series.  It publishes on November 24.  A Page Marked for Murder by Lauren Elliott comes out October 27.  It is the 5th A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery.  Christmas Card Murder contains three Christmas novellas by Leslie Meier, Peggy Ehrhart, and Lee Hollis and it will be out on October 27.  Nothing Short of Wondrous by Regina Scott is out on October 20.  It is novel in the 2nd American Wonders Collection.  An Amish Cookie Club Courtship by Sarah Price releases October 20.  It is the 3rd book in The Amish Cookie Club series.  I like reading a variety of genre to keep things fresh.  What types of books do you like to read?

The Amish School Teacher by Jerry Eicher has Mary Wagler accepting a position to teach in West Union, Ohio.  She sees it as an opportunity to get away from her three well-meaning but interfering sisters.  Mary sisters are encouraging her to marry like they did after teaching for two years.  Mary has yet to meet a man in her hometown with whom she would want to wed.  Marcus Yoder is asked by Elmer Miller, the head of the school board, to pick up Mary from the bus station.  Mary is expecting the wives of the school board members to pick her up and is surprised to see Marcus. She thinks he is trying to get a leg up on the other men in the community.  Marcus has been told that it is time for him to find a wife.  He has been running the family farm since he was sixteen which leaves little time for socializing.  Unfortunately, Marcus and Mary get off on the wrong foot.  Marcus finds Mary beautiful and everything he says comes out wrong especially his comments about her shiny blue suitcase. This first meeting sets the tone for their future encounters.  It is soon apparent to Mary that the community feels she is the perfect match for Marcus and Mary’s protests fall on deaf ears.   Marcus has kept feelings of grief bottled up since his father’s death.  Mary wants to help him, but Marcus is resistant. When a crisis hits the school, Mary gets to see a different side of Marcus. She begins to wonder if maybe there is a future for them.

The Amish School Teacher by Jerry Eicher is a sweet Amish romance.  I thought this story contained good writing and the story moved along steadily.  I liked the variety of characters.  Mary who is a woman of deep faith.  She is not afraid to express her feelings about God in public or share them with others.  Mary loves being a schoolteacher.  She is a warm and friendly woman as well unless you get her dander up.  Marcus made the mistake of criticizing her new pretty blue suitcase right after meeting Mary.  Marcus has been responsible for his family and the farm since his father died when he was sixteen.  That is a lot of responsibility for a teenager.  Marcus had to step into his father’s shoes which never gave him the opportunity to grieve or have rumspringa.  Marcus had hope that Mary might be the one for him until he saw her suitcase (too flighty).  As you can see, misunderstandings and miscommunication abound in this story.  There are also some warm, tender moments.  I liked the Amish community in Adams County, Ohio.  They are there for each through the good times and the bad.  There are work parties to help provide wood for the schoolhouse, make food for weddings, and even to move the new bride to her home.  The people are friendly and welcoming.  I liked Lavina and Leon Hochstetler with whom Mary boarded.  They were a loving couple with strong faith.  I liked how God was celebrated in this story.  There are good scripture passages along with prayer.  My one complaint is that the story is unsurprising.  The relationship of Marcus and Mary moves along an expected path.  The Amish School Teacher is a charming Amish romance that is a nice break from reality. 

The Amish School Teacher can be obtained from Amazon* as well as Jerry Eicher's other Amish novels (click here).  Thank you for reading my summary and review today.  The Girls of Victory Street by Pam Howes (available on Kindle Unlimited) is scheduled for tomorrow.  It is the first novel in The Bryant Sisters series.  I hope you have a joyful day.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.

Hope Deferred by Linda Byler

Welcome!  Sunsets, Sabbatical and Scandal by Tonya Kappes comes out on March 24.  It is the tenth A Campers & Criminals Cozy Mystery.  The Sunday Potluck Club by Melissa Storm releases on March 31 along with The Darkness We Hide by Debra Webb.  Is there an upcoming book you are looking forward to reading?

Hope Deferred by Linda Byler takes us to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  David Stolzfus and Anna Fisher grew up next to each other and are best friends.  Their parents, though, have differing styles of parenting with one more lax and the other believing in a strict Christian upbringing with emphasis on obedience.  As they become teens, the attraction between them grows stronger.  David is impetuous, headstrong, short tempered and has a thirst for knowledge.  Anna is lovely, kind, cheerful and obedient.  When Anna is eighteen, her parents reluctantly allow the pair to date with a long list of rules.  Dave, as he now prefers to be called, chafes under the Fishers rigid guidelines and decides to take a trip to Australia.  Anna met Leon Beiler on a mission trip to Texas.  After Dave departs on his travels, Anna begins corresponding with Leon.  Anna is attracted to the kind man with strong Christian values.  But she cannot forget David and her feelings for him.  Which path should Anna follow?  

Hope Deferred by Linda Byler is a story about two people who love each other but they have conflicting views.  Anna Fisher and David Stolzfus could not be more different in temperament.  Anna was raised to be kind, caring, and obedient Christian woman.  She is thoughtful and cautious.  David grew up in a lax household.  He loves to read and is quick to complete his studies.  David is stubborn, impulsive and has a quick temper.  When David enters rumspringa, he is quick to purchase a cell phone where he discovers the delights of the internet.  He also obtains a fast car and wears Englisch clothing.  The one thing the pair have in common is their love for each other.  We watch them go through their upbringing and young adult years with David chafing at the rules.  I thought Hope Deferred is a unique Amish novel with good writing.  David’s journeys were interesting because be has not traveled before and everything is new to him.  He had only seen pictures of Australia in a book.  Plus, David had never been on a plane.  It was a different look at the world.  There is a repetition of certain details that I wish had been eliminated plus there are many little details that were unnecessary (would have made a novel that had more ease to it).  I appreciated that Hope Deferred did not have an expected ending.  Amish teens today must make the same choices as those of our characters.  They must decide whether to become baptized in the Amish faith or find where they belong in the Englisch world.  It cannot be easy for them with only an eighth-grade education.  Hope Deferred is unique Amish novel with Christian canons, mutual magnetism, a speedy sports car, a thrilled traveler and unexpected outcomes.

Hope Deferred is available from Amazon*.  Thank you for taking the time to read my review.  Tomorrow I am featuring Sleuth on Safari by A.R. Kennedy.  It is the first book in The Traveler Cozy Mystery series.   I hope you have a positive day.  By the way. . . How do you track a book?  You follow their footnotes!  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.