Thank you for visiting today! I hope you are having a fun yet relaxing weekend. On June 27 Booked 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton will be released. It is the first book in A Sophie Kimball Mystery series. Murder at the Puppy Fest by Laurien Berenson comes out on the same day. It is the twentieth book in A Melanie Travis Canine Mystery series (can be read as a stand-alone). I will share more new releases with you next time.
Plain Haven by Susan Lantz Simpson is the first book in the Plainly Maryland series. Lilly Brandt is out on her morning jog when
she notices two men pulling a body out of truck. She ducks behind a tree and watches them dump
the person. Unfortunately, one of the
men sees Lilly and she is forced to run for her life. Lilly’s shirt advertises the library where
she works as a children’s librarian. At
the police station, Lilly is informed that the only way they can protect is for
her to go away. Lilly becomes Hannah
Kurtz, an Amish woman from Pennsylvania.
Hannah will be staying with Rebecca and Samuel Hertzler and their four
children in St. Mary’s County, Maryland.
She will have to stay in the community until the police catch the men
after her. It is a new world for Hannah
without computers, cell phones, and modern appliances. She slowly adapts and enjoys the slower
pace. Jake Beiler is a carpenter who is
recovering from a broken heart. He has
vowed not to fall in love again, but then he meets Hannah. The two are attracted to each from the moment
they meet. Then Hannah’s secret is
revealed and her new family and friends feel betrayed. Can Hannah continue to risk the lives of her
friends? Will the villains ever be
caught? To see how the story ends, get
your copy of Plain Haven.
Plain Haven is well-written and
an engaging story. The story has a good
pace, and I liked figuring out the little clues (the pieces of papers left for
Hannah). I liked the characters and the
setting of St. Mary’s County, Maryland. I
have not read an Amish book set in that area. We get to see Lilly/Hannah adapt
to life in an Amish community. It is
like stepping back in time to when women cooked three meals a day (no microwave
or take out), did laundry with wringer washing machines (they should be banned
from existence), hanging clothes on the line to dry, growing vegetables, and
using a horse and buggy for transportation. It is good to read about, but I
would not want to experience it. Lilly/Hannah finds a community of friends and
family. I do wish the suspense element had been ramped
up a little bit. It would have made for
a more intriguing story. The romance
portion needed to be toned down (just a little bit. It felt a little fake in the beginning). I am
giving Plain Haven 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). The Christian themes throughout the story are
trusting in God, the power of prayer and having a strong faith are prevalent
throughout the book. Plain Haven is a
lovely, heartwarming novel that captured and held my attention. I will be reading the next book in the
Plainly Maryland series.
I appreciate you reading my latest review. Next up for evaluation is Light of Dawn by Vannetta Chapman. It is the third book in The Remnant series. Until next time, take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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