Welcome! Are you looking for some new books to read while you are at home? Here are some upcoming April releases. Buried by Lynda La Plante is out April 7 with Deep Fried Revenge by Lynn Cahoon. Shredding the Evidence by Daryl Wood Gerber is the 9th A Cookbook Nook Mystery and it releases on April 21. Murder in the Storybook Cottage by Ellery Adams comes out April 28 along with Home to Stay by Loree Lough and Being Known by Robin Jones Gunn. Which one of these books appeals to you?
My Summary
Thursday’s Bride by Patricia Johns takes us to Abundance, Pennsylvania where Rosmanda Lapp, a recent widow,
is grieving while adjusting to her new circumstances. She is now a single mother of twin daughters
and living with her in-laws. Rosmanda is
helping with the farm work, but her father-in-law, Stephen needs more
assistance. Stephen contacts his
youngest son, Levi and asks him to return home.
Rosmanda blames Levi for the death of her husband and she has been
unable to forgive him. Levi has avoided
the family farm for the last few years because he has not been able to get over
his feelings for Rosmanda. They courted
before Wayne stole Rosmanda from Levi. While
Rosmanda is attracted to Levi, she knows that protecting her reputation is a
priority. Levi hopes that over time
Rosmanda will see him a different light. Then someone from Rosmanda’s past arrives in
town and a secret she kept hidden may come to light. Levi wants to protect Rosmanda from this
threat. Rosmanda will need courage and God
if she is to get through this difficult situation. She wants to find a way to earn money because
Rosmanda feels she is a burden to her in laws.
Rosmanda knows that she will be expected to remarry, but she is not
ready. What does the future hold for
Rosmanda and Levi?
My Thoughts
Thursday’s Bride by Patricia Johns is a sweet, heartwarming Amish novel.
Rosmanda Lapp moved to Abundance, Pennsylvania from her hometown after a
scandal ruined her chances at marriage. She
was attracted to the charming and rebellious Levi Lapp, but he was not the
proper Amish man she came to marry. When
Levi’s older brother, Wayne proposes to Rosmanda, she accepts because he is a respectable
Amish man (aka boring but kind).
Rosmanda is a now a widow with twin daughters who lives with her in
laws. Levi is needed to help with the
farm work, so he returns home knowing that Rosmanda blames him for Wayne’s
death. Disagreements begin immediately, but they need
to find a way to be friends for the sake of the family and their
community. There is a definite
attraction between Levi and Rosmanda.
The sparks fly between them especially when they are disagreeing. I thought Thursday’s Bride was well-written
with developed characters. The story is
told from Levi and Rosmanda’s point-of-views.
It switches between them which allows readers to see things from each of
their perspectives. I always find that
intriguing because men and women see things differently. I liked the characters in this story. They were fleshed out and brought to life which
made them feel real to me. We get to see
what it is like for a widow to live with her in laws and the importance of
community. Rosmanda felt like she was a
burden to the Lapps. She wants to earn
money, but it is not easy with twin girls to raise. I enjoyed the description of Rosmanda’s
beautiful mourning quilt. After the
death of a loved one, you want life to stop so you can grieve. Unfortunately, the world continues moving. Chores must be done, children taken care of, food
prepared, and so much more. You continue
to grieve while trying to move through each day as we see with Rosmanda. The Amish world is very different from our
own. They cannot just think about
themselves when making a decision. They
must think how it will affect their community.
A reputation can easily be tarnished at a young age. Levi and Rosmanda struggle to overcome the
past and move forward with their lives. Their
interactions were electric at times. I
enjoyed following their journey in Thursday’s Bride. The ending was special and left me smiling. There is a preview of Patricia John’s next
novel, Jeb’s Wife at the end. Thursday’s
Bride focuses on forgiveness, faith and second chances. Patricia Johns provided an appealing Amish
story that will keep you engaged from beginning to end. Thursday’s Bride is a heartening Amish novel
with toddling twins, a headstrong horse, a cute calf, secret sins, rapid
rumors, and finding forgiveness.
Thursday's Bride is available from Amazon* and other major retailers. Patricia Johns next novel is Jeb's Wife (not listed on Amazon yet). You can find Patricia Johns other novels here. Thank you for stopping by today. I will be back tomorrow to share a book review with you (I am reading two books and I have not decided which one yet). I hope you have a safe, happy and healthy day. Before I depart. . . Why does an elephant use his trunk as a bookmark? So he NOSE where he stopped reading! Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
*This
post contains affiliate links.
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