A Season of Change by Beth Wiseman

 A Season of Change

Book Summary

Finding peace means letting go of the past—and embracing the change that is to come. 

Sisters Esther and Lizzie have a new employee, Rose Petersheim, to help them tend to The Peony Inn. But their old matchmaking ways have stayed the same. The sisters focus their efforts on the lovely twenty-five-year-old Rose. Though Rose is witty and outspoken, her nervous chattering makes her the best match for someone calm and good at listening. Someone like Benjamin—the handsome handyman who recently moved to town. 

But when Esther receives an anonymous love letter and flowers, Rose’s love life is no longer the only one capturing the sisters’ attention. As they sleuth around searching for Esther’s secret admirer, they uncover that their grumpy renter, Gus, has a secret of his own that could bring about a difficult change in all their lives. And their continued meddling in Rose’s affairs reveals she, too, is hiding something—an old wound that could threaten her future happiness. 

As Rose, Lizzie, Esther, and Gus struggle to release the weight of their pasts, they discover that although people are complicated, love doesn’t need to be. 

This charming third installment of the Amish Inn series from bestselling author Beth Wiseman is a picture of loss and healing in which forgiveness will prove to be the greatest act of love.

My Thoughts

Esther and Lizzie Zook run The Peony Inn with help from their latest helper, Rose.  The sisters, Esther and Lizzie enjoy playing matchmaker and their latest target is Rose.  They have decided to match up their extroverted, talkative helper with the quiet, introverted newcomer, Benjamin.  Esther is surprised when she receives a bouquet of flowers with a sweet note from a secret admirer.  Lizzie wants to find out who left them for Esther, and she sincerely hopes it is not Gus.  Gus takes off for a few days which worries Esther.  She wonders what he is up to and is he alright.  Lizzie and Esther’s latest match-up has hit a roadblock.  Lizzie is sure they are meant to be together and sets out to figure out what went wrong.  Join Esther, Lizzie, Rose, Gus, and their rest of the family at The Peony Inn.

A Season of Change by Beth Wiseman is the 3^rd An Amish Inn Novel.  It can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading all three books in the sweet series.  There is a great cast of characters.  I love the sisters, Esther and Lizzie.  They are entertaining and had me laughing.  The secondary characters are just as developed.  Rose is the latest helper at the bed and breakfast. She has not revealed her past and Rose chatters nonstop (at least it feels that way to Esther sometimes).  I am glad that we get to learn more about Rose.  Gus is his usual cantankerous self who loves to rile up Lizzie. I am glad that we got to catch up with Naomi and Amos plus their twins as well as Jayce and Evelyn.  I found A Season of Change to be well-written with steady pacing.  There are good life lessons in this story.  It is never too late to find or give forgiveness.  The other lesson is to always be yourself.  The right person will come along who will love you just as you are.  This was a novel that I did not want to rush through.  I wanted to savor each moment.  A Season of Change is a touching tale.  You will need to have the tissue box nearby for the emotional ending.  The epilogue was sweet.  A Season of Change is an emotional Amish story with baseball bat combat, cat food feedings, a parent problem, flower reconnaissance, numerous naps, and a family of friends.

A Season of Change is available from Amazon*.  The other The Amish Inn Novels are A Picture of Love and An Unlikely Match.  You can follow Beth Wiseman on Amazon so you can receive updates on her latest releases.  Thank you for joining me today.  I do appreciate it.  I am a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs tomorrow. It is the first Christmas A Tea Shop Mystery.  I hope you have a  day.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

A Picture of Love by Beth Wiseman

A Picture of Love by Beth Wiseman

Book Summary

A Picture of Love by Beth Wiseman has Naomi Byler working as housekeeper and cook at The Peony Inn.  The bed and breakfast is owned by widowed sisters, Esther and Lizzie who consider Naomi a granddaughter.  Naomi had her heart broken when her fiancé, Thomas broke off their engagement and left town without an explanation.  Amos Lantz and his mother, Anna Mae come to town for a family wedding.  Amos lost his fiancé to cancer a year ago and the last thing he wishes to do is attend a wedding.  When Amos sees Naomi for the first time, he notices her beauty and recognizes that she is grieving as well. The pair begin chatting and discover they have several things in common including painting.  Neither one has painted since their loss and they decide to take time each evening to paint a sunset scene.  As they spend time together, Amos and Naomi become friends.  Lizzie and Esther love playing matchmaker.  They feel Naomi and Amos are perfect for each and so does Amos’ mother, Anna Mae.   They finagle ways for the pair to spend time together.  But then Naomi’s ex-fiancé, Thomas returns to town and he wants Naomi back.  It is what Naomi has dreamed of since the day Thomas broke her heart.  But is it what her heart still wants?

My Thoughts

A Picture of Love by Beth Wiseman is the debut of The Amish Inn Novels.  This was an entertaining Amish story.  I found it to be well-written with the story moving along at a steady pace.  The characters are developed and lively.  Lizzie and Esther are a hoot.  I just love the widowed sisters who know each other’s foibles and bicker frequently.  They are as opposite as two sisters can be (remind me of my sister and myself).  Neither one had children and they consider Naomi Byler a granddaughter.  They care for her dearly and want to see her happy again.  There are some things Lizzie would love to do to Thomas, Naomi’s ex-fiancé.  When Amos arrives, the sisters notice how he looks at Naomi.  The sisters decide to give the pair a little push (sometimes a shove) towards love. There are a couple of side stories in A Picture of Love.  Esther is having some physical symptoms that have her worried. As much as she dislikes doctor’s, Esther knows she must bite the bullet.  Esther gets help from their grumpy renter, Gus Owens.  She works a deal out for his help.  Lizzie cannot stand Gus Owens.  Lizzie and Gus trade verbal barbs quite often (they are hilarious).  It turns out that Gus has a daughter he has not seen in over thirty years.  She has decided to visit, so Gus wants to spruce up his appearance (it needs it).    Mary and John Lapp rent the Dawdi Haus on the property.  They have been married five years and unable to conceive.  It has begun to affect their marriage. The Thomas situation left me with a few questions that I wish had been answered.  I loved the humor in the story.  I liked that A Picture of Love was not a traditional Amish romance.   I laughed often while reading this amusing tale especially the scene with Lizzie and the kitten.  Lizzie provided several laugh-out-loud moments for me.  I liked that in A Picture of Love we get to see that you never know what God has in store for you.   A Picture of Love is a story of forgiveness, second chances, faith, God’s timing, and love.  This was a delightful and engaging story, and I am eager to read the next book in The Amish Inn Novels.  A Picture of Love is a diverting Amish story with picture painting, merry matchmaking, pie payment, a cute kitten, hair help, and sister shenanigans. 

A Picture of Love is available from Amazon* along with other major booksellers.  You can find Beth Wiseman's other novels here.  Thank you for reading my review today.  Tomorrow I am featuring A Page Marked for Murder by Lauren Elliott.  It is the 5th A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery.  I am heading back to my cleaning.  I learned that you need to remove pictures and dust behind them periodically (never thought about it before).  The same goes for books on the shelves.  I knew I owned hundreds of books, but I now believe it is a much higher number.  I keep finding books in a variety of locations (under a bench, a chair, the couch, etc.). As much as it pains me to do it, I am weeding down my collection. I hope that you have a productive day.  Be sure to vote today.  Every vote counts in this important election.  I sent my mail in ballot in over two weeks ago.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.