"Anna's Crossing" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About this book:

  “Some endings are really beginnings...

  On a hot day in 1737 in Rotterdam, Anna Konig reluctantly sets foot on the Charming Nancy, a merchant ship that will carry her and her fellow Amish believers across the Atlantic to start a new life. As the only one in her community who can speak English, she feels compelled to go. But Anna is determined to complete this journey and return home—assuming she survives. She’s heard horrific tales of ocean crossings and worse ones of what lay ahead in the New World. But fearfulness is something Anna has never known.

  Ship’s carpenter Bairn resents the somber people—dubbed Peculiars by the deckhands—who fill the lower deck of the Charming Nancy. All Bairn wants to do is to put his lonely past behind him, but that irksome and lovely lass Anna and her people keep intruding on him,

  Delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions test the mettle and patience of everyone on board. When Anna is caught in a life-threatening situation, Bairn makes a discovery that shakes his entire foundation. But has the revelation come too late?”


Series: Book #1 in the “Amish Beginnings” series.

Spiritual Content- Prayers; Scriptures are quoted and mentioned; Mentions of Church, Church going & bishops; Church going; Talks about God & His Will; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Witnessing, Forgiving & Trusting; “Judas Iscariot!” is called profanity and is said once; Anna has a very strong Faith; Bairn does not believe in God and his life goal is to be rich (he also tells God to stay away);

*Note: Anna is called a witch; Many mentions of bad luck, superstitions and Braucher beliefs; “H*ll has taken up residence on earth.”.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘shut up’, a “dash it all!”, two “blast it all!” and three ‘stupid’s; Curses are said but not written; Teasing & being picked on; Mentions of drinking; Mentions of killing animals for food; Funerals & Death (goes up to semi-detailed, also about sharks eating those thrown in); Slavery (barely-above-not-detailed).

Sexual Content- a ‘wanton’ and a ‘wench’; two semi-detailed kisses and a detailed kiss; Staring & Noticing; Nearness & Touches (barely-above-not-detailed); Georg stares at Anna’s figure & chest; Georg watches Anna bathe and dress (her behind a curtain); Georg basically tries to attack/rape Anna and touches her, but thankfully she’s saved and nothing sexual happens (barely-above-not-detailed); Bairn has a tattoo of a girl on his arm; It could be read into about Bairn saying he “knew” girls; A mention that a man is whittling a naked woman; A baby was conceived before the parents were married; A baby is born (semi-detailed); Love, falling in love, & the emotions. 

-Anna Konig

-“Bairn”
                                         P.O.V. switches between them & Felix

                                              Set in 1737
                                                        319 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

(and a half)

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens-

(and a half)

My personal Rating-

(and a half)

I think this is the oldest book I’ve reviewed on here. Meaning about the year it’s set in, not the publishing date. Normally, I would stay away from books set so long ago. I picked this book because I don’t know much about the Amish coming from Germany and the history there. I have mixed feelings about this book through. I really liked Anna’s strong Faith and Felix was just so cute. (Plus I saw the plot twist coming so yay! to the author for thinking how I think. ;) ) But the almost rape, a major doubting faith & some gruesome deaths made me lower all the ratings.

See y’all on Monday with the start of Teen week! :)

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Revell  Publishers) for this review.

"The Revealing" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About this book:

  “Naomi King, soft spoken, loyal, and easily overlooked, has a gift. She sees what others can't see. Intuition, she calls it. Others in Stoney Ridge don't know what to make of it and dismiss her hunches and inklings altogether.
   When a young woman arrives at the Inn at Eagle Hill with a shocking secret about Tobe Schrock, Naomi fears the worst. She can't ignore the feeling that something sinister is at work-- something more than a threat to the tenuous love begun between her and Tobe.
   As signs mount, they begin to point to Jake Hertzler, the elusive mastermind behind Schrock Investments' downfall. Soon, events spiral hopelessly out of control and Naomi must decide whether to listen to her head or her heart.”

Series: The final book in “The Inn at Eagle Hill” series {Book #1, “The Letters”, Here!, the novella, “The Rescue”, Here!, Book #2 “The Calling” Here!} {Also, I have not read the series, but it looks like the series "Stoney Ridge Seasons" by this same author has a tie-in with this series.}

Spiritual Content-  Many Prayers & Scriptures are said; Talks about God & His love.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shrewd’, a ‘crummy’, and a few ‘shootfire’s; A not-detailed talk of ringing a chicken’s neck.

Sexual Content- More kisses & nuzzling goes on between Bethany & Jimmy; a few not-detailed kisses and five semi-detailed kisses; Bethany asks Jimmy if he wants more than kissing (she’s hinting at marriage) Love & Falling in it.  

-Naomi King
                    P.O.V. switches between Naomi, Mim, Rose, Bethany & Brooke           

                                 315 pages (With a recipe in the back! :) )

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 Pre Teens-

New Teens- 

(and a half)

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

{Not for very sensitive animal lovers; See Negative Content.}

This was a really interesting series! It was almost action-like but Amish! It was really different! :)

In The Revealing, the riveting conclusion to the Inn at Eagle Hill series, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher pulls out all the stops with a fast-paced tale of deception, revelation, and just the right dose of romance.

Suzanne is celebrating by giving away THREE iPads!

  THREE grand prize winners will receive:

• An iPad
• PickPocket Tablet Accessory Pouch (A stylish storage pouch designed to hold all your tablet accessories. Info.)
• The Inn at Eagle Hill series (The Letters, The Calling, and The Revealing)

Five second place winners will receive:

• The Inn at Eagle Hill series (The Letters, The Calling, and The Revealing) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 20th. All winners will be announced July 21st at Suzanne's blog. AND ... if you're looking for more in the Inn at Eagle Hill series, be sure to pick up the ebook novella, The Rescue, for just $1.99!

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
Suzanne is also giving away two 10-book mystery prize packs! 
One of the major themes of The Revealing is learning to trust your intuition and instincts. These are God-given qualities that we sometimes are too timid or unsure of to act on. For a chance to win one of the 10-book prize packs, leave a comment on her blog and share about a time when your intuition or instinct saved the day—or a time you ignored it and missed an opportunity. 

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Suzanne's blog on the 21st to see if you won one of the great prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

See y'all tomorrow for another review! :)  

 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Revell) for this review.

"The Calling" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About this book:

  “Twenty-year-old Bethany Schrock is restless. Her love life has derailed, her faith hangs by a thread, and she is spending the incredibly hot summer days wading through a lifetime’s accumulation of junk at the home of five ancient Amish sisters. About the only thing that holds her interest is the spirited and dangerously handsome Jimmy Fisher–and he seems bent on irritating her to no end.
   When the sly old sisters and a guest at the Inn get Bethany involved in running the local soup kitchen and starting a community garden, she suddenly finds herself wondering, Shootfire! How did that happen? Despite her newfound purposefulness, a gnawing emptiness about a childhood mystery continues to plague her. Encouraged by Jimmy Fisher, she will seek out the answers she craves–and uncover a shocking secret that will break her heart, heal it, and point her to love.”

Series: Book #2 in “The Inn at Eagle Hill” series {Book #1, “The Letters”, Here! and the novella, “The Rescue”,Here!} {Also, I have not read the series, but it looks like the series "Stoney Ridge Seasons" by this same author has a tie-in with this series.}

Spiritual Content-  Many Prayers & Scriptures are said; Geena is a Youth Pastor & witnesses and talks about God; Naomi says that a “man is possessed” and that he casts two shadows; Talks about God & His plans for us.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dadgum’, a ‘crummy’, a ‘biddy’ and many ‘shootfire’s; A dog gets hit by a car and dies :( (Semi detailed).

Sexual Content- a few not-detailed kisses and two semi-detailed kisses; Love & Falling in it.  

-Bethany Schrock
                      P.O.V. switches between Bethany (age 19), Mim (age 14), Geena & Naomi.                                                         320 pages (With a recipe in the back! :) )

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Pre Teens-

New Teens- 

(and a half)

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

{Not for sensitive animal lovers; See Negative Content.}

While I liked “The Calling” better than book #1 in this series, “The Letters”, the doggie part was hard to read & not to dwell on it.

See y'all tomorrow with the review of the final book in this series, "The Revealing"! 

 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"The Rescue" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About this book:

  “He's taking a chance on love . . . and there's no plan B.
   Will Stoltz has returned to Stoney Ridge with a clear plan. He's opening a wild bird rescue center and is determined to rekindle his fizzled romance with Jackie Colombo, the veterinarian who stole his heart. But nothing is working out as Will planned. The leased building for the rescue center is a disaster, his funding is rapidly dwindling, and Jackie Colombo has disappeared without a trace.
   When an injured eagle is found in a pasture near the Inn at Eagle Hill, Will is desperate to prove to himself, to his skeptical father, and to everyone else that his mission has not been in vain. But as his best-laid plans begin to fail, Will discovers something more valuable.”


 Series: Here’s the tricky thing, Goodreads says it’s Book #0.5 in “The Inn at Eagle Hill” series, (This is considered a novella) so I read this one before book #1, “The Letters”, {Review Here!} and sadly, it gave most of the first book away so I would recommend to read this book after “The Letters”. :)   

Spiritual Content- Will says he believes in God but was afraid that God might change him and make him do things he doesn’t want to do; Rose tells Will about Jacob & Rachel; Will prays.  

Negative Content- Birds die (no details) and one ate something poisonous (semi-detailed).   

Sexual Content- Will is pretty obsessed with finding Jackie

-Will Stoltz
                                         P.O.V. of Will
                                                        27 pages (e-book only)

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Pre Teens-

New Teens- 

(and a half)

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

Of course, it being a novella it was very short—this one being very, very short. Like I said the Series: Here’s the tricky thing, Goodreads says it’s Book #0.5 in “The Inn at Eagle Hill” series, (This is considered a novella) so I read this one before book #1, “The Letters”, {Review Here!} and sadly, it gave most of the book away so I would recommend to read this book after “The Letters”. :)

 See y'all tomorrow with the review of book #2, "The Calling"! :)

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher for this review.

"The Letters" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About this book:

  “Welcome to a place of unconditional love and unexpected blessings
   When widow Rose Schrock turns her Amish farmhouse into a bed and breakfast, she expects there might be problems. The reaction of her cantankerous mother-in-law for one. Disapproval from the church for another. But what she doesn't expect is that the guests at the Inn at Eagle Hill will spill their problems into her life and into her heart. She also never expects the kind of help and support she gets from Galen King, the quiet and rugged horse trainer next door. Love, Rose discovers, can bloom in the most unexpected ways.”

            Another description is:

   “Rose Schrock is a plain woman with a simple plan. Determined to find a way to support her family and pay off her late husband's debts, she sets to work to convert the basement of her Amish farmhouse into an inn. While her family, especially her cranky mother-in-law, is unhappy with Rose's big idea, her friend and neighbor, Galen King, supports the decision and he helps with the conversion. As Rose finalizes preparations for visitors, she prays. She asks God to bless each guest who stays at the Inn at Eagle Hill. As the first guest arrives and settles in, Rose is surprised to discover that her entire family is the one who receives the blessings, in the most unexpected ways. And she's even more surprised when that guest decides to play matchmaker for Galen King.”


 Series: Book #1 in “The Inn at Eagle Hill” series {There is a #0.5, but I’ll talk about that one tomorrow! ;) } {Also, I have not read the series, but it looks like the series "Stoney Ridge Seasons" by this same author has a tie-in with this series.}

 

Spiritual Content- Scriptures & Prayers are said; Talks about God, handing things over to Him, & Trusting Him.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dang’, two ‘sissy’s and a few ‘shootfire’s; Bethany says “You, Mr. Irresistible, can just take your buggy and—“ (and does not finish as she gets interrupted); Jimmy kills & dresses some geese (semi detailed);  Rose worries about the coyotes getting her sheep and paints some semi-detailed and not-detailed pictures about what could happen; Jimmy says “an unrepeatable word that he saved for emergencies” (written just like that, the word is not said or hinted at); Vera says she feels like “a hen caught in the middle of a killing neck twist”.

Sexual Content- a ‘bimbo’; A couple not-detailed kisses; Delia’s husband had an affair (there are no details); A stallion runs off and the owner says that the horse probably got a “whiff of a mare in season”; A drunk man flirts & pinches Bethany’s bottom; Bethany says her & Jake “had kissed quite a bit”; Love & Falling in it.  

-Rose Schrock
     P.O.V. switches between Rose (age 36), Bethany (age 19), Mim (age 13), Delia, Vera, Jimmy, & Galen.
                                                        307 pages (With a recipe in the back! :) )

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 Pre Teens-

New Teens- 

(and a half)

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

{Not for sensitive animal lovers; See Negative Content.}

I’ve never read an Amish book like this one! While I liked it the animal parts were a bit much for me.

See y'all tomorrow with another review! :)

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.