Musing Monday - May 8

Musing Monday is hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker.  It is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

I’m currently reading…
Up next I think I’ll read…
I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
I can’t wait to get a copy of…
I wish I could read ___, but…
I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK'S RANDOM QUESTION: Do you like to read when you are feeling under the weather?

Happy Monday! It seems like forever since I was able to participate in this meme. Without going into too much detail, we were traveling through a valley for a period of time and blogging was the last thing on my mind. Thankfully, God has seen us through and we appear to be on the uphill climb.

I've been trying to sneak a bit of reading in. My review of A Mother's Love by Charlotte Hubbard appeared here on April 28. I have a couple more reviews to post as well. I'm now reading Annie's Recipe by Lisa Jones Baker.

Annie Mast and Levi Miller were best friends until his father was shunned by the church. Now, ten years later, Levi has returned to Arthur, Illinois, for a brief visit, and he and Annie discover their bond is as strong as ever. Spending as much time together as possible, Annie finds herself dreaming of a future with Levi. And Levi is soon dreaming of building a home on a beautiful local hillside—to live in with Annie. Yet their longings are unlikely to become reality…

Levi is part of the English world, and while Annie cannot see herself there, she knows she must reveal her heart’s truth to him. And Levi, strongly reminded of his Amish roots, knows he must heal the bitterness of the past. And together, with love on their side, they just may find their way to an answered prayer…

As for this week's random question: I tend not to get sick too often, but when I do it's usually so awful sleeping is all I can accomplish. When I am on the mend, but still not top notch, I'll definitely squeeze some reading in.

How about you? Do you read when you're under the weather? Speaking of weather, over the next seven days at least five of them will have rain up here. Hope your weather will be a bit sunnier. Enjoy the rest of the week.

Book Review & Giveaway: A Mother's Love by Charlotte Hubbard

Revealed secrets, love and forgiveness swirl through this superb new novel from Charlotte Hubbard.

A Mother's Love tells the story of Widow Rose Raber, who lost her father and husband in a sawmill fire. Raising her daughter Gracie while caring for her sick mother has been challenging. Then when on her death bed Lydia reveals Rose was adopted and she is not to seek out her birth mother because that woman has too much to lose if the secret comes out, her world is turned upside down. As Rose struggles to reconcile the truth with her faith, newcomer Matthias Wagler is another unexpected surprise in her life.

When her birth mother unexpectedly shows up at Rose's new job, their bond is instant and unmistakable. But Saul Hartzler isn't a man to be reckoned with. He soon realizes his wife's deception and is appalled that she bore a child he knew nothing about. Now this truth threatens Matthais' livelihood and Rose's future. Rose and Matthias must place all their faith in God and trust He will provide a miraculous resolution.

A Mother's Love is a captivating story. From the very first moment the reader is drawn into Rose's life: the ache of the loss of her family, her uncertainty and anger over learning about her birth mother, the challenges of being a single parent, the desire to find her birth mother, the need to carve out a new life for Gracie and her, and so much more. This story will tug at your heartstrings as much as it will comfort you in realizing that God works out all things for the good of His people.

With each new novel I read from Charlotte Hubbard I think, this is the best story she has ever written. Then she amazes me by writing another fabulous story that is even better. If you haven't read anything by Hubbard before, you're missing out on one of the best names in Amish fiction. Pick up a copy of A Mother's Love today and find out for yourself.

Excerpt:


“How was your morning with Jerusalem and Vernon?” Rose asked as she managed a smile for the bishop’s wife. “I hope you were a gut little guest?”

“The best company we could’ve asked for,” Jerusalem replied. “We gathered the eggs, and Gracie counted the new chicks in the barn—”

“Thirty-eight!” Gracie exclaimed.

“—and then we made French toast—”

“And I ate two whole pieces!” Gracie crowed. “With maple surple and fried apples.”

Jerusalem stopped at the edge of the tilled garden spot, and when she held out her hand, Gracie raced over to grab it. “And we played hide-and-seek with Vernon, too, didn’t we, dear?”

“Jah, but I found him every time!” Gracie replied. “He thought I wouldn’t see him under that tarp, but his big butt was stickin’ out!”

“Gracie,” Rose chided. “This is our bishop you’re talking about. Be polite.”

Jerusalem chuckled. “She speaks the truth. Hiding isn’t Vernon’s best talent, I’m afraid. But he was a gut sport about it when Gracie found him right off.”

“See, ‘Rusalem?” the little girl said, pointing to the mounded rows in the garden. “We put the lettuce on this end, and the peas down this way. Mamma said we could plant an extra long row of those, coz they’re my favorite.”

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Kensington (March 28, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 149670844X
ISBN-13: 978-1496708441

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Click on these links to buy this book now!

Amazon.com •• http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=149670844X

Barnes & Noble •• http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-mothers-love-charlotte-hubbard/1106863706

The Book Depository •• http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9781496708441

B-A-M •• http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781496708441

Chapters •• http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a/9781496708441-item.html

IndieBound •• http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781496708441

Powell’s •• http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9781496708441

Ebook: 

Kindle •• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HWKM6NE/

 Nook •• http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-mothers-love-charlotte-hubbard/1106863706

Kobo •• https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-mother-s-love-42

iBooks •• https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-mothers-love/id1130818689?mt=11

Google Play  •• https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Charlotte_Hubbard_A_Mother_s_Love?id=YfedDAAAQBAJ

Charlotte will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many moons ago—like, in 1983 while she was still a school librarian—Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. This launched her into writing around seventy of those “true confessions” stories over the years, and she’s been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. Over the course of her writing career, she has sold nearly 50 books—most recently, Amish romance series she’s written as Charlotte Hubbard or Naomi King.

Charlotte lived in Missouri for most of her life, so her Amish stories are set in imaginary Missouri towns. These days she lives in St. Paul, MN with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

WEBSITE www.CharlotteHubbard.com

Facebook www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1