Sunday, September 21, 2014

Shelley Shepard Gray is heading back to Sugarcreek in JOYFUL! Review and Book Giveaway Ends 9/28!

About the book: A young Amish couple gets a second chance at love in New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray's final book in her Return to Sugarcreek series.

Randall Beiler is doing his best to put his family and the farm's needs first, even forsaking love. But though he tries, Randall knows he needs help caring for his younger siblings and keeping the house together.
When his brother offers pretty Elizabeth Nolt a job taking care of the house and cooking for the family, Randall is furious---and guilty about the way he once broke Elizabeth's heart. But when he learns that Elizabeth and her grandmother are struggling to make ends meet, he knows the offer, no matter how painful, is the right thing for everyone.

Elizabeth wants to refuse---to stay far away from the man who hurt her---but she needs the money. Though she vows to protect her heart, spending time in the Beiler household makes Elizabeth realize that, while she's older and wiser, her love for Randall still burns strong.

Randal, too, seems to want something more. But does he want Elizabeth because he truly loves her---or because he needs a housekeeper? If Randall sincerely wants something more, he must find a way to show Elizabeth---or risk losing his chance at love forever.

My review:  This was an interesting story about some people looking for joy in their lives.  I liked Elizabeth and admired her love for her grandmother and determination to take care of her.  I was pretty frustrated with Randall and thought he made a lot of stupid choices and said a lot of stupid things.  I had a hard time understanding why Elizabeth would have fallen for him in the first place!  It was amusing to see Elizabeth and Randall trying to adjust to being near each other again and fighting their feelings for each other.  This is the third book in the series and their story works as a stand-alone.  The other two sub-plots were somewhat continued from the previous books, with one continuing an Amish couple's story of fostering a  prisoner's baby and the other about the new owner of a restaurant in town.  The foster mother, Judith, was a little exasperating because she would immediately think the worst was going to happen and worried so much before she even knew whether there was anything to worry about.  She's very afraid of losing the baby they're fostering.  The new owner, Pippa, was afraid to love again after coming out of a bitter divorce.  When her ex-husband's friend takes an interest in her, she's not sure if she can trust him.  Their story was cute.  I liked seeing some of the characters from the previous books make an appearance.  I didn't like this book as much as the first two because I didn't find the main story as cute and didn't like the male character very well.  I liked the theme of looking for the small moments of joy in life.  If you like Amish stories, you'll probably like this one!

I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

More Reviews at Litfuse!


Purchase a copy:  http://ow.ly/BeIYd 

About the author: Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Timesbestseller, a two-time USA Todaybestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.


Find Shelley online: website,Facebook




Don't miss Shelley Shepard Gray's newest book in the Return to Sugarcreek series, Joyful. USA Today raved: "A sweet, straightforward story about how love can be tested by family, faith, and personal insecurity. Enjoyable and heartwarming."

Click the banner for a chance to win books 1-3 in Shelley's Return to Sugarcreek series! 
Winner announced on Shelley's blog on 9/30.

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