Review: HER ONLY WISH by Shelley Shepard Gray

On June 9, 2023 By vickleaIn Book Review1 Comment

About the Book

Title: Her Only Wish, #2
By: Shelley Shepard Gray
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 304
Vendor: Revell
Publication Date: 2023
Dimensions: 8.50 X 5.50 (inches)
Weight: 9 ounces
ISBN: 0800741684
ISBN-13: 9780800741686

Sheltered yet adventurous, Betsy Detweiler is on a mission to get out of Kentucky and experience new things in life. She’s got a list–a life list. What better place to start than with her friends in beautiful Pinecraft, Florida?

From the moment Betsy walks into the Snow Bird Golf Course to sign up for lessons, August Troyer is mesmerized. Betsy is a mass of contradictions–beautiful yet awkward, outgoing yet unsure, joyful yet hesitant. She’s like no one he’s ever met before, and as the only child of missionary parents, he’s met a lot of people.

As Betsy and August embark on a month of enjoying life to the fullest, they’ll encounter several reasons to back off and play it safe. But playing it safe has its own consequences. This tender romance reminds us that life–and love–requires a fair amount of risk.

My Thoughts

This is an uplifting story of an Amish girl who has a health problem but is determined that it won’t stop her from fulfilling her “life list.”When Betsy arrives in Pinecraft to spend a month, she has goals that she plans to carry out, including learning how to swim and how to play golf. Having been sheltered all of her life because of her health issues with her lungs, Betsy wants to live life to the fullest and sets out to do so. At the golf course, she meets golf instructor August Troyer, a kind young man who is willing to teach her. Coincidentally, she also meets a young woman who will give her private swim lessons. Betsy’s life has been filled with “no’ and in this book, she finally discovers people who tell her “yes” and encourage her to reach for her dreams. I really enjoyed the story because it was positive and upbeat as well as realistically possible. The characters were well-developed and relatable, with regular flaws and problems of everyday life. The story moved along quickly and although many of the plot elements were predictable, there were a few twists along the way that kept the story interesting and engaging. Pinecraft is such a perfect setting for the story, with its beach and tourist attractions adding to the realism. This is a quick read and a light romance, clean Amish fiction that inspires as it entertains. Although this is book #2 in the series called “A Season in Pinecraft”, it can easily and enjoyably be read as a standalone. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

About the author

*New York Times* and *USA Today* bestselling author *Shelley Shepard Gray* writes Amish and Inspirational romances for *Simon & Schuster*, and *Kensington*, *Harlequin*, and contemporary women’s fiction for *Blackstone Publishing*. With over a million books in print, and translated into more than a dozen languages, her novels have been *Holt Medallion winners* and *Inspirational Readers Choice* and *Carol finalists*.
Shelley has been featured in the *Philadelphia Enquirer*, *Washington Post, Time Magazine, and USA Today*. She has also been interviewed on *NPR* as well as numerous regional radio stations. *Publishers Weekly*calls her *Walnut Creek serie*s *“A slow-burning, enjoyable romance… Embedded in this quaint story is a poignant message about the importance of community, compassion, and doing what’s right rather than what’s easy.”*
Shelley has hosted several well-attended *‘Girlfriend Getaways’* for Amish reading fans. Her most recent Girlfriend Getaway, hosted with bestselling novelists *Amy Clipston* and *Suzanne Woods Fisher* in Sugarcreek, Ohio, was filmed by *BuzzFeed* and highlighted on *NetFlix’s Follow This*episode on the popularity of Amish fiction.
Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature and later obtained her master’s degree in educational administration. She now lives in southern Colorado near her grown children, walks her dachshunds, bakes too much, and writes full time.

Purchase Links:

https://amzn.to/41SyWWm (Amazon)

https://bit.ly/3WhDUuG (Christian Book)

https://bit.ly/3oezTKW (Baker Book House)

https://bit.ly/3MNs0pr (Barnes and Noble)

https://bit.ly/3ImNHde (Powells)

https://bit.ly/3MgRyd1 (Google Play Store)

https://bit.ly/3MCvafh (Books A Million)

https://bit.ly/42LyRF3 (Bookshop)

https://bit.ly/3ByW3ux (Walmart)

https://bit.ly/41QfRnA (Target)

https://bit.ly/3BAxqxx (Kobo)

Being part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program is a real blessing!

Review of HER HEART’S DESIRE by Shelley Shepard Gray

On January 3, 2023 By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

**Product Details**
Publisher: Revell
Language: English
Publication Date: 01/03/2023
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0800741676
ISBN-13: 9780800741679
SKU: 9780800741679

Synopsis: A wallflower in her Amish community, Mary Margaret hopes a trip will offer her a chance to come out of her shell. When a chance meeting brings new friends and a gentle young man into her life, she imagines a whole new life in Florida. But will it all disappear once vacation ends?

My thoughts about the book:

This is a quick and sweet romance with the Amish characters visiting a beach in Pinecraft, Florida. I was surprised by the setting and the boldness of the main character to leave her protected Amish community and travel by bus to Florida, but the surprise added to the story as Mary Margaret was joined by other like-minded Amish young women seeking respite from their lives and the troubles that they faced there. Mary finds her true desires in Florida and even has to face forgiving a former enemy who unexpectedly shows up there. I loved the themes of relationships, honesty and forgiveness. I especially enjoyed seeing how all of the conflict worked itself out in just the right way for the lovable characters. I was invested in the story and wanted everyone to get a happy ending, but the ending was not without some real twists along the way. My favorite characters were Jayson who is a responsible young man who feels the weight of taking care of his diabetic sister Joy and Michael, a young orphan who works hard to escape from his cruel aunt and uncle who make him feel worthless. My sympathy lay with these two young men who were courageous and determined as well as dedicated to doing the right thing regardless of the cost to themselves. This is a quick read that can easily be read in a few hours and thoroughly enjoyed!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Reads Blogger Program via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated G for all audiences. This is a clean Christian fiction book.

Check out the author’s website for more information about her and her books. http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com

Newly released on January 3rd! Purchase Links:

Not convinced yet? Check out this book trailer on YouTube!

Her Heart’s Desire book trailer

With many thanks to the Revell Reads Blogger Program for introducing me to this author last year and for giving me the opportunity to read and review this first book in her new series.

Review of HAPPILY EVER AMISH by Shelley Shepard Gray

On October 21, 2022 By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Combining contemporary romance with Amish characters gave this book a sense of authenticity. Addie Byler is the main character, an Amish girl who really lacks self-confidence since she was abandoned by her parents as a young child and raised by her grandmother. Daniel Miller, a young Amish man, sees how shy Addie is and wants to help her be more confident, so he comes up with the idea to send her anonymous notes commenting on her good qualities. The story is predictable but a good one in that Addie and Daniel have some bumps in the road in their pursuit of romance. Addie also has to overcome her rejection from her mother and what she feels is betrayal from her grandmother. The themes of forgiveness, self-acceptance and loving the unlovable are all portrayed well in this quick read. The pace was just fast enough to keep me interested but not so fast that I lost out on details that were needed later. This is the beginning of a new series set in Apple Creek and was so heartwarming that I look forward to more books just like it.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”