Summer Of Secrets
Charlotte Hubbard
Seasons Of The Heart, #1
Zebra Books
February 1, 2012
320 pages
Amazon | BN
provided by publisher
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5/5 Books
SUMMER OF SECRETS introduces Miriam Lantz, Amish owner of the Sweet Seasons bakery café, along with her twin daughters Rachel and Rhoda—but wait! When a tattooed, spiky-haired Goth girl turns out to be their long-lost sister, Plain lives get changed in a hurry.
Miriam explains the way Rebecca—now known as Tiffany—got washed away in the flood of 1993 and why the bishop at that time insisted Miriam and her husband keep it quiet. Now a widow, Miriam is realizing her dream—her mission—of feeding people, yet the current bishop, Hiram Knepp, insists she sell her bakery…and marry him. As more secrets surface the Lantz triplets and their mother stand united as a family “fer gut and forever” as Rachel plans her wedding (for Book 2, AUTUMN WINDS, due out in September, 2012).
About The Author:
Drawing upon her experiences in Jamesport, the largest Old Order Amish community west of the Mississippi, longtime Missourian Charlotte Hubbard writes of simpler times and a faith-based lifestyle in her new Seasons of the Heart series. Like her heroine, Miriam Lantz, Charlotte considers it her personal mission to feed people—to share hearth and home. Faith and family, farming and food preservation are hallmarks of her lifestyle, and the foundation of her earlier Angels of Mercy series. She’s a deacon, a dedicated church musician and choir member, and when she’s not writing, she loves to try new recipes, crochet, and sew. Charlotte now lives in Minnesota with her husband and their border collie.
Connect With The Author:
Website | Facebook
My Review:
Amish novels are some of my very favorite novels to read when it comes to Christian books. Charlotte Hubbard’s Summer of Secrets was one of the BEST books that I’ve read in the Amish genre recently. Her words and style bring the reader to the center of Willow Ridge and it’s Amish community. You can hear the Amish accents and see their amazing faith come to life. The reader can feel the emotions of each character, both Amish and English, and it takes them on a whirl wind, emotional, and exciting journey into a new Amish series.
Rachel Lantz is a hard working young Amish woman, helping out her maam in the Sweet Season’s Cafe along her side her twin sister Rhoda. When she’s not working, she’s busy planning her future wedding to Micah Brenneman. But, then, Rachel, Rhoda, and their mother Miriam are in for a big surprise…..a dark looking stranger appears at the cafe, and she looks strangely identical to Rachel and Rhoda, save her clothes. What’s with the mysterious stranger? And will Miriam’s life ever be the same again, now that she’s a widow and her daughters must learn the truth of the mysterious stranger?
Those are just a few questions that answered in this wonderful book. All the characters are complex, and I love the way that God worked through them all. Micah’s curiosity towards Rebecca, the long lost sister, a sister who was swept down a raging, flooding river of 1993, of his fiancee Rachel, was intense and well played out. Rachel animosity towards her prodigal sister was amazingly created. Miriam’s heart felt emotions were a wonderful addition to the story and I was lost among the pages for hours, and before I knew it, I was at the end.
Charlotte Hubbard’s new Amish series is going on my must read list. I loved this one, and if the others are as 5 Book worthy as this one, then they will be a hit in my book. I am looking forward to see what other miracles God has in store for these Amish families, and I can’t wait to join the Lantz and Brenneman families again in the next addition for the wedding of Rachel and Micah, in Autumn Winds. Wonderful gut job, Ms. Hubbard!
This is definitely on my TBR list. I love Amish fiction. I just don’t get to read it as much as I like. Great review by the way.