Thursday, December 8, 2016

Fraying at the Edge

GIVEAWAY

WOODSMALL, CINDY
FRAYING AT THE EDGE

Family, community, faith and love. These 'quilt blocks' sewn together made Ariana's beautiful life. When they are pulled to pieces, will anything familiar remain?

The Old Order Amish life Ariana Brenneman loved vanished virtually overnight with the discovery that she was switched at birth twenty years ago. Now she's immersed in the Englischer world, getting to know her mother and under the authority of her biological father, an atheist intellectual with resolute plans to expand Arian's worldview. Only Quill Schabach, a childhood friend living Englisch, can steady the tilting ground between Ariana's two worlds, but can she trust him after so many betrayals?

At the same time, Skylar Nash is foced to choose rehab or spending several months with her true relatives, the large Brenneman family and their seemingly backward life -- no electricity, no technology, no fun. What the young woman can't leave behind is her addiction to illegal prescription drugs and a deep emptiness from the belief that she doesn't belong in either family.

New ties are binding Ariana and Skylar to the lives they were meant to have. Can they find the wisdom and strength they'll need to follow God's threads into unexpected futures?

Fraying at the Edges is the second novel in the Amish of Summer Grove series.

My Review:

I somehow missed the first book in this series and like most of Cindy Woodsmall's stories this is a continuous series where major elements play out over the course of all three books. So, if you are looking for closure, you won't find it until book three comes out. But having said that, this time round the author has done something fabulous -- she's included a brief overview of the story so far at the beginning of this book. So I was able to read that and then dive right into Fraying at the Edge without any trouble. That's a brilliant perk that I hope more authors who write serial type series adopt. Plus she has included a comprehensive who's who list of characters at the back of the book. So you can definitely dive into this story right now if you don't want to play catch up with Ties that Bind first.

And what a captivatingly convoluted novel! My emotions were all over the place as I got deeper into the story. Both Ariana and Skylar are displaced and totally out of their element. I think Skylar got the better deal -- though she wouldn't agree with me. She's all gnarly and rude and completely self-centered at the beginning but a bevy of siblings are pretty hard to ignore and they slowly begin to wear her down. But she feels abandoned and lost and is just beginning to find herself by the time this book winds down. I feel like there's a possibility for romance in her future and I'm anxious to see how that plays out. Plus Skylar is at a crossroads and I have no idea what she's going to do next.

Ariana -- oy -- I spent most of the read feeling furiously indignant on her behalf. Her biological father is...gah!...words cannot express how I feel about his tactics. Manipulative. Conniving. Major superiority complex. Watching how that relationship plays out and how it influences Ariana kept me an emotional pretzel for the whole read! But again, I have no clue as to what she will do next. Two men interested in her -- one Englisch, one Amish -- and she's not certain where she belongs.

A complicated story with promises of much more to come. Can't wait until book three comes out...and hope it's soon!!!!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Fraying at the Edge please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the  subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 11 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

43 comments:

  1. Such a quandary for both Skylar & Ariana! To be thrust into a world totally unknown and uncharted! Wow, sounds like a read I'd enjoy. I do like Cindy's writing, thanks for the heads up on the series & the author briefly giving a bit of backstory to the first one.

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love Cindy's writing too -- she digs deep...but she's cruel to her characters. LOL Good luck, Trixi.

      Delete
  2. My sister loves anything by Cindy Woodsmall. She told me that if I ever see any books by her that she hasn't read, tell her immediately! She says they're ALWAYS excellent.
    Elly -Indiana-

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She's a captivating author. Good luck, Elly.

      Delete
  3. Oh, yes! Please throw my name in the hat! I have Ties That Bind and bc of some changes in my life I will soon be able to read them back to back! The covers on these are some of the best I have seen on Amish books or any for that matter! Thanks, Kav, for the wonderful review!

    dianalflowers(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aren't the covers unique....softer somehow, if that makes sense. Glad you'll soon be able to read these back to back. And I think the last one comes out in the spring. I'm on tenterhooks for the conclusion. Good luck, Diana.

      Delete
    2. Absolutely makes sense. Softer and just the perfect colors all melded together. On Ties That Bind the pretty unique green in her dress match her eyes. And since she's Amish we KNOW she isn't wearing colored contacts. ;)

      Delete
  4. I have not read the first in this particular series, either. Sounds interesting but very complicated story line with a variety of issues involved. Her books are always good. Thanks for the review and opportunity to participate. dixiedobie at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's why the previous book's synopsis at the beginning is brilliant. You really can just pick this one up and start reading after you've read. Good luck, CC.

      Delete
  5. Yes, beautiful covers for sure. A sweet friend in TX sent me this one to me so I ordered the first one (Ties that Bind) and your review has made me so anxious to read them back to back!" lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely the best way to read them. Enoy, Jackie!

      Delete
  6. Love Cindy Woodsmall books. Fingers crossed. Thank you.
    leliamae54@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love Cindy's writing but I don't start a trilogy until I can read the entire set one right after the other, so I haven't started this one yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks, Kav.

    Dblaser(at)windstream(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can see why you would want to read a trilogy that way. I think I should start doing that for the continuous kind...only I can never resist getting a new book from a favourite author and once it's in my house I read it. LOL Good luck, Diane.

      Delete
  8. I have the first book in paperback which I'm sure I purchased because of the beautiful cover. This one is quite nice, too. tlhcoupon(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bwahahaha! I am too, Terrill. I've been known to snub books because of their covers. I'm so ashamed to admit that, but it's true. Good luck.

      Delete
  9. So many authors out there recently in the Amish genre, and I haven't read many of them, but I don't think many of them can compare to Cindy's writing. Her Sisters of the Quilt series is one of my favorites!

    pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She's unique, isn't she? Good luck, Patty.

      Delete
  10. I always like Cindy's books. I haven't read the first one either but I hope to. Thanks!
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just think the synopsis thing is so brilliant. Good luck, rubynreba.

      Delete
  11. Hi, Kav...I had to wonder (and that's good in a review, encaustic I want to now read it myself) if the reason you thought Skylar got the better deal because she went into a close knit community or because her "dad" was not a great father? As I said, I need to read it. Thanks for a great review and the chance to win!

    Mitzi UNDERSCORE Wanham AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wellll....both really. But, yeah, I thought the Amish family was much more accepting of Skylar. They didn't push, they were just steadfast. But the Englisch dad -- man -- his demands of Ariana were outlandish! And he was so disrespectful of her beliefs. It was like he got this new daughter and he was determined to totally change her into his ideal. Blech. Lots of contention there. Good luck, Marianne.

      Delete
  12. I've read an "Amish baby, English baby switched at birth" story before and was a bit disappointed by it. But this one sounds really good. Thank you for the chance to win :)

    melodybissonnette AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This one is really interesting -- and it gets your imagination working on all the possibilities. Good luck, Melody.

      Delete
  13. Sounds like a great book! :D

    samanthabis23 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I Have never read any Cindy Woodsmall but they all Look Really Great. Thanks for the chance to win a copy iamabho (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I predict you'll love them when you get a chance to read one. Good luck, Linda.

      Delete
  15. I enjoy Cindy's books!!!
    Karenskrayons(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have the first book but didn't read it yet. This series sounds really interesting. Thank you for the chance to win a copy of Fraying at the Edge.
    kmgervais(at)nycap(dot)rr(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I read this, too, but didn't really like it. Oh, and was so frustrated with the parents on BOTH sides of the coin.
    Dianna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you have to be prepared that it's part of a series so there isn't complete resolution in this book. I thought the Amish parents were much better than the Englisch though. Neil was just....argh.....LOL

      Delete
  18. You're welcome, Kate. Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I can't even imagine what it would be like to find out that you were switched at birth with someone else! Cindy is a great author. Thanks for the review and giveaway. d[dot]brookmyer[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  20. This book sounds so interesting. The details you described put you in the mood to read this.
    susanlulu@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete