A Simple Charity

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LAUER, ROSALIND
A SIMPLE CHARITY

Of all the gifts that last,
 The greatest is charity.
 
Although she is still in her twenties, Fanny Lapp has known a lifetime of love and heartache. Twice widowed, she has a home to maintain, a renovation in the works, and a family to raise—all without a husband. Fortunately, in the Amish community, help is never far away. To ease Fanny’s burdens, the bishop sends Zed Miller to the Lapp house. Fanny is drawn to kind, handsome Zed, who suffers from sins of the past. But to everything there is a season, and Fanny cannot act on her feelings while mourning her husband.

Newly returned to his Amish roots after many years in the outside world, Zed knows he must prove himself to earn acceptance from his community. Without a second thought, he picks up a hammer and sets to work helping Fanny fulfill her dream of turning an old carriage house into a women’s childbirth center. Soon Zed finds himself a part of Fanny’s daily chores, sharing her laughter and sorrow. Knowing that time flows like a river, running slow and steady, Zed plans to wait on his love. But when their secret is discovered, how deep will the disapproval of their community run?

A reminder that the greatest gifts come from the heart, A Simple Charity shines like the sun with the blessings of everyday miracles.

My Review:

Lauer excels at writing community. She has created such memorable characters in the small town of Halfway and I love how they crisscross from one book to another. I get a thrill out of catching up with old favourites while digging deeper into the lives of new faves. Remarkably, despite this overlap, each book reads well as a standalone.

Lauer also creates stories of heart and depth and hope. Gritty at times, these are definitely real lives with realistic challenges that cause her characters to grapple with God's will in the grand scheme of things. That's what Fanny and Zed have to do as they gingerly work out their place in the community. Zed, as the outsider desperately wanting in, Fanny as a second-time widow in a town she married into...and the untimely attraction that develops between the two.

But this isn't just Franny and Zed's story. There's a secondary love story in the Englischer world of Halfway as well and the author weaves the two threads together in an incredible way. Talk about reader satisfaction!

I honestly wish I'd read A Simple Charity with pen and notebook in hand because there are so many wonderfully sage sayings dotted throughout. The wisdom of the Amish at its best. A superb novel that will entertain and inspire.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Simple Charity 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 January 11 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Simple Hope

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LAUER, ROSALIND
A SIMPLE HOPE

Hope shines through
Lighting a path in the darkness

Ever since the accident that confined him to a wheelchair, James Lapp has fought relentlessly to regain his strength. He knows he must be whole and healthy to run his family’s orchard and provide for Rachel King, the young woman he plans to marry. But when he defies his father’s wishes and seeks treatment outside their close-knit Amish community, James discovers just how long and treacherous the road to recovery will be. Unwilling to saddle a wife with his troubles, James decides he must part with the woman he loves.

Rachel won’t give up her dream of being a devoted wife to James, and it breaks her heart to watch him shut her out. Then their lives change forever when a runaway Englisher girl hides in the Lapp orchard. Rachel and James feel they must risk the disapproval of their friends and neighbors to help her. Will the young stranger bring them closer—or will the consequences of a shared secret tear them apart once and for all?

Revealing the wonder of plain, everyday blessings, A Simple Hope burns bright with the power of love to heal even the deepest wounds.

My Review:

Lauer has a knack for creating characters I care about. I'd already met James and Rachel in A Simple Faith and I can honestly say I've been wondering about them and their unique love story for a while now. Love it when characters stay with you long after the read is over.

James's journey is especially moving...and frustrating. Losing the use of his legs threatens his entire identity -- at least in his head. And I'll admit, his father's attitude doesn't help any. The push/pull between father and son is agonizing as both fight to adapt when confronted with this new reality. Honestly, I wanted to clobber James's father upside the head through most of the book. :-) Talk about complicated relationships! And while I understood James, he had me gnashing my teeth at times as well. Stubborn male pride -- even if he is Amish!

Steadfast, sweet Rachel hangs on through it all. Her dedication and love is admirable, even if it takes her down the wrong path a time or two. Lauer does a wonderful job of showing the contrast between the way a man and a woman cope with this kind of tragedy. Rachel does a lot of growing and stretching through the course of the book. The mature Rachel who emerges as the result of all she learns is simply stunning.

A Simple Hope beautifully illustrates the strength of hope and its ability to carry us through even the darkest of times.
 
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Simple Hope 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 September 7 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Simple Faith

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A SIMPLE FAITH
LAUER, ROSALIND

Blessings born of tragedy...a love to heal all fears

Rushing to the scene of a tragic highway collision, nursing student Haley Donovan draws on her training to care for the passengers in the crumpled van. The experience wins her a place in Lancaster County’s tight-knit Amish society, and draws her to kindhearted psychologist Dylan Monroe. Working side by side with Dylan, who is bringing counseling services to the small town of Halfway, Haley feels an undeniable attraction between them, yet she senses that Dylan is holding back, scarred by the wounds of his past.

Elsie Lapp, the manager of Halfway’s country store, is a voice of cheer and goodwill for her customers. But Elsie’s serene world spins out of control with the terrible crash, and the young woman finds herself grappling for the simple faith that has always sustained her. Her burden is eased by Ruben Zook, a neighbor known for his snide jokes. In the aftermath of the accident, Ruben reveals a tender heart that could easily sweep her away. However, Elsie carries secrets that keep her from surrendering her heart.

Exploring the ways that faith, hope, and charity bring everyone together, A Simple Faith resonates with the sweetness, purity, and power of love.

My Review:

An inspiring start to a new Amish series by an author who is rapidly rising in the ranks in the Amish genre. A Simple Faith is anything but simple in plot or characterization. Lauer explores the emotional impact of a horrific accident from the viewpoints of four main characters and in the process creates a captivating story of loss and hope and happy endings that are worth fighting for.

Elsie captivated me from the start. So upbeat and forthright with a steadfast faith. She's already overcome so much but is always finding ways to brighten everyone else's day. Watching her grapple with the dark days after the accident really resonated with me.

Lauer has created a fictional setting in order to explore some powerful truths. I loved the varied points of view and the way each character's personal journey connects them all together. A really rich read.

And bonus -- two romances for the price of one! Both Amish and English, both fraught with pain and missteps. The kind of romance that had me squirming in my seat and shredding nails until everything gets sorted out.

Kudos to the author for creating relatable characters who are atypical to the romance genre. Intrigued? You'll have to get a copy of A Simple Faith to figure out what I'm talking about. :-)


Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Simple Faith 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 . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 23 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.

A Simple Spring

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LAUER, ROSALIND
A SIMPLE SPRING

Although Sadie King is blessed with the voice of an angel, she never thought that following the song in her heart would take her far beyond the strict boundaries of her Amish faith and away from the only home she’s ever known. But during her rumspringa, one road leads to another, and suddenly she’s secretly performing with a band. Now she faces an impossible choice between the music in her heart and the traditions branded upon her soul.


Mike Trueherz is a dedicated young paramedic who finds a kindred spirit in Sadie. Torn between family duty and his desire to pursue a life beyond his father’s rural medical practice, he is inspired by Sadie’s honesty and courage.

While spring unfurls rich colors and bounty through the countryside of Lancaster County, Sadie and Mike must reconcile their families’ expectations with their own callings. Ultimately, their faith in each other and the God that has brought them together will give them the strength and the peace to take a chance—and to make the biggest decision of their lives.

A coming-of-age story reflecting the deepest messages of love, A Simple Spring is music for the heart.
 
My Review:
 
There's nothing simple about Sadie's spring! Her story took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride the likes of which I won't soon forget. A breath-taking, poignant story about finding yourself and God's purpose for you. It made me sad and happy and sad some more! This book really tugged at my heart-strings.
 
It is the second in the Seasons of Lancaster County series but it's written so well that you don't need to read the first one to enjoy this one. Though Adam and Remy of A Simple Winter and all the King clan feature prominently in A Simple Spring as well. Maybe that's why I found this such an emotional read -- not only was I struggling right along with Sadie, but with her brother, Adam, as well since I knew how her actions would impact on him. You've got to love an author who can create such memorable characters that a reader can worry over them the way I did!
 
Of course, I can't wait to read the last book - A Simple Autumn -- which releases in October. But I fear that even then I won't be willing to let the King family go! They've made an impact on me.
 
Giveaway Opportunity:
 
If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Simple Spring please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please put the title in the subject line so your entry is easy for me to spot.  Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 15. Offer open to international readers.  Good luck!

A Simple Winter

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LAUER, ROSALIND
A SIMPLE WINTER

The promise of a home...The heartbreak of an impossible love.

As a budding journalist with a major newspaper, Remy McCallister is eager to prove herself. While investigating an unsolved crime, Remy winds up in the tightly woven Amish community of Lancaster County, the last place she would ever expect to find herself. The story leads her to Adam King and his ten younger siblings, who are trying to sustain their warm, loving home in the wake of the murder of their parents. Although Remy tries to remain professional, she is captivated by the Kings. With her own mother gone and her father disengaged from their relationship, Remy longs for a home and a family just like that of these good, simple people.

Suddenly patriarch of his large family, Adam struggles to do the right thing for his siblings, his community, and his God. He neither wants nor needs the complications that spirited Remy brings. But as much as he tries to push her away, even as he counts all the ways this lovely outsider cannot possibly remain in his world—or in his heart—the wondrous light she shines upon his troubled soul cannot be denied. Adam can only pray for the strength and the faith to get this Englisher girl out of their lives for good.

Snowbound with the Kings, Remy experiences the wonder and the chores of a simple winter among the Plain People, as well as the friendship of their warm community. When her peaceful interlude ends, does she dare to reveal a killer in their midst, knowing that she may lose the love of this special family and this remarkable man?

My Review:

This is the kind of book you just want to curl up with and read straight through from beginning to end. Unfortunately life got in the way and I had to do essential things like work and sleep, but the story so ensnared me that even when I wasn't reading, I found myself anticipating the next time I would be able to.

Remy captivated me right from the start, so clearly at a crossroads in her life -- questioning past hurts but not learning from them as she struggles to find her place in the world. She's looking for meaning and security and love -- a special place to belong.

Adam, on the other hand, has that belonging place and the love of a large family. He is secure in his community but conflicted in his heart. A chance meeting between the two at a crucial point in both their lives is the impetus that hurdles them both into a complicated dance of conflicting emotions. Such a tangled tale! So many twists and turns punctuated by blissful interludes that stole my breath away.

Lauer has spun a captivating tale and I look forward to reading more from her.

Giveaway Opportunity:


If you would like to win a copy of A Simple Winter by Rosalind Lauer, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please remember to put the title in the subject line so it's easy for me to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday January 22, 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!