The Butterfly Box

GIVEAWAY

STEELE, MINDY

THE BUTTERFLY BOX

When the small town of Miller's Creek suffers a great loss, one band of brothers and a pair of town matchmakers help breathe life back into the community.

Penny Lapp thought life was done knocking her down, but when the earth shakes the ground beneath her, she knows life isn't finished toying with her yet. Everyone she has ever cared for is gone. Now suffering from her own accident while being the sole caregiver to her mother, Penny must find a way to survive the storms God has given her. Giving up would be easier, but when a stranger from the north arrives and refuses to leave, she might just discover she has so much to fight for.

Luke Milford came to Kentucky months ago for his cousin's funeral. Helping his family with their mounting losses, Luke finds himself drawn to his cousin's intended. He has never met anyone so fragile, so in need...of him. Penny Lapp needs more than a new roof, and Luke is determined to give her that before he must head back home. What was meant to be simply repaying an old debt for saving his life years ago, has now brought him back to claim what captured his heart.

My Review:

"I love Gott and all his kinner, but some just make me want to smack their heads together." (p 152)

Bwahahaha -- you might say Luke and Penny are a challenge for a certain matchmaker and I'll admit to wanting to do some head smacking too. :-)

This is the second book in the Miller Creek series and starts off right where  'To Catch a Hummingbird' left off. A town catastrophe left readers hanging at the conclusion of that book so the start of 'The Butterfly Box' is quite emotional. The opening scene with Penny standing distraught in the midst of chaos is so gripping! Sucked me right back into this Kentucky community as we follow a different set of characters. 

At times I felt as overwhelmed as Penny who has faced so much adversity in her life. Even though I got impatient with her at times, the author has done such a great job with her backstory that I could understand her hesitancy and wariness. A great lesson in not allowing our past to define our future, but, my oh my, that's hard to live out as Penny demonstrates time and time again.

Luke makes for a very swoonworthy hero, though he sometimes goes about things the wrong way which makes for complications. But he's so patient and tender with Penny. Steadfast in his desire to make her life easier. But then his band of brothers comes to town and oy, things get even more complicated. 

First off, all the brothers have 'L' names which I found really confusing. I saw them as a pack with only Luke and Lewis making enough of an impression on me to distinguish them from the crowd. I'm thinking this series is going to feature each brother which will provide a gradual in-depth introduction and by the end I'll be able to keep them all straight. :-)

Love the Kentucky setting and this Amish / Englisch mix of townsfolk who are facing a unique challenge. There's plenty of drama -- both in Penny and Luke's lives and the greater community -- and that kept me turning pages. There's one little plot point that totally surprised me! I gasped out loud. So unexpected. Makes me giddy when an author does that.

Really excited to continue this series with 'Cicada Season' which features another Milford brother (so, yay, I was right about each brother getting their own story.)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- Winner's choice.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you're new to the series and would rather win a copy of 'To Catch a Hummingbird,' let me know in the comments. 

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  The Butterfly Box OR To Catch a Hummingbird, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday December 17 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.

To Catch a Hummingbird

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ

STEELE, MINDY

TO CATCH A HUMMINGBIRD

Since her father's death, twenty-three-year-old Lydia Miller stays busy, trying to keep the family farm afloat. It leaves little time to think and to regret what she did. Her mother runs the local bakery and unexpectedly sells their home without Lydia's thoughts on the mater. Worse, they now must live with the local widower, and Lydia is expected to care for his children. Nothing in life has prepared her for the resistance she will face or the quick attachments she makes.

Widower Silas Graber fell right into the Bishop's pain. He did need help, but he though he was getting Hazel Miller not her daughter with a chip on her shoulder. Her ways are nothing like his late wife's, and it's clear she knows nothing about raising children.

However, he can't help but notice how she quickly breathes life back into his world. And his children notice it too. Before long, she has become a part of their lives, and she starts learning to leave the past behind her. And falls in love. But she's not so certain Silas is ready to give his heart away again.

My Review:

published in 2021

Mindy Steele is one of the authors I hope to catch up with this year. I can't believe I've been missing out on this 'new' voice in Amish fiction! 

Love the Kentucky setting which is fairly unique to the genre. And Steele has created an alluring little community full of small town charm including the complex relationships that go along with it. A nice mix of Amish and Englischers including one specific character that I just wanted to purse-whomp in the worst way! Gah, but she was so meeeaaaannn. lol I love getting my dander up on behalf of a heroine. :-)

Lydia isn't your typical Amish maidel. She's passionate and impulsive and opinionated. Definitely not shy about speaking her mind, but she's not over-the-top argumentative either. Just feisty in an intriguing way and Silas is trying not to notice. :-)

He's a widower stuck in the past with three adorable and somewhat mischievous children who are soon won over by Lydia's unorthodox caregiving. And their dat isn't far behind.

A really sweet romance with deep emotional layers as both Silas and Lydia have personal issues they have to deal with before they can see their way clear to a future. There's also a nice cast of secondary characters to love (or hate) and some exciting town happenings that leave me waiting with bated breath for the second Miller Creek book which I just discovered is already out! Eeeep!!! I'll be reading The Butterfly Box very soon.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  To Catch a Hummingbird, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 6 2022 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

An Amish Flower Farm

GIVEAWAY

STEELE, MINDY

AN AMISH FLOWER FARM

She grows flowers. He raises bees for honey. They help each other out, because that's what neighbour's do...

Belinda Graber loves growing flowers for her family to sell at the Amish market. Selling them in town, though, is out of the question. People would stare at the birthmark on her cheek, and she's dealt with enough teasing in her life.

As a beekeeper, Adam Fisher knows how blessed he is to live next door to the Grabers' fields of flowers. But when his father is injured, Adam has to take a job at the local mill. How ill he manage the honey harvest?

Adam and Belinda make a deal: if she tends his hives, he'll sell her flowers in town. 

Before long, Adam's shy neighbour is charming the bees...or is he the one being charmed? Because his last courtship ended badly, Adam tells himself this arrangement is strictly business, even if Belinda is sweet as honey.

My Review:

This is my first Mindy Steele book but it sure won't be my last. And I'm hoping this is the beginning of a series because I've fallen in love with this community and the Graber family and Belinda does have a pair of siblings that need matching up.  There isn't a series title on the book anywhere, but I'm still going to live in hope.

I love Belinda's shy awkwardness -- she makes introverts look outgoing! Her quiet nature is amplified by her insecurities over a facial birthmark that generated a lot of teasing when she was in school. Now she's a homebody who loves to serve those she loves best and she's content to work in her flower gardens -- away from the gawkers. 

Next door neighbour Adam has always been sweet on Belinda but she runs away like a scared rabbit every time he tries to approach her. Unwilling to make her uncomfortable, he keeps his distance...until an urgent need throws these two together.  A flower farmer and a beekeeper -- what sweet destiny! :-)

Love the way this romance develops. Adam's gentle patience coaxes the real Belinda out of her protective shell at last. He finds her charming and witty and surprisingly easy to talk to and it isn't long before he's smitten. Luckily the feeling is mutual...though that doesn't mean the happily-ever-after comes as easily as all that!

Steele has crafted a gentle, heartwarming romance with a setting I definitely want to return to. Hint: Mica and Tabitha need their own stories. Plus we need an update on Belinda and Adam. 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- reader's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of An Amish Flower Farm, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday December 18 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck