January 28th, 2012 | 
Author: 
Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker
Publisher: Abingdon Press Fiction
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational Romance
Length: 331 pages
Summary:
As a wedding planner,Sherilyn Caine should have the perfect wedding experience…
After all, she just landed her dream job at thewedding destination hotel, The Tanglewood. The restshould be apiece of cake forSherilyn’sType A personality.
Butwhile everything else goes smoothly,her own wedding plansstart to sinkright before her eyes. One way or the other, Sherilyn is determined to make this wedding work—until the latest development threatens to call the whole thing off. Is it possible that Sherilyn is allergic to her fiancé?
AJ’s Review:
Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker was a delightful story about love, friendship, trust, and forgiveness. Forgiveness of others, but most importantly, forgiveness of oneself.
Just when I thought this series couldn’t get any better, Ms. Bricker creates a humorous story with mesmerizing, memorable characters full of charm and wit. Sherilyn Caine was at times the professional, unruffled wedding planner, but at other times, she was the baffled bride to be trying to find her wedding dress, get along with her mother-in-law to be, and ultimately, finding her way in life. I couldn’t help but laugh over the issues with her wedding dress. In addition, I loved how Ms. Bricker allowed Sherilyn to truly experience the trials and tribulations that every bride has experienced at some point or another. But more importantly, I loved that Sherilyn didn’t quickly overcome them, but instead, had a melt down which was to be expected. Fortunately, as this bride fell apart and relinquished her troubles to God, she found her way home and into the arms of the man that she loved, which was truly inspiring.
Andy was absolutely amazing and deeply in love with Sherilyn. Although by most standards, these two know very little about one another, it was obvious throughout the story as they address each situation with some finesse and some messiness, they belonged together. The passion that emanated from these two when they looked into each others eyes will send shivers down your spine because it’s so intense, yet comforting and genuine. Andy had a wonderful knack of making Sherilyn feel safe and loved, which I found absolutely adorable.
While the main characters will quickly worm their way into your hearts, it’s the secondary characters that make this story work. From the suicidal, humorous, sexy actor, to the lovable, rambunctious stray dog named Henry, to the most endearing best friend a girl could ever have, I couldn’t get enough. The reunion between Emma and Sherilyn brought tears to my eyes and put a smile on my face.
Ms. Bricker does an excellent job of allowing the story to play out while keeping the reader guessing whether or not the wedding planner will ever become a bride. The scene between Sherilyn and Cristian brought tears to my eyes, but also warmed my heart as they relinquished all of their pain, anguish, and guilt to God and allowed the past to remain where it belonged…in the past. It was truly a beautiful, well-written scene.
The plot of Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride encompassed a myriad of complexity, simplicity, and messiness, which was just the way life is supposed to be and only made the story more believable. I loved the ladies in this series and wouldn’t mind being a part of their little group. Not only were they truly enjoyable to be around, but also radiated a charismatic vibe that will simply pull you into the story and make you feel as though you’re a member of their family instead of an outsider looking in. Even as I write this review, I’m still laughing about some of their antics.
Ms. Bricker has penned a captivating, humorous story where the characters are engaging, natural and real, the dialogue is exquisite, the conflicts and tension is palpable and relatable, and God’s prescence in their lives is undeniable. You know a book is good when you’re still thinking about the characters after you’ve read the last page. 
I simply can’t wait to read Always the Designer, Never the Bride, so stay tuned for my review.
Rated 5 Seashells and a Recommended Read by AJ!
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Always the Baker, Never the Bride, by Sandra D. Bricker, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble and ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.
Book Description
Thirty-six-year-old Emma Rae Travis has been baking specialty cakes and melt-in-your-mouth pastries at The Backstreet Bakery in historic Roswell, just outside of Atlanta, for the last six years. But here’s the rub about her job as a baker Emma is diabetic. When she tastes her creations, it can only be in the most minute portions. Emma is considered an artisan for the stunning creme brulee wedding cake that won her the Passionate Palette Award last year, but she’s never even had one full slice of it.
When Jackson Drake hears about this local baker who has won a prestigious award for her wedding cake artistry, he tells his assistant to be sure and include her in the pastry tastings scheduled at his new wedding destination hotel the following week. And for Jackson, that particular day has started out badly with two workmen trapped in a broken elevator and a delivery of several dozen 300-thread-count bed linens in the wrong size abandoned in the lobby. But when the arrogant baker he met a week prior in Roswell stumbles into the dining room with a platter of pastries and a bucketful of orders, he knows for certain: It’s going to be a really rotten day.
Can these two ill-suited players master the high-wire act and make a go of their new business venture? Or will they take each other crashing downward, without a net? And will the surprise wedding at The Tanglewood be theirs?
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The Telling by Beverly Lewis
Series: Seasons of Grace, Book 3
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group/Bethany House
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational Romance
Length: 352 pages
Summary:
Grace Byler leaves Bird-in-Hand in a fancy car to search for her mother in Ohio. But what if Lettie Byler doesn’t wish to be found? Meanwhile, Lettie continues her private quest to find the missing piece of her life. As clues take her from state to state, she is increasingly torn between the family she has left behind and the yearning for her long-lost child. Struggling to come to terms with a grave medical diagnosis, Heather Nelson is determined to forgo traditional medicine–to her father’s chagrin–in hopes of finding answers and healing in Amish country. But first, she offers to drive her Amish friend, Grace Byler, to Ohio Amish country. Will mother and daughter, and one seriously ill graduate student, find the answers they long for? Or will “the telling” cause them all further pain?
AJ’s Review:
The Telling by Beverly Lewis is a gripping story about loss, love, healing, forgiveness, acceptance, new beginnings, and God’s Grace.
Ms. Lewis definitely knows how to keep a reader on the edge of her seat. After the second book in this series, the Missing, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. Would Grace’s mother finally return home? Would Grace accept the advances of her new admirer? What would come of Heather in regards to her illness? How would the Byler family survive the upheaval that’s created so much pain, anguish, and longing for the truth? There were so many question going through my head as I relaxed and embraced The Telling.
Once again, Ms. Lewis provided us with vivid descriptions of Amish country and their way of living, which I found absolutely fascinating. The main characters of the story continued to keep me guessing and it was interesting how each turn of events allowed them to grow both personally and spiritually. The ole’ saying that God never gives you more than you can handle definitely applies to this riveting story.
As the story progresses and the reader begins to truly understand the complexity of the situation, you can’t help but wonder how it will all end. The level of anguish, pain and suffering that this family endured just broke my heart. However, the new friendships and possible love relationships that kept hovering on the outskirts of the story waiting to take their turn in the spotlight definitely put a smile on my face.
The secondary characters were as pivotal in The Telling as they were in the first two books in the series. Ms. Beverly manages to take the reader through the myriad of emotions that each of the characters were feeling, which brought them to life and made me feel as though I were a part of the story. The plot is complex, but well-thoughtout and while some might contend that at times there was too much detail, I believe that every thing happened for a reason and the details only increased the realism and depth of this well-written story.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a riveting, complex story where the characters are endearing, the trial and tribulations are heart wrenching, yet uplifting as each character seeks the truth and struggles to find peace not only with the individuals around them and God, but also within themselves, then be sure to pick up The Telling and the rest of the Seasons of Grace series.
I sincerely hope that there is a fourth book in this series because I still have more questions. What will happen to Heather and her father? Will Grace eventually find the man of her dreams? How are Grace’s parents doing now that the truth has come to light?…and the list goes on and on.
Rated 5 Seashells and a Recommended Read by AJ!
The Dead Saint, by Marilyn Brown Oden, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.
Book Description
It begins with a single gunshot, and Bishop Lynn Peterson watches in horror as a good friend, who is a member of the New Orleans Saints, collapses on the street.
When a medal the player wore—a medal Lynn had promised to return to the man’s family—disappears, Lynn is thrust into a suspenseful and fast-moving journey through four assassinations, an attempt on her life, conflicts with a mysterious and ancient society, and a behind-the-scenes conspiracy that reaches all the way to the White House.
The turbulent, unstoppable intrigue challenges Lynn mentally, physically, and spiritually as she engages in a desperate battle with an opponent who is just as determined to kill as Lynn is to stop him even though she has no idea where—or who—he will strike next.
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Diagnosis Death, by Richard Mabry MD, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble and ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.
Book Description
The threatening midnight calls followed Dr. Elena Gardner from one city to another, prolonging her grief. Even worse, they are echoed by the whispers of her own colleagues. Whispers that started after her comatose husband died in the ICU . . . then another mysterious death during her training. When a third happens at her new hospital, the whispers turn into a shout: “Mercy killer!”
Why doesn’t she defend herself? What is the dark secret that keeps Elena’s lips sealed?
Two physicians, widowers themselves, offer support, telling Elena they know what she is going through after the death of her husband. But do they? And is it safe to trust either of them with her secret? Soon Elena will find that even when the world seems to be against her, God is for her, if she’ll only trust him.
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Wildflowers of Terezin, by Robert Elmer, is free in the Kindle store and is a a repeat freebie from Barnes & Noble and ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.
Book Description
When nurse Hanne Abrahamsen impulsively shields Steffen Petersen from a nosy Gestapo agent, she’s convinced the Lutheran pastor is involved in the Danish Underground. Nothing could be further from the truth. But truth is hard to come by in the fall of 1943, when Copenhagen is placed under Martial Law and Denmark’s Jews—including Hanne—suddenly face deportation to the Nazi prison camp at Terezin, Czechoslovakia. Days darken and danger mounts. Steffen’s faith deepens as he takes greater risks to protect Hanne. But are either of them willing to pay the ultimate price for their love?
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The Narrow Path, by Gail Sattler, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.
Book Description
Miranda feels like she’s been transported back to Little House On The Prairie, and Ted’s head spins when Miranda reads the Bible on her cell phone. Yet Miranda Klassen and Ted Wiebe must find a way to make peace to meet their common goal to open the doors of Ted’s Old Order Mennonite church and community. Will they also find love in the process?
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Gone to Green, by Judy Christie, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.
Book Description
In Gone to Green, Lois goes from being a corporate journalist at a large paper in the Midwest to the owner of The Green News-Item, a small twice-weekly newspaper in rural North Louisiana. The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.
When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people. She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2, she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named Kevin.
Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of real people and the importance of being part of a community.
While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.
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Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride(US/UK), by Sandra D. Bricker, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.
Book Description
As a wedding planner, you’d think she would have the perfect wedding experience…
Sherilyn Caine has left Chicago behind to marry Andrew Drummond IV, an Atlanta native with a family name that tops all the social registers. Landing the job as The Tanglewood’s wedding planner is a piece of cake for someone with a Type A personality; she’s the perfect fit for a wedding destination hotel known for its attention to even the tiniest details.
But when everything else is going along swimmingly, why are her own wedding plans drowning right before her eyes? One way or the other, Sherilyn is determined to make this wedding work-until the latest development threatens to call the whole thing off. Is it possible that Sherilyn is allergic to her fiance?
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The Missing by Beverly Lewis
Series: Seasons of Grace, Book 2
Publisher: Bethany House
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational Romance
Length: 333 pages
Summary:
Twenty-one-year-old Grace Byler longs to find her missing mother and to uncover the secret that drove her to leave them three weeks before. Grace suspects the reason has to do with her father and his reserved, uncommunicative ways. This conviction led Grace to break off her betrothal to her quiet, staid beau, and she is now resigned to remain single. But when the young Amishman she thought was courting her best friend takes a sudden interest in her, Grace is befuddled and wonders if he can be trusted.
“Englisher” Heather Lang has come to Amish country to relive fond memories of her mother and to contemplate a grave medical prognosis of her own. While in Bird-in-Hand, Heather meets Grace Byler and the two young women strike up a fast friendship, amazed by how well they click.
Following the only clue they have, Grace and Heather travel together in hopes of finding Grace’s mother and bringing her home. Will they find what they’re looking for…or something much more?
AJ’s Review:
The Missing by Beverly Lewis continues the gripping, heartfelt story of the Byler family. Just when I thought this series couldn’t get any better, Ms. Beverly adds a few more twists as the secrets plaguing Lettie Byler continue to unfold.
The second book in the series quickly picks up where the first book, The Secret left off. The family dynamics become even more complex as the reader is allowed to discover how heart broken Mr. Byler is that his wife has left him to the point that he becomes ill. I learned early in life that there are always two sides to every story an then there’s the truth and Ms. Beverly does a wonderful job of capturing this sentiment in The Missing. Moreover, I enjoyed how she let the story play out in that Grace and Heather struggled in the quest to find Lettie.
The subplots were as fascinating as the main story, as each secondary character played a pivotal role in the reader and Grace discovering the truth. There were times that I wanted to scream at Grace’s grandparents for not telling the family what they knew. Yet, at other times, I completely understood their position in that it was Lettie’s story to tell. I also enjoyed watching Grace’s new love interest develop and blossom. While he may have seemed strange to some of people in the Amish community, he had a heart of gold and always seemed to know exactly how to comfort Grace, even when she was unsure of what she needed herself. As for Grace’s best friend, I wanted to strangle her because she was as shallow as they come.
The setting was absolutely fantastic as Ms. Beverly provided the reader with more scenic, picturesque, descriptions of Amish country. I must admit that I learned something new about the Amish culture in every book that I’ve read so far and it’s obvious that Ms. Beverly has a grasp in regards to the way the Amish choose to live. The one thing that I found most interesting was how Lettie was able to move about Amish country with such ease in regards to transportation and a place to stay.
As the story progresses, if you pay close attention to the events that are occurring between Heather and her father, as well as Grace and her family, one is able to put some of the pieces together. My heart went out to all of the characters because it’s obvious that a void has been created in their lives in an effort to correct the past so that they can move on in the future. The Missing is well-written and as I continued reading, I felt like a part of the story instead of a reader looking in from the outside. The trials and tribulations that these characters endure is a true testament to their faith not only in God, but also in themselves and one another.
Once again, Ms. Beverly leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. Will the Byler family be able to overcome Lettie’s secret? Will each of them find peace in their own way? What will happen to Heather, the new “Englisher” who loves the Amish culture and her surroundings? So many questions, so few answers and I’m simply dying to know how it all ends.
If you’re looking for complex, compelling story with dynamic, three-dimensional characters, heart wrenching scenes that will bring a tear to your eye, and a plot that thickens with the turn of every page as you strive to figure out what will happen next, then The Missing is definitely the book to read.
Rated 5 Seashells by AJ!