Review: Life After by Katie Ganshert

Life After by Katie Ganshert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Snow whirls around an elevated train platform in Chicago. A distracted woman boards the train, takes her seat, and moments later a fiery explosion rips through the frigid air, tearing the car apart in a horrific attack on the city’s transit system. One life is spared. Twenty-two are lost.

A year later, Autumn Manning can’t remember the day of the bombing and she is tormented by grief—by guilt. Twelve months of the question constantly echoing. Why? Why? Why? Searching for answers, she haunts the lives of the victims, unable to rest. 


Paul Elliott lost his wife in the train bombing and wants to let the dead rest in peace, undisturbed and unable to cause more pain for his loved ones. He wants normalcy for his twelve-year-old daughter and young son, to see them move beyond the heartbreak. But when the Elliotts and Autumn are unexpectedly forced together, he fears she’ll bring more wreckage in her wake.

In Life After, Katie Ganshert’s most complex and unforgettable novel yet, the stirring prose and authentic characters pose questions of truth, goodness, and ultimate purpose in this emotionally resonant tale.

This was an amazing book! This is the first full length book I have read of this author (I've read a few of her novellas) and I really like her writing style.  The emotions and struggles that Autumn and the other characters go through are so well written that they grip your heart and you HAVE to keep reading to find out how it all turns out. 

The angst of turning teenager Reese and the emotions she's going through and the anxiety she's causing her father is so heart-breaking.  And then there is Paul's secret about Vivian and how his guilt is eating at him.  Paul and Reese have to learn to be open and honest with each other and those around them in order to start the process of healing.

Autumn's guilt about being the only survivor has totally changed her life.  She has so many issues to work through but she slowly opens herself up to her family and those around her again.  I love how her family is there for her even though they overwhelm her sometimes.  Autumn's interaction with the victim's families for the video is precious and helps further the healing process for all involved.  

This is a complex story with a depth of emotion that will take you from sorrow and guilt to healing and hope and leave you with the beautiful truth that God doesn't always give us the miracle but he will always comfort us if we let Him (Jesus wept!). 

*Thanks to the author and publisher for a complimentary ARC copy of this book. I was not paid or required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are my own.*

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Review: To Have and to Hold: Three Autumn Love Stories

To Have and to Hold: Three Autumn Love Stories by
Betsy St. Amant, Katie Ganshert, & Becky Wade

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

They’ve helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples. Now twelve new couples will find themselves in the wedding spotlight in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

Love Takes the Cake: A September Wedding Story by Betsy St. Amant

Charlotte Cantrell is always the baker; never the bride. When Will, a regular at Charlotte’s bakery, catches her attention, she can only hope that he is the reliable man this single mother has always hoped to find. The problem is that he’s regularly stopping in to buy cookies for another girl. But when Charlotte is hired to bake a host of wedding goodies for a difficult bride and finds out Will is the best man, she has the perfect opportunity to get to know him better—and find out how serious Will is about this other girl in his life.

The Perfect Arrangement: An October Wedding Story by Katie Ganshert

Amelia Woods is a small-town wallflower and the proud owner of Forget-Me-Nots, a quaint flower shop. Her love life has always been a bit lackluster—until she ends up in an embarrassing fender-bender with handsome Nate Gallagher. Meanwhile, Amelia’s younger brother, William, has proposed to his girlfriend. Amelia would be excited except she has evidence that the fiancée is not who she says she is. It seems Nate is the only one available for any advice-giving, and he’s good at it—and pretty fun to talk to too. As Amelia works to craft the perfect flower arrangements for other people, she begins to wonder if real love is better than the dream. And if it is, will Nate still be interested when he learns who she is?

Love in the Details: A November Wedding Story by Becky Wade

When Josh returns to his hometown of Martinsburg, Texas, to help his best friend get married, he didn’t intend to run into church wedding coordinator—and ex-girlfriend—Holly. He can’t help but pine after the girl he never got over. Holly broke up with Josh years ago in an attempt to ensure his future success. But she loved him then and still loves him now. As she helps him plan his best friend’s wedding, she longs to be with Josh but doesn’t feel worthy of his big-time lifestyle when she is more comfortable in her smalltown world. Will Josh and Holly be able to keep things as they are when their true feelings threaten to surface at every turn?

Review: Amish Christmas at North Star: Four Stories of Love and Family

Amish Christmas at North Star: Four Stories of Love and Family 

by Cindy Woodsmall, Mindy Starns Clark & Emily Clark, Amanda Flower, & Katie Ganshert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

One night four lives entered the world by the hands of an Amish midwife, just outside North Star, Pennsylvania. 
Rebekah’s babies, as they are called, are now grown adults and in four heartwarming novellas each young person experiences a journey of discovery, love, and the wonder of Christmas.

Guiding Star by Katie Ganshert
Curiosity gets the best of Englisher Chase Wellington when he investigates the twenty-five-year-old disappearance of an Amish baby. When he finds adventurous Elle McAllister in Iowa will his discoveries upend her world? 

Mourning Star by Amanda Flower
Eden Hochstetler slips from her parents’ fudge shop to investigate the death of her friend Isaac Yoder.  Who is guilty? Isaac’s handsome great nephew Jacob, an angry Englisher, or someone else?

In the Stars by Cindy Woodsmall
Kore Detweiler has nursed his broken heart, avoiding North Star after Savilla Beiler suddenly rejected his love.  But when he is called to return home, he and Savilla must join forces to keep a family together.

Star of Grace by Mindy Starns Clark and Emily Clark
Andy Danner left North Star to work in construction in a new Amish settlement in Louisiana. His little brother devises a scheme to bring Andy home for Christmas, and unwittingly unleashes the power of forgiveness in an old widower’s life.

~See more at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com

MY REVIEW

This was a great Christmas read!  I don't normally read a lot of Amish stories but I decided to give this one a try.  I loved the thread running through all four stories about the babies that were all born on the same night and where they are now as adults.

My favorite of the stories was Guiding Star by Katie Ganshert.  I liked the element of adoption in this story and how Elle is drawn into finding her biological parents.  The process of connecting with her family was sweet.  I also liked how Chase and Elle connect and fall in love.

Morning Star by Amanda Flower was also interesting.  The nature of the short story novella didn't allow much time for developing a relationship between Jacob and Eden, but there was a connection.  And the mystery of Isaac's death keeps your attention.

In the Stars by Cindy Woodsmall was my least favorite of the four.  The whole reason for Savilla's rejection of Kore and his broken heart could have been solved a whole lot quicker by a little more communication and trust.

Star of Grace by Mindy Starns Clark and Emily Clark was endearing.  Andy left town after Nellie jilted him and left to pursue higher education.  Although Nellie is now back in town and sorry for what she has done, Andy has also left town and has a hard time trusting her again.  However, the main part of this story (and what make it so endearing) centers around Andy's brother Sam who is desperately trying to get Andy back into town for Christmas.  How he goes about it is sweet and also touches the life an old widower.   Good story!

*Thanks to Blogging For Books for the complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.*

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Katie Ganshert
Christy Award finalist, Katie Ganshert is the author of Wildflowers from Winter and Wishing on Willows. She lives in Iowa with her handsome husband, their dinosaur-loving son, and their goofy black lab, Bubba. When she’s not busy writing or playing or reading or snuggling, she is obsessing over the paperwork and the waiting that comes with adoption, which she and her husband hope to complete sometime before they are fifty.

Amanda Flower
Amanda Flower is an Agatha Award–nominated author. She also writes the USA Today bestselling Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries, including Murder, Simply Served and Murder, Simply Stitched under the name Isabella Alan.

Cindy Woodsmall
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author of numerous works of fiction and one of nonfiction. Her connection with the Amish community has been featured widely in national media. She lives in the Foothills of the North Georgia Mountains with her family.

Mindy Starns Clark & Emily Clark
Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of more than 20 books, both fiction and nonfiction (more than 800,000 sold) including coauthoring the Christy Award–winning The Amish Midwife. Mindy and her husband, John, have two adult children and live in Pennsylvania. She enjoys speaking to churches, civic groups, and libraries across the country. Her unique blend of humor and insight make her an audience favorite.
Emily Clark is Mindy's daughter.

Review: The Perfect Arrangement: An October Wedding Story

The Perfect Arrangement: An October Wedding Story by Katie Ganshert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

Meet the people who make it all happen—the planners, the photographers, the musicians who have helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples—as they find their own happy endings in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

Meeting Nick was truly an accident—but Amelia finds that he’s one of the few people she can count on.

Amelia Woods is a small-town wallflower who inherited her grandmother’s flower shop. Despite her success in business, her love life has ground to a halt. And then her temptation to spy on her ex-boyfriend’s wedding leads her to a horrifying fender-bender—with Nick, the groomsman who happens to be her ex’s new brother-in-law.

Meanwhile, William, Amelia’s younger brother, has proposed to his girlfriend. Amelia would be excited except she has evidence that the fiance is not who she says she is. How can she be supportive and yet be the protective big sister too? It seems Nick is the only one available for any advice-giving, and he’s pretty good at it—and pretty fun to talk to. Amelia and Nick continue online conversations about everything, but always lingering in Amelia’s mind is the fear that he’ll realize who she is and what she was doing at the church that day of the accident.

As Amelia works to craft the perfect flower arrangements for other people—including a ninety-year-old “fairy godmother” named George—she begins to wonder if real love is better than the dream. And if it is, will Nick still be interested when he learns who she is?

MY REVIEW

I really enjoyed this Year of Weddings novella. The fun quirkiness of how Amelia and Nick meet is carried on throughout the book. Especially with their ongoing conversations through emails. I liked the use of emails vs texting because it gave them room for actually conversing. I love the fact that Amelia owns a flower shop (simply because I love flowers!). A great little novella with a sweet romance.

*Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.*

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author, Katie Ganshert, graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her family. When she’s not busy penning novels or spending time with her people, she enjoys drinking coffee with friends, reading great literature, and eating copious amounts of dark chocolate. You can learn more about Katie and her books by visiting her website or author Facebook page.

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Review: Autumn Brides: A Year of Weddings Novella Collection

Autumn Brides: A Year of Weddings Novella Collection by Kathryn Springer

Katie Ganshert, & Beth K. Vogt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Happily ever after begins today. The honor of your presence is requested at three autumn weddings.…

A September Bride by Kathryn Springer
When Annie moves to Red Leaf, she’s ready to call the little town home. Deputy Jesse Kent can’t believe his mother has handed the keys to her bookshop over to a woman she met on the internet. Jesse has seen his mother taken advantage of before, and he decides to keep a close eye on this Annie Price. But when a close eye turns into a historical wedding reenactment with Jesse and Annie as the couple, make-believe nuptials quickly give way to real-life emotions.

When Deputy Jesse Kent comes home after a three week training course, he's appalled to learn that his mother has handed over the keys and management of her bookshop to Annie, a woman she met on an online book club. Determined to keep a close eye on Annie, he finds himself pulled into a historical wedding reenactment with Jessie and Annie as the couple. As they spend time together, Jesse is quickly won over by this friendly, loving, somewhat absent minded lady. I loved this sweet story about a girl who had a difficult life who gets the chance at a happily ever after.



An October Bride by Katie Ganshert
No one but Jake and Emma know the true reason they’re getting married — so Emma’s dying father can walk her down the aisle. While Jake and Emma plan an autumn wedding together, it becomes clear that their agreement has a few complications—the biggest being their true feelings for each other.

Emma Tate has a problem - she's seen her Dad's bucket list and it includes walking her down the aisle. The problem is her dad has cancer and doesn't have much time to make that happen AND Emma isn't engaged or even seeing someone! When she runs into her lifelong friend Jake Sawyer they hatch a plan to become engaged and get married in order to make her Dad's wish come true. The problem is the more time they spend together planning this wedding the more they struggle with their deception and with their true feelings for each other. I enjoyed this short novella in the Year of Weddings series. It's a fun, sweet, small hometown story with fun and quirky family and friends as supporting characters.



A November Bride by Beth K. Vogt
Having celebrated the big 3-0 by ending a relationship, Sadie is tired of romantic relationships-by-text. The only man she knows willing to put down his iPhone and have face-to-face conversations with her is Erik. It’s time to put a 21st-century twist on the Sadie Hawkins’ tradition of a woman going after her man. But when he realizes he’s fallen for her, can Erik convince Sadie his just-for-fun dates were the prelude to “‘til death do us part”?

Erik and Sadie have been best friends since high school. When Sadie gets dumped by text on her 30th birthday, she turns to the only man who has been constant in her life, her best friend Erik. Erik has commitment issues and only dates for 3-4 months before breaking up with, but remaining friends with, his girlfriends. When Sadie faces a choice in her career that could be life-changing, Erik decides that he is going to risk their friendship in order to show Sadie that he's the man for her. I loved this sweet romantic novella. It was fun to see these two connect romantically after being friends for so long. I also liked how both characters had friends who helped them get over their fears.


*Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are my own.*

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Review: An October Bride

An October Bride by Katie Ganshert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I enjoyed this short novella in the Year of Weddings series. It's a fun, sweet, small hometown story with fun and quirky family and friends as supporting characters.

Emma Tate has a problem - she's seen her Dad's bucket list and it includes walking her down the aisle. The problem is her dad has cancer and doesn't have much time to make that happen AND Emma isn't engaged or even seeing someone!

When she runs into her lifelong friend Jake Sawyer they hatch a plan to become engaged and get married in order to make her Dad's wish come true. The problem is the more time they spend together planning this wedding the more they struggle with their deception and with their true feelings for each other.

*Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-book copy in exchange for my honest opinion & review.*



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