ABOUT ROSEMARY OPENS HER HEART
Another spring reminds the Amish of Cedar Creek, Missouri,
that for everything there is a season.
Zanna Lambright is finally marrying Jonny Ropp, and friends and family have come from far and wide to celebrate. Among them is young widow Rosemary Yutzy, mother of toddler Katie, whose husband was tragically killed last fall. With a willing heart Rosemary has taken over care of her in-law’s family and continued to run a baked goods business from home, but privately she still mourns her lost Joe…and is unprepared for the changes that are coming…
Rosemary’s father-in-law wants to merge his lamb-raising business with Matt Lambright’s—a move that will require the Yutzys to relocate from their nearby town to Cedar Creek. Moreoever, it will bring Rosemary into constant contact with Matt, who is making no secret of his romantic interest in her. The challenges of contemplating a future unlike any she expected are overwhelming for Rosemary. And although Matt is strong and kind, his courtship is so persistent, she often wants to run the other way. As Rosemary struggles to see beyond her immediate joys and sorrows, will she embrace the outpouring of welcome and support from the people of Cedar Creek…and accept this new chance to open her heart to a more abundant life?
This is the perfect sequel to the first in series, and it was so nice to see characters that I recognized and read about the community at Cedar Creek yet again! If you follow my reviews regularly, you know that Amish fiction is something I delight in reading, and Naomi King (who also writes as Charlotte Hubbard)is one of my favorite authors of this genre. I tried to figure out why I like her writing style so well, and I think that this is what I discovered. I love the fact that she writes about the strength of the Amish women. So often, we tend to think of Amish women as being meek, mild, and not having their own opinions. Not so with the characters in this author’s books! I also enjoy the romance because it is sweet and genuine without being sickeningly sweet. And who can get away from the fact that the faith of the author is woven so well into the story? The characters don’t just give lip service or speak forth Scripture flippantly. They live what they believe, and even though I am not Amish, I can learn a lot from them.
If you have not read the first in the series, you can still jump in and read this book. Naomi King will catch you up on everything. However, you will probably appreciate the story after reading the first in the series. And now I can hardly wait for the sequel to this one so I can see what happens to Abby! But at least I was glad to see returning characters finding love, respect, and success–both great and small.
This book has something for just about anyone who enjoys clean romance. You will find humor, romance, tradition, and lots of good food! Can you gain weight by reading about the fantastic breads and desserts that the Amish women are always baking? This book is an absolute delight–almost like spending time with good friends.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
ABOUT NAOMI KING
I’ve called Missouri home for most of my life, and most folks don’t realize that several Old Older Amish and Mennonite communities make their home here, as well. The rolling pastureland, woods, and small towns along county highways make a wonderful setting for Plain populations—and for stories about them, too! While Jamesport, Missouri is the largest Old Order Amish settlement west of the Mississippi River, other communities have also found the affordable farm land ideal for raising crops, livestock, and running the small family-owned businesses that support their families.
Like my heroine, Miriam Lantz, of my new Seasons of the Heart series, I love to feed people—to share my hearth and home. I bake bread and goodies and I love to try new recipes. I put up jars and jars of green beans, tomatoes, beets and other veggies every summer. All my adult life, I’ve been a deacon, a dedicated church musician and choir member, and we hosted a potluck group in our home for more than twenty years.
Like Abby Lambright, heroine of my new Home at Cedar Creek series, I consider it a personal mission to be a listener and a peacemaker—to heal broken hearts and wounded souls. Faith and family, farming and frugality matter to me: like Abby, I sew and enjoy fabric arts—I made my wedding dress and the one Mom wore, too, when I married into an Iowa farm family more than thirty-five years ago! When I’m not writing, I crochet and sew, and I love to travel.
I recently moved to Minnesota when my husband got a wonderful new job, so now he and I and our border collie, Ramona, are exploring our new state and making new friends.
To find out more about Naomi, please visit her at http://www.naomikingauthor.com/.
Visit her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/NaomiC.King
On Goodreads at: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5163868.Naomi_King
