Carla's Book Crush

Amish Country Killer by Mary Alford
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Publication Date: April 1, 2025
Genres: Christian Romance | Suspense
Pages: 230
Format: paperback – received from author
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

An unsolved mystery…

Seeking the truth could be fatal.

Reopening the investigation of her mother’s disappearance puts chief of police Diana Fisher in someone’s lethal sights. As she delves deeper into the mystery, a murderer resurfaces, targeting the Amish community. Detective Micah Nissley, whose fiancée went missing a decade ago, joins forces with Diana to stop the threats and bring the killer to justice. But can they uncover the connection between Diana and the culprit before she becomes the next victim?

The ending of this book was shocking. Never, in my wildest dreams, would I have guessed the killer’s identity. In addition to Alford’s ability to keep me guessing, I liked that suspense was kept in the forefront of this book, and the romance was very low-key. Not even flirting. Diana and Micha were focused on catching a serial killer, not making a love connection. I felt this was very appropriate to the setting.

This book could not have been better. I was not in a reading mood when I picked this up, but as I kept going, that mood changed. To the point where I did not want to put it down. I wrote thisreview well after my normal bedtime so I can get the word out that everyone who loves suspense must read this book.

---

Amish Weddings by Beth Oberholtzer (Author), Suzanne Woods Fisher (Foreword)
Publisher: Herald Press
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
Genres: Christian Nonfiction
Pages: 192
Format: ebook – NetGalley
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

The true story of Amish romance.

Enter into Amish courtship, weddings, and marriage in this richly researched and illustrated book about wedding traditions in a Plain community. Through stories, history, and evocative photographs, Amish Weddings offers an insider’s look into the making of an Amish wedding. Author Beth Oberholtzer introduces real Amish couples in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, inviting readers into the broader courtship process as well as the inner workings of a daylong event like no other. 
​
Personal stories from brides and grooms and a host of friends and family who contribute to the celebration provide a window into a one-of-a-kind gathering that honors the couple while enveloping them in their community of faith. In addition to photos from actual Amish weddings, menus and recipes enjoyed by generations of celebrants offer a front-row seat to a fascinating and unique ritual that is supported by a vast community.

Just as the name of this book implies, it is about not only Amish weddings, but the courtship leading up to the ceremony, as well as what happens with the bride and groom directly after the nuptials. This read was so incredibly fascinating. It kept me engaged and enthralled the entire time I was reading it, which didn’t take long, because I just didn’t want to put it down. As someone who loves Amish romance, it is so captivating to see the actual process, things that they don’t say in the romances or that aren’t spelled out. It also helps to understand how members of the Amish faith feel about their different roles during the celebration and to see how well they all work together.

When you first start reading this title, you feel like maybe some of the details are being repeated, but once you get further in, you understand the rhyme and reason of that. It might be mentioned one time because it’s related, but then it will be talked about again later on with greater detail so that you have a better understanding of what that point is. The pictures are gorgeous and make me want to live on a farm. After seeing these images, I would enjoy the opportunity to spend some time in Pennsylvania, in the Amish country.

Anyone interested in other religions, especially if you’re interested in the Plain communities’ traditions, will greatly enjoy this work.

---

Her Amish Refuge by Pamela Desmond Wright
Publisher: Love Inspired
Publication Date: April 29, 2025
Genres: Amish Romance
Pages: 208
Format: paperback – received from author
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Could her safe haven in a storm

Be a path back to her faith?

Caught in a blizzard pregnant and alone, former Amish woman Florene Schroder stumbles upon an unexpected sanctuary on an Amish farm. She never expects her rescuer to be Gil Kestler, a gentle giant from the community she left behind years ago. Forced together as they brave the storm, their wounded hearts slowly begin to warm toward one another. But as the snow starts to melt, can they conquer their fears to embrace love…or will the secrets they harbor keep them apart?

This is the type of book you sit down with in the morning and then go through all the emotions before you finish it in the afternoon. There’s so much to absorb between an unplanned pregnancy, an abusive husband, and a “gentle giant” who changes everything.  

Gil is not your typical hero in a story; he’s almost 7 feet tall and is considered unintelligent. Because he doesn’t get noticed (at least not in a positive way) anyway, he’s let himself go and is scruffy, often unshaven, hair unruly, and his clothes aren’t always the cleanest. But Gil will grab your heart and show you what God truly values long before he cleans himself up and cuts his hair. His heart is on display from the minute he enters the barn and sees Florence lying there.  

Florence is so scared of what she’s done with her life and what is in store for her unborn child. But, despite everything she’s been through, she looks past the exterior and sees Gil for who he truly is. Her struggle with faith is so genuine. If you’ve ever doubted or felt that you aren’t worthy of God, even for a millisecond, you will understand Florence and connect with her.  

Desmond Wright is a wonderful writer, and she has outdone herself with this book. This is a must-read if you love Amish romance, stories of forgiveness, God’s love, or unexpected heroes. 

---

The Lightness of Water by Toni Cabell (Author), Lisa Lynn Sandlin (Narrator)
Series: Water Witch – Book 1
Publisher: Endwood Press LLC
Publication Date: September 3, 2024
Genres: Young Adult | Fantasy
Length: 8 hours and 14 minutes
Format: audiobook – received from narrator
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Solace is beautiful, strong-willed, and called the water witch by her neighbors. She divines for water in the arid hills of her home—a dangerous pastime across the border, where the king controls access to all the water.

Rhees is brooding, bitter, and hiding a deadly secret. But he’s determined to find a way to help the thirsty people of his land—even if it means kidnapping the last living water diviner.

But divining for water is against the law, punishable by death. Should Solace risk everything—including her heart—in a daring race to find water, or flee across the hills at her first chance of escape?

Fantasy is not a typical genre for me, as I don’t like having to figure out the pronunciation of made-up words or struggle to bring the book to life. Having the narrator made all the difference! I also liked how Lisa was able to make the male voices sound authentic and not just like a woman trying to sound like a man. She is a favorite narrator because of that!

Solace’s gift as a water diviner seemed almost like a skill she had learned. Her mother did teach her to use her gift, so I suspect it was a mix of both. She is the type of person who focuses on others and ensures they feel included, needed, and loved—no matter who they are. Rhees is gruff and single-minded in his desire to help the kingdom, so much so that his plans cause harm to others, particularly Solace. The book had me on the edge of my seat with the action. While the entire book was good, once I hit Chapter 13, I couldn’t stop reading and stayed up late to finish. There was just so much going on; I was anxious for Solace and Rhees and had to keep reading, even though it meant staying up late.

If I had one complaint about this book, it’s that Solace is 17. While I appreciate that this is a young adult book, I would have preferred Solace to be in the 18–20 range, given the things she has to deal with. Not that anyone should have to go through them, but for the sake of young minds, having her be older would have felt more appropriate.

Note: My daughter did not see any issue with Solace being 17 and my teenage granddaughters are reading this. So maybe I am being overally cautious.

---

Season of Hope by Sara Jane Jacobs (Author), Lisa Lynn Sandlin (Narrator)
Series: The Seasons Series – Book 1
Publisher: Rose Cottage Books
Publication Date: January 5, 2022
Genres: Christian Romance | Contemporary Romance
Length: 6 hours and 47 minutes
Format: audiobook – received from narrator
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Memories of his abusive father fuel Tyler Armstrong’s desire to make the world a safer place, so Tyler will do whatever it takes to become a Navy SEAL. Falling in love with his best friend, Amanda Jarvis, though, wasn’t part of his plans.

Maybe his failed attempts to confess his love turned out for the best. Even if their shared faith helps them navigate the demands of SEAL life, he fears asking her to live with the uncertainties of his career. Amanda deserves better.

When Amanda’s plans for college fall through and her summer job in New York catapults her into a modeling career, she welcomes the distraction. Not only is she falling for her best friend, Tyler, but his impending deployment is also turning her world upside down.

The more she learns of Navy SEALs, the more her dreams of finding out Tyler’s in love with her fade behind the fear that she’s not strong enough to spend her life with him. Will Tyler and Amanda let go of their fears and give love a chance before it’s too late?

I just finished this book and it has emotionally wrecked me in such a beautiful way. On Amazon it says that the reading age for this book is 16 to 18 years—really? Because I am 55 years old and this book made me cry like a baby.

The book follows Amanda Jarvis and Tyler Armstrong from about the age of seven to the age of 18. At the beginning of the book, given their young ages, you get some history from the mother’s point of view—and then slowly, over time, it becomes Amanda and Tyler’s point of view only. It’s done at a nice pace so that it doesn’t feel like you’re suddenly missing part of the story. It just naturally evolves as you continue to see the friendship grow.

It truly is quite some time before you get to that point where they start realizing that maybe there’s more there, and it genuinely feels like a perfect relationship—the kind of relationship that you would want for your children, or that, if you didn’t already have this, you wished you had for yourself.

Honestly, I’m afraid to say too much because I feel like I’m going to tell you everything, just because I want to be able to tell everyone how absolutely amazing this book is and let them know what they’re missing out on. It really should be read by so many people.

It’s a Christian romance, but it isn’t overly done—so if you usually shy away from that genre, I don’t think you should pass on this one. I believe it’s written in a way that is both inviting and relatable to Christians and non-Christians alike.

I will say that the book ends on a cliffhanger, and you will become deeply invested in this story and not want to put it down—so be prepared to keep going, because there’s no way you won’t want to.

I did read this as an audiobook, and the narrator, Lisa Lynn Sandlin, is exceptional. She has taken the heartfelt writing of Sarah Jane Jacobs and given it such a moving emotional voice. I’m really not sure I could have captured that on my own reading, so if you enjoy audiobooks, I strongly recommend that you go for that. But if you don’t, please pick up the book and read it the way you enjoy—because you will be absolutely captivated.

Discovering Dahlia by Jennifer Moore 
Series: The Blue Orchid Society – Book 5
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Publication Date: April 1, 2025
Genres: Historical Romance | Mystery
Pages: 208
Format: ebook – received from publisher
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

A Victorian Romance

Following a painful public humiliation, Dahlia Lancaster was left heartbroken, friendless, and shunned by London Society. But rather than dwelling on the balls she’ll never attend, Dahlia has turned her attentions to her unconventional inheritance—a steamship company. After a year of work, she’s preparing to launch The Aurora, a luxury ocean liner that promises to revolutionize travel. The invitation list is exclusive: Dahlia’s closest friends—the Blue Orchid Society—as well as a few influential individuals from her old life whose presence will ensure the success of her endeavor. Unfortunately, not all have the best interests of Dahlia or her shipping line at heart.

Lord Meredith has loved Dahlia since their first meeting. But after her fall from grace, she has evaded his every attempt to see her—until she extends an invitation to join her on The Aurora. Once aboard, Lord Meredith and Dahlia’s tentative rekindling of their friendship is interrupted when things begin to go terrible wrong. Mischievous dealings take on an ominous tone, and it’s clear that someone is intent on humiliating Dahlia again or worse—but she will not be sunk so easily.

This was the first book I’ve read by Moore, and it won’t be the last. Since this is the last of The Blue Orchid Society series, I’d like to read the other four books that preceded it. Not because I missed anything, you can jump in at any time, but because I enjoyed the book that much. I enjoyed both the historical romance and mystery elements, and felt that the book had the right mix of both.

The beginning of the book started with a tragedy (and embarrassment) for Dahlia that pushed her out of high society and left her hurt and alone. She even lost her best friend, Miles, who is also the best friend of her former betrothed, who created the whole tragic incident in the first place. I enjoy how strong and innovative Dahila becomes as she works to make a new life for herself. Miles winds up being on the maiden voyage of Dahlia’s new and exciting venture into the cruise ship world. As a mystery begins to unfold, he finds himself wanting to protect and help Dahila in every way possible. I felt bad for Miles because he was stuck between two friendships, one from childhood and one that he wanted to be more. Both main characters were endearing.

The secondary characters in this book were fun, and if you hadn’t read the other books, like me, they made you want to go back to the beginning of the series to learn more about them. I particularly enjoyed Mrs. Griffin and the other elderly ladies who were not going to allow their age slow them down.

This book is great for romance lovers, historical fiction junkies, and those who like a mystery with a surprise ending (yes, Moore got me on this one). All these things add up to a great, fun read that will take you on an adventure.