The Christmas Quilt / Hannah's Journey

Leave a comment on any blog from today until the 19th to be entered in for the Christmas drawing. Details on my author page on facebook - Author Laura V. Hilton *Please note: the book reviews following is not a part of this giveaway.*



Title: THE CHRISTMAS QUILT
Author: Patricia Davids
Publisher: Love Inspired
December 2011
ISBN: 978-0-373-81588-3
Genre: Inspirational/Contemporary Romance/Amish

Gideon Troyer left his Amish community years ago after his long-time lover, Rebecca Beachy, rejected him. He fulfilled his dreams of becoming a pilot, and made more money than he knows what to do with. But returning home is the last thing on his agenda—until he sees a television broadcast about a quilt auction to help fund a surgery to hopefully restore sight to a blind Amish woman—Rebecca Beachy.

Rebecca is attracted to the unseen English man who appears at her side at the auction, and feels that he is familiar, but she can’t place why. She is stunned to learn that he buys her quilt and hurries to thank him. He says he’s leaving, but an ice storm keeps him stranded at the same hotel she’s staying at. The next day, Rebecca and Gideon spend the day together, but she still doesn’t realize who he really is.

Will Gideon be able to give up his planes and freedom and return to life as an Amish man? Will Rebecca ever forgive him for leaving her and taking her heart?

THE CHRISTMAS QUILT is a beautiful Christmassy story set in Ohio. It is the fifth book in Ms. Davis’ Brides of Amish Country series, but it easily stands alone. I enjoyed getting to know Gideon and Rebecca.

I haven’t read all of Ms. Davids’ books, but out of the ones I’ve read, I liked this one the best. It was a good way to spend the day after Thanksgiving, relaxing and reading. I enjoyed the characters and the setting and of course, the romance. If you are looking for a good Christmassy Amish romance, then THE CHRISTMAS QUILT is a good book to consider. Discussion questions are included at the end. $6.50. 280 pages. 4.5 stars.


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Title: HANNAH’S JOURNEY
Author: Anna Schmidt
Publisher: Love Inspired Historical
May 2011
ISBN: 978-0-373-82868-5
Genre: Inspirational/historical/romance/Amish

Hannah Goodloe is an Amish woman, desperate to find her eleven-year-old son, Caleb. Caleb had visited a circus the day before and that night had vanished. Hannah believes he ran away to join the circus, so she gathered her courage and went to visit the owner of the circus, Levi Harmon, to request that he return her son.

Levi is a bit confused by the Amish woman’s request and questions her as to why she believes that Caleb would have joined his circus. He can’t be bothered to find the boy himself, and knows his managers would locate him and return him if he has indeed stowed away on the train, but he tells Hannah that she must go on the trip with him and see to her son herself. To his surprise, Hannah, her father-in-law, and her sister-in-law, show up at the train station at the designated time.

Will Hannah find her son on that train? Will Levi unlock the doors to his past and open his heart?

HANNAH’S JOURNEY is a different type Amish story, in that it’s historical. Hannah is taken out of her world and thrown into one that is vastly more opulent than what she was accustomed to. But this unassuming woman quickly became assuming, making demands on Levi that things should be downgraded to her standards. Levi catered to every complaint she made, though she covered them all saying they were for her father-in-law and or sister-in-law’s comfort.

I can’t really say I enjoyed this book. The conversation was stilted, I couldn’t relate to the characters, and I found some of the things unbelievable. This is the first of several books in her Celery Fields Series, set in Sarasota, Florida. Or, in this case, a circus train traveling cross-country from Florida to Wisconsin. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $5.50. 278 pages. 3 stars.