Thursday, January 5, 2017

The Angel of Forest Hill

The Angel of Forest Hill: An Amish Christmas Romance 

Hardcover, ebook, audio

October 4, 2016

by Cindy Woodsmall


  • Hardcover: 208 pages
  • Publisher: WaterBrook 
  • ISBN-13: 978-1601427052

A time of anticipation. A season of miracles.
Because of Joel’s impossible situation, twenty-one-year-old Rose must sacrifice everything. As days pass into years in the midst of the beautiful hills, the laughter of children, and God’s providence—is it too much for Rose to hope for love in return?

An amazing journey toward love and belonging, filled with the wonder of the season of Christ’s birth.


When Old Order Amish Rose Kurtz is asked to leave her family, travel deep into West Vir­ginia, and help Joel Dienner with his children in the wake of tragedy, the quiet young woman recognizes a home where she might find kindness instead of criticism and hope replacing harsh words. She agrees to stay in Forest Hill and become Joel’s wife for the sake of his family needs, but their marriage is to be a partnership, one built from need, not love and affection.

As the years pass, Rose continues to beckon Joel to join life again, to take joy in his growing children, and to awaken his heart to the possibility of new love. Joel hopes that Rose can move beyond deep-rooted hurts to see the beautiful Christmas ahead, their season. But will the arrival of a beautiful widow and a series of misunderstandings reverse how far Rose and Joel have come?

My thoughts: First, the disclaimer. "I bought my own copy of this book. All opinions are my own." That done, I greatly enjoyed reading THE ANGEL OF FOREST HILL and getting to know Rose and Joel. I hurt for them as Rose dealt with impossible situations, a husband, numb with grief, the deceased wife's mother intent on destroying her life, her mother who listed everything she'd ever done wrong and called her worthless. I hoped Rose would find love and thrive in this story. 

In some ways, the insecure Rose changed. She became strong and had thorns. But then something would set her back and she'd flounder. It was an adventure watching her take one step forward and two steps back, sometimes on the same day. 

A good Christmas novella. 

1 comment:

Marilyn R. said...

The Angel of Forest Hill was an enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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