Review: The Last Heiress

The Last Heiress is a stand alone novel by Mary Ellis. It's set in Wilmington, NC during the Civil War but with the added twist of a heiress from England looking for cotton for her mills. It sounded interesting and I liked the cover, but the story itself was not that good.

Ever since the Civil War started Dunn Mills has struggled to get supplies so Amanda's sick father asks her to go to America to seek more cotton for their mills. Amanda is thrilled to be able to see her twin again, but when she arrives she is shocked by how they live. When she meets shop owner, Nate Cooper, things start to look up for her, but her twin, Abigail, and her husband aren't sure Nate is a good match for Amanda. Will the social divide separate Nate and Amanda before they even get a chance to know each other?

This story was poorly written, boring. and I had to make myself slog through it. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, and I hated how some were portrayed as bad and then all of a sudden they weren't. It was confusing! It was like the author couldn't decide who the characters were either. I thought the main character was very unrealistically portrayed, and it seemed so weird and out of character for Amanda to start talking so familiarly with the shop owner. Bottom line, this book was a chore to read, and I am actually shocked that it's getting such good reviews.

I was given this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: An Amish Miracle

An Amish Miracle is a collection of three Amish novellas by Beth Wiseman, Ruth Reid, and Mary Ellis. I really enjoyed these stories, and I loved the length of them all. I liked how all the stories connected so you could still hear about the other characters.

Always in My Heart by Mary Ellis follows the story of Hope Bowman. When she has her fourth daughter, she becomes convinced that God is punishing her for giving up her son at sixteen. Hope doesn't know if she can handle the pain of it all anymore. She decides to finally tell her husband the truth, and when she does amazing things begin to happen. I really enjoyed this story of forgiveness and hope. It was filled with so much raw emotion for everyone involved. But the ending was too abrupt for me. I really thought there would be another chapter!

Always His Providence by Ruth Reid is about Ruth Hostetler, a widower for the last two years, who is facing the loss of her farm. Determined to keep her home, Ruth does everything she can to raise the money without telling anyone, but when all her efforts start crumbling around her Ruth is left with only one option. Moving. I think this novella is my favorite out of the three. Ruth is such a believable character! Sometimes it can be so easy to rely on ourselves more than God, and this story was a great reminder to always trust in the One who never fails.

Always Beautiful by Beth Wiseman tells the story of Becky Byler. Becky has always struggled with her weight, but all that changed one day when she asked God for a miracle. Once she started losing weight, Becky began to change but not for the better. Is being thin really that important? Or should she worry more about who she is on the inside? I enjoyed the suspense of which guy Becky would choose, but this story was my least favorite.

If you are a fan of Amish fiction, you will like this book. :-)

I was given this book free from Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Quaker and the Rebel

The Quaker and the Rebel by Mary Ellis is the first book in the Civil War Heroines series. I enjoyed this book, and I loved how the author was able to skip over huge sections of time without losing the continuity of the story. She spanned four years in a single book! Pretty impressive. How Emily grows, changes, and matures is one of the best parts of the story. She realizes life isn't as easy to figure out as she thought, and Alexander becomes more firm in his faith.

Emily Harrison, a Quaker, moves from the free state of Ohio to Virginia. Surrounded by excess and the abominable institution of slavery, Emily starts working in the Underground Railroad while working for her Southern employers. But when she meets her employer's nephew, she finds herself confused and torn. How could a slaveholder be so fascinating to her?

Alexander is more than he seems. He serves the Confederacy without his family's knowledge and  is known as the Grey Wraith to the Union. He somehow manages to steal supplies and money from the Union soldiers without using weapons or harming anyone. When Alexander meets Emily, he finds himself drawn to her honesty, forthrightness, and her faith. As he begins to question is family's part in slavery, he finds himself falling in love with Emily.

I really enjoyed this story especially how the two main characters grow and change with not only their maturity but their faith in God. I kept wondering how these two very different people would ever be able to get together. Actually, one of the best parts of the book was the banter between Alexander and Emily!

I was given this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.