The Search, by Suzanne Woods Fisher

4 Stars

About the book - 
Fifteen years ago, Lainey O'Toole made a split-second decision. She couldn't have known that her choice would impact so many.

Now in her mid-twenties, she is poised to go to culinary school when her car breaks down in Stoney Ridge, the very Amish town in which her long-reaching decision was made, forcing her to face the shadowed past.

Bess Reihl is less than thrilled to be spending the summer at Rose Hill Farm with her large and intimidating grandmother, Bertha. It quickly becomes clear that she is there to work the farm--and work hard. The labor is made slightly more tolerable by the time it affords Bess to spend with the handsome hired hand, Billy Lapp. But he only has eyes for a flirty and curvaceous older girl.

Lainey's and Bess's worlds are about to collide and the secrets that come to light will shock them both.

About the Author -
Suzanne has loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.

After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn't even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. "That's why there's no food in this house!" said her slightly insensitive sons.

Undaunted...Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple awards). With help from an agent, she now has numerous  books under contract with Revell. Also look for Suzanne's Amish non-fiction, Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World, a non-fiction book of stories and examples about the Old Order Amish, as well as Amish Proverbs, and coming in Spring of 2011, look for Amish Values for Your Family. The Choice and The Waiting are the previous books in the Lancaster County Secrets Collection.  
Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

The Search is available now in stores everywhere and to celebrate Suzanne is hosting The Search iPad Giveaway! http://litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/the-search-by-suzanne-woods-fisher.html

One Grand Prize winner will receive an iPad Prize Package worth over $500 and includes:

    * A brand new iPad (16KB with Wi-Fi)
    * Signed copies of all three Lancaster Country Secrets books (The Choice, The Waiting, & The Search)

To enter, simply click on the link above to fill out the entry form/s, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on February 3rd at Suzanne's Everything is Coming Up Roses Facebook Party. (Did you know The Search takes place on a rose farm?)

My Review - 
Well it is no big surprise that Suzanne Woods Fisher does it again in her third book in the "Lancaster County Secrets Series". I had the privilege of reading all three books, and I loved every one.

In this book we are introduced to three amazing women - Bess, a 15 yr. old girl living with her father in OH after the death of her mother in an accident. She goes to PA to visit her grandmother (Mammi) and learns the truth about her real family. Bess is adorable! She was so innocent and sweet but smart. I loved her and wanted to adopt her!

Bess' grandmother, Bertha, what a hoot she is! She is stern, conniving, manipulating, and so loving. She is truly looking out for Bess' best interest.

Then there is Lainey. She is "English" passing through town on her way to culinary school, but can't seem to leave her old home town. Her and Bess meet and become close and soon find out they have so much more in common. After Bess teaches her to be Amish, Lainey decided to be baptized into the Amish church. I also loved Lainey!

The men in the story are equally brilliant. Jonah, Bess' father, and someone Lainey finds interesting and attractive. Simon, Lainey's step father, a bitter, drunk, who is dying in the hospital waiting for a bone marrow transplant. And sweet, clueless Billy, he works at Bertha's farm and becomes Bess' love interest.

Step into the world of Stoney Ridge and meet this wonderful group of charters!
 
Thank you Litfuse, so much for sending my this wonderful book to review!

Giveaway -
I am giving away my copy to one lucky person via random.org
* Please be from the USA or Canada
* Either comment here or email me at - forevereading at gmail dot com
* Winner will be chosen on Jan. 19th
* The winner will have 48 hrs. to respond before a new winner is chosen.
* Please include your email add. so I can reach you should you win.

Don't forget - my other contest - I am giving away 2 books for turning me on to an interesting reading challenge - HERE

Comments

  1. I am somehow drawn to books/movies/TV shows about the Amish. This sounds like a good read.

    monagarg@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a great book!

    Susandyer1962@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks interesting - here is hoping I win! :)

    grig at gmx dot com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love her books!

    bfaos(@)mail(.)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh Wendy, I loved your character summaries! Great job!!! Thanks so much for reading "The Search" and giving me exposure on your interesting blog. Warmly, Suzanne
    (PS My sister's name is Wendy!)

    ReplyDelete
  6. This sounds really interesting, thanks for entering me into this giveaway.

    unforgetable_dreamer_always (at) hotmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'd love to read this book!

    aikychien at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi,

    I would love to win this, shame it;s not open to us on the UK. :(

    nickandkatherine@talktalk.net

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love books about the amish. Please count me in on the draw.
    cmichellehofer (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  10. This sounds like another great book. Please count me in
    mirandell87@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. would love to read suzanne's latest novel...thanks for the chance :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete

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