Enter the world of Harmony, Kansas… a small Mennonite community near Wichita, filled with people of many faiths—and some with none—who have allowed the town’s name to make it the peaceful place it is. But it wasn’t always so. In fact, Harmony seems filled with secrets lurking in the shadows. Simple Secrets. Secrets that cloud, not only the past, but the present as well. That is, until graphic designer, Gracie Temple, arrives in town determined to clear the shroud of mystery surrounding the community and its people that has deeply affected her family for years.

Gracie recently inherited a house and property in Harmony from an Old Order Mennonite uncle she never met. She’s unsure whether he left her the property because he loved his estranged brother and family, or because he hoped she would continue to keep his own secret. A secret that others in town are aware of, though it’s never been mentioned out loud. And that’s the way at least one person wants it to remain.

As Gracie and her new friend and neighbor, Sam Goodrich, seek to uncover several of Harmony’s secrets, including the one her Uncle Benjamin hid so well, someone else is doing his or her best to ensure that secret stays hidden. Trusting in their faith to see them through the trials they face, will Sam and Gracie be able to discover what it is that Harmony is hiding beneath her peaceful facade?

Simple Secrets by Nancy Mehl is a delightful read filled with the wonder and pleasure of a loving, all-too-human, small town group of people who care about their community and each other. Amid the many closely guarded secrets and questions about the past and its effect on the present, Sam and Gracie enjoy a growing romance, in addition to the joy of fellowship with several others in Harmony. Added to the increasing sense of God’s purpose in all of life’s trials and situations, Gracie begins to understand that sometimes the path we choose for ourselves isn’t as clear-cut as we might hope.

The book is listed as “The Harmony Series.” I’m looking forward to reading more about Sam and Nancy and their variety of charming friends and neighbors in the sequel.

Rated PG – Suspense may be disturbing for some.

Shades of Morning by Marlo Schalesky is the story of Marnie Helen Wittier, a coffee shop/bookstore owner who stores reminders of her past in a decorated box on her closet shelf. When her only sister dies and leaves a teenage son for Marnie to raise, she struggles to adapt to this precocious, yet lovable, Down Syndrome child while she’s forced to deal with a past filled with secrets and sorrows she’d rather forget.

The book’s ending is, in one way, a huge surprise, and in another completely predictable. The most difficult aspect of it, in mind, was that it stretches too far beyond the realm of realism. As a science-fiction lover, I’m used to allowing a “suspension of disbelief,” as writers call it, in order to dwell in other worlds. But this story seemed too far-fetched even for my open (where fiction is concerned) mind. Of course, you’ll have to judge for yourself, so I won’t spoil it, but I found the ending particularly lacking.

While the book discusses Marnie’s past in vague ways from the beginning, I also found it difficult to relate to Marnie as a heroine. She refused to face her life and her fears, and instead seemed to retreat emotionally whenever life became messy. And when Emmitt enters the scene, Marnie’s life becomes very messy!

The character of Emmitt, the boy who comes to live with Marnie, is the saving grace of this story. He’s loving, yet rebellious… pliable at times, yet stubborn as a mule at others… and it seems that his whole purpose in life is to frustrate Aunt Mar-ee.

The book has a lot of humor, some personal revelation on the part of Marnie and her long-abandoned love, Taylor, as well as heartwarming moments and insight into the life of a Down Syndrome child. As such, it does have some good qualities, but as a fan of Multnomah books, I’ve come to expect a higher quality from them than what Shades of Morning brought to the table for me and I, personally, wouldn’t read it again like I do many of theirs.

Rated G – No concerns about any inappropriate materials here.

Love Will Keep Us Together by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt is a Miracle Girls novel that follows Riley McGee as she struggles to decide what she wants to be when she grows up. Riley and her four friends, known as the Miracle Girls because each one has miraculously survived a harrowing experience of some sort, are on the verge of high school graduation and trying to decide where to attend college.

Riley, who’s intelligence, skills and abilities—not to mention her grades—will allow her to get into practically any college she wants and major in any subject she chooses, simply can’t decide what to do.

Faced with an autistic brother she loves and for whom she feels largely responsible, and infatuated with a definitely unsuitable guy, Riley muddles through her senior year as she tries to decide who she is and where she wants to go. Add to that, the Miracle Girls’ desire to stay together through college and beyond, as well as growing questions Riley must face regarding her faith, and she quickly becomes even more confused about which way to turn.

While she stuns everyone around her with her apparent indecision, which in reality is a decision in itself, Riley shows unexpected caring and compassion as she boldly ministers to a fellow student and member of her church youth group. And she does begin to learn more about herself as she makes her way down a new and unexpected path.

Love Will Keep Us Together is aimed at a teenage audience and the young adult market, and as such, it’s well written with a strong storyline and likeable characters. The portrayal of Riley’s struggle with her faith troubled me, however, through comments she made that bordered on sacrilege to my conservative ears. I find such portrayals inappropriate in a Christian novel.

Maybe I expected too much from the book, but I found little to strengthen my own faith, not to mention that of a younger, or less experienced Christian. If I remove the label “Christian fiction” from the book, it’s more enjoyable and easier to read, so I guess it just depends on what you’re looking for as to how well you like it. I know I prefer a stronger dose of faith in my reading than most.

Rated G – Nothing inappropriate.

Gabrielle Fairbanks is a single-again mother of two who is learning to survive—and thrive—after her well-to-do husband kicked her out of their luxurious penthouse and sent their 12 and 14 year-old sons off to boarding school in another state.

Rebuilding her life one piece at a time, Gabby has a new job at the women’s shelter that housed her during her homeless crisis; a “new” apartment (albeit without air-conditioning in the middle of a hot Chicago summer); new friends who care about her, support her and even admonish her when needed; a new chance with her boys; a new suitor; and a renewed relationship with God.

She also has a new dream of buying the classic six-flat brick building in which she lives and converting it into second-phase housing for other homeless moms and children who are working to get back on their feet like she is.

But the going is not easy by any means. Gabby’s faced with opposition from many sides, including her estranged husband who hints at a reconciliation then drops a bombshell loan request in her lap, and her Legal Aid attorney who prefers Gabby focus on finalizing her divorce so she can pursue a relationship with him rather than give her money away to a group of homeless moms.

Having always depended on someone else, Gabby must decide who she can depend on as she weathers the storms of life. Should it be her friends? Her job? Her God? Who Do I Lean On? is about one woman’s struggle in adjusting to life’s unexpected and unwanted changes with courage, humor and a measure of faith.

Though I would, personally, have preferred she show a greater measure of faith, I tried to remember that Gabby’s faith is new. While she does grow, this character seems to struggle in ways that a good dose of the Bible would alleviate considerably. Bouts of anger, self-centeredness and a romantic relationship with another man while she’s still married are issues I find inappropriate in a Christian novel. But not everyone would agree.

At any rate, Who do I Lean On?, book three in the Yada Yada House of Hope series, and the first of the Yada Yada books by Neta Jackson that I’ve read, is an enjoyable book overall. It’s light, entertaining reading, yet filled with hope, meaning—and admittedly increasing—faith and growth in God’s grace.

Rated: PG (for one scene of temptation that Gabby faces)

Being a native Texan who was raised by a mother I believe to have been manic depressive, (though they never called it by that name in the ’50′s or ’60′s) Chasing Lilacs by Carla Stewart struck a chord deep within me from the first words on the page.

What would commonly be called a “coming-of-age” novel, Chasing Lilacs is the story of Sammie Tucker, a young pre-teen girl in a small Texas town whose mother is beset by “nerve” problems and depression. Sammie desperately wants to believe her mother loves her, even amid disappointing heartache and tragedy.

Burdened with the remembrance of a child lost, Sammie’s mother finds herself unable to cope with the death of her youngest daughter, Sammie’s little sister, Sylvia. She then retreats to a world of her own making, leaving Sammie to wonder if somehow it’s because of her.

Though the book does have its share of sadness, there is also laughter, faith and fond memories about growing up in the south in 1958. The story, true to the times, faithfully brings the language, pastimes and lifestyles of the era alive—as well as what life in a small Texas industrial camp might have been like.

Riding in a new Edsel, walking to the drug store to buy a Grapette “Coke” and spending long summer days enjoying friends, family, neighbors and life in general. That’s the stuff Chasing Lilacs is made of.

This book is a page turner, due in part to Sammie’s deep yearning to experience the mother-daughter relationship she dreams of, but also because of the supporting cast of characters. Sammie is blessed with a father who loves her, a community of neighbors who encourage her, a best friend who spouts bold opinions yet ultimately displays love and loyalty, and a budding romance with a new boy from out of town.

Surrounded by a special brand of Texas small-town love and acceptance, Sammie comes to understand herself and accept what life gives her with growing faith and the knowledge of God’s grace. That’s a tall order for a young girl and Stewart pulls it off beautifully.

Rated PG. (For Sammie’s mother’s suicide.)

When you’re playing the match game what happens when everyone’s matched but you? It stinks to be a center square. I mean really. Did anyone ever aspire to be Alice when they watched the Brady Bunch? Yeah. I didn’t think so. You would think that Lauren Holbrook would be upset or lonely or bothered by the fact that all of her friends are married and she’s not. But really, she’s okay with where she is. She’s still got Ryan, her handsome construction worker boyfriend who takes her out for fabulous desserts and brings her coffee. The only thing she’s really worried about is that her singles Bible study isn’t really singles anymore and that soon she’s going to end up being the spinster babysitter for the crew.

Even that fear is miniscule compared to the discovery that she is now the big red shiny center of the bulls-eye for the combined match making talents and skills of all of her happily married friends and family members. That sends shivers of icy cold fear straight to the bottom of her tan coffee cup of happiness.

It’s not that she doesn’t love Ryan, but…does she love Ryan? She’s been so busy matching up friends for the past two books that she never stopped to consider how she actually feels about this man who has become such an important part of her life. So when her family and friends stage an intervention, she feels the overwhelming desires to hide and run hit her all at once. Though I knew exactly where the book was going when I picked it up (the big bouquet on the front cover made it pretty obvious – although I couldn’t quite figure out where Elvis fit into the picture….) the journey was still delightful and fun along the way. I laughed and scratched my head in several places as I was reading. I don’t even want to think about how geese could have begun to end up in a romantic marriage proposal. And Hershey bars down the aisle? Yeah. Erynn Mangum definitely hits the top of my delightfully creative and crazy list. Love reading the situations into which she completely submerges her characters and I also enjoy watching as they dig their way out of said situations.

Parts of the book felt rushed and a few of the situations had me scratching my head with more confusion than delight. I enjoyed the book, but I felt like it raced around a bit and seemed to get lost between the first and last sentences. It felt as if Erynn knew where she wanted the book to end, but she wasn’t sure how she wanted to get there. And in a couple of places, it felt like some of the situations were too contrived to be fun.

But none of this diminished the pleasure I had in reading how Lauren Holbrook’s story ended up with a diamond, a bouquet and Elvis. I love Mangum’s dialogue, crazy plot twists and the characters. These books are a delight and they’re fantastic reading for anyone from teens to adults. (Even my pre-teen daughter was laughing and enjoying some of the book as I read it aloud.)

Mangum is definitely a writer to watch for the future. If she continues on her path, she could rival Sophie Kinsella or Meg Cabot for fantastic chick lit.
*Rated G- nothing here to worry about!
** Review copy provided by NavPress. (Thank you Kris!)

In this, her debut novel, Adams gives readers a glimpse of what it would have looked like had nothing gone awry in any of the relationships – Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingely, even Mary and Caroline end up with beaus in this version. I don’t want to spoil this adaptation of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, so I’ll just say that the author stays true to Austen’s style and gives nearly each and every character a happy (or happier) ending.

So, if you’re up for drama-free Austen – or just need a happy ending on a rainy day, grab a copy of First Impressions and enjoy!

Her family has just moved to San Fransisco after the tragic death of her twin sister, Violet. Unfortunately for Olivia, not only was Violet her best friend, she was also the outgoing twin – the one who everyone loved. Olivia is certain that she’ll never fit in at her new school. She desperately wishes that she could have her sister back. However, when she repeats her wish while wearing the mysterious dress … she gets her wish – just not quite how she’d planned. And then things go a little haywire with Violet back in her life!

This is a sweet book about love, loss and growing into yourself. The characters are likeable and the plot well-written. There were a few instances of underage drinking (and 1 curse word) that would keep me from handing this to young adults in my life, but adult lovers of YA fiction will enjoy it. Overall, a cute “fairy tale” story complete with a magic dress – a great book for the beach or a rainy evening of reading.