This is the first time I have read an Amish book that reads like a mystery/suspense novel. This book was very easy for me to get through because of the mystery and suspense to it.
Cindy’s book is full of likable and strong characters each with a story to tell that combine to make an intricate and absorbing plot.

On the night Ariana and her twin brother, Abram were born there was a fire at the birthing center. Brandi Nash whom was not Amish had also given birth that night to a little girl. They were able to escape from the birthing center fire that night. Twenty years later Ariana’s parent suspects that the babies may have been switched at birth.

Ariana now in her 20’s does know anything about her parent’s suspicions, and her ex-boyfriend is investigating this for her parents but he tells them that should leave well enough alone because of the harm it could do to Ariana’s future.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read the Amish genre that has a little bit of mystery and suspense to it.

I was provided with this book to review by BookBloggers Program in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This is the first time I have read an Amish book that reads like a mystery/suspense novel. This book was very easy for me to get through because of the mystery and suspense to it.
Cindy’s book is full of likable and strong characters each with a story to tell that combine to make an intricate and absorbing plot.

On the night Ariana and her twin brother, Abram were born there was a fire at the birthing center. Brandi Nash whom was not Amish had also given birth that night to a little girl. They were able to escape from the birthing center fire that night. Twenty years later Ariana’s parent suspects that the babies may have been switched at birth.

Ariana now in her 20’s does know anything about her parent’s suspicions, and her ex-boyfriend is investigating this for her parents but he tells them that should leave well enough alone because of the harm it could do to Ariana’s future.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read the Amish genre that has a little bit of mystery and suspense to it.

I was provided with this book to review by BookBloggers Program in exchange for an honest review. ( )

On the surface, Ariana's Amish family was typical for their small community of Summer Grove. Many siblings, in their teens or older milled about the kitchen in the early mornings getting ready for a full day of activities either with small children in tow or assisting those families with small children. Some like Ariana were preparing breakfast and others were getting ready to do chores. A contentedness pervaded the atmosphere most of the time. They enjoyed each others' company. But under the many layers of familiarity lay some rumblings of discontent. No one spoke openly about these feelings, but they were there nonetheless. It was a vague awareness that something disruptive could dispel their peace at any moment and change the entire family dynamics. What would be the trigger?

This is the first of three parts in the series. It features an unexpected twist of fortune that seems plausible, and possibly even probable. There are many great and positive things in this family saga, such as relationship building that I absolutely love. However, it seems inevitable that tension builds and two worlds collide with Ariana's good friend caught up in the middle. Don't expect a major resolution of the primary tension by the end of this first book, because it builds and leads directly into the next book. You definitely need to prepare to read the second book right away because of the high amount of suspense and heart break. This was so well written, that I was feeling with the Brenneman family when circumstances broke wide open.

It's getting to the point where I will read any book by this author because they are that good. Ms. Woodsmall puts her entire heart into what she writes. What she creates is impactful, both heart warming and heart wrenching, view shifting, and absolutely real. She's a writer that knows how to pull heartstrings with what she writes. In this particular series, she plays on misunderstandings that come between close friends when one party must keep secrets for the sake of confidentiality. The secret he must keep makes Quill look bad in the eyes of the Amish. Such is the misunderstanding that it rocks Ariana's world because she has lost trust in her good friend. And other circumstances are wearing her trust in others very thin.

My favorite part of the book centers again around Ariana. She is stubborn and that persistence is what helps her family keep their heads above turbulent waters. She is determined to buy a cafe in downtown Summer Grove so that she can lift her family out of the poverty they have been in for years. She works hard and finally succeeds beyond even her expectations. I couldn't help but root for her efforts to do something so thoughtful for her family. ( )

One of the benefits of getting to a series late is - having the next title ready to read right after finishing the first one! All of Woodsmall's books are fantastic, but this is looking like my favorite of her series yet. ( )

Title: Ties that Bind (The Amish of Summer Grove #1)
Author: Cindy Woodsmall
Pages: 352
Year: 2015
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
My rating 5 out of 5 stars.
In Ties That Bind, readers meet with a surprising start that ends up entwining two families. One family is the Brennemans who are Amish and at the midwife’s clinic giving birth to a set of twins, a boy and a girl. Also, there at the clinic is a woman named Brandi who is an English woman who unexpectedly went into labor and needed help, eventually ending up at the local hospital. Sounds like a quiet beginning to the tale until you learn other details such as they were giving birth at the time the clinic caught on fire!
Twenty years go by and the Amish mother, Lovina, who has had some doubts whether her daughter was hers or Brandi’s finds herself caught up in a mystery due to the blanket she was working on when her babies were born. What follows is an ever-deepening story not just of Ariana or Skylar’s possible mix up, but the ripple effects that bring about surprising changes and challenges!
What has been happening besides this mystery is that Amish families are quietly leaving the community without notice to anyone. No one is sure who is helping the families leave or if there is someone helping them gain a new identity and foundation in the English world. I am really drawn into the series as the mystery widens, characters are finding that they need to truly search their heart and just how strong the ties of family and faith are or aren’t.
The tale really gripped my heart and kept me turning pages because I wanted to see how the families were handling their challenges and how the Amish community was coping with a person or persons they named the Nightcrawler. Currently, I am reading the sequel, Fraying at the Edge, which is even more exciting than book one! Then, I will read the third and final novel of the series, Gathering Threads and share my views of these two books with you as well! ( )