Love the Second Time Around!

Ruth, a thirty-three-year-old Amish widow, has kept her life running smoothly on her own. She raises goats, making cheese, soap, and fibers from them, and the profits support her.

Jonas, a widower with an adorable four-year-old daughter, has a basket business near Ruth. Since these two have circumstances that bring them together, a relationship between the two should naturally flow. But outside forces constantly work against them.

Her bishop thinks Ruth should give up her family farm. He wants her to sell it to a man who would make better use of it than a woman! He will not take no for an answer, and continues to bring buyers to her home to see if they want to purchase it.

He also has just the person he thinks Ruth should marry.

The bishop’s conniving granddaughter, Evelyn, also won't take no for an answer. She wants Jonas for herself. Evelyn creates a trap for him, that if successful, will force him to marry her.

To make things worse, Jonas botches it when he speaks to Ruth, leaving her thinking he is only interested in her because of the work she can do. This causes Ruth to believe Jonas does not have feelings for her.

There are some funny parts to the story, especially concerning cats, and the normal Amish practice of not keeping one indoors. Also, Ruth and Jonas are devoted to their faith, and five delicious Amish recipes are included.

This five-star book will keep you cheering for these two, but wondering if they will ever get together. Often the course of true love does not run smoothly. It certainly does not in this case, making this bumpy road of romance a great clean tale. This will be enjoyed by fans of Amish books, and well-written stories.

Thank you, Barbour Publishing, for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own. ( )

5 stars, Giving Love a Chance

RUTH'S GINGERSNAP SURPRISE (HEART OF THE AMISH)
by Anne Blackburne

This book makes you think about life events in a different way, compared to most of the other Amish fiction books on the market. I had not thought of these issues coming up in the Amish communities.

Ruth is a childless widow who lives on a large farm with large outbuildings and acreage. She does use the land and some of the outbuildings for her goats and small enterprises, but the bishop of her community decides that Ruth needs to sell out and let another family have the use of such a large, well maintained farm. Ruth's grandparents started the farm, she has no desire to move, so she has to figure out what to tell the bishop and what to do with her bountiful farm.

Jonas is a widower with a small daughter. He too has been almost a victim of the well-meaning bishop and elders. When his wife passed away, the bishop tried to influence Jonas to give his newborn daughter to another family to raise. Jonas felt like most parents and said that he would be raising his daughter.

It seems as though the elders of their church, along with their bishop are thinking on what's best for everyone else, except for Ruth and Jonas as individuals, they too would count as members of their community.

I enjoyed reading about Jonas and Ruth's lives. The author pulls you right into their daily activities. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of #RuthsGingerSnapSurprise from #BarbourFiction I was not obligated to post a review.

#AmishFiction #Goats #BasketWeaver #Family #Loss #Widow #Widower #BonusRecipes #HeartOfTheAmishSeries #strongfemaleprotagonist #inspirational #inspyfic #ChristianFiction ( )

I thought this was such a sweet and pleasant book to read. After a hectic month, I needed a relaxing and enjoyable read and this book was just that for me. I loved the kitten factor. I loved the pushy bishop and all the characters were very likeable in their own ways, including even obnoxious Evelyn. The story is nice in every way and I hope to read more from this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own. ( )

Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise by Anne Blackburne is a work of Amish Christian fiction. A widow, Ruth tends her goats and makes a living by selling their milk and fiber. But the bishop believes she should sell her family’s farm to a family who can fill the rooms and marry again. Enter widower Jonas Hershberger, who has an adorable daughter, a basket-making business, and a pair of dimples that grab Ruth’s attention.

Truly, this book will draw you in and keep you reading. I found myself unable to put the book down. Oh yes,, read this book to learn about how some adorable kittens and the bishop’s pushy granddaughter add to this story. The Amish typically do not keep house kittens or cats, but you need to read this book to find out who Ginger Snap is and what its role is in the story.

So, if you enjoy Amish/Christian fiction, check out Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise by Anne Blackburne for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

A very impressive debut novel. I love when a fresh voice in a genre knocks it out of the ballpark on the first swing. It was sweet, inspirational, great characters with flaws and facing the difficulties life throws at them. Ruth and Jonas are each learning to navigate life without their spouses but it looks different for each of them. Jonas has a spirited daughter that you just want to squeeze and a thriving basket making business while Ruth is alone except for her goats, dogs, and a cat. Throw in a bishop that is trying to complicate her life and a dear friend that gives her advice and you have an interesting, complicated story that makes you keep turning pages to find out the outcome. I was impressed with this new author and look forward to reading more.
I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required. ( )