Litfuse Publicity Blog Tour: The Haven

Here's a description of the book:

"When Sadie Lapp steps off the bus in Stoney Ridge after being in Ohio for the winter, she is faced with a decision–one that goes against her very essence. Yet it’s the only way she can think of to protect a loved one.

Schoolteacher Gideon Smucker has been crazy about Sadie since boyhood. But his response to her surprising decision undermines his own reputation–and his relationship with Sadie.

College student Will Stoltz is spending the spring at the Lapp farm as a guard for a pair of nesting Peregrine Falcons–courtesy of the Lancaster County Game Warden. Will needs to get his life back on track, but his growing friendship with Sadie threatens his plans.

The lives of these three individuals intertwine, and then unravel as unexpected twists create ripples through the town of Stoney Ridge . . . and through Sadie’s heart.

Once again, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher intrigues and delights with a story that explores the bonds of friendship, family, and true love. Readers will enjoy every surprise in Sadie’s story as they search for the truth hidden within these pages.

Read an excerpt!"

My Rating

Spring

My Review

Another visit with the Lapp family = another enjoyable experience. Because of events concluded in the first book of the series, The Keeper, the Lapp-family dynamic has changed, and new events and feelings bring about even more change at the beginning of The Haven. One thing is for sure - Fisher's Amish novels are full of surprises and rather unique situations!

This is one of those sequels that was pleasant for me to read because the characters, as well as the author's writing style, have become familiar to me. Not surprisingly for an Amish story, the pace is gentle and steady, and the pleasure comes in seeing how this quirky family and their friends (both old and new) deal with growing up, falling in love, and trying to do the right thing. M.K.'s antics get her into trouble (no surprise there!); Sadie's surprise is a challenging one; Gideon's attempts at reconciliation are met with misunderstanding at every turn; the new boy on the farm has a past to face... And basically it takes a while for all the craziness to get sorted!

As an interesting addition to a collection of great Amish stories from Fisher's pen, The Haven fits the bill. There are some moments - both hilarious and sweet - that stand out in this installment. However, the ending leaves a bit to be desired... Sometimes a conclusion that doesn't answer every question works, but this is one of those times where I felt like some more resolution would have been better. One of Fisher's previous novels, The Search, had a wonderful ending, in my opinion - even if it wasn't exactly the standard happily-ever-after. With this particular ending, though, it just didn't resonate in a similar way with me. But all in all, this return visit to Stoney Ridge was a sweet one.

*With thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the Litfuse Publicity Blog tour.*

About the Author

"Suzanne Woods Fisher’s interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. Suzanne has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world. In both her fiction and non-fiction books, she has an underlying theme: You don’t have to 'go Amish' to incorporate many of their principles–simplicity, living with less, appreciating nature, forgiving others more readily– into your life.

When Suzanne isn’t writing or bragging to her friends about her first new grandbaby (!), she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

To Suzanne’s way of thinking, you just can’t take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone’s underwear in its mouth. Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com."

To Buy the Book: click HERE

Blog Tour Schedule: Check out all of the other reviews scheduled by clicking HERE.