Books, Baking & Beyond A personal blog with book reviews, giveaways, recipes, DIY crafts and more

In November, I shared a trailer for Suzanne Woods Fisher’s newest Amish fiction book, the first in her new Stoney Ridge series, The Keeper. (There might be some Barnes and Noble promotional codes available for this book.) I also mentioned last week about the iPad giveaway. Today, it’s my turn on the Litfuse blog tour!

About The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher:

Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding–again–she knows who is to blame.

Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man.

Roamin’ Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul’s cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant.

Can Julia secure the future she’s always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

My rating: 5 of 5 stars (view all my reviews on Goodreads.com)

My review:  I really enjoyed The Keeper and I’m excited for the next book in the series. When you turn the last page of a book and find yourself disappointed it’s over, you know that book is a keeper!

There’s a lot more going on in this book than the summary would suggest. Besides the Julia-Roman-Paul triangle, we also get to know Julia’s family, each of whom has their own story. Her middle sister, Sadie, is a shy, self-conscious girl who can’t seem to find her purpose in life. The youngest girl, Mary Kate, is a precocious child who finds new ways every day to get into trouble, although always with the best of intentions. Their brother, Menno, has always been a special boy, with his slow ways and sweet, simple faith. And their father, Amos, has had heart trouble and it seems his only option is a transplant but much to his children’s frustration, he adamantly refuses. Added into the mix is boisterous Uncle Hank and “Stern” Fern, the newly hired housekeeper whose rigid rules are driving everyone crazy. Each one has a part to play in Julia’s story, but they each face their own challenges too. I loved every character (except maybe Paul)!

Another plus: although I knew the two characters would eventually end up together, I couldn’t predict how. And I absolutely didn’t expect some of the twists that came near the end. I suggest you have a few tissues handy when you get to chapter 20!

The only thing I didn’t like as much about The Keeper was how the perspective jumped from one character to the next so frequently. Through the first half of the book, it was sometimes hard to identify with the main characters when the story gets told from the viewpoint of just about every character at one point or another. Then again, since this is the first of a new series, it makes sense that the author would try to provide a broad cast to set the scene for future books.

Up next in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series is “The Haven,” set for August 2012 this year. It’s Sadie’s story, and I can’t wait to read it  Both The Keeper and The Haven (pre-order) are available on Amazon.com for around $10. By ordering through the links on this post, you’re helping support my blog, which is very much appreciated!

Be sure to check out all the other stops on this blog tour, and remember to enter the iPad giveaway too!

I received a copy of The Keeper  from Litfuse for review purposes. No compensation was received. I was not required to give a positive review; all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  FTC: 16 CFR, Part 255.