Must-Have October Releases

Anna’s Healing

        When a tornado strikes the farms surrounding Cody’s Creek, Anna Schwartz’s life is changed forever. She suffers a spinal cord injury and suddenly finds herself learning to live as a paraplegic.

        Three people—Chloe Roberts, Jacob Graber, and Ruth Schwartz—join forces to help Anna through her darkest days. Chloe is an Englischer who writes for the local paper. Jacob has recently arrived in town and stays on as a hired hand at her uncle’s. And Ruth is her grandmother, a woman of deep faith and a compassionate spirit.

        Then one morning Anna wakes and finds herself healed. How did it happen? Why did it happen? And what is she to do now? Her life is again turned upside down as the world’s attention is drawn to this young Amish girl who has experienced the unexplainable.

                Anna’s Healing is the first book in Vanetta Chapman’s new Plain and Simple Miracles series. I have enjoyed everything I have read by Vanetta so far, so I am looking forward to another new novel by her. Although I am used to her Amish mysteries, I am sure this series will be just as interesting. Besides, who doesn’t love miracles?

Deadlock

Two murders have rocked the city of Houston. Are they the work of a serial killer, or is a copycat trying to get away with murder?

        That is the question facing Special Agent Bethany Sanchez, who is eager for her new assignment in violent crimes but anxious about meeting her new partner. Special Agent Thatcher Graves once arrested her brother, and he has a reputation for being a maverick. Plus, their investigative styles couldn’t be more opposite: he operates on instinct, while she goes by the book.

        When hot leads soon fizzle out, their differences threaten to leave them deadlocked. But an attempt on their lives turns up the heat and brings them closer together, and a third victim might yield the clue that will help them zero in on a killer. This could be the case of their careers…if they can survive long enough to solve it.

        Although I didn’t get the chance to read the first two books (Firewall and Double Cross) in this FBI: Houston series, I did intend to, as they all sound super interesting, and I’m looking forward to hopefully picking them up soon. Deadlock sounds full of suspense and intrigue, and I cannot wait to read it and the rest of the books in the series!

A Refuge at Highland Hall

        Penny Ramsey is determined to do all she can to help those she loves face the challenges brought about by The Great War—World War I—but can her heart survive the losses that will surely come her way as war sweeps through Europe and bombs begin falling on London? When Penny meets Alex Goodwin, a confident, dare-devil RNAS pilot, intent on defeating the Germans and proving his worth, her heart is drawn to him, but should she give her heart away, when it will most certainly mean losing the man she loves? Penny, her sister Kate, and the nine orphaned children in their care seek refuge at Highland Hall, and the family’s unity is tested. When Alex is seriously injured, Penny’s unyielding devotion helps him recover and find hope for the future. But an unexpected event puts Penny in great danger. Can Alex find the strength and courage to rescue her and bring her home to Highland Hall?

        A Refuge at Highland Hall is the third book in Carrie Turansky’s Edwardian Brides series, and is one of my most anticipated novels for this month. I absolutely loved both of the previous books—The Governess of Highland Hall and The Daughter of Highland Hall, so I am positive that I will really enjoy this one too. I really loved all that I had read of Penny in the earlier novels, so I know she will be a wonderful character, and I can’t wait to meet her love interest. I just can’t wait to read this book!!!!

Fire and Ice

Saddle up for mysteries and laughs with the Wilde sisters!

        Bailey Wilde is the oldest sister—and the one who takes care of everyone else in her family. But after her sisters marry and move away, her little homestead becomes bleak and lonely, especially during the long winter months. In a moment of weakness, Bailey agrees to a wild plan concocted by her neighbor, Gage Coulter.

        Gage is an honest man, but he didn’t make his fortune by being weak. He won’t break the law, but he’ll push as hard as he can within it. Five thousand acres of excellent grazing land is lost to him because Bailey’s homestead is located right across the entrance to a canyon full of lush grass. Gage has to regain access to this land—and he’s got to go through Bailey to do it. So he makes a proposal…

        Can these two independent, life-toughened homesteaders finally loosen up enough to earn each other’s respect—and maybe find love in the process?

        Fire and Ice is the also the third book in its series (Wild at Heart), coming after Tried and True and Now & Forever. Although I really wanted to read both of those novels, my schedule unfortunately didn’t permit it. I am sure, however, that I will read them eventually, as well as this new addition. It sounds soooooo interesting, doesn’t it?

The Imposter

A heart once deceived should not be easily fooled again…

        Katrina Stoltzfus though she had life and love all figured out: she was going to marry John and live happily ever after. But as her plans crumble before her eyes, she struggles to face an uncertain future. When a widow asks for help starting a new business, Katrina quickly agrees. She needs time to heal her broken heart, to untangle her messy life, to find a purpose.

        What she doesn’t need is attention from Andy Miller, a farmhand who arrives at the widow’s farm just when help is most needed—and who always seems to say the right thing and be in the right place, at the right time. Is Andy for real or too good to be true? She’s been deceived once before, and she isn’t planning on experiencing it again.

        Oh my word, doesn’t this novel sound amazing?! An imposter? Unwanted attention? Deception? Those are all elements that make for a super intriguing, probably swoon-worthy book, and I just love Amish fiction. Suzanne Woods Fisher never fails to captivate me with her stories, and I am sure this one will be no exception.

Luther and Katharina

She was a nun of noble birth. He, a heretic, a reformer…an outlaw of the Holy Roman Empire.

        In the 16^th century, nun Katharina von Bora’s fate fell no further than the Abbey. Until she read the writings of Martin Luther.

        His sweeping Catholic church reformation—condemning a cloistered life and promoting the goodness of marriage—awakened her desire for everything she’d been forbidden. Including Martin Luther himself.

        Despite the fact that the attraction and tension between them is undeniable, Luther holds fast to his convictions and remains isolated, refusing to risk anyone’s life but his own. And Katharina longs for love, but is strong-willed. She clings proudly to her class distinction, pining for nobility over the heart of a reformer. They couldn’t be more different.

        But as the world comes tumbling down around them, and with Luther’s threatened life a constant strain, these unlikely allies forge an unexpected bond of understanding, support, and love.

        Together, they will alter the religious landscape forever.

        Oh, this sounds interesting, doesn’t it?! Martin Luther? Really? Who wouldn’t love a fictional novel about him and Katharina? I am sure this book is going to be full of all of the things I love, romance, intrigue, and tension, and on top of that, Jody Hedlund is one of my new favorite authors. She hasn’t disappointed me yet, and I am sure that this novel won’t be the first time.

A Christmas Bride in Pinecraft

        When Beverly Overholt’s beloved Orange Blossom Inn is broken into, she’s shaken to her core. After all, the inn has been her whole life since her fiancé left her for her best friend. In the face of repairing what’s been lost, Beverly calls Eric Wagler, the inn’s handsome owner. To her surprise, he promises to be on the next flight out to Sarasota. Beverly’s been closed off to love for years, but with Eric, she can’t help seeing a glimmer of hope, even if they’re from different worlds.

        From the moment Eric met Beverly, he’s tried to fight his attraction to her. Though now Mennonite, Beverly was raised Amish, but Eric grew up in Philadelphia and got into his fair share of trouble as a young man. Though he’s worked to overcome his earlier mistakes, with Beverly’s security scare, Eric’s sure she’s not going to want anything more to do with him. And considering how he just might want a future with her…that’s a tough pill to swallow.

        But as Beverly and Eric put the inn back together, prepare for Christmas, and even witness a new love blossoming for another couple, the trust…and love…between them grows. Will Christmas bring a second chance at love for Beverly? And if it does, will she be brave enough to take it?

        A Christmas Bride in Pinecraft is the fourth book in Shelley Shepard Gray’s Amish Brides of Pinecraft series, coming after The Promise of Palm Grove, The Proposal at Siesta Key, and A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn. Although I haven’t had the chance to read the third novel—it just came out last month and therefore isn’t at my library yet—I really loved both of the first two. Shelley writes such great Amish love stories, and I am so, so excited for this one! I’ve already been introduced to both Beverly and Eric in the previous novels, and I love the attraction and tension between them, or what I’ve been able to see of it so far, that is. I cannot wait to read the rest of the story!

Another Way Home

        Grant and Audrey are adding grandchildren to their family left and right, but middle daughter, Danae, and her husband, Dallas Brooks, have been trying for years with no baby in sight.

        Though Danae is ready to consider adoption, Dallas will not even discuss it. Despairing of ever having a family of her own, Danae decides to pour her passion and energies into volunteer work with a newly opened women’s shelter in town. Looking for a good cause to fill her lonely days, she never expects to give her heart to the hurting women she meets there. She’s finally learning to live her life with gratitude, but then heart-wrenching events on Thanksgiving weekend threaten to pull the entire Whitman clan into turmoil—and leave them all forever changed.

        Another Way Home is the third book in Deborah Raney’s Chicory Inn series, coming after Home to Chicory Lane and Two Roads Home. Although I didn’t get to read the previous novels in this series either, they all sound so, so interesting, and I know I will pick them up as soon as my hectic schedule allows. Besides, this novel sounds amazing, doesn’t it? There’s so much drama alluded to in just the synopsis! I cannot wait to dive into this one!

Every Girl Gets Confused

        Katie Fisher and Brady James may be a match made in heaven, but that doesn’t seem to guarantee them a happily ever after accompanies by angelic choirs. In fact, the sounds being heard at the bridal shop where she works are on the contentious side lately, as a bride-and-groom-to-be try to meditate the growing rivalry between their basketball-obsessed families in the middle of play-off season. On top of that, Katie’s parents are nagging her to get out of Dallas and come home to tiny Fairfield where her former boyfriend Carson is waiting for her, ready to rekindle their relationship. Oy vey! What’s a girl to do? And will she ever be able to wear that gorgeous wedding dress she won?

        Every Girl Gets Confused is the second book in Janice Thompson’s Brides with Style series, coming after Every Bride Needs a Groom. Although I didn’t have the chance to review that novel, I did start it, and I must say I liked what I read. I didn’t get super far into the plotline, but it was definitely interesting, and I know that I will attempt to finish it sometime soon. And then, of course, I will look to carry on the series with this one. Besides, it sounds even better than the first!

        Well, those are my most anticipated releases for the month of October! What are you looking forward to reading this fall?

        Happy October!

Linking up at Let it Shine, Monday's Musings, and Literacy Musing Mondays.

All credit for the italicized synopses goes to the authors and their publishers.