About the Book
Title: Firestorm
Author: Laura Hilton
Genre: Christian Amish
Release Date: July, 2018
Bridget Behr and her family migrate from the bustling Amish community where she grew up in Ohio to the mostly unpopulated Upper Peninsula of Michigan after a stalker breaks into their home. While her father and brother try to find work in the area, the family is forced to reside in a borrowed RV until the house and barn are rebuilt. While Bridget is hoping for a fresh start, she’s afraid to trust anyone—even Gabriel, the overly-friendly Amish man who lives nearby. Bridget thinks he’s a flirt who serial dates and doesn’t even remember the girls’ names.
Due to not enough construction work in his Florida community to keep him out of trouble, Gabriel Lapp has been sent to Michigan to work. His father is desperate for his son to settle down. When the family walks into Gabe’s home in the middle of a thunderstorm and he discovers their circumstances, he offers to help with construction. For Gabe, the beautiful girl he teasingly calls “the recluse” once he discovers she doesn’t attend youth events, confuses him like none other.
As Gabriel and Bridget grow closer, they realize there is more to a person than meets the eye. Just as Bridget is finally settling into her new life, and perhaps finding love, tragedy strikes. Now Bridget and her family must decide if they should move to another Amish community, or dare to fight for the future they’d hoped for in Mackinac County.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. The author has a way with descriptions where you can just 'see' it in front of you. The house that the Behr's buy, oh my goodness! I'm not sure I could have handled seeing it at night much less in the day. I really did like the characters through the book. Some I wasn't certain about but as the story unfolded, I understood more of their story and their reactions/actions.
I loved the first time Gabe meets the family and then the next morning with chores! Those pants...yeah I giggled on that. Watching Gabe mature, thought he is always a stinker, was interesting. Bridget has her reservations and her father's objections about Gabe but is still attracted to him. The story isn't slow, it will keep you intrigued, guessing what happens next and you will get emotional!
It was a 4/5 for me. I truly enjoyed it.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. The author has a way with descriptions where you can just 'see' it in front of you. The house that the Behr's buy, oh my goodness! I'm not sure I could have handled seeing it at night much less in the day. I really did like the characters through the book. Some I wasn't certain about but as the story unfolded, I understood more of their story and their reactions/actions.
I loved the first time Gabe meets the family and then the next morning with chores! Those pants...yeah I giggled on that. Watching Gabe mature, thought he is always a stinker, was interesting. Bridget has her reservations and her father's objections about Gabe but is still attracted to him. The story isn't slow, it will keep you intrigued, guessing what happens next and you will get emotional!
It was a 4/5 for me. I truly enjoyed it.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
Click here to purchase your copy!
About the Author
Laura V. Hilton is an award-winning, sought-after author with over twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she’s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals for blog posts for Seriously Write.
Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye. They currently live in Arkansas. One son is in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is a pastor’s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children.
When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, her favorite holiday is Christmas.
Guest Post from Laura Hilton
I read a series of books a year or so ago by another Amish author who had set her books in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. As a Michigan native, I was curious, and I researched, but found nothing about Upper Peninsula Amish except a notation that one had tried and failed. So I contacted the author. She told me that she’d never been there, and her research had all been hearsay, so with that lack of firsthand knowledge and no trip to the Upper Peninsula planned, no trip to see for myself would be possible. At least at that time.
Then God intervened. My son who is in the United States Coast Guard was stationed in the Upper Peninsula this past summer (2017.) He saw the Amish driving around in their buggies. And he felt like a stalker as he followed one to see where he went and drove through the area. He even sent pictures. (Shhhh.)
Yes, there are Amish in the Upper Peninsula – at least at the time this book was written.
Okay, as a Michigan native, I used some terms that may not be familiar to non-Michiganders. A Yooper is someone who lives in the Upper Peninsula. A Troll is someone from the Lower Peninsula. A pastie is kind of like a Hot Pocket, except it’s a meat pie made with root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and rutabagas. They are so good. And the straits are the area of the Great Lakes connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
As for the wildfire, the earliest wildfire I could find any documentation on in the Upper Peninsula was in April. It is generally a snowy area — trust me. I lived near the Muskegon area and saw snow drifts in May. We sometimes had over six feet of snow on the ground at one time. So, to get the wildfire when I wanted/needed the wildfire I used artistic license. Yes, fires really happened in Michigan’s history. Just not in the month mentioned in the book.
I am attaching a meme about Michigan seasons. We’ll call the fire set in “fool’s spring.” My son got married during the “third winter” this year. April 21 and there’s snow on the ground. He and his beautiful bride got married at a water fall (Tahquomenon Falls) very near where the story is set.
Thanks for reading Firestorm!!
Blog Stops
Carpe Diem, July 10
Blogging With Carol, July 10
Reading Is My SuperPower, July 11
Moments Dipped in Ink, July 11
The Avid Reader, July 12
Blossoms and Blessings, July 12
Texas Book-aholic, July 12
God’s Little Bookworm, July 13
Inklings and notions, July 13
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 13
Among the Reads, July 14
Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner, July 15
Random Thoughts From a Bookworm, July 15
A Reader’s Brain, July 16
Luv’N Lambert Life, July 16
Daysong Reflections, July 17
Janices book reviews, July 17
Inspiration Clothesline, July 18
lady ansel book blog, July 18
Jeanette’s Thoughts, July 18
cherylbbookblog, July 19
Two Points of Interest, July 19
A Baker’s Perspective, July 19
Pause for Tales, July 20
Ashley’s bookshelf, July 20
amandainpa, July 21
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, July 21
Bigreadersite, July 21
proud to be an autism mom, July 22
Bibliophile Reviews, July 22
For The Love of Books, July 23
Pink Granny’s Journey, July 23
Little Homeschool on the Praire, July 23
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Laura is giving away
Grand prize: Firefighter Puppet 9 (Melissa & Doug), Copies of Amish Firefighter and Firestorm by Laura Hilton.
First place prize of “I Love You to the Cross & Back” Mug (Gardenfire) & Firestorm by Laura Hilton!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/cf87/firestorm-celebration-tour-giveaway
thank you!!
ReplyDeleteI could certainly use a bit of that snow in the beautiful wedding picture. We’re supposed to be 109 today. Maybe that book title is appropriate for this area. I’d love to read it!
ReplyDeleteperrianne(DOT)askew(AT)me(DOT)com
Perrianne Askew
Thank you for the awesome giveaway!
ReplyDelete