Autumn Winds (Seasons of the Heart)

What a wonderful read. I wanted to start baking and become one of Miriam's family. This is the second book in this story, and I have not read the first...sure want to now. You do not have to read the first book to enjoy this one, enough information is provided to let you know what happened.
Miriam has triplets that are 21, and one, Rachael is getting married. She also owns Sweet Season's Bakery, where she is early one morning when Ben Hooley literally drops in.
Ben brings so much love of family into this story. He brings his brothers from PA and his delightful Maiden Aunts...Jerusalem and Nazareth. Be ready for a beautiful and loving journey with this family.
Bishop Knepp is in for quite a ride here, he wants Miriam for his wife. He is show more quite persistent is his desires. He seems to rule with an iron hand. Love how he is about to meet his match in this story! Yeah!
You will not be disappointed in how this story unfolds, and will not want to put it down. A really wonderful, Christian read!
As an additional treat, many of the mouth watering dishes that are mentioned have recipes included at the end of the book.

I received this book through Pump Your Book Virtual Tours, and Net Galley, and was not required to give a positive review. show less

Sometimes authors try too hard to make their books stand out in the sea of books that are competing to be read. They seem to follow a formula and have a checklist. Social issue? Check. Varied ethnicity? Check. Character driven? Check. Different sexual orientations? Check. And so forth. One thing they sometimes forget in their checklist is the plot. What is the point of a novel but to tell a good story? Sometimes authors get so caught up with their own agendas that they forget that the point of a novel is to capture the readers’ interest so that they lose themselves in the tale. Charlotte Hubbard makes no such mistakes in her novel, Autumn Winds. With a well crafted plot, she continues the tale she started with the first book of the show more Seasons of the Heart series, Summer of Secrets. Her characters, so real that you visualize them as people you have come to know, bring the reader into the story so thoroughly that you can forget you are reading fiction and that all these things haven’t really happened. Not everyone is likable, but they all are unforgettable. Ms. Hubbard does some untraditional twists with the Amish storyline; not all Amish leaders are a paragon of proper Amish behavior. If you haven’t yet read the debut novel in this series, do so before reading Autumn Winds. For excellence in Amish story-telling, look no further than Charlotte Hubbard’s novels. show less

Right away I felt connected to the characters in this captivating Amish romance. Just as there were many characters I liked, there was only one I didn't like. The main characters, Miriam and Ben, were very appealing and I was rooting for them to find happiness together but Miriam had her doubts when she thought her late husband, Jesse, was admonishing her for inviting a "stranger" into their home and for thinking about selling him some of the farm land. Ben, as a traveling farrier, wants to finally settle down and he's sure Miriam is his soul mate but he's got a lot to do to convince Miriam of that. Not only is Miriam unsure that it is proper to move on, there's the little matter of Bishop Knepp. He is determined to have Miriam for show more himself even when she tells him it will never happen.

Bishop Knepp is one of those threatening characters who loom up from the pages. He's the one I didn't like mainly for his selfish, chauvinistic ways and bullying tactics. He wants what he wants and no one will stand in his way. I like the way Hubbard included a less than stellar personality into the story. It just shows some people will exhibit in egregious behaviors when it behooves them to do so, even if they take on the mantle of a peaceful, loving leader of a religious community. He was anything but! He gave me the "creeps." It takes a talented writer to bring out such emotions from readers.

One other thing I liked about Hubbard's writing is that she showcases strong women who can stand on their own especially when modern day ways intrude on the old Amish ways. Despite Bishop Knepp's attempts to take her out of the café kitchen and into his own kitchen, she has managed to run a very successful bakery café with her business partner and two daughters. Several other romance threads, particularly that of Miriam's daughter, Rhoda, were woven into the plot which made for delightful reading. The Willow Ridge, Missouri setting was very well portrayed as were all the characters.

Will Miriam come to realize that Jesse would only want her happiness and that Ben is truly the man for her or should she yield to Bishop Knepp's pressure and marry him? Will Rhoda find the man who is right for her?
I guess you'll just have to read the book and see. Autumn Winds is the second book in the Seasons of the Heart series. Although I didn't read the first one in the series (Summer of Secrets) I don't feel like I missed anything. Hubbard does a terrific job of creating a stand alone story, one that I enjoyed immensely.
4****

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by LT/Zebra in exchange for my honest opinion. show less

I've been anxiously awaiting the sequel to Summer of Secrets, and this book was worth the wait. A few matters that were left unfinished in the previous book are accounted for here, such as Rachel and Micah's wedding, and the humbling of Bishop Hiram's brash behavior. The introduction of several new characters, such as Ben's two maidel aunts, served to add color to the community of Willow Ridge and even added a dash of humor to the several romance-heavy sub-plots.
I thoroughly enjoyed following along in the lives of Miriam Lantz and her daughters, especially when reading about all of the mouth-watering food that the Sweet Seasons Bakery and Cafe served up everyday. I plan on trying out of a few of the recipes in the back of the book, and show more I was pleasantly surprised to find a bread recipe that I've tried among those listed.
The background of Amish culture I have also continued to find fascinating, as I learned more of the nuances in speech, behavior, and traditional beliefs. While I find some things too restrictive, such as the clothing and lack of electricity, the adherence to gender roles, the respect they give to one another, their beliefs in the Bible, and their use of wholesome and naturally-grown foods are all things I greatly admire. This book only serves to bring it all to life and make it that much more appealing. I look forward to reading more of this series. show less

"Autumn Winds" is the second book in the "Seasons of the Heart" series from author Charlotte Hubbard. In the picturesque Amish community of Willow Ridge, Missouri, widowed Miriam Lantz operates the Sweet Seasons Bakery Cafe, where the food is seasoned with heaping helpings of love and faith. During an Autumn storm, the winds of fate bring an injured stranger to Miriam's door, and life will never be the same for the widow Lantz. Ben Hooley, a traveling blacksmith, is hurt by his horse when it is startled during the turbulent storm. Miriam assists him, allowing him inside the bakery to recover. But will Miriam recover from the effect Ben has on her heart? He's a little younger than she is, and she never thought she would feel this way show more again, but there's a higher power guiding this romance. Ben is immediately smitten with Miriam, finding her the sweetest of the sweets in the sweet shop. Complicating matters for Miriam and Ben are her triplet daughters and a bothersome bishop in hot pursuit of Miriam's hand in marriage. Written with warmly inviting charm, "Autumn Winds" serves up food for thought and also feeds the romance lover's soul. As an added extra treat for readers, there is a downright delicious bonus recipe section included in the book. Recommended!

Review Copy Gratis Library Thing show less

Autumn Winds - A Gut Story Of Love!

Charlotte Hubbard has done it again. She writes a story line so captivating that you don’t want to put the book down. Her first Seasons of the Heart book, Summer of Secrets, was a fantastic read; Autumn Winds went even beyond a fantastic read. I loved it! I am hoping there will be a third book. I need to know what happens to Miriam and Ben. Will Rachel and Micah continue to be happy and will there be children in their future? What about Rhoda? Will she find her one and only? And the English sister Rebecca, there’s a complete story there somewhere!

Will the pesky bishop Hiram finally leave Miriam alone? There are so many characters this author could write about that we, the readers, would love to see show more happen. In other words, we want more!

This book was filled with love, laughter, romance and some trials. I even found myself shedding a few tears. This book ended all too soon for me. I wanted the story to go on.

I won this book on LibraryThing and was sent a copy of it to read and review from Kensington Publishers. Thank you both for a wonderful read. The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone. show less

I received this book from early reviewers. When I realized it was actually the second book, I purchased the first one and read it. I really enjoyed the novel. It reminded me somewhat of Barbara Lewis's novels, who often writes about the Amish community but I did enjoy reading about such strong women within the community and really the interaction that happens between stronger minded women and bishops with whom they may not agree.

Overall, the novel was a quick read but kept me entertained and definitely interested enough to read any future novels.