Good Morning Everyone :)
I pray you're all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.
I'm here today to share another Christmas book review with you all for the seventh day of Christmas in July here on The Preppy Book Princess, and the third review from Cindy Woodsmall's Apple Ridge series. I've really been enjoying this series, and love how it focuses around faith, family and friendships during the Christmas season. You can check out my reviews of the first two books in the series using the links below, and now let's go ahead and jump right into today's review.
The Dawn of Christmas by Cindy Woodsmall:
Source: Libby App
Publisher: Waterbrook
Publication Date: October 15th, 2013
Genre: Christian Fiction/Amish Fiction
Series: Apple Ridge
Synopsis:
This Christmas, experience learning to trust alongside the Plain folk of Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania in this heart-warming tale of second chances.
Sadie enjoys her freedom away from home and her mission trips to Peru, but after four years, her Old Order Amish family insists it’s time to come home and settle down. Levi, a bachelor who distrusts women after a family heartbreak, also has no desire for romance. To keep their families from meddling in their lives, Sadie and Levi devise a plan—but soon discover that the walls around their hearts are breaking down. Can they let go of their prejudices, learn to trust each other, and embrace a future together?
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
I've really been enjoying working my way through Cindy Woodsmall's Apple Ridge series, and The Dawn of Christmas is another beautiful story that tugs at the heartstrings, and reminds us all of the importance of God's never ending grace and family and friendships.
I really enjoyed that even though I've read a lot of Amish fiction over the years, I've definitely never read anything like this one before. Sadie experiences great heartbreak when she discovers her fiancé has been unfaithful, and chooses to leave her community and find solace in missions trips to Peru. Levi has watched his older brother Andy bear the burden of having a wife who chose to leave him and their young son, and as such, can't bear the thought of ever letting a woman get close enough to hurt him. When Levi is drastically injured in a horse accident, Sadie comes to his rescue, and the two begin a beautiful friendship. Can a relationship truly develop between two people who are not interested in ever finding love, and can their relationship survive the outside forces pressing against it?
The Dawn of Christmas is a beautiful story from start to finish, and I really found myself enjoying it. I love how every time I pick up a novel from this author I end up learning something new about the Amish culture, and this one was no exception. I loved how this one reads both authentically and realistically, and I loved getting glimpses into a few of the characters from previous books in the series. I really felt for Sadie and Levi trying to navigate their friendships around the past hurts they've both been carrying, and I loved the emphasis on needing to trust God's timing and guidance.
The only thing that kept this one from being a five star read for me is that I didn't agree with the way Daniel's actions were handled. I don't think he was ever given the incentive to truly want to change when everyone just chose to look the other way, but this was purely a personal preference and I don't think it would affect everyone's enjoyment of the story.
Final Rating: 4/5.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
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