Book Review: Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert & Tricia Goyer

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert & Tricia Goyer hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Under the Blue Skies 

Series: Big Sky Amish #3 

Authors: Elly Gilbert & Tricia Goyer 

Publisher: Sunrise Publishing 

Release Date: August 8, 2023 

Genre: Contemporary Amish Romance

Thomas Smucker moved to West Kootenai for a fresh start—one where he could make his own decisions and build a life away from his deceased father’s harsh reputation. But when a tragedy occurs, he finds his five-year-old niece in his care. Now, he has to build a life he didn’t want and face a past that he longed to escape.

Lovina Graber dreams of a husband and family of her own, but a lifelong limp and disfigured face have her doubting it will ever happen. Instead, she’s content working as a scribe for The Budget and spending her days helping her parents and the less fortunate in her community. Well, mostly content. And then there’s that secret anonymous column she’s been writing too … 

When a newly arrived bachelor becomes an instant father, Lovina feels compelled to come to the rescue, helping Thomas care for his Englisch niece as he works toward gaining custody. Although Thomas and his niece clash at every turn, Lovina finds herself building a bond with the girl. Could this be the family she’s longed for? 

Afraid he’s too much like his anger-driven father, Thomas has no plans to ever marry or have children, despite the sparks between him and Lovina, and his growing fondness for his niece. When he finds out Lovina’s secret—and believes she’s perhaps not the person he thought—he strikes out in caring for Emily on his own. 

But when his custody is threatened, he must do what’s best for his niece. The only problem is he’s not sure what that is. Can he and Lovina work together to fight the lies they’ve believed all their lives—and fight the system to get back their girl? 

Find out in this third installment of the Big Sky Amish Collection.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Christianbook | BookBub

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Excerpt from Under the Blue Skies

Monday, July 24

Right now, all Thomas Smucker wanted was a nice, warm bed. Well, maybe a quick, hot shower too. Grime covered every inch of his body. A two-day train ride from Pittsburgh to Whitefish would do that to a man.

Instead, he had to make polite conversation with strangers.

And yes, one of those strangers might have the prettiest brown eyes he’d ever seen on a woman, but Thomas wasn’t here for love.

He was here to work. To find peace. To escape.

But first . . . sleep.

Just not yet. He sighed.

As Wyatt helped Miss Graber out of the van, Thomas stole a long look at the energetic, nearly elfin woman. The headlights of the van illuminated her slight five-foot frame. Like him, she had to be in her mid-twenties. Frizzy spirals of brown hair dared to escape from her kapp. The dark expressive eyes he’d noticed earlier remained lowered, and her jaw clenched tightly, as if she concentrated on each movement.

And along the left side of her face ran a puffy, purplish scar.

She trudged toward the house, and he noticed a limp. Initially, he believed she was having trouble balancing her bags while keeping her long dress from dragging in the mud, but the farther away she walked, the more obvious the limp became. He couldn’t help but wonder if the limp and the scar were connected.

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My Thoughts: 

As a contemporary Amish romance, Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert and Tricia Goyer rests beyond my normal reading zone. Feeling brave and spontaneous, I signed up to read the story, planning to have an open mind. The novel adhered faithfully to Amish-romance-novel structure with some predictable plot points and the setting of a close-knit community living together in the Plain lifestyle. Though West Kootenai calls itself a progressive Amish community, I still struggled with the normal things that push me away from Amish fiction: forgiveness without healthy boundaries, all male leadership, and humans as high spiritual authority. Readers who love Amish fiction will likely not be as put off by these things as I was.

Obviously, I am not the ideal reader for Amish fiction, including Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert and Tricia Goyer. However, I did like the novel’s strong theme about how the words of others can plant lies within one’s mind. Lovina and Thomas both had to learn to embrace the truth as a means of refuting the embedded lies. At times, both main characters demonstrated immaturity and angst that made them seem more like teenagers than mid-twenties adults and this particular theme supplied some needed character growth.

Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert and Tricia Goyer read fine as a standalone novel though it is the third installment in the Big Sky Amish series. This isn’t a book I would read again, but fans of Amish romance will likely enjoy it more than I did.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

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About the Authors

Elly Gilbert lives in central Kentucky with her husband, daughter, and twin sons. A lifelong bookworm, she finds joy in reading and writing inspirational fiction and devotions for adults and teens. When she’s away from her desk, you can find her scoping out the nearest nacho joint with her family or snuggled up with her rescue dogs, Gus and Bella. She adores leopard print, never turns down dessert, and believes that when it comes to earrings, bigger is always better.

Connect with Elly by visiting ellygilbert.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tricia Goyer writes out of her passion for God and her love for family and others. The author of more than 70 books, she writes both historical fiction and nonfiction related to family and parenting.

This USA Today best-selling author has won a two Carol Awards and a Retailer’s Best Award. She was also an ECPA Gold-Medallion Nominee and a Christy Award Nominee and won Writer of the Year from the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference. 

Tricia’s contemporary and historical novels feature strong women overcoming great challenges. She is a beloved author of Amish fiction, having written the Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series.

Whether for fiction or nonfiction, Tricia’s writing style is vivid and heartwarming, allowing readers to take home more than engaging stories, but also messages that inspire faith and hope. Her goal is to write stories that matter. 

Connect with Tricia by visiting triciagoyer.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Under the Blue Skies and a $10 Sunrise Shop gift voucher!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight August 16, 2023 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on August 23, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Book Spotlight: On the Golden Cliffs

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for On the Golden Cliffs by Christen Krumm with Tricia Goyer, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: On the Golden Cliffs
Series: Big Sky Amish #2
Authors: Christen Krumm with Tricia Goyer
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing
Release Date: March 21, 2023
Genre: Christian Contemporary Amish Romance

One wrong post has sent influencer Lyla Taylor’s social media empire crashing to her feet. To save it, she’ll have to escape to rural Montana. Six weeks in a high-end spa won’t hurt…except, she’s not booked into a spa, but at a rustic Amish B&B. Suddenly, her roommates are racoons, and her daily activities include hanging laundry. Thanks, but no thanks. Lyla is ready to hit delete and head back to civilization.

Amishman Reuben Milner has a secret…one that could destroy his world. For now, however, he’s kept his life as a novelist under wraps, focusing on providing for his family after the tragic passing of his father. Renting the dawdi house seems the right move—until the wrong woman moves in. However, she comes with ideas to help improve their B&B, and that, along with her feisty personality, is something Reuben can’t ignore. Even if the elders want him to focus on joining the church and finding a wife. 

When going home isn’t an option, Lyla decides to help the Milners spruce up their rental. It does help distract her from her problems online. The more Lyla works on the rental with Reuben, the more she wonders if returning to her former life is worth it. However, is it the simple life that Lyla’s heart longs for—or a particular guarded Amishman with secrets of his own? And when those secrets are discovered, what will it cost them both?  

Book two in the delightful and sweet Big Sky Amish Collection.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub | IndieBound

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Excerpt

After grabbing the bucket of pitch, Reuben climbed down the ladder with one hand, careful not to slip. Once his right foot hit solid ground, he checked off the roof on his list, then scurried to determine what chore should be next.

“Hi, yeah, I’m supposed to connect with a Mara or Reuben Milner?”

He jumped at the soft voice from behind him. Reuben turned, practically dumping the half bucket of black tar on a woman that barely even came up to his chin. He pushed his straw hat back on his head. She stood near the bottom of the ladder, wearing black shorts, a colorful T-shirt, and a black jacket. She wasn’t Amish.

Then he noted her extremely high heeled shoes. Definitely not Amish.

How was she even able to stand upright in them? She looked ridiculous. What could she possibly need with him or Mem?

Reuben lifted an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

One hand rested on her hip. The other hand blocked the sun as she stared up at him. Her auburn hair framed a pair of flashing green eyes. He could already tell this one had more spunk than Penny, even on Penny’s best day. All that attitude had rendered him speechless.

He threaded his free hand through his suspenders. “Your shoes are so tall,” he sputtered.

She looked down at her shoes and back to him, frowning. “What do my shoes have to do with anything? Are you or aren’t you Reuben Milner?”

He shrugged, wishing he had just kept his mouth shut.

“You must be Lyla,” his older sister called from behind him.

Saved by Susanna. Married now and six months pregnant, she waddled barefoot out onto the porch and eyed the two of them standing in the yard. Without a word, Lyla moved around him and stomped up the porch steps, stopping next to her two large suitcases. Reuben winced, hoping that she didn’t go through the steps or roll an ankle. It was a toss-up which one would actually happen.

“Are you Mara Milner?” Lyla asked, holding her hand out toward his sister.

Susanna smiled and took Lyla’s hand in her own. “I’m Susanna, Mara’s daughter. Wyatt said you might be out here. Are you hungry? You must be tired from your journey. Would you like to come in and sit down for a while?”

Lyla pulled her hand back and eyed the ramshackle front porch—or at least, from the slight wrinkle of her nose that’s how he assumed she saw it. “I’d rather just head to the Airbnb, maybe get unpacked.”

Reuben thought the response was a little rude, and his sister’s smile faltered. Her brows scrunched in confusion. “Airbnb?”

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About the Authors

Tricia Goyer writes out of her passion for God and her love for family and others. The author of more than 70 books, she writes both historical fiction and nonfiction related to family and parenting.

This USA Today best-selling author has won a two Carol Awards and a Retailer’s Best Award. She was also an ECPA Gold-Medallion Nominee and a Christy Award Nominee and won Writer of the Year from the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference. 

Tricia’s contemporary and historical novels feature strong women overcoming great challenges. She is a beloved author of Amish fiction, having written the Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series. 

Whether for fiction or nonfiction, Tricia’s writing style is vivid and heartwarming, allowing readers to take home more than engaging stories, but also messages that inspire faith and hope. Her goal is to write stories that matter. 

Connect with Tricia by visiting triciagoyer.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Christen Krumm is the author of the young adult romcom It Happened At Christmas. She lives with her husband and three barefoot wildings in the middle of the world, Oklahoma. She drinks way too much coffee and reads too many books, but creating stories with her Creator is her favorite.

Connect with Christen by visiting christenkrumm.com to follow her on social media, subscribe to email newsletter updates, or listen to her podcast, Exploring the Blank Page.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of On the Golden Cliffs and a $10 voucher to the Sunrise Shop!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 20, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 27, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Book Spotlight: Beyond the Gray Mountains by Tricia Goyer

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Beyond the Gray Mountains by Tricia Goyer, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Beyond the Gray Mountains 

Series: Big Sky Amish #1 

Author: Tricia Goyer 

Publisher: Sunrise Publishing 

Release Date: February 28, 2023 

Genre: Christian Contemporary Amish Romance

Marianna Sommer always dreamed of a simple Amish wedding, but there’s nothing simple about marrying rock star Ben Stone. She loves him—but what about her traditions? Worse, suddenly Ben has questions—the kind that have him putting their wedding on hold.

Ben loves Marianna, but he has regrets—and fears—that are suddenly getting in the way of his happy ending. He doubts he’s going to “hear from God” in the high mountains like Marianna’s father suggests. But sure, he’ll go… 

But he might not return. Because high on the continental divide, trouble finds them. Now, it’ll take a miracle for Ben, Abe, and Abe’s brother, Ike, to make it down alive. Maybe Ben will hear from God after all…but if he does, can he become the man he needs to be to save them…and keep Marianna’s heart? 

When a runaway horse with a bloody saddle shows up, not only is the media alerted, but Marianna fears she’ll lose them all—her uncle, her father, and her beloved Ben. Suddenly she doesn’t care what the wedding looks like…as long as Ben makes it home. 

But is there more to Ben than she knows? And when she discovers his secrets, what sacrifices will she make to save…and marry…the man she loves? 

Fall in love with the first book in the cherished Big Sky Amish Collection.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound

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Other Books In Series

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Excerpt

Saturday, June 24, Kalispell, Montana

“How hard can it be to plan one wedding?” Marianna Sommer mumbled to herself as she strode down Main Street in Kalispell toward the dress shop—the Englisch dress shop. The warm spring breeze blew softly, ruffling strands of light-brown hair that, for most of her life, had been neatly secured under her kapp.

But no longer.

On one side of Marianna paced her friend Annie Johnson, wearing her typical jeans, flannel shirt, and cowboy boots. In her mid-forties, Annie was the owner of the Kootenai Kraft and Grocery. Along with providing a location where one could buy anything from bulk flour and garden seeds to fencing and fishing supplies, Annie was also known to provide a listening ear and a boost of moral support. And this was why she’d offered to take Marianna and her mother dress shopping today.

Marianna had never attended an Englisch wedding, much less planned one. Yet now that she was marrying Ben Stone—the handsome musician with his dark hair, bright blue eyes, and easy smile—many changes would be taking place.

Starting with choosing a wedding dress.

Mem padded on the other side of Marianna in a typical Amish dress, apron, and kapp. She walked with her head lowered and shoulders slumped. She crossed her arms over her chest and uncrossed them as if she didn’t know what to do with herself. It was partly because Mem didn’t have baby Joy on her hip. Yet Marianna also knew this wasn’t how Mem had planned her life. First, losing her oldest two daughters years ago in a buggy accident, and now, having Marianna marry an Englischer. Every Amish mother dreamed of her daughters growing up and following in her footsteps. For Mem, this wouldn’t be so.

Lord, help me to get through this with peace…marrying the man I love yet also honoring my family and Amish friends. Was that even possible?

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About the Author

Tricia Goyer writes out of her passion for God and her love for family and others. The author of more than 70 books, she writes both historical fiction and nonfiction related to family and parenting.

This USA Today best-selling author has won a two Carol Awards and a Retailer’s Best Award. She was also an ECPA Gold-Medallion Nominee and a Christy Award Nominee and won Writer of the Year from the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Tricia’s contemporary and historical novels feature strong women overcoming great challenges. She is a beloved author of Amish fiction, having written the Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series. Whether for fiction or nonfiction, Tricia’s writing style is vivid and heartwarming, allowing readers to take home more than engaging stories, but also messages that inspire faith and hope. Her goal is to write stories that matter. 

Connect with Tricia by visiting triciagoyer.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Beyond the Gray Mountains and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 27, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 6, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!