Category Archives: Kelly Irvin

July 13, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Love’s Dwelling by Kelly Irvin

Title: Love’s Dwelling by Kelly Irvin+*
Amish Blessings Series Book One
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: Contemporary, Amish, Romance
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

God always had a plan. But how could falling in love with an Englischer be God’s plan for one young Amish woman?

Young Cassie Weaver only wants what is expected of an Amish woman: a good Amish husband and a large family. But she’s happy as Job and Dinah Keim’s housekeeper, helping Dinah, who is losing her sight due to diabetes. For two decades the Keims have prayed for the salvation of their two children who left the community in a cloud of shame and mystery.

Mason knew there was more to his mother’s past than she let on, but nothing could have prepared him for learning about his Amish roots upon his mother’s sudden death. Even more surprising, his mother named her Amish parents, Job and Dinah, as guardians to her five children. Now Mason has to trust that this couple, and their pretty housekeeper, can take care of his younger siblings, even when all he wants is to take care of them himself.

As the children adjust to this new lifestyle, Mason finds himself pulled back to the Keims’ home. Yes, he wants to see his siblings, but it’s the conversations with Cassie that keep him coming back for more. Is there more to this Amish faith and how does it play into his own past? Cassie guards against her growing feelings for Mason, because there can be no happy ending for a Plain girl in love with an Englisch man . . . right?

Bestselling and award-winning Amish romance novelist Kelly Irvin is back with a heartwarming tale of the power of love to heal all wounds.

Review:

Love’s Dwelling by Kelly Irvin is a heartfelt Amish novel of family, healing and love.

Twenty-two-year-old Cassie Weaver is a housekeeper for Job and Dinah Keim. Despite his advanced years, Job is still hard-working and takes care of his farm work on his own. Dinah’s diabetes has worsened over the years and while she has lost her sight, she remains thankful for her blessings.  When their grandchildren unexpectedly arrive, their happiness is mixed with sorrow because their estranged daughter has passed away. With grandchildren ranging in age from four-year-old Jennie to twenty-two-year-old Mason, they open their hearts and their home to the grieving children. Cassie moves in full-time to assist with the care of the younger kids while Mason continues living and working in the city. With his visits to his grandparents’ farm filling a void within him, Mason considers converting to the Amish faith. He is also beginning to fall in love with Cassie who also falls for him, but until he has decided what life he wants, she knows they have no future together.

Cassie is an absolutely delightful young woman who years for a family of her own. She easily settles into helping with the younger children.  She is charmed by young Jennie who thrives in her new home and basks in her grandmother’s care. Eight-year-old Kathy is very responsible for her age and she loves life on the farm. The two youngest boys enjoy working the farm with Job but sixteen-year-old Bobby chafes at the new rules and expectations. Cassie tries her best to assist the kids as they transition from their old way of life to their new one.

Mason has been raising  his younger siblings for so long it is difficult for him to relinquish them into their grandparents’ care. With bills to pay, he keeps his old job but he is exhausted from driving back and forth to see his brothers and sisters. Mason soon grows to appreciate the slower pace and simpler life he enjoys at his grandparents’ farm. But does he want to become Amish?

With a lovely undercurrent of faith, Love’s Dwelling is a truly captivating novel with a serene setting and multi-dimensional characters. Dinah and Job are loving grandparents whose pain over their daughter’s death and their son’s continued absence is palpable.  Cassie’s joy is contagious as she cares for the children and gently assists Dinah with daily tasks. Mason is a wonderful young man whose confusion about his future is easy to relate to. The storyline is engaging and Kelly Irvin brings this charming Amish novel to an uplifting conclusion. This first novel in the Amish Blessings series will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment.

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Filed under Amish Blessings Series, Contemporary, Kelly Irvin, Love's Dwelling, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Zondervan

November 14, 2018 · 11:57 pm

Review: Tell Her No Lies by Kelly Irvin

Title: Tell Her No Lies by Kelly Irvin
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Mystery
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Even the most admired families have secrets to hide . . .

Nina Fischer carries a camera wherever she goes—so she can view life through a filter. Safely. After her mother abandoned her to the streets, Nina has kept people at a distance, including her uncle, who adopted Nina and her sister. Wealthy and proud, he is a good man, a fair judge, and someone many in San Antonio admire.

But when he is murdered, and the detective assigned to the case accuses Nina of the crime, she knows she must act. She’s determined to use her journalism background to find the real killer. The two men in her life want to help, but can she trust them?  She’s known Rick since they were children, but now he’s an attorney whose political aspirations seem more important than Nina’s tragic loss. And then there’s Aaron, a news videographer; using their friendship could break the biggest story of his career.

Following the evidence leads Nina on a journey of discovery into her father’s shocking masquerade as a law-abiding, family-loving Christian. Unlocking these secrets could prove fatal, but it’s the only way Nina will ever be able to trust love again.

Combining romance and suspense, bestselling author Kelly Irvin’s Tell Her No Lies is a high-stakes race for the truth.

Review:

Tell Her No Lies by Kelly Irvin is an intriguing mystery with slight Christian and romantic elements.

Twenty-seven year old Nina Fischer has recently moved back in with her parents in order to pursue her photography and poetry career. After working late in her darkroom, she goes downstairs and discovers her adopted father and biological uncle, Geoffrey, has been murdered. As the only person at home with Geoffrey, Detective Matt King is quick to pounce on her as a suspect.  Afraid King won’t search for the real killer, she and her best friend, videographer Aaron McClure, uncover shocking information about her adoptive father. When two more people connected to case are murdered,  Nina and Aaron are more determined than ever to figure out exactly what Geoffrey was doing leading up to his death and how his activities might have lead to murder.

When Nina and Jan were children, their aunt and uncle completely welcome them into the family. She never quite felt comfortable calling her Aunt Grace mom, but Nina certainly views her as a maternal figure. Her cousin, Trevor, also easily adapt to Jan and Nina becoming his sisters. Geoffrey has high expectations for all three of his children and he never hesitates to let them know when they disappoint him. This makes Nina’s discovery that Geoffrey was leading a secret, double life that much more stunning.

Nina finds it difficult to trust people since her birthmother let her and Jan down so many times. She and childhood friend Rick Zavala bonded over their similar backgrounds. Although a romance never quite worked out between them, they have remained close friends. Rick is a lawyer with political aspirations and after Geoffrey’s death, he is not exactly  someone Nina can rely on for emotional support. Although she implicitly trusts Aaron to help her in her quest, she is wary of revealing anything to Rick.  Nina is taken off guard by Rick’s possessive and somewhat aggressive behavior but she continues to give him the benefit of the doubt due to their complicated history.

After uncovering the stunning information about her father, Nina’s first instinct is to protect his name. Instead of turning the details over to Detective King, she instead attempts to find out exactly what Geoffrey was involved in. Nina unwittingly puts herself and others in danger since someone is desperate to keep the truth from ever seeing the light of day.

With a gentle undercurrent of faith, Tell Her No Lies is a perplexing mystery with a multi-layered storyline. Nina is a sympathetic but somewhat frustrating character. She does not always make the best decisions and her inability to trust the people in her life is a little irritating. Aaron is a fantastic character who has the patience of a saint where Nina is concerned. Rick is a selfish and ambitious man who rarely thinks of anyone but himself. The pacing of the novel is a little uneven and some of the story is a little repetitious.  Kelly Irvin  does a wonderful job keeping the perpetrator’s identity cleverly concealed until the novel’s conclusion. An enjoyable read despite a few annoying elements.

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Filed under Contemporary, Kelly Irvin, Mystery, Rated C+, Review, Tell Her No Lies, Thomas Nelson Publishing