Christina's Courage

by Susan Lantz Simpson

Christina Brubacher loves running the nursery and store left to her by her grandmother. The serenity she has always known at her shop is completely destroyed, however, when she discovers the body of an Englisch man in her storage shed.
Compassion and a sense of justice prompt her and her longtime crush, Noah Zimmerman, to secretly join forces with the man's distraught sister to find the murderer. But will they be able to put all the odd clues together before one of them becomes the next victim?

362 pages, Paperback

Published May 30, 2023

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Susan Lantz Simpson has been writing stories and poetry ever since she penned her first poem at the age of six. She has always loved the magic of words and how they can entertain and enlighten others. Her love of words and books led her to earn a degree in English/Education. She has taught students from Prekindergarten to high school and has also worked as an editor for the federal government. She also holds a degree in nursing and has worked in hospitals and in community health. She writes inspirational stories of love and faith and has published a middle-grade novel (Ginger and the Bully) in addition to her inspirational romances (Plainly Maryland Series and Southern Maryland Amish Romances Series). Her novella, The Christmas Fudge Miracle is included in the USA Today Bestseller Amish Christmas Miracles Collection. She was a finalist in the OCW Cascade fiction contest. She is a member of ACFW. She lives in Maryland and is the mother of two wonderful daughters. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, walking, and doing needlework.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has done well with this sweet romance/mystery. I loved every minute of it!
I took my time with this novel because I wanted to savor this one.
I think in some ways we're all heroes just in different ways.
I love this author's stories because she just has that magical way of making you feel like you're included from page one.
Christina is one lucky girl. "Sigh"
God certainly has a way of working things out to the good doesn't He?
The cover is simply gorgeous! I think it fits with the story inside perfectly well. In my opinion she's wondering what to do and how to handle whatever comes her way. She's deep in thought.
I give this sweet novel 5 stars for keeping my heart full and satisfied
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very heartwarming story about a young Mennonite girl, Christina. When her grandmother passes away, she is left the family’s nursery/store. When a man is found dead in her shed in the backyard, Christina and her friend, Noah, begin to investigate.
This was a light, quick read that I enjoyed reading.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Mindy Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will always be a fan of Susan Simpson's sweet romance. Adding a little mystery made this a whole new and very happy experience.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christina’s Courage by Susan Lantz Simpson is the first book in the Plain Path Series. Christina Brubacher finds a man dead in her shed at her business, The Green Thumb. The death is ruled an overdose. Christina finds a couple of clues in her greenhouse that raise questions. Christina gets help from her crush, Noah Zimmerman. Christina’s search for answers stalls out until the victim’s sister, Jill, shows up asking for help. Christina’s Courage is an Amish romance with a touch of mystery. Christina lives in an Old Order Mennonite community. I wish the difference between Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite had been explained. They seemed identical based on the information in the story. Christina’s Courage reads like a young adult novel. The characters seemed young (younger than their actual age). Christina is twenty, but she comes across as sixteen. Annie, Christina’s best friend, is very immature (acted like she was twelve). The story alternates between Christina and Noah’s point-of-view. This leads to a great deal of repetition. We get to hear how Christina likes Noah and has had a crush on him for years. Noah likes Christina and feels protective of her. The mystery moves at a snail’s pace (actually, snail’s move faster). I did not like how Christina and Noah sneak around to help Jill. I understand their bishop would not like them to get involved nor their parents. I wish the author had found another way to have the Amish characters involved in the mystery. Christina’s Courage is an Amish romance with a tiny bit of mystery. The story is long (could easily lose a hundred pages) and the pacing is leisurely. I appreciated the epilogue at the end that nicely wrapped up the story. Christina’s Courage is a light Amish mystery with a dead man in a shed, curious clues, a distressed sister, pretty pink begonias, a flirty friend, and a blossoming romance.

[Kathleen Ryder · Rating 3 out of 5]

BLURB:
Christina Brubacher loves running the nursery and store left to her by her grandmother. The serenity she has always known at her shop is completely destroyed, however, when she discovers the body of an Englisch man in her storage shed.

Compassion and a sense of justice prompt her and her longtime crush, Noah Zimmerman, to secretly join forces with the man's distraught sister to find the murderer. But will they be able to put all the odd clues together before one of them becomes the next victim?

MY REVIEW:
I’ve not read an Amish romantic suspense novel before and I was interested to see if it worked. Yes, I think aspects of it work well, but it wasn’t for me.

While I enjoyed reading this and finished it in a single sitting, I wasn’t as invested in this book as I usually am with my Amish romances.

The mystery was good, and of course, there is a happy ending, I just found the idea of two Amish people secretly helping an Englischer a bit unrealistic. It was the sneaking and secrecy that lowered the score of this book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christina runs the Green Thumb nursery and has a way with plants. When she finds a dead ima n her storage shed, the police say it was an overdose and close the case, but Christina’s plants tell her a different story when she notices something off with some of her begonias.

Soon Christina and Noah are trying to help the man’s sister prove that the man was not a drug addict and did not kill himself. Will it put them in danger, or will helping the young woman, even if it may go against their beliefs?

This was a quick read and while I enjoyed it, I lived in St Mary’s county and among these people and a little of the language is a bit too much for a strict old order mennonite. There were some “Englischer” words that Christina knew and others that she didn’t that were really far off. But regardless, it was still a cute and quick read and brought me back to my days in St. Mary’s county and that was a fresh taste of home.

[Delene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Join Christina Brubacher, a young Old Order Mennonite girl, as she tries to find out where the dead man in the shed behind her shop comes from. Along the way she has to learn how to navigate new friendships and protect those she loves from the sinister goings on at her shop.

My favorite part of the story was the setting and the friendship between Christina and Annie and the way they resolved their conflict. It is such a sweet portrayal of friendship and forgiveness. While I did enjoy the mystery and the unique setting, there were a few aspects of the story that fell short for me. I do realize that most of these aspects are just personal preference and might not bother other readers. There was a lot of focus on the romance and after a while certain scenes started feeling repetitive. Some of the Dutch words added were also a little too much and read a little awkwardly.
Overall, I enjoyed the story but would not necessarily consider it very memorable.

[C Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Vinspire Publishing for allowing me to read Susan Lantz Simpson‘s new book, Christina’s Courage through Netgalley.

Susan gives us a lovely story that takes place in a Mennonite community with the main character being a lovely young woman, Christina Brubacher who runs the nursery her grandmother left her. Because she finds a dead body in her storage shed, she is thrown together with her longtime crush, Noah Zimmerman to help the dead man’s English sister find the murderer.

Susan develops the story well. It is well written. It is a quick and easy read and very enjoyable.
I liked the characters. They were realistic. Such a good idea for bringing a romance and mystery storyline together.

This is a 5-star read. Order yours today.

All ideas are my own, and I was not required to give a positive review.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a man is found deceased behind Christina's nursery, the police deem it an overdose and move on. However, Christina finds other clues that lead her to start thinking looks may be deceiving. When his sister shows up and asks for help in finding the real reason, Christina and her friend Noah come to her aid. Will they find that he just overdosed or were other factors involved? This was a nice cozy romance mystery which did seem to drag a little. The characters were fun and believable. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts: CHRISTINA'S COURAGE is I think the first book I've read by Susan Simpson but I'm sure it won't be the last. I enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters and trying to guess what the clues Christy found might mean. I also loved how kind Christy and Noah were to others. If you are looking for a "Plain" read then you will love this book. The romance is slow but sweet, and the faith message is not heavy handed. Recommended. I was given a copy free and all opinions are my own.

[Vicky Sluiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa. Old order mennonites, drugs, and murder. Not what I expected but it sure kept my attention.

Christina’s Courage has interesting characters. Christina and Noah are old order mennonite and try hard to follow their church’s ordnung. But introduce a desperate Englisher and that causes some challenges. And Christina’s “best friend” made me want to shake her. What a mean girl! Be ready for some unexpected twists and turns.

If you are looking for a clean cozy mystery this one is for you!

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

[Michelle Rhoden · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a young Mennonite lady, Christine, finds a dead body in the shed of her business “The Green Thumb”, she and her friend, Noah, decide to investigate to figure out what happened. I enjoyed the mystery/romance aspect of the storyline and made it a delightful read.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion. All words are my own.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christina runs a store/nursery in her Old Order Mennonite community. When a body is found in the nursery and ruled a suicide she is not convinced that it was suicide. Together with her secret crush Noah and the late mans sister they decide to investigate. I found this to be an enjoyable read.

[JaTara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book. I loved Noah and Christina. I am looking forward to book 2. I am also glad justice was served and it was made known in the book. I would have loved to see a wedding scene in the epilogue, but I hope it’s mentioned in the 2nd book.

[JoAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christina’s Courage is a well written cozy mystery/romance. I enjoyed reading this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

[Kerrific Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me from page one. A great read for a cozy mystery. I loved every moment of Christy's story. Don't miss out on a wonderful pageturner.