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The Bishop's Daughters #2
A Plain Widow
Molly Ebersol’s life changes in a few minutes when an arsonist torches their barn. Her husband, Caleb, rushes inside the burning barn to save his horses. Although Amish firefighter, Jonathan Mast, tries to save Caleb, he fails. Suddenly Molly becomes a widow. A month later, an anonymous person gives money to cover the lumber and food expenses for the barn raising. One late night more money is left for Molly on the porch. The fire investigator wonders if the arsonist feels guilt about Caleb’s death and is responsible for the money gifts. During the continued investigation, it’s learned that Caleb had secrets he kept from Molly. She is crushed by what Caleb did before meeting her. How could the love of her life kept his English past from her? Her new neighbor, Jonathan, helps her to make the difficult transition from wife to widow. Although Molly develops feelings for Jonathan, can she ever trust him to be truthful to her? She isn’t sure she can fall in love again. Her trust in relationships is shattered because of Caleb’s past actions.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2017
28 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Diane Craver
30 books199 followersAs the youngest in the family growing up on a farm outside of Findlay, Ohio, Diane often acted out characters from her own stories in the backyard. In high school she was the student sitting in class with a novel hidden in front of her propped up textbook. Her passion for reading novels had to be put on hold during her college years at Ohio State University with working part-time on campus and being a full-time student. Before embarking on her writing career, she was a school teacher and play director.
Several non-fiction articles of Diane's have been published in Woman’s World Weekly, The Catholic Telegraph, Virtue, Down Syndrome Today, WritersWeekly.com, and several other publications. Her book, A CHRISTMAS GIFT, received 5 stars from the Midwest Book Review. Recently, Diane asked for her rights back for this heartwarming story and reissued it under the title, A GIFT FOREVER, and a new cover. She writes Amish fiction, contemporary romance, inspirational mainstream, chick-lit mystery, and non-fiction books. Her novels have received great reviews from readers and reviewers.
After watching the original movie, Cheaper by the Dozen, young Diane decided then and there, she someday wanted a large family. By the time she married Tom, the love of her life, she realized that maybe six children was a better number than twelve. She enjoys her life in southwestern Ohio with her husband, six children, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren. Life is never boring with two daughters, Sara and Amanda, born with Down syndrome living at home. Diane’s husband of thirty-nine years is very supportive of her writing career, as well as her awesome children.
Several non-fiction articles of Diane's have been published in Woman’s World Weekly, The Catholic Telegraph, Virtue, Down Syndrome Today, WritersWeekly.com, and several other publications. Her book, A CHRISTMAS GIFT, received 5 stars from the Midwest Book Review. Recently, Diane asked for her rights back for this heartwarming story and reissued it under the title, A GIFT FOREVER, and a new cover. She writes Amish fiction, contemporary romance, inspirational mainstream, chick-lit mystery, and non-fiction books. Her novels have received great reviews from readers and reviewers.
After watching the original movie, Cheaper by the Dozen, young Diane decided then and there, she someday wanted a large family. By the time she married Tom, the love of her life, she realized that maybe six children was a better number than twelve. She enjoys her life in southwestern Ohio with her husband, six children, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren. Life is never boring with two daughters, Sara and Amanda, born with Down syndrome living at home. Diane’s husband of thirty-nine years is very supportive of her writing career, as well as her awesome children.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 21, 2023
Author Diane Craver writes a story about the tragic loss of a spouse and the heartbreaking circumstances that follow his death. In this second book of the Author’s The Bishop’s Daughters Series Molly Ebersol loses her Husband Caleb when an arsonist sets fire to their barn. His death leaves Molly a young widow with 19 month old Isaac Ebersol and in early stages of pregnancy with their second baby. Molly is left to grieve his death and raise both their children alone. She wonders why Caleb risked his life to go into a burning barn trying to save their animals. Then Nicole Spencer, arson investigator learns things about Caleb that Molly never knew. He had kept secrets from her during their three year marriage. Caleb was not the man that she thought he was. Why had he not been honest with Molly and what else had he kept from her?
This story was like a murder mystery because of Caleb’s wrongful death. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning of the book. This was a story of Love and betrayal. The story was realistic because it dealt with life changes and the good and the bad things that life has to offer. I loved the characters in the book. Molly was the main character and Jonathan Mast, Nicole Spencer and Dr. Perry Haney were strong secondary characters. All characters bought the story to life and made me forget it was fiction. I love when that happens and leaves me feeling uplifted and satisfied at the books ending. I loved everything about this book from the beautiful cover to the life changing story and on to the happy ending.
I recommend this book to readers of Amish Fiction and Woman’s Fiction and to readers who read book one Amish Baby Snatched. All fans of Diane Craver will enjoy this book. I recommend reading the books in order of the series.
I purchased an Autographed Copy of A Plain Widow at an Author Panel Discussion gathering. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are my own.
This story was like a murder mystery because of Caleb’s wrongful death. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning of the book. This was a story of Love and betrayal. The story was realistic because it dealt with life changes and the good and the bad things that life has to offer. I loved the characters in the book. Molly was the main character and Jonathan Mast, Nicole Spencer and Dr. Perry Haney were strong secondary characters. All characters bought the story to life and made me forget it was fiction. I love when that happens and leaves me feeling uplifted and satisfied at the books ending. I loved everything about this book from the beautiful cover to the life changing story and on to the happy ending.
I recommend this book to readers of Amish Fiction and Woman’s Fiction and to readers who read book one Amish Baby Snatched. All fans of Diane Craver will enjoy this book. I recommend reading the books in order of the series.
I purchased an Autographed Copy of A Plain Widow at an Author Panel Discussion gathering. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are my own.
May 2, 2017
A Plain Widow is the second book in The Bishop’s Daughters series by Diane Craver. If you’ve read my review of Amish Baby Snatched, you’ll see that I had high hopes for this series. I think this author has a lot of promise and a story idea that is unique. I love the idea of mystery in an Amish story. It’s just quirky. We think of the Amish as such peaceful people but truth is, bad things can happen in their lives as well. I love that I’m seeing this refreshing approach to the genre which for years seemed so idealistic and perfect. Authors are no longer afraid to write an Amish tale that isn’t so perfect and I love that.
Like the first book, I felt that there was much filler dialogue that was unnecessary. I had so much information thrown my way, I was overwhelmed. I feel like I missed out on the potential for a real thriller. I wanted to know who hated the Amish so much that they would harm a member of the community. I wanted to see more of the antagonist of the story. I wanted to see how desperate he was and what lengths he would go to, to inflict more damage. This character simply wasn’t developed and the loose ends were tied up too neatly.
Lastly, I feel the need to mention how shocked I was to see the use of foul language in this genre. I’m not a prude by any means but it’s just not typical. I wasn’t expecting it. I think a lot of readers of the Amish genre will be thrown off kilter by this. Now, this book isn’t filled with nasty language by any means. There’s the use of a certain four-letter word that starts with an s and it’s used twice on the same page. Still, it felt out-of-place for the book’s intended audience.
Overall, the idea and premise of this story is an interesting one. I would have liked to have seen it explored and developed more. I needed more action and less dialogue.
*Author has issued a revision to this ebook to remove the foul language mentioned in the review above.
This review was originally posted on A Simply Enchanted Life
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.
Like the first book, I felt that there was much filler dialogue that was unnecessary. I had so much information thrown my way, I was overwhelmed. I feel like I missed out on the potential for a real thriller. I wanted to know who hated the Amish so much that they would harm a member of the community. I wanted to see more of the antagonist of the story. I wanted to see how desperate he was and what lengths he would go to, to inflict more damage. This character simply wasn’t developed and the loose ends were tied up too neatly.
Lastly, I feel the need to mention how shocked I was to see the use of foul language in this genre. I’m not a prude by any means but it’s just not typical. I wasn’t expecting it. I think a lot of readers of the Amish genre will be thrown off kilter by this. Now, this book isn’t filled with nasty language by any means. There’s the use of a certain four-letter word that starts with an s and it’s used twice on the same page. Still, it felt out-of-place for the book’s intended audience.
Overall, the idea and premise of this story is an interesting one. I would have liked to have seen it explored and developed more. I needed more action and less dialogue.
*Author has issued a revision to this ebook to remove the foul language mentioned in the review above.
This review was originally posted on A Simply Enchanted Life
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.
April 17, 2017
First, the disclaimer. "I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own." That done, A PLAIN WIDOW is the first book I've read by Ms. Craver. It is also one of the few books I've read mentioning an Amish firefighter.
Molly's barn burned and her husband died a result of the fire. I'm not sure if this book is a romance or if it's a romantic suspense. The fire chief is investigating the fire, everyone wants to know who done it, and Jonathan is under fire for volunteering for the fire department -- or is it just something to pick at him for because the bishop is single and wants to marry Molly?
If you aren't familiar with a lot of Amish customs and why they do things, this book goes into detail about the beliefs and reasons behind them. But you also have to keep in mind that Amish rules differ from district to district, depending on the bishop and what he believes.
While part of the book does read as an information dump, and the rest is told rather than shone, fans of Amish fiction will be interested in reading this. Will Molly marry Jonathan or the bishop? Who started the fire and why? Was it murder? Or just a terrible accident? There are lots of secrets coming to life, lies that have been told, and some of it is unexpected.
If you are interested in other books about Amish firefighters, there is one by me (The Amish Firefighter) and I think I read one recently by another author, but I can't remember who right now. In most Amish communities, volunteering and giving back to the community is encouraged, and Amish work as firefighters, EMTs and other emergency services.
Molly's barn burned and her husband died a result of the fire. I'm not sure if this book is a romance or if it's a romantic suspense. The fire chief is investigating the fire, everyone wants to know who done it, and Jonathan is under fire for volunteering for the fire department -- or is it just something to pick at him for because the bishop is single and wants to marry Molly?
If you aren't familiar with a lot of Amish customs and why they do things, this book goes into detail about the beliefs and reasons behind them. But you also have to keep in mind that Amish rules differ from district to district, depending on the bishop and what he believes.
While part of the book does read as an information dump, and the rest is told rather than shone, fans of Amish fiction will be interested in reading this. Will Molly marry Jonathan or the bishop? Who started the fire and why? Was it murder? Or just a terrible accident? There are lots of secrets coming to life, lies that have been told, and some of it is unexpected.
If you are interested in other books about Amish firefighters, there is one by me (The Amish Firefighter) and I think I read one recently by another author, but I can't remember who right now. In most Amish communities, volunteering and giving back to the community is encouraged, and Amish work as firefighters, EMTs and other emergency services.
April 25, 2017
A Plain Widow is a story that is about a young wife who unexpectedly loses her husband in a barn fire. The author writes with such emotion and we get a glimpse into what Molly is going through. Not only does she have a young son, but she is expecting another child. I felt for her as it seems that her independence is on the verge of going away. Understandably, she does not want to move back in with her parents, (though they are very good to her and love her), she does not want to move in with anyone else, nor does she want to marry the first widower to ask her. She does have very real concerns in how she is to keep up with her house payments and support herself and her two young children.
As if that is not bad enough, she finds out about some things in her husband’s past that do not put him in a good light and unfortunately he is not there anymore for a confrontation. We get glimpses of this particular Amish town and customs and their Englischer friends and surrounding community. There is also a mystery about the barn fire and if it was set on purpose thus resulting in the death of Molly’s husband.
I appreciated the author’s thorough research of the Amish lifestyle and her notes regarding it and the list of words and their meanings in the beginning. For sensitive readers, there are a couple of uses of bad language in one instance. I enjoyed this story and its slower pace of a young Amish woman and her struggles through a difficult time (one I cannot even imagine) and her guarded steps into new love.
I received a copy of this book for free. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
As if that is not bad enough, she finds out about some things in her husband’s past that do not put him in a good light and unfortunately he is not there anymore for a confrontation. We get glimpses of this particular Amish town and customs and their Englischer friends and surrounding community. There is also a mystery about the barn fire and if it was set on purpose thus resulting in the death of Molly’s husband.
I appreciated the author’s thorough research of the Amish lifestyle and her notes regarding it and the list of words and their meanings in the beginning. For sensitive readers, there are a couple of uses of bad language in one instance. I enjoyed this story and its slower pace of a young Amish woman and her struggles through a difficult time (one I cannot even imagine) and her guarded steps into new love.
I received a copy of this book for free. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
April 11, 2017
A compelling Amish story filled with losses, gains, healing, love, faith, loyalty and relationships. Diane Craver crafted another action packed tale with true to life characters facing realistic issues of today. I enjoyed catching up with characters from The Bishop’s Daughters series and Craver’s first series, Dreams of Plain Daughters. This story can be read as a standalone with particulars of primary characters’ history being shared in this amazing story. My heart broke for Molly as she faced her loss along with other family members with their faith, love for God and Biblical promises seeing them through all their difficulties.
Readers of Amish genre will appreciate Diane Craver’s interweaving of the Amish community members with their English friends who respected their beliefs and life style. A Plain Widow reeled me in with all the twists and turns to discovering who the arsonist was I look forward to reading the next book in this series, to see how the lives of these charming and affectionate characters are doing (after all they seem like family members). I have enjoyed every book I’ve read by Diane Craver, whether it was her Amish or romance stories.
I received a complimentary e-copy of A Plain Widow from the author. I was not required to write a positive review, but have expressed my honest opinion of this enthralling story.
Readers of Amish genre will appreciate Diane Craver’s interweaving of the Amish community members with their English friends who respected their beliefs and life style. A Plain Widow reeled me in with all the twists and turns to discovering who the arsonist was I look forward to reading the next book in this series, to see how the lives of these charming and affectionate characters are doing (after all they seem like family members). I have enjoyed every book I’ve read by Diane Craver, whether it was her Amish or romance stories.
I received a complimentary e-copy of A Plain Widow from the author. I was not required to write a positive review, but have expressed my honest opinion of this enthralling story.
April 29, 2017
A Plain Widow by Diane Craver is the second book of The Bishop's Daughters series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. I've always been a fan of Amish stories, for their simplicity, their faith and their community. I like the fact that there's an added element of suspense in this story, and the theme of dealing with grief and trust. Our main characters stand out and are memorable. However, I find the language felt more like telling readers a story, versus allowing us to experience it. It reads disjointed because of it. And that is one area that I find disappointed by. A Plain Widow brings to light of grief, the unexpected secrets revealed, and the struggle to find trust again. If you're a fan of Amish fiction and families, try this out.
This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.
This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.
April 20, 2017
Fictional books can teach readers knowledge, feelings and even life tools. Just because it is fictional doesn’t mean that the feelings or emotions aren’t real in the reader. I felt for Molly, her anger was real to me. She then lit my heart up with her new found love with Jonathan, now this was a kind and gentle man. He swept into Molly’s life and you just knew they were suppose to be together. He loved her children with Caleb,and his proposal was darling and sweet.
Overall,this book was darling read. It held a bit of mystery that kept me guessing, it had non Amish characters that were just as charming and even though secondary characters were ones that you want to know more about. I really loved the tender romance, the healing of Molly and her little love bugs. It was a heart warming, and delightful book. I look forward to the next book.
Full Review: https://bibliophile.reviews/book-revi...
Overall,this book was darling read. It held a bit of mystery that kept me guessing, it had non Amish characters that were just as charming and even though secondary characters were ones that you want to know more about. I really loved the tender romance, the healing of Molly and her little love bugs. It was a heart warming, and delightful book. I look forward to the next book.
Full Review: https://bibliophile.reviews/book-revi...
April 24, 2017
This is a well done Amish romance. Molly learns many interesting things about her husband once he has died. Some of them are very shocking. As a widow she must learn to trust again. Her husband had omitted many truths about himself. I really enjoyed the characters. Will Molly be able to trust another man again? She must decide this once she meets Jonathan. I received an ebook copy of this from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
June 19, 2018
A Plain Widow is the second book written by Diane Craver in her The Bishops Daughters series. In this book we are nack in Feilds Corner, Ohio and learning the story of Molly Ebersol. The storyline in this book has the reader experiencing many emotions and that makes you feel like part of this fantastic story.
I love the character of Molly because she is such a strong, intelligent, and loving young mother. When someone mystetiously sets her barn on fire it devastates Molly and until the arsonist is caught she feels like she can't move forward in her life. While trying to uncover who the arsonist is Molly learns things anout her husband Caleb that he never revealed to her. Heartbroken for so many reasons Molly decides she needs to find away to make money to pay her bills when an anonymous person starts leaving money at her home. Who is this person and why is he leaving her all this money? Is it a guilty arsonist? Travel this road with Molly to solve this mystery. This story keeps you reading to uncover more clues.
I was not given a complimentary copy of this amazing book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable review at anytime. I have rated this book with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that i can highly recommend to all those who love the Amish genre.
CONGRATULATIONS to Diane Craver for writing such an amazing story for her readers to enjoy and I look forward to reading more amazing books by this author in the future.
I love the character of Molly because she is such a strong, intelligent, and loving young mother. When someone mystetiously sets her barn on fire it devastates Molly and until the arsonist is caught she feels like she can't move forward in her life. While trying to uncover who the arsonist is Molly learns things anout her husband Caleb that he never revealed to her. Heartbroken for so many reasons Molly decides she needs to find away to make money to pay her bills when an anonymous person starts leaving money at her home. Who is this person and why is he leaving her all this money? Is it a guilty arsonist? Travel this road with Molly to solve this mystery. This story keeps you reading to uncover more clues.
I was not given a complimentary copy of this amazing book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable review at anytime. I have rated this book with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that i can highly recommend to all those who love the Amish genre.
CONGRATULATIONS to Diane Craver for writing such an amazing story for her readers to enjoy and I look forward to reading more amazing books by this author in the future.
October 11, 2017
"A Plain Widow" by Diane Craver is a great read! It is the second book in The Bishop's Daughters series. A Plain Widow is a mystery about a barn fire and the death of Molly's husband, Caleb. Molly is left a widow with a two year old son and a child on the way. An anonymous donor is giving her monetary gifts to help out after the fire. Molly finds out that Caleb had a lot of secrets before he committed to the Amish faith and joined the church. A new neighbor, Jonathan befriends Molly and attempts to help her adjust to her widowhood. The two begin to have feelings but Molly is afraid to trust another man due to Caleb's deceptions. It certainly has it's moments where you aren't quite sure what the outcome is going to be! Looking forward to reading more of this author's work!
August 19, 2019
Nothing Plain
Diane Craver gives us characters you can love! They are real and their story will touch your heart. If you have not read a book by Diane Craver you should start with The Bishops Daughter.
Diane Craver gives us characters you can love! They are real and their story will touch your heart. If you have not read a book by Diane Craver you should start with The Bishops Daughter.
May 8, 2018
Good stories in severe need of an editor. Good plots, interesting characters, but not well written. While some info on some of the characters is repeated too much, there are other times when a character seems to show up for no good reason. I found myself searching for previous mentions that I probably missed when I chose to skim through some of the repetitive stuff that got in the way of the story.
Also felt like book one might have been a subsequent book to another book or series of books because of references to things that a reader would have recognized from having read the earlier book. Maybe this is so.
Sometimes things just didn't make sense....Like the early info on Stacie. Chapters later, you can account for time/age, but earliest mention seems to imply that at 15 years of age, she's doing books for her brother. Makes sense in the Amish literature setting, that a 15 year old would do that, but given that Caleb and Molly had been married for 3 years at this mention, it implies that Stacie might have been 12 years old when she was engaged to Caleb.
Editing, or simple reading by someone other than the author could have fixed these frequent
detractors. The books could have been very good reading, but the effort it takes to wade through these novels steals the pleasure of the read.
Also felt like book one might have been a subsequent book to another book or series of books because of references to things that a reader would have recognized from having read the earlier book. Maybe this is so.
Sometimes things just didn't make sense....Like the early info on Stacie. Chapters later, you can account for time/age, but earliest mention seems to imply that at 15 years of age, she's doing books for her brother. Makes sense in the Amish literature setting, that a 15 year old would do that, but given that Caleb and Molly had been married for 3 years at this mention, it implies that Stacie might have been 12 years old when she was engaged to Caleb.
Editing, or simple reading by someone other than the author could have fixed these frequent
detractors. The books could have been very good reading, but the effort it takes to wade through these novels steals the pleasure of the read.
January 3, 2025
Molly, who has a small child and is pregnant, loses her husband, Caleb. An arsonist sets fire to their barn. When Caleb goes in to bring out the horses, he dies. Devastated, Molly is surrounded by a loving family and supportive friends. An anonymous donor sends money to her to cover lumber and food. She can’t help but wonder who the donor is. The fire investigator suspects the person who sent it is the one who started the fire. He’s not the only one who wants to help Molly though. As her new neighbor, Jonathan, sticks by her, the two of them are attracted to each other. Molly doesn’t want to get involved with anyone so soon after her husband’s death. Also, during her grieving period, she learns Caleb had been married and had kept secrets about his previous life from her. Now, she really doesn’t want a new relationship. Can she ever trust a man again? Why didn’t the person who sent Molly money want his or her identity known? Is he the arsonist?
Ms. Craver’s writing pulled me right into this book. The characters were so real I lived each scene with Molly. Wondering what would happen next and who set the fire, I kept turning pages. I highly recommend the book for all who enjoy romance, Amish stories and heart-warming reads with a bit of mystery.
Ms. Craver’s writing pulled me right into this book. The characters were so real I lived each scene with Molly. Wondering what would happen next and who set the fire, I kept turning pages. I highly recommend the book for all who enjoy romance, Amish stories and heart-warming reads with a bit of mystery.
April 7, 2019
Book two in the Bishop’s Daughters Series by Diane Craver is A Plain Widow
Another winner in this series, this one is more of a mystery and you will want to be sure to read it. A heart broken, mysteries uncovered love found and in the midst of it all you will see just how compassions can heal any heart. I look forward to the rest of this series.
Another winner in this series, this one is more of a mystery and you will want to be sure to read it. A heart broken, mysteries uncovered love found and in the midst of it all you will see just how compassions can heal any heart. I look forward to the rest of this series.
June 27, 2018
Good book. Saw more of the Amish way of life. They loved their way of living and their friendship with the English.
Yes anyone who loves to read a good mystery that does not make you ashamed of what you are reading.
Yes anyone who loves to read a good mystery that does not make you ashamed of what you are reading.
August 9, 2021
Out of tragedy comes love
You can’t help but hope Molly can overcome the grief of loosing her husband Caleb and see the love that Jonathan has for her.
You can’t help but hope Molly can overcome the grief of loosing her husband Caleb and see the love that Jonathan has for her.
August 17, 2025
A Widow
What a wonderful story this was I truly enjoyed .I loved all the characters the author wrote
about. Wish I could give more then 5 stars. I recommend this book.
What a wonderful story this was I truly enjoyed .I loved all the characters the author wrote
about. Wish I could give more then 5 stars. I recommend this book.
May 30, 2017
Molly is a recent widow due to unfortunate circumstances involving a barn fire. She has her hands full as a young mom and expecting her second child. This is the 2nd story in a series. I did not read the first story but that did not leave me confused. This story has a bit of romance and also some suspense along with forgiveness. Good story. I was given a complimentary copy but all thoughts are my honest opinion of the book.
April 7, 2019
OWN ON KINDLE NEED TO FINISH GOOD BOOK BUT BOOKS BORROWED FROM LIBRARY ARE ON TIME LIMIT SO THEY COME FIRST .
April 20, 2017
This story has secrets, a mysterious benefactor, an Amish firefighter and all centering on the arson of an Amish owned barn that kept me wondering how the young Molly Ebersol was going to cope with it all. Her husband dies in the barn fire leaving her with a toddler and a baby on the way. I really liked how the English and the Amish all worked together and helped Molly overcome this tragedy.
April 22, 2017
A Plain Widow by Diane Craver. This is book two in The Bishop’s Daughters series. This is a book that is filled with love, faith, heartache, pain and the feeling of betrayal. Diane will keep you in suspense until the very end. A great work of fiction. I received a complemtary copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion. 4 stars!
April 24, 2017
I really enjoyed this book! Molly has had a rough go of it, not only losing her husband but also being pregnant with her second child. She struggles to make sense of his death and find her place in the community. I like that while the author allows the characters to have drama in their lives the overall theme of the book isn't overly dramatic. The main theme is love and forgiveness. We have to trust God with the details of our life and trust His plan.
Jonathan is the new guy in town so to speak. He's the one who pulls Molly's husband out of the burning barn. He feels sorry for her and what she's endured. He wants to help anyway he can to ease the burden. Along the way he falls in love with Molly and wants to marry her and raise her children. I have to say I loved how their love unfolded but I wish the story would have taken a little longer but that's just me being selfish. The author did a wonderful job of telling their story and I liked how even though Jonathan knew early on that Molly was the one for him, he waited months to tell her and even then told her he would give her all the time she needed until she was ready to move on.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I believe you will too!
*I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
Jonathan is the new guy in town so to speak. He's the one who pulls Molly's husband out of the burning barn. He feels sorry for her and what she's endured. He wants to help anyway he can to ease the burden. Along the way he falls in love with Molly and wants to marry her and raise her children. I have to say I loved how their love unfolded but I wish the story would have taken a little longer but that's just me being selfish. The author did a wonderful job of telling their story and I liked how even though Jonathan knew early on that Molly was the one for him, he waited months to tell her and even then told her he would give her all the time she needed until she was ready to move on.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I believe you will too!
*I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
April 27, 2017
I love it when authors take an Amish story and make it a little different. Whether it's a character, setting, job, or circumstances. In this book you find an Amish Fireman! It's not the first book I've read that included one, but I think it's maybe the second. So you can tell how rare it is (at least to me), because I read a lot of Amish fiction. I thought this was so great! To have an Amish person giving back to the community they are a part of is really an interesting idea to me, and it made me wonder if there are perhaps some Amish fireman in the real world!?
Overall this was a sweet story. It really is about picking yourself up and moving on, which is something we struggle to do. But on top of losing her husband in a fire, Molly found out some things about him that were a complete surprise to her, and it was devastating. I felt her emotions as she struggled to process this new information. Thinking her husband was one type of man and finding out he was someone completely different in his past is a hard pill to swallow. But I felt in the end she handled it better than I could have!
This story will speak to your heart. It did mine! And although it is book two in a series, I feel it could be read as a stand alone - I had not read book one and did not feel like I couldn't understand the characters or their connections. I was easily pulled into the community and families that belonged to it. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Overall this was a sweet story. It really is about picking yourself up and moving on, which is something we struggle to do. But on top of losing her husband in a fire, Molly found out some things about him that were a complete surprise to her, and it was devastating. I felt her emotions as she struggled to process this new information. Thinking her husband was one type of man and finding out he was someone completely different in his past is a hard pill to swallow. But I felt in the end she handled it better than I could have!
This story will speak to your heart. It did mine! And although it is book two in a series, I feel it could be read as a stand alone - I had not read book one and did not feel like I couldn't understand the characters or their connections. I was easily pulled into the community and families that belonged to it. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 27, 2017
Diane Carver’s new book “A Plain Widow” is a
good story of one woman’s heartache and pain of
losing her husband in a fire. Her community and
family helps and support her. Someone is donating
money to have her barn rebuilt and giving her
money.
Who could be leaving the money? Who started the fire?
What will Molly do with a young son and expecting her
second baby?
What is it about a certain Amish firefighter that draws
Molly?
How does Molly cope when she finds out
the secrets her husband kept from her.
Read the book and find out for yourself. It is a fairly quick
read and throughout its pages you’ll see a man and a woman
seeking God’s will and the desire to be obedient to Him. A great
story about healing, moving forward, learning to trust and
a sweet romance.
Blessings,
Karen Hadley
Rating:4*
I received this book as a gift and my opinion is my own.
good story of one woman’s heartache and pain of
losing her husband in a fire. Her community and
family helps and support her. Someone is donating
money to have her barn rebuilt and giving her
money.
Who could be leaving the money? Who started the fire?
What will Molly do with a young son and expecting her
second baby?
What is it about a certain Amish firefighter that draws
Molly?
How does Molly cope when she finds out
the secrets her husband kept from her.
Read the book and find out for yourself. It is a fairly quick
read and throughout its pages you’ll see a man and a woman
seeking God’s will and the desire to be obedient to Him. A great
story about healing, moving forward, learning to trust and
a sweet romance.
Blessings,
Karen Hadley
Rating:4*
I received this book as a gift and my opinion is my own.
April 28, 2017
A Plain Widow by Diane Craver is an Amish romantic mystery and perfect for an afternoon's read.
There are many themes including that of healing. Healing is not just physical but spiritual and links in with the theme of forgiveness. "I couldn't heal completely until I forgave." We forgive because God tells us to. When we forgive we feel better and not bitter.
Secrets have a power to destroy memories as one wonders exactly who was that person who was so secretive? Death may separate us from the truth.
The Amish are a close knit community. The novel shows how they rally around in times of trouble.
God is an important part of life. In the midst of difficult circumstances, He is needed even more. "You need to be focused on God and not on your circumstances." God is our anchor. Keeping our eyes on Him enables us to stay grounded. "It was hard not to be bitter... but she needed God in her life even more now."
Family is vital. There are some wonderful family relationships shown in the novel.
There is an air of warmth pervading A Plain Widow that reaches out and envelopes the reader. The reader can 'feel' the love and care for all within the community.
A perfect read that will warm your heart.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
There are many themes including that of healing. Healing is not just physical but spiritual and links in with the theme of forgiveness. "I couldn't heal completely until I forgave." We forgive because God tells us to. When we forgive we feel better and not bitter.
Secrets have a power to destroy memories as one wonders exactly who was that person who was so secretive? Death may separate us from the truth.
The Amish are a close knit community. The novel shows how they rally around in times of trouble.
God is an important part of life. In the midst of difficult circumstances, He is needed even more. "You need to be focused on God and not on your circumstances." God is our anchor. Keeping our eyes on Him enables us to stay grounded. "It was hard not to be bitter... but she needed God in her life even more now."
Family is vital. There are some wonderful family relationships shown in the novel.
There is an air of warmth pervading A Plain Widow that reaches out and envelopes the reader. The reader can 'feel' the love and care for all within the community.
A perfect read that will warm your heart.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
April 30, 2017
"A Plain Widow" by Diane Craver is a good read! It is about an Amish family that loses a father and husband in a barn fire. But who started the fire and why?
"A Plain Widow" by Diane Craver is a mystery and also a book about forgiveness and a second chance at love.
"A Plain Widow" by Diane Craver is the 2nd book in (The Bishop's Daughters) series, I think this book could be read as a standalone and the reader could enjoy and not feel like you were missing part of the story line but I recommend reading the first book in the series as well because things that happened in the book1 are mentioned briefly in "A Plain Widow"
This book was kinda of sad for me to read because of the death of Caleb. ( no this isn't a spoiler alert, read the description of the book. This book shows how the Amish and the English can be friends and still be true to their own beliefs.
I hadn't read any of this arthur's books before but now her other books are my to be read list.
A Plain Widow" by Diane Craver is a 5 star read.
I was given a complimenty copy by Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.
"A Plain Widow" by Diane Craver is a mystery and also a book about forgiveness and a second chance at love.
"A Plain Widow" by Diane Craver is the 2nd book in (The Bishop's Daughters) series, I think this book could be read as a standalone and the reader could enjoy and not feel like you were missing part of the story line but I recommend reading the first book in the series as well because things that happened in the book1 are mentioned briefly in "A Plain Widow"
This book was kinda of sad for me to read because of the death of Caleb. ( no this isn't a spoiler alert, read the description of the book. This book shows how the Amish and the English can be friends and still be true to their own beliefs.
I hadn't read any of this arthur's books before but now her other books are my to be read list.
A Plain Widow" by Diane Craver is a 5 star read.
I was given a complimenty copy by Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.
April 30, 2017
This was the first book that I bad read by this author. I was hooked within a few pages. My heart just broke for Molly, her young son, and the baby on the way. I can't even imagine losing my husband with small children. I enjoyed trying to follow the investigation and discover who was responsible for the fire of the Ebersol's barn - but I was wrong in the end.
I love that this story was a mystery full of fun little nuggets. This is also a story of second chances.
I don't want to spoil to much - but I really really loved this book. I highly recommend it.
I am going to have to go back and look for other books by this author.
I was given an advanced copy by Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.
I love that this story was a mystery full of fun little nuggets. This is also a story of second chances.
I don't want to spoil to much - but I really really loved this book. I highly recommend it.
I am going to have to go back and look for other books by this author.
I was given an advanced copy by Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.
September 5, 2017
When Molly Ebersol lost her husband in a barn fire caused by an arsonist, little did she know the drastic changes that were in store for her. She was not only grieving the loss of her husband and the father of their children, could she ever trust a man again after finding out about Caleb's secrets he never bothered to tell her.
It's difficult to me to imagine someone living two completely different lives, but I suppose that happens in the Amish culture. Molly was so sweet and caring, and trusting, and it unnerved me reading about Caleb being so unfair to her when he could have been honest and everything would have been ok. Diane Craver created a cast of characters you are sure to fall in love with in her new book "A Plain Widow." Reading this book I not only saw the struggles that Amish families face but I also saw all the love, faith and forgiveness the Amish so freely give. This is a great read for all of you Amish fan out there, and if you've never ventured into the Amish genre, this is a great book to start with!
I rec'd a copy of this book from Celebration Lit Book Tours and the author for my honest opinion. The opinions here are mine alone!
It's difficult to me to imagine someone living two completely different lives, but I suppose that happens in the Amish culture. Molly was so sweet and caring, and trusting, and it unnerved me reading about Caleb being so unfair to her when he could have been honest and everything would have been ok. Diane Craver created a cast of characters you are sure to fall in love with in her new book "A Plain Widow." Reading this book I not only saw the struggles that Amish families face but I also saw all the love, faith and forgiveness the Amish so freely give. This is a great read for all of you Amish fan out there, and if you've never ventured into the Amish genre, this is a great book to start with!
I rec'd a copy of this book from Celebration Lit Book Tours and the author for my honest opinion. The opinions here are mine alone!
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