Genre:

Winds of change are blowing through Willow Ridge, and they're bringing a stranger to the Sweet Seasons Cafe.

At first, widowed Miriam Lantz has misgivings about Ben Hooley, a handsome but rootless traveling blacksmith. But as she gets to know the kind-hearted newcomer, she wonders if his arrival was providential. Perhaps she could find love again - if only there weren't so many obstacles in the way.

With Bishop Knepp relentlessly pursuing her hand in marriage and the fate of her beloved cafe at stake, Miriam must listen to God and her heart to find the happiness she longs for, and the love she deserves.

Series: Seasons of the Heart

Review

For Fans of: Beverley Lewis, Marta Perry

Miriam Lantz lost her husband Jesse two years ago when the stallion he was shoeing became spooked and trampled him to death. Since then she has kept busy with her two daughters and running her bakery, the Sweet Seasons Bakery/Café there in the Amish community where they live. However, since she stopped wearing her black mourning clothing, Bishop Hiram Knepp has been trying to remove her from her bakery and into his home to take care of his children as his wife. He has even tried to buy the building that houses  the bakery, but God answered her prayers. The Bishop was outbid by the same Englishman who found Miriam’s baby daughter years ago. But the bishop is not finished. Now he is trying to get her to marry him, but she wants no part of the much older leader of their community, despite his determination to get what he wants. Even her twenty-one year old triplet daughters Rachel, Rhoda and Rebecca/Tiffany have joined together to protect her from the man. However, as a stranger blows into town during a thunderstorm, it seems that God has other plans for Miriam’s future.

Ben Hooley, a thirty-five-year-old traveling farrier, has been looking for a reasonable piece of land to settle down on. When a storm and a startled horse dump him in Willow Ridge on the doorstep of Miriam’s bakery in the middle of the night, he thinks God may have just answered his prayers. Meeting Miriam, who came to his rescue after he was kicked by his horse and left lying on her doorstep, he sees the godly woman mentioned in the Bible. Not only is he attracted to this lovely woman, but she has a forge where he can set up business. He can tell that Miriam is also attracted to him, but the bishop is determined to have his way and is doing all he can to get Ben run out of the community. On top of that, Miriam’s twenty-one-year-old daughter Rhoda is feeling out of sorts since her sister Rachel’s wedding to the man of her dreams is fast approaching, and she sees Ben as the man for her. Meanwhile, the bishop is getting more outrageous in his demands that Miriam marry him. Will the bishop get his way, or will God pave the way for Ben and Miriam? Will Rhoda realize that Ben is not meant for her, or will this create a rift between mother and daughter?

A stimulating tale, Autumn Winds, the second book in talented author Charlotte Hubbard’s Seasons of the Heart series, is a truly moving inspirational romance.
Ms. Hubbard’s prose is witty and heartfelt, and her characters are so realistic, they come to life right before your life through her gifted storytelling. In the beginning, Miriam has some misgivings about this wandering blacksmith who seems to lack roots. But as she gets to know him, she begins to wonder if his arrival in Willow Ridge is a blessing. As the bishop corners her time and again, even publicly, Ben comes to her rescue. An independent woman, she prefers to stand on her own two feet, but she cannot help being grateful for Ben’s help. She fears she may give into the community leader in a weak moment and that is the last thing she wants.

Brimming with emotions, Amish community life, complex, engaging characters, clever dialogue, secrets, love and a true example of a godly woman, Autumn Winds is a book you will not want to miss. Despite being part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone. But now that I have read this one, I am eager to read the first book of the series, Summer of Secrets, which introduces the series and gives more insight into Miriam’s daughter Rebecca/Tiffany, who she believed had been washed away in the flood of 1993.

Ms. Hubbard does a phenomenal job of dealing with the emotions stirred up by a changing wind in the community in Autumn Winds. I look forward to reading Ms. Hubbard’s next addition to this series, Winter of Wishes, which is due out in the fall of 2013. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Autumn Winds.

Reviewed by Dottie