4.7 Stars Out Of 5
4.7 out of 5
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4.9 out Of 5
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Value:
4.9 out Of 5
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Meets Expectations:
4.9 out Of 5
(4.9 out of 5)
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Displaying items 16-20 of 28
  1. CathyC
    Md
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    February 5, 2014
    CathyC
    Md
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This book is charming, wonderful with a great story
  2. Lorraine A
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Hopeful
    February 5, 2014
    Lorraine A
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    You won't be able to put this book down!!! The two main characters in this book are Miriam Zehr and Junior (Albert) Beiler.

    Miriam has a wonderful, giving spirit and is liked by everyone. She works as a cook and waitress at the Sugarcreek Inn and, though she is a hard worker, she just can never seem to get to work on time. Miriam has wanted Junior to notice her all her life.

    Junior is a hard working man who took on the role of head of household after the death of their parents. There are eight Beiler children of which Junior was child number two. All of his siblings are grown now except the youngest, little eight year old Kaylene.

    One day at the restaurant Miriam see's Junior with one of his friends sitting at a table motioning for her. She went to the table with coffee pot in hand. Junior wanted to come by her house and talk to her. Could her dreams be finally coming true? Is the man she longs for finally noticing her?

    Hopeful is a book about just that, hope. Miriam's hope for a future with Junior. Junior's hope for...what? Read this wonderfully written book by USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray to find out. You won't want to put it down!
  3. Wilani
    Franklin, NC
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    An Awesome Book
    February 4, 2014
    Wilani
    Franklin, NC
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Hopeful is a great book. It is the first book in the Return to Sugarcreek series. I found it difficult to put the book down. I loved the fact that Miriam continued to be herself even though it hurt. Characters with heartaches and problems worked through them and found hope at the end. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
  4. Heart2Heart
    Victorville, CA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    An exceptional novel of hope in all situations!
    February 4, 2014
    Heart2Heart
    Victorville, CA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Webster's dictionary defines hopeful as exciting hope; promising advantage or success and in her latest series, Return to Sugarcreek, Shelley Shepard Gray does just that for two remarkable characters in her book Hopeful. Miriam Zehr wants to have hope. Being twenty-five among the Amish and without any romantic aspects in her future, she is considered a bit of an outcast by both friends and her family. That make Miriam all the more subconscious about being a little overweight and not the prettiest young woman in her opinion. In fact, no one has ever given Miriam a passing glance. She finds solace in working as a waitress and baker at the Sugarcreek Inn, but even there she comes up short, she can't even make it to work on time. It's a good thing she is such a great baker and hard worker or she would have lost her job awhile ago. But something has to change for her.

    When Junior Beiler arrives at the Inn and asks to meet with Miriam at her house after work, she finally feels that God is about to answer her prayers. She thinks Junior has come to court her! She has had her eye on Junior for quite some time and is finally willing to believe something good is coming her way. Even her parents are thrilled to hear that Junior is making plans to come to the house to talk to Miriam, However, when Junior arrives all he wants to know is if Miriam can help set him up with her best friend Mary Kate. In one instant, all her hopes and dreams are dashed in pieces. Yet Miriam will never let anyone know that she set herself up believing for one minute that Junior was interested in her and plays it off in front of her parents and Junior. To Junior, she is willing to be that "friend" he needs to get to Mary Kate, but she can't let her parents and family think that Junior doesn't want to court her, so she begins to live a double life of sorts, not being honest to anyone but most of all not even herself.

    Judith Graber has learned after her last miscarriage that she can no longer have any babies and she wonders just what kind of wife can she be to Ben, if she can't give him the family he has wanted. No matter how much Ben assures her that his only concern is for her to get better, no amount of love seems to be enough for Judith to come to terms with only being a wife to Ben and not a mother of his children. She's isn't even willing to consider adoption. Knowing many women who have lost babies, she believes she might find the answer with another doctor, but what if this is the choice God has in store for her, to remain childless. Can she live with that fact forever?

    I received Hopeful by Shelley Shepard Gray compliments of Litfuse Publicity and Avon Inspire for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I found myself relating to Miriam's character quite a bit, willing to put her true feelings on the back burner to make everyone else happy. She is undoubtedly a people pleaser. I can see her struggle with her own self image and when things don't work out the way she likes, it seriously affects her self esteem. She finds herself second guessing herself at virtually every turn. I see so much of myself in Miriam's character, I felt like Shelley was writing about me. For me, this was one of the closest character parallels I've ever come across in a novel. It was like watching myself in this novel. I love how it turned out, and I won't give this one away, but trust me you'll want to check this one out. I personally give this a 5 out of 5 stars.
  5. ConnieR
    ME
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    A Sweet Story
    February 4, 2014
    ConnieR
    ME
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    It isn't often that I get a chance to read an entire book in one sitting these days; life is just too busy. But once I started "Hopeful; Return to Sugarcreek" by Shelley Shepard Gray, I forgot anything I had left undone and proceeded to spend the next 2 hours or so engulfed in this sweet book.

    The central character is Miriam Zehr, a young twenty-something Amish woman who has a good job at the local restaurant, but who finds herself wishing for more and wondering what God's will for her life really is. Her struggle with the everyday-ness of her life is something I relate to, and I'm sure many of us can identify with that feeling. She pines for what she sees that others have. Another character, Judith Knox is another young woman who is longing for something that seems beyond her reach as well, and considers "God's will" for her life as something unwelcome and harsh. Then there's the new schoolteacher, Mary Katherine, Miriam's new friend, with a set of problems she's not necessarily willing to share with anyone.

    I quickly found myself thoroughly immersed in the stories involving these women and the people in their lives, and found the tone of the novel to be "just right", not preachy nor cold but real, and doused from beginning to end with wisdom. I think the author presented these ladies' struggles and victories with honesty and strength. And I also liked the fact that she portrays strong family values in an unexpected setting. Shelley Shepard Gray has a light touch with her words that still carries a timeless message that will stick with you for a while, and make you long for more from these characters. Thankfully, this book is the first of the "Return to Sugarcreek" story, and I can't wait for the next installment!
Displaying items 16-20 of 28