The Apple Creek Announcement

 

The Apple Creek Announcement is the third book in Wanda Brunstetter's Creektown Discoveries trilogy.  It is light reading and hit the spot for me as I was reading while recovering from a COVID-19 vaccine. Yes, vaccine. In this installment of the series piano teacher and artist, Andrea Wagner, has a fascination with painting the rural Amish landscapes around her home. She has made it to her thirties feeling like she has had a charmed life and finally has fallen in love with Brandon Prentice, a local veterinarian. But then she discovers she was adopted and all she thought she knew about herself has crumbled. She does not know why her adoptive parents kept the adoption a secret. Andrea becomes so fixated on finding her birth mother that she puts her wedding plans on hold and writes to the "Dear Caroline" column in the newspaper for romance advice. 

Why Apple Creek in the title? The story takes place in Apple Creek, Ohio where Andrea and her family reside. A nearby town, Walnut Creek, is where two additional characters, Orley and Lois Troyer, live and run an antique shop called Memory Keepers. The couple enjoys mentoring others and frequently pray for God to bring people into their lives that need help. In addition, Lois writes the "Dear Caroline" newspaper column. I loved these characters who led lives of simple pleasure. It takes me back to a time in my life that seemed easier. It probably wasn't, but today I look back on my life and see simplicity. Without the presence of modern conveniences, the characters' lifestyles helped them focus more on God and their faith. However they are still challenged by their circumstances. 

I also love that the story is clean romance. The subplot of Andrea's search for her birth mother added some drama that you don't normally see in Amish fiction. With a surprise twist at the end, the novel read more like a mystery than the typical Amish story. It was fantastic.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Secret Messenger

The Secret Messenger takes place in Venice during WWII. It is the story of the Resistance in Venice and begins in 1934 with Stella Jilani and her grandfather's presence at a rally where Hitler appeared with Mussolini. The book alternates between the WWII era and the present.

The publisher's summary:

"The world is at war, and Stella Jilani is leading a double life. By day she works in the lion's den as a typist for the Reich; by night, she risks her life as a messenger for the Italian resistance. Against all odds, Stella must impart Nazi secrets, smuggle essential supplies and produce an underground newspaper on her beloved typewriter. But when German commander General Breugal becomes suspicious, it seems he will stop at nothing to find the mole, and Stella knows her future could be in jeopardy. 

Years later, Luisa Belmont finds a mysterious old typewriter in her attic. Determined to find out who it belonged to, Luisa delves into the past and uncovers a story of fierce love, unimaginable sacrifice and, ultimately, the worst kind of betrayal."

I LOVED The Secret Messenger but I am not sure why Luisa Belmont was necessary to the story. Her story did not feature much into the plot.  She was necessary for the denouement but perhaps the ending could have been told in another way and her character eliminated. Stella's double life was the main focus of the book and it was exciting to read about. Her romances added danger to a story that was already rife with danger. This is one fabulous novel that all historical fiction fans will love.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Violinist of Venice

The Violinist of Venice is about the world renowned composer and priest Antonio Vivaldi and his fictional student Adriana d'Amato.  Forbidden to play music by her wealthy merchant father, Adriana secretly visits Vivaldi at night to ask him to teach her to play the violin. He agrees but after a few lessons they quickly fall in love and begin to make love after each lesson. Adriana has to sneak around her strict father to practice her instrument and continue to visit Vivaldi. Her father is showing her off to several noble Venetian families in hopes of arranging a marriage for her. Adriana wants Vivaldi but is he willing to give up the priesthood for her? That will mean giving up his ability to work in music as well.

While this book has been described as "a story of Vivaldi," the main character is actually Adriana. It covers thirty years of her life, most of it lived without him but still pining for him. However, his music is prevalent throughout the novel. The author has written into the plot plenty of information on violin techniques and on how to compose music. Both characters are shown playing the instrument exquisitely and the reader can hear the music coming off of the pages. Pardon the pun, it makes the book sing.

Writing a musical romance was a brilliant idea. Perhaps the author has a series here where she can feature a different musician in each novel. 5 out of 5 stars!