A Season of Harvest - (Leah's Garden) by Lauraine Snelling & Kiersti Giron (Paperback)

This was a book of love, family bonds, hardships and community. Lark and Lilac are the last two single sisters in the Nielsen family. They depend on each other to keep their homestead farm running in the Nebraska community of Salton. In the year of 1868 they face many hardships. Lark is the older of the two, hardworking and an I’ll do it myself kind of gal. Lilac is the artistic one whose drawings are featured in a well known newspaper each week. Getting the yearly harvest brought in on time and keeping the flower garden growing in memory of their mother take up all their time and more. Sickness, a notorious gambler seeking revenge and stubbornness all are obstacles blocking their progress. How will they ever survive all of this? Take a trip back in time and meet the Nielsen family. Work along side of them and their noble work ethics and strong faithfulness. God is always near even when they forget sometimes. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit but was not required to write a review.

This is book four in the Leah’s Garden series and although I’ve only read book three previously I have enjoyed getting to know these sisters. Take a step back in time to Salton, Nebraska in 1868 and experience the hardships these women face and how they never gave up on fulfilling their mother’s dream of starting a seed catalog. The cover is so beautiful and tugs you to open up the book and become immersed. Lark strives to do and be everything to everyone and forgets to seek a life for herself until her heartstrings start to pull her toward Isaac but can he be trusted to not disappear. I loved these characters and their stubbornness. A wonderful story of family devotion, faith that binds them together, fulfilling desires of the heart, difficulties that can be hard to bear, and finding love. I wanted more please. I throughly enjoyed getting to know this family as it feels like old friends. I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.

I want to live in this town. I love these people and swear I prayed all through it right along with the characters. Gosh I love spending time with them all. Frustrating, joyful, tearful, breathless at times. You have to love them and how it all plays out. Extra excellent read! I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. #ASeasonOfHarvest #LauraineSnelling #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #KierstiGiron #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

A Season of Harvest by Lauraine Snelling is the fourth novel in the Leah’s Garden series. I do recommend reading the series in order as it will allow you to get to know the characters and their storylines. I thought the story was well-written with developed characters. I have enjoyed getting to know the Nielsen sisters. The sisters are smart, strong, hardworking, and family oriented. The Nielson sisters are industrious and have come up with good business ideas. I thought the author captured the time period and the locale. I like that we get to see the characters struggle as well as thrive. There are good life lessons in the story (control, pride, and fear). Faith is a central part of the Neilsen’s lives. We see the importance of prayer as well as letting go of our worries and turning them over to God. The story is a slow starter, and I feel it would help if there was a list of the characters at the beginning of the book. I enjoyed the heartwarming ending. A Season of Harvest is an inspiring story with arduous farmwork, a grand store reopening, a blast from the past, a rebound romance, a new addition, and close sisters.

I loved this book! The story is full of surprises, difficult circumstances, accidents, births, death and and some beautiful love stories! I enjoyed the setting of Nebraska in the 1800's. The Nielsen farm comes to life with descriptive words and prose. The characters are so familiar to me! They're like family! The Nielsen sisters are amazing! They're industrious and never shirk from hard work. I love the closeness of this family and how they include others in their lives! Larkspur is such a take charge woman. She does struggle with matters of the heart. Isaac's character is complex. He loves Larkspur but is hesitant to act on that love. Faith in God is prevalent throughout the book! I liked that the characters struggled and weren't shy about it. I also enjoyed the stories that were told during the church services. They touched my heart. It's evident that the author values faith. I was provided a copy of the book from Bethany House through Interviews and Reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“When a long-feared threat returns and Lark approaches the breaking point, the life she has always dreamed of is in danger of disappearing forever,” it states online regarding the Christian novel, A Season of Harvest by Lauraine Snelling with Kiersti Giron. ~ What ~ The fourth book in the Leah’s Garden series, this three-hundred-and-forty-page advanced reader copy targets those interested in a historical romance involving a sister who feels she must be in control of everything, leaving little time for love. The topics of gambling, injuries, physical abuse, and death may not be appropriate for immature readers. Set in Nebraska in the mid-1800s, this ongoing tale about four sisters involves mainly the eldest, Larkspur, who is stubbornly determined to run the family farm by herself, and Lilac, who questions if she is rebounding when she becomes interested in a past schoolmate. When the past returns to haunt the family, they must band together and trust God on the outcome. ~ Why ~ I appreciate reads where I learn something, and this saga about a family trying to thrive and survive was engaging. I liked the deep commitment Larkspur had for her siblings and the farm and Lilac’s devotion to others. It was thoughtful to focus on how control can wear a person down while pride and fear threaten to take over. The many prayers, written-out hymns, and townspeople’s testimonies were nice additions. ~ Why Not ~ Those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ may not like this story of giving control to God. Since I had only read the third book, I felt the beginning of this one was slow, but it did redeem itself showing how the Lord is always nearby and provides peace when we trust in Him. ~ Wish ~ I hope the final copy includes a list of characters as there are a plethora of them weaved throughout the story. It would have been ideal to add the simple plan of salvation, but it may have been in a prior book. I prefer all pronouns of God to be capitalized for reverence. ~ Want ~ If you read the three prior books in the series, you may enjoy this one that weaves all four sisters together as they learn that they reap what they sow, especially when it comes to trying to control things while learning to let go and let God handle life’s problems. Thanks to Bethany House and Interviews & Reviews for this complimentary book. I am under no obligation to give a positive review.