The first book in Wanda Brunstetter's Creektown Discoveries trilogy

Though the plot was interesting as far as it went, and the Christian message of God’s love well represented, I found the writing simplistic. The dialogue was by far the weakness part and it permeated the story. The characters had potential, but they were not well developed. So much more could have be written into the plot to enhance the story. The limited story threads were too repetitive. I felt like I was reading a child’s book: the wording and sentence structure were too elementary and short in nature, and the dialogue was unrealistic. I was disappointed in this novel by such a successful and well-loved author. ( )

The Walnut Creek Wish tells the story of a struggling, worldly non-Amish couple, and the Amish couple who befriends them. Jeff and Rhonda have a lovely home and many worldly possessions, but are distinctly non-religious people. However, they feel as if something is missing from their lives. When their world seems to be falling apart, and with the encouragement of family members in surprising ways, Jeff and Rhonda discover there is more to life than possessions and jobs. The story of their Amish friends Lois and Orley also provides a parallel story thread of marriage in the Amish tradition. They are eager to share their Christian faith with Jeff and Rhonda, but begin by sharing their friendship and hospitality as a Christian example.

The storyline is predictable, and the main idea of the story is the Christian message, which is overt. It was an enjoyable read, but seemed to drag at times with a lot of detail. I have read many other books by this author and found them more enjoyable than this one. Readers who seek a clean story with a clearly stated Christian message will probably enjoy this book, especially if they are already fans and followers of the author.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. ( )

The Walnut Creek Wish by Wanda E. Brunstetter is the first book in Creektown Discoveries series. I enjoyed this special Amish tale from beginning to end. I thought it was well-written with developed characters. Orley and Lois Troyer own Memory Keepers Antique Store in Walnut Creek, Ohio where Rhonda and Jeff Davis relocate after finding their dream home. Orley bonds with Jeff and has a way of getting Jeff to talk about what is troubling him. Rhonda and Jeff’s marriage has been on a downward spiral for several years. Rhonda yearns for a child, but she has been unable to get pregnant. Both of them spend too much time working and little time with each other. They hoped the move to Walnut Creek would give them a chance to slow down and have less stress in their lives. Unfortunately, a series of events have made their lives more stressful. Orley and Lois provide guidance and love plus pray for the couple. The Walnut Creek Wish is an uplifting story. Orley and Lois Troyer are great characters. Orley is a hoot. I love his zest for life and his upbeat attitude. I thought the characters were realistic. I also thought Jeff and Rhonda’s marital problems were representative of what couple’s experience today. Rhonda is unable to become pregnant and the doctors cannot find a physical reason, stress from work, working long hours, and financial troubles (going into debt to purchase a home). I like the blend of English and Amish. I appreciated that there was an epilogue that nicely wrapped up Rhonda and Jeff’s tale. My favorite phrase is, “. . . when I have a problem too difficult for me, I’ll remember that God is a just a simple prayer away.” I was sorry for this sweet story to end, but I am looking forward to seeing who Orley and Lois help in the next Creektown Discoveries novel. The Walnut Creek Wish is a heartening story with singular treasures, financial failures, a stressful profession, a car commute, and sociable shop owners. ( )

This story has been so much fun to read I hated to say goodbye to the characters. I feel like I have made new friends and hope to visit them soon. The setting is perfect and I loved being a part of the Amish community and witness their love for God, family and friends.

Rhonda and Jeff are a typical couple living in a nice condo and have high level stressful jobs. They don’t see each other much due to work and this slowly starts to put a strain on their marriage. We discover that they have had some roadblocks that have caused them to be bitter at God. They both want a child so bad but that has not happened yet. They have strained relationships with family members which stems from them not wanting to talk about religion. How sad that they have pushed God out of their lives. Maybe with their new home they have purchased they can spend more time together.

My favorite couple in the story is Orley and Lois. They are funny, full of life and love each other unconditionally. The couple owns a very interesting shop that I would love to visit. Can you imagine walking into their store and seeing memories of toys from your childhood? It’s the perfect place for Jeff to visit as he love to collect antiques. It was no accident that Jeff came to this store because Orley and Lois will be very important to this couple who has lost their way. It was encouraging to see how Orley and Lois offered friendship and spiritual guidance. Oh it may not seem like they were getting through to Jeff and Rhonda but God was working in His loving way to bring them back to Him.

Jeff and Rhonda find themselves going through one crisis after another. You can feel their hopelessness as things start to crumble around them. It is easy to become distant from your spouse when you see them as the enemy. What a mess their lives were becoming yet God was still there watching over them. The last part of the story is where I cried as I wanted Jeff and Rhonda to rekindle their marriage and bring God back into their marriage. The author does an amazing job of using scriptures to show that God never leaves us or forsakes us.

I hope you get your tissues out as you follow Jeff and Rhonda on their journey through loss, anger, forgiveness, learning to fight for their marriage and finding peace within themselves. I loved the lessons the author gives readers about finding joy again and knowing that God has a plan for each of us. He puts people in our pathway for a reason. Orley and Lois were there to encourage and speak God’s Word into their lives. Their gentle spirit helped Jeff and Rhonda begin to see that they needed to make changes in their lives. I’m so glad that the author wrote this story because it reminded me that there are people who care for others and that when we invite Him into our lives we are set free from the things that have caused us to become bitter. This is the best book the author has written.

I received a copy of this book from the author and Barbour Publishing . The review is my own opinion. ( )