Covered Bridge Charm

Dianne Christner

Mar 2016 · Barbour Publishing

About this eBook

Carly Blosser may not match the typical description of a conservative Mennonite woman—unmarried at 27, living alone, and careening around her Oregon neighborhood on a pink bicycle—but she has a soft heart for the elderly Mennonite residents at Sweet Life Assisted Living Facility, where she works as a caregiver. When Carly's plans for a new volunteer program go awry, she shifts her focus to one lonely resident named Martha. Adam Lapp, a wood shop instructor at Sweet Life, joins with Carly to reunite Martha with an old flame before her 85th birthday. Carly and Adam's hunt involves carved initials on covered bridges, digging up the past, and the appearance of a newcomer, who hinders the budding romance between the two. Soon, new clues sweep them all in a harried race to the finish line where love is sure to be the ultimate prize.

Ratings and reviews

Covered Bridge Charm by Dianne Christner is a Christian romance novel. Carly Blosser is a member of the Old Holley Conservative Mennonite Fellowship in Sweet Home, Oregon. Carly dresses conservatively but she has a very outgoing personality (she is spunky and has many ideas). Carly’s house is yellow, she has a bunny rabbit for a pet (that she takes with her), and she gets around town on a pink beachcomber bicycle (they are her personal symbols of freedom). Carly is twenty-seven and still single (and accident prone). She was going out with Dale Lapp until he wanted to move to Nappanee (Dale told a different tale and let horrible rumors spread about Carly). Carly works at Sweet Life Retirement Center (in the assisted living facility). Carly cares deeply for the residents (who have quirky nicknames like Klepto) and is always coming up with new ideas for Sweet Life (much to the dismay of Simon Lapp, director of Sweet Life and Dale’s father). Adam Lapp (thirty) volunteers at Sweet Life by teaching woodworking classes. He also works on his family’s Christmas tree farm. Adam is good friends with Carly’s brother, Jimmy. Jimmy is a trucker and has asked Adam to keep an eye on Carly when he is out of town. Adam had no idea it would be such a big job when he agreed to it. Carly is frequently getting herself into jams (stuck in the Sweet Life elevator), bicycle in a ditch (she goes too fast and tends to close her eyes), or looking into matters she shouldn’t. One of the residents, Martha Struder is depressed and Carly wants to cheer her up. Martha had mentioned a secret boyfriend when she was sixteen. Carly sets out to find him based on clues Martha has provided (a covered bridge). Carly asks Adam for his assistance in locating the man. Of course, spending so much time together leads to unexpected attraction. Come along for the adventure by reading Covered Bridge Charm. I found Covered Bridge Charm to be a cute novel, but very much a cliché romance novel. Covered Bridge Charm has jealously (and a little violence despite them being pacifists), lack of communication, confusion, and misunderstandings (along with the making up). I give Covered Bridge Charm 4 out of 5 stars. I liked the quirky characters (at Sweet Life). I thought Carly was a little over-the-top, but she was an interesting character (reminds me of myself). I received a complimentary copy of Covered Bridge Charm from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

About the author

DIANNE CHRISTNER lives in New River, Arizona, where life sizzles in the summer when temperatures soar above 100 degrees as she writes from her air-conditioned home office. She enjoys the desert life, where her home is nestled in the mountains and she can watch quail and the occasional deer, bobcat, or roadrunner. Dianne was raised Mennonite and works hard to bring authenticity to Mennonite fiction. She now worships at a community church. She’s written over a dozen novels, most of which are historical fiction. She gets caught up in research having to set her alarm to remember to switch the laundry or start dinner. But her husband of forty-plus years is a good sport. They have two married children, Mike and Rachel, and five grandchildren, Makaila, Elijah, Vanson, Ethan, and Chloe. She welcomes you to visit her website at http://www.diannechristner.net