Willow Creek Ohio Amish Archives

In the sweepstakes of reviews in the publishing world, getting a good review from Publishers Weekly is right up there with winning a nice 50/50 raffle! And to get three great reviews from this prestigious industry trend-setter is simply smashing.

Well, that’s what has happened to me! I’m so excited to announce that the folks at Publishers Weekly love my next Heart of the Amish release, “Plain Jane’s Secret Admirer!“

They gave terrific reviews to my first two books, “Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise” and “Mary’s Calico Hope“, and to have a third review from them is just breathtaking.

Why does this matter? Because everyone pays attention to what Publishers Weekly thinks about a book, from the media to librarians to literary agents to book sellers to publishers! Publishers Weekly is the gold standard of literary reviewers.

Here’s what they have to say:

Plain Jane’s Secret Admirer

Anne Blackburne. Barbour, $14.99 trade paper (256p) ISBN 979-8-89151-257-3

The sweet latest in Blackburne’s the Heart of the Amish series … stars an unassuming young baker with an unfortunate nickname. Jane Bontrager has been pining over Samuel Mast for years, unaware he’s behind her hated childhood nickname “Plain Jane,” a byproduct of his effort to hide his childhood crush on her. When Jane starts receiving letters and gifts from a secret admirer, the last person she suspects is Sam. His best friend encourages him to stop sending anonymous gifts, own up to his past behavior, and declare his feelings, but Sam’s reluctant, especially when he and Jane forge a tenuous bond after spending time together at her bakery. But when a second secret admirer starts pursuing Jane, the stakes rise and Sam worries he’s missed his chance to set the record straight. Blackburne’s central romance is enriched with plenty of small-town charm and comic relief, including a few mischievous cats (one of which is named Little Mouse). Series fans and newcomers alike will be charmed by this cheerful trip back to Ohio Amish country.

Can you see why I’m so pleased? And did you catch the mention of Little Mouse, from my last book, “Lizzie’s Little Mouse?” What fun! I hope you’ll read Jane’s story, and let me know what you think about her adventures with her kitty and her friends Sam Mast, Eliza King and Benuel Lapp as they try to figure out what has happened to a very important, and very missing kitty!