Rhonda's Doings !

Review of The Choir Immortal by Katie Schuermann The people of Zion are at it again.  Two of their very own are getting married, and everyone is pleased as punch to be hosting Bradbury’s wedding of the century. Their collective joy is short-lived, however, as busted air-conditioners, melting cakes, and a trip to the emergency room intrude upon the celebration. Yet the congregation rallies. Led by Pastor Fletcher and the stalwart Mrs. Scheinberg, they turn in faith to God’s promises of life and salvation to see one another through trying days that demand patience, prayer, and perhaps another batch of cinnamon rolls.  Emily Duke, Pastor Fletcher, and the rest of Zion’s quirky flock return in this compelling sequel to House of Living Stones, proving that life in a small-town is anything but small. MY REVIEW:  Who can resist a bunch of lovable choir members?   Not me!  This bunch of sweet, lovable sinners captured my heart when I read the first book in th...

Review of Whispers in the Reading Room (Chicago World's Fair Mystery #3) by Shelley Gray Lydia’s job at the library is her world—until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart. Just months after the closure of the Chicago World’s Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyed patron. He has never given her his name; he actually never speaks to a single person. All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does. Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks. She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him. Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship, but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn’t merely a very wealthy gentleman, but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked. Lydia insists on visiting the club one...

Review of Once Upon a Christmas 55 Heart-Warming Short Stories Bring Meaning to the Season Rosanne Croft, Linda Reinhardt, Sharon Bernash Smith A mysterious package left in the snow on Christmas Eve. A startling encounter with the homeless. A treasured gift of love. Set in the 1800s through the present, in colorful settings that span the globe, beloved inspirational writers Sharon Bernash Smith, Linda Reinhardt, and Rosanne Croft pen charming holiday stories to warm, delight, and romance the heart. Travel to small towns, to the tropics of Africa, to the wilds of Montana, to battlefields, and many more fascinating locations with 55 short stories featuring unforgettable characters who discover, in the midst of difficult circumstances, the true meaning of Christmas. MY REVIEW:   This is a fun, light reading for the Christmas season but the stories would certainly warm your heart any time of year.   Most of the stories are highly engaging and take place in various...

Review of Journey to the Manger by Paula Gooder Journey to the Manger explores the New Testament's various accounts of the birth of Jesus: their origins in Old Testament prophecies, the genealogies, the angelic announcements, the journeys and arrivals, and the aftermath of Jesus' birth for the powerful and the poor alike.  Although many biblical scholars have puzzled over historical details in the accounts, Paula Gooder argues that doing this risks missing the point. Engaging seriously with biblical and historical criticism, she uncovers key similarities running through the Gospel writers' accounts and focuses on their shared understanding of the significant events they describe.  Her detailed exploration of the texts is a goldmine for preaching and teaching, and will breath new life into the familiar Christmas stories heard year after year in churches, carol services and nativity plays. Devotional reflections and discussion questions also make this ideal for per...

Review of Joline's Redemption (Land Rush Dreams #2) by Vickie McDonough Joline had lofty dreams of love and luxury, but after her husband leaves her and she makes a series of fateful decisions, Jo has fallen as far as any woman can. Bereft of all hope and with the threat of losing her son, Jo seeks refuge at her sister’s home. Jo has a long list of secrets to keep and has to look over her shoulder, as the man she’s running from may show up anywhere, anytime. Is it possible that God can redeem Jo, and give her hope for a happy future? Find out in  Joline’s Redemption —book 2 in Vickie McDonough’s Land Rush Dreams trilogy. MY REVIEW:   I loved this book!   Joline or "Jo" as she is called is so lovable and Baron is every woman's dream come true!   I did not read the first book in this series and it did not keep from understanding the storyline.  I would like to find and read it now though, after reading Joline's story.   Book one tells Lara's ...

Review of Huckleberry Hearts   (The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill #6) by Jennifer Beckstrand Young-at-heart octogenarians Anna and Felty Helmuth never miss the chance to find a perfect match for one of their grandchildren. And when their beloved Cassie returns to Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin, Anna has a feeling they might soon have a doctor in the family… Though Cassie Coblenz left her Amish community to go to college, Mammi and Dawdi’s farm will always feel like home. It’s the ideal place for an extended study break—at least until her grandmother’s handsome Englisch doctor becomes a regular distraction. Zach Reynolds is the kind of heartbreaker Cassie has learned to avoid, no matter how charming he may be.   Unlike every woman Zach has met in recent years, Cassie doesn’t fall at his feet. Strong, generous, beautiful within and without —she’s everything he could want. Yet the gulf between them deepens when a tragedy shakes his faith. Now the good doctor has one goa...

Review of Daily Wisdom for Women 2016 Devotional Collection by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Experience an intimate connection to your heavenly Father with the  Daily Wisdom for Women  devotional collection. Featuring a powerful devotional reading and prayer for every day of 2016 ,  this beautiful volume provides inspiration and encouragement for your soul. Enhance your spiritual journey with the refreshing readings—and come to know just how deeply and tenderly God loves you. MY REVIEW:   This book includes nice devotional collections with a scripture and short sentence prayer for each day of 2016.    The stories are applicable and Biblically sound but I would have liked to see more personal stories in the devotional readings.   The readings are short, about the length of one page each and would make a nice devotional to accompany daily Bible study time and prayer.    I would recommend adding some other scriptures to the daily collect...

Review of Forgiven by Terri Roberts with Jeanette Windle After a son does the unthinkable, how can a mother go on? On October 2, 2006, a gunman entered an Amish one-room schoolhouse, shooting ten girls, killing five, then finally taking his own life. This is his mother's story. Not only did she lose her precious son through suicide, but she also lost her understanding of him as an honorable man. It was a trauma that none should ever have to face. But the biggest headlines came when her Amish neighbors did the unimaginable, reaching out to the family of the shooter with comfort and forgiveness. Today Terri lives in harmony with the Amish and has built lasting relationships beyond what anyone could have thought possible. From the grace that the Amish showed Terri's family from day one, to the visits and ongoing care Terri has given to the victims and their families, no one could have foreseen the love and friendship that have been forged from the fires of tragedy. ...

Review of A Shenandoah Family Christmas by Lisa Belcastro Where is Christmas? Disease, freezing temperatures, and the Revolutionary War bring bitter reality to the Reed home in December 1777. Captain Benjamin Reed is ordered to sail a supply shipment south to General George Washington. Days before Shenandoah’s scheduled departure, Ben’s first mate succumbs to smallpox. Rebecca Reed had never feared the dreaded disease until her one-year-old daughter Felicity breaks out in the telltale rash. In the cold, dark days of Advent, Rebecca, Ben, and the Reed family wait in prayerful hope as Felicity fights for her life and they wonder who could be next. With the rest of the family at risk, they decide to obtain the forbidden cowpox vaccine. Ben's brother Jonah, his uncle Isaiah, and Shenandoah’s cook Adam Greene venture off in search of the outlawed vaccine. A blizzard hits. A tree crashes. Jonah crumbles to the ground. A woman with the face of an angel aids Jonah, but is it too l...

Review of Another Way Home (Chicory Inn #3) by Deborah Raney Grant and Audrey are adding grandchildren to their family left and right, but middle daughter, Danae, and her husband, Dallas Brooks, have been trying for years with no baby in sight. Though Danae is ready to consider adoption, Dallas will not even discuss it. Despairing of ever having a family of her own, Danae decides to pour her passion and energies into volunteer work with a newly opened women’s shelter in town. Looking for a good cause to fill her lonely days, she never expects to give her heart to the hurting women she meets there. She’s finally learning to live her life with gratitude, but then heart-wrenching events on Thanksgiving weekend threaten to pull the entire Whitman clan into turmoil—and leave them all forever changed. MY REVIEW:   Deborah Raney has gotten right to the heart of the painful emotions of infertility for Dallas and Danae, and their extended family, who is hurting right along wit...

Review of Return to Christmas by Kathi Macias Return to Christmas beautifully blends the two struggling worlds of a former marine and a little boy with attachment disorder. Former Marine Chet is having a hard time adjusting to civilian life. He doesn't need help. He needs employment. He doesn't have issues. The little boy his friends adopted has issues. But there is something about that little boy that draws him. Will the events leading up to this Christmas be able to melt his soldier heart or will he spiral into a dark depression? MY REVIEW:   Kathi Macias has written a beautiful, stirring tale of PTSD, death, attachment disorder, and forgiveness.   This is such a timely story as we currently have so many young soldiers are returning from deployments with PTSD and desperately need counseling and love.   The families are also deeply affected by the emotions and actions of the veterans.   Jeneen and precious little three-year-old Kevin are dealing with th...

Review of An Amish Christmas Gift:  Three Amish Novellas by  Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, and Kelly Irvin Naomi's Gift by Amy Clipston Naomi has started to think that she isn 't meant to find love, but she might receive more than she ever hoped for this Christmas. Twenty-four-year-old Naomi King, who has been burned twice by love, has all but given up on marriage and children. As Christmas approaches a time of family, faith, and hope for many others Naomi is more certain than ever her life will be spent as an old maid, helping with the family's quilting business and taking care of her eight siblings. Then she meets Caleb, a young widower with a 7-year-old daughter, and her world is once again turned upside-down. An Unexpected Joy by Ruth Reid Abigail has driven other suitors away, but can Micah find a way to show her he cares? Abigail Kemp has managed to frighten off every bu who has ever driven her home from a singing. Sure she will live to be an old maid, Abigail...

Review of Promise to Keep (The Promise of Sunrise #3) by Elizabeth Byler Younts World War II Marine Joe Garrison returns home from war longing to be a father to his deaf daughter, Daisy, only to find that she is attached to Esther Detweiler, the Amish woman who has raised her since his wife’s death in this touching historical romance. Orphaned as a child, Esther Detweiler is used to caring for herself and her ailing grandmother. They made the best out of a hard life and poverty without asking for help. They even take in her shunned cousin’s deaf daughter, Daisy, when her mother dies and her father goes off to war. When Esther’s grandmother dies, Daisy is all she has. When war veteran Joe Garrison returns, all he can think about is recovering from the horrors of war and building a relationship with his seven-year-old daughter. Daisy, however, is unwilling to leave Esther, whom she loves. Joe and Daisy get to know each other again, but Joe struggles with nightmares and fatherhood ...