Rhonda's Doings !

Review of As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out. On a self-imposed exile to beautiful but remote Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, Emmalyn has just a few months left to figure out if and how they can ever be a couple again. Nudged along by the exuberant owner of the Wild Iris Inn and Cafe, a circle of misfit people in their small town, and a young girl who desperately needs someone to love her, Emmalyn restores an island cottage that could become a home and begins to restore her heart by learning what it means to love unconditionally. Yet even as hope begins to find a place within the cottage walls, Emmalyn still wonders if she's ready for Max's release. She may be able to rebuild a cottage, but can she...

Review of A Simple Prayer Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel, book #4 by Amy Clipston Life has taken much from Linda Zook. Now she dares to hope for a chance at love and a new beginning. Linda Zook, 32, works part-time at the Lancaster Grand Hotel. As the sole survivor of a buggy accident that left her orphaned at age four, she was raised by her unwilling Uncle Reuben. Linda longs to be worthy of someone, but the life-long effects of her injuries and her upbringing under the care of her embittered uncle have destroyed her self-worth. Aaron Ebersol, 32, left the Amish community 17 years ago when he could no longer bear the restrictions or the constant tension with his father. He'd written too many unanswered letters to his mother and found himself incapable of putting down any roots in his new home in Missouri. Success in work could not replace the family that denied Aaron, even after all of these years. Aaron hastily returns to the Amish community of Paradise, PA, after rec...

Review of Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman A Contemporary Drama of Family Lies  and Forgotten Loves After her father and stepmother's accidental death, Kelli Huddleston sorts through their belongings and learns a shocking secret. Years before, her father faked his death during a boat wreck at sea--and faked Kelli's as well. He'd run from a wife, a son, and a daughter back in Tennessee, meaning Kelli has a family she's never known.  She's already cashed the payout on her dad's life insurance check and looks at it as her ticket to a new life. The lure and puzzle of digging into this hidden past is too much to resist, and she soon finds herself in Tennessee. When the trip threatens to open doors to the past better left shut, and her plans for the future are threatened, Kelli must make an agonizing choice that will change her life forever. MY REVIEW:   This novel had me wondering what it would feel like to find out that one's entire life was one big ...

Review of For I Know the Plans by Dawn Ridley When Ava's grandmother passed away, leaving her all alone, she had to learn to be independent fast. She has to work hard to get through college and she has a plan—a plan that doesn't include dating. When Blake's teasing kisses take away Ava's ability to remember that plan, he quickly adds steps to her life itinerary she had never even considered. Things change altogether too soon— and Ava finds out she is pregnant. Being a quick thinker, Blake has never had problems making decisions. So once he had decided he loved Ava, all he had to do was convince her that they were a match made in Heaven. But did Heaven have anything to do with it? Could God use their relationship in a special way? A verse that Ava's Granny had lovingly given her as a child keeps reminding her that God has a plan for her. With indisputable evidence that Blake has cheated on her, Ava's new faith is shaken. Will Ava learn to trust God, what...