Rhonda's Doings !

Death at the Day Lily Cafe by Wendy Sand Eckel (Rosalie Hart #2) Rosalie Hart has finally opened the café of her dreams. Decked out with ochre-tinted walls and stuffed with delicious organic fare, the Day Lily Café is everything Rosalie could have hoped for. But not five minutes into the grand opening, Doris Bird, a dear and trusted friend, cashes in on a favor--to help clear her little sister Lori of a first degree murder charge. With the help of her best friend and head waiter Glenn, Rosalie is on the case. But it's not going to be easy. Unlikable and provocative, murder victim Carl James Fiddler seems to have insulted nearly everyone in town, and the suspect list grows daily. And when Rosalie's daughter Annie gets caught in the crossfire, the search for the killer becomes personal in this charming cozy perfect for fans of Diane Mott Davidson and Joanne Fluke. MY REVIEW:  The pages of this book may get wet if you're reading a hardback or paperback copy and yo...

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz (Jane Hawk series #1) Book Description: From #1  New York Times  bestselling author of dark psychological suspense and modern classics of mystery and adventure comes a thriller that ventures into science, secrecy and danger. “I very much need to be dead.” These are the chilling words left behind by a man who had everything to live for—but took his own life. In the aftermath, his widow, Jane Hawk, does what all her grief, fear, and fury demand: find the truth, no matter what. People of talent and accomplishment, people admired and happy and sound of mind, have been committing suicide in surprising numbers. When Jane seeks to learn why, she becomes the most-wanted fugitive in America. Her powerful enemies are protecting a secret so important—so terrifying—that they will exterminate anyone in their way. But all their power and viciousness may not be enough to stop a woman as clever as they are cold-blooded, as relentless as they are...

The Blue Ribbon Brides Collection by Cynthia Hickey, Gina Welborn, Jennifer Atlee, Angela Breidenbach, Darlene Franklin, Carrie Fancett Pagels, Amber Stockton, Niki Turner, Becca Whitham Meet nine men and women whose competitive goals take them to state and county fairs between 1889 and 1930. From baking pie to polishing pigs, from sculpting butter to stitching quilts, everyone has something to prove to themselves and their communities. But in going for the blue ribbon, will nine women miss the greatest prize of all—the devoted heart of a godly man? MY REVIEW:  Blue ribbons are a coveted prize at county fairs.  I remember competing myself with many exhibits in our Five-County Fair.  I entered a sweetheart cake, many clothing items I had sewn, and I modeled an outfit that I had sewn.  I did win several blue ribbons as well as some white and green ribbons.  Our fair also awarded money for each prize, a delightful gift for one who did not have much i...

My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude's Mooring by Carrie Fancett Pagels Moor your heart on Mackinac Island along with resident sweetheart Maude Welling, an heiress trying to prove her worth by working incognito as a maid at the Grand Hotel. Meet Ben Steffans, a journalist posing as a wealthy industrialist who has come to the island to uncover a story about impoverished men pursuing heiresses at the famed hotel. Will a growing love between Maude and Ben be scuttled when truths are revealed in this Gilded Age romance?   MY REVIEW:  Well, Carrie Fancett Pagels has given me the travel bug....I'd never heard of Mackinac Island and now I'm dying to visit there and see the buildings and scenery.  Maude had every right to love the apparently enchanting island and to do everything within her power to keep her family's inn safely within the family and the Mackinac Island community.   It was my desire initially to become a journalist for a newspaper so I read w...

The Rancher's Surprise Triplets Lone Star Cowboy League: Multiple Blessings #1 by Linda Ford Three Little Matchmakers  Rancher Bo Stillwater has no plans of becoming a husband or a father…but he can't turn away from the three babies he finds at the county fair. After leaving the abandoned triplets in the care of the doctor's daughter, Louisa Clark, his duty should be done. So why can't he seem to stay away from the babies and their pretty caregiver?  Watching the town's most eligible bachelor with the little trio reawakens Louisa's unmet dreams. She's found satisfaction in spinsterhood and caring for others, convinced that motherhood passed her by. Do she and Bo only work so well together for the children's sakes…or could they both find courage to make this sweet temporary arrangement something truly lasting? My Review:  What a sweet little bit of a romance this novel is for readers.  Three triplets left at the county fair steal the hear...

Watching Edie by Camilla Way Beautiful, creative, a little wild… Edie was the kind of girl who immediately caused a stir when she walked into your life. And she had dreams back then—but it didn’t take long for her to learn that things don’t always turn out the way you want them to. Now, at thirty-three, Edie is working as a waitress, pregnant and alone. And when she becomes overwhelmed by the needs of her new baby and sinks into a bleak despair, she thinks that there’s no one to turn to… But someone’s been watching Edie, waiting for the chance to prove once again what a perfect friend she can be. It’s no coincidence that Heather shows up on Edie’s doorstep, just when Edie needs her the most. So much has passed between them—so much envy, longing, and betrayal. And Edie’s about to learn a new lesson: those who have hurt us deeply—or who we have hurt—never let us go, not entirely… My Review:  Friendship....forgiveness....humans....pride.....betrayal....selfishness.....env...

What the Bishop Saw  (The Amish Bishop Mysteries #1) by Vannetta Chapman Somewhere in the Embers Lies the Truth A fire blazes out of control in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, leaving an elderly Amish bachelor dead. Bishop Henry Lapp rushes to the scene, and he learns the fire was no accident. Someone intended to kill Vernon Frey. But who would want to kill Vernon? Well, practically everyone—Amish and  Englisch  alike. When the police point the finger at a suspect Henry knows is innocent, the bishop must decide whether or not to use his mysterious, God-given gift—one he's tried desperately to ignore all these years—to try and set the record straight. His close friend and neighbor, Emma, encourages Henry to follow God's leading. Could the clue to solving the case be locked somewhere deep in his memory? Will Henry find the courage to move forward in faith and put the right person behind bars? Is his friendship with Emma becoming something more? What the Bishop...