Rhonda's Doings !

Review of That Summer by Jo Huddleston To escape his poppa's physical abuse and their dirt-poor farm life, Jim flees to an imagined prosperous city life where he can make his own choices, ignoring God patiently knocking on his heart's door. Settled in town, Jim strays from God and the way of faith his momma taught him. He meets a girl and loses his heart ... and meets another girl and loses his willpower. Jim wrestles with social and moral dilemmas as he makes a choice beside Caney Creek that will alter the lives of five people. MY REVIEW:  This was my first book by Jo Huddleston and I wanted to read it as I live in Virginia near the Appalachian mountains.  Jo focuses on the Tennessee Appalachian mountains in her story.   I was entranced by this story and simply could not put it down until I was finished.  My heart broke for dear Caroline and the pain she had to endure due to her choices in life.    I felt deeply for Jim and Louisa as well. ...

Review of Susanna's Christmas Wish by Jerry Eicher From the pen of bestselling Amish fiction author Jerry Eicher, (more than 350,000 books sold), comes a truly delightful and inspiring Christmas novella. Fans will be delighted by this peek at an Amish Christmas, complete with the romantic wish of Susanna Byler to spend the holidays with the man of her dreams. But who is the man of her dreams? Is it the competent but plain Amishman she married for convenience....or is it her first love--an Englisha man with whom she has recently had an unexpected encounter--and who wants her back in his life? A perfect holiday delight for lovers of Amish fiction...and those who love a heartwarming and tender Christmas tale.  My review of Susanna's Christmas Wish: A wunderbar book !!!   Jerry Eicher has once again stolen my sleep as I have not been able to put  Susanna's Christmas Wish  down to close my eyes to get some sleep!   I am a big Jerry Eicher fan, to begin...

Review of Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof Gideon only ever cared about himself. Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart? Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.   Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith.  But when handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician Gideon O’Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate. Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon—a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsib...