Rhonda's Doings !

Lizzie's Heart  by Susan Lantz Simpson Fall in Southern Maryland’s Amish country is a time of fiery falling leaves, a bountiful harvest, and bracing, frost-touched days. It’s the perfect season for one irrepressible maidel to try an unexpected match . . . Good-hearted and impulsive, twenty-year-old Lizzie Fisher has many chores—and secrets. She’s caring for kittens abandoned by their mother and practicing her drawing talent away from disapproving eyes. So the last thing she needs is someone like handsome Stephen Zimmerman constantly “helping” her out of trouble. But when she discovers they both have lovelorn siblings, she has an idea: why can’t she and Stephen bring his older brother and her older sister together? After all, how hard could matchmaking be? Even though he’s the youngest son of an Old Order Mennonite family, Stephen is used to looking out for everyone else. Yet somehow the romantic schemes he and Lizzie cook up keep going awry—in ways that hint they may suit each...

Promise at Pebble Creek (Hope Chest of Dreams #6) by Lisa Jones Baker Amish country girl Hannah Lapp lives for adventure—the kind found in favorite novels and the stories she secretly writes. And at her family’s popular tourist store, she’s fascinated by the different Englischers she meets. Especially when Marcus Jackson comes to town. She’s sure there’s more to the ex-city boy than his quiet, helpful ways, and she’s curious to find out just what it is . . . Marcus fled Chicago before his brothers’ life of crime ruined his future. He’s not sure exactly why God’s plan brought him to this quaint little town. Or why his growing friendship with the bubbly, inquisitive Hannah has him trusting her with his past. But when local stores are robbed and suspicion falls on Marcus, can he and Hannah come together to prove his innocence—and make their own happy-ever-after ending? MY REVIEW: 5 Stars:  5/5 Star Rating: This is one exciting piece of Amish fiction!  It is one you w...

Home To Stay (A Little Child Shall Lead Them #2) by Loree Lough Book Description: In the New Order Amish community of Pleasant Valley, a helping hand is never far away, and a baby's smile can be reason enough to start over--and risk love again . . . Since losing his family in a tragic accident, building contractor Max Lambright can't seem to find purpose in anything but hard work . . . until he meets feisty newcomer, Willa Richards. As she struggles to make a new life for herself and her baby girl, she challenges him in just about every possible way. Dare he hope that, alongside this spirited woman, he might rekindle his lost faith, and find the path to love and the family he craves? Poor choices and a difficult past have inspired Willa to make better decisions for her precious Frannie, even if it means leaving the familiar behind and starting over . . . among strangers. As she adapts to the Amish ways, she learns about Max's generous and steadfast nature. The loneli...

An Amish Christmas Promise (Green Mountain Blessings #1) by Jo Ann Brown Book Description: Will she jeopardize her family secret for love? Secrecy kept her family safe…Will she risk it all for a chance at love? Carolyn Wiebe discarded her Amish roots to hide her niece and nephew from their violent father. Yet when a hurricane crashes into their isolated Mennonite life, she can no longer keep the world at bay. With Christmas approaching, Amish carpenter Michael Miller wants to help her rebuild her home. But can their burgeoning love withstand the rising storm of her secrets? MY BOOK REVIEW: 5 Stars: 5/5 Star Rating            This book really tugged at my heart strings.  I truly could imagine the great pain and immense strength that Carolyn Weibe possessed.  Michael is such a wonderful man, but Carolyn has to protect her niece and nephew at all costs against their father. Will Michael understand ?  Will she reveal her secrets and fi...

The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock Step into True Colors -- a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime Will Edyth prove her sanity before it is too late? On Blackwell Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving. With her late father’s fortune under her uncle’s care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Foster does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society’s demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women’s lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. Do any of Edyth’s friends care that she disappeared? At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth’s plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave the terrifying island and reclaim her t...

The Farmer's Bride (Amish Brides of Birch Creek #2) by Kathleen Fuller Book Description: Bestselling and award-winning author Kathleen Fuller returns to the Amish community of Birch Creek in this charming tale of falling in love while pursuing the dreams of your heart. Having grown up in poverty, Seth Yoder refuses to be financially insecure again. His passion is woodcarving, but he’s vowed to work on his father’s successful farm, even though his heart is in his craft. Splitting his time between farming and his secret hobby keeps him busy—too busy for social activities.  Martha Detweiler has a different problem—she’s the only single woman in a community full of young men, and they’re all competing for her favor.  All of them . . . except Seth Yoder. Overwhelmed by the unwanted attention, she finds herself constantly fleeing from them, and that isn’t the way she wants to live her life.  When Cevilla Schlabach, Birch Creek’s resident matchmaker, hears of Marth...

An Amish Match on Ice Mountain by Kelly Long Book Description: An Amish homecoming . . .     Disgrace drove Stephen Lambert from Ice Mountain, but honor drives him back to his Amish home. After rescuing a pregnant young woman from a burning house, the rugged firefighter knows the remote Amish mountain community is the only place Ella Nichols will be safe. Abandoned by the father of her child, the brave  Englischer  beauty needs him like no one before. Determined to protect her, Stephen claims the unborn babe as his own—and prepares to return to the town, and the family, that once falsely accused him . . .   From the moment she is caught from peril by Stephen’s strong arms, Ella feels sheltered, nurtured. How else could she agree to sequester herself on Ice Mountain, among the Plain folk there, but for the promise of Stephen’s loving protection? But as she steps deeper into his world and discovers his haunting secrets, Ella longs to heal the heart of the m...

A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer For readers who love a heartwarming romance and a rich historical setting comes a tale of a young woman with a heavy burden, the International Cotton Exposition, and the pursuit of true love. Eighteen-year-old Laurel Millard, youngest of seven children, is expected to stay home and "take care of Mama" by her older siblings, but Laurel has dreams of starting her own family. Operating a silk loom at the Atlanta Exposition will give her the chance to capture the heart of a man wealthy enough to take care of Laurel and any children she might bear, as well as her mother. Langdon Rochester's parents have given him an ultimatum: settle down with a wife or lose his family inheritance. At the Exposition, Langdon meets Laurel. Marrying her would satisfy his parents's command, she would look lovely on his arm for social events, and in her besotted state, he believes she would overlook him continuing pursuing rowdy adventures with his u...

The Teacher's Bride (Amish Brides of Birch Creek #1) by Kathleen Fuller Book Description: Beloved and bestselling author of Amish romance Kathleen Fuller reminds us that sometimes opposites really do attract.   "A heartwarming story of unexpected romance woven with fun and engaging characters who come to life on every page."--Amy Clipston, bestselling author of  A Seat by the Hearth   If there is one thing Christian Ropp will not allow in his classroom—or his life—it is chaos. So why is he drawn to Ruby Glick, a woman who seems to bring mayhem wherever she goes? Christian Ropp moves to Birch Creek to accept a teaching position in the rapidly growing Amish community. He’s determined to put the rambunctious school in order as well as check another task off his list: finding a wife. Of course, that would be much easier if women were like textbooks, straightforward and logical. When an accident puts Christian out of commission, a new community member named Ruby Glick...

The Forgiving Jar by Wanda E. Brunstetter (The Prayer Jars #2) What would happen if you found out someone has been impersonating you?   Sara Murray had never met her mother’s parents and was surprised to learn after her death that they were Amish living in Pennsylvania. When she is finally able to make the trip to meet them, she is shocked to learn someone else has been living with them and pretending to be Sara. Sara can’t understand how quickly her grandparents are willing to forgive the imposter.   Secrets and deceit seem to follow Sara, and she is so tired of it. Though soon she meets Brad Fuller who is visiting her grandparents during Christmas. She likes him a lot, but even he seems to pull away from her, not being totally honest.   Struggling, Sara finds an old canning jar hidden in the barn that is full of encouraging prayers. Can Sara find a way to forgive the past and move on to building new relationships? This is Book 2 in the brand-new series, The Prayer...

A Secret Courage (The London Chronicles #1) by  Tricia Goyer Book Description: A Mystery Brought Them Together. Will Secrets Destroy Their Love? Dive into WWII history in this well-researched story of international intrigue, heartwarming romance, and profound courage. American Emma Hanson is one of a dozen women sent to work in London as a cryptographer—decoding German secrets at the height of World War II. Her job as a member of the Women's Army Corps gives her a way to fight back against those who killed her brother. The only distraction she needs is a good book for the long nights of bombing that threaten her fragile peace. Englishman William Brandt's mind is full of the secrets he knows and the spies he must keep tabs on to ensure the safety of the people and nation he loves. But there might just be room in his heart for a pretty WAC worker with a sweet spirit—and a curiosity that could threaten all his plans. Emma's and William's paths cross in the...

A Brand-New 3-Book Series from  New York Times  Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter. What happens when making an elderly Amish couple very happy means going along with a lie that gets bigger by the day? Michelle Taylor is not who her new family in Lancaster County believes her to be. The Lapps were looking for their long-lost granddaughter when they met Michelle and she assumed the identity of Sara Murray. Once homeless and hopeless, Michelle has come to love her new Amish friends and even considers the idea of romance among them. Finding an old blue jar in the barn that is filled with slips of paper containing thoughts, quotes, and prayers by an unknown author becomes a boost to Michelle’s budding faith— but also convicting. How can she tell the truth without hurting the ones she has truly come to love? The Hope Jar (The Prayer Jars #1) by Wanda Brunstetter My Review:  I've always wondered what it might be like as an "Englisher" to live with the Amish a...

An Amish Christmas Love by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, & Kelly Irvin Book Description: Winter Kisses   by Beth Wiseman Three generations of Stoltzfus women are all living under the same roof. At twenty-five, Naomi has never been married, and both her mother, Barbara, and her grandmother, Ruth, have recently been widowed. Each nursing broken or lonely hearts, they also each have potential suitors. When a storm on Christmas Eve forces the three couples to take shelter in the basement of the Stotlzfus homestead, secrets are revealed, hearts are opened, and all three potential grooms drop to their knees for very different reasons a proposal, a prayer, and an epiphany. The Christm as Cat   by Amy Clipston Emma Bontrager is spending her first Christmas alone after her husband of 45 years, Henry, passed away in July. Although the Amish don't normally allow animals in their homes, a big, fat, orange barn cat keeps coming into Emma's house. She shoos the cat away...