Rhonda's Doings !

A VOW FOR CHRISTMAS  by Linda Carroll-Bradd In the two years since his beloved wife died, rancher Chad Rutherford has done the best for his family. But with his sister leaving the family ranch to get married, he needs to find someone to keep house and tend his kids so he places an ad for a mail-order bride. Left on her own by her brother’s murder, spinster Vika Carmichael must find a way to life. An ad for a mail-order bride from a widower with small children seems like the perfect fit. Until she arrives in Gunnison City, Colorado, and wonders if room for her exists in their hearts. Will two proud individuals find a way to work together, or will their marriage vow be broken by Christmas? A heartwarming, sweet western historical romance Previous Titles in the Series Book 1--A Marshal for Christmas by P. Creeden Book 2--A Bride for Christmas by Cheryl Wright Book 3--A Husband for Christmas by Margaret Tanner Book 4--A Farmer for Christmas by Marisa Masterson Book 5--A Family for ...

Review of Desire's Promise (The Desire Series, book 1) by Karen Jurgens Carlie Livingston is steering into her last year of college in Oxford, Ohio, confident that she and Lance Holloway are headed to the altar after graduation. Those plans are wrecked, however, by her dad’s infidelity, causing her parents to walk through a messy divorce. Will she have the same fate if she marries her college sweetheart who comes from a secular family? Her mother insists she will.  She tests God’s Word by letting Him take the wheel of her life. But if God is in control, why are all her close relationships crumbling? Nothing makes sense.  Just when it appears hopeless, Clay McKinney two-steps into Carlie's life, promising to provide everything she’s looking for. But if he’s God’s answer, why can’t her heart release Lance? Where will her final destination be on this journey of trust?  MY REVIEW:   I am delighted to read a fresh, unique perspective in a Christian romance...

Review of More Than Friendship (Wells Landing Quilting Circle #1) by Amy Lillard Love is worth every challenge. Woven deeply into the Amish community of Wells Landing, Oklahoma, a women’s quilting circle is a place to share everything from recipes to hopes and dreams, especially when love is in the air... The youngest member of the quilting   circle, Clara Rose Yutzy has her whole life ahead of her. And it’s just beginning, with plans for a wedding to her longtime beau, Thomas Lapp. Everything is falling into place, which is why Clara Rose resolutely ignores her newly warm feelings for her best friend, Obidiah Brennaman. There’s never been a hint of romance between them, and no reason to pay attention to such nonsense now... Steady, sturdy Obie feels differently. He’s never thought too hard about his future, but the news that Clara Rose is about to be married is strangely unsettling. Convincing Clara Rose to take another look at their friendship may not be easy, but Ob...

Review of The English Son The Amish Millionaire part 1 of 6 by Wanda Brunstetter & Jean Brunstetter Join New York Times Bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter along with Jean Brunstetter in Holmes County for a dramatic new 6-part serial novel.  Meet businessman Joel Byler who has gotten himself into a financial bind and his eccentric, wealthy Amish father who is done bailing out his spoiled son. When will Joel learn he most pay for his own mistakes—and at what cost to his business, his fiancée, and his Amish siblings? The Amish Millionaire -- A 6-Part Serial Novel #1: The English Son -- March 2016 #2: The Stubborn Father -- April 2016 #3: The Betrayed Fiancee -- May 2016 #4: The Missing Will -- June 2016 #5: The Divided Family -- July 2016 #6: The Selfless Act -- August 2016 MY REVIEW:    Mom took hold of Kristi's left hand.   "I don't see a diamond sparkling back at me." "He hasn't bought me an engagement ring yet, but I'm ...

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 Amish Treasures of the Heart (Amish Dynasty Book #2) by Sophia Grace BONUS MATERIAL: Recipes!!!   From the Cherry Orchard (in the back of the book)  Being brought up as an Englisher, Jake Fisher knows nothing about Amish farming. So when he goes to work for Ellie on her farm, he makes one mistake after another. It doesn't help that Jackson, one of the farmhands, bullies him and teaches him all the wrong things just to cause trouble between him and Ellie.  Will Jackson take his antics too far, or will Ellie find out the truth before it's too late? MY REVIEW:   4-Stars for this Amish novella, book two in the Amish Dynasty series by Sophia Grace.....Can you imagine working on an Amish farm when you were raised as an Englisher in the city?   Could you milk a cow?   Muck a stall?   Weed the garden?  I don't know how I would fare at the task!   Jake will do anything to help Ellie though because she has a smile that makes ...

4-Star Review of Amish Dynasty by Sophia Grace “We’re rich!”  Becca Yoder twirled in her plain blue dress, her arms above her head. Gold coins spilled from her fingers and dropped to her bare feet.  Her smile lit him up, her auburn hair reflected the sunlight with a warmth that tempted him to unpin her prayer kapp and let it wave in the autumn breeze.  “We’re rich!” Becca repeated, as if she just wanted to hear herself say it again.  Jeremiah stood in the murky water of Pigeon Creek, leaning over the embankment as he dug his hands into the pile of gold coins. “I’m the one that lugged this heavy box up the crick bank!”  “I did most of the digging to get that box out of the mud,” she argued. “While you just sat there fishing instead of helping me.”  She held up her muddy hands as proof.  “I had to reel in that big catfish. I couldn’t just let him go!”  Becca rolled her eyes. “With this much money, you could pay someone to fish for you!”...

Review of   A   January Bride by Deborah Raney Who can work in a house that's overrun by contractors and carpenters? Not Madeleine Houser, a successful novelist who gladly accepts the help of her octogenarian friend, Ginny, to arrange for a temporary office in the charming bed and breakfast owned by Ginny's friend, Arthur. Maddie’s never met the innkeeper––but a friendship grows between them as Maddie and Arthur leave messages for each other each day. To Maddie’s alternate delight and chagrin, she seems to be falling for the inn’s owner––a man who's likely many years her senior––and who she’s never even met. MY REVIEW:  What a delightful novella!   I love the way Deborah Raney uses humor throughout the novella.   This story is full of surprises for the characters and the readers.   I can relate to how Maddie and Arthur sort of "fell in love" with each other by writing notes each day even though they had not met in person yet.  My husband...