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Communities
Review: Trouble the Water
A despondent woman. A caring stranger. An older skinny dipper. A caring sister. These characters and more make up Nicole Seitz’s sophomore novel, Trouble the Water.
Honor wants to end her life. She almost succeeds when a group of Gullah nannies intervene and rescue her. An eccentric older woman agrees to take Honor in, and so begins a journey of healing and restoration.
This novel covers some heavy subjects: abuse, death, suicide, depression. Yet Seitz will keep you laughing with Dutchess, the zany character who has a thing for nudity.
Trouble the Water is one of the most unique novels I’ve ever read. Written in a diary style from three of the characters, you have to really pay attention to times and dates, so you don’t miss anything.
The characters are very endearing, and they drew me in within two chapters. I picked this book up on a Saturday afternoon and finished reading by Monday afternoon. And Trouble the Water held my attention the whole time!
Though this is a Christian novel, the Christian message is veiled in lots of symbolism. If you’re looking for a straightforward gospel message, you won’t find it clearly written here.
What you will find is a story of redemption and hope. A story of one moving from the depths of despair to finding joy in life.
All in all, I give Trouble the Water a B+. The story and characters were loveable, but at times it’s difficult to follow if you don’t pay attention to names and dates. Seitz gets extra credit for the twist at the end, though. I never saw it coming!
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Review & Giveaway: Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini
Gaby Flores has lost just about everything. Her employee ran off with most of her flower business, and her apartment burned to the ground. She’s broke, desperate, and determined not to be a gullible person anymore.
She moves into a loft on the California coast that is surprisingly affordable. As she struggles to get her life back together, she’s faced with challenging neighbors, two potential boyfriends, and the constant nagging of her best friend Bri.
Throughout Truffles by the Sea my heart sank as Gaby continued to rely on herself to meet her challenges. She was a likeable character, and I just wanted to reach through the pages of the book and help her out.
The story took several twists and turns, and I never knew exactly which characters I could trust. But through the whole saga, I was rooting for Gaby to find the peace that she was looking for.
This was a sweet story. It wasn’t too intense, and despite Gaby’s struggles, the story is very lighthearted. Perfect to throw in your beach bag over the summer.
I give this book four out of five truffles!
To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment (make sure you enter a valid email address) on this post. Due to the increased cost of shipping, I’m afraid I need to limit this giveaway to the United States only. I’ll close comments at noon on Friday, March 21, 2008 and draw a winner using Random.org.
To buy your own copy of Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini, visit Amazon.com.
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Review & Giveaway: Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith
Joan Sanderson feels like she’s leading a boring life. Her older sister Allie is married with a family. Her younger sister Tori has moved out and is beginning an exciting new career. Meanwhile, Joan is left at home, working a boring job and caring for her beloved grandmother.
But then the new neighbor moves in. He’s a good looking doctor with an ill-mannered dog. Joan is interested, but so is Tori. Will Joan be able to compete with her hip younger sister?
Stuck in the Middle is all about relationships. The relationship between sisters. The struggle between a daughter and her mother. The memories of a father who abandoned his daughter. A budding romance. Dealing with an aging grandparent.
I loved this book, because it was real. The sisters don’t have perfect relationships. They get jealous. There’s plenty of sibling rivalry.
I loved Joan, because she wasn’t the perfect Christian girl who always had a pleasant attitude and trusted God with everything. She struggled. And yet she strived to become a better Christian throughout the story.
I even loved the guys in this story. Allie’s husband with his straightforward nature. Ken and the way he had to deal with the squabbling sisters.
I give Stuck in the Middle five out of five stars.
To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. Make sure you leave a valid email address. I will close comments on Friday, March 21, 2008 and draw a winner using random.org. Because of the high cost of shipping, this contest is open to residents of the United States only.
To buy your own copy of Stuck in the Middle, visit Amazon.com.
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Review & Giveaway: Happily Even After
This week the Christian Fiction Blogging Alliance presents Happily Even After by Marilyn Griffith.
About the Author
Marilynn Griffith is a wife, mother, and author of several Christian fiction and non-fiction books. She is also the founder of Faithchick.com, a blog for Christian fiction readers. Happily Even After is the last in Marilynn’s Sassy Sistahood series.
The Plot
Wife and new mother Tracey Blackman is adjusting to changes in her life. Motherhood. Changes in her husband’s behavior. Her overbearing mother-in-law. And finally, a new church. Just when you’d think life should be falling in place for the young mother, life is falling apart.
When it seems things can’t get any worse, Tracey turns to her old friends in the Sassy Sistahood to set her straight.
My Opinion
Happily Even After was a fun read. Marilynn Griffith did a wonderful job dealing with serious issues, while keeping the tone of the story light. Though not a suspense novel, there were lots of twists and turns to to this story that left me wondering what would come next.
I could definitely identify with some of the struggles Tracey went through, as she dealt with her problems. And I found myself cheering her on as she tried to follow the Lord’s will for her life.
This is good book to read on a rainy weekend at home or a sunny day at the beach.
The Giveaway
I’m giving away my once read copy of Happily Even After. To enter the drawing, just leave a comment on this post. I will close comments next Thursday, January 17th, at noon and draw a winner using a random number generator. Please only one comment per person. After the winner is selected, I will mail the book as soon as possible. Make sure the email address you enter is valid, or I will have no way to contact you if you win.
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