Fiction Addict

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Mira

Publication date: May, 2009

Reviewed by Jennifer Roman

Debbie Macomber brings back her beloved characters in Summer on Blossom Street.  Its usual residents, Anne Marie, Lydia, and Alix and their friends once again face trying personal issues: Lydia tries to deal with her mother’s memory loss and a difficult foster child; Anne Marie meets someone from her newly adopted daughter’s past; and Alix needs to stop smoking so she and her husband can have a baby.  Lydia decides to create a “Knit to Quit” class so people can substitute their vices for knitting.  In addition to the regular group, Macomber introduces some new people in the class: Phoebe, who is trying to get over her philandering ex-fiancé; and Bryan, an executive trying to bring calm into his life through knitting.  Of course the group has its usual challenges, but together they offer each other support, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, and solutions to problems.  Regular readers will get their usual “happy ending,” of sorts; there are some complications to the situations but Macomber gives creative and interesting ways of dealing with their life’s challenges.

Macomber demonstrates again why she is a best-selling author; she makes an easy-to-read dialogue that’s entertaining and thought-provoking.  Her writing presents situations that her readers can easily empathize with and understand.  Oftentimes, her readers have similar situations of their own.  Macomber’s best trait is that she reaches into a reader’s heart and makes her feel as though she is part of the situation.  She manages to tell a story without using profanity or explicit sex.  All in all, Macomber creates an engaging story that keeps readers interested up until the wrapped up, happy end.

Genre: Holiday, Chick lit

Publisher: Ballantine

Publication Date: 1996

Reviewed by Jen Roman

If someone is looking for a heartwarming, sweet story during the holiday season, A Return to Christmas is it.  Eleven-year-old Artemus Holiday lives in a comfortable, upper-middle-class neighborhood with his parents and sister.  The holidays are almost nonexistent in his household, however, because of a tragic accident on Christmas day eight years before.  His twin brother, Andrew, drowns in a river.  Because his birthday is on December 20, Artemus also loses his birthday celebration.

During a shopping trip right before Christmas, Artemus comes across a vagabond child roughly his age.  While he is trying on clothes in a department store, the vagabond tries to steal his regular clothes.  Rather than let the vagabond steal his clothes, Artemus takes chase.  The boys run out into the street and into the path of an oncoming truck.  Artemus is thrown into some nearby bushes, but the vagabond, who looks eerily similar to Artemus, is found.  He is mistaken for Artemus and is taken to the hospital, where his family meets him.  The family doesn’t realize the injured child isn’t Artemus and takes him home and treats him as though he is their child.  Meanwhile, Artemus is found by the con-artist Boone, who is thought to be the vagabond child’s uncle.  He is expected to participate in the con’s schemes, as the other child had done.  Realizing he is in the wrong place, he vows to get back home to his real family.  What unfolds is the story of hope and understanding of God’s love during a holy season of miracles.

This story is saccharine and predictable, yet it is warm and charming.  It’s a small book and only 198 pages, so it’s a quick and easy read.  Audiences should be happy with its sweet message.

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: June 2009

Reviewed by Ashley Barrett

Calla Lily Ponder grows up under the close care of her enchanting mother, the other colorful residents of La Luna, and a deity figure named The Moon Lady. After experiencing some coming-of-age heartbreak, she pursues a career in cosmetology and moves to the big city of New Orleans, where she eventually becomes the apprentice of world-class beautician, Ricky. With Ricky’s help, Calla learns both the craft and art of styling hair and soothing broken hearts, including her own.

Calla, although likeable at the beginning, is so perfect and perky I found her as believable as the Tooth Fairy. Calla is the most beautiful girl in the whole town and falls in love with the high-school quarterback, who loves her deeply and wins a scholarship to Stanford. She attends the best beauty school in the country, naturally. She is the best in her class and the instructor chooses her for his sole partner at a new salon. (Perhaps a world-class beautician would have opened his own salon already?) And, of course, by the end all the loose ends are nicely tied up and everyone goes to a big party.

Those who live a fairy-tale life might enjoy this book. Those who live in the real world may find it shallow and uninteresting.

Rebecca Wells wrote the bestselling Ya-Ya series; the most popular book, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, hit number one on the New York Times Bestseller list. Although I hadn’t read any of the Ya-Ya books, I’d heard great things about them and eagerly dove into The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder. My enthusiasm quickly waned.

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder contains very little coarse language and no violence, but readers who dislike over-the-top love scenes may want to avoid this book. Although warm and funny in places, I would not recommend The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder, even to readers who enjoyed Wells’ previous work. Those who loved the Ya-Ya series should wait until the next book and hope for improvement.

Genre: Chicklit, Romance

Publisher: Summerside Press

Publication Date: October 1, 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

For someone who doesn’t like Christmas, it’s not easy for Bryce Stone to live in North Pole, Alaska. Throw in the fact that he’s just returned from Iraq where he was blinded in one eye and that he has no clue what to do with the family business, and all you need is a spunky independent woman to make a perfect romance. That’s what Loree Lough has pulled together in this installment of the “Love Finds You” series from Summerside Press.

When Sam Sinclair packs up and moves her entire life to Alaska to take a job, she’s more than unhappy to find out that the job has already been given to someone else. This leaves her with no job and Bryce with a lot of loose ends in his life. Thankfully he’s got an Aunt who always has her eye out for his best interests and she hires Sam to manage the family’s Christmas store. It’s not long before Sam and Bryce are delightfully driving each other up the wall. I laughed out loud at several of their discussions and couldn’t help but get a kick out of some of the flaws that the two of them discover in each other.

With gentle twists, nudges, and beautiful heart wrenching moments, Loree Lough introduces us to beautiful characters that are flawed, beautiful, complicated, and yet still easy for everyone to understand.  Her writing style is beautiful and descriptive while being comfortable enough to make you feel like you’re sliding into your favorite pair of blue jeans.

This was the first Loree Lough book that I’ve read, though she has a bajillion of them on the market. Okay, maybe not a bajillion, but enough that one should stand up and take notice. I’m delighted to say that I have another waiting here to read and more to come in the future. If you need a break from reality that’s heartwarming and beautiful while giving you the desire to travel to a new place, give Love Finds You in North Pole, Alaska a try.

Genre: Comedy, Chicklit, Romance

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication Date: May 5, 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

As part of my continuing Jane Austen kick, I decided to dive into What Would Jane Austen Do? I won’t lie to you. The cover art caused me to raise an eyebrow. Instead of a traditional bodice ripper, this one seemed to have a button down ripper?!  Okay, that’s a twist.

Eleanor Pottinger is a modern day expert of Regency fashion and therefore knows almost everything there is to know about Jane Austen. So when she attends a modern day seminar in England about the Regency period, she believes she’s fully prepared. Unfortunately, the inn where she’s meant to stay has lost her reservation and must put her in a suite of rooms that is never used. Why? Supposedly the rooms are haunted. Eleanor soon finds out that there’s no ‘supposedly’ to it when she meets Deirdre and Mina Cracklebury, the former owners of the home and ghosts who are unable to ‘rest’ until some circumstances that happened in their lives get set straight.  Can you see where this is going?

Eleanor goes to sleep in modern times and wakes up facing the real life women behind the ghosts. Of course they have no idea where she’s from or who she is and they assume that she’s a long lost cousin who has come over from the Americas.

There’s mystery, romance, adventure and of course, a few fleeting moments with Jane Austen herself in this novel. A perfect read for a long trip or a vacation, this book is for anyone who enjoys romance and a little bit of adventure with a dash of time travel thrown in the mix. With a mystery that keeps you wondering and twists that are unexpected and delightful just the same, Brown does an excellent job of capturing what a modern day woman would think if tossed into the middle of a Jane Austen novel. With a few fun modern references and some very modern feelings about the men around her, Eleanor is a wonderful central character that you want to follow.

Laurie Brown has created fun characters, seemingly impossible situations and conversations with Jane Austen that are realistic and not overblown. I expected the novel to have more interaction with Austen or to have more about her, but when all was said and done, I was very glad that it didn’t. Where it would be easy to give in to the tendency to bestow Austen with her own words or thoughts, Brown resists the temptation. Instead, she gives us a wonderful slice of a possible moment in time with Jane Austen.

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: October 2009

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

In six weeks, Brad Cutler will marry the woman of his dreams. Laura, perfect for him in every way, shares the same faith, morals and goals. Unfortunately, the past Brad thought he buried long ago breathes down his neck threatening to ruin everything he’s built.

Brad travels back to North Carolina to find Emma, the ex-girlfriend he abandoned nine years earlier after the bad choices of a fateful summer led to an unwanted pregnancy and abortion. He hopes to atone for his past wrongs, but in doing so, he risks everything. Laura now wonders if she even knows the man she is about to marry.

In Shades of Blue, Karen Kingsbury once again delicately weaves a story of love, faith and redemption. She tackles difficult issues and expertly shows how the choices we make change our lives forever, not only affecting us, but also those we love the most. Brad’s character demonstrates how bad decisions can lead to a lifetime of pain and regret. At the same time, though he cannot change the past, he shows that the hope of forgiveness and redemption always exist.

Not your typical romance, Shades of Blue focuses mostly on Brad and Emma’s broken past and journey to restoration while Laura struggles with anger and forgiveness miles away from her fiancée. Some Christian clichés do come through, making the narrative feel forced in places, but Kingsbury makes up for it by dealing with a complex issue, such as abortion, with gritty realism that palpably draws readers in.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Chicklit

Publisher: Guideposts Books

Publication Date: February, 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

A couple of weeks ago, I went off on a total Jane Austen binge. I contacted Jake here at Fiction Addict and gave him a list of books that I wanted to read – almost all of them involving Jane Austen’s wonderful writing. (Watch for What Would Jane Austen Do, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Vampire Darcy’s Desire…all coming up for review soon!)  Jake was awesome (as usual) and within just a couple of days, my mailbox was overflowing with big oversized envelopes stuffed with books. All of them inspired by the great lady herself, Jane Austen.

I reached for this book first because really, what self respecting woman hasn’t wished for Mr. Darcy or even the somewhat less spectacular Mr. Bingley to rescue them from the modern dating scene? (Although I suspect that some of my friends and myself have been just as much in love with Colin Firth as with Mr. Darcy, but that’s a different review now isn’t it?) Regardless of this, I felt an immediate kinship and sympathy with this title. (I feel like I should say here that I’m married to a wonderful man who puts up with my adoration of both Mr. Darcy and Colin Firth in such a way as to make me love and adore him even more. That’s pretty impressive.)

So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, shall we attend to the book that we are here to discuss? Indeed!

Emma Douglas has spent her entire academic career studying, lecturing on, and writing about Jane Austen. She is, in short, the quintessential Janeite.  She is quite pleased with the way her life is going until, in one shattering and slightly queasy moment, she discovers her husband and her teacher’s assistant involved in something very biological on the kitchen table. Things go downhill from there. He and his mistress accuse her of plagiarism and thus, not only do we meet our heroine in the middle of a personal crisis, but a career crisis as well.

Instead of giving up on everything she’s ever known, Emma decides that now is the time to separate from everything she’s become comfortable with and, on a lark, she gets rid of a lot of material items and finances her own trip to England to track down Jane Austen’s lost letters.

Here is where I need to back up and give a little history lesson. Jane Austen, being a writer, was an avid and prolific letter writer. It is believed by scholars that during her lifetime, she wrote over three thousand missives to a variety of people. Upon her death, her closest and most beloved fan, her sister Cassandra, destroyed a majority of her letters and allowed the others to be made public. Now that you know that fact, we can move on with the review.

Emma has received information that a very special group of people in England still have ALL of Jane’s letters and that they were not, in fact destroyed. This is not only intriguing to Emma, but it casts her a lifeline in the middle of her chaotic life. The discovery of these letters could mean the revival of her career in academia. She chases after these tidbits of information with the smallest whisper of logic and an incredible measure of passion.

Along the journey, she discovers more about Jane Austen than she’d ever thought possible and also begins to look at her beloved works of writing in a completely new light. On top of all of this, she learns more about herself than she’d understood before.

This book was a delight to read. For anyone who loves Jane Austen it is an absolute must. With exquisite attention to detail, Pattillo uncovers Jane Austen’s life for the reader who hasn’t had the opportunity to research on his or her own and she laces it through with a fictitious story that is delicious and wonderful to follow. Several times while reading this book I thought “Why didn’t I put those pieces together?!”

A little bit Pride and Prejudice mashed up with Sense and Sensibility and a chase worthy of National Treasure or Indiana Jones, you’ll delight in the world that Pattillo has created around a beloved international author and the stories she chose to tell and some she didn’t.  I was disappointed when the story ended. Not because it ended badly, but simply because it ended. I wanted to know more and follow what happened next. Thankfully there is a sequel due soon. I can’t wait to get my hands on Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart.

Genre: Drama

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Publication Date: January 6, 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Tullyandkate. They’re the main characters of Firefly Lane. Actually, it’s Tully and Kate, but they’re really two opposite peas in the same pod. This is their story.

Growing up in the seventies, living through the mad crazy hair and wild colors of the eighties, into the nineties and through to the turn of the century, we follow these two girls through heartache, rejection, high school, college, careers, marriage and kids. In one word, life.

From the first moment that I started reading Firefly Lane, I was absolutely hooked.  A little younger than the girls in the book, I grew up in the 70’s and the 80’s and 90’s were my decades. (Yes, I claim both of them for various reasons.) Even now, like one of the characters in the book, I’m a mom of three kids. In other words, I relate.

I think that’s what was amazing about this book. It wasn’t an over the top soap opera drama. It wasn’t science fiction or a bodice ripper. It was real. Honest. Open. A woman who hasn’t had a hair cut or color in a long time because she’s too busy being a mom. Or a girl who can only see that her mom won’t let her do anything and misses the love that’s behind the protection.  And then there’s the girl who refuses to let other people define her while at the same time struggling for acceptance.

This book was stunning in its simplicity. It’s an easy read. I got it in the mail on Thursday and despite the heft of its 500+ pages, I had finished it before Saturday evening. That includes the three kids and the job.  This would make you think that the whole thing is light hearted and easy going, but it’s not. Though she mixes humor and romance in, Hannah does not skim over the hard topics. She explores not knowing when or how to say you’re sorry. Or saying you’re sorry too often. And then there’s unrequited love.  The pain of rejection.  Misunderstanding. Feeling like you’re not as good as you could be. Hannah hits it all and does it with such brilliance that by the end of the book you’re sobbing and wondering where Tully is now.  Is she alright? Did she find what she was looking for? Is Marah okay….?

And then you remember. It was fiction. They aren’t real. They may be based on real people, but they’re still fiction. It was a book. Something that you read and put on the shelf. Not someone that you call when you need a hug.

But this was so much more than ‘just a book.’ This was a wonderful exploration of everything in life that matters. At the end, it felt like I’d made a new friend. When my journey with Firefly Lane was over and I closed the cover, I popped in “Dancing Queen” and danced with my kids. Thank you, Kristin Hannah, for making it so much more than it would have been before I read the book.

Genre: General Fiction

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: October 2009

Reviewed by Ashely Barrett

Emory Chance is reeling in the aftermath of her daughter’s murder. Daisy’s absence forces her to face the truth about her own negligent parenting and drug addiction.

While nursing her Texas-sized regrets a mysterious cross-stitch proclaiming God’s judgment appears on her porch. Shortly after, Daisy’s fourth grade picture disappears. And someone begins mailing her typed prayers about grace and the love of Jesus. The messages of love and encouragement confuse and sometimes anger Emory while the messages of looming doom from the cross-stitch and the Defiance townsfolk frighten her, though Emory anticipates judgment from God and people.

But who would steal a picture of Daisy? Is Daisy’s murderer trying to make a statement? Is he the man she saw in a vision with snake tattoos slithering up his arms?

A Slow Burn, the second book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy is by no means a sagging sequel. The intensity keeps the reader absorbed until the very last page. I love the people in this story and their struggle to both give and receive God’s grace. Unlike Daisy Chain, the first book in the series, A Slow Burn is narrated by Emory Chance, Daisy’s troubled and enigmatic mother.

If you loved Daisy Chain, A Slow Burn won’t disappoint. If you haven’t read Daisy Chain and you enjoy women’s fiction go back and read Daisy Chain before you begin A Slow Burn.

I only regret finishing A Slow Burn because now I have to wait for the final book in the trilogy. I hope it’s released soon!

Genre: Comedy, Chicklit

Publisher: David C. Cook

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

It’s not often that you see a coming of age novel that isn’t about a teenager, but Stretch Marks fits the bill. Mia Rathbun is nearing the end of her twenties, set in a career and a relationship. Even though she seems to have everything going her way, she’s not quite settled in her life. The two main relationships in her life are rocky at best. Her live in boyfriend, Lars, is a free lance writer who’s more often free than lance these days. Their relationship is familiar, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s comfortable or better yet, growing. Mia has a habit of suppressing concerns and masking issues in order to keep the peace. This is a habit that most likely developed due to her mother’s decision to leave the family when Mia was younger. This brings us to that other big relationship in her life…

Mia’s mother, a cruise director on a ship, has been an in and out influence in her daughter’s life. More often than not she has a million things going on and calls Mia to dispense advice in a manner not too different from a candy machine in a grocery store lobby. A few hits. A few misses. And every now and then you get something good.

This is the life into which Stuart introduces a new character and with it, much conflict. Mia’s baby. As with real life, a pregnancy changes everything and it can really challenge where you are in your life. Mia’s views on the world and her relationships all begin to come into question. Especially when she shares her unexpected pregnancy with Lars… And things don’t settle down any further when her mother decides to visit. Can we say chaos?

From there, everything spirals into control. That’s right. As life seems to be spinning further and further out of control, Mia’s focus sharpens and she finally begins to pull things together and face issues she never even realized she had.

With a heavy topic like unplanned pregnancy, Stuart could have gone easily into the dramatic realm and preached a hard line. Instead, she infused the story with humor and light dialogue while balancing serious topics. The result is an enjoyable journey that deals with real life stress and chaos in a very relatable way.  Stuart’s sharing of other people’s faith is never heavy handed or preachy and the book leaves you feeling very hopeful. People make mistakes every day. We all do. And yet no matter what the mistake is, there’s always hope that we can learn and grow through what we’ve done. Perhaps we can even come out better for it on the other side.

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Chicklit

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: July 21, 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Lara Lington is having a mid-life crisis. Her boyfriend just broke up with her, her business is failing and her great Aunt Sadie just died. Well the great aunt Sadie part doesn’t really add into Lara’s crisis except that a twenty year old version of Sadie is now haunting her. Sound a little mundane and outrageous all at once? Then you know that you’re reading a Sophie Kinsella novel.

Lara is a simple girl. She’s not drop dead gorgeous and not a world class genius, but she is, most importantly, relatable.  As I mentioned previously, Lara’s great Aunt Sadie has died at the ripe old age of 105. Lara didn’t know Sadie nor does she really care about her when she attends her funeral at the beginning of the story. She’s more concerned with her ex-boyfriend and trying to figure out how she can get him back while trying to convince her family that she’s not deluded or a stalker. So when, in the middle of the funeral, a beautiful young woman in twenties style clothing sits next to her and starts talking, Lara isn’t impressed. It’s not until she discovers that the beautiful young woman is the same woman who is currently the corpse in the coffin that things start to get interesting. It seems that Aunt Sadie can’t go to her ‘rest’ without her favorite necklace and since Lara’s the only one who can hear or see her, it’s up to Lara to find it or be driven insane by Aunt Sadie constantly screaming in her ear.

In Twenties Girl, you get exactly what you expect from reading a Kinsella novel. Adventure, humor, romance and a brilliant way out of an utter mess are the formula for Kinsella’s books and Kinsella always pulls it off with aplomb and style. Though the situations in Twenties Girl are even more extreme than the normal insanity you’d expect, Kinsella still manages to keep belief just barely suspended enough to hold your interest throughout.

As with her other books, Kinsella discusses adult situations and there is some brief language, but she does it with grace and a lack of intimate details such as to make it not overwhelming or too uncomfortable for a conservative reader. All in all, I got everything I expected when I cracked open the cover on this book. It was a delightful read that gave me some laughs, some embarrassment on the heroine’s behalf and a nice warm fuzzy feeling when it all ended.  Sometimes this is all that’s needed from a book. When I’m in need, I’ll always happily turn to a Kinsella heroine for my entertainment getaway.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: January 1, 2001

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

I’m not a shopper. The words Jimmy Choo shoes never come out of my mouth strung together in one sentence. So really, there’s no reason for me to identify with or even enjoy Rebecca Bloomwood’s tales of retail therapy. But I do. I love Becky Bloomwood. She’s crazy, illogical, completely addicted to shopping in any form, and despite all of her faults, I completely adore her.

Becky Bloomwood can tell you what the rush is like when you hear the ding of the cash register or when you find the absolute perfect blouse. She can also tell you, with entirely too much experience, that telling a bank or financial institution that you’ve suddenly developed typhoid fever is not a legitimate excuse for lapse of payment. Neither is ‘accidentally’ dropping all of your bills in a garbage dumpster outside your apartment or pretending that your Aunt Ermintrude has died. As Becky so sadly learns, retail therapy does have its price.

Oh and did I tell you what Becky does for a living? She’s a financial reporter. That’s right. Becky’s life is about writing stories that help people keep their finances straight. So you can see where this is going…right?

Sophie Kinsella has created, in Becky Bloomwood, one of the most beloved characters in all of ‘chicklit-dom’. And yes, that’s a word. I’m sure it is.

Written in the first person, the reader has a delightful front row seat to Rebecca’s sometimes warped and entirely hilarious thought process. You can’t help but laugh out loud and shake your head as Becky falls into (and sometimes runs headlong into) some of the worst messes you could imagine and then finds her way back out again. Usually her path out of the problem is far cleverer and better imagined than what you’d expect from a lighthearted journey like Rebecca’s.

Kinsella does an exceptional job of keeping the tone light and clean and though there are a few instances of adult language and discussion throughout, they in no way permeate the story or go into detail enough for the reader to be  uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Becky Bloomwood has many more journeys ahead of her. Future novels take her abroad, into the sometimes disastrous world of a bride and even beyond that, into motherhood. Rebecca learns her lessons, takes her knocks and  Kinsella does a brilliant job of making us love and adore her no matter how wacky or crazy the situation might be.

Genre: Fiction, Family Drama

Publisher: Henry Holt

Publication Date: June 23, 2009

Reviewed by Ashley Barrett

Emily Ascher and her likeable fiancé, Clay, plan to marry in the Berkshires, where the Aschers’ country home once stood. For the ceremony site, Emily chooses the wooded grove where years earlier she, with her parents, Joe and Laura, scattered the ashes of Thomas, her older brother.

Joe bears the weight of Emily and Laura’s blame for Thomas’s death. Will Emily’s wedding give him a chance to explain what really happened to his daughter and now ex-wife?

The events of that winter night haunt all the Aschers. Even after Emily’s graduation from law school and Laura’s remarriage to Earl. In flashbacks throughout The Embers, the reader lives with the Ascher’s through Thomas’s illness, Emily’s reckless teenage years, and Joe’s superceding ambition as a playwright in New York City.

The collision of past and present brought on by wedding planning, and the news of an old friend’s death makes Emily question everything, her parents, her identity and even her feelings for Clay.

Hyatt Bass wrote, directed and produced the film 75 Degrees in July; The Embers is her first novel. As a reader, I could tell this author wasn’t an experienced novelist. Although the writing flows well most of the time and the characters are complex and believable, the dialogue often sounds fake. But despite that, I cared about the Aschers and their story. The Embers contains some strong language and the sexual misconduct of a minor, although the author’s use of language and sex was neither graphic nor gratuitous.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Embers and would recommend it for someone who enjoys the endearing complexity of family relationships. I would consider reading a second book by Hyatt Bass, if she writes one.

Genre: Chicklit

Publisher: Waterbrook Press

Publication Date: June 2005

Reviewed by Kaci Hill

Betsy Blessed is an associate pastor fighting for acceptance.  It’s a tough challenge, too.   She’s been hurt before and shy about getting hurt again—understandably, and she’s lost the confidence she once had.  As if that weren’t enough, she’s abruptly launched into the role of senior pastor—which both thrills and overwhelms her. But now the main battle is brewing, swelling, closing in on her, and she may well drown if she doesn’t get her heading.

Heavens to Betsy has everything from light, sassy humor to the lightly jaded “church humor” that any kid raised in church knows.  Pattillo starts out with something you don’t see often in Christian fiction—a female pastor, then tosses in some of the famous church politics (complete with the traditional crowd), a thief, and a fellow pastor Betsy just happens to have an eye for.

Of course, the little twist at the end is . . . Well, I don’t dare write about that here lest I give something away. I read this and Dreaming in Black and White back to back, which proved to be an amazing experience, a bit of a reprieve from all the heavier books I’d been reading. Honestly, I hadn’t just laughed in a long while. The dialogue is well-executed the whole way through, and even if humor isn’t your thing, the ending is enough to appease even the skeptics in the crowd.

Admittedly, chicklit is not my usual preference. But, as you see from the Walker review and this one, there’s always an exception.  Heavens to Betsy had me in stitches.  I laughed so hard that my grandmother wanted to know what in the world I was cackling about. I felt it was too hilarious to keep to myself and read sections to her—which sparked thoughtful conversation about presumptions and universal tensions within the church.

Can Betsy reclaim her confidence while reconciling her clerical robe with high heels and the right shade of lipstick? This is a fun-loving look at a single girl’s life on the other side of the altar.

Genre: Chicklit

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: March 2005

Reviewed by Kaci Hill

Dreaming in Black and White was the first of four books I was given to read for review.  I’d seen it before—I worked at a bookstore, but my tastes tend to run toward darker suspense so I hadn’t considered trying other genres. That is until the package arrived.

Phoebe, our beloved protagonist, is an absolute riot. At age thirty she’s a witty writer who is searching for Mr. Right and her happy movie ending. Just when she thinks she’s getting her break life happens. Through a series of events, she’s forced to go to the one place she wants to avoid: home.

To add to her humiliation, the jerk who fired her shows up in her hometown and becomes everybody’s favorite person—except Phoebe’s.

If only her life was a movie, where everything is neatly wrapped in a little bow by the end. Then she’d have her dream-guy, a neat little house, and the writing job she’s always wanted. What more could a girl ask?  Instead she gets herself into awkward situations time and again–in front of the one person she wants to make disappear.

Dreaming in Black and White has a light, witty humor I found much needed in my reading life. I had a good time getting to know very loveable characters who know more about classic romance movies than any human being should be allowed.

And under the humor, Walker has woven some very subtle, but powerful, truths about life.  She gets into everything: jobs, family life, social life, the girl/guy relationships, everyday blunders, and a few classic tensions, just for grins.

I just hope you can keep up with the movie buff; she’ll keep you on your toes for certain.  Luckily, ladies and gentlemen, the author has listed many movie facts in the back.

I hate to say too much, or I spoil everything.  If you enjoy laughing, this book is a must-read. And I must say, I’m going to find the sequel.