I had a blast reading the first book featuring Taylor’s character, Forsaken, and was eager to read more about her adventures. I had really liked Jordan’s style of writing in the first book and how he had managed to create a female character who was both strong and vulnerable at the same time. I was not disappointed when picking up the sequel and continuing Taylor’s story. Once again, Jordan is able to write convincingly as a first person female. Too many times, other male authors try to write in the same tone and fail because they cannot seem to grasp how females actually think. In this book, I actually forgot that the book had been written by a male, as Taylor is able to both kick butt yet feel like a woman at the same time.

The story tackles tough subjects normally not seen in Christian fiction such as prostitution and embezzling among other Christians. Taylor’s tactics at finding out the truth about the situation were quite clever. She’s very level headed and does not allow emotion to come between her line of work. Something that I found extremely refreshing was a lack of a romantic storyline. I say this because usually when a male writes in first person female, there always has to be a romantic subplot to show that even the tough as nails female secret agent has a soft sensitive side and turns to jelly at the sight of a man. Jordan, thankfully, does not resort to this stereotype to make Taylor’s character well rounded. The situation with her mother fulfills this need, which I felt was a much better way at making her character more dimensional. While there are hints at possible relationships, it’s not a main focus of the story and therefore not a distraction.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I will admit it wasn’t as fast paced as the first novel had been, but it’s still an adventure story and quite suspenseful. The plot is relevant in today’s age and one that could be seen on the nightly news. I really liked seeing Taylor and Kacey work together especially with that interesting bond that ties them together. I really hope we’ll hear more from them in a future book.

I am a HUGE fan of Jenny’s YA books and have been for the past few years so I was totally eager to read her first adult fiction novel. Her YA books are totally fun to read and really speak to me so I had high expectations for this book. I was definitely not disappointed. Even though Maggie is older than Jenny’s past protagonist, she still in a voice that I could totally relate to. Maggie gives a lot of one-liners and can be quite sarcastic at times which adds to the humor in the book. It’s good she does that because there’s a lot of heavy material in the book to tackle. Her relationship with her niece is a highlight of the book as we watch them grow together.

The part of the book that stood out most to me was the entire dynamic of Maggie’s family. She’s had to bear the weight of being present while her mother committed suicide and then having a mentally unstable sister blame her for it. Plus her father seems to care more about hiding the situation than being there for the daughter that really needs him. I was so glad when she confronted her father. He honestly made me mad while reading the book. I know I say this now while I don’t have kids, but there is no way I am going to knowingly fund my child’s drug habit and pretend to myself that I’m “helping” them.

One thing I was really worried about was that I was afraid Maggie was going to have give up all her dreams just to stay back at home. Many books have this storyline where the main character has left home to find their dreams but then end up having to return to fulfill family obligations and thus sacrifice their future plans. While family is always important, I just hate having to see people give up careers they’ve worked so hard for. Thankfully that does not happen in this book. Without giving away any huge spoilers, I was pleased that Maggie was able to fulfill both her duty to family and accomplish the dream she’s always wanted.

As I said before I really enjoyed reading this book. Jenny’s style of writing is really easy to read and thrusts you into the story so you feel like you are a part of it. The characters come to life and are extremely realistic. There aren’t too many Christian books that wouldn’t let a character like Allison end up the way she does without a happy ending or without getting magically healed. I was really pleased with this book and it’s probably one of my favorite reads of the year. If you haven’t read any of Jenny’s books (or even if you have) this is definite must read. HIGHLY recommended.

When I finished the first book in this series, A Passion Most Pure, I hated Charity. Honestly, I wanted to slap the sense out of that girl. I honestly haven’t really hated a character so much in my life. I guess it was mainly because she reminded me of girls I knew in school, who got away with everything especially the guys that you happened to like. I was told that with this book however that my feelings for her would change because Charity would get what’s coming to her and a change of heart as well.

Sadly, after finishing this story I am STILL not a fan of Charity. I will admit I am more sympathetic of her after finding out what happened in the past. Also there are scenes that happen in the book that even I felt extremely sorry and hurt for her. No matter what she could have done, she definitely did not deserve to be treated in that way. However, even that does not totally excuse her behavior. I swear that girl just does not learn from her mistakes or anything that happens in her life. She gets by and rewarded because of her looks which she uses to her advantage. I also got really mad that Mitch somehow became the bad guy at the end of the book when it was ENTIRELY Charity’s fault! In fact, the one instance where Charity seems to have any sort of heart would have to be how she acts with her co-worker Emma. Due to the situation with Emma’s abusive husband, this is the one time where Charity seems to care more about another person’s well being than herself. She even uses the negative situation she finds herself in to help Emma finally see the light and get out of that relationship.

There are some conservative readers who find these books to be really racy and practically pornographic. Honestly, I really scoff at this. Sorry, but I find these books to be extremely refreshing and true to life. To say that just because someone is a Christian and does not feel passion or any other romantic feelings is lying to yourself. I sound harsh but it really does get on my nerves about this. Pretty much if you don’t read Christian fiction and you pick up this book, you will find it really tame compared to the general market books that are out there. If you are the type of person who blushes at the thought of holding hands with a guy, this book is probably not for you.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this book. As I said, I still am annoyed by Charity but the story itself is very engaging and I was glad to revisit with the O’Connor family again. Another wonderful thing about this book is that it’s really long and thick, which makes a for a splendid way to pass an entire day by reading this tome. I’ll be looking forward to picking up the final book in the series, both to read Lizzie’s story and perhaps to see if I end up liking Charity a bit more!

This is a topic that almost any high school girl can totally relate to. Clothes are almost the biggest factor of what makes you part of the in crowd and what leave you on the outskirts. These days especially, labels are the ticket to popularity. Having lots of money almost guarantees being in the in crowd. Why are we so fascinated with having lots of money? Melody Carlson perfectly translates the feelings of a teen girl struggling with not having the money to buy everything and having to face those who do.

I was a bit worried at first that Hannah would be a total goody two shoe because of her background. She is a bit naive about somethings because she hasn’t been in the country that long and isn’t up to the pop culture. However she acts pretty normal which is good because it’s more relatable to reader. Ikept getting really annoyed with Vanessa throughout the book. The same with her mother as well. I cannot stand being around those type of people and it just made me want to scream throughout the entire book. I can accept this type of behavior if you earned the money you were spending. However, teens who spend credit cards using their parents money “just cause” really annoys me. I wish all parents realized that giving your kids everything they want does not make them love you more or make you a better parent. That being said, I rather enjoyed the ending and what happened to Vanessa and her mom. Almost like justice was finally served.

Something I found a bit weird and annoying after awhile was the continued calling of Ross Dress for Less. Let me say, I love the store. I get stuff there all the time. They have great deals and a really good selection. I just have never heard anyone keep calling it by it’s full name. I could understand the first time it was mentioned but repeatedly calling it that way? At that point, it seemed like an ad for them, and that Ross Dress for Less had paid for product placement.

Other than this, I really enjoyed this book. The subject matter is one that many teen girls will be able to relate to and even women in their 20s and 30s can get advice out of this book. Sadly we live in a material world and when you don’t share that lifestyle it can be incredibly hard. Again another great YA book from Melody Carlson.

This is the third book in the Sullivan Crisp series and the third book that again has unhappy characters in it. Right from the get go, the reader immediately learns that Ryan is not a happy woman. She’s divorced, she doesn’t have custody of her kids and she has major anger management issues. Then her son is accused of murder and a hate crime. It’s a mom’s worst nightmare and Ryan has trouble trying to figure out how to handle it. Ryan’s story, while unique for Christian fiction, is not unfamiliar as there are many parents and women who have gone through what she does. From her career to trying to handle both her children to dealing with her ex-husband’s new girlfriend, she struggles with how to manage it all.

I wonder about soccer moms sometimes. I really hope when that time in my life comes that I am not like most of the moms portrayed in the book. And then thing is, the book doesn’t focus on stereotypes. I know moms who act exactly like that too. It was nice though to see that some of them do have a friendlier, less competitive side as well.

To be honest, while I enjoyed Ryan’s story, I really wanted to read more about Sully’s story. This is probably because this is now the third book where we are learning more and more about what really happened with his wife. It’s quite funny because while I was reading the first book, I had complained that the sections on Sully were slow and took away from the story. Now with this book I felt like there wasn’t of it! I was a bit disappointed about what happened to Belinda. I was hoping for justice and an explanation, and perhaps even remorse. Instead, it felt like a cop-out resolution. I think it bothered me because there are people who think like her out there and use Christianity as an excuse to spread their beliefs and can potentially harm others. I did appreciate how Sully has grown since the first book. If he had found Belinda then, the same result would have probably happen by his own hands, yet now he had planned on just talking to her.

Overall I enjoyed the story. It’s not your typical Christian fiction. The characters here are flawed and come across very real. It is very refreshing to read about characters that DO have problems and don’t always want to fix them. I know this book wraps up the series and while I am sad to see the story end, I really would love to read another book more about the Belinda issues. I think that would make for a fascinating read.

As I said after reading the first book in this series, I never would have thought to see a Christian fiction book about Trophy Wives. This is because this subject is practically taboo to most Christians and also because a lot of these wives suddenly find themselves divorced.

Why did I really like this story? It’s because the characters are flawed and realistic. I am one of those readers who gets really tired of reading about cookie cutter Christians who do all the right things and are practically perfect in every way. While some of those people may exist, it is not real life. The characters in this story have been hurt and are confused about how they should react to that pain. It would be have been very unrealistic for them to immediately turn everything over to God and become happy and forget about their past. It’s a little bit odd at first that Jane and Lindsay get along with each other. I’m not sure if I was either woman if I would have wanted to be near the “other woman” in my husband’s life. Granted they didn’t like each other in the beginning and both were wary and suspicious of each other. Eventually they learn to trust each other and, while not being the best of friends, have been able to become able accept and confide in one another. While this book is not overtly preachy, it is because of faith that these two are able to do this. Otherwise, this story would have taken the path out of a plot from a Desperate Housewives episode.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The cover looks like it’s fluffy chick lit but I don’t think it fits that genre since the subject matter is more serious. It’s not for everyone. Those who think that Christians shouldn’t be flawed or that marriages will always have happy endings won’t like this book. However if you want a realistic work of fiction that looks deeper at issues that aren’t normally talked about in Christian fiction but with a light touch, this book will be perfect for you.

It’s time for another adventure with the Carter Girls and this is time we get to visit New York City and discover the fashion world. This book is perfect for those who watch shows like America’s Top Model or Project Runaway as the reader is taken behind the scenes of fashion shows and runway models. Since the story is from DJ’s perspective, she’s not really interested in this subject which I totally can relate with her. Her grandmother thinks that this should be the high point in her life and strives to make DJ and the other Carter House girls into the model-types she thinks they should be.

It was really nice to see Taylor come back from rehab and be a changed person. She’s not 100% changed, as that would be totally unrealistic, but she does now have a sense of maturity that she didn’t show in previous books. Interestingly all her bad traits now seemed to have been passed on to Eliza, who has decided to become the house’s mean girl. There is also a plot involving anorexia which is relevant to the main storyline about fashion. Even though it’s a subject tackled many times in YA books, it’s still relevant and important to mention. This story isn’t as far fetched as the previous story set in Las Vegas, although the girls still display independence in a big city that I could have only dreamed of when I was that age. I’m still not really a fan of DJ’s grandmother but she is starting to change. Slowly but at least it’s finally happening.

To be honest I really don’t understand why mainstream YA readers have been avoiding this series or other Melody Carlson books. Yes there are characters in these books that happen to be Christian but the story lines are not preachy. The plots rival those being published by mainstream publishers and the characters go through almost exactly the same events. Even the covers are spiffy enough to stand next to each other. I’m not sure if it’s because of marketing or the fact that these books are on a Christian publisher but I just never see mainstream YA bloggers ever talking about these books. Hopefully that will eventually change because I really think they would enjoy these books. I know I do! Overall this is another great addition to the series and I’m looking forward to the next book!

It’s time for another adventure with the Carter Girls and this is time we get to visit New York City and discover the fashion world. This book is perfect for those who watch shows like America’s Top Model or Project Runaway as the reader is taken behind the scenes of fashion shows and runway models. Since the story is from DJ’s perspective, she’s not really interested in this subject which I totally can relate with her. Her grandmother thinks that this should be the high point in her life and strives to make DJ and the other Carter House girls into the model-types she thinks they should be.

It was really nice to see Taylor come back from rehab and be a changed person. She’s not 100% changed, as that would be totally unrealistic, but she does now have a sense of maturity that she didn’t show in previous books. Interestingly all her bad traits now seemed to have been passed on to Eliza, who has decided to become the house’s mean girl. There is also a plot involving anorexia which is relevant to the main storyline about fashion. Even though it’s a subject tackled many times in YA books, it’s still relevant and important to mention. This story isn’t as far fetched as the previous story set in Las Vegas, although the girls still display independence in a big city that I could have only dreamed of when I was that age. I’m still not really a fan of DJ’s grandmother but she is starting to change. Slowly but at least it’s finally happening.

To be honest I really don’t understand why mainstream YA readers have been avoiding this series or other Melody Carlson books. Yes there are characters in these books that happen to be Christian but the story lines are not preachy. The plots rival those being published by mainstream publishers and the characters go through almost exactly the same events. Even the covers are spiffy enough to stand next to each other. I’m not sure if it’s because of marketing or the fact that these books are on a Christian publisher but I just never see mainstream YA bloggers ever talking about these books. Hopefully that will eventually change because I really think they would enjoy these books. I know I do! Overall this is another great addition to the series and I’m looking forward to the next book!

The final book of the Brides of Gallatin brings an end to the series of these three sisters. It’s finally time to tell Lacy’s tale and see the struggles she’s felt since the day her father died. She’s been handling everything alone and keeping it from her sisters. Honestly I just really could not get into this story. I enjoyed it for an easy afternoon read but I didn’t really moved or inspired by it. There were times when I got frustrated with the characters and their actions. I have never been a fan of Cubby since the first book and this book only solidifies my reasons. Even though Lacy is very able to take care of herself, she’s very stubborn and extremely strong willed. I’m not saying that she needed a man to look out for her, but being on her own is not the best for her as she does not make smart decisions. I really didn’t feel chemistry between her and Dave. It’s too much of the “oh I shouldn’t have done that” after a kiss type of deal which I loathe. Also the historical aspect of the book is downplayed. The story just takes places back in the day, any historical events are not really a factor in the book.

To be honest, I really did not think this was Tracie’s best series. The characters didn’t really stick with me and I never really felt like I could get into the story. There’s a lot of stereotypes of women and the West in general that take place in this book. Also the storyline seemed very predictable and sometimes a bit too unbelievable. I felt like I knew what was going to happen as soon as I started reading. That being said though, I did enjoy this book because I always enjoy Tracie’s books. Even with its faults, it still makes for comfort reading because I know I’m going to be in for a good story. The novel might have had its faults but it does make for a good read. I just hope that future books will be a bit more enlightening!

Lori Copeland has written another book to remind us what is the true meaning of Christmas. The town of Nativity has been suffering from the lack of economy and have called in a financial consultant to help them with their money woes. However as soon as Jake arrives, he gets off to a bad start with the townsfolk by nearly wrecking their beloved Christmas tree. Jake soon finds that the town is so involved with tradition in keeping an ideal Christmas that it’s easy to see why they are in debt. As he tries to wean them from their long standing traditions, both him and the town learn what should be important during the holiday season. This book is a really great way to get into the holiday season but it also shows what we should also be focusing on. The town, while having good intentions, seem to be set in their ways and didn’t want to change things even though they were suffering. Even when told how their continued ways would bring on the town’s demise, they were still adamant on keeping things just as they were because they were comfortable with it. I could totally understand Jake’s frustration with the townsfolk and Roni. They needed help but wouldn’t accept it. This book has several lessons running throughout it which really makes you think about not only the holiday season but what we put importance on.

I was EXTREMELY geeked to read about the lamp from A Christmas Story! It’s one of my family’s favorite Christmas movies and we always get a kick out of watching it every year. In fact my sisters’ bought a miniature version of the lamp for my husband for Christmas while we were dating.

The only little qualm I had with the story is how fast Roni and Jake’s relationship progressed. He’s been in town for only a few weeks and by the end of the story they are already in love. I just didn’t feel like it was very realistic and not very encouraging to other advice that tells you not to fall in love too quickly. Other than that, I enjoyed the book. It’s a quick read and it does get you in the holiday spirit. It’s good to have reminders of why we celebrate Christmas and where to place importance on during this hectic season.