Don't Kiss Him Goodbye

Don't Kiss Him Goodbyre
By Sandra Byrd

Don't Kiss Him Goodbye is the third installment of Sandra Byrd's London Confidential series(read the first two Asking For Trouble and Through Thick and Thin). Savvy Smith has been living near London, England for almost a year now beginning to settle in and feel like she is making friends. As spring arrives she learns of the annual May Day Ball and longs to be asked. Savvy makes a list of all her potential dates only to see they already have asked someone. All except for one that is, the mysterious and good-looking Rhys who seems interested in her but who also has a reputation for trouble. What will Savvy do? Follow her heart? Or follow what she knows to be true?




Each Savvy Smith book draws me in more and more. I have really begun to not only like Savvy but to care about and root for her to make the right decisions, intrigued how she is so easily torn between two worlds.



This is a light and fun read written so descriptively you’ll keep turning the pages.



Favorite Line:

"We locked eyes for a moment and felt the bond of the sisterhood between two Christians who has hopes and dreams that seemed to have stalled over the Bermuda Triangle."


I received this book free for review from Tyndale House Publishers
Rating: 5 carats

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Through Thick and Thin

Through Thick and Thin
By Sandra Byrd

Through Thick and Thin is the second book in Sandra Byrd's London Confidential series,(read the review of Asking For Trouble) Savannah Smith is starting to settle into her new life near London, England and soon sees the opportunity she has been waiting for - a chance to write a column for the school newspaper. Savvy carefully plots out her plan of action and is determined to execute it but when things start to unravel she is forced to choose between her family and friends or her dream job.




I really liked digging deeper into Savvy's life. Her biggest struggle was wanting to liked with real friends however it seems as though having people like her comes at a price which causes Savvy to dislike herself and hurt some people she cares deeply for.



Sandra Byrd did a great job of showing Savvy's challenges of going after her dreams and staying true to who she is while throwing in dashes of British culture and fashion.



Favorite Line:

"Chic through thick and thin."


Rating: 5 carats

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The Shape of Mercy

The Shape of Mercy

By Susan Meissner
Having grown up in a wealthy family, Lauren decides to defy the tradition of relying on family money and step out on her own. She attends a public college and has to fend for herself. Always interested in literature, Lauren sees an ad for a transcription job and immediately applies. Lauren gets the job. Her first assignment is to transcribe the diary of a teenage girl, Mercy Hayworth, set during the Salem witch trials, and is soon drawn into a tale she knows will end in heartbreak. As Lauren digs deeper into the diary she begins to see herself and her life in a new light.




Just as Lauren was drawn into Mercy's story I was drawn into this book. Lauren gripped me with her love for the written word and her determination to make a life for herself. I loved following both Lauren and Mercy as they asked themselves the same question about life and where they were going while living in two different eras, experiencing different situations. It proves that no matter how different we seem on the outside we are still similar on the inside.



I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator had a gentle, almost haunting voice which seemed perfect for the scenes of the witch trial.



I received this book free for review from Christianaudio.com



Favorite Line:

"We understand what we want to understand. That's the way it is, the way it will always be."

Rating: 5 carats

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The Gingerbread Season

The Gingerbread Season
By Betsy St Amant

About the book:
Allie James returns to her hometown in need of a holiday job. Never did she expect old boyfriend Jordan Walker to hire her as his secretary! Years ago Jordan shredded her heart like wrapping paper. Now he must convince Allie that all he wants for Christmas is her love.

                                                     

About the author:



Betsy St. Amant lives in Louisiana and is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers group. Betsy is multi-published through Steeple Hill and has been published in Christian Communicator magazine and Praise Reports: Inspiring Real Life Stories of How God Answers Prayer. One of her short stories, ‘Kickboxing or Chocolate’, appears in a Tyndale compilation book, and she is also multi-published through The Wild Rose Press. Betsy has a BA in Christian Communications and regularly contributes articles to Crosswalk.com. She is a wife, author, new mother and an avid reader who enjoys sharing the wonders of God’s grace through her stories.

My Review:
The Gingerbread Season is the second story in the Christmas novel, Mistletoe Prayers. Allie James feels like all she has worked for is gone. The business she went against her parents’ wishes to start has crumbled and she has found herself single, unemployed, and moving back in with her parents - not what Allie had always dreamed. Thinking this is only temporary Allie takes a holiday job only to find out her boss, Jordan Walker, is the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart 10 years ago.




The story switches between the perspectives of both Jordan and Allie. I really liked the point of view changes because it was easy to see how both were feeling despite the front they each put forward. The main characters were very well developed and I could easily sense the awkwardness each felt inside.



Betsy St Amant crafted Allie to be in touch with her feelings while trying very hard to push them down. A reader can really sense the struggle brewing inside of Allie as well as her love for the Christmas season and her determination not to let her current disappointments ruin her favorite holiday. I loved how there were so many fun traditions in the little town and how much the people in the story care about the town.

Favorite Line:

"Every gift comes with struggles."

Rating: 5 carats

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