This Could Change Everything: A Review

This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have read many Jill Mansell books over the years, and this newest novel does not disappoint. I enjoyed everything about it. For fans of Jill Mansell in the US, you might want to know that this is not a reboot of an earlier book, but an entirely new novel that was also published this year in the UK.

This Could Change Everything is a very good Jill Mansell novel. The characters, the location, the situations that range from ridiculous to very real...it has it all. I would recommend this book to new readers of Jill Mansell, because it's a good example of her work. It also makes a terrific summer read that is fun and enjoyable.

From an aesthetic standpoint, this cover is much different from her other covers in the US, which were a certain style of very cute, but also distinctive. I don't know if it's rebranding, or has to do with the fact that often her books in the US are reissues of her earlier novels. Whatever the reason, I love the cover.

I recommend this book for fans of chick lit, lighthearted women's lit, fans of sassy older lady characters, and happily-ever-after endings.

The Book of Essie: A Review

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

I got this book as part of my first Book of the Month box. It was a riveting read, and I had a difficult time putting it down. I was both amazed at Essie's knowledge and manipulation of the system she grew up in, and saddened that people have had to learn to live this way in the public eye. I know from reading a few other reviews that some people felt the end was predictable--and perhaps in a way it was--but it was nice to have things tied together in a way that seemed right for these characters that had gone through so much pain in this story.

I really struggled with whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars, because I felt that some of Roarke's chapters sounded less like a teenage boy than I think is realistic. Even considering that he is very smart and obviously exceptional in many ways, I think his narration sounded more like the other characters' points of view than like his own. Also, there were some things I felt needed more clarity in the backstory that were just not there. Too many variables meant I had a tough time with some of the characterizations. (And yes, I know this observation is vague, but #spoilers.)

In terms of church culture, I think it's consistent within itself. I recognized a few allusions that might be missed by someone who did not grow up in a conservative or evangelical church, which were a bit like finding Easter eggs. This book examines a lot of things about church and yes, cults, that are important. At the end of the day, however, as a Christian I am not willing to throw out the capital-c Church. Do we need to think about our faith? Yes. Do we need to check our attitude about our own congregations, pastors, and beliefs? Yes. Do we need to treat everyone with care and kindness? Absolutely. Do we need to abandon the church altogether? I don't believe so. The ending of the book will not please everyone, but at the end of the day I come back to Jesus's words in Matthew 22, His version of the Jewish prayer Sh'ma:
"Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Overall, I think this book is a very good story with an overall message of hope.


#BookoftheMonth #TheBookofEssie

Paris Ever After: a review

Paris Ever After by K.S.R. Burns
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars.

Synopsis: Amy didn’t realize how stale her life was until she jetted off to Paris without telling a soul—not even her husband—and had the adventure of a lifetime.

Then on Amy’s thirtieth birthday, two unexpected visitors leave her wondering if she will soon be saying au revoir to Paris and the new life she’s struggled to build. Her estranged husband, Will, shows up—but is he interested in reconciliation or separation? And a young woman who arrives on Amy’s doorstep unleashes chaos that could push Amy out into the street.

As Amy’s Parisian dream starts to fall apart, she must decide: return to the stability of Will and Phoenix (if that’s even still an option) or forge her way forward in Paris? Amid secrets and surprises, set in enchanting gardens, cozy cafés, and glittering Parisian streets, Amy must choose between two very different worlds. And each has a claim on her heart.

I will be honest and say I did not love this book. I liked it enough to finish, but not enough to recommend wholeheartedly. Granted, it is the second book in a series (the first one being The Paris Effect). I liked the characterization, and of course with a setting like Paris, it is très magnifique. However, like the main character, the plot seemed as if it wandered aimlessly around the streets of Paris for a long time before it wrapped up rather quickly at the end. And that is what I did not love about it.

If you are a fan of anything Parisian, or of expatriate stories in France, this will be a book that you enjoy (and probably the first one from this author as well).

Falling for You

Falling for You by Becky Wade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Falling for You is the second in a series by Becky Wade.

Synopsis: Willow Bradford is content taking a break from modeling to run her family's inn until she comes face-to-face with NFL quarterback Corbin Stewart, the man who broke her heart--and wants to win her back. When a decades-old missing-persons case brings them together, they're forced to decide whether they can risk falling for one another all over again.

Unlike the first book in the series, this book dealt with characters with professions of which I have no background knowledge: fashion modeling and professional sports. However, the struggles of the characters were believable--many things within the human experience are universal, after all. I actually found myself more engaged in the subplot with Charlotte searching for her great-aunt, who went missing long before she was born. The mystery of that and the investigative process, although possibly meant to get Willow and Corbin back together, was more engaging for me than seeing if the two leads were truly going to work out their differences.

I enjoyed the book, and it was well-written, but like many series I've read it has a bit of "book two" syndrome, perhaps a bridge between the first and third. Nevertheless, I will definitely read book three, because that story will be a really good one based on the hints the author drops within this book.

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian women's fiction.
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FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book on NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.