Spring Breakdown by Melody Carlson

by | Feb 2, 2010 | Books, Chick Lit, Contemporary Fiction, Teen, Young Adult

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Today’s Wild Card author is:



and the book:


Spring Breakdown (Carter House Girls)

Zondervan (February 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to Bridgette Brooks of ZONDERKIDZ for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. “I think real-life experiences inspire the best friction,” she says. Her wide variety of books seems to prove this theory.

Visit the author’s website.


Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (February 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031071494X
ISBN-13: 978-0310714941

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER: Just press the button!

MY REVIEW:

Spring Breakdown is the newest installment of the Carter House Girls series. Mrs. Carter and the girls travel to Florida during spring break for a relaxing holiday and a chance for the girls to model again. When all the boys show up, things are not quite as relaxing as Mrs. Carter planned and a crisis upsets the entire crew.  As in previous books, there is the usual rivalry between some of the girls, problems with teen drinking and sex, etc. – pretty much the usual issues teens face every day. But, as always, Melody Carlson has taken the opportunity to illustrate the consequences that follow such behavior. In Spring Breakdown, the girls learn a valuable lesson about loving their enemies.

I may have said this before but I wish this series had been available when my daughter was a teen. The books are easily read with content that interests most teen girls such as fashion, boys, sports, music, etc. When rich spiritual content is added to the mix, what more could a mother ask? I highly recommend Spring Breakdown and the rest of this series. If you have a teen daughter, do both of you a favor and run out and buy the entire series.

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

by | Feb 1, 2010 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Suspense

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Beguiled

(Bethany House March 1, 2007)

by

Deeanne Gist

and J. Mark Bertrand


ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of parenting products called “I Did It!® Productions” and a degree from Texas A&M, she continues her writing and speaking. She and her family live in Houston, Texas.
J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her… Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston’s wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.

Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?

If you’d like to read the first chapter of  Beguiled, go HERE.

Check out their video:

MY REVIEW:

I have always enjoyed books by Deeanne Gist but her collaboration with Mark Bertrand for Beguiled took things to a new level in my opinion. The romantic aspect developed naturally while the mystery and suspense built at the ideal tempo with just the right balance of humor. All characters were perfectly defined and authentic. The city of Charleston was the perfect setting and the authors brought it to life with all its beauty by day and ominous atmosphere by night. I would have liked to see a bit more spiritual content but won’t complain too much about that.

I really enjoyed Beguiled and hope that Deeanne and Mark will write more books together soon.