MY REVIEW:
Sandra Bricker has been one of my go-to authors when I was in the mood for a fun and light-hearted read. Her latest novel, “On a Ring and a Prayer” definitely has its share of fun and amusing scenes but in some aspects, this one seems to have even more substance than usual.
“On a Ring and a Prayer” is populated with strong characters who I enjoyed getting to know. I quickly found myself wrapped up in their lives and had to keep turning those pages in order to learn what would happen next. Naturally I hated what had happened to Jessie and admired how she responded to her less-than-perfect change of lifestyle. I found myself rooting for her and Danny to connect but really didn’t see how that could happen. Of course, Sandra found a way to deliver the perfect yet believable happy ending.
As expected, I enjoyed Sandra’s latest book and would recommend it and any of her other novels. I sincerely hope that I will find myself reading a future novel that features some of the great characters I met in this one.
This book was provided for review by the Amazon Vine program.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Twelve years of marriage, 4,000 square feet of dream house, and a handsome husband. Jessie Stanton has it all… until one fateful afternoon when she notices her BMW bouncing by the window behind a tow truck. Her husband has gone, and he’s taken it all. The whirling tornado that cuts down the life she’s built drops Jessie onto the sandy beach of Malibu with a thud, penniless and alone. When all she’s left with are the designer labels in her closet and the dreamy Neil Lane rock on her finger, Jessie tries to make ends meet by pawning her prized ring to fund a new business venture: a small shop where her designer duds and shimmering accessories are temporarily leased out to Southern California women with champagne tastes but root beer realities. As Jessie tries to rebuild, she realizes she can’t move on, not without answers. Reluctantly, Jessie turns to beach bum/private investigator Danny Callahan for help. But is she staking her future success and happiness…on a ring and a prayer?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
For more than a decade, Sandra D. Bricker lived in Los Angeles. While honing her chosen craft of screenwriting in every spare moment, she worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television’s hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she walked away from that segment of her life and moved across the country to take on a new role: Caregiver.
The author says that it was her 8th novel that opened the door to finding her way as a writer. “I’m a Christian woman, first and foremost,” she says. “So it was a bit of a dream-come-true when Summerside Press chose me as one of two authors to launch the Love Finds You line.”
Sandie’s real-life role as cancer survivor has parlayed into her steadfast commitment to raising awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research. Spearheading a series of devotionals for Summerside Press (such as the popular His Grace is Sufficient…Decaf is Not), the author has stipulated that a portion of each contributor’s proceeds will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
“Being allowed to combine my faith and my humor with raising funds for my pet projects … and still pursue my writing dream,” says Bricker, “well, that’s the best of all worlds, as far as I’m concerned!”
And one of the author’s pet projects is animal rescue, evidenced by the special bond she has created with one particular formerly-abandoned puppy — a red-haired collie with “killer brown eyes and the heart of the class clown.”
