Lost in Las Vegas by Melody Carlson (Book Review)

Title: Lost in Las Vegas (Book 5 in the Carter House Girls series)
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: Christian/teen fiction
Available: Feb 2009

First sentence: "Remind me to never, ever star in another high school musical again."

The book starts out with the 6 girls getting ready to go to the Winter Ball - this preparation includes actually confirming their dates, shopping for new dresses and accessories, and for Taylor and DJ (roommates, but not necessarily BFFs) a day at a posh new day spa.

DJ and Rhiannon are the Christian girls of the bunch with Eliza and Taylor being the self-professed party girls. Kriti and Casey fall somewhere in between. DJ and Rhiannon have the best time at the ball, without the alcohol offered to them and without compromising their beliefs.

Christmas break is on the horizon and DJ is looking forward to "alone" time, away from the other girls. They are leaving soon to travel to various places to stay with family and friends. DJ is staying at Carter House with her grandmother. She as decided not to go to her dad and stepmom's house, as she feels she will just become the babysitter for her twin sisters. When Taylor calls from Las Vegas (where she is spending Christmas with her mom who is performing there) claiming she is lonely and could use some company, DJ prays that if that is where God wants her to go, then he will clear the way. She is ready for some company herself!

Once in Vegas, DJ questions why God has brought her here. Is she supposed to keep Taylor out of trouble? And when Eliza arrives, will she be able to? DJ questions why she is in Vegas at all and Taylor puts her faith to the test.

Lost in Las Vegas is Book 5 in the Carter House Girls series (Mixed Bags; Stealing Bradford; Homecoming Queen; and Viva Vermont). It read okay as a stand alone, but it was hard to keep the girls straight at first. I am going to try to find the first 4 so that I can get caught up - because books 6-8 are coming out soon!

This was a very quick read for me and I would highly recommend it - especially for teen girls struggling with their faith in the real world!

For the Love of Pete by Julia Harper (Book Review)

Title: For the Love of Pete

Author: Julia Harper

Publisher: Hachette Book Group

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Fiction

First Sentence: Things finally came to a head between Zoey Addler and Lips of Sin the afternoon he tried to steal her parking space.

Special Agent Dante Torelli (Lips of Sin) has been assigned to watch over mob informant Ricky Spinoza and his family, which consists of girlfriend Nikki and baby daughter, Pete. Zoey Addler is Nikki's sister, and though she isn't supposed to know where the family is hiding, has moved into the same apartment building to be close to her niece.

When the FBI agents on duty are killed and baby Pete is kidnapped, Zoey and Dante team up to find the little girl. Throw in the Gupta sisters, some grade 1A very, very fine mangra kesar, a mob hitman and his baby son and what you have is a fast read with lots of adventure and some romance.

For me, this book was just okay. I didn't feel the chemistry between Dante and Zoey, some of their thoughts and actions seemed a little immature. Their characters also seemed a little flat. I was put off by the language of the hit man -- I get it, he is a hitman -- but in one paragraph it seemed like every third word was **** this or that. I felt it just went a little overboard. The Gupta sisters did grow on me as I read on, and their bickering and stubbornness provided some comic relief. It was a cute story and had some twists, especially near the end, but it wasn't one of my favorites. Since this is a new author for me, I will try her again.

The Red Siren by M.L. Tyndall (Book Review)

Title: The Red Siren (Charles Towne Belles/Book 1)

Author: M.L. Tyndall

Genre: Christian fiction/Romance

Publisher: Barbour Publishing Inc.

Available: January 2009

First sentence: This was Dajon Waite's last chance.

I thought twice about giving you more than the first sentence - but I want you to read the book! So now you are thinking... last chance for what? Love? Life? the Lottery? (ok.. so that last one is a little corny.. I was going for some alliteration.. )

The Red Siren is the name of a pirate ship, and also the lady pirate that commands her. She has a dual identity as the daughter, Faith (1 of 4) of an Admiral by day - and the captain of the Red Siren whenever there is a ship to plunder.

After her father married off her older sister Charity to a vile man, and Faith's mother died, Faith vowed to protect her 2 remaining sisters Hope and Grace from the same fate. She feels that she needs to acquire enough wealth, so that they will not need to rely on men to take care of them. So Faith becomes a pirate.

One of her first conquests is a ship captained by Dajon Waite. Not only does she take all of his goods, but his ship as well. This changes the course of Dajon's life and puts them back on a collision course 5 years into the future.

Can Faith save herself and her 2 sisters from Charity's fate? When Dajon reenters her life, as a captain in the British Royal Navy, will he be forced to arrest her for being a pirate? Or can the God-fearing Dajon Waite help the faithless Faith Westcott rediscover the God she thought had abandoned her?

I really liked the way the author named the daughter's Charity, Faith, Grace and Hope. We don't learn a lot about Charity in this book - just that she has been married to someone the other sisters do not like (for good reason.. ). Faith is the main character in The Red Siren, and is the one that has lost her faith. Grace is full of God's grace and does much to help the less fortunate. Hope is the youngest, and though she has been through some terrible travesties, she still has hope that there is love for her - either the love she is yearning for from her father, or from Lord Falkland.

I enjoyed reading The Red Siren - it grabbed me quick, kept up the pace throughout the book and wrapped the main story up nicely, but also left a hanger for the second book - The Blue Enchantress coming in the fall of 2009! For a peek at the cover of the Blue Enchantress - visit the author's blog here.

Come back on Monday, Jan 19 for the First Wild Card Tour!

Be Strong and Curvaceous by Shelley Adina (Book Review)

Title: Be Strong and Curvaceous (an all about us novel)
Author: Shelley Adina
Publisher: Faith Words a division of Hachette Books
Genre: YA/Christian Fiction
Available: January 2009

First sentence: Be careful what you wish for.

I read this book for First Wild Card Tour and I loved it! I am hoping (and praying) that my daughters will read these books. I have requested the first one in the series from our public library's interlibrary loan service. But I am getting ahead of myself - let me tell you a little about this book.

Be Strong and Curvaceous is the third book in the 'all about us' series - but it was also very good as a stand alone. The hardest thing about reading it first was just getting the cast of characters set in my mind. Carly, Lissa and Gillian are all students (juniors) at Spencer Academy in San Francisco. They have just started the spring term and upon arriving back at school, Carly discovers that she has a new roommate - "Mac" who we later discover is Lady Lindsay MacPhail, daughter of the Earl of Strathcairn. Mac isn't at the school long before she publicly humiliates Vanessa Talbot (the "it" girl at the school) and puts up a wall that Carly isn't sure she wants to negotiate. Adding to Carly's confusion is that she just became a Christian and is sure that this isn't the Christian thing to do! Mac could also help her reach her goal of designing a dress in the Design Your Dream Event - if only she hadn't taken on Vanessa. To make matters worse, in seems like Mac also has her eyes on Brett, Carly's crush!

This book has romance, rivalry, responsibility, friendship, adventure, and most importantly God! I want my daughter to read it so that she can see that she can talk with God in any and all circumstances - even boys! This would be a great read for a teenage girl. I can't wait to get the first book!

Chick Lit Challenge

From January 1 through December 31, 2009, read at least 10 chick lit books. Books can overlap with other challenges and you can change your list at any time. I am hoping to fulfill this challenge by just reading either my ARC's or books for other challenges - so I will be filling in my list as I go. It is being hosted over at the Twiga Blog and you can go there to leave a comment to sign up.

1. Be Strong and Curvaceous - Shelley Adina
2. The Red Siren - M.L. Tyndall
3. For the Love of Pete - Julia Harper
4. Lost in Las Vegas - Melody Carlson
5. Scrapping Plans - Rebeca Seitz
6. The Valentine Edition - Robin Shope
7. It's All About Us - Shelley Adina
8. John's Quest - Cecelia Dowdy
9. Simple Wishes - Lisa Dale
10. The Spring of Candy Apples - Debbie Viguie
11. Age Before Beauty - Virginia Smith
12. The Fruit of My Lipstick - Shelley Adina
13. Marked by Passion - Kate Perry
14. Katt's in the Cradle - Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell
15. Deadly Charm - Claudia Mair Burney
16. Yesterday's Embers - Deborah Raney
17. An Offer You Can't Refuse - Jill Mansell
18. The Girl She Used To Be - David Cristofano
19. The Lost Hours - Karen White
20. So Not Happening - Jenny B. Jones
21. Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man - Claudia Mair Burney
22. New York Debut - Melody Carlson
23. Wild Highland Magic - Kendra Leigh Castle