She’s Gone Country by Jane Porter. © 2010 5 Spot. ISBN 9780446509411. Trade Paperback. Fiction/Chick Lit. 383 pages. $13.99 US. Source: review copy

• Shop Indie Bookstores
• Order Online from Amazon

Synopsis: Shey Darcy, a 39-year-old former top model for Vogue and Sports Illustrated led a charmed life in New York City with a handsome photographer husband until the day he announced he’d fallen in love with someone else. Left to pick up the pieces of her once happy world, Shey decides to move back home to Texas with her three teenage sons. Life on the family ranch, however, brings with it a whole new host of dramas starting with differences of opinion with her staunch Southern Baptist mother, her rugged but overprotective brothers, and daily battles with her three sons who are also struggling to find themselves. Add to the mix Shey’s ex-crush, Dane Kelly, a national bullriding champ and she’s got her hands full. It doesn’t take long before Shey realizes that in order to reinvent herself, she must let go of an uncertain future and a broken past, to find happiness–and maybe love–in the present.

Review: It didn’t take long in reading this book for me to get major Hope Floats flashbacks. I kept thinking, “haven’t I seen this somewhere before?” Woman’s marriage fails, she moves offspring from the bustling city back to the rural home of her childhood, meets man from past and falls in love…and then all is well in the world.

She’s Gone Country was a quick, light read—and even went a little deeper and darker at times, bringing up topics of homosexuality, bi-polar depression and bullying/cyber-bullying, but no issue was covered in much detail to really say that this book has a lot of meat—and was good enough that I perhaps wouldn’t mind reading more of Jane Porter.

I enjoyed reading this book, but by the end I couldn’t shake the feeling that Shey’s life only seemed to get better once Dane was finally a part of it. Which perpetuates the whole “a woman needs a man” cliché that I hate. I would liked to see Shey become once again the strong confident woman she was before her failed marriage … but on her own, sans the man.

Overall, not scary good but not horrible either. Rating: 3/5

Teresa

Teresa (nom de plume: Torrance Sené) is a self-proclaimed geek, a Janeite, a lover of werewolves and bad-ass angels, an aspiring novelist and an avid book reader who freelances as a web designer. You can follow her on Twitter at @eireannoir.

Website - More Posts

Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd. © 2007 WaterBrook Press. ISBN 1400073278. Paperback. Christian Fiction. 320 pages. [ Purchase ] Source: local library

As a recent college graduate living in Seattle having studied (though not majoring in it) French, it’s fairly safe to say I could relate to the main character of this novel, Lexi Stuart who lives in Seattle with her parents and finds herself working in a French bakery. As no exception to the “Christian chick-lit” genre, this book leans heavily upon the tried-and-true model of an initially single character who has fallen away from her relationship with God and is at some sort of crossroads. Lexi struggles with her parents’ upcoming move and the necessity of finding a place of her own (that she can afford), finding meaningful work that uses the degree she slaved over, and the frustration that is everyone else in her life finding their perfect someone.

Somewhat needless to say the book is predictable. This is the first in a series and pretty sure I can even predict what happens in the next book just based on a few lines of conversation that were slipped in toward the end. I enjoyed relating to the character, and it was a nice fluffy read. As an English  graduate, I invariably look to more than just the number of times I laughed or rolled my eyes, I look to the writing. I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting Pulitzer quality going into it, and my expectations were met. This type of novel has a pretty standard style, and Byrd doesn’t deviate from it. She (or her editor) throws in some “illustrations” that try to be original but come off cutesy and young.

Overall, I was entertained. I wouldn’t say I wasted my time, and I did finish the book. But if you’re looking at it on the shelf, consider carefully what you’re looking to find from the book. If it’s quality literature or surprises, maybe try the classics shelf. If you just want something to accompany your mug of hot cocoa and that won’t take too much of your time, this isn’t a bad choice.

Allison

Allison Dauer, 24, works in corporate IT but dreams of an editorial career in the book publishing field. Visit her at her blog Sparsile.

Website - More Posts