Reviews 















LDS Fiction: Taking Chances
March 31, 2009
 
This is a great little read. I shall analyze it briefly based on my Romance Rules:
 
1-The plot is not a bad imitation of Pride and Prejudice. It’s a good imitation of Pride and Prejudice. The protagonists do dislike each other from the start, but she handles it pretty well, and the dislike is funny and character-based, not random.
 
2-The married-but-still-need-to-fall-in-love plot. Doesn’t apply; that’s not the plot here.
 
3-The characters cared about more than the romance! Maggie is engaged with her art, and also with confronting her mother’s abused past. She’s got depth because she truly cares about more than just her romance with Luke. She’s also dealing with the town’s gossip. And her need to heal and forgive her grandma. All kinds of layers there. Go Maggie!
 
4-The physical description was not too heavy-handed for me. Almost, but not quite. Maggie wasn’t described as gorgeous too many times. Her insecurities felt real to me.
 
5-Hooray for a sense of humor! The scene with Luke’s sisters made me laugh out loud.
 
There were a few things that could be smoothed out, but overall I really enjoyed this book. I thought its use of healing and the Atonement was quite effective too–well-earned, with healing not granted too soon.
 
Nicely done.
Emily M.
Hearing Voices
www.hearingvoices.wordpress.com
Taking Chances
 
 
  Loved this book! I loved the fun characters and witty dialogue.  A fun love story witrh a touch of seriousness.                                                                     -Sally
 
    Absolutely hilarious! You think you know what's going to happen next, but you're wrong. The author is amazing at coming up with the unexpected.                  -Shawnee
 
  This aouthor is fast becoming one of my favorites. Taking chances touches on a sensitive subject (sexual abuse.) The topic is handled with care and good taste. It illustrates the far reaching affects of abuse, and the characters' journey to overcome it and find healing and forgiveness. The story still manages to be touching and in spots laugh out loud funny.                              -Pat
 
    A book about healing from not her own wounds bur her moms. The main character goes back to the town her mother grew up in and was sexually abused in for 8 years by her stepfather. It has humor, romance, and good advise. I enjoyed reading it.                             -Katie
 
     I loved this book! It was such a cute story. Maggie and Luke were such fun main charecters. I love how it tied in a serious issue (sexual abuse) and how it affected other family members. That is such a hard and sensitive subject to write about, but it was still presented in this book in a very appropriate way. I think Shannon Guymon is one of my favorite LDS aouthors.                 -Lacey
 
   Great read about a serious subject of child sexual abuse. A story of a mother's journey to forgivness and a daughter trying to learn to follow her mother's example and trust men enough to find love. Margaret is a strong name just like she is and is honest to a fault. Luke had sorrow in losing his fiance to death, but they both help the other to trust, love and heal.                    -Kathryn
 
   I love Shannon's books. They are always fun quick reads that put a smile on my face. In this book, she tackles some bigger issues, but still manages to keep the bookuplifting and fun.                                   -Angela
 
     This book was so cute! It was one of my favorites that Shannon Guymon wrote. I Love her novels. I recommend it to everyone!                                           -Emmeli
 
   This story teaches the importance of forgiveness. Maggie is a "hoot"!  She is straight-forward and verbally honest. Shannon Guymon tells the story of a mother who was sexually abused by her step-father and still puts a smile on  your face                                        -Susan
Makeover
 
 
 
Writer Shannon Guymon has written a quick paced easily read work centered on a woman who has let life do to her for too long and is now ready to face life and live.  I was not sure I would like this book when it first arrived for review, I do.  There is likely a little of Sophie in most of us.   Guymon's characters are nicely fleshed out, the louts are loutish, and the champions are the stuff heroes are made of.  Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.  YA and adults will enjoy the tale, women in particular will find Sophie a charmer.  Makeover is an excellent choice for the home and public library, as well as being a good read for one of these long summer afternoons when it is too warm to do much other than sit on the porch, drink a lemonade and enjoy a good book.  Happy to reccommend.
                                                                                            - Molly
 
So, I'm just a gushy romantic, but I loved this book!  Sophie Reid gets dumped by her missinoary at the airport by being introduced to his fiance.  She decided the best revenge is to live well with out him.  She realizes that instead of being herself, she had been morphing into the type of girl she though he wanted her to be.  That is over as she gets to re-know herself and meets a few new guys in the process.  I laughed out loud through this whole book.        
                                                                                              - Anita
 
I enjoyed this book as a fast read.  I brought it to Bear Lake and both my teenage daughters read it and enjoyed it as well.  I remembered a friend being in some of the same situations with boyfriends.  Cafe Rio is even mentioned in this book for those of us Rio fans.         
                                                                                            - Ronda
 
Awesome book!  If you want a good LDS romance. I loved it and now my sister is reading it!  It is one of those books that you just can't put down!  I read it basically in one whole day!
                                                                                          - Lindsey
 
I finished this a couple weeks ago and thought it was darling.  It had all the good stuff in it, romance and a little mystery.  And clean.  What more could you ask for?
                                                                                           - Kristen
 
I couldn't stop reading this book until I knew how it all turned out with the psycho girlfriend!!  I stayed up until 1:00am reading!
                                                                                                -Amy
 
I really enjoyed this one.  It really shows that what is inside is important and not to hold on to grudges or bad feelings.
                                                                                         -Christina
 
I love Makeover! It was the best book I have read!!!  It was really cute and sweet!!!  I could read it over and over again!!!!
                                                                                          -Danielle
 
Wow!! This book was astoundingly wonderful!! I picked it up for a light read and could not put it down.  It was more than a light read but really makes you think about how we judge, even when we think we don't.  How we need to re-examine our thoughts and our actions to see if they are really where we want to be.  So much fun, great characters, great lessons, great fun!  Excellent.  10 stars!!
                                                                  -From Washington State
 
 
 
 
 

Soul Searching 
 
 
 
Totally Awesome!!  I could not put this book down!  It was so good from beginning to the end.  Shannon Guymon is one of my favorite authors!  She is the best!  I cannot wait until a new book of hers comes out!! You don't want to miss out!
                                                                                       - Marzzieh
 
What a wonderful story!  This book was amazing.  I loved the story.  My daughter read it in less than 24 hours.  Neither one of us could put it down.  Shannon Guymon is a very talented writer.
                                                                                         - K. Case
 
I really enjoy books of self discovery and this one is great.  It's a light easy read with lots of humor and growth from the characters.  Micah Rawlings has always done exactly what her father wants her to do, but when her father gets remarried to a woman younger than Micah, she takes a good look at herself and realizes she doesn't like the person she's let her father turn her into.  Micah and her room-mates, April and lisa, embark on a journey of self discovery, makeovers and dating that is fun to experience.
                                                                                              - Anita
 
I loved this book so much that I stayed up until 2:30am on Tuesday night and 1:00 am Wednesday night to read it.  Considering that my life is insanely busy, that is the best recommendation I can give it.  Sleep is important to me.
                                                                                         - Lynette
 
Good points made humorously.  Three young women take a good look at themselves and ohers.                            - Susan