Friday, April 9, 2010

Beguiled - Book Review

When I discovered that Bethany House sometimes sends out books for review, I was ecstatic. I love to read and am not able to pick up too many new titles from the library. However, I received Beguiled in the mail and then was swamped. I am remiss in posting a review within a timely manner.

I was really excited to read this book, coauthored by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand, because I have read almost every single book that Gist has written. Though known for her historical fiction books, Gist tackles a contemporary fiction book with Beguiled.

The storyline was intriguing. Rylee, a dog walker for many wealthy families in Charleston, is suspected in a series of "Robin Hood" break-ins. Enter Logan, a reporter covering the story. Is Rylee involved in the break-ins? Can Logan figure out who the thief is before someone gets hurt? Can Rylee overcome her distrust of men and begin a relationship?

I can't really say much about the ending because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is interested in reading this book. But I was completely caught off guard for how the break-ins wrapped up. In most books when I am normally predicting each event as it unfolds, this is a nice change of pace.

My only complaint with the book is that it seemed lacking in the Christian aspect of Christian Fiction. There were a couple casual thoughts about God and one "conversion" scene. But it didn't seem that any of the characters were interested in God being a daily part of their lives. There are too many "Sunday Christians" and it seemed these characters were falling into that habit.

Overall, it was a pleasant read. If you've read any of Gist's historical fiction, this is a slightly different feel but it still includes her signature character development. I'm looking forward to her next book!

Thanks to Bethany House for a copy of this book!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

How cool that you were able to review a book from an author that you are familiar with, I know that was fun.

I think your complaint about the Christian aspect is accurate for quite a bit of Christian fiction these days. I want the genre to live up to its name.

Cassandra said...

Ann, I think it's really disappointing that most Christian fiction falls short. The characters don't necessarily have to talk about God all the time, but I want to see Him in their lives. Just going to church every week will not get people to heaven and it would be nice to see stories reflect that! :)

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