Lisa Samson

I really adore this series. Scotty is one of the most refreshing and likable YA characters I have ever read. She's just so incredibly mature and responsible for her age yet still can be giddy and excited when she needs to be. Actually she totally could be the spokesperson for the term Young Adult because that's actually what she is.

This book takes Scotty, Charlie and her new found dad into Virginia as they are on location for a new movie which Charlie is working on. As the title says, show more there's romance in this book but surprisingly the main focus of that subplot does not involve Scotty. While she's still contemplating her feelings about Seth and discovering the new local boy Angus, the spotlight of romance falls to Charlie. Her relationship with actor Anthony Harris was so fun to read. And then there was the little triangle with her former boss director that just made things even more intriguing. It's good to know that romance doesn't have to end when you become older.

Scotty's relationship with Seth takes a dramatic turn in this book. He just went totally wild and really wants to live up to the bad boy Hollywood lifestyle. I couldn't believe how selfish and reckless he was especially when it came to his mother. I was really glad that Scotty put him in his place even though she's younger than him and not in the business. I found it also interesting that because of this Scotty loses interest in her blog about the Hollywood society. I totally understand but at the same time I was a bit sad because I really enjoyed her blog and how she incorporated a real opinion mixed with the gossip.

There's lots of fun stuff in the book like Scotty being able to eat all the cheese she wants and her discovering the small town where the movie is being filmed. Once again, I loved the mixing of real life celebrities with the characters in the book. Samson has really outdone herself with this series. I hope that more people will discover about this Hollywood Nobody and make her a Somebody. HIGHLY recommended. show less

A surprisingly insightful novel for the Christian fiction set. This book addresses some ruts Christians get stuck in, and nudges us out of our easy answers. The main character, a pastor's wife, doesn't fit the stereotype of a pastor's wife. She feels frustrated with her husband and discontented with the life she knows she's fortunate to have. Her kids are not perfect. And she finds God's direction for her in an unexpected way.

This kind of book isn't usually my cup of tea,but I liked it. It show more was refreshing. Probably best suited for a woman within 10 years of 40, on either side. show less

This was a story that took me a little while to get into, but the more I read, the more I liked and by the end of the story I had a hard time putting it down until I finished. There were twists and turns to this book, and it kept me guessing at times, about what would happen next. And I like surprises in a story, but there was one in this one that I was totally not expecting. You will journey from France to England and then to Scotland in the mid 1800;s and will experience adventure, show more suspense, romance and an enduring faith in the Lord in some of the characters. Love and loyalty, murder and betrayal; this story has it all.

Sylvie is a 19 year old lady growing up in France and laboring in her father's vineyards. There is no love there between her father and herself and her mother relies on her a little two much. But she has her brother, who she adores, even though they have been apart for some time. Sylvie will soon find herself betrothed to one young man, wanted by another and admired greatly by still another. All 3 will have a huge impact in her life as she struggles to hold on when her life seems to be crashing down all around her. I closed the pages of this book, looking forward to reading the next book in this series, "Fields of God". show less

I guess this book is all about preaching to the converted. Well, it's clearly targeted at people who call themselves christian or have marked leanings in that direction. Actually, it's probably even more focused on regular church-goers. I definitely don't fit into that category and yet I not only pulled it off the shelf at the library, but read it and found myself very emotionally involved. Regular readers of my reviews (hi Bron!) would know that I'm a pretty soppy emotional kind of guy who show more cries at the slightest provocation...but I think Lisa Samson deserves some credit for creating a set of characters and an environment that has a ring of truth and believability which tends to lead at least one reader to feel very involved in their lives. Of course, why I pulled this book off the shelf was the Quaker in the title. Although coming from a background of little real knowledge of Quakers, I'm nonetheless attracted to the aspects that I do 'know' about: pacifism, non-bureaucratic organization, and simplicity of lifestyle. I was not disappointed in the sense that this book does indeed spend some time exploring the interaction between the main character and an older Quaker woman. However, the title is misleading in the sense that the interaction with the Quaker woman is only one of a number of relationships which have a big impact on a woman who is searching for greater meaning in her life. The interacting people include: her mid-teenage son, a Catholic nun, a drug dealer, a drug user, a woman friend with a PhD in theology, an old widower, and, perhaps most importantly, someone from her childhood. The latter relationship is one element of a focus on one of the major themes: forgiveness and reconciliation. I think it's this theme, rather than the more dominant anti-materialism theme which drew me in more and provided the emotionality to which I responded.
I definitely liked this book, and was able to just ignore a lot of stuff which an anti-religious person would find to be annoying or just plain silly. show less