Nothing But Trouble

Title: Nothing but Trouble

Author: Susan May Warren

Date Finished: April 3, 2009

Personal Book Count: 27 out of 100

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: fiction, little bit of Christian, little bit of mystery, little bit of romance

First Line: PJ Sugar would never escape trouble.

Summery: from the back cover-

“PJ Sugar knows three things for sure:

After traveling the country for ten years hoping to shake free from the trail of disaster that’s become her life, she needs a fresh start.

The last person she wants to see when she heads home for her sister’s wedding is Boone- her former flame and the reason she left town.

Her best friend’s husband absolutely did not commit the first murder Kellogg, Minnesota has seen in more than a decade.

What PJ doesn’t know is that when she starts digging for evidence, she’ll uncover much more than she bargained for- a deadly conspiracy, a knack for investigation, and maybe, just maybe, that fresh start she’s been longing for.”

Why did I pick this book? : I received it as an ARC off of librarything. I thought the summery looked fun, and like the type of mystery/ light romance I usually read.

Review: Although this one wasn’t completely what I expected, I enjoyed it. I knew this one was going to be Christian when I requested it, but then forgot by the time I received it. I don’t remember the description saying anything, and the back of the book didn’t, but I knew from the publisher. When I started reading, I was a bit surprised when she mentioned it. I didn’t think it was presented in an offensive, in your face way that I have seen it before. In fact, for the first half of the book, I felt it was rarely mentioned, and for the first 2/3 of the book until PJ actually went to church, she was really the only Christian character.

PJ’s mom is a big influence on her (to her surprise), and it struck me that it was often her voice she heard, either things she said to her as a teen or through the book. This was interesting to me from the way the author portrays their relationship throughout the book.

It bothered me that her nephew Davey didn’t speak much. I worked in Child Care for years, and never heard such a quiet 4 year old. =)

There were parts in the book that PJ’s lack of common sense (like so many mystery heroines tend to have these days) really bothered me. PJ knows that breaking and entering is wrong. She said so. Before AND after. And yet, she did it. Twice. Um, ok. I guess the end justifies the means?

The last quarter of the book became heavier in scripture. But it seems appropriate to me.

Toward the end she started to remind me of someone. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then at the end when she is standing in the park with the Cop (Boone) and the PI (Jeremy), it hit me. She was trying to be quirky, and fun, and a little sarcastic, and be in the good boy/bad boy love triangle like Stephanie Plum. Which almost worked, but it fell a little flat for me. It was kind of trying to reinvent the wheel. But maybe these 2 genres don’t mesh well. But if you take it for what it is, and not compare it, it’s still a cute story and an enjoyable read.

And there is enough set up at the end, not to be frustrating, but to see where this series goes…

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D