Sisterchicks in Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn* A Review

Sisterchicks Take the Boot! (and we don’t mean shoe thievery)

Jenna and Sue have been sisters-in-law for nearly thirty years but inseparable friends for only the last five. When Jenna is invited to a week’s stay at a fifteenth century restored palace on a quiet canal in Venice , Sue is her travel companion of choice. The catch? They must cook for a group that is staying at the palace for a retreat. It’s the first time Sue has been this far from home, and both women are coming out of a valley season of life where they operated each day in long shadow s of fear. Entering into the lilting gondola-paced Italian lifestyle and discovering corners of Venice most tourists never see, they welcome a new time of refreshing. And over boiling pots of pasta, they dare each other to dream again.

Ciao bella!

SISTERCHICK n.: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat.

When Jenna is invited to Venice for a week of cooking for a small retreat group, she knows just who to take along: her sister-in-law Sue. With her Dallas drawl and wild tangle of red hair, Sue desperately needs her own retreat from the pressures of the past two years…and blessedly for their guests, Sue actually knows how to cook (unlike Jenna)!

With about six words of Italian between them, a map, and a keen appetite for gelato, they puzzle out the lovely city together. During their stay, Jenna and Sue become victims of grace in ways they never expected—starting with their accommodations: a restored fifteenth-century palace on a quiet canal complete with a stairwell perfect for mattress sledding!

Coming out of a time of dark shadows in their lives, these two friends dive into a new season of refreshing and realize that sometimes when serving God, the most important thing to do is just show up…and watch for goodness and mercy to follow close behind. Come join Jenna and Sue over boiling pots of pasta in this lilting gondola-paced adventure!

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Multnomah Publishers (May 1, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1590525051

ISBN-13: 978-1590525050

Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 5.2 x 8.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces

Robin Jones Gunn was born in Wisconsin and lived on a dairy farm until her family moved to southern California when she was five years old. She grew up in Orange County and spent her summers at Newport Beach with friends from her church youth group. After attending Biola University and Capernwray Bible School in Austria, Robin and Ross were married and spent the next two decades working together in youth ministry.
It was the young teens at Robin’s church who challenged her to write stories for them. She hadn’t thought much about being a writer, but took their request to heart and set her alarm for 3am, three days a week. With two small children it was the only time she could find to write the first story about Christy Miller. After two years and ten rejections the novel Summer Promise was accepted for publication in 1988. Robin hasn’t stopped writing since. Over 4 million copies of her 75 books have sold and can be found in a dozen translations all over the world.
Robin and her husband now live in Hawai’i where Ross is a counselor and Robin continues to write to the sound of tropical birds chattering in the palm trees outside her window. Their children are grown but manage to come to the islands with their families every chance they get. Robin's awards include: three Christy awards for excellence in fiction, a Gold Medallion finalist, Mt. Hermon Pacesetter and the Mt. Hermon Writer of the Year award. Robin travels extensively and is a frequent key-note speaker at various events around the world.  She serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and Jerry Jenkin’s Christian Writer’s Guild.

MY REVIEW

Sisterchicks in Gondolas is one fantastic book. If you have read other sisterchick stories you will just love this one also, even if you haven’t read any before you will love this book. It is full of love, humor, friendship, travel and just plain fun.

Sam, head of an international missionary based in Europe, invites Jenna to cook at a leaders' retreat in Venice; he also gives her a second free ticket so she can bring a friend. She asks her sister-in-law of three decades Sue who has been her best friend of about the last five years to accompany her.

Then all of the fun begins, as they eat gelato in Campo Apostoli, making new friends, renewing old friendships and just enjoy the quiet, easy lifestyle of Gondolas. They find courage to live life to the all-embracing; something neither has tried in a long time out of fear of failure and self pity and ridicule.

I really love the Sisterchicks series and you will too!

　

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Thanks to WaterBrookMultnomah for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

 

Love Finds You In Sunset Beach Hawaii by Robin Jones Gunn* A Review

ABOUT LOVE FINDS YOU IN SUNSET BEACH HAWAII

Sierra came to Sunset Beach for relaxation—not for world-class surfing
and certainly not for romance! When a wealthy friend offers Sierra Jensen a
vacation at an oceanfront beach house, she envisions a quiet retreat where she can plan her
next move. Instead, she arrives at the start of the noisy surfing competitions and is surprised to learn
that her friend had an ulterior motive—namely, introducing Sierra to Jordan Bryce, the tenant
staying below them. Jordan is a photographer whose lens and attention are focused on the surfers,
and he is not willing to let anyone get in his way of landing the next cover shot for Surf Days magazine.
Sierra and Jordan came to Sunset Beach looking for different things. But as the surf pounds the North
Shore, will they discover something better than either of them had imagined?

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: SUMMERSIDE PRESS (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1609360281
ISBN-13: 978-1609360283
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robin Jones Gunn was born in Wisconsin and lived on a dairy farm until her family moved to southern California when she was five years old. She grew up in Orange County and spent her summers at Newport Beach with friends from her church youth group. After attending Biola University and Capernwray Bible School in Austria, Robin and Ross were married and spent the next two decades working together in youth ministry.
It was the young teens at Robin’s church who challenged her to write stories for them. She hadn’t thought much about being a writer, but took their request to heart and set her alarm for 3am, three days a week. With two small children it was the only time she could find to write the first story about Christy Miller. After two years and ten rejections the novel Summer Promise was accepted for publication in 1988. Robin hasn’t stopped writing since. Over 4 million copies of her 75 books have sold and can be found in a dozen translations all over the world.

Robin and her husband now live in Hawaii where Ross is a counselor and Robin continues to write to the sound of tropical birds chattering in the palm trees outside her window. Their children are grown but manage to come to the islands with their families every chance they get. Robin's awards include: three Christy awards for excellence in fiction, a Gold Medallion finalist, Mt. Hermon Pacesetter and the Mt. Hermon Writer of the Year award. Robin travels extensively and is a frequent key-note speaker at various events around the world.  She serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and Jerry Jenkin’s Christian Writer’s Guild.

MY REVIEW
  I haven’t read many of Robin’s books in the Sierra series, but this one I thought was superb. So I know the rest would be wonderful. I was so involved with this book. Just had to keep reading to see the many twists and turns and then to see how it ended.
   I just love how at the beginning Sierra and Jordan kept meeting at different places and finally got a chance to get to know each other. It was a God thing is how they both called it and I loved that.
    In Love Finds You in Sunset Beach Hawaii it shows you that when God closes one door He will be opening a bigger, better door for you. So if you think you know best about your life, you can be sure God knows much better.
    I love the setting in Hawaii. How Robin describes the ocean, trees, wind and storms, but also how she talks about the wildlife and just the many traditions or customs of the Hawaiian people. It makes you feel like you are really there experiencing the things they experience.
  I’m quite taken with Sierra and Jordan and really think you would love this book.  It is full of sweet friends, finding yourself, life and following God. I highly recommend Love Finds you in Sunset Beach Hawaii.


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Thank you to the author for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Canary Island Song by Robin Jones Gunn-two winners-congrats

Winners of the two copies of the book

Canary Island Song by Robin Jones Gunn

are grannyvon   and   CarolNWong

BOOK GIVEAWAY- Canary Island Song- 2 copies-2 winners

Good Afternoon friends and followers,

I have a fantastic giveaway for you.

I will choose two people to win the great book by

Robin Jones Gunn Canary Island Song.

Here is my review link if you would like to see what I thought of Canary Island Song http://thelifeandtimesofwanda.blogspot.com/2011/07/canary-island-song-by-robin-jones-gunna.html

and also a little about the book:

When Carolyn’s grown daughter tells her she needs to “get a life,” Carolyn decides it’s time to step out of her familiar routine as a single woman in San Francisco and escape to her mother’s home in the Canary Islands. Since Carolyn’s mother is celebrating her seventieth birthday, the timing of Carolyn’s visit makes for a perfect surprise.

The surprise, however, is on Carolyn when she sees Bryan Spencer, her high school summer love. It’s been seven years since Carolyn lost her husband, but ever since that tragic day, her life has grown smaller and closed in. The time has come for Carolyn to get her heart back. It takes the gentle affection of her mother and aunts, as well as the ministering beauty and song of the islands to draw Carolyn into the fullness of life. She is nudged along by a Flamenco dance lesson, a defining camel ride and the steady gaze of Bryan’s intense blue-gray eyes.

Is it too late for Carolyn to trust Bryan? Can Carolyn believe that Bryan has turned into something more than the wild beach boy who stole her kisses so many years ago on a balmy Canary night?

Carolyn is reminded that Christopher Columbus set sail from the Canary Islands in 1492 on his voyage to discover the New World. Is she ready to set sail from these same islands to discover her new life?

Robin Jones Gunn is a fantastic author!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leave a comment with your name and email address. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment AND your email address.

Here are the ways to get extra entries:

~Be or become a follower +1

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Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. ENTRY DEADLINE JULY 22, 2011

Canary Island Song by Robin Jones Gunn*A Review

When Carolyn’s grown daughter tells her she needs to “get a life,” Carolyn decides it’s time to step out of her familiar routine as a single woman in San Francisco and escape to her mother’s home in the Canary Islands. Since Carolyn’s mother is celebrating her seventieth birthday, the timing of Carolyn’s visit makes for a perfect surprise.
The surprise, however, is on Carolyn when she sees Bryan Spencer, her high school summer love. It’s been seven years since Carolyn lost her husband, but ever since that tragic day, her life has grown smaller and closed in. The time has come for Carolyn to get her heart back. It takes the gentle affection of her mother and aunts, as well as the ministering beauty and song of the islands to draw Carolyn into the fullness of life. She is nudged along by a Flamenco dance lesson, a defining camel ride and the steady gaze of Bryan’s intense blue-gray eyes.
Is it too late for Carolyn to trust Bryan? Can Carolyn believe that Bryan has turned into something more than the wild beach boy who stole her kisses so many years ago on a balmy Canary night?
Carolyn is reminded that Christopher Columbus set sail from the Canary Islands in 1492 on his voyage to discover the New World. Is she ready to set sail from these same islands to discover her new life?


Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Howard Books; Original edition (July 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416583416
ISBN-13: 978-1416583417
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces

Robin Jones Gunn was born in Wisconsin and lived on a dairy farm until her family moved to southern California when she was five years old. She grew up in Orange County and spent her summers at Newport Beach with friends from her church youth group. After attending Biola University and Capernwray Bible School in Austria, Robin and Ross were married and spent the next two decades working together in youth ministry.
It was the young teens at Robin’s church who challenged her to write stories for them. She hadn’t thought much about being a writer, but took their request to heart and set her alarm for 3am, three days a week. With two small children it was the only time she could find to write the first story about Christy Miller. After two years and ten rejections the novel Summer Promise was accepted for publication in 1988. Robin hasn’t stopped writing since. Over 4 million copies of her 75 books have sold and can be found in a dozen translations all over the world.

Robin and her husband now live in Hawai’i where Ross is a counselor and Robin continues to write to the sound of tropical birds chattering in the palm trees outside her window. Their children are grown but manage to come to the islands with their families every chance they get. Robin's awards include: three Christy awards for excellence in fiction, a Gold Medallion finalist, Mt. Hermon Pacesetter and the Mt. Hermon Writer of the Year award. Robin travels extensively and is a frequent key-note speaker at various events around the world. She serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and Jerry Jenkin’s Christian Writer’s Guild.

Robin by the numbers:
- 25 years of writing for publication
- 4 million copies sold worldwide
- 70 books published
- 51 of those books are novels
- 32 adventure-filled years of marriage
- 3 grown children; a son, a daughter and a daughter-in-law
- 1 cuddly golden retriever named Hula

http://www.robingunn.com/

MY REVIEW
Another wonderful book by Robin Jones Gunn. I love books about mother/daughter relationships and Canary Island Song is just that with romances included.
Carolyn lives in the US, but after being widowed for seven years and different things happening in her life, Carolyn decides to visit her Mom, for her 70th birthday in the Canary Islands. There Carolyn is reunited with her old boyfriend from her teen years and learns some new things and has many adventures.
Carolyn and Bryan are so sweet in their friendship and the things they share. Carolyn was close to the Lord before her husband died and Bryan didn’t want anything to do with the Lord with his former girlfriend before she died. So after their partners died they each responded in a different way. Bryan loves the Lord dearly and Carolyn questions the Lord because her husband was taken. Will Carolyn come to see how much the Lord loves her and can Bryan be the one to show her?
I really love the warm, inviting feel of the Canary Islands I got from reading this book. It made me want to move to a place that has warm, breezes blowing by an ocean and experience the love of a large family and feel wanted and needed. When you read this book you will be swept away to an Island that is charming and full of peace.
I recommend Canary Island Song very much. A five star book for sure. I would love for all of you to enjoy this fantastic story that Robin so masterfully wrote with such descriptive words, that you can see the places in the story so clearly.

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Thanks to the Howard Books for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Departures by Robin Jones Gunn*A Review

Departures by Robin Jones Gunn
Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen cross paths on their way to summer vacations that reveal what a gift it is to have a true Forever Friend.

Now Boarding at Gate 10
After her high school graduation, still aching from Todd’s departure, Christy joins her family on a trip to Wisconsin to visit relatives. While there, she reunites with Matthew, an old friend from junior high. When Matthew starts to show a romantic interest in Christy, she realizes this summer vacation could change everything she thought her future would be.

In the Event of a Water Landing
Fifteen-year-old Sierra Jensen can’t wait to spend her summer vacation with her friend Jana at a pristine lake in Montana. But when they arrive, it becomes clear that Jana’s only interest is acquiring a boyfriend. Sierra just wants to hang out with the guys as friends, but Jana turns every encounter into a possible romantic relationship. As their friendship begins to suffer, Sierra wonders if it’s possible to find a Forever Friend who will listen to you, laugh with you, and keep your confidences


Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 271 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (October 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764222716
ISBN-13: 978-0764222719
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Over the past 25 years Robin has written 70 books with over 4 million copies sold.
She started writing for teens when the girls in her church youth group challenged her to write stories for them. It took 2 years and 10 rejections before the first Christy Miller novel was published in 1988. Since then the tales of these Forever Friends have continued. The Christy Miller series was followed by the Sierra Jensen series, Christy and Todd the College Years and the Katie Weldon series.
As Robin's readers grew older they asked for more stories about characters their age. The 8 book Glenbrooke series was launched followed by the Sisterchicks(R) series and a variety of standalone destination novels including "Under a Maui Moon" and "Canary Island Song".
Join Robin Jones Gunn on her facebook public figure page where she frequently posts updates on her latest travel or writing adventure.

MY REVIEW
Departures by Robin Jones Gunn is two different stories that were written years ago and Robin and her agent decided to publish them again. I’m very glad they did because these two stories, one about Christy Miller and the other about Sierra Jensen are really fantastic stories. I’ve never read Robin’s books about Christy or Sierra, but have heard many good things about them.
I like that in this book at one point both Christy and Sierra are in the same scene, but don’t talk or become friends. That’s a neat way to write two stories, but have them connect.
These stories are for young adults and are really full of common problems that young people face and the trials and temptations that they face. I love the Christian outlook that these teen girls have and their strong faith.
If you are looking for a very good book with lessons for your teens and older girls/boys this is a fantastic book. I like a book where teens have convictions and do the right thing. You will also really enjoy the trouble and the fun situations that they all get into.
I highly recommend this super book for your young adults to read, enjoy and learn from.

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Thanks to WaterBrookMultnomah for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255