Find me a find
Happily, with this review I can cross off a title from an older list made over the summer.
This was my very first encounter with Christian fiction ever. Having talked with a friend who is both a Christian and an enthusiastic reader, I know now that Christian fiction can be a little ... eclectic.
Lauren - known as Laurie to friends and family, of which she has a great deal - is the youngest of three sisters, two of whom are happily married and one who met her husband with the help of Laurie's meddling. This leads Laurie to believe that she has a great talent for matchmaking, and she decides to find someone for her stuffy superior at work - which she does. Her best friend and constant critic, Brandon, does not necessarily approve of her new hobby, but when Ruby and pastor Nick take a shine to each other, Laurie is more certain than ever. After getting to know her new co-worker, Hannah - an ice queen that defrosts quite quickly - Laurie decides that Ruby's brother Ryan would be a good match for her. In order to pique Hannah's interest, Laurie and Ryan pretend to date (not that Ryan knows the actual reason why they're pretending - he just thinks they're goofing around). But when Nick and Ruby's courtship hits a roadblock, Laurie has to step up her game. As she studies the Bible, she is reminded that it is through God's power that people end up with each other. But she figures it can't hurt to help fate along.
This is a novel whose good points are as present as its flaws are glaring, making for a very odd reading experience. All of the characters - and there is a huge cast - are engaging and funny and smart. It is easy to imagine knowing these people in real life, and fun to imagine meeting them. Laurie is cute and is written in a way that shows her quirkiness without being annoying or cloying. The way she and Hannah warm up to each other is extremely realistic. Mangum surprised me by not having Brandon become the love interest, even though the first part of the book sets him up that way. After Laurie and Ryan's initial less-than-steller meet cute, they end up clicking together and enjoy being around one another. Laurie's relationships with her father and sisters is likewise sweet and cute. And I did catch the parallels to Emma, although the plot veers away from Emma's story rather quickly. The writing style is casual and rather plain, but offset nicely by the friendly and warm tone. The main thing that drives the story is that Laurie believes that she's blessed with cupid-like powers, but has no need nor desire to be paired up herself. As her fake courtship with Ryan continues, she comes to doubt this.
But that doubt is a long time coming, as is much of the conflict of the story. For the most part, Laurie is so content and sweet and peppy - even her manipulation of Ruby's and Nick's love lives isn't overly compelling - that it was somewhat disappointing. Mangum spends so much time writing about such happy, good-hearted characters that she neglects the plot, especially any kind of climax. And this has the additional problem of making her characters so similar. After Hannah begins acting more casual and friendly, her personality is nearly indistinguishable from Ruby's. And Laurie's sisters could be, and perhaps should have been, the same character. Only Brandon's grumpiness and Ryan's teasing personality marks them as different than the bland Nick and blander Stephen (Bible study's designated guitarist). I sincerely hope that the conflict is more present - and more enticing - in the sequel, Rematch. By the book's ending, it didn't seem that a lot had changed in these characters' lives. A shame, because I can't help caring about them.
Still, as romantic fluff goes, I suppose I can't fault it too much. As Christian fiction goes, I can't really say. Laurie's very religious and there are some conversations about God - some that flow nicely with the narrative, others not so much. Regardless, the characters are appealing to those of every faith, as long as you're game for a book that's cuddly and drama-free. For me, ultimately, its positives outweigh its flaws.
Rating: 4 onion rings out of 5.