Clouds by Robin Jones Gunn

Clouds by Robin Jones Gunn.  This novel is another in Ms. Gunn’s Glenbrook series.  It is the story of two children, Shelly and Jonathon, who grow up living next door to each other and gradually fall in love.  Also as will happen things don’t work out and the two of them go their separate ways after a big fight.  The two never find another love like their first love but in a twist of fate while vacationing in Germany with her sister Shelly runs into Jonathan and his fiancée.  Shelly has to work through that she has never stopped loving Jonathan.   This story is how God works his miracles in lives and how Shelly learns to live on in her life drawing closer to God and all that she has in her life.  Shelly has always hidden her feelings and avoided talking about them but her sister encourages her to face them and learn to deal with them as a part of herself.

This book is a part of the Glenbrook series but it easily stands alone.  I had only read Echoes but it didn’t matter and I truly enjoyed reading this love story.  It is not sappy.  I felt like I could have met any of these characters in my home town.  I am so glad that there are writers like Ms. Gunn who can write a love story that I can read and enjoy and then pass it right on down to my grandchildren. 

This book was provided for this review.

The 5 Money Personalities by Scott and Bethany Palmer

The 5 Money Personalities by Scott and Bethany Palmer is the newest in the line of books by the couple.  This book teaches couples how to learn to live with each other’s money personality and introduces each into how to find your own as well your spouse’s money personality.  It encourages each to take the money personality quiz, which is a quick and easy online 10 minute test.  From this test the book then guides the couple through learning the steps to not only figure out how your spouse is thinking about money but also backgrounds to each how to work together to make the plans for the future that both can live with.  The book does not profess to turn every marriage into a fight free marriage but rather to understanding each other’s focus where money is concerned.  Money touches all of our lives and decisions that we make from where we get the coffee to drink to which car to buy.  This book teaches that it is not the amount of money that is being spent that causes the problem but rather our money personality that causes the arguments.  Learning to know how your spouse is thinking and discussing the decisions is what will decrease the tension within the household.  This book also teaches working through the lies and deceptions and learning to trust each other’s money decisions is possible for each couple.  It promises to help each couple learn to build a better working money relationship with your spouse.

This book I thought was good.  I read the book entirely and then took the test (which is not the way it is suggested to do).  All through the book I was thinking that I knew I was a saver first and kept going back and forth about which was my second money personality.  When I took the test I found that the saver personality was actually my second personality and security seeking was my first.  This taught me in my second reading of the book not to judge my husband on what I was just sure was his personalities.  He took the test and we found he was a flyer/spender 1^st and 2^nd personalities.  Therein easily one can see that there might be differing philosophies on life and much fighting.  The book does tell how to avoid fighting even with such different personalities as these.  I encourage reading this book and taking the tests and doing the games that the writers have you do.  They really work.

This book was provided for this review by Booksneeze.

Echoes by Robin Jones Gunn

Echoes by Robin Jones Gunn is a sweet Christian love story of the ending of Lauren Phillips and her fiancé and the grief that follows.  Lauren’s brother, Brad, set up her first computer in her living room plus shows her how to email and shows her how to meet others online and clues to meeting other Christians (God lovers).  Lauren through Brad meets KC and online they get to know each other.  After a year of “pen paling” Lauren and KC decide to meet. 

I liked this book though I almost didn’t get it because of my being leery of meeting people online and then thinking that you know them.  I am concerned with young people being so open online.  This book does bring out the dangers of online socializing though the story is about an online meeting.  The story is really about grieving of a romance while going on with your life.  It also discusses how a rebound date can be a disaster but life still is mostly good.  The story discusses how even if you do meet the right person it is still best to go slow and get to know each other well.  All in all I would recommend it to all aged girls and women.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for this review.