Last month I read Departures, which introduced me to the characters Sierra Jensen and Christy Miller. This month I read Volume 1 of the Sierra Jensen Collection by Robin Jones Gunn. The collection has 3 different stories within it – Only You, Sierra, In Your Dreams and Don’t You Wish. Each of the books come in at under 20 chapters each and the complete collection clocks in at 322 pages.
In Only You, Sierra – Sierra is away in England with her friends on a missions trip. Although her friends are a few years older than her, she feels like she is one of the gang. While heading home, she meets a guy who needs change to call home with his flight schedule. It turns out that they have the same flights home and she thinks that God wants her to fight for him. They do not sit together on their first flight,but are next to each other on the second. Sierra isn’t sure she makes a great impression with Paul, but she has fallen pretty hard for him.
In In Your Dreams, Sierra is left at home to take care of her sick Grandmother while the rest of the family is away. She is also trying to get a job so that she can visit her friends on Easter break in California. Her grandmother gets a phone call and says she needs to be taken to the hospital at once for emergency surgery. Since Sierra’s Grandmother is not often in the present time, Sierra doesn’t believe her. However, when she calls the doctor’s office she is set straight and brings in her Grandmother for the surgery, all while trying to get a hold of her mother who went off to her sister’s house after her sister was in a car accident. Sierra has gotten a letter or two from Paul, but after writing him a nasty letter back she doesn’t think he’ll want anything to do with her. She also meets a new boy from school – Randy.
In Don’t You Wish – Sierra and her sister Tawni head to California to meet up with Sierra’s friends. All of them quickly pair off (including Tawni with a friend of the group’s, Jeremy) except Sierra, making her the 3rd wheel (Or 11th.) Sierra thinks that something might be going on with Randy, but there was a misunderstanding and he was asking her advice on corsages not because he was asking her to the dance – but because he was asking someone else from school. Feeling like she will never fall in love (even though her older friends keep telling her not to rush it), Tawni gets a phone call from Jeremy and who pops back in the picture – Paul. Jeremy is Paul’s brother and Jeremy is coming up to visit and will be hanging out with Tawni – and bringing Paul along.
These books are quick reads and I really enjoy following the story of these characters. The books do have a lot of mentions of God as they are Christian Fiction, so if you are unable to look past that, they might not be the books for you. There are several other volumes in Sierra Jensen’s story and in Christy Miller’s as well and I look forward to the possibility of reading and reviewing more of them in the future.
I received a free copy of this book to read through Waterbrook’s Blogging for Books program. I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions are mine.
this was a good review. Good job in explaining some features in the book.
But what do you mean by looking past the “God bits”????
This series is aimed at anyone. From someone who has been a christian for a long time to someone who is very new in their faith and has only just discovered God’s love. And it’s also for people who don’t believe in Him.
But the “God bits” are not something in the book that the author Robin Jones Gunn wrote so people can just overlook them. She wrote them for a purpous. To reach out to people from all over the world and to tell them about God’s love and his understanding and passion for us. Whether you have a relationship with Jesus or not.
I read all of the series and the christy miller series. They are my favorite series of any book series.
I understand the series are aimed at any one, most of the Christian fiction books I read are. However I have people of many faiths (and some of no faith) who read my reviews so I generally like to mention if I feel the mentioning of God was overwhelming or not as those who do not believe often do not want to see mentions constantly when trying to enjoy a book.
I am glad you enjoy the series, I have enjoyed the few books from it I have read as well.
this was a good review. Good job in explaining some features in the book.
But what do you mean by looking past the “God bits”????
This series is aimed at anyone. From someone who has been a christian for a long time to someone who is very new in their faith and has only just discovered God’s love. And it’s also for people who don’t believe in Him.
But the “God bits” are not something in the book that the author Robin Jones Gunn wrote so people can just overlook them. She wrote them for a purpous. To reach out to people from all over the world and to tell them about God’s love and his understanding and passion for us. Whether you have a relationship with Jesus or not.
I read all of the series and the christy miller series. They are my favorite series of any book series.
I understand the series are aimed at any one, most of the Christian fiction books I read are. However I have people of many faiths (and some of no faith) who read my reviews so I generally like to mention if I feel the mentioning of God was overwhelming or not as those who do not believe often do not want to see mentions constantly when trying to enjoy a book.
I am glad you enjoy the series, I have enjoyed the few books from it I have read as well.