ACRBA Blog Tour - Too Pretty by Andrea Grigg

4 - 8 May 2015

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Too Pretty
((Rhiza Press), August 2014)

By

Andrea Grigg

About the Book:

Being beautiful isn’t easy – just ask Ellie Paxton.

Frustrated by a long string of empty relationships, Ellie makes a promise to God not to date for six months, a promise she’s determined to keep.

Tired of being continually misjudged because of her looks Ellie moves to Sydney for a fresh start. But when her path keeps crossing with the darkly handsome Nathaniel, that promise becomes much harder to fulfil.

As they battle with their attraction for each other, Ellie is not the only one to discover it takes more than simply looking in a mirror to find out who you truly are …

Could it be that God has a bigger plan? Could this really be one of those matches made in heaven …?

About the Author

Andrea Grigg grew up in Auckland, New Zealand, but has lived more than half her life in Australia. 

Andrea lives with her husband on Queensland’s Gold Coast, where they have raised their three adult children – two daughters and a son.

Recently retired from teaching ten-year-olds, if she isn’t being a domestic executive or socialising, Andrea can be found in her cave, writing stories.

My Thoughts:

This book was really interesting in the way family dynamics affect the way people feel about themselves and how they respond to things that happen in their lives. I also liked it that there were boundaries in how far characters would go physically in their relationship.

By working through the issues that came up for the characters, you also learn that you don't have to be (and really shouldn't be) defined by your past. Things from the past need to be learned from, but should not consume you. Yes, there may be consequences, but it is possible to move beyond your past.

The only thing I didn't like was the cover of the book. It nearly put me off reading the book. I just don't like having the face that big on the cover, and it seemed really artificial. Normally I don't comment on covers, but this one was just a bit too much for me.

Reading Challenge Updates 3

Since my last post I've done some reading that covers both of my challenges this year.

3 more books read to reduce my TBR pile (although I have just bought some more books to add to it, but they won't be part of the challenge this year).

• Before Amen by Max Lucado
• The Pledge by Jane Peart
• Hunter's Prize by Marcia Gruver

9 out of 18, takes me to half way through the challenge (and it's not even half way through the year).

I had read The Pledge years ago, so it was interesting to read it again, particularly since I was still a teen the last time I read it. This was also one of the books that I didn't get through in the 2014 Challenge, so I'm glad I've read it now.

Both The Pledge and Hunter's Prize are historical fiction, so they haven't been as appealing to me to read/ I'm not sure why or when I stopped being interested in historical fiction - it used to be what I read all the time. I guess all of us have times when our tastes in reading change, and for me that means I'm not interested so much in historical fiction. The main kinds of books I want to read at the moment are contemporary novels. I don't really want romance, but mystery and suspense are fine. I just don't want to only read those. What I'm really looking for are more books like the Sisterchicks series by Robin Jones Gunn. They aren't romance or mystery/suspense; but they are about women living their lives and doing some really interesting things.

Before Amen by Max Lucado is one of the best books I've read about prayer. I wish I'd had it years ago, It makes prayer seem like something I can do and it doesn't have to be flowery words or hours long. Some days it might just be that you call out God's name because your heart doesn't know what else to say. If there is just one book that you pick up to read this year, this is one that I recommend.

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I also marked off 2 more boxes in the 2015 Bingo Reading Challenge.

• Is written by an author you've never heard of: Andrew Murray: Destined to Serve by Olea Nel
• Features someone who shares your eye colour: The Promise by Jane Peart

It's pretty hard to find a character with the same eye colour as me, and I was kind of stretching it with this book. My eyes are a greenish hazel, that change slightly depending on what I'm wearing or how tired I am. The character in this book has hazel eyes.

I have no idea which books to read to go on with this challenge, so you'll just have to wait and see.