A woman’s empty pursuit of happiness leads to a crisis before finding redemption in the Lord in this challenging and gritty Christian novel. Twenty-nine-year-old novelist and blackjack dealer Cami Taylor seems to have it all–but just underneath her confident exterior and newfound celebrity is a young woman in trouble. Cami’s boyfriend, Joel, wants to get married, buy a house on Long Island, and … on Long Island, and raise a family–a life that’s a million miles from Cami’s idea of happiness. Her therapist suggests compromise and trust, but Cami would rather bolt like a deer.
Breaking things off with Joel, Cami launches herself on a new quest for happiness. But her pursuit of pleasure only takes her further from herself–and toward a harrowing new reality unlike anything she’s faced before. What follows for Cami is a fight to the death that can only be waged with God’s love.
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All In really touched my soul. Having read it I am a changed person for the better. Great story with a wonderful ending. I highly recommend this book. LK Simonds did a fantastic job. (My words are inadequate!)
I really had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book…and boy was I right! I don’t read a lot of novels written in first person POV and to be honest this one challenged me there. Being in the head of Cami Taylor was a physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting experience. It was a little like being chained to a feral cat for quite a ways through the book. But two things kept me going. First of the writing skills of Simonds are simply mesmerizing. That is probably why I found being in Cami’s head so exhausting. I viscerally felt so much of her own angst and cynicism. Well done author! And the second thing that kept me reading was the desperate need to know if Cami would ever find what she was looking for (even though she didn’t know she was looking for it). At times I wanted to throttle her, but like watching a train wreck, I couldn’t look away. I was kept guessing until the very end.
This book is gritty and real. The characters that inhabit are the same people we meet at work, pass on the sidewalks, and sit next to in churches. But while it shows us the perhaps the dirty underbelly of humanity, it also shows us the beautiful side as well. Through the loving and compassionate of Kate and David (and a few others), we get a glimpse of Cami’s own compassion and capacity for love and self-sacrifice even before she sees it.
Some people might find the ending a bit controversial, but I hope they won’t let it overshadow the profound message love’s power to tear down walls and rebuild lives.
Definitely looking forward to more from LK Simonds.
When I read the synopsis for All In by L.K. Simonds, I was definitely intrigued. There was something about it that really spoke to me.
The plot felt very realistic and was done beautifully. Cami is a 29 year old famous author that doesn’t seem to let things bother her much. After breaking up with her boyfriend, things start going downhill for her fast especially when something life changing happens. Unbeknownst to Cami, God is trying to touch her heart. Will she accept or will she push God away like everyone else she’s pushed away?
The world building for All In was written very well. I felt like I was with Cami every step of the way from the breakup with her boyfriend, her one night stand, her vacations in Dallas, to her life changing event. While the pacing for All In starts off quite slow, it does eventually pick up about halfway through the book. Once the pacing picked up, I found myself absorbed in each and every little detail All In had to offer. I didn’t really feel that this book had any plot twists or at least any major plot twists, but I also felt this novel didn’t need any plot twists to hold its reader’s interest. I did find myself trying to guess who helped Cami come to her life changing event. (Sorry to be so cryptic, but I don’t want to give any spoilers away.) To some, All In may feel a bit preachy towards the ending of the book. However, this is a Christian fiction novel, and it is easy to tell that turning to God is what this book’s main message is once you get closer to the ending. While we don’t learn who contributed to Cami’s life changing event (and it’s not a big deal to find out who), every other loose string is tied up by the time the book ends.
The characters in All In are well fleshed out. My favorite character was Kate. I loved, loved, loved how caring she was towards everyone. She never had an unkind word about anyone. In fact, she was such a great role model. She was always full of encouragement throughout. I would love someone like Kate in my life. I also loved how patient Joel (Cami’s ex) was with Cami. David was also a great guy, and I also loved how patient he was with Cami and just life in general. Another character I also loved was Sam. Even though he was dying, he wasn’t angry or anything. In fact, he seemed very at peace with everything. The one character that did irk me was Cami. She seemed emotionless through most of the story. Joel accuses her basically of being emotionless, and he’s right. She also comes off as extremely rude and snobby. I didn’t really like or connect with Cami at all until the end of All In. Plus, I found it extremely gross when she was lusting and trying to seduce her 19 year old cousin. Cami seemed to just look at a guy and want to sleep with them. She’d also mention what each guy looked like and how attractive or unattractive they were each time. Cami couldn’t just look at a man and see him as just a person. I felt like this took away from the book.
Trigger warnings for All In include death, some profanity, alcohol use, drug use, minor violence, and promiscuity (although the scenes were never graphic).
Overall, All In turns out to be a very uplifting read that sends a fantastic loving message. The plot is solid, and it does have some really sweet characters. I would recommend All In by L.K. Simonds to those aged 18+ who are questioning their faith in God or those who are already believers or are on the verge of believing. All In will leave you feeling satiated and loved.
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(A special thank you to L.K. Simonds to providing me with a paperback of All In in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Entertaining, compelling, and inspiring!
L.K. Simonds novel is skillfully written with a strong, engaging storyline and believable characters from different walks of life. I really enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. With clever turns of phrase, I also found it difficult to believe this was a debut novel. Simonds captures the world as it is, not as we wish it would be. The story’s grittiness is there for a purpose and that level of realism works well to depict the world of the main character, Cami Taylor. In my travels and work across industries and countries, I’ve known many people like Cami. Self-absorption and self-destruction are not uncommon, but also, not beyond redemption. I appreciate that Simonds offers a fresh perspective on this journey to the spiritual crossroads. What I loved most about this book is how Simonds weaves reality and fiction together to provide a powerful, relatable story about hope. This is a great read, and I highly recommend it!
You don’t expect a Christian book to feature a woman who’s so spunky, full of personality and rebellious. She’s the most unboring Christian character I’ve ever met (cigarettes, alcohol, casinos and all). But that’s part of what makes this book so interesting. You get a glimpse into how Cami lives her life so recklessly, which makes the turnaround so much more impactful. This book takes you on a journey into two very different worlds (her old life and her new life). But it was believable because of how low she fell in her life. I always think that one’s descension into a pit can be the perfect environment for a breakthrough. Also, I thought it was interesting what she experienced at David’s church- something I don’t doubt happens to some people in real life. But I’ve never read about such a thing in a work of fiction before so I was most fascinated. The detail in that scene was so vivid and lifelike that it almost seemed as if the author experienced or witnessed a similar event in her own life before. I was “there” and I was sold.
The writing in this book is top notch and helped me improve my vocabulary. I was looking up many words I didn’t know.
The airplane scene with Eddie was funny. I was amused. The card game scene with her mom’s friends was also amusing. It’s interesting how a writer is writing about a writer. Although this is the author’s first book, she knows so much about the publishing world, and she has me wondering if she really did work at a Casino before. She seems to have so much knowledge about so many different things.
Quotes that stood out to me:
“I think people are the same no matter where you go. And frankly, a little undeserved kindness goes a long way toward softening up the hard ones.”
“Cry out and lament for yourself and for every person who has drawn this air, only to exhale the last breath of their allotted number.”
“This is her home Bible, the one she moves all over the house like a squirrel moves a nut.” (Haha)
“All my filth washes away, and my hard heart melts like wax in his presence.”
All in
When I finished this book I say to myself “wow”. Cami has quite a life. A wild life. She is a writer and her book reflects her life. I really got involved in Cami character.
This book had me really involved and I was able to get things off my mind while reading it. Not very books does that. Lately it has been hard for me to keep my mind on the story. This book kept my attention.
This is one of those books that is hard to write a review. I have to be very careful not to give spoilers. I definitely recommend reading it.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. This review is my own opinion.
All In is a debut novel that hits it out of the park. Prepare to be captivated and not leave the pages of the book until you’ve devoured every word.
Okay, honest time. I started this book. And then I put it down and read another. It wasn’t that it wasn’t written well. Because it is wel written. It’s a really really good book once you get past the first few chapters.
Cami is very self-absorbed. And there are some words and scenes and things within the covers of this book that I’m not on board with. But, despite those, or because of them, this is still a wonderful book.
All In shares about the deep soul-saving redemptive love of God. It challenges us to look deeper and go deeper. While Cami matures and becomes less self-absorbed we get new ideas and new thoughts on her as a person but also on us as individuals and as followers of Christ.
Do I recommend All In as a good book? Yes, I do. But, I do want people to go into it with eyes wide open. There are some scenes that I truly think could have been left out. Words could have been left out(yes I’m talking curse words) and some activities like drugs/alcohol could have been left out. They’re in here though. Know this when you start reading.
I did not know this and that’s why I did take a break from the book. I came back, I restarted the book, and I finished the book. But while reading the book I did have to dig deep. It made me think and it challenged me. That is why I recommend it and think you might want to give it a read.
This is not one I would recommend for teens. In fact, my copy was a physical copy and I’m passing it on to other adults to read so that it does not stick around in my house for a teen to pick up. My teens are 14 and under and this is not something I want them reading at this point in their lives.
Gambling. All In shows you a parallel between life and cards. I’m not a card player. In fact, if it’s not solitaire chances are I have no clue what you’re talking about. This did leave me a little lost to the connection a few times, but I muddled through it.
So in conclusion. I’m not sure what genre I’d classify this book besides Christian fiction. I would classify it as an adult only book.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was instantly “all in.” I love my fiction dark, swathed in danger, and that leads readers into the exploration of all the shades of gray that life has to offer within the safe confines of the book’s pages. As a Christian myself, I was excited to see this story introducing “gritty” aspects that are not typically found within the genre and how it would navigate bleaker themes while keeping its audience in mind. This is a difficult read, but one that needed to be told. Life can be devoid of hope. People can experience a crisis of faith. And it’s okay to discuss those concerns within the Christian fiction community in a respectful and open-minded way. Beautifully written and emotionally engaging, this is an example of the kinds of faith-based stories I would like to see more of; however, as long as you can remember that even within the Christian faith we all worship differently, the ending may seem less shocking and more of a direct acknowledgment to the miracles we believe are reflected in Christ’s work.
“When I examine the situation in the cold light of day, I see precious little to look forward to as far as relationships go. Apparently, the road to happiness must be traveled in vehicles I loathe: Sacrifice. Compromise. Surrender.”
For the most part, Cami’s character is not very likable. As a debut bestselling author, she has a bit of a chip on her shoulder. She has commitment issues and intimacy is only a self-serving moment for carnal pleasure. While her future is primed for more novels, more money, more fame, more lovers, there is this lingering sense of loneliness and a lack of fulfillment that casts a shadow in the background. Though she admits early on that she needs to concentrate on feeding her soul, she has no idea what that means or how she would even know where to look for it. She is not a struggling believer or even someone looking to find faith, yet her slow progression to salvation is a testament to the religious narrative that proudly proclaims deliverance is never too late.
“I think people are the same no matter where you go. And frankly, a little undeserved kindness goes a long way to softening up the hard ones.”
While redemption stories are always something to root for, I must say that Kate’s character was the pièce de résistance to the awe-inspiring tale. As a distant relative, she enters Cami’s life in an act of almost divine intervention. Kate embodies the spirit of Christ, modeling the idea of Grace that Christians should strive for every day. Exhibiting an aura of humility, connectedness, elegance, and charisma, she fully embraces the less fortunate with open arms, casts no judgments, or ever utters an ill word about anyone, even those who disappoint her greatly and frequently. She is not naive to the strife that affects the world, rather her confident and constant devotion is a direct foil to Cami’s indifferent demeanor and flighty behavior. Her character and the relationship that is built with Cami is incredible to witness and every reason to give this book a chance.
You more than likely will step out of your comfort zone while reading this book; however, it might not be such a bad place to land. We all have different ways of looking at the world, and this story may put those views to the test. In much the same way that Cami eventually begins to look beyond herself and consider the perspectives of others, readers may have to open their minds a little to enjoy the uplifting message found by the end. This is raw. This is real. And it’s definitely worth talking about.
Many thanks to Lone Star Book Blog Tours and the author for providing me with a free copy of the book. This is my honest and thoughtful review.
“What’s it like to want all the right things?”
ALL IN by L.K. Simonds is a literary wonderland of metafiction, symbolism, and imagery. Cami Taylor is almost 30, hails from Phoenix, lives in New York City, and is writing her second novel on the heels of her first bestseller. Cami is like everyone else on the planet. She is both ordinary and unique. She is a successful author, an only child of parents who were not young when she was born, an ex-blackjack dealer, and promiscuous. She currently loves Joel and enjoys their relationship, but unlike him, she is not ready to attach those strings. What’s a girl to do? Cami warily heads into therapy but without the open-minded conviction that it will do any good.
Cami Taylor is also an agnostic. Her spiritual journey throughout ALL IN may not fit the mold of the standard Christian Fiction or imitate what many Christians have experienced in their own journey, but her sojourn is a valid one—slow and subtle before becoming completely chaotic and frenetic. L.K. Simonds brilliantly illustrates through Cami that there certainly must be more than one road to Damascus. Cami’s experience is raw and laden with wreckage and heartache, but it is hers and hers alone and thus beautifully authentic.
When a distant relative contacts her and wants to connect, Cami reluctantly agrees. Kate is an older cousin who is warm and inviting, and she is an integral part of the overall story. When Cami receives some life-shattering news, she retreats to Dallas, Texas, and into Kate’s welcoming, unconditional embrace. While Cami is the protagonist here, Kate must not be overlooked for what she represents. She is a wife and mother, but she also epitomizes the very essence of Christianity—faith, hope, love, tolerance, patience, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Moreover, Kate embodies the dichotomy of the biblical Martha and Mary in that she both serves and listens. With Cami, Kate easily knows when to advance and when to retreat, always with open arms and gentle hands that soothe, guide, and catch Cami when she dramatically falls and steady her when she rises from the ashes.
The dynamic Christian conversion story is weaved throughout this highly entertaining novel, and the ending may catch readers off guard and leave them wide eyed and filled with whatever emotion they are willing to receive—wonder, skepticism, acknowledgement, disbelief, or perhaps even hope.
For a debut novel, Simonds knocks it out of the literary park. The pacing is moderate, and the prose lures you into Cami’s edgy existence. While all the characters are intricately portrayed, Cami is, of course, the main attraction. She is agonizingly flawed, cynical, and often infuriating, yet she is also touchingly vulnerable, especially when her internal protective barrier begins to crumble, and her proverbial path to spiritual enlightenment becomes illuminated.
If you appreciate evocative literary fiction that sparks conversation, debate, and maybe even some self-reflection, then ALL IN by L.K. Simonds is the perfect book for you.
All In delves into the human psyche and digs deep for the truth. A truth that is revealed by the actions of Cami and those around her.
This is not your typical Christian fiction book, so if you are opposed to nitty gritty situations in your books, then you won’t want to read this one. BUT if you like to see how faith in God can change a person from the lowest depths to the highest levels, then you will want to read this novel. Cami is the kind of character that many will be able to relate to because her life is not picture perfect. She may have achieved success as an author, but something is missing. It takes connecting with distant family and a life altering event before Cami realizes the destructive path she is on and if she doesn’t change her life will not be what she wants.
I will admit that the first half of this book was slow and I wondered if Cami was going to find her way or she was going to keep floundering with her writing, her family, or her life. But about halfway through the book, there is a revelation that changes everything and from that point on I was hooked on the book and had a hard time putting it down. How was Cami going to handle this situation? What about her new relationship with Kate (a distant cousin)? How was she going to handle this news?
Chapter 23 is one of the best chapters, in my mind, because it centers around a discussion between Cami and Kate about faith, God, life, and the direction Cami is headed. I could have quoted most of the chapter because I felt so much of it was poignant. I think it was also a turning point for Cami and Kate was instrumental in facilitating the new path despite Cami’s reluctance to open her heart and life to others. Cami hides so much of her life from everyone and, in a way, she is much like the character Jackie in her book. Living life on the edge but without a real purpose. Is what she missing faith and God? Only Cami can discover that and it isn’t an easy sell.
A large portion of this book is set in Dallas where Kate lives and Cami visits. I was surprised to discover that Christ for the Nations Institute is a real place in Dallas. It is a charismatic non-denominational church and I’m not sure I believe what was described in the book, but I can’t say it couldn’t happen either. The bible is full of miracles so anything is possible. The only question that wasn’t answered is why Kate and her husband left one church for this one. Kate tells Cami she will tell her later but I do not remember that being answered.
These are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
“…but it seems like you’re kinda dead emotionally. Your characters feel all kinds of things, but do you? It’s almost like you’re putting up a front all the time.”
“In the half hour or so between first light and daybreak, the desert holds its breath. Nothing moves. Not air. Not cactus flower. Not thermometer. Then the sun, in full bloom, crests the lumpy red mountains, and the birds abandon their night roosts with trills as clear as the air itself. By noon, you can grill tortillas on any sunny sidewalk, but the early mornings are perfect.”
“A mother bear’s protective instinct. Actually, more like wolverine.”
“There’s only one reality. Any other ideas on the subject are just existential crap.”
“There’s a big difference between hoping something will happen and arranging your life in such a way that it will happen, inevitably.”
“We’re all one bad hand away from disaster.”
“That’s an important thing about fiction, not only telling a story, but helping the reader see and feel things. Maybe even understand things, they wouldn’t – couldn’t – otherwise.”
“At the time I wrote the book, I thought she played it well. I still believe she played it well, but I’m not so sure I should’ve let her walk away unscathed. The game always costs us something.”
“Cami, the end of your story haunts me. It breaks my heart to think about a young woman who’s determined to go after a life that will destroy her.”
“I used to think life would all make sense one day and have, you know, a beginning, a middle, and an end. But it won’t. It never will because there’s just one day on top of another until you have a whole string of them, a lifetime of them.”
“This is Texas, the weather here turns on a dime.”
Overall I really enjoyed this book, especially the last half and felt that the story concluded and closed all storylines with no unanswered questions (other than the one I mentioned above). We give this 5 paws up.
4.5 STARS. It is a rare occasion when I know much about a book before I read it. With ALL IN, I knew there was some controversy over the book being categorized as Christian fiction – gritty, realistic, Christian fiction. Who wouldn’t be interested in exploring that? With my interest piqued, I read the book description and just like the book’s title, I was ALL IN.
“Manhattan lays out a daily smorgasbord of humanity. Old and young, rich and poor, bourgeois and Bolshevik…all together, they form a single living organism, a New York amoeba, shaping itself to the sidewalk container, shrinking from the overflowing wastebaskets and ubiquitous vendors.”
The strength of ALL IN is in the vivid descriptions of people and places. Author L.K. Simonds writes with panache; her use of figurative language and carefully selected word choices (she bussed his cheek) ensnare and hold captive the reader. Truly, Simonds’s sentences are some of the most well-written I’ve read in some time. The writing is cerebral, and sentences are heavy with meaning, each giving readers more insight into main character Cami’s mind and heart. But much is also said between the lines, and while the story is a page-turner, there is much to be gained by mindful reading.
“Jackie wasn’t just a dealer. She was a gambler too. Always laying it all on the line, hoping for the big payoff.”
The cover image of ALL IN, which also piqued my interest, is highly representative of Cami’s life, but it’s nuanced. Sure, there is an obvious connection: Cami took a job as a blackjack dealer in a casino in order to research and accurately write Jackie, the main character of her bestselling book. But it goes much deeper than that. In writing Jackie, Leona Camille Lingo becomes author Cami Taylor – who lives vicariously through her character, Jackie. Sound complicated? It is. Gambling is an apt metaphor for Cami Taylor’s life.
Readers need to be aware that ALL IN is not a book about a struggling Christian finding God: Cami is not a believer. She is self-aware, pragmatic even, about her lack of faith and self-destructive behavior and doesn’t worry about her soul. Does she sin? Well, yeah. She is human, and humans, whether they call themselves Christian or not, are sinners. Readers know Cami’s is a redemption story, and despite the divine intervention of having Kate dropped into Cami’s life, it takes the whole book to get there (seriously – to the final twenty pages). Truly, the book’s structure itself reflects the never-too-late religious narrative.
Regardless of one’s personal beliefs, I recommend readers be open-minded and remember that we all worship differently. Admittedly, the Pentecostal way in which Cami finally accepts Jesus Christ as her savior is outside my comfort zone. And while I believe in Jesus’ power to heal, I struggled to suspend my disbelief with how Cami’s conversion ultimately unfolded, and I think this could have been written a little differently to not alienate some readers.
For me, it took effort to step back here and not let the ending negate from the experience of reading the book. But step-back I did, and I am left with a book that I would easily recommend to others who can be non-judgmental about belief systems other than their own. The writing is stunning, the story is enthralling, and ALL IN is a powerful, realistic, story that gloriously builds to one life-changing, lifesaving, defining moment.
Thank you to the author and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing me a print copy in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.
Thank you in advance to Book Crash and the author (LK Simonds) for sending me a complimentary copy to review. A positive review was not requested nor required, and all words are my own.
As of this year, I discovered the “Christian Fiction” genre (Fiction, Romance, Suspense), so I was eager to read this novel, especially after this tag line:
Cami Taylor – former blackjack dealer, writer, and fraud.
The cover also stood out for me, especially since I was raised in Las Vegas. Gambling occupies almost every aspect of the city, and I thought this had a “gambling” theme to it. That was a very small portion of the back story, actually a minor part.
“All In” centers on Cami Taylor; formerly Leona Camille Lingo; who was a blackjack dealer at the River Bend Casino in Arizona. It is there that she created the protagonist Jackie for the novel “Double Down Blues”. Jackie, a blackjack dealer herself, was everything “Leona” wasn’t and Leona wanted to be.
After the book becomes a best seller – Leona Camille Lingo vanishes and in her place emerges Cami Taylor. Cami sheds the former image of her self – an overweight bookworm. What she has become is cynical and stubborn with a string of bad decisions in her personal life and no remorse for the choices.
Living in New York, with her boyfriend Joel (of 18 months), she’s living the life that she wants, or thinks that she wants. Joel has other ideas: house, family, kids. After realizing what Joel is after, Cami breaks off the relationship to find her own happiness, even seeking the help of a therapist to no avail.
And, what she finds is anything but happiness. Her past comes to confront her in a seemingly deadly way.
I thought this might be a tale of gambling addiction with a suspense element. I certainly didn’t envision what I did.
From the outside, this seemed like an interesting premise. Given the content contained, it is FAR different than the Christian novels I’ve read from Bethany House, Thomas Nelson, and Revell. “All In” is definitely NOT a “feel-good” type of read. It is uncomfortable, it is gritty, and more graphic than the usual
Christian reads. That didn’t bother me though; I still kept an open mind. But, I do caution other reads to not view “Christian Fiction” solely upon this one novel. There are other great books from the publishers I’ve mentioned.
Cami was entirely dislikeable up until the end. She had no redeeming qualities about her. I found her character shallow and empty. The dialogue, for a character of her age, was quite realistic compared to that age range. Sadly, I couldn’t identify with her character at all, even at that age. She seemed to use her upbringing as an excuse to do what she was doing. With respect to that, there are others who have had a worse childhood and turned out better.
One interesting part of the story was a distant family member’s introduction. This person, despite Cami’s unlikeable behaviors, is there solely as a friend – nothing more. Cami wonders what the person wants. All Kate wants to do is “help” Cami. It was, to me, awkward.
Some readers of this genre might take issue with the pre-marital sex, smoking, and heavy alcohol use. The character also discusses her life with no remorse for her actions.
Cami’s “epiphany” comes in the form of a cliché with a medical issue, and a slightly unrealistic redemption. However, it does demonstrate the power of prayer and what God is willing to do for us if we give him the chance. It also shows that while we have free will, we don’t escape consequences.
All In by L.K. Simonds is her very first published novel. According to the back blurb on the book Cami Taylor’s boyfriend loves her in spite of her flaws. He wants to marry her but she has other ideas. Breaking off the relationship she goes on a quest for happiness. I never finished the book. I only got to page 55. Within those few pages there were two sex scenes, visit’s to a bar, drinking, and cigarette smoking. Just not what I expected from a Christian fiction story. Although the sex scenes weren’t really explicit, the act wasn’t described in detail, the fact that they were even talked about or even included was just too much for me. A couple of times ‘God’ was used as a swear word. I did read the last two pages and it looks like Cami eventually found the Lord. There was just too much other stuff in between.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
This book started out a bit different from most Christian fiction I am used to reading, or at least what I would consider Christian fiction. I guess, the fact is, the writing is truly a reality of the world we live in, however, I was quite uncomfortable reading various parts of the book that were a little more detailed than I typically find appealing. There was quite a bit of sex outside of marriage, a hook-up, drinking, smoking, etc…. and I was eager to see where the author was going with all this….
Cami was an interesting character. She honestly seemed like the typical woman in today’s day and age. She had some serious emotional issues, stemming from growing up in a dysfunctional family, but she was working on addressing them. Those “issues” played out in her every day life choices. However, this book is also a tale of redemption. I think one of my favorite people in the book is Kate. She seemed to radiate peace and joy.
I would warn against younger teens reading this book due to content. As for recommending… if you are not opposed to reading a book that has pre-marital sex, alcohol, and a pretty liberal lifestyle broadcast on the pages, then you will probably enjoy it. If your views are very conservative, this may not be the one for you.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author and Celebrate Lit. I was not asked to review positively and all opinions are my own.
In the story Cami is uncaring, daring and downright sinful. She doesn’t care what people think or how she is perceived . There are several times in the book where the author goes into details about encounters with men that I found very offensive. I think she could have written it in a way that gets the point across with out going into details. Like I said I understand sin is harsh , but in a Christian Fiction book we should not be okay with taking such liberties that cross genres.
The last half of the book is where the real story is. Cami is finding out that there are consequences to sin. Her life is forever changed with a few words. I won’t say what it is but it will wake her up to all the things she has done.
There are two very significant people in the story that make the book worth reading. Kate and Sam are the perfect characters to speak wisdom and give compassion to Cami. I have to admit I didn’t like Cami. She was a horrible person and I got tired of reading about everything she did. Then I stopped. Well look at me judging a person in sin. Am I no better than her? “Ye without sin, cast the first stone.”
The author uses some inappropriate language that I cringed at. I wonder why this book is classified as Christian Fiction with all the inappropriate language and vivid descriptions. The bottom line of the book is redemption and it takes a while to get there. Most of Cami’s story could have been shortened and maybe cleaned up a bit.
The ending is good though I don’t agree with everything that happened or how it happened. It almost seemed rushed and tied in a perfect bow. Overall the theme of the book is a good one but I’m not so sure I liked how it was presented in this story.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.