Book Review: "I Love Claire" by Tracey Bateman

Here comes the bride...

Claire is finally about to get married! Greg has asked the questions and the happy couple is planning the event that will start their new life together. Claire has found the perfect gown but alas it is wayyy out of her price range. So in order to get the extra money, she accidentally becomes a dog walker (even though she hates dogs). Since its Claire, of course all sorts of adventures have to happen to her. Her client's irritating son is attracted to her, her daughter is again seriously involved with her college boyfriend, her son is doing drugs, and Greg wants to postpone their honeymoon to take a pastoral job in another church! Will Claire still be able to make it down the aisle?

I thought this was a wonderful end to the Claire series. I felt all the characters had come around full circle. Claire seems to have finally made her peace with Rick and Darcy and while she still sometimes feels irritated with Darcy, they have become good friends.
I also really liked the pastor's wife. She was a good example to Claire that a pastor's wife is just like everyone else and wants her husband to pay attention to her. I am glad that she said that the best type of pastor would put his wife before the church and I'm glad Greg finally realized this about Claire. Jerry was kind of creepy and I would have been extremely mad at him too in the situation with the yacht. I really enjoyed this book, it's a great read, and Claire just makes you laugh all the time with her adventures.

The only thing I didn't agree with was Ari's decision to get married so young and everyone seeming to go along with it. I personally do not think an 18 year old is ready for marriage. There is so much they do not know, Ari does not seem like a person who is ready to tackle all the responsibilities of a grown up. In the beginning of the book, she is still whining about not getting her own way, and then at the end she wants to be a wife and have her own household. I know that there are many young couples that marry and can make it but it just didn't seem realistic that everyone agrees this is the right decision in this situation.

I have grown to love Claire and her family. Let's hope there might be at least one more Claire book in the future. Highly recommended book for mom lit fans.

I Love Claire by Tracey Bateman is published by Faithwords (2007)