Book Review: "Splitting Harriet" by Tamara Leigh and Book Giveaway!

I'm giving away a brand new copy of today's book! Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Monday, November 19. Good luck!

PK does not mean Perfect Kid

Harriet was a rebel. She's done everything that Pastor's Kids AREN'T supposed to do. But now she's repented of her ways and is the women's director of her church. To make sure she doesn't fall back to her old ways, she lives in a trailer park surrounded by elderly folks, doesn't hang out with anyone her age, and reads a different version of a Bible every year. With Jelly Bellys to keep her company, her dream is to own the cafe near the church after the owner retires. She's got her life planned out. But all that changes when Maddox, a church consultant, comes roaring into town on his motorcycle with plans to disrupt all of Harriet's neat plans. What will she do when the church stops being a safe haven and Maddox tries to change her life?

This book started off with a drunken PK throwing up in a bar. Not your typical opening for a Christian fiction book. Normally when you read about churches who face potential splits due to a younger pastor trying to change things, the ones against change are always older members. So it was a twist to have the lead protester be a 27 year old. Writing books about churches trying to modernize can be a touchy subject. The reader might not agree with the way the author is trying to make her main character side. Harriet seemed though only to want to stay with the older traditional church because it was safe and wouldn't tempt her back to her old ways. Never mind that her faith wasn't actually growing. I liked how she was portrayed as reading a Bible a year but never fully grasped what she was actually reading. I understand that she was scared of slipping back to being a rebel but at the same time she was hurting herself. I love Maddox's character because he was a wonderful portrayal of a Christian who is fully committed yet is ok with being outside of the box. The protesters' attempts to stop the church from changing drove me nuts at first especially a certain organ player. But when you read about why they're against the change, it makes you feel more sympathetically for them. I appreciated the mentions that we shouldn't put Pastor's Kids on a higher pedestal. It's hard for them to grow up in an atmosphere where everyone judges them for what they do and then criticize their parents for the way they act. I loved all the new ideas Maddox brought to the church, especially the Sabrina movie night - Audrey Hepburn with Harrison Ford would be a perfect combo! I also love all the Jelly Bellys in this book! Being a huge Jelly Belly fan myself, I envied Harriet and her big tub. And you know, I love mango so I'll take all the ones she doesn't want! I know I keep declaring books "best of the year" but this one definately deserves to be at the top of the list. It's a fun, fast, witty read with engaging characters, hilarious moments, and been there down that situations. Perfect chick lit read to enjoy during these cold winter months.

Tamara Leigh’s first novel, Warrior Bride, was published in 1994 and was followed by six more bestselling, award-winning historical romances for Bantam, HarperCollins, and Dorchester. Leigh’s inspirational chick lit debut, Stealing Adda, was published in 2006 to great critical acclaim. Leigh has also written for Romantic Times magazine and been a guest speaker for WaldenBooks’s corporate conference. Leigh lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two sons and enjoys time with her family, volunteer work, faux painting, and reading.

Splitting Harriet by Tamara Leigh is published by Multnomah (2007)