Customer Reviews

Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister, Book 1)

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(54)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

Stuck In The Middle is an aptly named book revolving around Joan Sanderson--whose life has been put on hold while she looks out for her Grandma, who is wedged between sisters that Joan thinks are far more gregarious and personable than she is, and who is stuck in a superficial relationship with God. Stuck, that is, until a handsome, single doctor with an intensely personal relationship with God rents the house next-door and involuntarily drags Joan out of her rut.

As Joan struggles to break free, the reader is blessed with the genuine interactions between sisters, and family as a whole that Smith has woven into the story line so well. The dialogue is strong and realistic, the situations true to life and sometimes quite comical, and Joan, though a dejected character in many ways, is likeable and one you cheer for right from the beginning.

This alone would have made the book an enjoyable read, but Smith along with entertaining the reader reinforces the need for a personal relationship with God. She takes Joan, a Christian who has had a superficial relationship with God into discovering how to connect on a deeper level. Smith also does an excellent job of portraying the fear that Joan's sisters have of the kind of Christian Joan wants to become simply because they don't understand it.

Stuck In The Middle is not different than many other Christian fiction titles in that is has a spiritual message, but often, that message is dealt with in heavy handed and stilted way. Not Stuck In The Middle. This is the sort of book that while you read it you find yourself pleasantly entertained, seriously not wanting to put the book down even when you should be doing other things, and in the end you are surprised when you come away with a strong spiritual message.

Stuck In The Middle has something for everyone--romance, shopping, dating advice, sibling rivalry, family and spiritual relationships, and real life issues like caring for elderly family members all wrapped up in an entertaining package. Pick it up, today. You won't be disappointed.

Viginia Smith does it again in "Stuck in the Middle". Her characters are realistic, artfully crafted, and endearingly flawed (aren't we all?) and will pull you right into the story from page 1. Here's a warning, though -- don't give the book as a gift unless you're prepared for trouble. Now I have several friends calling to complain that they're chomping at the bit to read the next installment in the series. Please bring us book 2 soon!!!

I'm very glad I got this for free, it was billed as a romance but it should have been categorized as Christian fiction. I found the main characters very tedious. I am a Christian however I despise those who bemoan their lot in life and look to the sky asking God when they'll get theirs without putting any effort into it. I thought the male lead was exceptionally obnoxious and extremely critical of how others choose to conduct their relationships with God. I will definitely steer clear of this author in the future, I could barely make it through the book.

Joan, the middle sister, feels overshadowed by her two, more succesful sisters. She still lives with her grandmother and her mother, does a job that bores her and has been jilted by her fiance. Also, she still misses her father, gone since her parents' divorce.
The grandmother is getting old and there is talk of moving her to a assisted-living facility, something Joan is vehemently against.
A young doctor, Ken Fletcher, moves next door. Joan is interested in him but so is her younger sister. Who will he choose ?

I am sure that the christian content (some of the book is about Joan's seach for God) will be appreciated by some. For me, it was just too much of a good thing. I don't want to preached to when I'm reading romance novels.

But mainly, I found Joan really annoying. She spends most of the book complaining (about her name, the fact that she is quiet, her job, and even her relationship with God) and feeling sorry for herself. Ken is not much better. He almost rejects Joan because she does not seem religious enough. I found the scenes where the two sisters flirt and buy new clothes to attrack Ken corny and childish. You should'nt have to gilt the lily to be appreciated. I kept waiting for Joan to get a grip and grow-up.

I'm happy I got it free and would not pay for other novels by the same author.

While there was an element of romance in the story, the majority of the book (which I admitedly did not finish) was about Joan finding her way to a closer relationship with god. if you're not Christian or very religious, you might find the over emphasis on religion too much to swallow. On top of that, the rest of the book centers on family relationships and Joan coming to terms with the loss if her father 18 years ago.

At least I didn't pay for it, but it did waist my time when what I was looking for was a fun, light read about an introvert coming out of her shell and nabbing the hot doctor next door. This should be listed under religious novels to prevent further confusion.

Story was so calculated and predictable.meant to be inspiring but fell really flat..Joan's character seemed to be that of a 12 year old rather than 25 year old..not worth being the time of a free price tag. Especially if Christian fiction is not your thing..

This book does not belong in the romance category. It is about a woman finding religion and MAYBE love. By the end of the book, she has had one date and not even a kiss. The love interes is a handsome doctor, which seem to be his only appealing characteristics. Lame book.

I really did NOT enjoy this book. The plot was thin and lifeless. I was forced to read this since it was the last unread on my Kindle and I had 4 hours left on the plane...I should have just taken a nap.

Such a fun book by Virginia Smith! Stuck in the Middle is the first in the Sister-To-Sister series and starts things off so well, you'll be looking forward to the next one by the time you've turned the last page. Hopefully book 2 won't be long in coming.

Joan and her sisters truly come to life as you read. It's interesting that Smith decided to start the series focused on the middle sister...a good choice. Joan struggles with trying to find her purpose in life and break out of her comfort zone to find out what God has planned for her. And of course along the way we get to meet her crazy family of women and one unsuspecting doctor who just moved in next door. One of my favorite things is when Joan becomes annoyed with someone periodically throughout the book and can "see" the morning's dramatic headline in her mind's eye. Pretty hilarious.

You'll enjoy this book!

An amusing little story to about 50% through. Then the male lead denigrates her church, doubts if she is religious enough, and is downright creepy. He comes across as jihadi radical. It hardly matters if it's for jesus, allah, or that purple thing I heard about. He even freaks her out for a bit and the author is setting up the story.

Run girl run. You will be barefoot and pregnant with no TV. Let alone a Kindle.

The story turned to religion at 50 and I stopped at 80. Must the Christian books use only the hammer? Sugar for us flies you think?

What bothers me most is the hard introduction of religion at 50-60% and no more story. This is not the first C book to do this by far. A noticable pattern. Is there a class that teaches this method?

If the second half was anything like the first this would have been a four star review. Yes even if it is a christian book.