Stuck in the Middle (Thorndike Christian Fiction) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Virginia Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2010 | Series: Thorndike Christian Fiction

Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family, and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is stuck at home with Mom and her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement -- or romance. When a hunky young doctor moves in next door, Joan sets out to catch his eye. It won't be easy, but with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous bad-mannered mutt, Joan begins to find her way out of this rut.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Smith (Just As I Am) provides all the standard elements of inspirational chick lit in this first installment of the Sister-to-Sister series. Joan has been dumped by her long-term boyfriend, lives at home, has an unexciting job and can't quite figure out what to do with her life, until a single doctor (who is of course terribly good-looking and very serious about his faith) moves in next door. As the title suggests, Joan is the middle daughter and feels dwarfed by her older sister's happy family and her younger sister's beauty and success. She struggles with feeling abandoned by her father and angry that her mother forced him to leave when she was young. She wonders if there's more depth to her faith than she initially thought, and learns more about God from her new doctor friend. And she tries hard to take care of her elderly grandmother to prevent her from being sent to an assisted living home, though that may prove to be the best place for her after all. Naturally, this is the realm of happy endings, and readers won't be disappointed. The sisters are spirited and fun, and if the story takes a while to get going, it soon quickens the pace and entertains. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Joan Sanderson's life is stuck.

Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family, and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is stuck at home with Mom and her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement--or romance.

When a hunky young doctor moves in next door, Joan sets out to catch his eye. But it won't be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly, and Joan is sure that she can't compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, Joan begins to find her way out of this rut and into the life she's been hiding from.

Book 1 of the Sister-to-Sister series, Stuck in the Middle combines budding romance, soul searching, and a healthy dose of sibling rivalry that is sure to make you smile.

"A gentle story of one young woman's season of growth, deftly blending the tangle of family relationships with gifts of whimsy and revelation. A joy to read."--Sharon Hinck, author of Renovating Becky Miller and Symphony of Secrets


"Virginia Smith has created a charming and humorous novel that celebrates small-town life, generations of women caring for each other, and the value of finding a deeper, more active faith."--Sharon Dunn, author of the Bargain Hunters mysteries


Virginia Smith is a writer of humorous novels, a speaker, and an avid scuba diver. She launched her career as a novelist with the release Just As I Am in 2006, and has been writing fiction ever since. She and her husband, Ted, divide their time between Kentucky and Utah, and escape as often as they can for diving trips to the Caribbean. Visit her website at www.VirginiaSmith.org --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 434 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; Large Print edition (June 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410426645
• ISBN-13: 978-1410426642
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (226 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #363,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Virginia Smith is a writer of humorous novels, a speaker, and an avid scuba diver. She launched her career as a novelist with the release Just As I Am in 2006, and has been cranking out God-honoring fiction ever since. She and her husband, Ted, divide their time between Kentucky and Utah, and escape as often as they can for diving trips to the Caribbean. www.VirginiaSmith.org

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

195 of 203 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Virginia Smith lives up to her newly won title of Writer of the Year (Mount Herman Writer's Conference) in Stuck In The Middle, March 25, 2008

By 

Susan Sleeman "Host of The Christian Suspense... - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister, Book 1) (Paperback)

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.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Characters Sparkle in "Stuck in the Middle", August 21, 2008

By 

Keep Smiling "Smilie1" (Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister, Book 1) (Paperback)

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!!!

118 of 154 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beware : overly christian content, December 1, 2010

By 

North (Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister, Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

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.