Jenny B. Jones's Just Between You and Me ~ Reviewed

Just Between You and Me
By Jenny B. Jones
Published by Thomas Nelson, Sept 2009
ISBN-10: 1595548513


Description:

Maggie lives life on the edge, seemingly unafraid of anything. But the image she so carefully constructed is coming undone.

Maggie’s job as a cinematographer takes her around the world. She tells people’s stories, especially those of impoverished children. That’s when she feels most alive, like she’s making the world better.

But when a secret from her past resurfaces, Maggie gets a call that sends her home. Her dad desperately needs her help. Her estranged sister has run off, leaving 8-year-old Riley in his care. She returns reluctantly, hoping to help her niece. There she reconnects with Conner—a once awkward and shy, now handsome, veterinarian. Her feelings skyrocket when she’s with him, but she’s afraid if she shows him her true self, he’ll reject her.

An honest, hilarious journey that will transform Maggie—if she just learns to trust more and fear less.


Review:

Just Between You and Me snagged me with the fresh writing style. I was drawn into the deep first person POV and it’s written in present tense. I love that.

Maggie Montgomery is an incredibly fun protagonist to cheer for—plus she’s redheaded, which I can relate to. Maggie’s easy to love, hysterically funny, and knows how to laugh at herself—at least on the outside. Maggie tries her best to appear fearless but life doesn’t cooperate. In her career as a cinematographer, she’s a successful world traveler. Hiding behind a camera comes easily for her. But in her personal life, Maggie is thrown into taking care of her redheaded ten-year-old precious, smart-mouth niece Riley. Toss in a cute vet/used to be nerd from her past, a distant father, and a few skeletons from Maggie’s childhood and we have the makings of a great read.

Reviewed by Julie Garmon of Girls God and Goodlife Blogspot.

Bonus Review:

“There’s a feeling in the air, and I don’t like it. A feeling that says, Things are about to get messy and out of control. Messy I can handle. The contents of my purse are a testimonial to that. But the relationship business? Let’s just say I’m a better cinematographer than I am a girlfriend.”

This statement out of the mouth of Maggie, world traveler, great at her job, but not so good with relationships of any kind; which she soon discovers when a family emergency brings her home to Ivey, Texas. The last place on earth she wants to be. Talk about messy?

Maggie is going to church and hears the pastor say, “What’s holding you back today? Every single one of us has fears. You know who eats that up? The enemy. He loves nothing more than to see you hanging tight to all those things you’re afraid of. ..”

Maggie wonders if the pastor is talking directly to her, and you’ll wonder if Jenny is talking to you.

This book grabbed my heart and attention right from the start. Jenny B. Jones not only has Maggie discover she might have a few fears she’s holding on to but she made me think about fear in a deeper, personal sense. What does facing your fear look like? I think that this author does an amazing job of showing Maggie how to identify her fears, but it made this reader think about the issue of fear as well.

Bravo, Jenny! for penning such a dynamic, funny, heartfelt story of unconditional love, forgiveness, and letting God take the drivers’ seat of our lives. It’s a scary thing to do. Can Maggie pull it off, could you? Jenny gives you hope and a little bit of her testimony about dealing with fear, in the back of the book. I can’t stop thinking about this book and neither will you!

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent - Finding Hope Through Fiction