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The Book Store Rule
William and Aujanae Rucker have been satisfactorily married for six comfortable years; then along comes maneater April Colston. She is determined to have Aujanae's husband at all costs. April knows William and Aujanae are Christians. Heck, so is she.
David Mathis and Toriyana Kent have been exclusively dating for several years, but David has just moved from Detroit to Phoenix. The pair do all they can to hold on to their relationship across the miles, but distance and the influences of a very beautiful woman, namely David's new pastor's assistant, put a strain on the trust and security they once shared.
Darrin Osborne and Maleeka Davis are engaged to be married; however, after four years and just as many engagement rings, they have yet to set an actual wedding date. Will Maleeka continue to wait patiently for Darrin to get his act together and make their love official, or will Mr. Gerald Miller succeed in showing her how a real man is supposed to take care of his woman?
Janice Jones shows readers that being a Christian couple doesn't always guarantee a happy, trouble-free relationship.
David Mathis and Toriyana Kent have been exclusively dating for several years, but David has just moved from Detroit to Phoenix. The pair do all they can to hold on to their relationship across the miles, but distance and the influences of a very beautiful woman, namely David's new pastor's assistant, put a strain on the trust and security they once shared.
Darrin Osborne and Maleeka Davis are engaged to be married; however, after four years and just as many engagement rings, they have yet to set an actual wedding date. Will Maleeka continue to wait patiently for Darrin to get his act together and make their love official, or will Mr. Gerald Miller succeed in showing her how a real man is supposed to take care of his woman?
Janice Jones shows readers that being a Christian couple doesn't always guarantee a happy, trouble-free relationship.
- GenresRomance
274 pages, Paperback
First published January 29, 2013
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28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 5, 2022
After reading the preface, in which the author states that their ideology is that "if a person is not married or engaged, they are single" (and free to date whomever they choose; one cannot be cheated on if they aren't married or engaged), I was going to not even make an attempt at reading this book. I vehemently disagree with "the book store rule" and the author's idea that just because monogamous, dating relationships aren't explicitly mentioned in the Bible, that these sort of relationships don't exist or aren't valid. By their logic, there is no "stepping stone" towards engagement because two people within a relationship have free will to date whomever they choose without long term commitment towards the other unless they get engaged. So two people can date but suddenly have to get engaged to be considered a serious relationship, without first deciding if they want to spend more time exclusively with the other? To me the author's ideology lends more towards an open relationship, where there is no expectation of commitment. This is my reasoning behind the 2 star rating I gave this book. Also, look at how well "the book store rule" worked for Toriyana and David, or for Katrina and David, both of whom were hurt by David's decision to see the other? Furthermore, David's actions were deceitful towards Toriyana, who was unaware of the fact that he was seeing Katrina. And, the Bible does talk about deceit and lying, which David did when he didn't tell Toriyana he was seeing Katrina. At one point during the book I felt like William and David would be better suited for a polygynous lifestyle, where they could have more than one woman happily. The only relationship I was seriously invested in was Aujanae and William's. I felt like the book accurately depicted the pain an affair can have on a couple. I was also pleased that Maleeka decided to end her years long engagement to Darrin and give Gerald, whom I feel was a bit rude in his insistence towards an engaged woman, a chance. Overall, this book was good, but "the book store rule" was a huge turn off for me. Just because something isn't specifically discussed in the Bible doesn't mean that we can go around and make up our own rules. But I guess this is the author's interpretation of what they believe the Bible says or doesn't say about relationships.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2015
Not really
The rules they are pointing to is what scripture regards committed relationship s. Unfortunately they don't consider society's perspective. Characters could be better drawn it situations are described well enough
The rules they are pointing to is what scripture regards committed relationship s. Unfortunately they don't consider society's perspective. Characters could be better drawn it situations are described well enough
March 23, 2013
Great book! I surely hope there is a part 2...I did not want the book to end! I love the way Janice Jones brings Scripture to life❤!
July 25, 2021
Did not finish. Didn't make it past the preface. I can't subscribe to their "Book Store Rule"
July 29, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book. I found myself thinking about the characters and the situations they found themselves facing. It is a story that is very true to life. I found myself thinking about what they were dealing with and how I would handle the situation if I found myself facing the same things. Some of the ways they handled the situations I could understand and somewhat agree with but there were some that I thought they were going down the wrong road. This is an easy read and very relatable. The real message here should be...when confused and at a crossroad in a where you must make a decision...give it to God and stay in the Word. We as humans tend to give our problems to God but then we pick the problem back up without truly releasing it. God is always open to hear and answer our prayers. You will never get a busy signal. His line is open 24/7, every day and never closed for holidays. God is merciful and loving.
William and Aujanae Rucker have been satisfactorily married for six comfortable years; then along comes maneater April Colston. She is determined to have Aujanae's husband at all costs. April knows William and Aujanae are Christians. Heck, so is she.
David Mathis and Toriyana Kent have been exclusively dating for several years, but David has just moved from Detroit to Phoenix. The pair do all they can to hold on to their relationship across the miles, but distance and the influences of a very beautiful woman, namely David's new pastor's assistant, put a strain on the trust and security they once shared.
Darrin Osborne and Maleeka Davis are engaged to be married; however, after four years and just as many engagement rings, they have yet to set an actual wedding date. Will Maleeka continue to wait patiently for Darrin to get his act together and make their love official, or will Mr. Gerald Miller succeed in showing her how a real man is supposed to take care of his woman?
Janice Jones shows readers that being a Christian couple doesn't always guarantee a happy, trouble-free relationship.
William and Aujanae Rucker have been satisfactorily married for six comfortable years; then along comes maneater April Colston. She is determined to have Aujanae's husband at all costs. April knows William and Aujanae are Christians. Heck, so is she.
David Mathis and Toriyana Kent have been exclusively dating for several years, but David has just moved from Detroit to Phoenix. The pair do all they can to hold on to their relationship across the miles, but distance and the influences of a very beautiful woman, namely David's new pastor's assistant, put a strain on the trust and security they once shared.
Darrin Osborne and Maleeka Davis are engaged to be married; however, after four years and just as many engagement rings, they have yet to set an actual wedding date. Will Maleeka continue to wait patiently for Darrin to get his act together and make their love official, or will Mr. Gerald Miller succeed in showing her how a real man is supposed to take care of his woman?
Janice Jones shows readers that being a Christian couple doesn't always guarantee a happy, trouble-free relationship.
April 5, 2022
I did like this book (and I'm disappointed that there isn't a sequal) but I feel that some of the characters were being extremely deceitful in their relationships. If your girlfriend has no idea you re seeing another woman and you hide it from her/dread telling her, that means you feel.guilt and it's cheating. I don't like how the author claims that is biblical when the other person is completely in the dark about it. The bible doesn't condone nor condemn those relationships, but please discuss it with your partner you start a relationship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2013
Let me start by saying that I really had high hopes for this book. I stumbled upon it on Amazon and found the cover to be attractive. Upon reading the introduction via the Look Inside feature, I was compelled to buy the book and excited about reading it. Unfortunately, I did not end up enjoying the book, and felt the "Christian" aspect of the book was lacking.
The Book Store Rule is basically this idea that if you are not married, you are technically single, whether you are dating someone or not. Thereby, you cannot cry foul if the person you are dating decides to date someone else as well. The author attributed this idea to the Bible's lack of referring to dating, only marriage. I have heard of this idea in the past and for the most part subscribe to this ideology-this is why I was super excited to see the idea translated into Christian fiction. However, although I respect this concept, as Christians, we are still expected to treat others with goodness and as we would want them to treat us. We are also expected to behave with righteousness and integrity. That being said, here are my issues with this book:
There were three couples presented in the book (one dating, one engaged, and one married) and in each of these situations, a third character was inserted into their relationship. All of the characters except one attended the same church and were connected in some form or fashion. The "dating" couple were struggling with a long distance relationship because the male moved across country. A woman who worked at the church, met the male partner and started to like him. Eventually they began to go out on dates, the male using the excuse that he is a single man. STOP! If his girlfriend entered the relationship with the understanding that they were going to be exclusive, he cannot simply change the agreement two years into their relationship just because it now suits him. In addition, the other woman should not be so desperate as to go on dates with a man who is already in a long-term relationship with someone else, despite knowing and feeling guilty about hurting the man's girlfriend. What is Christian about this?
There are other situations in the book that do not reflect Christian values at all (for example, a man who claims to be a good, Godly man, but continuously disrespects another man by boldly flirting with his fiancé). Now of course, in Christian books, we write about real people going through real, and often sinful life issues, but the purpose is to reveal Biblical truths by the end of the book, to inspire and promote Kingdom living. I was waiting, and hoping, and praying that this book would end in such a manner. But it didn't. Instead, the characters were permitted to continue on in their un-Christ-like ways, and most even rewarded for it, praising God as if this was God's plan or way of doing things. For me, this is problematic because the church is already suffering from Christians being unable to build lasting and solid marriages/relationships. This book reminded me more of the way the world handles their affairs rather than how God would want us to deal with each other.
In a final note, one other issue I had with the story was that it took me a long time to connect with the characters, and even when I slightly did, it wasn't with the character the author probably desired. I do not know who the protagonist was. Even in a book with so many characters, one person should still be the protagonist. I realized while reading the book that the reason I wasn't connecting with the characters was because the point of view (POV) was everywhere. Each paragraph skipped from character to character, making it really difficult to get to know and feel for any one person. I would encourage the author to stick with one POV at least for each chapter to allow readers enough time to become immersed in that one character's perspective before introducing another's perspective. I believe it would have caused a quicker and greater attachment or care for the characters.
I say all of this with love. Writing Christian fiction is not easy and I applaud each writer who makes a choice to write for God. However, we also have to be sure that what we say in our books leads people to Christ and not distracts them from His way of doing things. This is the first book I have ever read by this author. I believe the author had good intentions and I plan to read another book by her, hoping to see if a different topic is handled in a more inspiring light.
*Previous to posting, I shared this review with the author who was very receptive to my feedback.
The Book Store Rule is basically this idea that if you are not married, you are technically single, whether you are dating someone or not. Thereby, you cannot cry foul if the person you are dating decides to date someone else as well. The author attributed this idea to the Bible's lack of referring to dating, only marriage. I have heard of this idea in the past and for the most part subscribe to this ideology-this is why I was super excited to see the idea translated into Christian fiction. However, although I respect this concept, as Christians, we are still expected to treat others with goodness and as we would want them to treat us. We are also expected to behave with righteousness and integrity. That being said, here are my issues with this book:
There were three couples presented in the book (one dating, one engaged, and one married) and in each of these situations, a third character was inserted into their relationship. All of the characters except one attended the same church and were connected in some form or fashion. The "dating" couple were struggling with a long distance relationship because the male moved across country. A woman who worked at the church, met the male partner and started to like him. Eventually they began to go out on dates, the male using the excuse that he is a single man. STOP! If his girlfriend entered the relationship with the understanding that they were going to be exclusive, he cannot simply change the agreement two years into their relationship just because it now suits him. In addition, the other woman should not be so desperate as to go on dates with a man who is already in a long-term relationship with someone else, despite knowing and feeling guilty about hurting the man's girlfriend. What is Christian about this?
There are other situations in the book that do not reflect Christian values at all (for example, a man who claims to be a good, Godly man, but continuously disrespects another man by boldly flirting with his fiancé). Now of course, in Christian books, we write about real people going through real, and often sinful life issues, but the purpose is to reveal Biblical truths by the end of the book, to inspire and promote Kingdom living. I was waiting, and hoping, and praying that this book would end in such a manner. But it didn't. Instead, the characters were permitted to continue on in their un-Christ-like ways, and most even rewarded for it, praising God as if this was God's plan or way of doing things. For me, this is problematic because the church is already suffering from Christians being unable to build lasting and solid marriages/relationships. This book reminded me more of the way the world handles their affairs rather than how God would want us to deal with each other.
In a final note, one other issue I had with the story was that it took me a long time to connect with the characters, and even when I slightly did, it wasn't with the character the author probably desired. I do not know who the protagonist was. Even in a book with so many characters, one person should still be the protagonist. I realized while reading the book that the reason I wasn't connecting with the characters was because the point of view (POV) was everywhere. Each paragraph skipped from character to character, making it really difficult to get to know and feel for any one person. I would encourage the author to stick with one POV at least for each chapter to allow readers enough time to become immersed in that one character's perspective before introducing another's perspective. I believe it would have caused a quicker and greater attachment or care for the characters.
I say all of this with love. Writing Christian fiction is not easy and I applaud each writer who makes a choice to write for God. However, we also have to be sure that what we say in our books leads people to Christ and not distracts them from His way of doing things. This is the first book I have ever read by this author. I believe the author had good intentions and I plan to read another book by her, hoping to see if a different topic is handled in a more inspiring light.
*Previous to posting, I shared this review with the author who was very receptive to my feedback.
November 2, 2014
I'm divided when it comes to how I feel about this book. I think the plot is an important one. The Book Store Rule focuses on three couples and shows the reader how there is no such thing as a perfect relationship, even if you're a Christian. Ms. Jones weaves Scripture throughout the book and her faith is apparent. Not a Christian, though? Still give it a shot. It's not a very "preachy" book, though, of course, it is Christ-centered.
The part about this book I had trouble with was the dialogue between the characters. I understand that each character is an educated professional adult, but that does not mean that each character needs to talk the exact same way (Everyone seemed to speak "proper English," complete with a minimal use of contractions). That made parts of the book not flow naturally.
Other than that, though, it's a good book that I recommend.
The part about this book I had trouble with was the dialogue between the characters. I understand that each character is an educated professional adult, but that does not mean that each character needs to talk the exact same way (Everyone seemed to speak "proper English," complete with a minimal use of contractions). That made parts of the book not flow naturally.
Other than that, though, it's a good book that I recommend.
October 26, 2015
William was married to Aujanae and they had a baby. William met April at a restaurant one day. April and William began to date one another. April claims that she is in love with William. April began to attend the same church as William and Aujanae. April would like for William to leave his wife and son, she is tired of being the other woman. David and Toriyana have been dating for several years, David relocate to Phoenix from Detroit, leaving Toriyana in Detroit. David does not feel that their relationship can stand the long distance. Toriyana gives David an ultimatum about marriage. Darrin and Maleeka are engaged to be married; engaged for over five years, but no wedding date set. Maleeka decides to ask Darrin to move in together, praying that he will set a wedding date. Being in a relationship is work, and not comes easy. We serve an awesome God and He is merciful.
April 25, 2013
The plot follows several couples, either married or dating, as they navigate their relationships. The writing tells rather than shows the action. Overall, the story felt stale.
This book contains sexual references.
This book contains sexual references.
August 18, 2014
In this book, you follow 3 couples, one married, one engaged for several years and one couple dating. In it, you follow their lives and their relationship with God and their friends. It was a good book, and i would like to know about what happens to the characters later in life.
June 27, 2015
This was a quick read. I enjoyed it but it isn't anything to brag about. It gave me a lot to think about
May 11, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I am a huge fan of urban christian novels because they usually have happy endings and drop spiritual knowledge on you. This was no exception! 5 stars
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews