Made for Each Other

Grandma Mandy #1

by Karen Cogan

Lissa is transferred from Houston to a small, New Mexico city where her grandmother lives. When Lissa arrives at the airport her grandmother is suffering from a mild illness and Lissa is met by her grandmother's young friend, Jason. Lissa is immediately attracted to Jason. However, she is dismayed to discover he is self-employed in a creative field, Her mother has warned her such a choice could be a mistake and she might find herself the sole breadwinner. Lissa has worked hard to climb the corporate ladder, even to an early choice that has burdened her with a guilty secret. Will she deny her feelings for Jason, or maintain the safe path of her career? Jason also is immediately attracted to Lissa. However, he quickly discovers her attitude about his job. Since he has recently broken-up with a career woman who paid more attention to her work than to him, he is reticent to trust Lissa with his heart. Yet, he and Lissa are otten brought together by the common bond of Lissa's grandmother and he finds Lissa sweet and pretty and devoted to her grandmother. In spite of his concerns, he falls in love with Lissa. Does she share his faith in God? Will she break his heart?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

220 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2018

About the author

A native of Houston, TX, Karen spent her early years enjoying life along the Gulf Coast. After high school, she attended Texas A&M as well as the University of Houston where she obtained a
B.S. in early childhood education. She has written numerous articles and stories, books for children and novels for adults. She particularly enjoys writing contemporary and historical romance.
She now lives in the Southwest with her family and assorted pets. For more information go to https://www.amazon.com/Karen-Cogan/e/... or https://www.facebook.com/karencoganfa....

Reviews

[K.]

Two worlds collide in a certain place at a certain time. It can be coincidence, kismet or serendipity, as well as Karen Cogan in her own definition in Made For Each Other – A Small-Town Christian Romance (Grandma Mandy Series Book 1)

Lissa Davis, a clever, goal-oriented and quite recalcitrant when it comes to anything she sets herself into. On the other hand, Jason Carlisle is an artist who finds himself spending time in Sunday bible studies after a relationship unparallel on some matters.

The two in a significant location at Grandma Mandy’s place in New Mexico, with series of get-togethers and varieties of bouquets that tries to prove the equivocal.

Made For Each Other – A Small-Town Christian Romance is romantically sweet, another one showing that it can just be simply sweet and unfolding gradually. It has themes such as love, hope, career, family, religion, second chances, adventure, decision-making, relationship, priorities, friendship and right time. The message about the role of religion and the Higher Power in romantic relationship is beautifully expressed, with deep appreciation in quoting bible verses, an inclination of a religious author epitome in her genre. Few errors indicate it’s not professionally edited, it is zero profanity and it has compelling narrative. I then give a five-star rate for the remarks above.

I proudly recommend this book in this genre for some lighthearted read that guarantees romantic inspirations.

[Andrea]

This is the story of Lissa Davis and Jason Carlisle, two young adults whose lives, hopes and dreams appear to have gone in different directions. Lissa's focus was on her career and personal growth and the need for stability. Jason has an artist's soul and, along with God, his priorities revolve around the beauty of nature. For some reason, Lissa sees this as a detriment to what she wants her life to be. It's good to have an eye for art or the ability to find something beautiful in your surroundings, but it offers nothing in the way of stability and is unpredictable, at best. She needs predictability in her life, something she didn't have with her cheating ex-boyfriend. Her father's work was unsteady and some months had only a handful of sales, and Lissa's mother told them they may have to sell some of their stuff to get by. She couldn't go back to that, so she searched for something steady. She shows a side of her personality that was truly annoying. She's judgmental and dismissive of Jason's career and she just can't see how Jason can make a living with his art, but he's about to show Lissa that there's a lot more to life than a job. He takes her to see the beauty of the southwest with its Aztec ruins, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and the breathtaking beauty of nature and her thoughts start to change.
The narrator is the author herself and she does a wonderful job. She gives each character a unique personality and attitude with her dynamic, expressive voice.

[Rose Patterson]

This book is a warm, small-town romance with sweet moments and a comforting tone, perfect if you’re looking for an easy, cozy read. The New Mexico setting and the bond between Lissa, Jason, and her grandmother add a heartfelt layer to the story, and Jason is a genuinely likable character whose sincerity really shines.

My biggest issue was Lissa. She was pretty annoying at times, especially with how over-the-top she was about finances and career status. I understand wanting stability, but her attitude toward Jason’s creative job made it hard to sympathize with her.

I listened to the audiobook, and while the narrator had a pleasant voice and did a generally good job, there were several moments when I couldn’t tell which character was speaking because the voices weren’t very distinct. It didn’t ruin the story, but it was noticeable.

Overall, it’s still a cozy, easy read (or listen) with a gentle romantic vibe, just not without a few frustrations along the way.

[Karen Malley]

This is the story of the developing relationship between a career-driven woman and a free-spirited artist. Grandma Mandy is the star of the show, however. She is a wonderful character, and I'm glad to see there is another book in the series which features her. The book focuses on the tension between two people with very different life goals. Lissa has many personal issues in the start of the book, but through living with and attending church with Grandma Mandy, she draws closer to God, and it is encouraging to see some of her attitudes change. There are some minor editing issues, but it is a sweet, clean read.

[MommyO]

This is a sweet story that has the faith of the characters woven throughout. Jason’s character is incredibly honest and lives his faith. Lissa’s faith, actions, and life goals are challenged by Jason which is just what she needs to find out what is really important in life. Grandma Mandy is also a wonderful, calming, character that is an intricate part of Jason and Lissa’s story.

After listening to this audio version of the book I truly liked the story, yet was a bit distracted by the pace and dialect of the narrator.

I received an advanced readers copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jenni]

I hate writing bad reviews but this book was very hard to get through. I had a hard time reading more than a few pages at a time. The story itself was good but the writing was not. The people all had very little personality. It was also very VERY repetitive. Many paragraphs were simply copied and pasted. There were even errors in the storyline. The cookie bars. Was it a new recipe or were they “famous”? The worst section was towards the end where, in the middle of a chapter, an entire section was repeated, just a different way. It’s like no one proof read it.

[Patti Whitaker]

This is an awesome sweet story about a boy and a girl who meet according to God's plan even though they are not on the same page. Jason is a man of faith and lives his life with his faith on display. He is also a creative person with a job that is not as stable as most. Lissa is a very hard worker and is very career driven. They meet when Lissa comes to stay with her Grandma Mandy. They are drawn to each other but both have reservations about each other. They both have to decide if they are willing to trust God and each other so they can have their happy ever after.

[Becky]

A sweet small town Christian romance. She's a hard working, independent woman. Wants to climb the corporate ladder. He's a free spirited artist. The title, "Made for Each Other." Huh?

A very enjoyable listen. I was gifted an audio version from the author through Story Origin. 5 stars for the narrator as well.

[D.]

Lissa is a geologist that is very career driven. When an opportunity for a career advancement comes, she finds herself staying with her grandmother. There she meets Jason a friend of her grandmother and a Christian. And the story evolves from there. I really enjoyed this story.

[Julie Juhl]

Made for Each Other by Karen Cogan, just wasn't for me. I had a very hard time reading it. It was a difficult book to finish sadly. The plot was ok but the writing wasn't.
I received a free copy of this book via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Karen Cogan]

This contemporary Christian romance keeps readers engaged as they follow a big-city girl who comes to the small town to visit her grandmother and falls for a small-town boy. Will she be able to break free of the hold her demanding job had on her, or will she stay with the man she loves?

[patty sunderland]

Not very good

Was like it was written by a ten year old. And it was proof read very badly. Lots of duplication. Story line was just ok

[juanita dennis]

Made for Each Other

It's good to have goals but sometimes you have to let go and let God take control. He has the bigger picture.

[Bookworm]

A lovable story of acknowledging and accepting the right person for you at the right time and place, even if there are a lot of hindrances along the way!

[Nancy Holte]

The story line was ok, although somewhat predictable. If you plan to read it, I'd suggest printed version or e-book.

[Sheila]

Sweet story

Love this sweet story. Grandma Mandy was so sweet and full of fun & wisdom. Looking forward to reading all of this series.

[Amanda]

A sweet story with a happy ending, about working through preconceived ideas and misconceptions to understand yourself and find happiness.

[Tami Willard]

Christian Standalone Romance HEA

Lisa moves in with her grandma to help her out temporarily. When she arrives she is very goal oriented and worried about financial security. Jason is an artist and strong Christian. She tries to keep him in the friend zone due to his job and her plans to not stay in the area. Unfortunately, her grandma and Jason have other ideas and so does her heart. Will Lisa learn to put God before money? What caused her to be so worried about financial security? Whose plan succeeded?

I received an ARC via Story Origin. Review voluntarily given.

[Kim]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review and I can say that that is the only reason I finished the book. It was a struggle! The storyline did not flow and was flat.