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The Shop-Til-U-Drop Collection #1
Priced to Move
Gemologist Andrea Adams is suffering a bad case of burnout at her plum job in the New York Diamond District. So she swaps the Big Apple for Louisville, Kentucky, and joins the S.T.U.D. television shopping network as its newest host. When she's paired up with a hunky but clueless Ken doll of a cohost, Andrea wonders if she made the right move. Top it all off with foul play, a trip to Myanmar, and lots and lots of rubies, and you've got a story any woman would like to read. This exciting and fast-paced novel kicks off Ginny Aiken's Shop-Til-U-Drop Collection.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
63 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
Ginny Aiken
51 books97 followersGinny Aiken, a former newspaper reporter, lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and their three younger sons--the oldest is married, has flown the coop, and made her a doting grandmother. Born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in Valencia and Caracas Venezuela, Ginny discovered books at an early age. She wrote her first novel at age fifteen while she trained with the Ballets de Caracas, later to be known as the Venezuelan National Ballet. She burned that tome when she turned a "mature" sixteen. An ecletic list of jobs--including stints as reporter, paralegal, choreographer, language teacher, retail salesperson, wife, mother of four boys, and herder of their numerous and assorted friends, including the 135 members of first the Crossmen and then the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps--brought her back to books in search of her sanity. She is now the author of twenty-seven published works, but she hasn't caught up with that elusive sanity yet.
http://ginnyaikenwrites.com/About_Me....
http://ginnyaikenwrites.com/About_Me....
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
July 12, 2012
The "Christian" heroine was snobby and constantly insulting people. She never sets foot in a church and doesn't bat an eye while explaining that her career is based on making her bosses rich on the backs of men in third world countries who work in dangerous mines for far less than a living wage. This is okay becasue God made those pretty rocks she likes. She mostly comes across as someone who talks to herself a lot and uses the word "Lord" while doing so. I think this would annoy both those hoping for a Christian message and those prefering to avoid religious mentions.
As for the plot, there's really no romance, unless you count the frequent reminders that her co-host is good-looking. This might be okay for fans of cozy mysteries, but I didn't find the mystery aspect very believable.
As for the plot, there's really no romance, unless you count the frequent reminders that her co-host is good-looking. This might be okay for fans of cozy mysteries, but I didn't find the mystery aspect very believable.
April 26, 2012
How can I ever regain the brain cells I lost reading this book? While the story line had really great potential, the development of the characters and how they are connected by the author was extremely weak, the writing style was choppy so lost the plot line several times, the references and prayers to God just seemed to be plucked from nowhere especially when so much writing was focused on the heroine's "lust" for the male lead and the final solution of who the murderer was made no sense at all. I finished the book because that is what I do...if I start reading something, I finish it. Can I get my brain cells back?? Please?????
December 9, 2011
this is a preachy christian cozy mystery, and makes no bones about stating that christianity is the only way to go. "I shudder. I'm not so cool with Buddhism and all that. It skips God, Scripture, and Jesus." a direct quote from the book's main character, which did not endear me to this book at all. i believe in live and let live, and not making derogatory comments about others' religions, and i don't believe that anyone not of my particular faith will burn in hell upon death. good people are good people regardless of their religion--sometimes in spite of religion! sory about the rant, but this topic has always burned my toast!
January 19, 2012
Andie leaves her hectic ulcer producing job and lifestyle. She comes home to Louisville when she hears that her Aunt Weeby has broken her leg and will need some assistance for awhile. Aunt Weeby best friend Mona runs the Shop-Til-U-Drop Network, and she offers Andie a job as the head gemologist and host of the gem segment of her network.
Andie takes the job. She finds out on her first day that her co-host Max knows nothing about gems, and he drives her crazy. Mona and Aunt Weeby think they are a match made in heaven, but Andie is seeing red, and it isn't the Rubies.
A gentlemen from Andie's former job shows up bearing a parrot as a gift and he winds up dead in the vault belonging to the network. He also brought an invitation to visit the mines where the most expensive rubies are produces. Who would want to kill Mr. Pak and for what reason?
It was a pretty good story. I liked the interjection of humor and the tension between Andie and Max.
This is the first book in the series, and it was a very enjoyable read. I like her Home Decor series a little better, but this was still an fun mystery to read.
Andie takes the job. She finds out on her first day that her co-host Max knows nothing about gems, and he drives her crazy. Mona and Aunt Weeby think they are a match made in heaven, but Andie is seeing red, and it isn't the Rubies.
A gentlemen from Andie's former job shows up bearing a parrot as a gift and he winds up dead in the vault belonging to the network. He also brought an invitation to visit the mines where the most expensive rubies are produces. Who would want to kill Mr. Pak and for what reason?
It was a pretty good story. I liked the interjection of humor and the tension between Andie and Max.
This is the first book in the series, and it was a very enjoyable read. I like her Home Decor series a little better, but this was still an fun mystery to read.
March 15, 2012
This zany mystery with constant verbal battles between brainy Shop-til-u-drop TV show gemologist host Andrea and her hunky, unknowledgeable co-host Max will keep you flipping pages as they race around the world to try and find the missing rubies and keep Andrea out of jail. Station owner Mona and Andrea's Aunt Weeby add to the hilarious comedy throughout this cozy mystery.
January 21, 2015
This was just an okay read. I didn't really care for the writing style or characters (in fact, Andie really annoyed me at times). The mystery was kind of good because I wasn't sure who the killer was until the end.
January 24, 2008
I'm read it to my mom and both my mom and I love it!
January 24, 2012
It started out okay, but then it got a little preachy.
August 10, 2012
The plot was decent but the style of writing was painful to read. It was very religious and the dialogue and inner monolouge was choppy and irritating.
October 25, 2017
Andie will be going off to another country, "feeling like she is pooped,bummed and corroded". Her ditzy aunt replies, " you just need some turnip greens. To find out she was in the hospital, surgery and pins for her leg. Wanting to stay in her own home, Andie decided to come. The boss could take the trip instead. She had prayed for a change, but it's getting scary by the minute. Miss Mona has a TV station, and wants her to host and teach people about gems. What has she gotten into, is a story full of laughter, and the quirks of some loving people. A delightful story that readers will love and also the series.
May 22, 2017
This book had mystery but really lacked any romance. I was disappointed.
July 24, 2017
This was such a cute series. While it is a romance it also has some comedy and the old ladies and their antics are what I enjoyed most about this book.
March 21, 2018
I liked the crazy antics, and the characters were easy to relate to.
July 21, 2018
I really tried to get into this book. It had potential but I just didn't get or appreciate the metaphors used or the supposed humor. It didn't do anything for me and I decided to move on.
March 20, 2019
I love Rubies!
Loved this book. I really don't care to Christian books. But gems and rubies in this cAse was an awesome topic. I had never
read anything like this. Awesome!!!
Loved this book. I really don't care to Christian books. But gems and rubies in this cAse was an awesome topic. I had never
read anything like this. Awesome!!!
August 7, 2019
Fun, light cozy Christian romance mystery
Clean, easy, enjoyable brain break of a read, keeps you turning the pages to figure out who the villain is.
Clean, easy, enjoyable brain break of a read, keeps you turning the pages to figure out who the villain is.
June 30, 2020
Great Read
Priced to Move is an entertaining read. You really want to read it to the end. I enjoyed the banter.
Priced to Move is an entertaining read. You really want to read it to the end. I enjoyed the banter.
September 3, 2021
Did not like this book
I do realized this was a free book... Amazing how off the thought or ideas this book could not keep.
I do realized this was a free book... Amazing how off the thought or ideas this book could not keep.
February 1, 2023
don’t bother
I skimmed after 1/3 rd of this. The “love” interest and banter was ridiculous. So I have to decide whether it stays in my read list or goes to DNF.
I skimmed after 1/3 rd of this. The “love” interest and banter was ridiculous. So I have to decide whether it stays in my read list or goes to DNF.
May 24, 2024
This was an okay read, but not great. I do not plan to read any more in the series.
January 28, 2025
Lame story. Superficial Christianity. Neither were credible. Free kindle book.
November 27, 2015
I was really hopeful when I bought this book, based on its synopsis, and I'm glad it didn't disappoint.
There were a lot of upsides. It has a LOT of gemstone information (being a gem geek like Andie, the main character, I was particularly looking forward to that part, although I don't have any shiny certificates proving I'm an educated expert, sadly), and I can tell the author's done her research. (Most notably, the fact that red spinel is often confused for rubies, and why.) The main character lives in Louisville, Kentucky, which is relatively close to my neck of the woods. And Andie is smart, sassy, and very funny - my favorite kind of heroine.
There were a couple of leaps in logic in the book, but for the most part it had a cohesive and easy to follow plot. Though I did guess who the bad guy was before the big reveal, the author was very clever about the little clues she left and I really had to do a lot of work to figure it out early. The characters are very engaging, the plot interesting, and like I said, the author did a lot of research about gemstones and behind-the-scenes television work to make everything very realistic. I also like how she included Max, who's a good character to bring up questions about gemstones for those readers who aren't as interested in that aspect, or perhaps just don't know that much. (I especially like how she chose a gem as well-known as garnet, which is typically thought of as red, to play this out. I was smiling and cheering when Andie told Max and the S.T.U.D. viewers it comes in other colors as well, including orange, purple, and green. I forgive her for saying it doesn't come in blue, since it was published before a deposit of blue garnet was discovered.)
Each of her locales, from New York, to Louisville, to Myanmar, were very well described. It wasn't hard at all for me to see, smell, hear, taste, and feel everything right along with the characters. I especially liked it when they went to the mine in Myanmar, and Andie was thinking about how antiquated and hard the mining practices are there and other places, too. Sometimes it's easy to forget all the hard work people do to get these beautiful treasures out of the ground, and how little they make to feed their families doing it. I like how she brought this up delicately, being honest about it without tipping it too far either direction.
Despite all the wins in this book (and there were a TON), I did feel the book missed in a few aspects. Being from the south, and close to the area where this takes place, I'm familiar with the area and the local dialect. I really do believe she made the characters too Southern - she went a little overboard sometimes with the accent and verbiage, particularly for this part of the country. The other big no-no was when she referred to Andie's most helpful jeweler's tool as a jeweler's "loop," when the correct term is jeweler's "loupe." I was severely disappointed when I read that repeatedly, especially since she'd done so well with the gemstone aspect of the book. Most readers might not notice it, but for those of us who are interested in gems and jewelry, it's definitely a wince-factor. My only other complaint is that she misidentified Alexandrite - the rarest gem in the world, also a color-change gem - as a member of the garnet family. It is, in fact, a member of the chrysoberyl family. Also, Burmese rubies cannot be exported into America at this time (and at the time of publishing), though Burmese spinel can. But since Burmese rubies are truly gorgeous, I can understand why she ignored this import rule for the sake of the book.
Altogether, this was a really interesting and well-written book, despite the overdone Southern-isms and the "loop" instead of "loupe" faux-pas. I would recommend this book to others, especially those who like a smart mystery, exotic locales (they go to Myanmar!), and fun, engaging characters. I look forward to reading book 2!
There were a lot of upsides. It has a LOT of gemstone information (being a gem geek like Andie, the main character, I was particularly looking forward to that part, although I don't have any shiny certificates proving I'm an educated expert, sadly), and I can tell the author's done her research. (Most notably, the fact that red spinel is often confused for rubies, and why.) The main character lives in Louisville, Kentucky, which is relatively close to my neck of the woods. And Andie is smart, sassy, and very funny - my favorite kind of heroine.
There were a couple of leaps in logic in the book, but for the most part it had a cohesive and easy to follow plot. Though I did guess who the bad guy was before the big reveal, the author was very clever about the little clues she left and I really had to do a lot of work to figure it out early. The characters are very engaging, the plot interesting, and like I said, the author did a lot of research about gemstones and behind-the-scenes television work to make everything very realistic. I also like how she included Max, who's a good character to bring up questions about gemstones for those readers who aren't as interested in that aspect, or perhaps just don't know that much. (I especially like how she chose a gem as well-known as garnet, which is typically thought of as red, to play this out. I was smiling and cheering when Andie told Max and the S.T.U.D. viewers it comes in other colors as well, including orange, purple, and green. I forgive her for saying it doesn't come in blue, since it was published before a deposit of blue garnet was discovered.)
Each of her locales, from New York, to Louisville, to Myanmar, were very well described. It wasn't hard at all for me to see, smell, hear, taste, and feel everything right along with the characters. I especially liked it when they went to the mine in Myanmar, and Andie was thinking about how antiquated and hard the mining practices are there and other places, too. Sometimes it's easy to forget all the hard work people do to get these beautiful treasures out of the ground, and how little they make to feed their families doing it. I like how she brought this up delicately, being honest about it without tipping it too far either direction.
Despite all the wins in this book (and there were a TON), I did feel the book missed in a few aspects. Being from the south, and close to the area where this takes place, I'm familiar with the area and the local dialect. I really do believe she made the characters too Southern - she went a little overboard sometimes with the accent and verbiage, particularly for this part of the country. The other big no-no was when she referred to Andie's most helpful jeweler's tool as a jeweler's "loop," when the correct term is jeweler's "loupe." I was severely disappointed when I read that repeatedly, especially since she'd done so well with the gemstone aspect of the book. Most readers might not notice it, but for those of us who are interested in gems and jewelry, it's definitely a wince-factor. My only other complaint is that she misidentified Alexandrite - the rarest gem in the world, also a color-change gem - as a member of the garnet family. It is, in fact, a member of the chrysoberyl family. Also, Burmese rubies cannot be exported into America at this time (and at the time of publishing), though Burmese spinel can. But since Burmese rubies are truly gorgeous, I can understand why she ignored this import rule for the sake of the book.
Altogether, this was a really interesting and well-written book, despite the overdone Southern-isms and the "loop" instead of "loupe" faux-pas. I would recommend this book to others, especially those who like a smart mystery, exotic locales (they go to Myanmar!), and fun, engaging characters. I look forward to reading book 2!
October 3, 2014
About this book:
“She Thought She Was Leaving the Rat Race Behind…
Gemologist Andie Adams is suffering a bad case of burnout in her stress-filled job in New York. So she jumps at the chance to ditch her wormy corner of the Big Apple for a home in Kentucky with her lovable but off-the-wall Aunt Weeby. After all, things should be slower placed in Kentucky—right?
Wrong. Andie reluctantly joins the Shop-Til-U-Drop Network as it’s newest jewelry and gemstone host. Sparks fly between her and know-nothing (but drop-dead gorgeous) jock they’ve hired as her cohost. And when Andie’s job exposes her to a international investigation, the mayhem escalates during an exotic journey.
Explosions, missing gems, sabotage—life was never this exciting in New York!”
Series: Book #1 in “The Shop-Til-U-Drop Collection”. {Book #2 is “A Steal of a Deal” and number three “A Cut Above”}
Spiritual Content- Proverbs 8:11 at the beginning; Andie says she’s a sucker for the beauty God plants under layers of mud; Andie’s parents are Missionaries; When in Myanmar, the guide mentions about a B*ddist temple; Many Prayers; Talks & Mentions of God; A couple of Scriptures are quoted.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a sucker (see Spiritual content), a ‘darn’, a ‘hush’, a ‘crud’, three ‘idiot’s, four ‘shut up’s, six forms of ‘dumb’, ten ‘stupid’s and a curse is said but not written; Sarcasm; Mentions of Rio’s poop; a mention of having the runs; Andie says she has a “torn-up gut” (she’s had three ulcers since she’s lived in New York, also, mentions of them); “a busy-body’s butt” and “plopped down onto my butt” is said each once; a man is murdered (blood, semi-detailed).
Sexual Content- Shivers from stares & gazes that cause warmth; Noticing smells; Max gets called hunky, hot, a stud, and gorgeous; Andie mentions the her boss’s first wife left him; Danni got moved to the “underwear—er…lingerie shows” (to quote Andie); Aunt Weeby says she’d rather by at the S.T.U.D. studio than watching women get their stomachs stapled and boobs blown up on TV; A mention of Myanmar’s oppression, one of them being human trafficking; a mention of a rapist who kidnapped a girl; Andie tries to get Danni to have Max as her co-host (Andie tries a couple of times, one going as far as saying that he could sell them); When Andie calls Roger late at night with a question, Tiffany (his wife) answers and says that they need their privacy (which grosses Andie out).
-Andrea Autumn “Andie” Adams
First person P.O.V. of Andie
255 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
{Because of Andie’s Sarcasm, some families may not want their daughter reading this book}
I’ve read this book twice now and I laughed just as hard this time as I did the first! In both times, I really enjoyed reading about a favorite subject of mine—gemstones! :) A lot of reviewers say that this book is “preachy” but it never has come across like that to me, I really like this book! :)
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
“She Thought She Was Leaving the Rat Race Behind…
Gemologist Andie Adams is suffering a bad case of burnout in her stress-filled job in New York. So she jumps at the chance to ditch her wormy corner of the Big Apple for a home in Kentucky with her lovable but off-the-wall Aunt Weeby. After all, things should be slower placed in Kentucky—right?
Wrong. Andie reluctantly joins the Shop-Til-U-Drop Network as it’s newest jewelry and gemstone host. Sparks fly between her and know-nothing (but drop-dead gorgeous) jock they’ve hired as her cohost. And when Andie’s job exposes her to a international investigation, the mayhem escalates during an exotic journey.
Explosions, missing gems, sabotage—life was never this exciting in New York!”
Series: Book #1 in “The Shop-Til-U-Drop Collection”. {Book #2 is “A Steal of a Deal” and number three “A Cut Above”}
Spiritual Content- Proverbs 8:11 at the beginning; Andie says she’s a sucker for the beauty God plants under layers of mud; Andie’s parents are Missionaries; When in Myanmar, the guide mentions about a B*ddist temple; Many Prayers; Talks & Mentions of God; A couple of Scriptures are quoted.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a sucker (see Spiritual content), a ‘darn’, a ‘hush’, a ‘crud’, three ‘idiot’s, four ‘shut up’s, six forms of ‘dumb’, ten ‘stupid’s and a curse is said but not written; Sarcasm; Mentions of Rio’s poop; a mention of having the runs; Andie says she has a “torn-up gut” (she’s had three ulcers since she’s lived in New York, also, mentions of them); “a busy-body’s butt” and “plopped down onto my butt” is said each once; a man is murdered (blood, semi-detailed).
Sexual Content- Shivers from stares & gazes that cause warmth; Noticing smells; Max gets called hunky, hot, a stud, and gorgeous; Andie mentions the her boss’s first wife left him; Danni got moved to the “underwear—er…lingerie shows” (to quote Andie); Aunt Weeby says she’d rather by at the S.T.U.D. studio than watching women get their stomachs stapled and boobs blown up on TV; A mention of Myanmar’s oppression, one of them being human trafficking; a mention of a rapist who kidnapped a girl; Andie tries to get Danni to have Max as her co-host (Andie tries a couple of times, one going as far as saying that he could sell them); When Andie calls Roger late at night with a question, Tiffany (his wife) answers and says that they need their privacy (which grosses Andie out).
-Andrea Autumn “Andie” Adams
First person P.O.V. of Andie
255 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
{Because of Andie’s Sarcasm, some families may not want their daughter reading this book}
I’ve read this book twice now and I laughed just as hard this time as I did the first! In both times, I really enjoyed reading about a favorite subject of mine—gemstones! :) A lot of reviewers say that this book is “preachy” but it never has come across like that to me, I really like this book! :)
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
July 22, 2016
Andrea "Andie" Adams is a master gemologist, and proud of it. She works in the high-stress diamond district in New York, and has three ulcers to prove it. Thinking a lower stress situation might be better, she jumps at the chance to quit her job and move back to Kentucky when her aunt breaks a leg and needs some assistance.
Not long after Andie arrives in Kentucky, she finds that Aunt "Weeby" and her best friend Mona are already scheming on Andie's behalf. Needing a job anyway, she decides to go along with their crazy idea to be the jewelry and gemstone host for Mona's TV Shopping network. Things go fine until Andie is introduced to her gorgeous co-host, Max, five minutes before her first show. Co-host? Andie was supposed to be the only host for the show!
It quickly becomes apparent that Max knows absolutely nothing about jewelry or gemstones, and he seems determined to rub Andie the wrong way by displaying that fact several times during each show. Things escalate from there...murder...a trip to an exotic poverty stricken country...missing rubies...flying bullets.... these might not be the typical ingredients for a chic-lit, but it works! And through it all, Mr. Magnificent (as Andie secretly calls him) Max continues to display his lack of gemstone knowledge.
My opinion: This was a really enjoyable Christian Chick-Lit read. Andrea "Andie" is a pretty fun character whose sarcastic mouth often gets the better of her. Max's lack of gemstone knowledge is often humorous and fun, but I felt that Andie was really too hard on him. He is not a "know-nothing jock" (as Andie puts it) -- he's not unintelligent in the least -- he just doesn't have a bunch of gemstone degrees from different colleges like Andie does. But this does make for some humorous shows on the tv shopping network!
I definitely recommend the whole Shop-Til-U-Drop series. If you liked this one, make sure to also read A Steal of a Deal (Book 2) and A Cut Above (Book 3), as the series just gets better with each book!
Not long after Andie arrives in Kentucky, she finds that Aunt "Weeby" and her best friend Mona are already scheming on Andie's behalf. Needing a job anyway, she decides to go along with their crazy idea to be the jewelry and gemstone host for Mona's TV Shopping network. Things go fine until Andie is introduced to her gorgeous co-host, Max, five minutes before her first show. Co-host? Andie was supposed to be the only host for the show!
It quickly becomes apparent that Max knows absolutely nothing about jewelry or gemstones, and he seems determined to rub Andie the wrong way by displaying that fact several times during each show. Things escalate from there...murder...a trip to an exotic poverty stricken country...missing rubies...flying bullets.... these might not be the typical ingredients for a chic-lit, but it works! And through it all, Mr. Magnificent (as Andie secretly calls him) Max continues to display his lack of gemstone knowledge.
My opinion: This was a really enjoyable Christian Chick-Lit read. Andrea "Andie" is a pretty fun character whose sarcastic mouth often gets the better of her. Max's lack of gemstone knowledge is often humorous and fun, but I felt that Andie was really too hard on him. He is not a "know-nothing jock" (as Andie puts it) -- he's not unintelligent in the least -- he just doesn't have a bunch of gemstone degrees from different colleges like Andie does. But this does make for some humorous shows on the tv shopping network!
I definitely recommend the whole Shop-Til-U-Drop series. If you liked this one, make sure to also read A Steal of a Deal (Book 2) and A Cut Above (Book 3), as the series just gets better with each book!
July 5, 2012
Checked this out as a free read on Kindle. It is still free as of the writing of this review but the price could change at any time. I did not receive a request nor compensation for this review it is a part of how I give back to the Christian literary scene as an reader (and author).
Vertical Reach = 4
Andrea is a gemologist with a transparent relationship with God. Her description of their relationship is simple and sincere. I enjoyed her honesty and the quirky way her aunt and adopted aunt shared their viewpoints on faith.
Ministry Message = 3
I wasn't really sure what the "spiritual takeaway" was supposed to be if there was just one in mind for the author when she penned the story. There were some moments where the main character's trust in God was tested and tried but I don't know that it was the main ministry message the author intended.
Craft = 4
Ginny Aiken offered an entertaining read with quirky characters and a hot guy. In Christian romance this is a great formula for a good, enjoyable read. Her knowledge and research into Andrea's obscure profession was a neat part of the story line that was appropriate and intriguing.
Aesthetics = 3.5
While it looks professional and the woman is pretty on the cover it doesn't convey the fun, quirky tone of the story. While reading I also didn't imagine the woman on the cover as Andrea. It was not memorable once I entered the book I didn't think about it again.
Dollars & $ense = 3.625
This is a cute fun read for Christians and clean romance lovers. I enjoyed it while doing my cardio on the elliptical machine and it held my attention so I recommend it especially while it is free.
Vertical Reach = 4
Andrea is a gemologist with a transparent relationship with God. Her description of their relationship is simple and sincere. I enjoyed her honesty and the quirky way her aunt and adopted aunt shared their viewpoints on faith.
Ministry Message = 3
I wasn't really sure what the "spiritual takeaway" was supposed to be if there was just one in mind for the author when she penned the story. There were some moments where the main character's trust in God was tested and tried but I don't know that it was the main ministry message the author intended.
Craft = 4
Ginny Aiken offered an entertaining read with quirky characters and a hot guy. In Christian romance this is a great formula for a good, enjoyable read. Her knowledge and research into Andrea's obscure profession was a neat part of the story line that was appropriate and intriguing.
Aesthetics = 3.5
While it looks professional and the woman is pretty on the cover it doesn't convey the fun, quirky tone of the story. While reading I also didn't imagine the woman on the cover as Andrea. It was not memorable once I entered the book I didn't think about it again.
Dollars & $ense = 3.625
This is a cute fun read for Christians and clean romance lovers. I enjoyed it while doing my cardio on the elliptical machine and it held my attention so I recommend it especially while it is free.
April 1, 2014
This was about Andrea a gemologist who left her job in New York when her aunt broke her leg, although she really left because the stress of the job got too much for her. Her aunts friend ropes her into the Shop-Til-You-Drop (S.T.U.D.) network where she will be selling gems to TV shoppers. Her co-host Max is gorgeous (the STUD of their show...) who knows nothing about gems and gets on her nerves (though this may be due to how hot she thinks he is...). Andie finds a dead body in the vault and from there the book loses the plot.
Turns out she knew the dead guy, a dealer (of the gem variety) who was coming to invite her to Myanmar to visit mines there (where they have the best rubies in the world). The visit this mine and the story seems to leap to the conclusion that some rubies that were stolen a few years earlier MUST be the reason that Mr Pak (the dead guy) died. This conclusion turned out to be correct but Andie (and many of the other characters) seemed to make this conclusion for no apparent reason which was weird... unless I zoned out when it happened...
The murder also seemed unlikely (I guessed it was one of two people and it was the less likely of the two...
I think I liked the previous book my this author better. This one was a little too preachy which was annoying. One of the reasons the preachiness was annoying because she only seemed to pray when she was in trouble and her prayers seemed really superficial (I know it's just a book, but it frustrated me). It also frustrated me how she went on and on about how hot her co-host was but yet instead of treating him decently she was a dick to him most of the book.
Turns out she knew the dead guy, a dealer (of the gem variety) who was coming to invite her to Myanmar to visit mines there (where they have the best rubies in the world). The visit this mine and the story seems to leap to the conclusion that some rubies that were stolen a few years earlier MUST be the reason that Mr Pak (the dead guy) died. This conclusion turned out to be correct but Andie (and many of the other characters) seemed to make this conclusion for no apparent reason which was weird... unless I zoned out when it happened...
The murder also seemed unlikely (I guessed it was one of two people and it was the less likely of the two...
I think I liked the previous book my this author better. This one was a little too preachy which was annoying. One of the reasons the preachiness was annoying because she only seemed to pray when she was in trouble and her prayers seemed really superficial (I know it's just a book, but it frustrated me). It also frustrated me how she went on and on about how hot her co-host was but yet instead of treating him decently she was a dick to him most of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2013
To start with, this is Christian Literature although it is not described as such. I also have to be completely honest and say that partly due to this, I have only read 19% of the book before giving up. I just can't go on! The writing style does absolutely nothing for me as I found it to be quite jarring. It is written in the first person and present tense which does work in some books but if I were to meet "Andi" in real life then I think I'd only last about 5 minutes before walking away. She is quite condescending to everyone she meets and I really don't think that people talk that way or maybe I'm just very, VERY, lucky in that I don't know any!
If you like Christian literature and can take the thanks to God, the Lord and Jesus on every page as well as accepting the writing style then you just might like this one but not for me!
If you like Christian literature and can take the thanks to God, the Lord and Jesus on every page as well as accepting the writing style then you just might like this one but not for me!
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May 6, 2013A Quickie Review
As a shopaholic and a longtime fan of Christian fiction, this seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a mediocre whodunit that focused more on precious stones than bargain hunting. Since I already have the third book in the series thanks to an eBay lot I recently purchased, I will probably keep reading it; hopefully, the series will improve as time goes on.
Content Concerns: 12+
Kids aren't really the target audience for this book, but here it is anyway: The aftermath of a murder is described, and a person is held at gunpoint. A woman leaving her husband for another man is discussed. The narrator/protagonist claims to be a Christian, but doesn't act that way sometimes, yet never admits to any wrong.
Score: 3/5
As a shopaholic and a longtime fan of Christian fiction, this seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a mediocre whodunit that focused more on precious stones than bargain hunting. Since I already have the third book in the series thanks to an eBay lot I recently purchased, I will probably keep reading it; hopefully, the series will improve as time goes on.
Content Concerns: 12+
Kids aren't really the target audience for this book, but here it is anyway: The aftermath of a murder is described, and a person is held at gunpoint. A woman leaving her husband for another man is discussed. The narrator/protagonist claims to be a Christian, but doesn't act that way sometimes, yet never admits to any wrong.
Score: 3/5
June 23, 2015
This book has been sitting on my TBR pile for about 4 years now, and I finally decided to read it, after staring at it longingly for the last half of 2014. Unfortunately, what I thought was a great cover blurb turned out to be a great cover story for a whiny heroine whose only Christian attribute was praying to get something she wanted! Her hunky co-host was clueless and self-centered and the stereotypical "granny" mentors never wanted to listen to anyone but themselves! I had to struggle my way through the book, even with the mystery that had been thrown into the plot. The only thing interesting was reading about some of the gemstones mentioned! Thankfully, this was a freebie, because it's gotten deleted from my Kindle, along with the other books I had by the author!
June 27, 2012
Andie is a gemologist who has been working a high stress job in New York City and has ulcers to show for it. When her aunt breaks a leg she takes the opportunity to move back to Kentucky to take care of her thinking a slower pace of life will be good for her health. However, her aunt and her aunt's friend have a whole new adventure planned for her on Mona's shopping club TV series.
It was an entertaining read but not a lot of depth to the characters. If you want a good fluff read this would fit the bill. If you prefer books where characters grow and develop this would not be one to choose. However for a freebie book it was worth the price. :-)
It was an entertaining read but not a lot of depth to the characters. If you want a good fluff read this would fit the bill. If you prefer books where characters grow and develop this would not be one to choose. However for a freebie book it was worth the price. :-)
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