Paige Torn by Erynn Mangum

Paige Alder #1

The girl who does it all might miss what's most important.

Everyone knows they can count on Paige Alder. But between volunteering at church, putting in overtime at work, and helping her best friend plan an anniversary party, she's lucky to grab a cheese stick for dinner. She can't even remember the last time she had a few minutes to relax or dig into God's Word.

Then she meets laid-back Tyler, an attractive, Jesus-loving guy.

Will he be able to help Paige get her priorities on track?

My Review:
Paige is a likeable, busy, people-pleasing, twenty-two-year-old Christian. Unable to say no, she rushes from helping one person to another. She barely has time to eat on the run. She believes she worships by serving and even neglects her Bible study because of her many commitments.

Some good church people wrestle with the question, "Is service for God the same as spending time with Him?" The author clearly defines the problem and solves the dilemma. I really liked this part.

However, one part that had me groaning aloud with disbelief was when in the space of one and a half hours, Paige takes "a long, hot shower," and takes her "time blow-drying [her] hair and putting on makeup." She then curls her "hair into long, beachy curls" and digs out her sewing machine and sews a skirt, complete with a hem! (248-9) No one could possibly do all of this in such a short period of time.

The BIG disappointment is the abrupt ending. The reader is left hanging and the author taunts them to buy the next novel in the series in order to read the "next chapter in Paige Alder's life." Really! I feel gypped.

Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Think for my copy.

If you would like to read the first chapter, click here.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here.