Book Review: Never the Bride, Cheryl McCay and Renee Gutteridge

Cannonball Read: 47

Jessie wants to be married. In a bad way. The worst way, actually. Really, she’s become obsessed with finding her “other half.” And then one day, God shows up. Really. God. He takes on a form and everything. The book then becomes about God writing Jessie’s love story instead of Jessie writing it.

I don’t have it in me to write an essay, so I’ll just cut to the chase: I really enjoyed this book in its entirety. It was a fun read, a quick read, and somehow it still managed to be a thought-provoking read for me as well. There are certainly some awkward moments in McCay’s storytelling, such as when the manner of Jessie’s parents’ death is revealed, and sometimes in the way God talks to her, and it’s truthfully somewhat predictable (and ultimately a novel whose plot might be forgetable) but generally speaking, this was an enjoyable novel and probably something I would have bought at the store if I were in the mood for a good read. I actually feel like I was able to take away a great deal from this book because of where I am in my adult life. I am a firm believer that I’m not married yet for a reason, and I don’t want to be the kind of person who rushes into a marriage simply to be married, but it doesn’t mean the pang isn’t there when I see my married friends. So for me, this was a great reminder that I need to stop searching (even if my “searching” isn’t as extreme or as desperate as Jessie’s) and allow God to write my love story.

Overall rating: 8/10

 

(I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review. I was not asked to provide a positive review, just an honest one.)