Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: Third Time's a Charm

Almost sinful, this entertaining romantic novel is a little 'Devil Wears Prada' meets real life. The title 'Third Time's a Charm' refers to it being the third book in a series about the three sisters. We follow Tori, the youngest of three sisters, as she reaches a precipice in both her personal and professional lives. Her modern, multitasking, stressful life is brought about through the use of several weighty subplots. Romance, family, shopping, and an overbearing boss are all given center stage. This novel is well written, and before I knew it I found myself hating Tori's work and in love with the main male character. For humor's sake I would have liked to join the character on a few more of her shopping trips, but descriptions of extravagant clothing and how they became a benefit or liability sufficed.  The pages flew by and were never laborious to read despite the novel's length. The settings were subtle and easy to imagine. Because the character descriptions included a look into their backgrounds and motivations it was easy to understand the actions they took. I did find it a little distracting how often character's eyes were mentioned, however. 

I believe women of any age will enjoy this story's beautiful messages about fathers, integrity, frugalness, and true love. As for me,  I will be reading the first two books of this sister-to-sister series soon.

*A complimentary copy of this book was provided to Book Readers Central by the author.

Meet and Greet Monday: Virginia Smith

Hi, I’m Virginia Smith, author of Third Time’s a Charm and the Sister-to-Sister Series. Though I’ve only been a writer for a few years, I’m a lifelong fiction lover. As far back as I can remember I’ve loved stepping into the shoes of characters and living out their stories. So writing stories about characters who become as real as my own family seemed like a natural step. My first book, Just As I Am, came out in 2006, and I’ve just celebrated the release of my tenth novel!

I drew freely on my own life and family relationships as I wrote Third Time’s a Charm and the other books in the Sister-to-Sister Series. They’re set in my hometown in Kentucky, and the sisters’ relationships are modeled closely on my relationship with my own sisters, who are some of the most awesome women you’ll ever meet. Plus, the Sanderson sisters are dealing with some of the same issues I faced as an adult striving to overcome the ripple effects of my parents’ divorce when I was a child.

I have to admit, I approached writing Third Time’s a Charm with a bit of apprehension. The main character, Tori, is the youngest in her family (I’m the oldest), and she loves to shop (I ascribe to the dash-in-and-grab-the-first-thing-you-see method of shopping.) But once I started writing, I discovered that Tori was more like me than I thought. For one, she’s a professional woman, and I worked in the corporate world for twenty years before I quit to become a writer. Plus, Tori struggles with insecurity. Don’t we all? And of course there are the two gorgeous men who vie for her romantic attention. Well, okay, I’ve never had two hunks chasing me at the same time, but I can dream, can’t I?

My hope is that those who read Third Times a Charm will laugh with me, and perhaps cry with me once or twice. But mostly, I pray they will enjoy a fresh realization that we have a heavenly Father who loves us perfectly and completely.

There’s not too much in this world that a little retail therapy can’t fix—except maybe the empty hole in your heart from lost and undiscovered love. Tori Sanderson is no exception. Facing abandonment issues with her father, Tori sets out to find the real reason he left her. Along the way she discovers even deeper truths. Add in two matchmaking sisters plus a couple of attractive men vying for Tori’s attention, as well as a tempting job promotion possibility, and you’ve got one confused sister. Through it all, Tori searches for the love she’s been missing all these years.

Author Virginia Smith presents Third Time’s a Charm, the third installment of the Sister-to-Sister Series. Page-turning humor surrounding the lives of three sisters will once again engage readers, while somber self-discovery will unveil Tori’s struggles, and perhaps a few of your own. In a world with more than a few dysfunctional families, this story will ring true for many.

Virginia Smith recently contracted her twelfth book in four years. Previous books in the Sister-to-Sister Series include: Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty. In 2008, Virginia was named Writer-of-the-Year at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Stuck in the Middle was a finalist for American Christian Fiction Writers’ 2009 Book of the Year Award. A Taste of Murder was a finalist for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Ginny and husband, Ted, divide their time between Kentucky and Utah, escaping as often as possible for diving trips to the Caribbean. Admittedly, her adventurous outings are often as much fun as they are “book research.”