Sisterchicks in Gondolas

by Robin Jones Gunn
Multnomah Books

Ciao bella! 

SISTERCHICK n.: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat. 

When Jenna is invited to Venice for a week of cooking for a small retreat group, she knows just who to take along: her sister-in-law Sue. With her Dallas drawl and wild tangle of red hair, Sue desperately needs her own retreat from the pressures of the past two years…and blessedly for their guests, Sue actually knows how to cook (unlike Jenna)! 

With about six words of Italian between them, a map, and a keen appetite for gelato, they puzzle out the lovely city together. During their stay, Jenna and Sue become victims of grace in ways they never expected—starting with their accommodations: a restored fifteenth-century palace on a quiet canal complete with a stairwell perfect for mattress sledding! 

Coming out of a time of dark shadows in their lives, these two friends dive into a new season of refreshing and realize that sometimes when serving God, the most important thing to do is just show up…and watch for goodness and mercy to follow close behind. Come join Jenna and Sue over boiling pots of pasta in this lilting gondola-paced adventure! 

Story Behind the Book

Sisterchicks in Gondolas was birthed after Robin experienced Italy for herself. “In the summer of 2004, I went to Venice with my lifetime fellow Sisterchick from Ireland , Ruby,” she says. “We explored the city with our daughters and discovered the joys of Italian living.” With a splash of humor, grace, and a few zany antics, this latest Sisterchicks release continues to celebrate the unique and timeless bond between women friends. Entertaining and delightful, the story also challenges readers to examine their relationships with one another and with God.

My Review:

This was a laugh-out-loud chick lit that had me in stitches almost every other page. It is written in the first person perspective, and that being a favorite viewpoint for me, I enjoyed that aspect of the novel very much. Of course, it's always hard to go back to the third person, but it's worth the extra work!

Something that really stuck out to me in Gunn's writing, is that she conveys how God will always answer our prayers. Even though He may have another plan, He always answers. Jenna and Sue have lived with many hurts and disappointments, and they both learn to listen to His voice even when it seems He isn't there. 

Last, but not least, the story's premise itself was hilarious.These gals really have no idea what they're getting into, but they most certainly have a lot of expectations of what they think it will be like. Needless to say, what they expect, and what is never quite reconcile. I invite you to crack open a copy of this novel and prepare to laugh a lot, (maybe even cry a little, from laughing, of course) and just plain, clean fun. 

This book was provided by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. 

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