Hope Road

Split Ends by Kristin Billerbeck ***

Melodramatic romance worthy of a chick flick? Yes. But it is “chick lit,” after all. And even though I’m not a fan of romance unless it’s worked convincingly into a good story, I found this romance endearing because the heroine seems as skeptical as I am!

Twenty-six-year-old Sarah Claire Winowski wants to erase her past (which the inhabitants of her small town in Wyoming know far too well) as the illegitimate daughter of an alcoholic mother. She’s got hairstyling as a skill, a well-off cousin as a roommate, and Hollywood fame on the brain as she heads to LA to make her way as a hairdresser.

The transition from her dream world of Cary Grant, 1950s movies, and thick novels, to the rich and plastic environs of Hollywood and the proximity of her ideal man, proves rocky at times. Guided by her own shaky common sense and a relationship with God that is not eons deep but is gut-honest and long-lasting, she finds her way to success in more ways than one.

You’re not going to find much theology. And don’t check discernment at the door before you crack the cover, because there are a few “gray areas” regarding how lifestyle issues are portrayed. But overall, this is a pretty harmless and engaging read.

Recommended age level: 16+. Sarah Claire is obsessed with finding the perfect man. And her perceptions of what that looks like are pretty shallow. I don’t appreciate it when Christian authors slip in details that have a mild romance-novel flavor, and Billerbeck does that a few times in this story. Mild as they are, I still don’t think the novel would be the most appropriate for younger readers.