A HEART FULL OF HOPE
Christy Miller Collection: Volume Two, Book Six
Robin Jones Gunn
Multnomah
Fiction
ISBN-10: 159052585X
ISBN-13: 9781590525852
153 pages

Christy Miller's long-awaited 16th birthday has come and gone, which means one very important thing --- she can finally date! However, in A HEART FULL OF HOPE, the sixth installment in Robin Jones Gunn's Christy Miller series, Christy starts to realize that life was far less complicated before she acquired so much freedom.

Christy's age is a very big deal to school heartthrob Rick Doyle. He has had her birthday marked on his calendar for months, having been guaranteed a date as soon as she turned 16. Making good on her promise, Christy decides to give Rick a chance, although she is still a bit preoccupied with on-again off-again love interest Todd. Despite warnings from her friends, Christy is soon under the spell of Rick's romantic words and gestures, which she never got from Todd. Before she knows it, their single date turns into an all-out relationship. Things are moving way too fast for Christy, but now she's not sure how to backtrack.

After an awkward run-in with Todd, she's confused as to where he now fits in to her life. He seems to answer her question when he announces that he will be leaving California to join the pro surfing tour, making her more upset than a girl with a steady boyfriend should be. To make matters even worse, Christy's parents are insisting she get a job to help pay for her driving expenses.

As she works long hours on the weekends she was supposed to spend with Rick, her new boyfriend's less-than-romantic side starts to emerge. She begins to wonder if Rick really is as wonderful as she once thought. He always seems to be "accidentally" getting her into trouble, bringing her home late for curfew and interrupting her at work --- not to mention the angry outbursts he has whenever she can't spend enough time with him. Christy has lots of questions: Should she be dating Rick, or anyone for that matter? Is Rick even worthy of being trusted? It soon becomes clear that the independence she had so long desired is coming at a high price.

A HEART FULL OF HOPE starts a new chapter in Christy Miller's life and is certainly different from its predecessors. In previous installments, we saw Christy long for the freedom that her parents always seemed to deny her. However, now that she is able to drive and date, things have changed. The book sees Christy beginning to become an adult and realizing that with all of the privileges come many responsibilities --- and complications.

Fans undoubtedly will note a change in the focus of the series, with long-present Todd moving far away and a new love interest overtaking Christy's life. While it may be different, A HEART FULL OF HOPE is much on par with the quality of Gunn's previous work and will readily please readers.

   --- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

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