Teenreads.com -- OPEN YOUR HEART by Robin Jones Gunn

OPEN YOUR HEART
Sierra Jensen Collection: Volume Three, Book Seven
Robin Jones Gunn
Multnomah Publishers
Fiction
ISBN: 9781590525906
150 pages

Sierra Jensen can’t believe her luck. One of her best friends, Christy Miller, has invited her on an all-expenses-paid trip to Switzerland! In OPEN YOUR HEART, the seventh book in Robin Jones Gunn’s Sierra Jensen series, Christy and her Aunt Marti are heading off to Europe to visit a college that Christy is considering attending. Along for the ride, Sierra is looking forward to reliving her adventures from England and hopefully meeting some men who aren’t her long-obsessed-over Paul.

The latter wish seems to come true immediately, when Sierra and Christy meet a handsome stranger on their train from the airport. They are thrilled to find out that not only do they have many interests in common, they also have the same strong religious convictions. His name is Alex; he is from Russia, and he and Sierra hit it off immediately. However, Aunt Marti is less than thrilled about this new friendship and forbids the girls from ever seeing him again.

This isn’t the only time that Aunt Marti proves to be a difficult travel companion. Each day, she has a new set of demands and criticisms for Sierra and Christy. Their days are completely planned out for them, leaving no time for them to experience the natural beauty of Switzerland and certainly no time to enjoy Alex’s company. However, when they go to visit the school, the girls get a big surprise.

As it turns out, Alex is a longtime friend of the president of the college Christy is considering, and thus continues to make many appearances throughout the trip. Sierra really likes Alex but begins to contemplate the meaning of the different relationships in her life. Should she be looking for something serious, or should she just be meeting new people and having fun? Meanwhile, she must also help Christy make one of the biggest decisions of her life and put up with the constantly aggravating antics of Aunt Marti. It already seems like too much to handle, when a huge disaster puts everyone in danger and makes them reevaluate their entire lives.

OPEN YOUR HEART is yet another example of a Sierra Jensen/Christy Miller crossover story. Like the ones that have preceded it, this appears to be more Christy Miller’s book than Sierra Jensen’s. The major tension here seems to be focused on Christy’s big decision about where to attend college. Fans of Christy Miller will no doubt enjoy the latest update on her life, while Sierra Jensen fans will find much to be pleased with in this new adventure.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

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