| Title | : | Age Before Beauty (Sister-to-Sister #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 314 |
| Publication | : | First published February 1, 2009 |
Age Before Beauty (Sister-to-Sister #2) Reviews
-
This book was a quick read, certainly an enjoyable way to spend a quiet winter evening. The characters, from harried Allie to quiet Betty to slightly scary Sally Jo, live and I found myself genuinely interested in their lives as the story unfolded. Smith is a good writer who ably crafts an enjoyable and yet realistic picture of a new mom struggling to reconcile her pre-baby and post-baby plans.
Although the flap copy makes this book sound like your average chick-lit book, readers should be aware that there is a Christian thread interwoven through the storyline. Though I assume readers familiar with the author will not be surprised by this plot element, I was unaware when I entered to win this book on Goodreads, and I do think it is an important distinction that should be raised somewhere in the flap copy.
I'm torn on a rating because this really isn't a book I would normally choose to read because of the religious undertones. Given that, I found that portion of the storyline (which only gains prominance in the last third of the book) distracted me from my appreciation of the book. Discounting my feelings about that aspect of the book though, I would give this one 4 stars for the quality of the prose and the strength of the characterizations. If you are a reader who appreciates a Christian element to you fiction, you should definitely put this book on your must-read list. -
Age Before Beauty deals with issues that all new parents face. I could relate to everything that came up from Allie wanting to look good in pre-pregnancy clothes to not wanting to return to work and leave the baby with a sitter. The way Allie's husband responded to her insecurities was heartwarming at times, and at other times frustratingly true. He often withdrew rather than confronting the issue. And his mother moving in to their home was classic! I loved how Allie brought the woman around from the dark side. This developing relationship illustrates how important it is to love the unlovely. In the case with Allie, the rewards went beyond anything she imagined. Also, the characters were interesting and quirky. I love that. Finally, the spiritual arc of the characters was gratifying. I loved how the story ended.
-
I am enjoying this series! In each of the Sanderson sisters' spiritual struggles, I find I can relate and find encouragement in how the Lord reveals Himself to them and to those close to them. Being an only child, I am fascinated by the dynamic of how the 3 sisters are close to and relate to one another. I hate that there's only 3 in the series!
-
This is #2 of the Sister-to-Sister series and I enjoyed this was more than the first one. Thought the topic was more interesting and realistic than the first one, but it still bugs me how she doesn't capitalize He, Him, when she's referencing God. That'd be like typing God with a small "g" and you just don't! But great story line, I like this Author's style of writing and I'm looking forward to reading the 3rd one!
This one was about the oldest sister, Allie - she's 28, married, has a 5-week old baby and the challenges of juggling a new baby, dealing with weight issues, job issues, husband issues, and her Mother-in-law that she thinks can't stand her (and vice versa) shows up to live with them for awhile. All in all this is Allie's journey to finding answers to a new way of living and how she comes to know the Lord and have a healthy lifestyle and marriage. -
I found this book an excellent read. Allie is now a mother and suddenly she is thrown back to the time in her life when her father leaves her and her family to fend for themselves. Will her husband, the love or her life, do the same now that he is a father? Allie wants so much to stay at home with her daughter but she needs be able to support herself just in case, so she starts a home business and her mother-in-law runs away from home and moves in with them. Talk about stress! The characters are believable. I can see exactly how Allie thinks and why she jumps to conclusions and why she believes that she has to do it all herself. Fortunately help comes from her sister Joanie who has developed a strong relationship with God.
5 stars, can't wait for the 3rd book in the series. -
4.5 stars. I really liked this book. Smith's writing is so real and enjoyable. The thing that struck me most about this book is how self-centered we can become and how unfulfilling life is when we focus so much on ourselves. Fortunately, God is patient with us and is always waiting in the background waiting for us to remember Him. Great book Ginny. Thanks so much! I'm definitely looking foward to the final installment.
-
I love Virginia's stories... they remind me of a more pure time in my life that I've been missing so often recently. I appreciate the subtle reminder of the beautiful role faith can play in our lives - however scattered they may be. Call me crazy, but I swear she's an answer to prayers I've tossed around lately... I've just started another book of hers (Just As I Am) and can't wait to feel that lovely sigh of relief at the end.
-
This is a wonderful story about all of the issues we as women face when we have a family. Should we work or stay at home with the children? I loved this book - I felt like I new each of the characters personally.
-
After getting the first book in the series for free for my kindle, I couldn't help but continue to series. A great easy read.
-
I'm enjoying reading the Sister-to-Sister series back-to-back and have found the continuity between the books excellent.
Age before Beauty focuses on Allie, the oldest of the three Sanderson sisters. Again, as in Stuck in the Middle, Virginia Smith brings together so many different aspects and issues in the characters' lives to create a wonderful story. Some storylines from the first book are continued here and it's lovely to see Joan and Ken in their developing relationship. However the main focus is on Allie and her husband of five years, Eric. I really enjoy romance books that feature already married couples, as we know that love has to continue after the wedding. It was easy to spot the pitfalls that Eric and Allie were going to go down, but I really wanted to see how they would handle those things and work their marriage and family life out.
The book also shows their gentle journey to faith. In the previous book Eric had seemed very anti anything to do with church or faith, and we now discover why. I was wondering how Ms Smith was going to bring him to a place of trusting in God as it seemed that he had a long way to go. However she did it well and it was realistic. In fact that's something I like about Virginia Smith's storytelling: it is realistic. The Sanderson clan could be people on your street, in your church or even in your family.
I'm now really looking forward to reading Tori's story. -
Not bad for a Christian romance.
-
Second in the series, read the first one before this one. A quick-read, engaging story!
-
Actual rating 3.75-4 Stars.
Allie the oldest of three sisters is a new mom and her husband Eric is the proud new dad. They have the age old story of learning how to make some adjustments to their marriage as a new and lovable baby girl is added to their family. And on top of new parent adjustments Allie is a bit down on her self for the extra baby weight that still has not come off and is also second guessing going back to work. She decides to try to make it as a sales consultant instead so she will have more time with her baby. But this only seems to add extra stress and no extra time with Joanie. On top of Allie and Eric's chaotic life, Eric's mom has left her husband and decided to move in with her son...indefinitely. Talk about a packed house.
So now poor Allie is taking on motherhood, a new career, her not so lovable mother-in-law, and marital problems that seem to be sprouting up between her and Eric with no idea what to do. Her middle sister Joan is guiding her to give her problems over to the Lord but Allie's not sure if she's quite ready to do that.
This is not my usual read, I'm not a usual reader of books on faith, but after reading the first in the series and being pleasantly surprised I wanted to continue on.
I enjoyed this second installment in the Sister to Sister Series I think a bit more than the first book. It had more things that I could identify with as far as parenthood, reconciling marriage issues that come with being a new parent, and dealing with the In-Laws! Ms. Smith told the story so believably that any mother can relate to some or all of Allies story. I also enjoyed The Christianity aspect of the book and didn't feel it was overpowering (even less so than the first) and as a newbie Christian reader that is important to me.
I'm really looking forward to Tori's story in the third Sister to Sister book and may even give some of Virginia Smiths other books a try. -
What fun I'm having in my search for new authors and new books to read! I discovered Ginny Smith when I noticed her name listed on the faculty of the Quad-Cities Writers Conference, which is directed by my friend and boss Twila Belk. (You can check us out online at
www.qccwc.com. The 2010 conference will be April 9-10 in Eldridge, Iowa. We'd love to see you there).
I saw Virginia’s book listed on her face book page and not realizing it was the second in the Sister-to-Sister series I began reading "Age before Beauty". Well, thank you Ginny for a real treat!
When I say Ginny's characters and the difficulties they face remind me of Karen Kingsbury, I am giving her the very highest compliment! It's almost like finding a new "Baxter family" to get to know!
Allie is in love with her baby daughter, has a loving, handsome husband and a close-knit supportive family. So what could possibly the problem?
As Allie approaches the end of her maternity leave she finds the idea of leaving her newborn with "strangers" is more than she can handle and when an opportunity to work from home presents itself, Allie jumps in determined to be the best salesperson the Varie Cose home party company has ever had!
If these changes weren't enough Allie comes home from the initial party to find standing in her kitchen her taciturn mother-in-law, "the only person in the entire world who hated her guts." Turns out "Mom" has left her husband and is moving in.
I loved the relationships in this story. The love between Allie and her sisters, mom & grandmother, between Allie and Eric is sweet and powerful, even as they face the trauma of Allie's insecurity over her own father's infidelity.
This is an entertaining, current story with believable, likeable characters whose struggles and how they handled them were in turn funny, touching and inspirational.
Read "Age before Beauty". I promise you'll be entertained, touched and if you're like me, you'll get the first book in the Sister-to-sister series, too! -
Allie Harrod is not a particularly happy camper.
She has a great husband and a beautiful newborn daughter. But she also has a closet full of clothes that no longer fit, a mirror that reflects an overweight woman she doesn’t even know, and an employer who eagerly awaits her return to work after maternity leave. Therein lies the problem. Allie doesn’t want to leave little Joanie and return to work. Despite all the best-laid plans she and hubby Eric have made for their lives, she finds herself longing to be a stay-at-home mom for baby Joanie.
So she dives headfirst into direct sales, and soon finds herself in way over her head. As if her life isn’t chaotic enough, Allie’s taciturn mother-in-law shows up on her doorstep and seems determined to make Allie’s house her own; Eric is spending too much time with his attractive co-worker outside of work; and the shiny new credit card Allie obtained “just for business purposes” is showing an unbelievable balance. She’s in trouble, with no idea how to get herself out of it.
When her sister tries to share her newfound salvation with Allie, she stubbornly refuses to hear. She can handle her life all by herself. She’ll find a way to do it on her own – not even Eric needs to help.
Will Allie learn to lean on her heavenly Father in time to save her sanity – and her marriage?
In typical Virginia Smith fashion, Age Before Beauty is a perfect blend of poignancy and humor. Allie’s determination to be strong and independent lands her in hot water over and again. The reader laughs and cries and longs to teach the headstrong young woman a lesson before she learns it the hard way on her own. This second book in the Sister-to-Sister series is a fun peek into the lives of a close-knit family of sisters, and an eye-opening look at what can happen in a life where God is left out of the equation.
Excellent writing! -
This was the second installment of the Sister-to-Sister series. I had read the first one about middle sister Joan and the third one about youngest sister Tori. With that said, I knew the past and the future of the girls. Still, this book could be a stand alone read for someone who had not read the others.
The plot is predictable: Allie is a new mom and with maternity leave about to end, she is dreading going back to work and leaving the baby in daycare. Still, she is not one to just be a stay at home mom. When the chance to become a saleswoman arises, she decides to give it a go. She will be booking parties and then she will present all the wonderful products ranging from cleaning and cooking items to make-up. She can actually work during the evening hours when husband Eric comes home and, she will make money to contribute to the household! It's a win-win situation.
It's a win-win situation until Allie begins to spend more money than she is making just to keep up with her product inventory. It's a win-win situation until her disapproving mother-in-law just lands on the doorstep and moves in after leaving her husband. It's a win-win situation until Eric gets fed up with Allie being gone so much in the evenings and he begins spending time at a young-single mom-co-workers house doing household repairs. Something has to change and in the end, it does; and the reader sees it coming (along with all the other events that led up to the change).
I am not criticizing the book for being predictable. The characters are fun and the close relationship of the sisters shines through. Each girl has her own personality, they don't always get along; but they do love and support each other. Sometimes that is all I need in a book--predictability and family. This book, in fact, the entire series fits that need. -
I read the first book in this series and ended up not liking it very much. I was hoping that I would like this book better, but I wasn't truly expecting to. As I had expected I did not end up liking it.
There were things about this book that I did like and I thought made it worth reading. I do still like how each book in this series is about a sister from the Sanderson family. I also liked Allie's character. She was actually quite depressing in this book which made it slightly depressing to read, but when she wasn't depressed she was pretty funny.
Eric was also pretty cool. I liked him, but sometimes I did find him a little tough. His toughness ended up making him a relatively realistic character which was nice.
Now that I've kind of complimented the characters you may be wondering what I disliked about this book. To be honest I felt that the story plot dragged on and on. I didn't find it interesting enough to enjoy. I did up finishing the book, but not enjoying it takes a lot of the joy out of reading.
When Eric and Allie started trusting and believing in God that was very very enjoyable to read. Unfortunately that was at the very end of the book so I couldn't enjoy it for long.
This book was okay. I did not love it but I am sure other people do. In my preference it wasn't that good. If you are reading the entire series I would recommend you read this because it would be strange to skip a book in a series. If you aren't reading the series and you maybe want to try out a random book I wouldn't recommend this one. This wasn't a terrible book but I did not love it. I hope this review helps you decide whether you want to read this book or not. -
Synopsis: Allie never thought she'd be trying to figure out how make money from home. Before marriage and children, she'd had expectations! She wanted to always pull her own weight financially, pay half of the bills, move up in her career. But now that she has a newborn, things are changing - her thought process is changing. New thoughts are flooding her mind. She doesn't want someone else taking care of her baby!
My Review: Age Before Beauty is Allie's story. And what a story it is! I immediately felt a connection with Allie - I could relate to her completely. She's a new mom with all the same thoughts and insecurities that have been my world ever since my baby was born nine months ago. The struggle to find a way to make money at home, the fight to fit back into your pre-pregnancy pants, the love you feel for your little one - a love that completely changes you. And of course the sadness you feel when you leave your baby for the first time with another person (even if it's your wonderful husband! lol). Add a very cruel mother-in-law who shows up on your doorstep uninvited and expects to be taken in for heaven-knows-how-long, and a get-rich-quick scheme that sounds too good to be true, and you've got Age Before Beauty, a light-hearted, laugh-out-loud, and oh-so-fun adventure into motherhood. This is a definite must for mothers (or anyone!) who need a break. It'll make you laugh and help you see that you're not alone in the world - we all need to laugh at our situations once in awhile! Thanks to Virginia Smith for this wonderful read! I can't wait for more Sister-to-Sister adventures! -
Allie Harrod has it all, a loving husband who is absolutely crazy about her and an absolutely lovely baby girl. Allie also has all the expectations she has thrown on herself of being not just a mom but a mom with a career. She is also less than content with the baby weight she has put on. She is also presented with the nightmare of her mother-in-law arriving for an extended stay.
When Allie realizes that she wants to be home with her daughter, she is presented with the opportunity to do direct sales (personally I was immediately thinking "OH NO!!!"). Allie throws herself into her business and finds that the very things she is working so hard to have are being negatively impacted by this new career.
The story is told with humor and love. I really enjoyed reading the repartee between Allie and her sisters. Alex has moments where she sees how lucky she is and then still gaffs things up. She has a husband who is crazy about her, but she gets a little focused on her failings rather than the love and blessings she has.
It is a Christian book, but its message of keeping God in the center of your life is delivered gently.
I, sadly, did not read the first book in the series, and am happy to report that it did not diminish the story in the slightest. I really want to get my hands on it now though and eagerly await the sequel. Virginia Smith does not disappoint. I have read several of her books now, and each has been not just an entertaining read but a read you learned from. -
Perfect For: Personal reading, book club choice
In a Nutshell: I really enjoyed this book. One thing that made it so great was the fact that I could view the characters and their problems or joys as REAL! The detail, the facts, the progression of events all seemed right, not over-done. As a first-time mother myself, I could relate to Allie and the things she was experiencing, as well as the emotions surrounding watching a new baby grow and making the hard choice to return to work or stay at home. Yes - for a business woman, this is a hard choice to make. . . until you are face-to-face with the little bundle of joy, and then you start looking for a way to earn money from home - yes, I've been there and done that, with a very understanding husband, but it took me quite a while to understand that my husband was happy to be the bread-winner. Allie gets sucked into a home-based-business (yes - I've given the same thing more thought than I care to admit), and then struggles when she is faced with the reality of how hard it really is. . . But with a great family and husband behind her, she ultimately makes the best of the situation instead of allowing it to get the best of her. This was a fun and inspirational book that touched my heart and made me smile. -
Allie just gave birth to her beautiful daughter a few weeks ago and is already dreading going back to work. She decides to try a home based company doing sales so that she can stay home with her baby. When she arrives home she finds her mother-in-law has come for a visit, the mother-in-law she can't stand.
What a delightful book. I think any mother wrestles with the decision to stay at home or to work outside the home. It is a tough decision and this story handles it in such a good way. Allie faces a lot of issues that confront us each day and all with raging post pregnancy hormones. I found myself at times wanting to yell at Allie, "Hey, don't do that or don't be like that". I found the characters to be easy to relate to and I want them to be a part of my family.
This is a contemporary Christian book of fiction, but so much truth in the way that the author shares God love for us. I found myself tearing up again as I am reminded how much our Father loves us and takes care of us. Congratulations to Virginia Smith on a great book. One that I will pass along to to my friends and family. -
This is the story of Allie and Eric. They're completely in love and have just had a baby. There are some typical insecurities as their roles and lives have to adjust, but then things start to get interesting when Eric's mother suddenly shows up on the doorstep and ends up staying a while. I really liked this story. Something I like about this author is that her characters seems so authentic. It is a Christian romance, but they are flawed in relatable ways that aren't automatically fixed by the end. I loved that it was a marriage relationship and how they had to decide whether or not to fight for each other through some pretty big miscommunications. There problems are not extreme and it's almost like you can see yourself falling into similar traps. It's a very character driven story. I read the first in the series and as much as liked it, I like and relate much more to Allie's thinking. She's spunky and determined and strong. Eric is most definitely her match. He's supportive and loyal and honest. It's not a fast paced story, but I loved just reading their interactions with each other and those around them. A great book for those that love to people watch.
-
Virginia Smith writes books one can relate to themselves. This book is about a Mom - Allie - who just had her first baby. She is not wanting to go back to work at her job. She wants to be able to stay at home and have more time with her baby. She thinks being a party hostess will earn her enough money and time with her daughter. Instead she finds start up costs, time spent hosting parties, and everything needed to keep the business running soon take over her life. She is spending less and less time with both her husband and her baby. She has her Mother-in-law show up to stay because she is mad at her husband and that adds more stress to the household. Then she finds a co-worker flirting with her husband and that scares her. I love how the sisters are always there for each other as I have found to be true in my own family. I have also juggled jobs at home to raise my two girls for their whole life and found my husband to never act like I had a job at all so I could relate well to that.
This is a book that is hard to put down. -
You may remember my review of Stuck in the Middle, book one in the Sister to Sister series. I loved it. Joan was a lovable and identifiable character. Age Before Beauty had the same allure. Allie was a career woman in book one, confident and in charge, but in Age Before Beauty we meet a new side of Allie. Post baby Allie has a whole new set of challenges. And despite the fact that I've never given birth, I still identified with Allie and her issues. I cheered for her, cried with her and overall loved this book as much as the first one. It's definitely worth checking out.
-
this is the first book I have read by Virginia Smith and it was an easy pleasant read. The main characther is Allie, a brand new mom who wants to stay home with her baby girl but feels she needs to work. She becomes a cosmetic saleslady(think Mary Kay). Soon that has taken over a better part of her time which creates stress between her and her husband. also because her Father was unfaithful she supects her husband may be on the same path. Her sisters have her back though. this is a christen novel and so the ending is a little too perfect.
