With This Ring

“Why can’t you be like the others?” she muttered to herself. She didn’t like this uncomfortable feeling. “What is my style? My image? she thought. At the dinner with Dad last week, I was uncomfortable being dressed up. Now I’m out of place because I feel underdressed. Where’s the middle ground? Who am I trying to be?

Book: With This Ring (The Sierra Jensen Series #6) by Robin Jones Gunn, Bethany House Publishers, 1997

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14-19

Subjects: Friendships, Relationships with family, Dating relationships, Growing up

Summary: Talk about romantic! A guy who has not only never had sex with anyone, but even saved his first kiss for his wife! And Sierra gets to attend their wedding! She’s thrilled to be with Christy, Todd, Tracey, Doug, Katie and the other friends she met on the missions trip to Europe. And she’s definitely excited to attend Doug & Tracey’s wedding. But in the midst of all the good circumstances, she’s feeling confused and frustrated. She’s figured out that she wants to be careful herself about how much she gives away to someone not her husband. Her best friend has not. Right before Sierra leaves, Amy calls to talk about making out with the new guy on their first date. Sierra wants to help Amy but isn’t sure how. Then there’s the struggle to find her identity. Clothes have always played a big part in that but does that mean she’s someone different if she’s not dressed in her personal style? Exactly who is she supposed to be anyway?

Notes: Sierra Jensen was introduced in the last book of the Christy Miller series and this is the one of twelve books about her story. Sixth in the Sierra Jensen series, With This Ring focuses on the beauty of real, genuine love. Sierra has two friends that are older and in committed relationships based on love rather than just attraction or romance. They are relationships that have withstood time and trials and only grown stronger from them. She’s thinking a lot about relationships and purity and standards as a result and wanting to hold herself and her friends to a standard of purity. She has to learn who God wants her to be and how she can encourage her friend without condemning her.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Hebrews 10:22 – Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.