The Romance Readers’ Book Club

I picked up The Romance Readers’ Book Club by Julie L. Cannon because I needed a “filler” book – the kind of book that doesn’t take all that much time to read, but fills the space between the book I just finished and the book I have to start for my club meeting. To be quite honest, I was really drawn to the sweet cover of the book and thought the synopsis sounded kind of funny. Fifteen year old Tammi Lynn Elco lives with her Granny and Pepaw Elco after her mother and step-father’s death when she was only ten. Her Granny (who in reality is only her step-grandmother) is a God fearing women who runs her household with an iron fist. Pepaw on the other hand is a kind, gentle type fellow. The farming town in Georgia where they reside is going through a terrible draught, which Granny blames on un-confessed sin and goes to prayer meetings at Promisland Church to ask for God’s mercy and a little precipitation. Tammi on the other hand stumbles on a bunch or romance novels and begins to realize, through the sexually charged writing, what her raging hormones already know – she is beginning to turn into a woman. Secretly Tammi starts a book club with a hodgepodge of people and delves into the world of romance, passion and romance. 

I really wanted to like this little book, but quickly became annoyed by the fact that it was so preachy. The main character struggles with her conscience throughout most of the novel. She knows (since it has been drummed into her by Granny and the local preacher) that she shouldn’t be allowing herself earthly pleasures, but feels drawn to these exciting stories. I have a feeling that the authors beliefs became a major plot-line in the story and I quickly became tired of all the heavy handed talk of damned souls and going to hell. It was kind of like listening to one of those TV evangelists or even hearing about this crazy fundamentalist group Chris wrote about who will be picketing Heath Ledgers funeral. It’s these type of people who give the rest of us Christians a bad name. What had the potential of a cute coming of age story fell flat in the end. Of course, I should have known what I was getting into when the author of a book called “Not Tonight, Honey: Wait ‘Til I’m a Size 6 and Don’t Sleep with a Bubba” is quoted on the inside cover.