I Love Claire

Tracey Bateman
FaithWords (2007)
ISBN 0446696072
Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (1/07)

Claire Everett is divorced and a single mom to her four great kids; Tommy, Jake, Shawn and Ari.  Claire is also a writer, trying desperately to break out of a mold and to find a new sponsor to represent her work.  Life is looking brighter for Claire, as she is engaged to be married to Greg Lewis, a former teacher who now attends Bible School.  Greg has an eight year old daughter named Sadie who will be a member of the new combined family.  The happy couple plans to wed the first of June followed by a two week honeymoon to Hawaii.

With four kids, an upcoming wedding, and a writing career that has hit a lull, Claire finds herself short of funds and refusing to ask her fiancé or ex husband for financial help.  Claire is determined to find a way to manage her finances until she goes shopping and finds the perfect wedding dress, but the price tag states an unbelievable $5,000.  No other dress is acceptable, so Claire sets her sights on earning the needed dollars.

As luck would have it, Claire finds that dog walking makes a nice income, even if the dog is a 200 pound mastiff named Ollie whose elderly owner has broken a hip and is confined to a wheelchair.  The dog’s owner, Miss Lou, quickly becomes a good friend to Claire, even if Miss Lou’s son, Jerry, is someone to be reckoned with.  Claire also walks the small but destructive Mitzy, until her owner abandons her pet, leaving Claire to find a home for Mitzy.

Claire’s fiancé, Greg, is offered the perfect pastoral job, but it is in a distant town.  Unfortunately, taking the job will mean the couple’s honeymoon plans will need to be postponed, for Greg’s permanent job will begin the day after the planned wedding.  Reluctantly, Claire tells Greg to accept the position he wants so badly.  While Greg is away with the new job, a new suitor showers Claire with an unending supply of flowers, all meant to get her to change her mind about Greg.  Claire finds herself confused and questioning her feelings.

I found “I Love Claire” to be thoroughly enjoyable and with good Christian principles.  I loved the character of Claire created by the author.  Lighthearted, warm and funny, Claire is a gal with spunk.  You will be enthralled with the things she says and the way she handles her problems with dogs, men, and her own kids.  Without a doubt, I recommend this book to adult readers who want to laugh and enjoy a wholesome Christian-based romance.  Moms with teens will relate to the issues Claire must deal with and the problems her kids find themselves in.  Dog lovers will enjoy Claire’s abilities with her walking companions.

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