The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of that book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Just like in my dream, I was drowning and nobody even noticed.

Every morning, Carmen Hart pastes on her made-for-TV smile and broadcasts the weather. She’s the Florida panhandle’s favorite meteorologist, married to everyone’s favorite high school football coach. They’re the perfect-looking couple, live in a nice house, and attend church on Sundays. From the outside, she’s a woman who has it all together.  But on the inside, Carmen Hart struggles with doubt. She wonders if she made a mistake when she married her husband. She wonders if God is as powerful as she once believed. Sometimes she wonders if He exists at all. After years of secret losses and empty arms, she’s not so sure anymore.

Until Carmen’s sister—seventeen year old runaway, Gracie Fisher—steps in and changes everything. Gracie is caught squatting at a boarded-up motel that belongs to Carmen’s aunt, and their mother is off on another one of her benders, which means Carmen has no other option but to take Gracie in. Is it possible for God to use a broken teenager and an abandoned motel to bring a woman’s faith and marriage back to life? Can two half-sisters make each other whole?

My thoughts-

I really LOVED this novel. I have read all of Katie Ganshert's books and with each one I think it is my favorite and there is no way it can be outdone- I was wrong yet again. The Art of Losing Yourself will appeal to a broad range of people. I think it will especially resonate with women, who can relate to Carmen, and teens, who can relate to Gracie. I honestly could relate to them both in so many ways. 

One of the biggest draws for me to Ganshert's books is that the characters feel so authentic. They are flawed, their lives aren't perfect. These are people we can relate to or maybe even want to be friends with. The more books she writes the more she perfects the art of creating interesting stories with every day people. I can not even decide who may favorite character in this book is and I usually have a very clear favorite. I enjoyed the overall story interweaving the thoughts and feelings of sisters Carmen and Gracie and the run down family motel they are working to restore, as well as the sub-plots with the more minor characters. Gracie's story with Elias made me feel like I was in high school again, I have definitely been in the exact same position at her age, it had me feeling nostalgic. I enjoyed the flashbacks as Carmen remembered the beginning of her relationship with Ben and although the parts of the story with aunt Ingrid are a bit on the sad side, she is an important part of the book giving great advice, even when she doesn't realize it. When I got to the end of the book, I was not ready to leave Gracie, Carmen and company. I want to know what happens next in this story! I would really love to see a sequel (or better yet, a series!)

The Art of Losing Yourself will be available on April 21. You can pre-order a copy on Amazon.com.

Check out my reviews of Katie Ganshert's other novels-

A Broken Kind of Beautiful

Wishing on Willows

Wildflowers From Winter

About the author-

Christy Award finalist and Carol Award winner, Katie Ganshert, graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her family and their goofy black lab, Bubba. When she’s not busy penning novels or spending time with her people, she enjoys drinking coffee with friends, reading great literature, and eating copious amounts of dark chocolate.

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Katieganshert.com/

A Broken Kind of Beautiful by Katie Ganshert (Book Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book (from Goodreads)-

Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four-year-old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she's learned a sacred truth -- appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows -- so when it starts to unravel, she'll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother's bridal wear line -- an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white.

My thoughts-

This is the third novel released by author Katie Ganshert. I read and reviewed her first two novels and count both among some of my favorite books. She has a knack for writing believable, interesting characters. A Broken Kind of Beautiful is a novel I couldn't put down. I think I read it in two or three days and I started reading it the day it arrived. I get a lot of books in the mail to read and while I love to ready pretty much anything, it is a rarity that I am so excited that I have to devour it the very day it shows up. I knew from the previous two novels by Ganshert that I absolutely would love this one. This was also a departure from a typical Christian novel. Set in the world of modeling, these are flawed characters, they could be real life people, they are relatable. My heart breaks for Ivy almost from the get-go, after all the opening scene is at her father's funeral and you can just tell right away that there is something about her that is sad, so it is interesting to learn her story. Ivy doesn't want to stick around Greenbrier, she'd rather be back in the New York, but her life just kind of snowballs all at once and the perfect place for her to be is right where she is. It takes a while for her to really open her eyes and see the love around her. Besides seeing Ivy grow immensely through the story, I absolutely LOVE to see her relationship with Davis grow. I am a sucker for a good romance and Ganshert is a master at creating swoon worthy men for her heroines. Davis has his own flaws, but it is nice to see how he and Ivy learn from each other through the story. The best thing about A Broken Kind of Beautiful is that it is the type of novel that really makes you think.  This novel will definitely strike a chord with those who read it! I recommend A Broken Kind of Beautiful to anyone who enjoys a good romance or who has ever felt  they weren't pretty enough or good enough and haven't we all felt that way? This is by far my favorite novel so far by Katie Ganshert and that is saying a lot because I really enjoyed the first two quite a bit! In fact, I recommend you read Wildflowers from Winter and Wishing on Willows as well!
******************SAVE THE DATE********************
Head over to Katie Ganshert's author page on Facebook and RSVP for the live webcast that will take place Monday April 21st! There will be a live video feed, a chat room for mingling and 6 prize packages to be given away! Hope to see you there!
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About the author-

Katie Ganshert is the author of Wildflowers for Winter and Wishing on Willows.  A Broken Kind of Beautiful is her third novel. She lives in Iowa with her husband and son.

Connect with Katie Ganshert on Facebook
Connect with Katie Ganshert on Twitter
Connect with Katie Ganshert on Pinterest
Connect with Katie Ganshert on Goodreads
Katieganshert.com/

A Broken Kind of Beautiful will be available April 15, 2014. You can pre-order it on Amazon.com.