Love Will Keep Us Together by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

Anne and May have done it again. They have proven that they are the Queens of Cool, Hip, and whatever the current lingo is. Book four of the Miracle Girls series is, I think, their best yet. This is Riley's story. Remember Riley? The girl everyone (me anyway) wishes she could be. She's vivacious and popular and drop dead brilliant and the story begins with a tour of the hallowed halls of Harvard University, but somehow it feels like she's touring a stage set and in spite of parental enthusiasm, our girl is having some major doubts about where she really belongs. Her parents are Sold (her Mom being a realtor and all) on Riley going to the Ivy League and occupied with her autistic brother Michael who has some needs of his own, so who can she confide in?

I loved struggling along with Riley as she tries to be true to herself. I saw myself in her- it took me back to those days of yore... and helped me to empathize with my four kiddos who are currently enrolled in academia. I appreciated the honest portrayal of the Church, which could be Everychurch and how we often drop the ball when we should be reaching out to the hurting instead of judging. Story threads include teen pregnancy, friendship, autism and life choices.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Love Will Keep Us Together

FaithWords (April 30, 2010)

by

Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:











ANNE DAYTON graduated from Princeton University and is earning her master's degree in English literature at New York University. She works for a New York publishing company and lives in Brooklyn.



MAY VANDERBILT graduated from Baylor University and went on to earn a master's degree in fiction from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in San Francisco, where she writes about food, fashion, and nightlife in the Bay Area.



Together, the two women are the authors of Miracle Girls series





ABOUT THE BOOK

Riley McGee has the whole world open before her. She could get into any college, major in any subject, become whoever she wants to be...But the truth is, Riley has no earthly idea what to do. She's paralyzed by indecision, afraid of the changes she faces, and as graduation day inches closer, it feels more and more like a threat.



Meanwhile, her autistic brother, Michael, is struggling to fit in at Marina Vista and stay on top of his classes. Riley tries to keep an eye out for him, but when Ms. Moore suggests pulling Michael out of school, Riley has to fight for her brother--and against her favorite teacher. And things take another turn when her ex-boyfriend, Tom, arrives, hoping to give their relationship one more try. On top of that, an ambitious new pastor makes her question everything she thought she knew about faith.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Love Will Keep Us Together, go HERE.