I read a lot while we were in North Carolina. Four books. All really good. So I’ll probably post several reviews this week along with all the other posts you’ve come to expect. You know me…when I run into a book I love, I have to share the word.

One of those books is Susan May Warren’s latest, Licensed for Trouble in her PJ Sugar series. I have enjoyed the first two books in the series, but there was something about this one that really pulled me in. (And if you’re not a fan of series, don’t worry…you can read this one on it’s own and not be lost).

This book opens with PJ homeless and unsure if she’ll ever find her place in Kellogg. She’s trying to become a private investigator, but her boss keeps getting in her way. And don’t even get her started on her love life. She’s finally broken up with…again…her high school flame who happens to adorn the tattoo on her shoulder, but her boss is keeping her guessing. Did he mean the kiss or not? Then she inherits the Kellogg mansion, a house she’s always dreamed about, but now that she owns it, it could be more money pit than Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

This book pulls together the spiritual thread of the others in a much more vibrant way. It’s not overwhelming, but one that I think many of us can relate to. Is it possible to change who we’ve been in the past? Or should we accept that we can never change? Can we change the labels others have put on us? Or are we doomed to live a life where we continually hear those names, good and bad, over and over again?

Just this morning…in church…uhm…I was rereading an entry in my journal from a year earlier that had me wondering some of these things. And as Susie is wont to do, she takes PJ through those questions in a way that gives the reader hope without banging them over the head with theology and scripture.

And you have to love PJ. She’s not perfect…and oh does she know it. But she’s trying to live a life that gets better each day. She’s so aware of her mistakes and she just wants to break free. Even though this is the part of the plot I’ve focused on, know that the mystery is wonderful. I loved the way that all these different threads wove together into a story I couldn’t put down.

I received this book for the tour, but the opinion is mine. Don’t forget to check out the contest Susie is running.

Licensed for Trouble, Susan’s brand new PJ Sugar novel, is in stores now! To celebrate the release, she’s giving away a Kindle!! You can enter using Twitter, Facebook, or e-mail using the icons below.
One Grand Prize winner will receive a A SWEET Kindle prize package that includes:

• A brand new Kindle (Free 3G, 6”, Latest Generation)
• The entire PJ Sugar series by Susan May Warren
  

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form. Don’t forget to tell your friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! We’ll announce our super sleuth winner on September 2nd.