You know how I have that little quirk (which one, right?) that makes it impossible for me to start a series from anywhere but the beginning? Well, I'm proud to say I overcame that bit of OCD in order to read The Wedding Letters by Jason F. Wright. I'm running out of time to read all the Whitney finalists, especially since I have to cram them in among all my other reviewing

responsibilities, so I skipped The Wednesday Letters and dove right into its sequel. I wouldn't suggest doing it that way, though. Like always, I recommend reading a series in order. This time (only!), it's a does-as-I-say-not-as-I-do kind of thing.

Anyway, the story starts when Noah Cooper, a senior at George Mason University and a budding artist/illustrator, runs into Rachel Kaplan. Literally. As he tries his best to make up for hitting the grad student with his truck, he finds himself falling deeply in love with her. She doesn't seem to mind. Noah figures

taking her to meet his family will seal the deal forever—everybody loves Malcolm and Rain Cooper, as well as the charming B&B in rural Virginia where they live and work. Not only does Rachel fall for the Cooper Family, but she agrees to become one of them. Noah couldn't be happier.

It doesn't take long, though, for the wedding plans to go awry. Even though Rachel adores the family's "Wedding Letters" tradition, reading them brings up a dark secret in her past, a secret that could stop the wedding forever. Malcolm and Rain are also keeping a secret, the announcement of which will no doubt shock their children. As Noah tries to keep his whole life from imploding, he'll learn a thing or two about family, forgiveness and the fortitude to fight for the things—and people—he loves.

The Wedding Letters is predictable, of course. Cheesy, too, although not quite as much as I expected it to be. As you would guess, the short novel's also warm, positive and uplifting. The great romance between Noah and Rachel falls a little short for me, as it feels a bit spark-less, but I really grew to like the Cooper Family as a whole. I enjoy the fact that they aren't a perfect family, but that their love for each other comes through to the reader loud and clear. Speaking of the Coopers, I did get a little confused over who was who and what was what as far as relationships and such go, but I'm sure that's mainly due to not having read The Wednesday Letters. All in all, though, I enjoyed this read. Wright's books are kind of hit and miss for me, so I was glad to discover that this one was more of the former than the latter.

(Readalikes: The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright; Wright's books also remind me of those by Richard Paul Evans and Nicholas Sparks)

enormous paychecks to private work

spaces to his choice of snack foods. Thomas is so used to having things his way that he's never stopped to consider the fact that the constant pampering has turned him into a selfish, egotistical jerk. It's not his personality that matters to most people, after all, it's his painting.

At least that's what he thinks until he meets 27-year-old PR director Susan Cassidy. Thomas is accustomed to being approached by beautiful women, but this one isn't like the others. Cass isn't looking for a date, she's asking for a mural. And not just any mural. She's after something special to decorate the walls of the new children's wing at St. Mark's Hospital. The agnostic Thomas balks when Cass informs him that the piece needs to center around Jesus Christ. Already at work on a more prestigious mural—one that, ironically enough, celebrates Charles Darwin—Thomas dismisses Cass' offer.

When his life starts to fall apart and he's forced to accept the job he first rejected, Thomas finds himself standing in front of a blank wall trying to envision a mural based on a man whose existence he knows little about and believes in even less. Pushed up against an impossible deadline, Thomas needs to forget about his doubts and just paint. But, there's an injured little girl with an astounding amount of faith, a police officer with an impossible story and a PR rep who believes in everything Thomas doesn't. Encounters with each one of them changes the artist, making him wonder which is the biggest lie—Jesus Christ or Thomas Hall. As he wrestles with the mural, Thomas must reevaluate everything he knows, everything he believes, everything he is and find the courage to accept the truth, however disastrous it may be.

I've mentioned before—probably a few times—that inspirational fiction is really not my thing. I'm not opposed to pick-me-up type novels, I just want them to go easier on the sap and heavier on the substance, if you know what I mean. The Evolution of Thomas Hall by Academy Award-winning filmmakerKieth Merrill does this better than any of the other titles it's up against in theWhitney Award competition. Which isn't to say it's perfect. It's not. At 454 pages, the novel's laborious, both overwritten and under-edited. Plus, it features a character who's just not all that likable—even after he "evolves." Still, the book's more readable than I thought it would be, probably thanks to short chapters and enough action to keep the plot moving along (if not swiftly). Although I didn't love it, I found The Evolution of Thomas Hall thought-provoking and uplifting, a book that's faith-promoting but not as cloyingly preachy as other books of its type.

Readalikes: Hm, I can't really think of anything. Can you?)