Once Upon Eliza

by: Erynn Mangum
Publisher: Self Published
Dates Read: Dec. 22 - Jan. 30
Pages: 322
Source: Own It

Why did I read it?
Erynn Mangum is my favourite author.  This is the second book in the Carrington Springs series.  The first is Katie in Waiting which I read a year ago.  

Once Upon Eliza was what I expect from Mangum.  It was some light chick lit about a Christian girl possibly finding love.  She always threads in themes that make you think about your own life too.  Somehow her characters are always relatable and going through something that I seem to be going through.  

Eliza is a nurse on the new mother's floor at her local hospital and survives off of lattes from the machine down in the cafeteria.  Life seems to be piling up higher and higher and she pushes it deeper and deeper inside.  As we know from real life (see, Mangum is so good at doing that) when you bottle things up, life gets difficult.  We get to walk alongside Eliza as she figures all of this out.  

Even though my brother would say that all of Mangum's books are the same, I really enjoy them.  They are the epitome of chick lit and I enjoy them every time.  My one grievance with this book is that the editting, like her last self-published novel, is just terrible.  Erynn, we are on a first name basis because I like to think we are good friends since I think we would be good friends if we actually knew each other, PLEASE HIRE ME TO EDIT YOUR BOOKS!!  Usually it is the odd grammar mistake or typo or she tried to replace a word only to leave the replaced word and the new word there, but she referred to Michael McConaughey.  Michael.  Michael McConaughey.  If this book was written by anyone else I would have just walked away.  The editing is truly becoming ridiculous.  So Erynn, my dear fake friend, please let me do this for you.  Free of charge.  Just send a copy up to Canada and I'll be done in a week.  




Rating: 4.5/5
I really liked it.  I may have given it a 5 if it weren't for that Michael McConaughey reference.  The ending for Eliza's book was a little more satisfying than Katie's.  I didn't actually see the ending coming until we were pretty much there.  It was good,I was happy and I can't wait to read about Ashton soon.  Onto book 3 (once it comes out)!

Recommendation: 
If you a girl over the age of 14 or so and enjoy chick lit, you will like this book.  I think you will like it even more if you happen to be single and dreaming of finding a good man of your own.  Read the book.  Read the whole series.  Read everything Erynn has ever written (although Sketchy Behaviour is a little bit of a different genre, still good, but not the same).