Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker

Here’s a little bit about this book from Ms. Walker’s website:

Does falling in love mean falling out of faith?

“Lacey Anne Byer is a perennial good girl and lifelong member of the House of Enlightenment, the Evangelical church in her small town. With her driver’s license in hand and the chance to try out for a lead role in Hell House, her church’s annual haunted house of sin, Lacey’s junior year is looking promising. But when a cute new stranger comes to town, something begins to stir inside her. Ty Davis doesn’t know the sweet, shy Lacey Anne Byer everyone else does. With Ty, Lacey could reinvent herself. As her feelings for Ty make Lacey test her boundaries, events surrounding Hell House make her question her religion.”

My Take

I didn’t know if I was going to like this book.  I don’t generally do well with anything that’s one extreme or another.  However, I did find that I really did enjoy this book.  It was nice to see a different kind of character represented as well.  Not much swearing and not much sex in this book and it was nice to see a more innocent side of teens and in today’s world to boot.  Ms. Walker’s characters are very endearing.  A group of friends whose bonds are as strong as steel, but willing to add another to their ranks was wonderful.  It was also nice to see parents who were present, not clueless and not portrayed as the villains.  Are Lacey's values strong enough to withstand a challenge?  Will her family understand if Lacey's values aren't the same as theirs?  The love story between Lacey and Ty was great and built slowly, which I liked.  He respected her and was not the typical bad boy.  I thought Ms. Walker's characters were unique and I liked them all.  This book is yet another in the Contemps Challenge.  I’m giving it 4 ½ sweet innocent kisses!