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Review: Flip-Flops & Family Friends - Sweethearts on Everwild #2

Flip-Flops & Family Friends temporary placeholder book cover on blue background

Whenever I fill out online questionnaires, I always gravitate toward the mountains over the beach. However, based on the stories that Amanda Tero Matthews has developed for the Sweethearts on Everwild series, I could be persuaded to spend more time on the island.

Flip-Flops and Family Friends is the second Sweethearts book, and its alliteration is as catchy as the characters we get to meet in Sara and Spencer. There is lots of time to read the earlier books as this doesn't release until February 26, 2027, meaning you can escape to the island during winter!

Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

Spending a family vacation together might give Spencer a chance to earn Sara's trust, but six years of resentment won't disappear overnight.

Sara Trapani almost lost her brother in a car accident because of Spencer Quinn. So, when Spencer shows up for their family vacation, she's beyond upset. He might be her brother's best friend, but that doesn't mean she should trust him.

Injured on the job, Spencer jumps at the chance to spend a couple weeks at Everwild Island. Not only is this his first vacation, but the time away could help him avoid falling back into the drinking habits he's fought so hard to leave behind. What he didn't count on was finding Sara so attractive ... and still hating him.

The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes for Sara to ignore the man Spencer is now—or the feelings she never expected to have.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

The more time that I spend on Everwild Island, the longer I want to stay. Amanda Tero Matthews has created such lovely characters who have complex pasts yet are completely relatable, making me want to befriend them. I really enjoy that we get to meet Sara and Spencer on this family vacation as they have a complicated history that at first glance, does not seem to improve with forced proximity. However, as we get to know them, it is apparent that their story is a grander adventure than either of them would have ever expected. Taking the illustration to heart of being stronger together rather than being apart, Sara and Spencer end up embodying the Gospel message in different ways.

Coupling the growth of their relationship with a look at the book of Romans, it is a treat to get to witness God's hand upon their lives along with seeing how Sara and Spencer respond to Him. This is a beach romance that runs deep and tackles difficult topics while keeping a hopeful tone. Daily struggles with temptation aren't minimized, with faithful accountability being depicted in an empathetic manner. Readers who desire to see characters become more godly and sharpened by truth will appreciate all that Flip-Flops and Family Friends has to offer through a sensitive portrayal of how God can redeem and work through anyone's life.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📱
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍

Book Quotes

“When Jesus looks at His scars, do you think He sees our sins and everything we did against Him … or does He see us through a lens of love and forgiveness, happy for those who have followed Him?” The air whooshed from my lungs as if he’d given me a gut-punch. I didn’t need to answer Elijah. It was a rhetorical question. “When I think about my accident…” Elijah’s voice grew husky and he cleared his throat. He never talked much about his accident to me. I waited. Maybe if I heard more about his accident, it would help me figure out how to handle my own feelings.
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