Sweet Bye-Bye

Rating:
Summary: Where Chick lit and Church Meet
Review:
Sweet Bye-Bye, the debut novel by Denise Michelle Harris is, well sweet. It's a cute little story about a young woman who gets a hard lesson in value and learns what is truly important as a Christian. As a result, she says a sweet bye-bye to superficial relationships and her materialistic ways--and she's a better person because of it. Sweet, isn't it?

While not overly dramatic, this book is funny and entertaining, particularly for young adult readers who may be able to relate to the main character's naivete.

Meet Chantell Meyers. She's a twenty-something successful advertising executive who is all about appearances; she dresses in designer clothes and accessories and her fiance, Eric, is very attractive eye candy that complements her perfectly. Simply stated, Chantell has it going on. She lives life by her own rules: Keep your man by your side, keep your game face on and if at all possible, keep a Coach bag in your hand That is, until she goes to visit her father one day and finds him alone and unconscious. After the panic sets in, she gets him to the hospital, prays to God and promises that if He spares her father's life, she'll work harder to be a better person.

Her father awakens from his coma-like state and Chantell sets out to make good on her promise. Her first order of business is to discontinue premarital sex with Eric, which becomes a point of dissension. Next, she hopes to make amends with Mina, a coworker with whom she's been in a corporate war. Chantell quickly learns that it is very difficult to love your enemies, as Mina tries to underhandedly steal one of her best clients.

The ultimate test comes when Keith Talbit reenters her life. Keith is a childhood best friend who is no longer a scrawny bookworm, but a good-looking doctor with strong beliefs. He proves to be everything that Eric is not. What is a woman to do?

Chantell's journey to become a good Christian woman is an interesting one that readers will enjoy. The author combines realistic characters with humor and spiritual messages, the perfect recipe for a great read. Rather than a sweet bye-bye, I'm sure readers will offer a hearty hello to this talented new voice in Christian fiction.

Reviewer
Jaon



Rating:
Summary: Hello Sweet
Review: A moment arrives in every lifetime when a person must say goodbye. Sometimes it's painful; sometimes it's joyful. Sometimes a goodbye can be sweet, but tragically necessary. In her debut novel SWEET BYE-BYE, author Denise Michelle Harris bestows upon the literary community a gift: a beautifully realistic story of a woman who learns when to say bye-bye.

Caught up in the glitter and glamour of materialism, Chantell Meyers works hard to show the world that she has it all. However, after almost losing her father, the princess realizes that some things in her life need to go. Determined to be a "good person" and live right, Chantell says hello to church and begins to say goodbye to the things she once cherished. What ensues is a torrent of events that exposes her deepest pains, cleanses her from misconceptions, and transforms her into a true woman of God.

Sincere, authentic, heartfelt, sweetly powerful: these are just a few words that describe Harris' depiction of Chantell's journey. SWEET BYE-BYE surreptitiously drew me in and, before I knew it, morning snuck up on me, and I had read the entire novel. Quiet and unimposing, this is Christian fiction at its best. Even though I had a love/hate relationship with Chantell (she could be so aggravating!), I enjoyed the believable drama; nothing was over-the-top. The spiritual aspect was on point, and everything was delivered right on time and was specific and appropriate without being preachy or judgmental. I felt the romance was honest and sweet without being sickly sentimental or predictable. Harris has done an excellent job telling of Chantell's inner and outer struggle to be free from her encumbering, self-imposed viewpoints, and scenes from her life will forever be lodged in my memory.

Reviewed by Natasha T.
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers



Rating:
Summary: A Page-turner
Review: Chantell is a character with whom most women (not only African American) can relate - same family issues; same relationship issues; same struggles between what feels good and what is right. I read "Sweet Bye-Bye" in a single day; stopping just long enough to eat. I found myself sometimes disappointed in Chantell, but more often rooting for her to find happiness and contentment. This book is a good read!

Rating:
Summary: Chick Lit meets Christian Fiction
Review: Denise Michelle Harris does a wonderful job in mixing two genres: Chick Lit and Christian Fiction. This is a funny but spiritual read about how twenty- something Chantell Meyers evolves from a spoiled materialistic woman to a woman with a new purpose in her life. The heart of this story rests in Jer. 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think of toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end." What happens to Chantell is kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy; she expected bad things to happen so that's how she lived her life, waiting on them to happen.

Chantell was just five years old when her mother died, twelve when her grandmother died and a year later her best friend Keith Rashaad moved away. Chantell remembers being told that bad things happen in threes and by the age of thirteen she had suffered three major loses. To further complicate things, she was taught not to cry, and not to talk about her mother. These are the things that shaped Chantell's life. Because she was so afraid of losing someone else she loved, she had problems in developing relationships. She had one person she could call a true friend, Tia. Her relationship with her boyfriend Eric was empty at best, but due to her fears she suffered through this relationship that was going nowhere.

Chantell found herself in church making changes in her life after her father suffered a near fatal heart attack. Chantel began to make some changes in her life. The most unpopular change was when she decided to cut off the sexual encounters with Eric. She began to take a deep look inside her life and found she needed to bring closure to those things troubling her, mainly regarding her mother. Also, during this time, Keith Rashaad returns to her life. He sees potential in Chantel that she can not see in herself. Unfortunately, until she is able to come to terms with her past she is unable to move forward.

Denise Michelle Harris writes this book so that women of all ages can relate. I admit I was a little hesitant to pick up yet another book featuring a twenty-something year old woman looking for Mr. Right. What I found in this book was a young woman with deep-rooted problems striving to make significant changes in her life. Though she stumbles and makes mistakes, she preseveres. I think there is a lesson for all ages in this book. Very well done Ms Harris.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub, Motown Review Book Club



Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: I enjoyed this book; even had it reserved to read; And though the author is promising,there were some parts that left me dead; alright, you have this sister who has a promising career, great dad, boyfriend the works; Then stuff seem to go downhill, starting with her daddy's heart attack, then her arch enemy plotting stuff behind her back; then dealing with her mother's passing and a old yet new love in the wings; there are some hilarious parts in there and her pact with God to let her daddy live, but then she would have to quit the sex part was interesting; It is worth the read. check it out.

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining read, but....
Review: I found myself at times having to remind myself that this was Christian fiction. This story is about a shallow, over-materialistic young lady named Chantell who masterfully balances on a thin line that divides Christians from non-Christians. She does a lot of things that aren't widely named among those who claim Christianity, but even so, she is a believable character. I concluded that this book was meant to highlight the growth process of Christianity, but that message got lost many times in the "games" that Chantell played. Overall, it was a good read and well-written despite my personal issues with the storyline itself. I really wanted to give it 3.5 stars, but since that wasn't an option, I felt that it leaned more toward the 3 than the 4.

Rating:
Summary: A Daddy's Girl Gets Real
Review: Meet Chantelle Meyers, a twenty something San Franciscan with a great job, a fabulous wardrobe, and a "Boris Kudjo fine" boyfriend. But when Chantelle comes home to find her father on the floor, stricken with a heart attack, she prays to God for her father's life and promises Him that if He'll let her daddy live, she'll start "livin right." Next thing she knows, her father is revived and Chantelle sets out to keep her promise to God.

The next 200+ pages cover six months in the life of Chantelle as she revisits old family wounds, cleans house in relationships she's been in for too long, and reevaluates who she is and what she wants out of life.

Sweet Bye Bye is geared to twenty something females who are going through this time in their lives, and Christian women in this age group will find this book particularly entertaining. It's definitely Christian chick lit, because a focus on God and trying to live life according to God's principles is what separates this book from typical chick lit novels.

But Chantelle is no Sunday school teacher. She wrestles with her flesh, her ambitions in the workplace, materialism, and all the struggles that abound in the post-modern world. She's no goody two shoes; she's just another sister trying to live right and find that balance between living in the world and living God's way.

You can polish this book off in a day or a weekend of concerted reading. For what the book is-Christian chick lit-it definitely delivers. It also has a fairy tale ending and the dialogue is sometimes a bit wooden and unrealistic, but once again the story is good for what it is. I recommend this book for the young Christian woman struggling to live in the world with Godly integrity and without compromise.


Rating:
Summary: Missing the mark of Christian REALITY
Review: Okay. When my girlfriend asked me to read this book and give her my opinion, this is what I told her:

I know that many popular book reviewing clubs give novels/books four and five undeserving stars only because they either know or have met the author, get a cutback or discounts, or want to stay in good standing with the publishing house. I've read other books published by Walk Worthy and they all (with the exception of Second Sunday), grossly depict Christianity. Therefore, I do not recommend any books by this publisher unless you just want to read something that is geared towards romance la-la land and not based on reality.

Let's make one thing perfectly clear. Christians DO curse! Christians DO commit sin! I was aggravated to edge of madness when the author/editor wanted the character to use profanity, but instead decided to use asterisks instead (i.e,, d**n). The characters in this story would have been more believable if they would just be themselves, speak like themselves and as time goes by, as they grow in Christ, God will remove the taste of profanity from their lips. This is a growing process.

Even Jesus, himself, used profane names against his enemies (i.e., in St. Matthews he called those Pharisees "vipers." Now tell me what is lower than a snake? It may not be as profound sounding as the word MF, but it pretty much means the same. Now did He sin by calling them "vipers"? Of course not. Does the Word not say, "let your words be seasoned with grace?" Was this a word of grace that Jesus made to his enemies? No, but it was a true statement. They were vipers--lowlife snakes.

A lot of times when things are looking really bad in our lives, that's when we only seem to called on the Lord. Not a bad idea. He'll take you any way He can get you. But one thing God does not take lightly is reneging on a promise. A word to the wise: If you make a vow to God, then you'd better keep it (not try -- but DO it) because His wrath will come upon you in one way or the other. The character made a vow to God about her father's condition. It's not that God will just throw you away if you renege on a promise you made to Him, but He will get you for not keeping it. This is why He hates divorce because we'll make a vow before him and the witnesses and then six months to a year down the line, here we are sitting in a divorce court, forgeting all about the vow we made to God and each other. (I'm preaching now [smile] ).

To me, true Christian fiction or faith fiction or whatever you want to call it, is writing characters as they truly are and not whom you perceive them to be. Then, over a period of time, we'll see the change, hear the change and observe the change. For instance, I think the novels "Let the Church Say Amen" is considered truly Christian fiction because the characters are "church folks" who was raised by a pastor and they curse, fornicate, lie, steal, etc. and the author tells it without using asterisks because she is really "keeping it real." I know this sounds clicheish, but it's the truth. Also, the novel, "Too Much of A Good Thing" and "Cast the First Stone" and "Lust of Flesh" and "Uncaged" are excellent portrayals of good "christian-fiction" novels because they show who these Christians really are by keeping their lives real, and in each sequel, they show how over a period of time, God had His work cut out by making a change in their lives. You see how these characters (some) don't do the things they used to do. They don't talk the way they used to talk. So now, you won't read so much profanity and sex scenes because these Christian characters have been elevated through the saving grace of God Almighty. They realize that the old man is dead and a new creature within them has arisen. Am I telling the truth or what? You know I am.

This is what I told my friend about this novel. I would suggest that on the author's next attempt, she follow suit of "Let The Church Say Amen" or "The Preacher's Son." She'll have a wider audience and her message will be heard where it needs to be and not among the snoddy Pharisees (those so-called Christian fiction authors who think they are holier than thou to write "TRUE" Christian fiction using sex and profanity.

In order to win sinful Christians over, you must show them theirselves first, as in the novels stated above, and then they will see that a change needs to take place in their lives.

Now, Let the chutch all say . . . amen.

The Honest Book Reviewer
who reviews from not just
opinion, but facts

Rating:
Summary: ENGAGING, POIGNANT AND HONEST
Review: SWEET BYE BYE by DENISE MICHELLE HARRIS is the story of Chantell Meyers, a twenty-something sister who doesn't realize what's important in life until she almost loses her father. This event causes her to reflect on the preceding deaths of her mother and sister, and the departure of her childhood friend, Keith. An ongoing conflict with her stepmom, the struggle with her current boyfriend, and the return of Keith makes for an entertaining story. The characters are real, well-rounded and are redeemed in the end. SWEET BYE BYE is a realistic portrayal of a young woman coming to terms with what it means to be a Christian. It is an engaging, poignant and honest story that portrays Christians as imperfect people; we've got issues just like everyone else. Congratulations to Ms. Harris for a well-written story.

Rating:
Summary: Who is this geared for?
Review: The debut novel by Denise Michelle Harris captures and combines chick-lit and Christian fiction. I'm still debating whether or not I like the way her mix turned out and I'm truly not thrilled with the title and how it plays into the overall plot of the story. I think Ms. Harris is a talented writer but I can't help but wonder if she was pressured into the Christian Fiction genre for one reason or another. While I realize being Christian doesn't supercede being human, the actions of the protagonist often left me shaking my head in shock, disgust and disbelief. I'm debating about sharing it with my book club of teen readers at church or making a push for it at some point, with my book club of adult women. Sweet Bye-Bye hasn't defined a clear reader's niche.
The plot and premise behind the storyline didn't thrill me. Chantell is a twenty-something young lady who prides herself in her sense of style, material goods and her good-looking fiancé'. No substance, just shellac, but amazingly she seems to be on top of her game at work. That is, until her nemesis tries to use her method and motive against her. Things turn ugly. Chantell is forced to look past the exterior, purchased perfections and face her ugly inner feelings. When her father suffers a near fatal heart attack, Chantell turns toward God. To honor her prayer request she vows to get her life in order and seeks both her childhood church and professional counsel. Though she suffered tragic incidents in her past she's finally able to open up and talk about them along with rekindling a relationship that was snuffed out before it had a chance to begin. I can't help but think this story line has been done before, but I thought the characterizations were well written. Chantell was memorable because she was someone I couldn't agree with.
Sweet Bye-Bye is a well-written book. I think readers are looking for non-traditional takes on traditional themes. There was an equal a sense of "been there - done that" as there was exciting variation, which is the only thing that compelled me to keep reading. I think if Ms. Harris' book is to do well, or if a second book is forthcoming, a more specific target for the reading audience should be defined.