Dreaming in Black and White: A Phoebe Grant Novel

When I read the back cover for this book and saw a "movie-loving heroine" I knew I had to read this book. After the first couple of pages I was laughing hysterically! Pheobe was someone who I could relate to in every way-she's my favorite chick lit heroine. The author makes all of her characters very real-I could picture my friends in each of the characters. It is a Christian novel, but it's not overly preachy or cheesy, which drew me in even more. It was lots of fun to read and I can't wait to read more from Ms. Walker! Keep up the great writing!

From the back cover: Phoebe Grant is everyone's favorite movie geek--unbeatable at trivia, convinced that all the world's a movie screen. She can organize a four-hankie chick-flickathon with a wave of her tall, nonfat, double mocha. And she's a shoo-in for the job of her dreams--movie reviewer for the newspaper where she works. Enter Alex Spencer--not only gorgeous but also a film buff, perfectly cast for a celluloid kiss and a fade to sunset. Unfortunately, Alex is the villain who sends Phoebe packing to the last place on earth she wants to be--back home to boring little Barley, California. But wait. It couldn't be. Dark, handsome, and annoying Alex . . . in Barley? Can Phoebe protect her hometown--and her heart--and prove It's a Wonderful Life? Or is her promising future truly Gone With the Wind? Camy here: Fabulous! Hilarious writing--dialogue, scenes, characters--I was laughing my tail off. The humor is truly witty, versus sarcastic put-downs. The characters are genuine people I cared about and related to. Phoebe Grant is more like "everygirl" with her obsessions and outlook on life. Phoebe struggles with her single status and nagging relatives just like Bridget Jones, but with less emphasis on sex as the basis for attraction and more on the personality differences. Readers who have attended Christian Singles' groups at their own churches will find Phoebe's group both funny and frighteningly familiar. The characters are not over-the-top, but they stand out as caricatures of anyone's real life friends. The movie trivia peppered in the prose makes things interesting. I had seen some of the movies mentioned, although not all of them, but it didn't matter because the references are always explained and I felt as hip as matinee-hopping Phoebe. It made me put those old movies on my Netflix queue. Haha. This was fabulous entertainment from page one to the end. I wouldn't hesitate to hand it to any high school girl because it's good, clean fun, although the fears about getting older and being single might go over the heads of young women who are nowhere near the 3-0 mark. I found this on par with Kristin Billerbeck's Ashley Stockingdale series, but with a very different sort of heroine who is nevertheless equally endearing.

This book was a referral from a friend with somewhat different taste than mine, so I wasn't sure how I'd like it, but it was hilarious! As the Editorial Review states, it may be a bit formulaic, but isn't every single romantic comedy that Hollywood produces and yet we watch them over and over? Phoebe Grant is your average single 30-something, struggling with trying to be content in all circumstances, yet wanting more for her life. Through a comedic string of events, she finds herself back in the one-stoplight town where she grew up (and couldn't wait to leave). Over the course of her stay, Phoebe learns to look deeper at people to see more than just what she wanted to see. She finds a new respect for her mother, boss, and even the man who's trying to take her job away. Unless you're well schooled in classic movies, some of her film references will be lost on you, but it's still a great read. A real feel-good comedy with potential for some romance!! Can't wait for the sequel!!

Absolutely loved and laughed reading Dreaming in Black and White. I have read all of Laura Jensen Walker's non-fiction books but this first novel really takes the prize. Her references to all the old movies brought back many great memories and makes me want to see them all again. Can't wait to read the sequel "Dreaming in Technicolor" and find out what happens when Phoebe goes to England and if she will end up Mrs. Alex Spencer.

Laura Jensen Walker takes the reader on a laugh-filled journey with Phoebe Grant. Not that Phoebe finds life funny: she's looking for Mr. Right and not even finding Mr. Maybe. A movie addict, Phoebe's desire for more gets put on hold when she has to move back to Hicksville and care for her mother. Here she learns to 'bloom where she's planted.' Super story!