Review of Southern Fried Sushi

Southern Fried Sushi is the first book in a series by Jennifer Rogers Spinola. Shiloh is the epitome of successful. She's got a ritzy job with the Associated Press in Japan, has all the designer goods she wants, and is engaged to a Latin hottie. However, she soon finds her carefully constructed world shattering to pieces. When she finds out her estranged mother passed away, her fiance's female roommate begins to win his heart, and that she's been caught for plagiarizing, Shiloh is left penniless and lost in rural Virginia. She soon meets a group of people who are as Southern as they come. Her culture shock leads to a series of misadventures and life-changing experiences.

This book was great. I loved Shiloh's character and her experiences in adapting to Virginia after living in Japan for a long time. The humor was excellently written and the emotion scenes are moving. I really loved the spiritual truths in this book and how Shiloh learned of the Christian faith. This book isn't overly preachy, but it exposes a reader to what Christianity really is in a poignant way. The characters seemed like real people genuinely expressing their faith. The residents of Shiloh's new town were definitely endearing. Although I had a feeling some of the aspects of the book were exaggerated in the extent to country people, the storyline was really sweet and expertly dealt with some tough topics.

All in all, I rate this book five out of five stars. Highly recommended!

Specifics (from amazon.com):
~ Paperback: 384 pages
~ Publisher: Barbour Books (October 1, 2011)

Note: Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Blessings,