Series of books by Robin Jones Gunn which have and stuck with me

I realized that most of the books I’ve been reading lately have been for reviews rather than my own pleasure. So to take a break, I’m going to review a few of my favorites. Books that have stayed with me years after reading them starting with in Robin Jones Gunn’s interlinking series starting with the Christy Miller series. Ms. Gunn announced this year that she would be publishing a new Christy series. I am super excited to read these news books. I started thinking about her entire series and how they interlink and how they have influenced my growth as a Christian through high school, college and even in my marriage.

The Christy Miller series starts with a 15 year old Christy who is visiting her aunt and uncle in Newport Beach, California. She soon learns that she and her family will be moving from their dairy farm in Wisconsin to Escondido, California. The series of 12 books follow Christy as she navigates situations that many teenagers will face: popularity, standing up for your faith and what you believe in, dating, drugs, alcohol, graduation and becoming an adult. These books are available individually as well as in volumes with 4 books each. The titles are: 1) Summer Promise, 2) A Whisper and a Wish, 3) Yours Forever, 4) Surprise Endings, 5) Island Dreamer, 6) A Heart Full of Hope, 7) True Friends, 8) Starry Night, 9) Seventeen Wishes, 10) A Time to Cherish, 11) Sweet Dreams and 12) A Promise is Forever.

Quickly following the Christy Miller series is the Sierra Jensen series. Sierra is a young girl who the reader is introduced to in A Promise is Forever of the Christy Miller series. Sierra movers to Portland, Oregon with her family. She must learn a new city, make new friends while juggling school, a new job and the responsibilities of home. The titles are: 1) Only You, Sierra, 2) In Your Dreams, 3) Don’t You Wish, 4) Close Your Eyes, 5) Without a Doubt, 6) With This Ring, 7) Open Your Heart, 8) Time Will Tell, 9) Now Picture This, 10) Hold on Tight, 11) Closer Than Ever, and 12) Take My Hand.

The Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen stories are continued in the Christy and Todd: The College Years series. Christy is on a path of growth after high school and into adulthood. She steps outside her comfort zone. The series features all the beloved characters from the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series as they attend a Southern California university. The titles are: 1) Until Tomorrow, 2) As You Wish, and 3) I Promise.

The Katie Weldon series features Christy Miller’s best friend, Katie, as she figures out her own path as her best friend begins her life as a married woman. Will Katie find the man that God wants her to marry? Will she ever find her purpose in life? The titles are: 1) Peculiar Treasures, 2) On a Whim, 3) Coming Attractions, and 4) Finally and Forever.

I highly recommend these series as well as Robin Jones Gunn’s other titles. Even though these books are written, first, for teenage girls, I believe that many women benefit from the lessons that Christy, Sierra, and Katie must learn. The life lessons can be applied to any young girl or woman’s life. Two of my aunts happened to give me one book of the Christy Miller series and I was hooked and these books have influenced me that the lessons have stayed with me. I look forward to passing these books onto my daughter. You never know how one simple gift of a book can influence the life of a young woman.