Altar Call

by Hope Lyda

In this fun and clever sequel to Hip to Be Square, heroine Mari Hamilton discovers how a wedding, even someone else's, can turn rational women into irrational creatures. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0736915907
• ISBN13: 9780736915908
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Another hit!

Altar Call is a perfect sequel to Hip to Be Square! Being a single woman in my 30's, I thought this book did a great job giving a glimpse into what we all go through: dating, marriage, balancing family & friends vs. career. Again, author Hope Lyda does a fabulous job with the chick lit genre. She gives us fast paced, light fun woven all around meaningful characters and experiences. It is chick lit with substance, definately worth reading!

Pre-wedding jitters rattle friends

Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (1/07) This sequel to "Hip to Be Square" reunites readers with Mari Hamilton and her friends, Sadie, Angelica and Caitlin. Mari's life is going as planned. She enjoys her job and has dated Beau for eight months. But these hip gals are coming a bit unraveled as they prepare for Sadie's upcoming wedding. Is Mari questioning her life because of Sadie's marriage plans or is there something else she should be doing? Mari's quirky friends think her life is perfect. But as she supports Sadie through pre-wedding jitters and Caitlin through breaking free from her parents' dominance, Mari faces her own problems and uncertainties. Her relationship with Beau appears strong, but his work projects cut into their time. Her loyal friends think she will head to the altar too, but she doesn't like ranking so low on Beau's to-do list, especially when his new partner is a fabulous-looking former flame. Should she go with the flow or listen to her instincts that tell her life has more to offer? When her father becomes ill, Mari heads home to Washington, DC to help her family run their youth shelter. There, she encounters a deeper satisfaction with involvement in her family's ministry. She also reconnects with her friend Marcus--a man willing to make time with her his priority. Her past, her present. East, west. Mari's indecision yo-yos like her trips to Oregon and back home. Long-distance friendships and long-distance love have a way of clearing away the confusion though. Soon Mari has to trust God and her own heart to choose the right path and the best man to share God's plan. Author Hope Lyda creates a fun cast of characters and female readers will relate to their struggles--everything from the ugliest bridesmaid dress ever designed to how best to follow your dream using your God-given talents. Humor and angst abound in this chick lit novel, "Altar Call," that speaks to readers' real-life struggles.

You don't know what you've got till it's gone

Mari seems to having her life finally like she planned. She has great friends, a good job, a better relationship with her parents and .....a boyfriend. Her friend Sadie is about to get married and Mari, Angelica, and Caitlin are excited and nervous about their friend leaving the single life behind. Amid all the wedding plans (including ugly bridesmaids dresses chosen by the bride's sister) Mari starts to question her relationship with Beau. When her father becomes ill, Mari leaves to go back to her hometown. There she meets up again with Marcus, an old friend. Mari has to make the decision of whether she needs to be east or west. I really enjoyed this book. I don't want to give away the ending, but I was really happy with Mari's decision about Beau. He started off great and then became ....typical male. And of course there would be an ex-girlfriend in the picture. Why are guys always clueless in this area, and then it somehow becomes the girl's fault? I'm glad she finally stood up to him, was able to speak her mind, and be able to have no regrets. I'm glad that this series focuses on women in their late 20s/early 30s having the time of their lives. Too many Christian novels have women marrying at 20, having kids by 24, and becoming grandmothers by 40. That is not real life. I thought Mari and her friends were very realistic. I also liked Caitlin's story and how she was finally able to stand up to her parents. I found Mari's ever changing ring tones to be quite amusing as well. This book was fun, not preachy, a great chick lit read. If you haven't read Mari's first adventure be sure to pick up Hip to Be Square. It's just as good as Altar Call. I hope that someday there'll be third book in the series.

Engaging chick lit with a worthwhile message...

This is my first title by the author Hope Lyda. She also wrote Hip to Be Square. (I haven't read it, but I've heard it's a great story. It certainly has a snappy sounding title.) Altar Call is the sequel, but can be read as a stand-alone. Mari is an honest heroine with a quirky love for food, especially if it's fattening. She's basically a nice girl with an assortment of odd, but classy friends. She think she's found love in her current man, but over the course of the story discovers that sometimes what you think you want doesn't fly with what you have. Sometimes what you need is what you want, you just don't always see it at first. Even her parents and friends missread her relationship. I'm still a tad skeptical of her fiance. He seemed awfully chummy with his female cohort who worked with him on this "important" project that all but consumed him. Once she opened her heart to God's choice for her, she saw what He wanted for her life, and as in any true romance, she then goes running to catch the train before it whisks her true love away forever. My only issue with the story was the dialogue. It didn't always flow naturally in that people rarely used contractions in speech. Most people speak using contractions often. Otherwise it was a truly delightful read. I enjoyed getting to know Mari and her friends and I hope Ms. Lyda continues on with a third book. By the way the story ended I can definitely see possibilites for a sequel. If you love engaging chick lit with quirky characters you'll want to read this one. :)

Fabulous fun-read!

Altar Call is like getting to eavesdrop on your favorite group of thirty-somethings at the local diner. Hope Lyda leads the reader on a fabulous journey with the main character, Mari, as she discovers what having faithing in God and herself is all about. Would highly recommend to those gals out there who feel like they're always the bridesmaid and never the bride.