Split Ends by Kristin Billerbeck

I do believe that Kristin Billerbeck's "She's All That" was the first Christian fiction chick-lit I ever read. Since then I've devoured all of her books, and been fan from the beginning.

But I've never adored one of her novels like I adore "Split Ends".

Sarah Claire Winowski is an aspiring hair dresser to the stars. She sells her beloved belongings to earn money for a flight to Hollywood to begin her life and her career. But is remaking one's self what it's cracked up to be?

She rooms with her cousin Scott and his temporary roommate, Dane Weston. While attempting to settle into her new life in Tinseltown and adjusting to being Yoshi's newest protege, Sarah learns who she is deep down inside and who she desperately longs to be.

Maybe it's because I identified so much with Sarah. Not that my mom was a drunk...but that I was born to older parents and raised like a miniature adult. Not that my mom and dad were ridiculed by the township for their morals...but that I was the talk of the extended family for reasons I will not divulge in so public a blog---if you've gotta know, email me.

Maybe it's because, as a young girl and blossoming woman...I dreamed of moving away to a place where no one knew me, and I could be the person I was deep down inside with no one knowing my past and predicting my future. Because that is actually what Sarah's story is about.

There's romance. There's love. There's haircutting and styling and fashion discussion and the like. But it's all about knowing where you came from and knowing where you want to go...and not letting the former decide the latter.

I absolutely loved this story. While I never dreamed of being a stylist to the stars...I have dreamed. And I'm still waiting for some of them to come true. But I'm no longer letting my past dictate my future...In fact, Sarah and I both say, "Our future's so bright...we gotta wear shades!!"

"Split Ends" gets the full five bookmarks from me...and thank you, Krisin, for accidentally telling my story.

Happy Reading!

Deena